I can’t stand a moderate ass bitch. In fact, I think it is the weakest, most privileged stance of all. I honestly have more respect for a hardline conservative, at least they actually believe in something.

Moderates fancy themselves as the “reasonable” faction of the population, but I would argue that there is nothing reasonable about refusing to take a side. It costs absolutely nothing to stand up for absolutely nothing. To prioritize one’s peace and comfort over actual human rights.

For example: a moderate coworker once told me that, while he leans center/right, he hates Trump and supports things like gay marriage and other liberal ideals, but he could never vote for democrats because they’ve become so extreme. When I asked him to expound on that, he said, “Like the trans issue, for example. Like people should be able to live how they want but the dems are just constantly shoving them down our throats.” To which I replied, “You know, it’s so funny to me that you people say this stupid shit without ever acknowledging that the reason we are always talking about trans people and their rights is because they’ve both been under relentless, targeted assault from the conservatives for years. We would love to stop worrying about trans people. TRANS PEOPLE WOULD LOVE FOR US TO STOP DISCUSSING THEM AS WELL. But to hold this stance while completely ignoring the reality of why this happens is lazy and fucking stupid.” He doesn’t bring politics up around me anymore.

But Dani, both sides are awful!
I don’t even pay attention to politics!
Not everything is political!
Art doesn’t have to be political, I just want an escape!

I have heard every excuse in the book and I am here to tell you that they’re all wrong. Every single thing in your life is political. Every. Single. Fucking. Thing. Your staggeringly high energy bill is political. Your neighborhood’s crumbling infrastructure is political. The way your schools are funded is political. Child labor laws are political. The 40-hour workweek and weekends are political. The minimum wage is political. Safe food and water are political. Medicine is political. Property taxes are political. Education is political. Motherhood is political. Women being allowed to read is political. Women getting credit for their own art is political. If not for politics, women still wouldn’t be able to vote, own property, have their own credit cards and bank accounts, marital rape would still be federally legal (some states still have loopholes for this, by the way), no fault divorces would not be a thing.

Do you get it yet? You may not follow politics, but I promise that politics follow you whether you acknowledge it or not. And yes, I agree that both sides as they currently stand are terrible. Nothing has driven home how utterly useless the democratic leadership are than the last ten years of unchecked fuckery. This is why it is even more crucial that we are all paying attention and fully engaged. Progressive policies are incredibly popular. But the current batch of democrats would rather support republicans than progressive candidates because they have invested everything in the status quo. They are completely beholden to their donors and their lobbyists and their only goal is to get reelected and stay in power. They have made it very clear that they do not care about us or the hardships we are all facing. This is not something that can be reformed or a system that is broken; in fact it is working exactly as it was designed. At this point, the only recourse is to burn the entire thing to ash, salt the earth, and start the fuck over.

I have spent the last 10 years being berated by conservatives and moderates alike, being told that I am overreacting, fearmongering, being dramatic, etc. They insisted that the checks and balances we’ve relied on for 250 years would ultimately protect us. They were wrong then and they’re wrong now. Those checks and balances are predicated on the assumption that the executive branch cares even a little bit about the rule of law. Considering what a crooked ass fraud Trump has ALWAYS been, the fact that any of you fools ever believed that is beyond baffling. When you give a man who bankrupted a fucking casino unfettered power and access to the nuclear codes, the result will inevitably be torrential, irreversible, chaos.

For any moderates who find themselves offended by this post- GOOD. It is imperative that someone finally lights your fire, and I would be honored to be that spark. I don’t have all the answers and sometimes the most I can contribute to the cause is raising the next generation of strong, empowered women, but no one will ever question where I stand. I will never prioritize comfortability over speaking out. I will never favor not pissing people off if it means keeping my mouth shut. And right now my loud mouth is begging everyone to care about more than just what happens between their own four walls. And if you won’t listen to me, maybe you’ll listen to Dr. King., since y’all love to misquote him every February.