roguefacts

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The World Of Becca Blake

Art by Dan Schkade

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An important message from the National Lawyers Guild - Detroit & Michigan Chapter

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ALT

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Cowards. #Uvalde

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Safety tips

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Bread Bag Alignment Chart

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donate to an abortion fund rn <33

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stop feeling hopeless, start getting ready

If you are in a red state, your state either has an abortion ban in place or is rated by the Guttmacher Institute as likely to enact a ban. Your focus should be on protecting yourself and others who need abortions.

stop using electronic period tracking apps or software

educate yourself and others about pregnancy prevention and join groups that are making preventative birth control more accessible

learn the nearest and most accessible routes to states where you and your loved ones can access abortion

contribute to mutual aid funds to help transport people over state lines if they are in need of abortion

consider joining The Satanic Temple so you can claim protections under the Religious Abortion Ritual if you are prosecuted for obtaining an abortion

keep a stock of by-mail abortion pills for yourself and/or others who may need them (you may need to travel out of state to obtain them)

form community provider networks and see if you or someone you know can be trained to use manual vacuum aspiration kits or a Del-Em

all of the above should be done in complete secrecy using verbal communication, end-to-end encrypted apps such as Signal, or a VPN

If you are in a yellow state, you currently have constitutional abortion protections but they are in jeopardy. Get active in local political groups NOW to fight back against constitutional amendments to ban abortion. Your focus should be purely on political action.

If you are in Michigan, you currently have a ban in place which is being challenged, and your governor is working to add abortion protections into the Michigan state constitution. Your focus should be on supporting the work that is currently under way.

If you are in a green state, your state has constitutional protections for abortion that are unlikely to be challenged. Your focus should be on helping others to enter your state for abortion care.

connect with abortion access groups such as Aid Access, Abortion on Demand, the National Network of Abortion Funds, or Just The Pill

volunteer to help people enter your state for abortion care, either with transportation help or letting someone crash on your couch

if you live in a green state with no current or predicted primary routes from other states for abortion access, you can focus your efforts on supporting political action in other areas

If you are in a purple state, your state currently has no constitutional protections for abortion but is unlikely to implement a ban. You have two focuses: pushing for constitutional protections AND helping others to enter your state for abortion care (see green state list).

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it probably needs to be said

do what you can about this news, and then log off for the day. sitting on it like you're trying to hatch an egg full of catastrophe will not help anyone.

do the things you can, and then call it a day. repeat tomorrow.

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Anti-voting rhetoric will be the death of the left. Literally.

Not a single fucking Republican voted to protect roe. It was fucking overturned in the first place bc trump got three Supreme Court appointments.

Every fucking thing wrong in this country is almost certainly the result of Republicans being in power. In 2020, Texas cut half of the polling places in black neighborhoods, and doubled them in white ones, regardless of population. It was Republicans bitching about mail in voting, and constantly, constantly fearmonger about voter fraud. Literally, their platform is about making civil rights harder to practice.

Would you like to know why? It’s because Republican politicians know better than anyone that higher voter participation means higher republican loss.

But what do I see from the online left, champions of the oppressed?

“Voting doesn’t do anything, the parties are the same, the system is rigged, etc, etc”

Don’t sit here and tell me you give a fuck about marginalized people if you aren’t ready to march your ass to the voting booth and vote out the party actively stripping their rights away.

Protest, donate, community build, unionize, and vote, vote, vote.

By the time direct action is the only option, it will be too fucking late.

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Getting Arrested 101

In light of yesterdays ruling on the Miranda rights, now that the cops don't need to read you your rights, I figure it's as good a time as any to make a crash course post on what to do if you get arrested in the US. Know your rights and how to invoke them, because cops will try and trick you into reneging on them whenever they can. Here's my bible on engaging with police, and feel free to add on if you have other tips.

If you encounter police at all, especially if it's for a protest, engage as little as possible. Protests will sometimes have police liaisons; if they do, deflect the cops onto them. They have training for this. Otherwise, say nothing to them if they don't engage first.

If they engage first, do not escalate. Cops are trained to try and escalate situations. It wins them PR, and it makes it easier for them to justify violence against you and in turn, the other protestors. I don't care how punk you think it is, do not escalate.

When they engage, if you think you're being arrested, ask them in no uncertain terms and demand a clear answer. Say "am I being arrested," and if they evade, repeat it until the answer is no or yes. If it's no, walk away and don't engage further. If it's yes, then:

Shut the fuck up. Say absolutely nothing from this point forward until you reach the station. No matter what they say, no matter how serious or casual the conversation is, you say nothing. Zip. No exceptions. This is especially important to remember because they will try and humiliate you and make the arrest process as difficult as possible to try and make you crack, so do the simplest thing and say nothing.

If you are arrested, once you make it to the station, there's a simple three step process to remember. Exact wording isn't necessary, but try and be close. Remember, you don't want to be Lawyer Dogged. Once again, be as clear as you possibly can.

"Am I being detained?" If no, leave. If yes, then say:

"I invoke my right to have a lawyer present." Any time they try and push on that, you say:

"As I am detained, I invoke my right to remain silent until my lawyer is present."

You want it to be 100% undeniable, in as much of the record as possible, that you were being detained, and therefor you need a lawyer. Otherwise, the cops will retroactively decide you weren't actually held there, and therefor you had no rights to invoke, so get that shit down. And once again, aside from saying #3, shut the fuck up. Same principle applies as #4 on the first list: they will do whatever they can to get you talking, and once they do, they'll say "oh, they decided to not use the lawyer after all because they started talking without one." So do. Not. Budge.

Lastly, some general pieces of advice, both for before and during the arrest process:

If you're going to a protest, the sort of thing where arrests can be planned for, there will likely be an organizer with some experience. They may be able to give you specific advice for that protest with regards to things like ID, liaisons, or any specific protocol. Check with them as well.

If you're in a situation where arrests are likely or expected, especially with a protest, plan accordingly. Power off your phone and deactivate the fingerprint or facial recognition unlock options, or leave it at home entirely. Don't bring anything you wouldn't want to be arrested with. Think carefully about leaving your ID at home, though. John Doe-ing can cause extra trouble for the cops (good), but it's also risky, since it can make it harder for you to pay for bail and can make things harder for you down the line.

Police always lie. Let me repeat. Police. Always. Lie. Again, Police. Always. Lie. This should be your fucking mantra. They will tell you you'll get out easier if you cooperate. They will tell you any information they can find about your friends and family. They will threaten you and them. This is all hollow. Your friends have rights as well. All of this is posturing to get you to talk and incriminate you and your friends. Police always lie.

Every American should know this, but it's especially important for any activist, or advocate. Knowing your rights is the only defense you have against cops, so you need to game that system to keep them from gaming it back.

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AUNT HAMMER’S PROTEST TIPS (an incomplete list, feel free to amend)

Sooooo you want to go out and do something a little more long-lasting than the Women’s March, huh?

Well, welcome, friend! We’re glad to have you along. Here’s hoping you join us for many years to come.

Here are some tips:

-Leave the phone at home.

-Keep your mask ON (Covid makes this more socially acceptable, but here you’re doing it to stop facial recognition software)

-LEAVE THE PHONE AT HOME

-If you MUST keep your phone, turn fingerprint recognition off. Passcode only. Do not liveblog. Do not take videos or photos. Airplane mode on. Encrypt (Settings > Security> Advanced settings > Encryption & credentials > Encrypt phone). guided access on (Settings > Accessibility > Guided Access). Log out of all social media. Source here.

-This is a point I aim mostly at myself and myself alone, but: don’t showboat after the event. It’s not a social media clout thing. It’s an action. You can get clout and adoration later.

-Wearing all black and a ski mask marks you out as one of the ‘dangerous radicals.’ Do not dress like that unless you’re comfortable running from cops and/or getting arrested. Cops will target you. It’s like you’re wearing a ‘kick me’ sign, but the sign prevents other people from getting kicked/focuses the kicker’s attentions on someone who can take it. If you’re going to bloc up, keep a change of clothes in a bag. It doesn’t need to be a complete lewk, just swap a few conspicuous pieces. Find others in bloc. You’ll recognize them because they’re sexy.

-Write the NLG’s number in sharpie on your arm.

-Try not to go alone. Find a pal.

-Keep about $10 on you in cash, for emergencies.

-Don’t carry anything illegal. Read up on weapon laws in your state.

-DON’T TALK TO COPS

-Talk to media if you like, it won’t make a difference. Optics is for people who have power.

-Do not put your faith in politicians. Do not treat them with kindness or respect. At best, treat them with wary watchfulness and contempt.

-Eat like an astronaut. Lots of carbs and protein, no fiber.

-Bring water and comfy shoes.

-DON’T TALK TO COPS

-DON’T TALK TO COPS

If any readers have any other suggestions, please sound off.

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I'm going to scream. They really said "we broke into your apartment, killed your girlfriend and bc you shot at us in self defense, we're suing you."

Meanwhile you have old white men talking about how they'll shoot anyone who steps anywhere near their property and it's alright. It's fine if white man threatens to shoot anyone who pisses him off. But if a black person tries to use a gun in self defense, suddenly having a gun will get you in trouble?

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Ruth Bader Ginsburg died today and if you care about the Supreme Court or your rights in the US. Vote for Biden. Do not skip voting, or protest vote. Vote because we may have to fight to keep horrific people from the Supreme Court like Ted Cruz or Tom Cotton who are sociopaths who don’t care about anything. Vote to keep your rights. Make a fuss right through the next two months, don’t stop fighting. Make RBG proud, Make John Lewis proud.

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Voter deadlines for the general election, which is on November 3, are quickly approaching and vary based on state.

You can register to vote in 5 minutes or less at https://turbovote.org/

Please check with your state registrar for specifics on voting in the upcoming election, as requirements might vary based on your voting method.