jack

Today was a hard day, one of those where I'm just worn down I think.

Today I'd like to share this Letter From Minnesota. I keep thinking that Minneapolis, St. Paul, other Minnesotan cities have big populations of refugees, from Somalia and from the U.S.'s "secret war" in southeast Asia. Not just in living memory but people my age who arrived as children. My heart breaks that people who came to Minnesota specifically for safety and sanctuary (Renee Good among them) are now finding it so unsafe.

So. Anyway. Some good things:

1. I got a message saying my bloods are fine, which is especially exciting because this means I can finally (six months later than expected) get blood taken only every six months instead of every three months.
2. I went to the gym and actually felt the good brain chemicals from it this time. Also, an annoying charge that had been on my account for a month was just wiped out by the young person behind the counter, who didn't even give me a chance to explain why I thought it was unjust, he just sorted it right away!
3. Not only has a transphobic group been blocked from a transphobic attempt to keep trans women out of women's swimming places. More than 32,000 people said they wanted the ponds to remain trans inclusive – 86% of the respondents to the consultation on this. This followed previous votes overwhelmingly supporting trans pond users, and a petition with over 14,000 signatures asking to keep the ponds inclusive. Transphobes are disproportionately noisy and have too much access to power in the UK. But it's important to hang on to the reality which is how neutral-to-positive the majority of people are towards trans people.

D sent me the link to Bruce Springsteen's new song "Streets of Minneapolis" about half an hour ago.

Both emails in my inbox since have been about this.

All that D told me about the link he sent me was "Well here's the most Erik thing ever." Apparently my friends agree.

One of them is also in Minneapolis and says ICE is on their block today.

At work this morning, when a colleague said they were off on holiday and worried that they were changing places in the U.S., my manager took the opportunity to tell me that for all that's horrible, Minneapolis and Minnesota are showing the world how to handle a thing like this and I must be proud of them.

And I am. I nearly choked up at that.

But also, I wish they didn't have to be. Normal life hasn't been possible in Minneapolis for months. Fundraisers I've contributed to have sometimes had grim updates about people who've disappeared, either directly to ICE or by having to make the horrible choice to "self-deport" which is another way the fascists are getting what they want.

I have to save reading Margaret Killjoy for when I have tears to spare. Some of them are happy tears, some are accompanied by real laughter and knowing smiles (having to bring the car battery in the house overnight like it's a baby animal!), but so many tears.

The shortest version of what I saw is this: a few thousand federal officers are occupying Minnesota right now. They’re in Minneapolis, St. Paul, the suburbs, and even some of the smaller towns. No one wants them there—I’ve never seen a community half so united as the people of the Twin Cities.

ICE is there to kidnap black and brown people. They’re not subtle about their racism...

In response to this, many vulnerable people have essentially gone into lockdown... The networks that are looking out for them are far and away the largest, most organized, and most successful networks like these I’ve ever seen.

Since abductions happen quickly—often stealing people in two or three minutes—the response needs to be just as fast. And it works because when people hear whistles and car horns, they start looking out. They come out of their houses.

It works because everyone knows what is happening is wrong, and everyone is willing to risk their lives to protect people.

Time after time, ICE has tried to abduct someone, only to be scared off by Minnesotans in pajamas and crocs.

But this spirit of “if your car is broken by the cold, strangers will save you” was presented to me by multiple people as the spirit that animates the resistance to ICE. Some people are trapped in their houses, so other people try their hardest to help them, whether or not they’ve got enough experience, whether or not they’re ready...

This style of organizing works because the overwhelming majority of people in the city are very actively opposed to seeing their neighbors kidnapped. There is no shortage of people willing to yell at ICE.