I saw this chart and I thought it might help people navigate what activities they felt safe to do or not go.
Progress
Most of the “keep up the work after the protests have ended!”-type posts I’ve seen are mostly focused on like, reading Black authors and listening to Black voices and unlearning racism, and obviously all of that is absolutely vital - but no amount of individual self-reflection will be able to dismantle institutional systems of oppression. So I wanted to put together some resources for continuing to build a culture of noncompliance and resistance to the police and prison system even after things have calmed down
Know your rights. Giving the police any more information than you absolutely have to will never and can never benefit you or anyone else - positive evidence given to the police is regularly thrown out in court, whereas negative evidence will be used against you. Know what to say and what you have the right to refuse. You don’t have to answer any questions without a lawyer present, you don’t have to give the police access to your house or car unless they have a current warrant signed by a judge. They will try to intimidate you - learn your rights and don’t let up, don’t ever cooperate with the police
Don’t snitch. If you see someone breaking the law in a way that doesn’t hurt anybody, keep your mouth shut. If cops knock on your door asking you questions about your neighbors or anyone you know, don’t answer
Don’t call the cops. If you can solve the problem in a different way, do it. Cops have on multiple occasions murdered the people they were called to help (or bystanders) without provocation. Don’t be complicit in that. Learn how to handle situations as a community or with the help of qualified experts
When you see an interaction with the police happening, stop and observe. If necessary, film the interaction. Organize and work with groups such as Copwatch to observe the police and hold them accountable
Use proper opsec, especially if you’re involved with anything that might make you a target for the cops. Downloading Signal is a great simple place to start
Learn about jury nullification, and spread the word. When serving in a jury, you have the right to vote not guilty on a defendant that you believe did commit the crime but doesn’t deserve punishment for it. Don’t be complicit in unjust punishment
Refuse to do work for the police or prison system. Workers keep the world running and the state relies on our compliance to keep our neighbors under their thumb. We can shut it down
Continue to support bail funds, even for non-protesters. Cash bail is unjust, and people shouldn’t be in jail just because they can’t pay
Continue to support legal defense funds as well, such as that of the National Lawyers Guild
Write to prisoners, either by yourself or with groups such as the Anarchist Black Cross or Black And Pink, and organize/support books to prisons programs, commissary funds, reentry programs, and other forms of prisoner support
Organize and support community-run crisis response organizations like the CAHOOTS program in Eugene, Oregon or the Birmingham Peacemakers in my hometown
Here are some other organizations to join that are doing good work in this area:
Black Lives Matter is obviously a huge voice in racial justice right now. The list of “official” chapters on their website is very incomplete, though, so you may have better luck doing a web search for “[your area] black lives matter” (beware of fakes though)
Showing Up for Racial Justice is another very active and widespread racial justice network
Critical Resistance is a grassroots prison abolitionist organization founded by Angela Davis
The Revolutionary Abolitionist Movement is another active prison abolitionist organization
The IWW’s Incarcerated Workers Organizing Committee works with prisoners to organize strikes, phone zaps, and other actions combating injustice in prisons
Again, the Anarchist Black Cross does great work supporting political prisoners through letter-writing and more. The link I’ve been including is to an unofficial federation of ABC groups, though - there may be a group in your area that’s not part of that federation, so a web search for “[your area] black cross” may be better
Black And Pink is a prison abolitionist organization focused on queer people and people living with HIV/AIDS
Antifascism is of course an important aspect of racial justice and community safety. See @antifainternational‘s guide to getting connected to your local antifascists - though, again, beware of fakes (the “antifa checker” accounts on fedbook and twitter can help)
The police state and prison industrial complex rely on the complicity and cooperation of all of us to function and be effective. By building a culture of noncompliance and active resistance, we can drastically reduce the state’s ability to oppress communities of color. Don’t let the struggle be forgotten with the changing of the news cycle - keep up the struggle until all are free!
FELLOW USIANS:
You may have heard that a whistleblower put themselves at great risk to inform Congress that Trump has, once again, attempted to get a foreign government to interfere in our elections. The foreign government in question, the Ukraine, was very alarmed by this and notified Congress as well. Trump has also admitted to it. The question is not Did he do it? The question is, What consequences will he face for treason?
For SOME REASON, our congressional leaders have been letting him get away with this bullshit – up to and including yesterday’s announcement that they are violating our free press state by no longer holding White House Press Briefings. We are in a critical moment where our democracy has never been at greater risk or under greater attack. I don’t mean to be alarmist or sensationalist, but you guys, we are well past wondering whether he is a danger to our country. Pelosi has been arguing that his crimes should be addressed via re-election, but his crimes compromise the freedom and integrity of our elections! HE MUST BE IMPEACHED.
The House of Representatives – ie, the body of Congress that has to move to start impeachment hearings – is caucusing THIS AFTERNOON to decide whether (!!!!!!) they will move forward with impeachment.
PLEASE CALL YOUR REPRESENTATIVES AND TELL THEM IN NO UNCERTAIN TERMS THAT IMPEACHMENT *MUST* BE MOVED ON. If there are no consequences for his actions, then what is even the point of a system that says no one is above the law?
Call 202-224-3121 to be connected to the House switchboard, who will then connect you to your representatives– or Google who your rep is and call them directly. DO IT NOW. TODAY. THIS MINUTE.
ETA: The vote is at 4:00pm Eastern.
No wonder Meghan Markle wants to leave UK
National Bail Out
The American Bar Association
Queer Detainee Empowerment Project
Freedom for Immigrants
Arizona Tucson Second Chance Bail Fund Colorado Colorado Freedom Fund California Bay Area Immigration Bond Fund Immigrant Families Defense Fund The Orange County Justice Fund Connecticut Connecticut Bail Fund Immigrant Bail Fund Florida LGBTQ Freedom Fund Hawaii Hawaii Community Bail Fund Illinois Champaign County Bailout Coalition Chicago Community Bond Fund Iowa Eastern Iowa Community Bond Project Kentucky Louisville Community Bail Fund Louisiana New Orleans Safety & Freedom Fund YWCA Greater Baton Rouge Community Bail Fund Massachusetts Massachusetts Bail Fund Minnesota Minnesota Freedom Fund Nebraska Omaha Freedom Fund Nevada Vegas Freedom Fund New York City Bronx Freedom Fund Brooklyn Community Bail Fund Lorena Borjas Community Fund WSLS Bail Fund New York State Columbia County Bail Fund EOC of Suffolk Inc. Charitable Bail Fund OAR of Tompkins County Bail Fund Syracuse Jail Ministry North Carolina Southern Coalition for Social Justice Bail Fund Alamance County Community Bail Fund North Carolina Community Bail Fund of Durham Oregon Portland Freedom Fund Pennsylvania Dauphin County Bail Fund Philadelphia Community Bail Fund Philadelphia Bail Fund Tennessee Hamilton County Community Bail Fund Memphis Community Bail Fund Nashville Community Bail Fund Texas Detained Migrant Solidarity Committee Fianza Fund Community Bail Fund of North Texas Virginia Richmond Community Bail Fund Roanoke Community Bail Fund Charlottesville Community Resilience Fund Washington Northwest Community Bail Fund Wisconsin Free the 350 Bail Fund
Freedom for Immigrants National Bond Fund
Haitian Immigrant Bond Assistance Project
LGBTQ Freedom Fund
RAICES Bond Fund
Arizona Pima Monthly Meeting Immigration Bond Fund California Bay Area Immigration Bond Fund Immigrant Families Defense Fund Orange County Justice Fund San Diego Immigrant Rights Consortium – Borderlands Get Free Fund Colorado Immigrant Freedom Fund of Colorado Connecticut Immigrant Bail Fund Iowa Eastern Iowa Community Bond Project Massachusetts Beyond Bail & Legal Defense Fund Michigan Kent County Immigration Bond for Our Neighbor’s Defense Fund Minnesota Minnesota Freedom Fund New Hampshire NH Conference UCC Immigrant and Refugee Support Group New York LIFE Bond Fund (New Sanctuary Coalition)New York Immigrant Freedom Fund Ohio (includes Northern Kentucky) 3R Fund for Immigrants Texas Fronterizo Fianza Fund Hutto Community Deportation Defense & Bond Fund RAICES Texas Bond Fund Vermont Vermont Freedom Bail Fund Virginia Cville Immigrant Bond Fund Washington Fair Fight Immigrant Bond Fund
"real rednecks aren't racist! real punks can't be bigots! real (insert x social group) can't-"
To start, I need to say that August was pretty much the best character the show’s created (well…second best…because Mulan exists and is perfect). They created this great multifaceted character, who had huge flaws. Flaws that were destroying him, flaws that ruined other people’s lives, but flaws that were totally relatable. Flaws that he owned up to before we even met him, flaws that he was completely focused on ridding himself of. He wanted to make amends, he wanted to fix his mistakes after a lifetime of embracing them. August may not have been an epic fairy tale hero, he didn’t wield swords or lead armies, but he was a real life hero. Obviously one of the things I love about August is the complete openness that he’s an addict. There’s a lot of metaphorical allusions to Regina/Rumple’s magic being like a drug and they’re both addicted but seriously it is so refreshing to see a lack of allegorical bullshit in fantasy sometimes. August was a drug addict and an alcoholic and had a fear of commitment and responsibility and was basically the least trustworthy person ever. So of course he ran away from his destiny. That’s part of who he is. He was a 7 year old under way too much pressure so he ran away from his destiny. Emma’s done the same thing at four times his age. It makes him human. You know what doesn’t make him human? What steals all his layers and turns him into a plot device? Having him be the one who told Neal to leave Emma. Like really think about it for a second. August left when he was 7 to live his own life. Then 17 years later, for reasons we don’t know, he comes back to face his destiny. He wants to help Emma. We don’t know what changed his mind all of a sudden, but he wants to help Emma. How did he find Emma? We also don’t know that. But he’s going to help…I guess. And of course by help, I mean get her thrown in prison. And to do this, he’s got like a real plan. He’s going to blackmail her boyfriend into framing her. How does he know her boyfriend is Bae? Another thing we just don’t know. But it was for the best. Emma was going to be okay (in prison), because August was ready to face his destiny. Except lol no he runs away again. Maybe getting the money was just too much pressure and triggered him into a relapse. That’s a legit possibility because he’s a freaking addict it happens. But here’s another question. Why did he never tell Emma this? Because he comes back remember. His decision to come back is fueled by selfishness because he doesn’t want to turn back into a puppet, but that’s a better explained reason for coming back than the first time he came back which was for…….??????? oh right we have no idea. But please remember that when he came back, he forged deep connections. He tried to rebuild something with his dad, he became a confidant of Henry, a friend to Emma. He helped Emma by telling her the truth. Not just that Henry was right all along about the curse, but the ugly truth that he abandoned her. He came clean about that because he was trying to better himself as a person and have their friendship be absolutely honest. He was confessing all the ways he’s done people wrong. And yet, he didn’t tell her he’s the reason she’s in jail. Why didn’t he do this? I mean abandoning her at birth is kinda the more traumatic thing he did wrong to her, why would he be more embarrassed about sending her to jail? She never would have gone in the first place if he had stayed by her, right? All these questions I’m bringing up have an obvious answer: retconning. August didn’t tell Emma he’s the reason she gave birth to Henry in a jail cell because the writers hadn’t decided that was true yet. He decided to come back because the writers didn’t want Neal to have abandoned Emma on his own, they wanted to blame someone else. They wanted people to sympathize with this new character who they had already kind of introduced as being a complete and utter jackass who Emma wishes were dead, so they made him follow the orders of a character they knew wouldn’t be around much longer. August finds Emma because the writers needed him to. August knows about Bae because the writers needed him to. August leaves Emma because the writers needed him to. After season 1 August ceased to be a character and became a scapegoat. This is the fucking textbook definition of character assassination. They stole everything that made August a person to force him into the role of a prop. He was a goddamn macguffin. What really makes this bad is that all of this character assassination is done over the span of ONE FLASHBACK EPISODE. HALF and episode really. I mean he’s gone for half a season with barely an acknowledgement that he ever existed in the first place and then they utterly destroy everything about him in half an episode? Then we don’t see or hear from him for another half a fucking season until his completely pointless death (destroying his memories and experiences and de-aging counts as death, okay, there’s a whole Doctor Who episode about it).
http://ouafeels.tumblr.com (via once-upon-a-plot-hole)
Side blog for my socially anxious soul. No posts just likes. Edit : I'm a liar
99 posts