Acts of Defiance

I see the weight of everyday monotonously baring down on my community and the people I love. I am first-hand witness to the momentous shift in our daily lives; the world is consumed in flame and the few in power seek to push the underdogs underground. It has become increasingly hard to carry on business as usual, although I am not too sure that’s what we wanted to do in the first place. The world now moves with haste and the slew of jaw dropping headlines is gearing everyone into burnout, really pushing the narrative that our society is on the brink of collapse. I come across more doomers and click-bait articles than I do platforms eager to spread the truth or people willing to put their hands in the mud and play with the dirt.

“Sitting with difference” has never been coined a talent for anyone that I know. It is learned, and most times uncomfortable… but it is essential. I’m not writing this to preach; I am writing something that will hopefully be perceived as one piece of present literature that doesn’t fall on the scale of pessimism. People are unsure where to start, unable to pinpoint when they should push back, but I have a growing inclination to share where I started and the skills I have mustered while fighting against the machine:

Speak truth with love.

It starts with your small circles, primarily your family and friends. Share fact-checked sources and attempt to provide the full reality of what is presently happening. Remember not sugarcoating it. Our system is unstable and relies on a dated class-system. And resistance all starts with knowledge.

Use your gifts for resistance.

Everyone has power. Everyone has talents. Whatever you do- you have exert power. Whether you make music, build things, or maybe even teach… your skills matter and you can use them to support movements and challenge the status quo. Or you can start your own.

Confront power directly.

Power is never given up willingly. Join movements that are resisting the consumption and extraction of fossil fuels, colonial violence and corporate greed. Disrupt the smooth flow of business, show up where it hurts the most and never ask for permission.

Divest from destruction.

Move your money away from institutions that fund war, factory farms, deforestation, etc. Ethical banks and credit unions exist and every dollar you move is one less that fuels destructive corporations.

Live like capitalism is ending.

Significantly reduce consumption. Eat local foods or grow your own. Share community appliances.  Cut ties with your favorite fast fashion brand. Start to build a life focused on regeneration, repair, care and mutual support.

Disrupt the machine.

Unfortunately, I do not believe this system can be reformed. Peaceful protests, mass boycotts, and strikes have always been the tools of the oppressed. Nonviolent resistance is not just symbolic; it can shake the foundations of power.

Reclaim community and connection.

One thing “they” hate to see is us loving one another and thriving. Our exploitative system wants us isolated, and you guessed it, distracted. It is easily combatted with mutual aid, storytelling, sharing skills, supporting elders, raising kids as a village, and restoring kinship with one another. It’s important to remember that human communication is unique.

It is in our innate nature to have the ability to detect harm, and I’m sure your sixth sense is exhausted. Your radars aren’t broken; they are muted and most definitely need a tune-up. I suppose what I am saying here is that we are not doomed, but instead, are flawed. And a gang of exponentially flawed and highly popularized people have imposed their fear on us, their constituents. When, as a matter of fact, they should be calming our storms, they instead make decisions that suggest a cowardice and fractured mentality. Us, the people on the ground, we are not without hope, we are not without power, most of us just need a little redirection.