Not long ago, I visited the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, Massachusetts.
I’ve always admired Rockwell’s ability to tell profound truths through quiet, human moments.
One painting struck me like never before.
It’s called Freedom from Fear. A mother and father are tucking their children into bed. The room is peaceful. The light is soft. And in the father’s hand—barely visible—is a folded newspaper. The headline? About war. About terror overseas. But the children sleep peacefully, safely, because their parents have made a world where they don’t have to be afraid.
That painting came rushing back to me last week—at an Art Deco apartment house in South Beach.
I was out knocking on doors. I’ve done this for years in my role as Executive Director of the Miami Design Preservation League: talking to neighbors, listening to their concerns. I tapped on a door, and after a moment, a woman opened it slightly, with the chain still on.
She looked me in the eye and said, “¿Eres de inmigración?”
Are you with immigration?
Her voice trembled. Her body froze. She was scared.
Not because she had done anything wrong.
She was an American citizen. Born here. This was her home.
But still—she was afraid. Afraid to answer the door. Afraid that someone might come take something away. And it broke my heart.
That moment reminded me: Freedom from Fear isn’t just an idea for museums and paintings. It’s something we all still long for. It’s something many in our community still don’t feel.
Especially our Hispanic neighbors. Our immigrant neighbors.
Even our American-born neighbors, who speak Spanish at home and worry that someone might question their belonging.
Rockwell painted a world where children sleep in peace. But here in Miami Beach, too many of us still live behind locked doors, with fear in our hearts.
I believe that has to change.
Not with anger. Not with politics. But with compassion. With trust. With neighbors showing up for one another.
Because real freedom means feeling safe when someone knocks.
That’s the kind of Miami Beach I want to help build. One where no one has to flinch when the doorbell rings. One where dignity lives on every block. Where we protect each other not just with policies—but with kindness and courage.
Freedom from fear is not a gift. It’s a right.
And together, we can make it real.
—Daniel Ciraldo
Candidate for Miami Beach City Commission, Group 1
Ballot #132
