I'm old and not a parent. I'm an aunt. I just got an "Auntifa" (Aunts Against Fascism) t-shirt. I think I found it going through a rabbit hole on Substack. I've been thinking a lot lately about my obligations to younger women in the context of reproductive rights. I am hoping to build a network of older ladies like myself to help anyone who needs an abortion. After reading this, I think I can also build some skills to pass on to the young people iny life who are going to live in a much worse world than the one I was lucky to live in. I will be saving and sharing this post.
FYI, if you want to be prepared to help young women, Google aid access advance provision to order pills for future use. I did, and I've tried to put it out there that I will help anyone who needs them.
I love that you’re thinking about how to support access to abortions. So, so important, and highlights that there are so many ways we can help keep each other safe. Also, I want an “Auntifa” shirt!!
T2 impacted me too. My kids know how to navigate in the wild, raise a garden and fish, preserve food through smoking and canning. I have not thought about guns yet but self defense and physical training is also a pre requisite for leadership.
Where does nonviolent civil disobedience come from? "Liberal whites"? Don't think so. Correct me if I'm wrong but I don't think that is a label you can apply to Mahatma Gandhi, or the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King. And honestly I don't think they decided that was the best method of resistance for just moral reasons. They both knew that the powers that be, that they were fighting, held not the moral high ground but had their power at the barrel of a gun. The Black Panthers were not violent and did incredible community work, but as a group dedicated to defending Black peoples by arming themselves, which is ok for white people but not black people, their leadership was systematically assassinated. So as a method of resistance, it is not only ineffective but it is counter effective, giving the powers that be an excuse to come down violently on any armed resistance. Shooting a gun May be fun, I was introduced to it myself years ago, in Vermont, where people supplement their diet by hunting, and am not opposed to that, but while this country glorifies guns, as a practical matter, it is not a very useful tool in resistance, and any suggestion otherwise is very foolish.
With a sufficiently ruthless enemy, all non-violent assembly does is make those in opposition easier to machine-gun.
Not one myself by a long chalk to reach for violence first, I am nevertheless absolutely convinced that the institutions and movements seizing power won’t let go until confronted with a viable economic and physical violence.
Also, what right in law do masked and armed people who do not identify themselves or display a warrant have to enter private homes without resistance by deadly force?
There's a recent history dating to 2016 of armed leftist community defense groups who show up in places like Charlottesville, especially the Redneck Revolt / John Brown Gun Clubs, which have since split into local chapters; there's also the SRA, which are very active. 8 years ago we implored liberals to consider firearms for defense, but they largely dismissed us; now some of those same people are coming to us for training. I'd also argue that liberals are not really leftist, because they still trust Democratic politicians and still believe their institutions will hold... but perhaps that's best left for another discussion! Here's a quote I like: “Should you decide to become a threat, that power will always crush you with violence. Only white people think you can achieve anything without engaging in it too.”
Glad you brought up these leftist community defense groups because I think they can help us reframe this conversation from simply "political violence" as one big bucket to community safety, especially now, when we've got people being dragged off the street by masked "agents." There's a world of difference between armed protection of vulnerable people and armed perpetration of violence - usually against vulnerable people - to cement fear and obedience in a population. And I totally agree re: the distinction between leftists and liberals!
Something I have tried to teach others in terms of self-defense:
After every disaster, shooting, etc, you always here people say something like "i can't believe it happened here." Unfortunately, "here" is everywhere. None of us are beyond the reach of violence, whether man-made or through the wildness of nature and weather. Developing skills is always a better plan than not doing so.Outside of math class, I have not had to measure the radius of a circle, but one never knows...
This was a really challenging, difficult read for me. I currently live someplace that feels protected from this administration (with plenty of other problems from local gov’t). It shouldn’t have been, but it felt like a surprise when ICE showed up in the community. I feel less worried about food and clean water because we have long growing seasons and already have a sizable cistern to collect rain water.
However, I fret about visiting family and friends. My husband and I go back and forth between being closer to family to have a better support system or staying where we are where it is a bit safer.
I have held firmly to nonviolence for the last 20 or so years. I have a small child who is gentle, creative, empathetic. I don’t want her to toughen up. I don’t want her to have to know about reality. And yet, I also can’t keep my head in the sand.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I agree, this is a really hard subject, and just a few years ago I would’ve had different feelings about it. Or at least, it would’ve felt more remote and hypothetical. But yes, when ICE is suddenly dragging your neighbors off the street, things feel different.
It’s especially hard when it comes to kids. I really resonate with your desire for your child to remain gentle and empathetic. The way I’m trying to look at it is that I don’t want to “harden” my kids, but I want them to be practiced in being brave, believing in themselves, and knowing they have strength and agency. And I’m not sure how they practice those things without encountering some fear, discomfort, and difficult situations. It’s really starting to feel like I’d be doing them a disservice if I protect them too much.
My husband and I made the same choice. That resilience required that we learn to protect the places and people we love from people who would do them harm. And those people are likely to have guns. We bought guns and are seriously learning to put bullets where we aim. Definitely takes practice. It’s not a solution, just one piece. But this skill, like gardening and canning, won’t hurt me and might help somebody someday.
“But golly gee, Elie. If we use the tactics of our enemy we are no better than them.”
Karl Popper came up with something called "The Paradox of Tolerance," the idea that unlimited tolerance will be crushed by the intolerant. I've thought about this and concluded that applying "do as you would be done by" to intolerant people does not work. For them, instant karma is the position to take.
"The point is not necessarily about teaching your kids to be able to fight sentient robots (though, let’s maybe not rule that out?), but about preparing them for a world that will almost certainly be harder and scarier than the one many of us grew up in. This means imparting skills that many of us don’t actually have, focusing more on resilience and resourcefulness, street smarts (both physical and digital) and survival, than on resumes and internships."
I don’t have children, so I can only have humble opinions about raising them. I heartily agree with you that educating them with life skills for the future they might face is a necessary undertaking. They might indeed need to grow their own food and defend that food and themselves with a firearm. All the basic Boy Scout/Girl Scout skills could help them in the future.
I would prioritize digital/data protection since persecution and surveillance is already happening.
I agree that we need to be prepared to fight physically, to defend ourselves, which white lefties have historically seen as unacceptable. We don’t know how to fight in general (see current Democrats in office). We always want to be polite. But back in the Sixties, White liberals did fight with their bodies. Those are all the same older people dominating the protesting now. Younger White people will need to learn and join in.
I would love to learn to handle and shoot firearms. It looks really fun. And there have been numerous situations where I live now when racking a shotgun would’ve helped with deterrence. But I’m too sick at the moment.
I follow the Ukrainian war closely and often think about the horrible situations ordinary people suddenly found themselves having to deal with. Old ladies made hundreds of Molotov cocktails. Civilians were handed weapons in Kyiv. People were held in basements for months. Knowing first aid was the difference between life and death. In occupied territories their phones were confiscated and searched for anything incriminating. Tattoos were checked. Events can turn badly quickly. It’s best to be prepared.
There is a PDF called “The Mini Manual for Urban Defense” by John Spencer published in 2022. Check it out.
Thanks for sharing this, and for pointing me in the direction of John Spencer's work. With Dear Leader caught on mic today saying "homegrowns are next" (aka natural born US citizens) to be deported to El Salvador, it feels like things are changing fast and furiously. We really can't take this situation seriously enough.
fuck "NoNvIoLeNcE".
its fucking stupid.
I'm old and not a parent. I'm an aunt. I just got an "Auntifa" (Aunts Against Fascism) t-shirt. I think I found it going through a rabbit hole on Substack. I've been thinking a lot lately about my obligations to younger women in the context of reproductive rights. I am hoping to build a network of older ladies like myself to help anyone who needs an abortion. After reading this, I think I can also build some skills to pass on to the young people iny life who are going to live in a much worse world than the one I was lucky to live in. I will be saving and sharing this post.
FYI, if you want to be prepared to help young women, Google aid access advance provision to order pills for future use. I did, and I've tried to put it out there that I will help anyone who needs them.
I love that you’re thinking about how to support access to abortions. So, so important, and highlights that there are so many ways we can help keep each other safe. Also, I want an “Auntifa” shirt!!
Hi! I tried to find the place I bought it from but couldn't. Here's a link to a vendor that seems good (fair labor is mentioned): https://www.redbubble.com/i/t-shirt/Auntifa-Aunties-against-fascism-by-DuaneGarrett/89427530.FB110 . I also have an extra shirt that I could send you if you'd like (not yet worn).
T2 impacted me too. My kids know how to navigate in the wild, raise a garden and fish, preserve food through smoking and canning. I have not thought about guns yet but self defense and physical training is also a pre requisite for leadership.
Where does nonviolent civil disobedience come from? "Liberal whites"? Don't think so. Correct me if I'm wrong but I don't think that is a label you can apply to Mahatma Gandhi, or the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King. And honestly I don't think they decided that was the best method of resistance for just moral reasons. They both knew that the powers that be, that they were fighting, held not the moral high ground but had their power at the barrel of a gun. The Black Panthers were not violent and did incredible community work, but as a group dedicated to defending Black peoples by arming themselves, which is ok for white people but not black people, their leadership was systematically assassinated. So as a method of resistance, it is not only ineffective but it is counter effective, giving the powers that be an excuse to come down violently on any armed resistance. Shooting a gun May be fun, I was introduced to it myself years ago, in Vermont, where people supplement their diet by hunting, and am not opposed to that, but while this country glorifies guns, as a practical matter, it is not a very useful tool in resistance, and any suggestion otherwise is very foolish.
With a sufficiently ruthless enemy, all non-violent assembly does is make those in opposition easier to machine-gun.
Not one myself by a long chalk to reach for violence first, I am nevertheless absolutely convinced that the institutions and movements seizing power won’t let go until confronted with a viable economic and physical violence.
Arm yourself.
Also, what right in law do masked and armed people who do not identify themselves or display a warrant have to enter private homes without resistance by deadly force?
Yep! Best to be realistic about what we're facing.
Yes! Exactly
There's a recent history dating to 2016 of armed leftist community defense groups who show up in places like Charlottesville, especially the Redneck Revolt / John Brown Gun Clubs, which have since split into local chapters; there's also the SRA, which are very active. 8 years ago we implored liberals to consider firearms for defense, but they largely dismissed us; now some of those same people are coming to us for training. I'd also argue that liberals are not really leftist, because they still trust Democratic politicians and still believe their institutions will hold... but perhaps that's best left for another discussion! Here's a quote I like: “Should you decide to become a threat, that power will always crush you with violence. Only white people think you can achieve anything without engaging in it too.”
Glad you brought up these leftist community defense groups because I think they can help us reframe this conversation from simply "political violence" as one big bucket to community safety, especially now, when we've got people being dragged off the street by masked "agents." There's a world of difference between armed protection of vulnerable people and armed perpetration of violence - usually against vulnerable people - to cement fear and obedience in a population. And I totally agree re: the distinction between leftists and liberals!
Thank you so much for saying this!
https://open.substack.com/pub/ismailhatago/p/the-patriot
I love this! So poignant. Thx for the link
Something I have tried to teach others in terms of self-defense:
After every disaster, shooting, etc, you always here people say something like "i can't believe it happened here." Unfortunately, "here" is everywhere. None of us are beyond the reach of violence, whether man-made or through the wildness of nature and weather. Developing skills is always a better plan than not doing so.Outside of math class, I have not had to measure the radius of a circle, but one never knows...
This was a really challenging, difficult read for me. I currently live someplace that feels protected from this administration (with plenty of other problems from local gov’t). It shouldn’t have been, but it felt like a surprise when ICE showed up in the community. I feel less worried about food and clean water because we have long growing seasons and already have a sizable cistern to collect rain water.
However, I fret about visiting family and friends. My husband and I go back and forth between being closer to family to have a better support system or staying where we are where it is a bit safer.
I have held firmly to nonviolence for the last 20 or so years. I have a small child who is gentle, creative, empathetic. I don’t want her to toughen up. I don’t want her to have to know about reality. And yet, I also can’t keep my head in the sand.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I agree, this is a really hard subject, and just a few years ago I would’ve had different feelings about it. Or at least, it would’ve felt more remote and hypothetical. But yes, when ICE is suddenly dragging your neighbors off the street, things feel different.
It’s especially hard when it comes to kids. I really resonate with your desire for your child to remain gentle and empathetic. The way I’m trying to look at it is that I don’t want to “harden” my kids, but I want them to be practiced in being brave, believing in themselves, and knowing they have strength and agency. And I’m not sure how they practice those things without encountering some fear, discomfort, and difficult situations. It’s really starting to feel like I’d be doing them a disservice if I protect them too much.
It’s a tough time to be a parent ❤️
I think you have a good perspective on it. It’s good for thought, for sure…and a thought pathway parents hope they never have to go down.
My husband and I made the same choice. That resilience required that we learn to protect the places and people we love from people who would do them harm. And those people are likely to have guns. We bought guns and are seriously learning to put bullets where we aim. Definitely takes practice. It’s not a solution, just one piece. But this skill, like gardening and canning, won’t hurt me and might help somebody someday.
Love this. Reminds me of Stewart Brand’s Last Whole Earth catalog. Show your kids The Martian to inspire potato growing 🙂
“But golly gee, Elie. If we use the tactics of our enemy we are no better than them.”
Karl Popper came up with something called "The Paradox of Tolerance," the idea that unlimited tolerance will be crushed by the intolerant. I've thought about this and concluded that applying "do as you would be done by" to intolerant people does not work. For them, instant karma is the position to take.
"The point is not necessarily about teaching your kids to be able to fight sentient robots (though, let’s maybe not rule that out?), but about preparing them for a world that will almost certainly be harder and scarier than the one many of us grew up in. This means imparting skills that many of us don’t actually have, focusing more on resilience and resourcefulness, street smarts (both physical and digital) and survival, than on resumes and internships."
This This This!
I don’t have children, so I can only have humble opinions about raising them. I heartily agree with you that educating them with life skills for the future they might face is a necessary undertaking. They might indeed need to grow their own food and defend that food and themselves with a firearm. All the basic Boy Scout/Girl Scout skills could help them in the future.
I would prioritize digital/data protection since persecution and surveillance is already happening.
I agree that we need to be prepared to fight physically, to defend ourselves, which white lefties have historically seen as unacceptable. We don’t know how to fight in general (see current Democrats in office). We always want to be polite. But back in the Sixties, White liberals did fight with their bodies. Those are all the same older people dominating the protesting now. Younger White people will need to learn and join in.
I would love to learn to handle and shoot firearms. It looks really fun. And there have been numerous situations where I live now when racking a shotgun would’ve helped with deterrence. But I’m too sick at the moment.
I follow the Ukrainian war closely and often think about the horrible situations ordinary people suddenly found themselves having to deal with. Old ladies made hundreds of Molotov cocktails. Civilians were handed weapons in Kyiv. People were held in basements for months. Knowing first aid was the difference between life and death. In occupied territories their phones were confiscated and searched for anything incriminating. Tattoos were checked. Events can turn badly quickly. It’s best to be prepared.
There is a PDF called “The Mini Manual for Urban Defense” by John Spencer published in 2022. Check it out.
Thanks for sharing this, and for pointing me in the direction of John Spencer's work. With Dear Leader caught on mic today saying "homegrowns are next" (aka natural born US citizens) to be deported to El Salvador, it feels like things are changing fast and furiously. We really can't take this situation seriously enough.
It is happening at a dizzying speed. Let me know if you weren’t able to find the PDF. I will figure out how to send it to you.
I tracked it down. Thanks!