This Isn't Politics. This Is About Basic Human Rights.

I posted something on social media yesterday that I honestly wasn't sure I should share.

As a business owner, you're told to "stay in your lane." Don't talk about politics. Don't alienate potential customers. Keep it light, keep it about the product, keep it safe.

But here's the thing: what's happening in America right now isn't politics. It's human rights. And I can't stay silent about that.

Here's what I posted:

"As an immigrant and green card holder, I'm watching what's happening with ICE with a level of fear and disbelief that many people will never have to experience. I also recognize the immense privilege I carry as a blonde, white woman  privilege that insulates me from systems that are actively harming others.

I know people personally who voted for the man enabling this violence and cruelty toward our neighbors. And instead of writing them off, I'm having the hard conversations. I'm telling them this: you're allowed to change your mind. It's not too late to choose differently. We would welcome you.

It's okay to admit you were wrong. That's not weakness ... that's integrity.

This isn't about tax dollars. This isn't about religion. This isn't about politics as a team sport.

This is about basic human rights. This is about dignity. This is about doing the right thing when it's uncomfortable. This is about standing up for people who don't have the protection, visibility, or privilege that others do.

Do the right thing. Have the courage to change. And understand that silence is still a choice."

The response was overwhelming. 

Some of you messaged me privately to say thank you. Some of you said it was brave for a business owner to speak out. Some of you said you wished more founders would use their platforms this way.

And some of you were angry. Some of you told me to stick to skincare. 

So let me be very clear about something:

This isn't politics anymore. This is terrorism. This is the systematic removal of human rights. And no side no political party, no ideology should stand for that.

When families are being torn apart, when people are living in fear of being detained simply for existing in the country they call home, when children are separated from their parents, when communities are being terrorized by militarized enforcement that's not a "political opinion." That's a human rights crisis.

And if you're a business owner reading this thinking, "I could never say something like that, I'd lose customers" I get it. I really do. There's a real fear that speaking up will hurt your business, that people will stop supporting you, that you'll be branded as "too political" or "too much."

But here's what I've learned: silence is also a choice.

And for me, staying silent would mean that I'm okay with what's happening. That I value potential sales more than I value the safety and dignity of my neighbors. That I'm willing to look the other way because it's easier, because it's safer, because it won't hurt my bottom line.

I can't do that.

I'm an immigrant. I'm a green card holder. I live in this country because of the exact systems that are now being weaponized against people who look different than me, who don't have the privilege of being white, BLONDE and blue eyed who don't have the safety net of being perceived as "non-threatening."

I carry enormous privilege as a blonde, white woman. I am not the target of these policies in the way that my Black, Brown, and immigrant neighbors are. But that privilege means I have a responsibility to speak up not because it's easy, but because I can.

I know people who voted for this. People I care REALLY about. People in my FAMILY & community. And instead of cutting them off, I'm having the hard conversations. I'm telling them: You're allowed to change your mind. It's not too late to choose differently. We would welcome you. I EVEN GOT ONE OF THEM TO CALL A SENATOR.... 

Because I truly believe that most people didn't vote for cruelty. They voted for something they thought would make their lives better, their wallets fuller, their country "safer." But now that the reality of what that vote enabled is unfolding, I'm asking them to look at what's actually happening and decide if this is really what they want to stand for.

It's okay to admit you were wrong. That's not weakness - that's integrity. That's also something I am trying to build here at My Neighbor's. 

This isn't about tax policy. This isn't about border security. This isn't about "legal vs. illegal." 

This is about basic human decency. This is about recognizing that the people being targeted by these raids, these policies, these systems of violence are our neighbors. They work in our restaurants, they care for our children, they farm the food we eat, They may be our NICU nurses they build our communities. They are human beings who deserve dignity, safety, and the right to exist without fear.

And if your response to that is, "Well, they should have come here legally," I want you to ask yourself: do you actually know what the legal immigration process looks like? Do you know how long it takes, how much it costs, how impossible it is for most people? Do you know what it's like to flee violence, poverty, or systems that would rather see you dead than give you a chance?

I didn't think so.

So why am I saying all of this in a blog post for a skincare brand?

Because My Neighbor's Co isn't just about products. It's about community. It's about taking care of each other as a whole - skin, land, and people. And if I'm asking you to support regenerative farming, to care about the land, to think about where your products come from and who makes them, then I also have to ask you to care about the people who live and work in those communities.

You can't separate the two.

If you're reading this and you're angry, I understand. If you're reading this and you disagree with me, that's okay. You're allowed to have your own opinions, your own beliefs, your own vote.

But if you're reading this and you're staying silent because you're scared - I'm asking you to reconsider.

Silence is complicity.

And I refuse to be complicit in a system that treats human beings as disposable, as threats, as less-than simply because of where they were born or what they look like.

If that means I lose customers, so be it. If that means people stop supporting My Neighbor's Co because they don't like what I stand for, then they were never really supporting what we're trying to build in the first place.

Because this brand has always been about more than skincare. It's about building a world where we take care of each other. Where we value people over profit. Where we show up for our neighbors, even when it's hard.

Especially when it's hard.

So no, I'm not going to "stick to skincare." I'm going to keep showing up, keep speaking out, and keep building a business that reflects the values I actually believe in.

And if that's brave, then I hope more of us choose to be brave.

— Harri

P.S. If you're an immigrant, if you're scared, if you're directly affected by what's happening right now - I see you. You're not alone. And you deserve safety, dignity, and a community that will stand with you.