Why is community our oppressor’s worst nightmare, and how does mental health factor in?

In recent weeks, administrations switched from Biden to Trump, and we witnessed an on-slot of executive orders aimed at disorienting us with negativity. With the start of recent ICE raids in some of our most sacred places, such as churches and schools, it is easy to feel like they have successfully fractured community.

Please make no mistake: this is an intentional strategy of the current administration to discourage us from seeing each other as the neighbors we are. There is a reason that community coming together is the antithesis of what fascists want. There is a reason why a bogeyman has to be created to divide people. There’s a reason why they want us to look to our fellow marginalized community members and hyper-fixate on our differences as opposed to our similarities. When people band together, we are more apt not only to survive but to develop strategies to coexist peacefully. Peace is in opposition to capitalism and fascism. When we see the humanity in one another, we are harder to control. They have built entire legal structures to keep us separate, and in times like this, we must remember that. 

As we’ve seen with recent fires in Los Angeles, some attempted to fear-monger and create division by blaming the most vulnerable among us, notably the houseless. Yet, it is evident that people band together in the face of disaster and support each other in ways that can’t be ignored. I’ve seen families stripped of their home insurance due to unethical insurance industry practices raise the funds to rebuild their homes in hours. When the government fails us, we show up for each other in ways that not only fill that gap but exceed it. While it is evident that our government does not currently reflect the needs of the people, the people have and always do show up for each other when it matters most.  

As we experience the busts and booms of capitalism, it holding on for dear life as it takes what is hopefully its last breaths; it’s important to remember that community is the solution. How we work with those around us is the determining factor that can free us from the capitalist life cycle. One of the most sinister factors about capitalism is that it relies heavily on the exhaustion and isolation of everyday working people. This exhaustion goes beyond physical. It is the mental exhaustion that shackles us to the ebbs and flows of low wages and higher living costs with the simultaneous stripping of social progress.

Now, more than ever, mental health is essential, and it’s vital that we establish ways to help each other both materially and mentally. I’ve often shared the importance of verbal ventilation, self-compassion, angering, and the release that comes in the form of tears when navigating the grieving process. I’d like to emphasize that all of these things are better done in community with others. I hope this Substack will act as another avenue for me to provide any additional resources I can to help us all through. 

If you’re down for a challenge, I asked that you please tag along. I think there’s no better time to start than now, and we can do that with a few simple requests.

Some Quick Things to Do In The Face of Tyranny:

1. Call a friend. Vent your frustrations. Tell them how you feel. Do not carry the weight of this world alone.

2. Familiarize yourself with the resources around you. I share findhelp.org often, but it’s because it’s a resource that is non-replicable. I encourage you to use it and find 1-2 programs in your area that can help support you or may need your support as a community member.

3. Take a deep breath. In fact, take three. Connecting with our bodies helps to keep us regulated. Do not let them dysregulate you (too bad). And finally,

4. Do not lose the importance of hope and joy. Find art that you love. Listen to your favorite song. These things keep us grounded, which is what we’ll need to be as we take action in the face of this adversity.