As I sit here speed dialing the fucking government as a last ditch harm reduction and pressure tactic I am thinking a lot about how much our methods for protecting and advocating for the vulnerable are going to have to change. And I am thinking of how long that’s actually been the case.
I will not ‘wait and see’.
I will not ‘give him a chance to lead’.
I will not fall in line with this latest example of our normalized fucking insanity, or the compulsion to pretend what is about to happen isn’t what is happening.
Make art that feels fucking scary.
Make time and space for your people.
Brush up on CPR, first aid, de-escalation, self defense — then use those skills to help others.
Revisit basic survival techniques, and things like how to change a tire — then use those skills to help others.
Fund immigration, LBGT, health care, and anti-racist orgs.
Utilize encrypted, decentralized communication methods.
Pay attention to POC organizers and activists. Contribute, and follow their lead.
Protest.
Ignore the attacker; be present with the victim. Most times, this will be enough. Be prepared, for the times it may not be.
Divest from relying on the militarized police state to help you or keep you safe.
Rest. Whenever. You can. Be creative; Snatched moments are better than nothing.
Google alert your local representatives, and CALL THEM to hold them accountable.
Do the inner work you need to do to support yourself through the discomfort and fear. Prioritize this highly. Have your own back.
I fight with my pen, my phone calls, my local political involvement.
I fight in the street with my fist in the air and tending to wounded.
I fight with my freely given cigarettes and my freely given skills and my freely given knowledge.
I fight by taking care of myself.
I fight with my solidarity and my travels and my artistry and by putting my future and my body on the line to resist this impending holocaust.
If you can’t stomach doing all that yourself, THAT IS OK; support the living fuck out of those of us who can.
There is a lot of judgement floating around regarding how best to show up for this time in history. Fact is: We need our quiet ones (not to be confused with silent), too. We need our funders and our snitches and our safehouses and our people who remain under the radar.
Bottom line: this shit is here, now, and a goal without a plan is just a wish. Resist the confusion. Resist the ‘I wish I knew’ and ‘I wish I could’ or ‘I wish I were brave like ____’. You belong here, now, in fucking reality.
We need you. Sharpen what you have, and fucking use it.