psa
to all my american friends, mutuals, and followers, especially if you are bipoc, jewish, muslim, lgtbq+, or any combination of the above:
the next week is going to be an especially dangerous time to live in the united states. given the attack on the capitol last week and the impending second impeachment of the president by the house of representatives today, we need to prepare, both physically and mentally, to face widespread acts of terrorism and violence by white supremacists in this country in the days leading up to biden’s inauguration on the 20th. all 50 state capitals are bracing for potential armed insurrection, as is the capitol in dc, and leaders in the dc area are pleading with people not to attend the inauguration due to safety concerns. i am very sure many of you are aware of these dangerous circumstances and acting to protect yourselves already, but for the rest of you, i urge you to take these concerns seriously and keep yourselves safe.
if you are a vulnerable minority, try to make plans ahead of time to stay at home and wait it out. most of us are already at home due to covid, but if you do have to travel for work or another purpose, try to go with a buddy instead of going alone. these terrorists are going to be armed and angry.
avoid dc like the plague. more than 20,000 national guard troops have been activated around the dc area because of threatened violence. the january 6th assault on the capitol has emboldened these extremist groups, and the fbi has obtained a plan indicating they were going to surround the capitol and kill democrats who tried to enter. state capitols are also going to be vulnerable, so if you live in any of the us state capitals or the dc area, please stay safe and stay home.
i think we should all know better than to trust cops at this point but in case you need a reminder, all cops are bastards and you do not want to be in a tricky situation in which you will have to face one.
good, thoughtful, compassionate allyship has never been more important than now. if you are white, check on and warn your poc friends, and if you are nonblack, make sure your black friends are safe. this ain’t time for performative activism; there’s a serious chance innocent people are going to get killed. (and if you don’t take me seriously and think law enforcement will handle it well, i implore you to go read up on what happened last wednesday and how royally the police screwed up that)
finally, it is more important than ever to protect your mental health. the news cycle is incredibly draining. put down your phone and stop doomscrolling through the news if you have to. i’ve found a variety of posts if you need them, including: healthy coping mechanisms, global mental health resources and hotlines, mental health websites and hotlines for jewish, black, and indigenous folks, mental health resources for black people specifically, self care apps, even more mental health resources, an article about coping with tragedy in the news, and cute animals for your enjoyment to forget the terrible things in the world.
also, if you feel stressed or anxious about the coming week, do not hesitate to drop into my inbox or dms to chat. stay safe y’all.
