If you need guns, tanks and propaganda to keep us from caring for our neighbors, you've already lost
On love and fear
Here is the current state of affairs, in the simplest terms possible.
There is a group of powerful people who believe that the best way for them to hold onto power is to hurt other people. They operate on a familiar logic. The more that all of us are afraid– afraid of them, afraid of each other, afraid to recognize our shared humanity– the more they win.
And so, because all they know is fear, because they have methodically turned off the valves in their hearts and souls that feel anything other than fear and lust for power, they expect the rest of us to follow our lead.
They expect that, if they tell us that the people they load into trucks and ship off on planes deserve it, we will nod along and say “of course they do.”
They expect that, if they dress up in combat gear and disappear our neighbors from Home Depot parking lots and high school graduations and beloved local restaurants, we will keep our heads down and go about our days.
They expect that, if they arrest a labor leader, workers across the country will mumble “well, he must not have been on my side.”
They expect that, if we show up at those restaurants and graduations and Home Depot parking lots and tell the gun thugs, “no, not in our neighborhood,” they can scare us away with tear gas and rubber bullets.
They expect that, if they send in the troops the next day, maybe we won’t return to the streets.
They expect that, if they shoot at us for hours with “less lethal rounds,” but then find any image of a protestor (perhaps masked, perhaps holding a Mexican flag, perhaps tossing something back) that might frighten a certain audience, some of us will agree that the real threat is each other and not the military phalanx.
They expect that there are two groups of us—“middle Americans,” “swing voters,” “respectable Americans,” and the crowds in the streets— and that we will never see ourselves in one another’s eyes.
They expect us to never to ask each other “why did you come out today? who do you love that is under threat? why are they so special to you?”
What a dilemma for them, the fascists and the fear mongers, that this is their only move. Screeching over and over again, not even recognizing that they are growing hoarse…
Fear us. Fear each other. Fear what we will do to you if you step out of line.
Their plan would be fool proof (just look at the resources they have at their disposal!), except for one flaw. The fact that millions of us have not closed our hearts, and that millions more (even, perhaps, some of those that are currently deployed in the occupying forces) can choose to open them at any moment.
They are counting on us to forget this– the fact that our hearts still beat for each other– and they will only grow more befuddled as more and more of us fail to take the bait.
They can terrorize us and shoot at us and inundate us with polling data about how “actually, Trump’s immigration plans are quite popular.” They can shower us with propaganda about criminals and rioters, but they can’t actually make us close those big beating hearts of ours.
For some of us, those wide-open hearts will lead us to the streets– either a planned mass gathering or an emergency convergence at the site of a raid.
For some of us, our hearts will lead us to less visible acts of care– meals cooked, funds raised, logistics managed, cases litigated.
For some of us, our hearts will lead us deeper into relationships with one another. We will realize more deeply every day why the call towards community is growing louder and louder. The more we are neighbors, the less they can make us turn on one another.
They can pull out every trick in the book to fill us with hate and fear. But in spite of how far down the spiteful road they’ve walked, we know they too are human. If they were ever to make a different choice, there would be years of restitution and reparations owed, but it wouldn’t be too late. Even the most atrophied hearts can beat again.
They can’t make us hate anybody. And while they can pull out all the stops to make us afraid, they can’t silence our voice in each other’s ears.
Yes, it’s scary, but we’re not alone. They may have guns and tanks and the overcompensatory bravado of the morally weak, but all that is no match for our love.
End notes:
SEIU is hosting a national day of solidarity protests(for all those impacted by ICE raids and for labor leader David Huerta specifically) today, Monday June 9th.
Big protest day this coming Saturday, just about everywhere!
The best way to plug into local actions and solidarity requests is by getting involved with the immigrant rights group closest to you. For me, that means following the lead of organizers at Voces De La Frontera Wisconsin.
Los Angeles support links: Immigrant Defenders Law Fund, Jail Support LA, Unión del Barrio.
I have loved, in the last couple days, learning about the incredible history of working class Latino-led activism in L.A. (which has carried on and won massive victories in spite of violent state repression). If you have some time today and you’re not already familiar, I highly recommend learning the story of the Battle of Century City.
God bless the inflatable dinosaur protestor:
Speaking of building community, the summer Barnraisers classes (about precisely that) are almost full, so if you want in I’d suggest registering quickly. Learn all about them here and then register here.
As it turns out, this shirt I made was pretty prescient (note: I’m not selling these right now, it was a raffle as a thank you to paid subscribers (since they’re the only reasons I can do this work). I’ll make more, though, so if you’re a new paid subscriber and you’re interested make sure to say so in the little message box when you upgrade your subscription
I keep thinking of what Utah Phillips used to say: "Force is the weapon of the weak."
I pray that all the protesters remain peaceful - despite the provocations. This regime is aching to declare marshall law - and will use any excuse - and may indeed manufacture one. We must be prepared for this outcome. Thank you for being a voice of hope, resistance and reason.