And here we are...

It took a long time for us to get here. Most of us knew where this was going, and here we are. Just this morning I read that the Governor of New York met with business leaders to assure them that no expense would be spared to protect them from the unwashed masses, and just this afternoon, I learned that more children have died because of the malicious inactions of our “leaders.”

I must say it clearly, these people are despicable. It is not simply that they do not care: they have contempt.

And now it falls to us to hold the line. We are the ones who have to say, “this far and no further.” It’s not meant to be easy.

We do have the past. We know the fight, and we know the stakes. With or without the advantage, surrender has never been an option. But this is not simply a fight against the tyrant and the capitalist. Our resistance is productive, for we fight for our friends, our families—and our dignity. The security of these most basic rights must not be infringed upon. If there is anything sacrosanct in this world, anything utterly non-negotiable, it is our right to prosper and to witness the prosperity of others.

But prosperity for one must not be bought with the dignity of another. We do not begrudge a friend for their success. I feel comfortable saying most of us are enriched when we see a friend achieve, even when they surpass our own successes. But every so often a friend succeeds and becomes insufferable. Very, very few of us, in fact, have not been that friend for a time.

Yet we can no longer overlook and excuse their abuses. Only in the unhealthiest of relationships do we allow our friends to become malignant and despicable. Our present moment is no different. I propose that our present moment is not metaphorically similar, but it is fully identical. However horrific his actions, no matter how dangerous he is, the tyrant is no more and no less, than we and our friends in different skin. And just as our friends’ misbehavior compels us to mitigate the harm they would do, our response today must reflect the boundaries of acceptable behavior. Keeping these boundaries is difficult—but they must be kept.

None of us know what our specific burdens will be. History gives us hints, and we may yet exceed history. In many ways, our objective is simple: we only need to say, “no we won’t” once more than they say, “yes you will.” As I said, it is not in our nature to acquiesce, for the price of acquiescence is far steeper than we are willing to pay. If our wayward friends do not hear our demands, we must make them hear. If they do not listen, we will make them. We must no longer sacrifice dignity and health for the hollow pride mere men. We have paid for their success for too long.

It is enough.