I wish it need not have happened in my time

I'm going to stray from the topic of cybersecurity and infosec for a moment, and likely more and more over the next few years.

What I'm seeing in the world around me, particularly in the country and state where I live, scares the absolute hell out of me. I wouldn't call myself a historian, but I do love studying history, and I'm seeing patterns of actions and events that have led to dark times in the past. With that in mind, I often wonder: what would I do if I lived in those times? Unlike history, I don't have 20/20 foresight, so there's a lot of uncertainty and my answer may change. I may make the wrong choices or act too late. I can't guarantee otherwise, but I do know that I can't just watch and do nothing. With that in mind, one of the first things I feel I must do is openly state where I stand, who I support and who I don't.

I stand for trans rights. I stand for gay rights. I stand with minorities, whether defined by skin color, behavior, appearance, or religion. I stand with women and their right to control their own bodies. I stand with science, whether on the issues of climate change, vaccines, or renewable energy. I stand with Ukraine and Palestine. I believe minimum wage should be a living wage and that prisons should not be run by for-profit companies.

I am opposed to Trump and the republican party in general. I'm opposed to media outlets that parrot fear, lies, and hate. I'm opposed to those that set themselves up to be above or excluded from the rules the rest of society must follow. I'm opposed to fossil fuel companies that have spent 50 years spreading doubt. I'm opposed to individuals that hoard more wealth and resources than anyone could ever possibly need.

My general philosophy at this point in life boils down to "apes strong together". Allowing for freedom of expression is good for society. Providing education and healthcare is good for society. These things make us all stronger. Allowing some of the largest companies and riches individuals in the world to pay no taxes does not, nor does allowing them to lie with impunity. I hope I've been clear. If I've left something out, I trust you can extrapolate my position from here.

So why now? I think the easier question to answer is, "Why not before?" I've never been the type to change my Facebook profile picture to support a cause. To me, that feels a bit like offering "thoughts and prayers." I've always seen it as virtue signaling, at least for myself. I have nothing against those who show their support that way, but I've preferred to take action, such as voting or donating to causes, rather than just stating where I stand.

Things have changed though, the threat has been ratcheted up several notches and I only have so many ways of pushing back. This is one of them and part of the reason. Another part of it is my conscience, I want people to know which side of history I'm on. Part of it is because voicing these opinions may become Wehrkraftzersetzung in the years to come, and if that happens I want my opposition recorded here. Part of it is because I've read the rest of the fucking poem. On that subject, maybe I should have voiced support sooner, but the second-best time is now.

What now? I'm not entirely sure. I recently read the book On Tyranny and am trying to take a few lessons from it: defend institutions, contribute to good causes, stand out. I don't feel like any of this will stop what's coming, whatever that might be. I feel powerless and helpless as I'm sure a lot of people do. But as I said at the beginning, I can't just watch. I may make more non-cyber posts about history, try to shed light and educate people using the platform I have.