Welcome to another edition of Red State Scripts, a resource for U.S. folks living in geographies represented by pro-Trump elected officials but who nevertheless feel inclined to have a bit (or a big) of a holler. These scripts aren’t meant to change any assholes’ minds — though it’d be nice, surely! — but are instead about finding a way to voice opposition, build community, and articulate grievances. Use 5Calls to find your reps, and give them a piece of your mind.
I am a bad flyer. (Flier? I was about to let my uncertain consternation about the proper spelling of this word get in the way of writing this post, but I am letting go of that.)
I am a bad flyer/flier.
Worse: I am a bad flyer/flier who loves to travel. I have figured out many ways to manage my flight anxiety over the years — bless plane wine, CBD gummies, and TikTok videos from pilots and attendants who talk about the physics and safety of air travel — but I am struggling lately. The mid-air collision over DC. The private jet crash in Arizona. The Toronto plane-flip. All since Trump 2.0 moved into the White House.
I’m genuinely just so batshit about air travel! In a way that makes me think it sounds bonkers to attribute the recent air-related catastrophes to the source of every other bad thing that is happening nationally, but also: IDK, why not? We were already in an air-traffic-control staffing crisis.
And now Trump 2.0 is stripping the already-strapped FAA for parts because something-something-woke. Elon Musk’s Space X, which mostly blows its own shit up while destroying the beautiful, essential, and delicate ecosystem of South Texas and the Gulf of Mexico, is infiltrating the precarious air traffic control system.
I’m fuckin’ scared, man. And I don’t even have to travel if I don’t want to! Getting on a plane is not part of my job! I just want more egg and no plane crash!
I don’t even really like eggs or care how much they cost! But yeah, man!
This week, I am once again jumping on the 5Calls database and using it to holler at my red-state reps about the whole shebang. Here’s what I’m saying:
I’m [my name] and I live in zip code [mine]. I’m calling because I’m actively worried about the safety of air travel in, from, and around the United States. No, I’m more than worried: I’m scared. I’m terrified. And my fears are made worse by news that Elon Musk’s Space X — a private company with no track record in the field — is set to take over the FAA after Trump has already fired hundreds of essential workers during an ongoing staffing crisis and multiple crashes since Trump’s inauguration. Nobody elected Elon Musk, and nobody, you included, has confirmed Musk’s unconstitutional appointment or even been asked to do so. Musk’s companies’ safety record is awful, for both employees and consumers, whether we’re talking rockets or cars. I don’t care about the price of eggs if I’m not alive to cook them. If you don’t stop Musk’s takeover, more people using air travel will die — and those of us who don’t will be watching and voting.
As ever: I’ll aim to post a new Red State Script on Monday or Tuesday every week, depending on the news cycle. If you have a script suggestion, leave it in the comments for others to use, and if you’re looking for an issue to comment on, let me know. And especially if you work for a state, local, or grassroots org producing such content for constituents, holler at me and I’ll share it, happily, with edits and adaptations made for diverse geographies — I’m grimesandrea@proton.me by email. (And if you have a script in mind and want to share it with the world, tag me on Bluesky or post it in the comments!)
As ever: Let’s holler into the void alone, together.
Thanks for reading Home with the Armadillo! To get the latest posts in your inbox, subscribe below.
Or support my art + design work by picking up something fun from my store!
Home With The Armadillo 
Leave a comment