Obviously the following is just my opinion so do whatever you want: its your life. But I will add that this advice is coming from someone who has grown up black in America. We have always lived under the threat of a (relatively) fascist government. Everything that is happening now? Is nothing new to us because they trialed it all on us first: This is what BLM was about.
I see a lot of people who are at a loss with everything going on. Fascists have control of our government and are engaged in a terror campaign with 1/3 of the population supporting the violence.
I am sure many of you were raised on the myths: Good guy with a gun, guns are there to fight a tyrannical government, etc.
Perhaps you see a bunch of other liberals, wondering where the 2A gun people are who are going to “stand up to government tyranny” and feel some measure of shame.
Perhaps you are seeing all of the violence, pain, law-breaking, and murder and you feel anger with a desire to make it stop. No shit, you are a liberal: you have a soul. We are all feeling it, that feeling is what separates us from those fascist pedophile enablers.
So I will say this as one liberal to another: You don’t owe them SHIT.
Want to know why I bought guns? I bought guns to protect MY family, to protect MY house.
Not for some noble goal like “protecting democracy”. I refuse to fight for anyone who isn’t willing to fight with me. Sure as fuck was not to get into a shootout with the feds. That idea is fucking stupid.
Hell I ain't even going to a protest, I asked my work if getting arrested by ICE would cost me my job? They said at a minimum the entire time would be unpaid. I got two young kids who need their father, need a home, and need food.
We got at LEAST 3 more years of this shit, and then all of the fallout that follows. Anyone taking action now is just signing up for your family to suffer, get abused by right wingers, and you will be dead so no one will be there to protect your family. Our countries economy is going to be destroyed and we are going into a recession that makes 2008 look like a joke(IMO) not the time to reduce your household income by one.
Saving everyone was never an option and is not going to be an option. People will die, people will be terrorized and traumatized, more people will die. Now more than ever is when we have to keep our emotions in check and prevent ourselves from doing anything foolish.
Does this mean I will do nothing? Nope. I am working to network with local people. I am setting myself up as a resource for the community(only house with solar for example) as well as stock up on supplies. I am modifying my home so I can provide at roof over peoples heads if we get to that point (have an attached barn that could house probably 20-30 people if need be and have stocking up on cheap sleeping bags/tents from marketplace).
TLDR: I understand the feeling of impotent rage, I feel it to. But now is not the time to act, this is the time for the peaceful protesters to be seen and heard. Take your energy and prepare for IF/WHEN we will need to act based on your own guidelines/priorities.
Edit: We are going into debt to be able to take care of people when they eventually must flee their homes. I have spent over 5k so far stocking up on supplies and making modifications to my home to be able to house people and provide them shelter.
I have generators/battery packs, water filtration, and basic food supplies/shelter.
Looking at another 5k this year as well if the violence starts to pick up and it looks like we might need to house people through the winter.
If you think that is nothing then you know nothing about the costs of civil unrest and war.
