Political Rant, Tho Likely Not the One You're Thinking

[caitri]

I am so. fucking. sick. of people posting "We're fucked" and "I told you so" etc. etc. etc. Yes, today was a bad day. You know what you do on bad days? You regroup, you plan, and then you go back out.

It doesn't escape my notice too that the vast, VAST majority of these posts are from straight white people, mostly men. Like, guess what, kids, CHANGE IS HARD. REVOLUTIONS ARE DIFFICULT. Just because we face dangerous times doesn't mean you roll over and indulge in self-pity.

Like. Did we NOT memorize all of <i>Hamilton</i> for a purpose? Or was that just reveling in our own enlightenment? Revolutions are worthwhile, so long as its other people fighting? Fuck. that.

<i>Raise a glass to freedom
Something they can never take away
No matter what they tell you....
Raise a glass to the four of us--
Someday there will be more of us!
telling the story of tonight....</i>

Reading books about the Holocaust as a kid, I always imagined what I would do. I hoped that I would have the bravery to do the right thing. I still do. Right now I do what I can, which is sharing resource information where possible, donating to the ACLU, and giving my representatives an earful. I am hella lucky to be living in a progressive state. If everything goes to shit, I have every intention of making that work for me. If it comes to it I will hide people. If it comes to it I will lie, cheat, and steal for the Resistance. If it comes to it, I will give my life for my ideals, because that is what is necessary.

These are dark days. But every darkness passes.

<i>It's like in the great stories Mr. Frodo. The ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger they were, and sometimes you didn't want to know the end. Because how could the end be happy. How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad happened. But in the end, it's only a passing thing, this shadow. Even darkness must pass. A new day will come. And when the sun shines it will shine out the clearer. Those were the stories that stayed with you. That meant something. Even if you were too small to understand why. But I think, Mr. Frodo, I do understand. I know now. Folk in those stories had lots of chances of turning back only they didn’t. Because they were holding on to something....That there’s some good in this world, Mr. Frodo. And it’s worth fighting for.</i> 

Comments

[minoanmiss]

... you're right, sweetie. I'm sorry, and I thank you for the encouragement.

[caitri]

*HUGS* This was so not aimed at you, bb. It did come after a frustrating conversation with a white dude friend though; I wanted to say, "You know, you could just automatically take that extra thirty cents you make on the dollar for having a penis and add it all up and donate it to the ACLU every month" but I didn't. >_>

[fritz42]

OMG! I love this! I was just having a conversation with my friend last night, and she was overwhelmed with what has been happening lately. I talked about how politicians are well aware that when too many negative things hit people, then they shut down and become cynical and don't vote. I told her that I wasn't going to fall into that trap. This posting of yours gives me more ammunition to inspire others, especially that quote at the end.

We're in this for the long haul. I refuse to give up the fight. Thank you for this!

[caitri]

*HUGS* I had one friend near tears yesterday, and I have another that I genuinely think has clinical depression at this point and needs meds. But as bad as things are, I see so much reason to hope, you know? Here's a snippet I saw online:

L.A. Kauffman via Rebecca Solnit

"The scale of protest under Trump, thus far, has certainly been extraordinary. Researchers with the Crowd Counting Consortium have tallied more than 20,000 separate demonstrations over the period from January 2017 through May 2018, involving something on the order of 11 million to 16 million total participants. That’s more people protesting than at any previous time in U.S. history, including the most tempestuous years of the Vietnam antiwar movement.

"What’s more, it’s not just the size of these demonstrations that’s been unprecedented. It’s also their geographic reach — with protests being staged in record numbers of locations around the United States. A major day of action against Trump’s immigration policies is planned for this Saturday, June 30, with more than 600 demonstrations being staged all around the country, taking place in more than 80 percent of the nation’s congressional districts.

[fritz42]

OMG! You are a fountain of inspiration! I love that snippet. I've passed it on to my daughter and my protest march sister. Woo-hoo! That will put a spring in my step on Saturday when I march!

I totally agree with your reason to hope. There has been a slow, steady burn building, and with these latest escapades of this administration, I think it's going to ignite that burn into a wave of righteous anger that will surprise the people in Washington. People are finally getting engaged in politics at their local level as well as national. They're paying attention now.

Even if we can't keep some of their shit from happening this fall, I'm in this for the long haul.

[monanotlisa]

Yeah. Good point. We breathe, we rest, we return to the fight.