By Harshitha Kothapalli – Editor-in-Chief

“Harsh Truths with Harshi” is an Advocate column written by Editor-in-Chief Harshitha Kothapalli. Kothapalli will break down top news events while also sharing her own insights, aiming to promote civic knowledge, discussion, and engagement. This week’s topics are: Escalating Iran Tensions, America’s Climate Rollback, and Harshi’s Last Harsh Truth.

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TOPIC #1: Escalating Iran Tensions

Tensions in the Middle East continue to rise as President Donald Trump warned Iran that “the clock is ticking” for a peace agreement amid ongoing regional conflict involving Israel, Lebanon, and Iran-backed groups. According to The Guardian, reports indicate increasing military activity near the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical oil shipping routes, while negotiations between the United States and Iran remain stalled. 

The conflict has already contributed to rising global oil prices and fears of broader economic instability. Humanitarian concerns also continue to grow as violence across the region contributes to mounting civilian casualties and displacement. 

Harsh Truth: 

The world is dangerously close to treating war as a form of background noise. Americans hear about “rising tensions” so often that many no longer stop to think about what those words actually mean: more deaths, more instability, and more civilians trapped in crises they did not create. 

At the same time, global leaders continue escalating rhetoric while ordinary people bear the consequences through inflation, economic uncertainty, and humanitarian suffering. Gas prices rise, grocery costs increase and global markets become more unstable, yet political leaders continue framing conflict as strategy rather than human tragedy. However, our inflation is nowhere near comparable to the millions of civilians who have died, been displaced, lost food and water supply, experienced extreme shortages of medicine and electricity, and so much more. Just because these conflicts are not occurring across our street, does not mean we should not educate ourselves and advocate for those who cannot speak up for themselves. 

The harsh reality is that modern wars are no longer isolated events. We cannot continue pretending foreign policy decisions exist separately from everyday life when the economic and human consequences are increasingly global. 

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TOPIC #2: America’s Climate Rollback

The Trump administration has continued rolling back climate policies and environmental regulations throughout 2026. Earlier this year, the administration formally rescinded the federal “Endangerment Finding,” the legal foundation allowing the government to regulate greenhouse gas emissions under the Clean Air Act.

The administration has also withdrawn from multiple international climate agreements and reduced support for global climate initiatives, despite scientists continuing to warn about rising global temperatures and worsening environmental disasters.

Experts warn that weakening environmental protections and climate research programs could significantly damage the country’s ability to respond to future climate emergencies. 

Harsh Truth:

America continues acting as though climate change is optional to address. Politicians debate whether environmental protections are “worth the cost” while scientists warn that the long-term costs of inaction will be far greater. 

The contradiction is almost impossible to ignore: leaders encourage ordinary citizens to recycle, drive electric vehicles, and conserve energy while simultaneously expanding fossil fuel production and dismantling climate regulations. The burden of responsibility is pushed onto individuals, while major industries and policymakers avoid meaningful accountability.

The climate change movement is not a distant warning about a dystopian world. It is already reshaping our lives through stronger storms, rising temperatures, droughts, flooding, and food instability. Yet environmental policy continues to be used as a buzzword to attract voters rather than as an action to address a clear and rapidly growing problem. 

Future generations will not remember which political party won the argument. But they will remember whether leaders acted before the damage became irreversible. 

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Harshi’s Last Harsh Truth:

Since junior year, when I started writing these editorials, I got asked time and time again, “Why do you make everything political?” But if we look around, that is because everything is political. Your ability to go to school, tan on the beach, drink water, access food, read books, and use your gym membership. It’s all political. The only discrepancy is that some have privilege and others don’t. We have the privilege to speak up, so why not use it? Staying silent does not make these issues disappear; it only protects the comfort of those who are unaffected by them. Politics is not just elections, campaigns, or debates on television. It is the systems that shape our daily lives, determine whose voices are heard, and decide who gets access to safety, opportunities, and freedom. For some people, these realities can be ignored because they are not forced to confront them every day. For others, politics is deeply personal, woven into their identities and lived experiences. Writing about these topics is not meant to make them divisive or controversial for the sake of it; it is about acknowledging the world as it already exists. If we have the awareness, education, and platform to recognize injustice or inequality, then choosing not to speak becomes a statement in itself. Silence has always benefited the status quo, but change has only ever come from people willing to question it out loud.