SARGE

🎶The quiet comprehending of the ending of it all.

There it is again, that funny feeling.🎵

Gentle(people), it's been an honor shitposting with you.

I mean, after a certain point, yes.

Two frogs sit in a pot of water, one turns to the other and says "were on a fire, we should leave before the water boils"

The second frog turns to the first and says "you're being alarmist, things aren't that bad."

This sounds like the second frog.^‡^

It might be the more practical choice to keep backing away and keeping yourself and the people you care about out of the spotlight as long as possible, it's certainly the safer choice and one that probably leads to a longer life...

You are certainly more optimistic about the future of the country than I am. I train because honestly I find it a little fun, competing with my own best times on various drills and courses. I also in recent years have come to train even harder and begun introducing LGBT friends to firearms, because I believe the country is headed toward civil war.

I'm not inviting my LGBT work friends to my range because I want them to attack ICE. I invite them and encourage them to buy their own firearm and train for self defense because I have literally heard other coworkers say, out loud to be met with nods and agreements, "any day now they'll let us loose and I can go killin all them fs and tr***s (slurs for LGBT people)" and no end of bullshit about how "mentally ill" and "unstable" they supposedly are.

Besides, if my choices are "concentration camp v0.95" and "best case scenario being on the run after a shootout with the gestappo" then I know which choice I'm making.

You definitely have way more faith in our (metaphorical) neighbors and the system than I do. That probably a good thing, I'm a depressed pessimist with tons of anxiety about the state of the world. If more people were like me we would be like 10 years into a Civil War already or worse.

^‡^(frogs don't actually sit in blowly heating water as certain movies like to say, they still will leave at some point when it gets uncomfortable)

I'm not bi but I like frogs...

So.... I have nothing here. I'm at a ~~:.|:;~~

My state surprised me during covid.

It's not surprising me now...

And what about very old fiends?

You're still more patient Than I.

It's great that they're rational enough to change their views in the face of evidence, even if it takes more evidence than it usual.

bit my tongue to not torpedo our relationship

I'm so glad my wife is basically no contact with her parents, because I never have to play nice with them.

10 white guys

NO WAR BUT CLASS WAR

I used to think my own sight was bad enough. I get little tiny Starbursts around lights. And I mean tiny. This dot - • - would look like the same dot with a / plastered on top.

Finding out the OP picture is how my wife sees the world at night was a little mind blowing. I knew it could get bad, but damn.

"yeah this time it wasn't a gun, but the kid is black for Christ's sake, what did you expect us to do? So obviously its functioning as intended."

I have a few LGBT friends who come over for range time, away from the type of people who normally frequent the public ranges around here. We have a loose plan of action if they need somewhere to hide, and low profile tents and 3-day packs are on standby for a couple close friends. Funds are tight, otherwise I'd be making sure there's a tent, sleeping bag, and 3 day survival pack for all of them, their partners, and their friends.

I have been told my entire life that I am "overreacting" because "that will never happen/you'll never need that", and in nearly every instance, it's been simply a matter of time.

I can very easily present myself as someone very far down the "first they came for" list, but I'll be cold and buried before I disguise myself and let the people further up fend for themselves.

While I'm not expecting death squads to be roaming the street this year, I'm also not going to wait for it to happen before I begin preparing.

If I can't directly shelter people in need, I'm damn sure going to get them heading in the right direction, with the knowledge they need, and with more than just the clothes on their back.

Make friends with your neighbors and watch each others backs.

My neighbors fully support government sponsored death squads that get to go around indescriminate lynchings of LGBT and POC.

Lucky for me, the closest one is about 1/4mile away.