[a character looks sad in front of a sad city, under the sunset]
Things aren’t looking great…
It sucks when the state kills people
Wish we could do something about it
[the character is now in front of their TV, showing ICE agents surrounding a bleeding corpse on the floor]
Wait… this time they killed WHITE people
This means it could happen to me too?!
[an angry crowd is demonstrating, holding various signs such as…]
THIS TIME YOU’VE GONE TOO FAR
I DRAW THE LINE HERE
TOLERATE NO MORE
2025-31-12, Keith Porter, shot and killed by ICE agents
2025-09-12, Silverio Villegas González, shot and killed by ICE agents
2025-07-28, Jaime Alanis Garcia, shot and killed by ICE agents
27 shootings by ICE in 2025,
8 of which were lethal
31 deaths in ICE custody in 2025
11 deaths in ICE custody in 2024
7 deaths in ICE custody in 2023
3 deaths in ICE custody in 2022
5 deaths in ICE custody in 2021
18 deaths in ICE custody in 2020
9 deaths in ICE custody in 2019
9 deaths in ICE custody in 2028
No part of what you said addresses my point, so I’ll repeat myself: Resistance movements have to worry about being coopted from the inside almost as much as they do about being crushed from the outside. Introspection and self-awareness are crucial if this movement is going to survive. Internal conflict is often rightly cited as a danger to any movement, but it’s also a survival mechanism that shouldn’t be shut down out of hand.
You have a point. But currently people are doing the right thing. Should we stop? What do you suggest we do about it right now in this moment?
I mean, there’s no one right answer, and other people probably have better ideas for radicalizing moderate movements, but there are wrong answers and shutting down internal criticism as “divisive” or whatever the centrist thought terminating cliche of the day is is definitely one of them, and on that front this thread is not a good indication. If I had to say something it’d be “maintain minimum standards and don’t compromise with centrists,” but that’s not really the point I’m making here. People need to be confronted with their biases and pushed to be better if they’re going to, you know, be better (which is necessary because feckless moderate liberals don’t overthrow fascists).
Here’s how I see it: people have himmed and hawwed around while trump’s America turns into a hellscape. Horrible things happening by the second, you can’t refresh your news fast enough before another tragedy happens. We keep hearing about protesters in Portland, Chicago, Philadelphia. About people delivering groceries and running errands for people who are afraid to leave their house. I’ve never seen so many people in my town show up to protest. And I’m so fucking proud of these people.
Then something snaps and people really start showing up, standing outside in 20 below zero to let trump know they don’t accept him. And I feel hope for the first time in weeks, months, years.
And someone comes in and says YOU’RE WRONG FOR FEELING GOOD EVERYTHING ISN’T PREFECT SO THEREFORE EVERYTHING IS WRONG THIS PROGRESS MEANS NOTHING STOP FEELING GOOD YOU SHOULD FEEL BAD
So, I get where you’re coming from but also fuck you.