Memes of Production

There are so many forms of non-violent direct action. They may involve violating the law, but they need not be violent.

Want to help undocumented immigrants? Offer them covert shelter. Rent or lend them a room in your home and don't disclose that fact publicly anywhere. Undocumented immigrants are particularly vulnerable when driving to work. You can help by offering them rides. They can sit in the back seat with a hoodie or mask obscuring their face, making them unidentifiable from outside the vehicle. These actions might meet a stretched definition of illegality, but they're certainly not violent.

Want to help the homeless? Help people regardless of the law. Offer meals to folks regardless of local ordinances. Find vacant properties owned by corporate landlords, change the locks, write fake leases, and help homeless folks become squatters.

Want to help trans people? Put away the pride pin; we've raised enough awareness. focus on direct material needs. Help them find jobs to counteract discrimination. Deliberately go out of your way to hire a trans person. Is this legally discrimination? Actually it is. Technically it would be discrimination based on gender identity. But fuck it. Are you aware of a kid in need of HRT because they live in a state where it's banned or because they live with bigoted parents? Buy hormones from grey market websites and ship them the medicine they need. Coach them through the process of taking it and hiding it from their bigot gene donors. You know what you call someone who risks their freedom to provide life-saving medical care for another person? You call them a saint.

There are many ways to help people targeted by the administration and their ilk. When evil laws are written by wicked men, it becomes the moral obligation of all people of good conscience to disobey those evil laws. And really, as long as you keep the scale small, your chances of getting caught and prosecuted for doing things like this is quite low. It's nonzero, but still quite low. And even if you do get caught, at least you earned those charges actually helping real people in need. Certainly a lot better than throwing your life away trying to kill a few random ICE officers.

There are many ways to help people. Often those means are restricted by the same people looking to hurt those targeted people. Don't violate the law for the sake of violating the law. But if you come across a way to truly help people, do not let the law get in your way. That's the true meaning of direct action.