I've lived in Capitol Hill and I've lived in South Seattle. The shootings at the #CHOP are not unique in their frequency or damage. They are unique in their location. Bringing police back will not stop them, at best it will move them south so CH folks can ignore them again... I don't remember how long we were in South Seattle before hearing the gunfire. But not all the gunfire was from people shooting each other. Some of it was from police practicing....

I know I've advocated a lot for leftists to own firearms for self defense, and I can't overstate the importance of that in the age of rising fascist violence. But I do think it's important to talk about how the mythos of violent revolution is inherently patriarchal... I'm going to say a lot of things, and I'm mostly saying them to the folks who most need to hear them: cis het men who identify as leftists. Socialization and gender are complex. This might resonate with anyone. If you identify with "we" when I say it then you're my audience too..