Why Some People Unsubscribe — and Why Your Support Matters More Than Ever

It might seem counterintuitive for me to publicize this information, but I share it in the spirit of transparency and honesty

Every time someone unsubscribes from Let’s Address This, I pay attention. Not because I’m trying to win a popularity contest—but because I know this work exists in a tense, charged, and deeply consequential moment in history. I don’t write to make people upset. I write to make people conscious. And consciousness sometimes comes with a cost.

Over the last few months, three different reasons people gave for unsubscribing stood out. I want to address each—thoughtfully, honestly, and with the unwavering commitment to justice that defines this community. Let’s Address This.

Speaking during a rally outside the National Restaurant Association trade show in Chicago on the need for economic justice for restaurant workers. Photo: Daniel Boczarski/Getty Images for One Fair Wage

1. Fear of the Regime

Subscribers are canceling their paid subscriptions due to fear of this regime. One reader recently reached out—not because he disagrees with the content, but because he travels frequently through U.S. customs and fears being flagged for following my work. He told me explicitly: “I can’t risk them finding this content on my social media.”

Let me be clear: I respect that decision. Deeply. I say this to everyone—protect your peace. No one should be forced to make themselves a target in a regime that is increasingly criminalizing dissent and punishing human rights advocacy.

But this is also what authoritarianism looks like: surveillance, intimidation, and fear. I’ve never advocated violence. I’ve never incited hate. I have always demanded justice, peace, and universal human rights. I have always unrelentingly called to uphold democracy, and have never been shy about criticizing our elected leaders who undermine democracy. But under fascism, even that becomes dangerous.

2. Discomfort with Justice for Palestine

Another reason people unsubscribe? My commitment to justice for Palestinians. Every time I write about Palestinian rights—every time I say that Jews and Muslims deserve equal protection, equal dignity, and equal humanity—someone inevitably replies with: “Please unsubscribe me.”

To those folks, I say this: my standard is justice. It always has been. It always will be.

I don’t write to coddle. I don’t write to entertain. I write to challenge narratives built on power, and to uplift truths too long buried by propaganda. If that makes people uncomfortable, then good. Discomfort is where growth begins.

I back my work with facts. I speak with moral clarity. And I do so without apology. So if you’re looking for someone to massage your worldview and soothe your discomfort with easy lies, this newsletter may not be your cup of chai. But if you’re here for principled truth—even when it’s difficult—I welcome you with open arms.

3. Intolerance for Condemning Antisemitism

And then there’s the irony. Just this week, a paid subscriber canceled—furious that I condemned antisemitism.

After she posted dehumanizing and antisemitic comments to a recent article, I responded plainly: there is zero tolerance for hate in this space. I asked her to remove the comment. She refused. So I removed it—and her subscription.

I then went further and refunded every single penny she ever paid.

My standard is justice. Dehumanizing language has no place here. Period. I don’t need support—financial or otherwise—from anyone who traffics in bigotry, no matter where it’s directed. My commitment is not to clout. It’s to human dignity. That means standing against Islamophobia. That means standing against anti-Black racism. That means standing against anti-Asian hate. That means standing against anti-LGBTQ hate. That means standing against misogyny.

And yes—that means standing against antisemitism. Always.

Why I Need You

So to those who can—especially U.S. citizens—I urge you: don’t be silent. Raise your voice. Reclaim your power. And if you want to make it loud and clear that you will not be intimidated, I welcome your support—free or paid. We are building something bigger than any one of us: a community of over 128,000 and counting principled readers and activists, committed to truth and justice.

Your presence matters. Speaking truth in the face of authoritarianism, genocide, and systemic injustice is not an easy task. It upsets people. It gets people angry. It makes people afraid. But it also moves people. It activates them. It builds community. And that’s why I need you.

This work only continues because of you. Because you read, you share, you support, and you believe that silence is not an option. I deliberately keep Let’s Address This open to all—never behind a paywall. I do this because I believe truth should be accessible, not a luxury. But that model only works if those who can support it, choose to.

If you’ve been moved by this work, if you believe in this mission, if you want to help fight fear with facts, and meet injustice with solidarity—please consider subscribing to further elevate our work.

In a time when fascism is knocking louder and louder, let’s build something stronger together. Let’s be louder still.

In solidarity,
Qasim