Joe Biden and Victor Hugo.

[TalkingDog]

Those two men who saw what was happening to you — who took it upon themselves to step in — they did what they instinctually knew to be right.

They did not say “It’s none of my business.”

They did not worry about the social or safety implications of intervening, or about what their peers might think.

Those two men epitomize what it means to be a responsible bystander.

To do otherwise — to see an assault about to take place and do nothing to intervene — makes you part of the problem.

“There comes an hour when protest no longer suffices; after philosophy there must be action; the strong hand finishes what the idea has sketched.”

So, I guess the takeaway is when one sees something wrong, twisted, hurtful, hateful or corrupted, it is not merely enough to point out the wrongness, not enough to openly disdain the corruption. Real responsibility requires that one does something about it.

Go forth, and do something about it.

[TalkingDog]

1. If You Don’t Fight Against Oppressive Structures, Then You Support Them

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/hafsa-musa/you-support-oppressive-st_b_10343474.html

"it’s a shared ascent into rage. we walk it together, because to not dare the path — to abstain from the gravel and the thistles and the hemlock choked roadside — is an act of submission. all of us hoofing it onto higher ground, every breath is resistance.

black queer anger is breathtaking by nature because the people who accept it are not to be fucked with. black anger is a middle finger in white god’s face and a million voices shouting, “you can catch these hands, too.” it is the lifeblood of movements, liquid and scalding, ripping up normative foundations and eroding away oppression disguised as tradition. it is beautiful because it is unafraid of being ugly. and in its ugliness it can be unbearably true and awesome."