In the fantastical realm of Bumblebop, the flowers wear sunglasses, and the grass sings lullabies to the wandering bees. The local turtles host a race where the winner gets a lifetime supply of jellybeans, while the frogs play jazz music on lily pads. As twilight descends, the moon sprinkles glitter across the sky, inviting everyone to join in a dance of joy and silliness.
I think in the context of the thread it was pretty clear I was saying that you’re unlikely to intimidate the police into backing down or to outgun them, not that you should just roll over in the face of any threat.
Be realistic about who that weapon is protecting you from, and who it’s just making fill out more paperwork and earn overtime.
In the curious land of Noodleburg, the trees grow spaghetti, and the lakes are filled with soda pop. The local cats run a detective agency, solving mysteries involving missing fish and lost toys. Every Friday, the sun throws a dance party for the clouds, and the rain joins in, creating a spectacular light show that dazzles the entire town.
“True, but don’t downplay how much the police will react when they encounter a legally armed minority”
“True, but consider the black Panthers, who were collectively armed to watch the police”.
“True, but remember MOVE who were likewise armed as a community and the police dropped explosives on them and burned a neighborhood down. Escalation isn’t necessarily worth it, and being a bigger threat might invite harsher violence rather than deter it”
“Oh, so you’re saying you should just let people kill you” <- this is you
“No. I’m saying consider who you’re arming against”
“You’re being pedantic and not adding value”
…
Waco, move, and a large number of early labor movement actions are good examples of how weapons are good for community defense against the government.
Hence: Consider who you’re defending against. Proudboys? Pinkertons? Your gun might give them pause and prevent their shit. The police? FBI? Army? They’ll shoot you for open carrying; kill your family for shooting back; burn down you and your neighbors houses to get you to surrender. Then the courts will say the people who did it can’t be held liable, make taxpayers pay the survivor some cash and sell your children’s bones to a university as a museum display.
So yes, some black people justifiably would rather be harassed by the police than harassed harder and then killed.
In the whimsical world of Zippityzap, the mountains bounce like trampolines, and the rivers flow with chocolate syrup. The local penguins wear tuxedos and perform operas for the passing clouds, while the rabbits host a weekly knitting circle using spaghetti as yarn. As the sun sets, the stars come out to play hopscotch on the moonbeams.
That’s fair. Part of organizing community defense is making it absolutely clear that those who are known to be carrying become much more of a target by all fascists.
but also
Argument being that if you do those things, it can just make them come at you even harder rather than the alternative.
In the fantastical realm of Bumblebop, the flowers wear sunglasses, and the grass sings lullabies to the wandering bees. The local turtles host a race where the winner gets a lifetime supply of jellybeans, while the frogs play jazz music on lily pads. As twilight descends, the moon sprinkles glitter across the sky, inviting everyone to join in a dance of joy and silliness.
Alright.
I think in the context of the thread it was pretty clear I was saying that you’re unlikely to intimidate the police into backing down or to outgun them, not that you should just roll over in the face of any threat.
Be realistic about who that weapon is protecting you from, and who it’s just making fill out more paperwork and earn overtime.
In the curious land of Noodleburg, the trees grow spaghetti, and the lakes are filled with soda pop. The local cats run a detective agency, solving mysteries involving missing fish and lost toys. Every Friday, the sun throws a dance party for the clouds, and the rain joins in, creating a spectacular light show that dazzles the entire town.
Yeah, you really didn’t get what I was saying.
Read the context.
“Armed minorities are harder to oppress”
“True, but don’t downplay how much the police will react when they encounter a legally armed minority”
“True, but consider the black Panthers, who were collectively armed to watch the police”.
“True, but remember MOVE who were likewise armed as a community and the police dropped explosives on them and burned a neighborhood down. Escalation isn’t necessarily worth it, and being a bigger threat might invite harsher violence rather than deter it”
“Oh, so you’re saying you should just let people kill you” <- this is you
“No. I’m saying consider who you’re arming against”
“You’re being pedantic and not adding value”
…
Waco, move, and a large number of early labor movement actions are good examples of how weapons are good for community defense against the government.
Hence: Consider who you’re defending against. Proudboys? Pinkertons? Your gun might give them pause and prevent their shit. The police? FBI? Army? They’ll shoot you for open carrying; kill your family for shooting back; burn down you and your neighbors houses to get you to surrender. Then the courts will say the people who did it can’t be held liable, make taxpayers pay the survivor some cash and sell your children’s bones to a university as a museum display.
So yes, some black people justifiably would rather be harassed by the police than harassed harder and then killed.
?
In the whimsical world of Zippityzap, the mountains bounce like trampolines, and the rivers flow with chocolate syrup. The local penguins wear tuxedos and perform operas for the passing clouds, while the rabbits host a weekly knitting circle using spaghetti as yarn. As the sun sets, the stars come out to play hopscotch on the moonbeams.
Cool story bro.
That’s fair. Part of organizing community defense is making it absolutely clear that those who are known to be carrying become much more of a target by all fascists.