I feel all this. Maybe it's because I just read Sarah Jaffe's book, but I think it's really important we don't just "don't mourn organize" ourselves out of depression (it doesn't work) as if it's some magic chant. One of the absolute worse things that can happen - another Holocaust - is happening and we haven't managed to use power to stop it. I don't find it possible to keep going in life or politics without sometimes sitting with how much that fucking sucks. I think people who aren't organizers assume "no one is doing anything" or "no one cares" and if you're the one whose used to always having the plan, giving pep talks that we're just the next canvass, the next campaign away from the promised land, it can be especially hard, like you have to hold hope for others too.
On a different note re kids and hanging out - I agree with all you say - I do think it can get harder as kids get older and have their own say in what they do, tons of parties and activities to be escorted to. think then the key is independence. I find was way more willing to do drop off stuff and now that I have a tween they also travelled on their own around the city a lot younger than other folks. To the point that the tween said "I love that you give me freedom but you know I still want to spend more time with you and the family!" very sweet - who knows how much longer I'll be hearing that lol
Mindy I respect your openness and bravery about your decision. It’s hard to open yourself up to criticism about such a polarizing situation.
Personally I don’t see any other reasonable mature choice. For me a vote for a third party candidate or obstaining from voting is a vote for a grifter and neo-fascist.
No need to advocate genocide and pretend like you’re not.
It’s very interesting how you are fine with withholding something that is the source of the power hold over you such as your labor, but that when it comes to withholding your vote in order to mount pressure against genocide of others you’re unable to see the benefit. It’s a really self serving and cognitively dissonant way of thinking.
I am not voting for Harris in Pennsylvania and if my lack of voting is the difference I don’t give a fuck.
Kamala Harris bombs children. Kamala Harris sends trans women to mens prison to be raped and tortured on a daily basis. Kamala Harris is evil. You cannot vote for Kamala and call yourself a queer person.
you're entitled to your opinion but i'm not sure why you're posting anonymously. plenty of queer people will be voting for kamala harris. lots of people have gay sex and have shitty politics
I work with incarcerated survivors of sexual abuse, many many many of whom are trans, and I work on the issue of gender affirming housing, and it is literally making me want to claw my fucking eyes out when I see this talking point from leftists. Was Kamala Harris good on this issue when she was AG? No. But neither were any of your leftist faves. And there is a huge crisis in the field of corrections in regards to gender affirming housing because you can't just do it if facilities aren't set up to safely house this population (which they certainly weren't when Harris was AG). Look into the mess of SB 132 in California. If you are actually concerned about the safety of incarcerated trans people, it's going to involve working with a lot of people you fundamentally disagree with on virtually everything. It takes a lot of work and dedication and compromise and truly prioritizing the most vulnerable over your own feelings (and your politics). Stop using incarcerated trans people as some kind of "gotcha" against people who you think aren't as enlightened as you. It's disgusting and it does nothing to actually help them.
I feel all this. Maybe it's because I just read Sarah Jaffe's book, but I think it's really important we don't just "don't mourn organize" ourselves out of depression (it doesn't work) as if it's some magic chant. One of the absolute worse things that can happen - another Holocaust - is happening and we haven't managed to use power to stop it. I don't find it possible to keep going in life or politics without sometimes sitting with how much that fucking sucks. I think people who aren't organizers assume "no one is doing anything" or "no one cares" and if you're the one whose used to always having the plan, giving pep talks that we're just the next canvass, the next campaign away from the promised land, it can be especially hard, like you have to hold hope for others too.
On a different note re kids and hanging out - I agree with all you say - I do think it can get harder as kids get older and have their own say in what they do, tons of parties and activities to be escorted to. think then the key is independence. I find was way more willing to do drop off stuff and now that I have a tween they also travelled on their own around the city a lot younger than other folks. To the point that the tween said "I love that you give me freedom but you know I still want to spend more time with you and the family!" very sweet - who knows how much longer I'll be hearing that lol
Mindy I respect your openness and bravery about your decision. It’s hard to open yourself up to criticism about such a polarizing situation.
Personally I don’t see any other reasonable mature choice. For me a vote for a third party candidate or obstaining from voting is a vote for a grifter and neo-fascist.
No need to advocate genocide and pretend like you’re not.
It’s very interesting how you are fine with withholding something that is the source of the power hold over you such as your labor, but that when it comes to withholding your vote in order to mount pressure against genocide of others you’re unable to see the benefit. It’s a really self serving and cognitively dissonant way of thinking.
I am not voting for Harris in Pennsylvania and if my lack of voting is the difference I don’t give a fuck.
Kamala Harris bombs children. Kamala Harris sends trans women to mens prison to be raped and tortured on a daily basis. Kamala Harris is evil. You cannot vote for Kamala and call yourself a queer person.
you're entitled to your opinion but i'm not sure why you're posting anonymously. plenty of queer people will be voting for kamala harris. lots of people have gay sex and have shitty politics
I work with incarcerated survivors of sexual abuse, many many many of whom are trans, and I work on the issue of gender affirming housing, and it is literally making me want to claw my fucking eyes out when I see this talking point from leftists. Was Kamala Harris good on this issue when she was AG? No. But neither were any of your leftist faves. And there is a huge crisis in the field of corrections in regards to gender affirming housing because you can't just do it if facilities aren't set up to safely house this population (which they certainly weren't when Harris was AG). Look into the mess of SB 132 in California. If you are actually concerned about the safety of incarcerated trans people, it's going to involve working with a lot of people you fundamentally disagree with on virtually everything. It takes a lot of work and dedication and compromise and truly prioritizing the most vulnerable over your own feelings (and your politics). Stop using incarcerated trans people as some kind of "gotcha" against people who you think aren't as enlightened as you. It's disgusting and it does nothing to actually help them.
Nothing like posting anonymously and critiquing someone else’s opinion.