These protests and direct actions are not just symbolic. People are responding to masked kidnappers storming local homes and businesses to steal families. ICE is kidnapping children at immigration proceedings and separating them from their parents. They kidnapped a 4th grader from my city.

Given the propensity of some rural areas to not report COVId deaths, excess mortality compared to a 2019 baseline might give a more accurate comparison.

Stay home at night. Protest peacefully. When the guard shows up, go home. Then protest again. Peacefully. They are putting agitators in. Do not engage. Protest peacefully.

and if you call out the national guard and tell them to, against their training, their mission, and likely the intuitions of the service members, use force against protesters, there is a good chance you are on the path to losing face, with no other way to escalate. (3/?)