#practical resistance

personally I am firmly against. I mean no disrespect to any past revolutionaries who have made a difference this way, but today, what the movement needs is warm bodies to the cause, boots on the ground, hands to help, and eyes to keep a look out. a living person is part of a revolution. in death, you can no longer participate.

even if the impact your death has is huge, the impact your life could have had is infinite. death resists nothing.

if you kill yourself, those who hate you won't care, those who love you will be hurt, and the indifferent middle will remain indifferent. maybe a handful of people will be invigorated to join the resistance. maybe you could have convinced those people with your living testimony, rather than your eulogy.

This from the ACLU [America specific here]

- follow cops who are harassing homeless people (they are emboldened now, esp regarding nonwhite folks). Film then, ask for their badge #s, ask if the individual they are bothering is being charged with anything and if they’re free to go. This doesn’t require aggression but rather a calm, implacable patience. Try to give off “You have all day to make sure rights are followed. You can out wait them” vibes

-Record ICE while they are detaining folks

-distribute know your rights flyers / paste ups / graffiti. Print red cards (google them) in the language(s) common in your area and leave them in bathrooms or bus stops.

-look up if your local hospitals have stopped offering gender-affirming care to minors. If your state law still protects trans youth rights, contact local lgbt+ groups. Chances are they’re putting together a letter to that hospital(s) to say that they’re breaking state law to get federal funding. If a group doesn’t exist, you can maybe write a letter like that yourself.

-find out if your workplace or school has a “reacting to ICE raid” policy. Know it. Distribute it. If it doesn’t exist (and you’re comfortable asking - good thing for documented folks to do with their privilege) ask for one to be made.

-give calling your Senator a break and contact your state’s AG to ask them to file on behalf of one of the many unconstitutional things that are happening. Especially good if you live in a red state and are concerned about, say, Musk having access to everyone’s SSN and Treasury info or similar.

-write people’s rights on sidewalks in chalk. Teach your friends their rights. Learn the letter of the law as it actually exists regarding you and your friends

-stay alive. Outlive these bastards and their bullshit laws and fearmongering

FUCK YEAH!! this ask helpfully answers a few others i got about ways to get involved as a minor / someone new to resistance / someone with limited ability to do certain active forms of protest

https://www.hhs.gov/protect-kids/whistleblower-guidance/index.html?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&token=hOeWcnQgB0k9yjV_OkFRDJVmkBwiJD-GO44_p6OSdXc

I don't know if you've already made a post on it or not, but could you talk a bit about ways to participate in revolution without being violence or.. getting too close to direct violence?

I'm all for the "punch nazis" thing, and I think protests are extremely important even if they turn ugly, but I'm an upsettingly non-confrontational person due to trauma, I struggle a lot with unfamiliar experiences, and I'm pretty weak physically. I have very little motivation to get stronger, partially due to depression and partially due to the fact that I like being small because it makes me fast and agile and I can fit in small spaces.

I know there are some other options that aren't as active as the classic "revolution riots," but I struggle to remember them and actually mobilize myself to get started on anything, so sometimes it can feel like I'm just being useless when I should be doing so much more.

I'd really appreciate if you could just talk a bit about how not everyone can be out there on the front lines throwing tear gas cans back at the cops, and maybe list some more down-low activities that still push the revolution forward?

Your blog has been an inspiration, thank you so much <3

-🌌⭐

I am working on a full guide to practical resistance for beginner revolutionaries [title a work in progress] that will be released all at once when ive finished, probably as a pdf rather than a tumblr post. these are all great suggestions for sections to include

yes the guide is ongoing! given how big its getting it will likely be on a pdf and not a tumblr post. this is a longer term project so i can address as many areas and answer as many questions as possible. ppl can help by sending me specific questions they want answered in it and add [practical resistance guide] or [direct action ask] to the ask.