Straight, White People: You Are Not Safe.

There will come a time when you have a choice before you, an unavoidable crossroads that you will enter, unprepared. You will see or hear of wrongdoings, injustices done to others in marginalized groups (black/brown people, LGBTQ people, the homeless, women, the disabled). You will know it's happening, and it may happen right in front of you. At first, your mind will provide excuses. You will think, "This isn't my fight" , or "My only priority is the people I love". What sounds like common sense is sometimes just an excuse. The truth is, you must fight, for all of us, because we are you. No matter how governments try to convince us that the problem really is immigrants, or black people, or the homeless, or women, it will always be about one thing: The rich (the 1%, billionaires and millionaires) and the 99% (the rest of us).

This isn't about claiming you're "woke" or any other meaningless form of value signaling. It's not about policing what others say and do to hold it over them or shame them. It is about survival and adaptation, about community and true connection. The very act of ignoring the deeply drawn lines that fracture us is revolutionary. Research and history has shown that during times of economic instability, social oppression, and uncertainty, people are more likely to "stick to their own", and tend to embrace rigid or black-and-white ways of thinking, with little wiggle room. Unfortunately, this type of behavior just makes it easier for us to be controlled by those in power (and by "those in power", I don't just mean the current president, but the 1%, the government in general, and the system that has been holding us down for decades).

If you are white and straight, build community where you can—with people across racial lines, of different backgrounds and classes. Things will get scary, and you will get this chance to make your choice more than once. If you choose to lean on your light skin color or heterosexuality, the community that will stand up for you when your time comes will be smaller. It will be scary for you to go outside your comfort zone, but do it now, before you come to that dreadful crossroads.

If you are an upper-middle class white liberal, try making some working class friends. Tell them that you want to start meeting people who are different, and refuse to talk politics. Talk about music or movies. Find your commonalities and celebrate them. Then try this with other races, or disabled people.

If you are a flag-flying conservative, the same thing applies to you. Strike up conversations with a co-worker who is black or brown-skinned or that gay neighbor. Keep politics and judgements out of it. Again, let them know that you are trying to expand your community and go outside your safety zone.

Of course, this isn't all on you—LGBTQ people, low-income people, people of color, and others also need to work on opening ourselves up to these types of connections, so that we are open to connecting with you when you reach out. But just know there might be fear or anger behind that resistance, also.

People nowadays are so polarized and reactive (including you, most likely) that some may start getting angry with you or being assholes. Some may say something rude and walk away. Some may get offended the second you open your mouth. That just means that they aren't ready yet—but you are. Be proud of what you just did (but don't post about it online), and try again.

The millionaire and billionaire classes are coming for us. The only way we can fight them is together.

“In dehumanizing others, we make ourselves unfree.”

― Timothy Snyder