Not even possible on this end: as a WOC in this country, I have never been able to “relax”; my rights (and privileges) have always been at risk.
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Yep… that’s something that far too many white people can’t really wrap their heads around, that POC in this country have already lived through and continue to live through very oppressive systems that very much regularly perpetrated violence against their communities. There is a fragile veneer of rights since the 60s for minority groups in the US, but we’re seeing what years of right wing pushback and weaponizing of white resentment against the coming of actual democracy in America has wrought.
There are certainly some people who are going to be safe from whatever happens after the election, whoever wins. But that doesn’t mean that’s true of everyone.
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It seems unlikely that anyone will be “caught off guard”.
It seems much more likely that law enforcement will not only anticipate violence, but in fact will participate in it.
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Tell that to the police officers who got killed on Jan. 6th.
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Making people nervous about voting for Biden is not helping, and that is exactly the game being played here.
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WORD.
Despite the skepticism of FD Signifier, and all the terrible reviews online, I watched the American Society of Magical Negroes, and it was decent enough; there’s a soliloquy near the (unfortunately lackluster) ending which I wish was required viewing for all people of unearned privilege.
Many Black people (and anyone who isn’t White) often live our whole lives trying to figure out how to make White people “comfortable,” as a means of extending our own potential longevity… never mind the fact that we shouldn’t have to.
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Just be aware - just like there are “Democrats” or “leftists” of all stripes, abilities, talents, and body types - so are there fascists of all stripes, abilities, talents, and body types.
You don’t have to be a macho he-man to start making and planting bombs, light a building on fire, or do a drive by shooting.
Bringing up these scenarios isn’t shit stirring, all of them have already happened and will get worse if these fascists think they can start getting away with it.
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Really. I didn’t think we’d make it this far.
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Precisely 
Most of them are just couch potatoes in camo, munching on chips and pretending to be tough. Which explains why there seems to be a competition out there for who can fit the most Trump flags on the back of a Dodge Ram.
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Not all of us. I have no idea if there will be a repeat of Jan 6 if Trump loses again. And the authorities should absolutely be prepared for that possibility, and I imagine they are. But I don’t think most of us on the middle and far left are frogs in boiling water. We know what’s at stake. Certainly women, people of color, and trans people, at the very least, know what’s at stake. And frankly, I don’t think that many people in the center-left, or even center-right, are being complacent, either. I think the media is largely being complacent, when they aren’t being outright complicit. But I think most other politically aware people are engaged. There are still a lot of people in this country who aren’t politically aware and aren’t that engaged, and that’s a problem, but I don’t think this is a frog in boiling water situation.
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I believe there’s a possibility of even more violence if trump is re-elected.
Every day he is office.
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There is a certain demographic, generally straight, white, cis, fairly well-off and male, that can take a “why are you silly people worried? Nothing bad is going to happen!” kind of attitude. Thing is, I am all of those things. I also have a trans child, gay and bi nieces and nephews, dear friends who are racial minorities and am a father of daughters. While I can be quite comfortable saying I will be good regardless, I have and will stand for my family and friends who are on the bull’s eye. A “couch potato in camo” can absolutely commit violence. Most of the stochastic terrorism does not require great fitness, just fanaticism. And they have shown that they will commit violence to shove the lesser-thans back into what they think is “their place.”
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The thing is you can be a horribly out of shape couch potato, a complete idiot so gullible you actually buy the crap the right-wing networks hock, and have an understanding of political and military tactics so poor it could be outdone by a toddler…and an AR-15 will still let you turn your anger into dead people. A clown with a gun stops being a joke.
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I agree, but ignoring reality won’t help either. I think we should be prepared for what may happens in November, regardless of who wins.
Is it though? I’m not sure I agree that that was the intent, even if that might be how it came off.
All true. It is and should be on us white people to do the work, but far too many people just won’t…
The ones that showed up at the capitol KILLED people… it doesn’t take smarts or a fit body to take someone out.
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People similar to your situation are part of the reason why they’re trying to revoke Loving v. Virginia and Brown v. Board of Education and anything in between. They can’t invoke hatred for the group they’re trying to demonize if you’re close to them. You can’t see them as something in-human. Those bigots and racists will assume you’re one of them until you make them aware of their bullshit. Their game of divide and conquer is as old as human history. Make one group out as “enemy,” terminate them, then go for the next until nothing left. The meat grinder won’t end until they’re stopped.
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Trust me, I can testify to this. And the looks I have gotten! Betrayal and shock. It’s kind of fun, actually.
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You mean like this, almost 8 years ago now?
Even allegedly having people they care about that are directly at risk, there are people who still were/are very glib about the grave existential that orange fucker poses to our entire society…
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Wife and I went to see the new Godzilla movie - theater was reasonably full for a early Sunday show - the nervous and uncomfortable feeling in the theater was palpable when the trailer for ‘Civil War’ was played - now - as an anecdote this doesn’t mean much, however I viewed it as kind of an ominous sign that the ‘general public’ is at least starting to realize that the idea isn’t laughable.
There certainly has been an effort by radical elements to spark a Lexington moment.
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It’s possible that I’m being too cynical about the allegiances of many city & state cops. Perhaps “participate” was putting it too strongly, but I can easily imagine cops looking at the officers killed Jan. 6 and think “No way am I getting killed by rioters who I actually agree with!” And, U.S. and world history is full of examples of cops looking the other way when violence starts.
I wasn’t in any way trying to downplay the Capitol Police lives lost on Jan. 6.
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But if you ignore the thousands of children stolen from their parents, and the hundreds of thousands who died in mismanaged natural disasters, and the judges taking people’s rights away, and a few other things like that, it all went fine! 
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