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"No Excuses"
Oct. 29th, 2020 02:00 pmThe election: Approaches.
The National Guard: Moves into Philadelphia.
Me: Having daily panic attacks.
Political outreach organizations sending me aggressive handwritten letters and postcards: Our records indicate that you just moved to Pennsylvania in 2020 and thus did not vote in Pennsylvania during 2016. Your vote would have counted! People are literally dying because of your negligence!! DON'T YOU CARE?!?!?!
I did my best to ignore this sort of misdirected anger based on incorrect data and unfounded assumptions in the wake of the 2016 election, but my patience has evaporated. I drafted a stock response that I now send to every social media account of every organization that sends me strongly worded and accusatory letters and postcards. I think it's important to encourage them not to make frightened people in vulnerable communities the targets of violent speech and indignation, because a lot of us are really not doing okay right now.
Direct and urgent political action is critical. So many people, myself included, have suffered during this administration, and even symbolic resistance is important. Still, while we're punching up, it's important to remember not to kick people while they're down.
The people taking the 2020 census were especially disturbing. I filled out my census in Washington DC as soon as I received it, which means that it would have been illegal for me to fill out a second census in Philadelphia when I moved here. Regardless, at least twice a week for two months, I had people essentially breaking into my apartment building and yelling at me through my door at all hours of the day to get me to fill out a census. I did my best to be polite, but the needless and repeated invasion of my space was really upsetting, not to mention a little frightening. Especially during a pandemic.
As invested as I am in voting in primary elections, I think I'm going to have to renounce my Democratic affiliation. Ever since I registered to vote in Pennsylvania this summer, I've gotten multiple daily spam messages and spam calls from political interest groups, not to mention the sort of physical mail I described above. I've done my best to block every number and remove myself from as many lists as possible, but the calls and messages and mailings just keep coming.
Just for the record, though, because I think this is indicative of where this strategy of constant aggression is coming from - None of the BLM organizations or bail funds I donated to or signed petitions for this past year has hounded me like this.
I guess what I want to say is that I wish there were a better balance between encouraging civic engagement and making people feel attacked and alienated by political activism.
Anyway, just in case the nuance of my position isn't clear: FUCK TRUMP and FUCK HIS ENTIRE ADMINISTRATION. In addition, fuck this political system that maintains its status quo by disenfranchising people and discouraging voter participation. I hope mailed-in ballots are counted, I hope people show up in person, and I hope we're all in a slightly better place this time next week.
The National Guard: Moves into Philadelphia.
Me: Having daily panic attacks.
Political outreach organizations sending me aggressive handwritten letters and postcards: Our records indicate that you just moved to Pennsylvania in 2020 and thus did not vote in Pennsylvania during 2016. Your vote would have counted! People are literally dying because of your negligence!! DON'T YOU CARE?!?!?!
I did my best to ignore this sort of misdirected anger based on incorrect data and unfounded assumptions in the wake of the 2016 election, but my patience has evaporated. I drafted a stock response that I now send to every social media account of every organization that sends me strongly worded and accusatory letters and postcards. I think it's important to encourage them not to make frightened people in vulnerable communities the targets of violent speech and indignation, because a lot of us are really not doing okay right now.
Direct and urgent political action is critical. So many people, myself included, have suffered during this administration, and even symbolic resistance is important. Still, while we're punching up, it's important to remember not to kick people while they're down.
The people taking the 2020 census were especially disturbing. I filled out my census in Washington DC as soon as I received it, which means that it would have been illegal for me to fill out a second census in Philadelphia when I moved here. Regardless, at least twice a week for two months, I had people essentially breaking into my apartment building and yelling at me through my door at all hours of the day to get me to fill out a census. I did my best to be polite, but the needless and repeated invasion of my space was really upsetting, not to mention a little frightening. Especially during a pandemic.
As invested as I am in voting in primary elections, I think I'm going to have to renounce my Democratic affiliation. Ever since I registered to vote in Pennsylvania this summer, I've gotten multiple daily spam messages and spam calls from political interest groups, not to mention the sort of physical mail I described above. I've done my best to block every number and remove myself from as many lists as possible, but the calls and messages and mailings just keep coming.
Just for the record, though, because I think this is indicative of where this strategy of constant aggression is coming from - None of the BLM organizations or bail funds I donated to or signed petitions for this past year has hounded me like this.
I guess what I want to say is that I wish there were a better balance between encouraging civic engagement and making people feel attacked and alienated by political activism.
Anyway, just in case the nuance of my position isn't clear: FUCK TRUMP and FUCK HIS ENTIRE ADMINISTRATION. In addition, fuck this political system that maintains its status quo by disenfranchising people and discouraging voter participation. I hope mailed-in ballots are counted, I hope people show up in person, and I hope we're all in a slightly better place this time next week.
