We are given two choices, we can be killed/be jailed, or we have the choice of being complacent. We are tasked with fighting for a world and a tomorrow that the (power/entity/state) tries its hardest for us to not be able to imagine.
We live in a state of survival, fighting for basic necessities, pulling out fires after fires, both metaphorical and literal. From the overdraft fees that lead us to homelessness to the fires that destroy the homes we hold onto by a thread. We have been taught that this is not a symptom or a bug of capitalism but a feature used to further demobilize us.
Homelessness, starvation, displacing us and making the future we fight for difficult to imagine is the goal. Enslaving us, forcing us into complacency, shrinking our goals into mere feats of survival is the goal.
When we make the decision die for the cause, when we choose to live like we are already in the world we are fighting for, the dream becomes a reality. What they try so hard to prevent us from seeing, becomes clear. When we decide to not make compromise with our enemies, and are met with a feeling of isolation, we are offered a glimpse into the world we should sacrifice everything for.
When we choose to risk our comforts to share them with the larger community, we are show what care and compassion looks like. It is impossible to fight for a future we cannot imagine, it’s impossible to see a future unless you are fighting for it
We must struggle with what sacrifice means and looks like for us. Those of us living in the belly of the beast. We must move beyond reactionary responses and work proactively to address systemic issues. This means consistently engaging in community organizing, building networks of care, and challenging the status quo, rather than waiting for the next crisis to spur us into action. What are you willing to sacrifice? How are you already living in the future you are fighting for? We must move beyond performative gestures.
