Freedom to Be Safe
Don’t Take the Bait
As we witness the US military being used as a weapon against residents of Washington DC, Chicago, and Portland, we understand what’s happening. They are stoking violence against our families and our communities in order to create a false narrative that gives themselves future permission to advance their “seize power at all costs” agenda.
We are living in a moment that will be studied, analyzed, and debated in history books. How we respond now dictates our collective future. In this moment, we must choose words that make clear exactly what is at stake, exposing the motivations of this regime and giving people the strength and courage to be in continuous opposition to it.
As horrific as this moment is, we must remember that it is not the first (or second, or third) time the military has been used as a destructive force against its own people. From Black Wall Street to Standing Rock and countless others in between, today’s occupations are a consequence of too many Americans telling ourselves that those fights were not our fights too.
This month’s guide can help you speak up– but you have to use it, not just read it.
Take Action
Our friends at BLOC recently held a counter-protest against the Milwaukee police who are openly supporting a military takeover of Milwaukee.
-Take their action pledge
-Donate to BLOCACLU-WI has an action for you to email your local representatives, asking them to publicly speak out against a military occupation anywhere in Wisconsin.
Badger Collective has multiple ways to support efforts to show that Wisconsin fights back:
- standby for action
-donate socks, hygiene products, water, etc, now so that they can get distributed quickly to residents in an occupied zone.
-volunteer to help with social media, writing, creating action materials, etc.
-give help during actions (medics, photographers, and other volunteer support)
Narrative Examples
Use these full narratives as guides to write an LTE, make a TikTok, have a conversation with your neighbor, post on social media, paint a banner, make a meme, write a song, make a window or yard sign, or anything else you can think of to spread it.
#1: No to Occupation
Wisconsinites [of all races, backgrounds, and political beliefs] who value freedom know what’s going on: this regime of power-hungry tyrants is testing how far it can go in using the government as a weapon against civilians to silence dissent.
But just as we’re seeing across the country, we know that here in Wisconsin, we won’t fall for it. We stand up. We link arms. And we call it what it is: a fascist power grab and an assault on our freedoms, our families, and our futures.
We won’t let them turn our state or our country into a place where troops get deployed against their own people..This is about protecting our families, our freedoms, and our futures. From the Chocolate City to the Dairyland state, we will join together to so we can have actual liberty and justice for all.
#2: Safety
Here in Wisconsin, we understand what it means to be safe. It’s [fill in for yourself with two things, some examples: laughing with friends on a late evening walk, enjoying a movie or a trip to the park without scanning for exits or gunmen], and speaking our minds without fear of arrest. But right now, as we watch power-hungry tyrants using our own government as a weapon against everyday civilians, many of us feel less safe than ever. We see that DC is being used as a testing ground for what they want to get away with in other parts of the country.
But there are 3.5 million cows in Wisconsin, so we know bull crap when we smell it. We can see that this regime wants us afraid: of them, of each other, of speaking up, and of uniting. If we are divided and afraid, it’s easier for them to seize more power and distract us from their heinous crimes.
So what do we do? We stand up. We link arms. And we call it what it is: a fascist power grab and an assault on our freedoms, our families, and our futures. Together, we have the power to stand up for what we believe and to teach that power to the next generation.
We won’t let them turn our state or our country into a place where troops get deployed against their own people, whether in peace or protest. Because real safety means we can walk, speak, gather, protest, believe, and simply be, without fearing judgment, retaliation, or violence. Real long-term safety is standing together and being loud against forcing the military on anyone who disagrees with their agenda to control our freedoms, our families, and our futures.
As Wisconsinites we need to stand strong against anyone who tries to come for our home. This is about protecting our families, our freedoms, and our futures. Because safety isn't a privilege. It’s a right.
Quick points:
They spread lies because their goal is to come after all of us who believe in freedom and fairness.
This isn’t about “safety.” It’s about silencing. We won’t let them roll their tanks through our communities without a fight.
This is what fascism looks like and we won’t back down from defending our freedom. Wisconsin moves Forward and will stand united against anyone who tries to come for us.
Do not confuse our Midwest nice with compliance. Wisconsin moves forward, not backward into fascism.
Make no mistake: they are trying these takeovers in majority Black cities because they want you to buy into their lies and divide us further so that we are all easier to control. We won’t allow it.
General Guidelines, with thanks to OverZero and ASO for providing
Continue telling the truth about this regime. Ongoing violence does not happen in a vacuum nor is it of unknown origin. Naming the culprits - the MAGA regime, military contractors, and the hatred they fuel - is essential to countering lies about immigrants, activists, LGBTQ+, Black or Indigenous folks. Unless we make clear there is a known cause of our problems – by saying that violence simply “is increasing” or threats “are occurring” – we leave Americans with a sense that there is no possible cure.
Build a sense of agency and reassert positive norms: Give people clear, constructive, and nonviolent ways to take action in support of affected communities.
Avoid evoking disgust. Many lies spread about people targeted by white nationalist violence - whether that be immigrants, LGBTQ+ people, activists or partisans - aim to prompt a visceral disgust response, as our brains are hardwired to avoid and distance ourselves from “disgusting” things. As such, avoid showing people in scenes that evoke disgust (e.g., showing targeted groups in squalor, in prisons).
Do not amplify right-wing hatred. Cataloging examples or repeating the lies of the regime’s violent rhetoric spreads their statements. While it is understandably satisfying to point out their hypocrisy or make jokes about their outlandish, racist falsehoods, it only serves to give them more airtime and, by extension, more credibility.
Focus on outcomes, not process. Arguments about hypocrisy - they said X but are doing Y - fall flat. Instead, it’s far better to present outcomes based arguments – making clear how current events and desired solutions will impact real people’s lives.
Avoid spreading fear or providing incentives for greater violence. Don’t create the sense that violence is more widespread, normalized or inevitable than it is. Avoid naturalistic metaphors (“violence erupted” “protestors flooded the streets” “swarms of people”.) Don’t glorify wrong-doers by repeating their names.
Take care not to feed hunger for a “strongman.” While it is critical to name the need to address the violence in our country, focusing too much on “danger,” especially without indicating we have solutions for it, risks tacitly feeding desire for an authoritarian “strongman.” When people are operating from fear, they are more susceptible to promises that someone can come and provide “law and order.”
EVERGREEN GUIDANCE
LEAD with shared values — such as community, safety, prosperity, equity, justice, or fairness — in a way that names race and class while bringing people together.
FOCUS on the creation of good — delivering jobs and healthcare, funding schools and communities, creating a process where every Wisconsinite can safely and freely cast our ballot, etc. — tangible positive outcomes, rather than the amelioration of harm (e.g., “provide for every child so they can achieve their dreams” instead of “fix our broken system”)
CAST ‘we the people,’ everyday Wisconsinites, as protagonists: Only by acting together can we move Wisconsin forward — in contrast to how our opposition is trying to hold us back. We turned out in record numbers to elect leaders to care for us and act in our interests. We pulled together throughout this pandemic, to deliver meals, support neighborhood businesses, support our kids and care for loved ones. That’s why it’s so important that we bring our neighbors and communities into the story, as its main actors and as active agents who can and will change the outcome.
CHARACTERIZE the opposition: Who is violating our values? How are they doing it? What is their motivation? What role does race play? These are all questions we need to answer clearly (without jargon!) in our messaging.
DEFINE + DELIVER: define this moment as a pivotal crossroads, and deliver a positive, inspirational vision for the future we will create together for a Wisconsin where we all can thrive. We believe that we will win.
AVOID the opposition frame (e.g. crime, riots, government waste, freeloaders) and PIVOT to our frames of freedom, safety, community, etc. They want us to use their language- even if it’s a lie- so that the narrative fights stays in their frame of fear.
DO NOT REPEAT accusations, even to refute. (e.g. do not say “crime is....”)
AVOID the 'recipe': as always, say the brownie, not the recipe. The freedom to vote, rather than the abstraction of democracy. The ability to see a doctor when we need, rather than simply saying expand healthcare.
DO NOT start with or get stuck in despair: people know something is wrong already. The job of a good narrative is to remember that we are not in a facts fight– we know the truth is on our side already (and if facts were all we needed, we would already have the world we want). Our job is to pull people out of despair and into a shared feeling of hope and potential.