I feel like nobody ever gives Green Day credit for how brave they are. These guys have guts. They were the only artists at the AMAs who had the courage to all out drag Donald Trump, the President-elect, on national television. Everyone else either danced around the topic or made awkward jokes about it but it was only Green Day who came out, guns blazing and hands in the air, and screamed “NO TRUMP, NO KKK, NO FACIST USA!!”
I voted for Trump, so I’m automatically a fascist and a KKK member. Guess what, performers, we pay you to perform, not to voice your political views.
yeah, you are automatically a fascist for voting Trump! glad you got the memo on that one
also Green Day released American Idiot in 2004 which was directly tied to the election of George W. Bush, they’ve literally been voicing their political opinions from day one, it’s part of their entire identity as a band, them performing and them voicing their political views are one in the same, you filthy damp sponge
I’m honestly getting really tired of this idea that performance should be free from politics. Or that actors/musicians/artists shouldn’t be allowed a political opinion on anything.
“Keep politics out of theatre!”
“Keep politics out of music!”
“Keep politics out of comedy!”
“Keep politics out of film!”
Like, I don’t know what kind of boring theatre, film, music and comedy thehannibalbarca has been consuming before, but art, and performance art is inherently political. And the people who provide this incredible art are also human beings. Politics affects them as much as anyone else, so why the hell shouldn’t they be allowed to express their ideas? Jeez…
Studies have shown that people are more likely to trust entertainers than people in positions of authority on a subject (like scientists and politicians). It’s because we connect with them on a different level. Entertainers have more power to get people’s attention and educate them on important subjects than anyone else. “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.“
Trump’s an entertainer, he’s a reality TV star and even before that he sought attention from entertainment news agencies and took acting jobs. Ronald Reagan was an actor for 32 years before getting into politics. Clint Eastwood spoke at the 2012 Republican Convention. “Entertainers need to stay out of politics” is something I only ever hear when the entertainer isn’t representing republicans.
All this crap about convincing the electoral college to change their votes and these screaming protests about the outcome- it all seems crazy.
But you know what seems a lot crazier? Taking it. Taking a decision foisted on us, taking every damn thing trump and his people hurl at minorities and youths, taking the decision that got made for us by manipulative media and backroom deals and unadulterated hate.
Yeah. Protesting at this point seems crazy. But do you really want to go down in history for not doing Every. Single. Thing. to stop this? Do you want to be recorded as the people who let the most hateful, Racist man since Andrew Jackson into office?
Or are you going to go down as the people who fought tooth and nail at every step and at every damn angle to keep EVERYONE here safe, not just the white majority.
ARE YOU GOING TO LET THE COUNTRY FALL INTO DARKNESS OR ARE YOU GOING TO RAGE AGAINST THE GODDAMN DYING OF THE LIGHT?!?
So go to every protest, volunteer as often as you can, sign those damn petitions. Not just for your own peace of mind but because there’s people out there that can’t and they need you. In the streets, online, and in town halls, America is going to need everyone to do everything they can if they’re going to be ok.
This is about history. We are at a turning point, here. So, you tell me: will you and yours be remembered for standing down and letting this happen because you couldn’t be bothered, or will you be the people who stood up and stood firm in defense of those who couldn’t defend themselves?
A bright spot today: I work a truly awful job at a juice bar (I hate people who come up and try to convince me to, say, drink things with raw eggs in them, and vegetable juice has vitamins and shit but I POINT BLANK REFUSE to tell people blatant lies about magnetized water et al), but today. Oh god. Today I had my FAVORITE CUSTOMER EVER, oh my god I want him to be a regular, he was amazing, I want to be him when I grow up.
So it’s me and @twistedangelsays killing time and pretending like we aren’t slowly building up the Leaning Tower of Dishware next to the wash sink when an older gentleman in a very fine hat (elderly but spry, you know the type) walks in with his wife and granddaughter. He strides up to the counter, and we give our usual creepily-peppy greeting and brace ourselves for another crazy in a long line (someone earlier informed us that she does wheatgrass enemas, and…I just really didn’t want to know that, okay?).
“So,” he says, leaning on the counter and observing us with the kind of wry nothing-is-funny-but-if-I-show-fear-the-bad-guys-win smile I’ve been seeing a lot lately. I decide I maybe like this guy enough to drop the creepy pep. He looks us dead in the eye and says, “What juice do you have to get me through the next four years.”
And of course I’m me, so I laugh a little and go, “Trust me, if we had something I’d be hooked up to an IV of it right now.” I am not a professional soul.
He nods very solemnly and sighs and goes, “Well, all right, then what do you have that will give me the strength to fight?”
Adler and I just stand there in this state of delighted awe for a moment before she manages to recommend a juice. We start making his juice and he asks if we’re “a pair” and we tell him that no, we’re not a couple, everyone asks, don’t feel bad, we’re just best friends. And he kind of humphs and nods and goes “Well, that’s still a pair,” and tells us about his best friend of sixty years who he texts every day after meeting in college (meaning that ABSOLUTE MINIMUM this guy is 78).
So we hand him his juice, he takes it, and without further ado tells us the time, date, and location of a protest in our town. And he and his lovely wife swan right on out with their adorable granddaughter with her froyo, and he tells us he’ll see us at the protest.
I feel like I’ve been visited by the Angel of Revolution, I want to be that guy when I’m 78.
To any of of you who are thinking of going to protests:
- Bring water and snacks.
- If you get pepper sprayed or tear gassed, milk on your face will help. Do not put soap directly in your eye. A damp cloth with soap and water can also help irritated skin. I’ve also heard that toothpaste beneath the eyes can help.
- Bring anxiety medication if you need it
- if you have a form of medical ID, do not wear it around your neck. Someone could yank on it and hurt you.
- Boots. Trust me on this one.
- Also goggles.
- Have a plan B/emergency contact in case you need a way to leave quickly.
- Wear long sleeves and long pants to reduce chance of injury.
Your safety is important. If you have any corrections to this post or things to add, please do. I want people to be informed.
Stay safe. Stay strong.
tooth paste helps for tear gas as well.
another good thing to bring is a rag soaked in lemon juice or vinegar in a plastic bag, this can be used to breathe through for some protection against gas.
pack wet bandanas to wrap around your face when tear gas is release.
Extra pairs of clothes too.
Don’t wear contacts. Wear glasses or goggles, tear gas with contacts causes unimaginable pain.
Avoid wearing oil based moisturizer or sunscreen as chemicals cling to these on your skin. Remove with detergent-free soap before going near the riot.
BE CAREFUL GUYS
Reblogging for my American followers. I support this fight but I also need you to stay safe. You’re all too important to get hurt.
in traffic just now i watched a middle aged white man put his car in park, get out of the car at a stop light, and punt a trump/pence sign on the side of the road
me too buddy
there was a whole row of signs, it was on the bumper grass between a church parking lot and the road, and he just went down the row of trump/pence and local election signs and punted like five of them before the light started to change and he got back into his car and (presumably) drove to work
i hope that dude feels better now
i feel a little better at having seen it happen tbh
I try not to get political on my art blog, but I am gonna share this sentiment from my twitter.
It’s nice to hear “Fuck Trump” but piling all hate on him is misguided, Trump is not the only person who should be factored into protests, impeachment and human rights lawsuits: his team DEFENDED him and ENABLED him.
There are a lot of people who either played down, ignored or supported his conduct
Fact is, if Trumps impeached, all the people who helped his campaign will flip and agree and chastise him, cuz it’ll make them look noble, which they would LOVE, they get to sweep house and senate, have Pence be president, and pretend they’re on our side. “We hate Trump too, friends! We agree, he’s a bad man, let us fix his mess for you.”
Think about it, anyone on his team right now looks really good by comparison to him. People who’re just as bigoted and heartless.
Do not forget that Vice President Pence is poised and ready to help anti-women and anti-LGBT legislation roll out and take away 50~ years of human rights progress. [source] And he just sat back and watched Trump be Trump, cuz all he cares about is getting his foot in the door – and we all just held it open for him and welcomed him inside. Slam it on his stupid foot, friends. Fact is, Pence is a hateful bigot, but he looks really good superficially next to Trump.
If we’re gonna support lawsuits for human rights violations, impeachments, etc, we can’t fixate on Trump alone. A lot of people made Trump happen via complacency and lies, with smiles on their faces.
Not My President… Not My Vice President.
Note: I genuinely don’t have time for debates or arguments on Tumblr even on my good days, so sorry if you wanted to engage me about this, even if you agree with me. I’m not ignoring people (unless, you know, insults), I just can’t give this more time. I have to get back to work and stuff.
Mike pence said literally that “cigarettes do not cause death.” He wants to fund gay conversion therapy. He is the literal embodiment of Satan.
