Warning. This is long. Some parts of it may offend you, but please give me a chance here.
"I just can't believe how weak and useless the liberal intellect has become. There is so much evidence of tampering in this election, but there isn't even a bandwagon to jump on. I feel useless. What is America? It is the largest, most heavily guarded exploitable human base the world has ever seen. We are thinking and acting like slaves. Don't get me wrong- I'm not talking about the "injustice"- I'm talking about my pride. We really could do something, right? I'm just at a loss. Protests are weak. Protest songs are weak. This Facebook post is weak. Can we please figure out how to be a threat? This is 100% a cry for help. "
My newsfeed is like a giant American suicide note.
Please. I will protest with you."
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I read this on Monday. It broke my heart. I decided to repost it because it really mirrors my thoughts about what has happened in this country. This person just had the balls to say it.
I'm pretty encouraged by all of the conversation , the Pantsuit Nations and marches occurring ....these things are fabulous and I'm proud to be a part of them.
But, talk is cheap unless it's also followed up with real action.
Just ask the Suffragettes. Gaining our right to vote wasn't pretty.
Ask anyone who marched for Civil rights. It wasn't pretty.
We fought like hell for the right to choose. It wasn't pretty.
I hate to say it, but it's time for a revolution. It's happening anyhow and no amount of liberal intellectualism will ever take the place of real organizing and action. I'm a product of the 60s , birthed from strong minded parents. I watched my hippy sister march. I marched. I taught my son to do the same. My husband too.
This is different. These days, getting liberals to agree on anything is an exercise in futility. We're so intellectually soft that it's become terrifying.
Keep your wonderful conversations about love, life , spirituality and humanity alive. We need those, but they are only one part of this equation. They're also hugely personal. They mean everything to you and that's wonderful but in the end you have to fight this new normal with the facts.
Remember. There has been one thing that we've all been able to galvanize around and that's a safety pin. Why? Because our desire to protect each other is strong. That's tribal... not intellectual.
So when the author of the quote above questions what we stand for, I get it. We're so busy throwing self help philosophy at what is clearly a direct attack on our American rights that it's as scary to me as anything I'm listening to from the new administration.
Why? Because we're missing the point. Self help is personal. It's not political. Not right now.
I know what the new administration stands for.
The destruction of the first amendment. The destruction of the free press and a free internet.
Guns should be unregulated. Period.
Neo Nazi philosophy. I refuse to use the term " Alt Right" I'm a PR person first and foremost. "Alt Right" is sexy and it's worked. Even liberals are so intrigued that they can't stop saying it.
The absolute denial of climate change so that the planet can continue to be plundered for profiteering.
The manipulation of the election and the tampering of our vote to remain in power at all costs, even if it means bending over and taking it from the Soviet Union.
Women are exploitable , fuckable and simply put here for male gratification.
LGBT's , Blacks , Muslims,Mexicans and Jews are not as American as European white folk.
Bullying is acceptable.
I'm sure I've forgotten something.
So... what do we stand for? Until we figure it out and hone the message to the simple points that we can all agree again, we will continue to be exploited as the quivering intellectual , "all we need is love marshmallow that we are. "
I'm not saying stop loving. I'm not saying to stop talking.
Love and direct action are not mutually exclusive.
What I'm saying is that in the end, a safety pin is the thing that moved us into action and that's because in the end you will do whatever it takes to protect someone you love in harms way.
By putting one on, you should hopefully begin to understand what has made the revitalized conservative movement so powerful.
So instead of bitching that the Press is rolling over, demand that they don't.
Instead of worrying about being discriminated against, demand that your voice be heard. If you see racism, bigotry , antisemitism , bullying or misogyny in action, demand that it stop.
Call the police. Use the media. Demand that they work for all Americans, not just a chosen few.
Demand Net Neutrality.
Call your congressman and senators ( all of them , not just the Democrats) everyday. Make them nuts because you're bugging them so much.
Troll Donald Trump and Mike Pence on twitter because you can. I do it everyday just because it's fun.
Stop complaining about false news. ( I know I'm going to take a lot of shit about this one, especially from some of my nearest and dearest) Frankly that was always up to you . Instead of being spoon fed, check and recheck. Research like you had to in school. Report false news. Demand it be removed like it has been, but stop saying Social Media is the enemy. It's a marketing tool and a place to connect. Donald Trump and the neo nazis just used it better.
Run for office. The Tea Party, now the ruling party infiltrated at grassroots levels. We liberals were very busy laughing instead of listening.
Here's the deal. In the end Hillary Clinton will have won the popular vote by millions. That's not a mandate for Donald Trump, especially since there are now calls from some of the most brilliant computer science minds to audit this election.
We know that it's been tampered with, by Wikileaks and the Soviet Union, but we expected that somehow our government would do the right thing and make it all better.
The government is not our mommy or our best friend.
Grow up. They were too busy trying to win elections.
Changing this is up to us, not them because in the end, they care about preserving their jobs too... just like you do.
Do not get complacent. Do not let me hear that you're tired and need a week long break from all this, because frankly you don't have the luxury of that kind of time.
That is about as middle class as it gets and it's a completely exploitable tendency. Trump won the emotional argument because he obliterated the concept of time.
With 24 hours in each day you can certainly devote 30 minutes to protecting this country from fairly certain disaster.
I If you can't figure out how to put your emotions aside here and simply take direct, focused , constant and calculated action, we will continue to roll over and lose this battle for the soul of this country.
Stop being so afraid to be heard and seen. I wonder what would have happened if Our founding fathers , Susan B Anthony or Barack Obama had done that.
If we just can't do that then we're not the America we think we are and frankly that would be pathetic.
I do not accept this new normal and neither should you.
I'll see you in the streets.
Please share if you are so moved.
I don't know who to attribute the picture of the founding fathers to, but I love it. I wish I'd taken it.
