How I Avoid the “What Can We Do” Paralysis
How I Avoid the “What Can We Do” Paralysis
An incomplete list of actions I’m taking as things go to shit
Lots of people frozen in place right now. That’s a normal threat response. I’ve been putting a lot of stock in the line, “Agency is the opposite of trauma.” (I heard it first from Margaret Killjoy.) Personally, I’ve got enough trauma already and expect to go well over my quota in the next four years. I would like to do what I can to not take on more than what’s strictly necessary. To that end—as a trans woman with a lot to lose, not a lot of money, and no specialized knowledge of how to deal with fascism—here’s how I’m choosing to spend my energy right now.
Upping digital security
I’ve been thinking a lot about where I get my information, how I disseminate information, and how I use virtual spaces. I am recognizing that some digital platforms, especially those owned by billionaire fascists, are not worth the trouble and I’m divesting from those platforms as quickly as I can.
I deactivated my Twitter.
I can't deactivate my Facebook for book promo reasons, but I moved all my messaging from Messenger to Signal, an encrypted app that collects minimal data.
I also untagged myself from all pictures on Facebook, backed up whatever photos I wanted to save, and have started considering splurging on a social media scrubbing service like DeleteMe.
I’m in the process of replacing my Instagram habit with email newsletters, Substack, Bluesky, and library ebooks on the Libby app.
I put a grayscale filter over my phone to make social media less visually stimulating and, hopefully, less addictive.
I'm encouraging all organizations I’m a part of to shift away from corporate social media and towards email newsletters, Signal bulletins, and physical print.
I turned off location on my phone—as a GPS user I thought this would be hard but it’s actually super easy, all you need to do is manually put in your starting point as well as destination. Effectiveness may vary if you drive a car.
I am recognizing that I’m new to the world of digital security, seeking out ways to learn more about it, and welcoming conversations about how to get more secure
Making time to do things that make a real, material difference
We are getting fucked form all angles but the number of people actively organizing against state violence right now is impossible to conceive with the human mind. There are so many people doing so much in so many ways. How effective those efforts will be depends on strategy, but without a doubt, some organizing against state violence is better than no organizing.
I am doing my best to invest my time into only one-to-three things that I really care about and am well-suited to materially affect—this decision is hard and also important
For the stuff I really care about but am poorly equipped to change, or the stuff I might be good at but can’t or don’t want to address personally, I am trying to stay informed, maybe attending an action here or there, but learning to say no to make sure I don’t take on more commitments than I can reasonably handle
I am prioritizing self care but not idolizing it. Our actions start with ourselves, but we have an equal responsibility to care for others. For me, this looks like prioritizing sleep, surrounding myself with loved ones, reading fiction, etc.
I’m doing some light disaster prep! Keeping extra meds around, making sure I got cash in my wallet and non-perishables in the cupboard. Nothing crazy—I don’t have the money to go nuts with it—but the psychological benefit of being materially well-prepared has been great.
I am understanding the risks I am willing and able to take to oppose state violence, clearly communicating my risk tolerance to the people around me, and accepting that in an unpredictable protest environment I am ultimately responsible for enforcing my own personal boundaries. I might, for example, decide that I don’t want to break the law at a given action, but I can’t control the actions of the people at that action with me, and I shouldn’t attempt to control them by acting as peace police. My best bet in that situation is to just proactively not attend the action, or to leave.
I am prioritizing my time and energy around actions that have a clear, material benefit (i.e. mutual aid distros, cop watches, fundraisers, teach-ins, community planning sessions, etc.) over actions that are mainly concerned with performative or symbolic shows of force (i.e. one-off marches or rallies with lots of chanting and minimal public education or follow-through), or actions mainly for the purpose of recruiting people to join an organization (i.e. rallies organized by the DSA)
I am trying to put my time and energy into the relationships I know I can trust, with friends and comrades who motivate me with new projects and ideas, and who are willing to help me out with my own visions and goals
Shutting the fuck up, to a degree
I’m recognizing that the revolution we need will not be entirely legal, and therefore probably not a good idea to talk about online. I am keeping in mind that what’s legal today may become illegal tomorrow. Fascists love a reason to go knocking on doors. They only listen sometimes if you tell them they need a warrant. As a yapper, I am learning the hard lesson that there is no need to incur unnecessary risk by running my mouth.
I am absolutely not indulging in violent-fantasy-posting about billionaires or members of the US government. Yes, this includes Luigi Mangione memes. I’m not here to censor anybody, but some jokes are better kept off corporate social media. And anything that might be construed as an actionable threat probably shouldn’t appear in writing at all.
While I might amplify certain demonstrations and actions through IG story posting, I generally don’t post about protests on corporate social media
If I go to any kind of politically dissident event or meeting, even a very public one with a large digital footprint, I simply do not take pictures or video at all unless I have a very good reason (e.g. to record police during an arrest)
Following the advice of advocacy groups and community orgs for migrant defense in my local context, I am being very careful with how I verify and amplify ICE and Border Patrol sightings. I am following the SALUTE mnemonic for reporting information about state threats. I am generally not treating sightings as verified unless there’s photo or video evidence of migra operating in a given area around the time of the claim.
As always, I am knowing my rights and never speaking to, opening the door for, or otherwise entertaining the unwarranted questioning of any kind of cop, ever. If I’m arrested, or if I encounter law enforcement with a legit warrant signed by a judge, I’m immediately calling a friend (whose number I have memorized) to try to get me legal help. I don’t know much about the law and I do not have a lawyer on retainer—lol—but I know when I have a right to speak with one and am ready to exercise that right.
Getting serious and staying serious about covid as an ongoing public health threat
We are still in a pandemic. Covid is a class issue, a race issue, a queer and trans issue, a settler colonial and Indigenous issue. Mass abandonment of disabled people—by no means a new position for the US government—is eugenics, and represents a cornerstone of fascism. Healthcare is already a hell of a lot worse than it was three weeks ago, especially for trans people. We owe it to each other now more than ever to check back in on the pandemic, especially if we’ve been checked out for a while.
I’m wearing a mask! Specifically a N95 respirator, which is the most reliable class of disposable mask, but you should wear whatever you have available. High-quality masks like KN95s, KF84s, and N95s are best if you’re getting them online. Secure fit is important.
I’m testing when I’m sick—in NYC you can access free PCR testing at express test site in Crown Heights, and free rapid antigen tests through Callen Lorde among other places
I’m letting people know if I get sick, even if I can’t confirm it’s covid with a test—this is usually just a quick text or phone call to everyone I’ve been in close contact with within two days of the start of symptoms
I’m checking in with disabled and immunocompromised people in my communities on how to accommodate their health needs before in-person gatherings
I hope this list is useful to at least one of the many, many people I have seen this week who say they want to help, want to do something, but don’t know what to do. Nobody can tell you exactly what you should do at any given moment because nobody is in your particular social, political, and economic position. Each of us has to find a way to move with agency. It does not take much to put yourself in motion, and you can do it by degrees. Eventually that motion will move you towards other people, and they can help you along from there. But we have to start moving—even imperfectly, even without a unified vision of what we’re moving towards. If we do not, we will most likely find ourselves between the walls of a very, very bad situation.
with love and solidarity,
evergreen<3