I don’t usually believe in telling people not to voice their opinions, regardless of what those opinions may be.

But if you are not in Los Angeles right now and your opinion is anything other than, let us support and lift up those who have lost everything, I

just don’t think people need to hear it.

It is not shocking that a tragedy will become immediately politicized. That’s the way our country seems to work these days.

But man, the hot takes coming from the right about how the fires are the fault of the incompetence of the Democratic Party or whatever.

Now is not the time

were mistakes made. Yes, certainly, and certainly, we’ll learn more about what city and state officials did and what they could have done better in the weeks and months to come, as these families slowly start trying to put back together the pieces of their lives,

If changes need to be made or people need to be held accountable, I do hope they will be but now is the time for us to show up for one another, very simply, as humans. I live in the Malibu area, so I am evacuated right now.

I live in the Malibu area, so I am evacuated right now, staying at my parents home, a bit north of Los Angeles. I know the sound on this video probably isn’t great, because I had to leave my equipment at home, and I apologize, but our home, and most importantly, my children and our pets are completely fine. If more than a little rocked, we are lucky.

We have, I mean, so many loved ones who have lost just everything. I was able to go to my parents house. I have a friend who lost her home and just shared with me that her parents lost theirs as well, and I don’t know where she goes. As a parent, the idea of helping your children navigate this degree of uncertainty and instability is just unthinkable.

I’ve also seen online some level of I hate to say this, but it is true Glee over the destruction of a major city in a blue state, people saying, Oh, these stupid Hollywood liberals are getting what they deserve. Or, Oh, these people have money. They’ll just buy another home anyway. That’s not how it works. The technical ability to afford another roof when your own has burned down does not insulate you from the pain of such a loss. My community where I live, we went through the Woolsey fire of 2018 and so many of my children’s friends experienced the loss of everything they knew at such a young age. So I can tell you the mental health repercussions of this event alone will extend into the far future.

And Need I remind anyone who forgets the fire did not strike only the rich, even though that wouldn’t make the losses any less devastating. The very heart of Los Angeles lies in its diversity. We’re a city of wealth, and we are also a city of immigrants and working class people. We have some of the nation’s finest, fanciest dining and some of the world’s best street food. Our residents come from every corner of the globe, every socio economic level, every race, every political sphere, and right now, everyone is hurting.

Lives have been lost, 1000s of homes, many of which have been in families for generations gone. Countless animals are displaced and frightened, and the suffering is tremendous, and the outpouring of support is tremendous as well.

A few nights ago, I was standing on the street alongside my neighbors, all of us watering down the vegetation surrounding our homes as the fire expanded and the winds turned in our direction. And let me tell you, I know for a fact that some of us have wildly differing political opinions, but all I saw that night was generosity and support that just superseded everything else.

If you want to help, links to places you can donate can be found below. La does need your help.

If you want to help, links to places you can donate can be found below. La does need your help. It just it doesn’t need your political opinions. Not now, not yet. I.