It's so important to be in community right now. Thank you Garrett for once again manifesting the raw pain of what we're dealing with. You left me reflecting on the New Yorkers who appeared on stoops and balconies at 7 PM during the Pandemic, honoring the First Responders of all ilks.
What would happen if we all in our communities, made whistle kits using the Pink Poster Club model, and gathered at a specified time to whistle our solidarity and protest against the disease of ICE and a fascist disease growing in our midst?
What is it going to take to jolt cis men (mostly white I'm guessing) into action? How many others of us will get obliterated before they truly understand? (Thank you Garrett and all others who are demonstrating such positive masculinity. I always love seeing it online.)
Right before the 2016 election, the Berkeley Rep theater presented a production of Sinclair Lewis's "It Can't Happen Here." (Spoiler alert: it could and did.) One of the things I remember most vividly about the play is that one of the ways the fascist president won hearts and minds was by promising every American family some amount of cash, plus he hired a ton of people to join his paramilitary force, which provided them with a steady and much-needed income. During the first Trump administration, I thought, well, at least he didn't follow THAT playbook!, but when I saw that DHS is offering $50K bonuses to anyone who joined ICE, well, it was very unsettling.
Then I read that they get $10K after their first 90 days of service, followed by $10K each year on the anniversary of their enrollment. I mean, $10K is still a decent amount of money, but how many of these goons will actually make it to the five-year mark to collect their full $50K?
“Remember you are water. Of course you leave salt trails. Of course you are crying. Flow. P.S. If there happens to be a multitude of griefs upon you, individual and collective, or fast and slow, or small and large, add equal parts of these considerations: that the broken heart can cover more territory. that perhaps love can only be as large as grief demands. that grief is the growing up of the heart that bursts boundaries like an old skin or a finished life. that grief is gratitude. that water seeks scale, that even your tears seek the recognition of community. that the heart is a front line and the fight is to feel in a world of distraction. that death might be the only freedom. that your grief is a worthwhile use of your time. that your body will feel only as much as it is able to. that the ones you grieve may be grieving you. that the sacred comes from the limitations. that you are excellent at loving.”
I just hugged my daughter and kissed her forehead before she got in her car to begin her drive back to Minneapolis to start the spring semester. I’m anxious and full of dread for her, for her friends, for the city, for our country.
I’m donating and I’m writing Congress weekly, but I haven’t been “amplifying.” I’m thoroughly disheartened by my deeply red county, state, and extended family.
I keep waffling on whether to get back on social media to post anti-fascist, anti-administration stuff.
Are there other red-state people here? Do y’all have suggestions?
It's so important to be in community right now. Thank you Garrett for once again manifesting the raw pain of what we're dealing with. You left me reflecting on the New Yorkers who appeared on stoops and balconies at 7 PM during the Pandemic, honoring the First Responders of all ilks.
What would happen if we all in our communities, made whistle kits using the Pink Poster Club model, and gathered at a specified time to whistle our solidarity and protest against the disease of ICE and a fascist disease growing in our midst?
I love the idea of a collective national show of solidarity at a single time, Gail.
So what will it take to go from good idea to action at a national level?
From a Minneapolis queer feeling all those things and more right now: thank you, Garrett.
Appreciate you, and your town!
Thank you, Garrett. As always, your words bring comfort. And steps for action! Keep it coming if you can. Peace.
Thank you!
What is it going to take to jolt cis men (mostly white I'm guessing) into action? How many others of us will get obliterated before they truly understand? (Thank you Garrett and all others who are demonstrating such positive masculinity. I always love seeing it online.)
Right before the 2016 election, the Berkeley Rep theater presented a production of Sinclair Lewis's "It Can't Happen Here." (Spoiler alert: it could and did.) One of the things I remember most vividly about the play is that one of the ways the fascist president won hearts and minds was by promising every American family some amount of cash, plus he hired a ton of people to join his paramilitary force, which provided them with a steady and much-needed income. During the first Trump administration, I thought, well, at least he didn't follow THAT playbook!, but when I saw that DHS is offering $50K bonuses to anyone who joined ICE, well, it was very unsettling.
Then I read that they get $10K after their first 90 days of service, followed by $10K each year on the anniversary of their enrollment. I mean, $10K is still a decent amount of money, but how many of these goons will actually make it to the five-year mark to collect their full $50K?
“Remember you are water. Of course you leave salt trails. Of course you are crying. Flow. P.S. If there happens to be a multitude of griefs upon you, individual and collective, or fast and slow, or small and large, add equal parts of these considerations: that the broken heart can cover more territory. that perhaps love can only be as large as grief demands. that grief is the growing up of the heart that bursts boundaries like an old skin or a finished life. that grief is gratitude. that water seeks scale, that even your tears seek the recognition of community. that the heart is a front line and the fight is to feel in a world of distraction. that death might be the only freedom. that your grief is a worthwhile use of your time. that your body will feel only as much as it is able to. that the ones you grieve may be grieving you. that the sacred comes from the limitations. that you are excellent at loving.”
— adrienne maree brown
I'm reminded of a favorite recent song from upper Midwest folk/Americana singer-songwriter Spencer LaJoye: "Looks Like We're Alive". https://spencerlajoye.bandcamp.com/track/looks-like-were-alive
Thank you, Garrett.
I just hugged my daughter and kissed her forehead before she got in her car to begin her drive back to Minneapolis to start the spring semester. I’m anxious and full of dread for her, for her friends, for the city, for our country.
I’m donating and I’m writing Congress weekly, but I haven’t been “amplifying.” I’m thoroughly disheartened by my deeply red county, state, and extended family.
I keep waffling on whether to get back on social media to post anti-fascist, anti-administration stuff.
Are there other red-state people here? Do y’all have suggestions?