I used to be in a huge local group where the main admin was a right wing "journalist"... it facilitated online harassment & threats. they'd mock any attempts to make another group & seek out/ridicule criticisms of them outside the group. #DeleteFacebook long thread

the main admin frequently claimed to have anon tips and to have a list of names of people involved with such nefarious things as *a feminist college org educating people about abortion rights* or simply not conforming to their conservative christian "values"

this admin would also frequently assert the dominion of the group and talked about how influential the group was in the community.

he had a particular hatred for the university and certain profs there. He would share information to the group that he considered "socialist" etc.

very very few ppl ever called any of this out and when they did they were piled on and mocked

eventually some students started speaking up. the admin shortly after decided to step down temporarily for supposedly unrelated reasons

this was all well before 2020

anyways I was keeping an eye on the group to keep in the loop on the town's behavior. I did this out of a feeling of needing to know for my safety. I didn't feel safe talking to anyone irl & wanted to be aware of what the locals were talking about

I have since moved away from that town, and have made sure to limit who knows my address because of who they might know. part of me is still scared

and I did not do anything wrong besides not conform. I have no reason to be scared but that's how the group affected me

I did not feel safe organizing, drawing much attention to myself, or even speaking my mind to anyone else in that town if things came up. the admin was obsessed with policing the community for nonconformers and I felt like I would be watched.

since I was especially vulnerable & homeless I didn't feel I could risk it. oh also, when I did initially try to talk about problems I had I was mocked and gaslighted. I was told that some abuses I described were not how the town was and basically called a liar

my experience in this town was traumatic. my abandonment, abuse, homelessness, & assault was made worse by the gaslighting & isolation. I was made to feel as if I could tell no one & this increased my vulnerability as an easy target. Not reaching out for help led to more abuse

the group is still up & currently has 21k+ members

anyways in conclusion, isolation is extremely dangerous and when I say we need to organize I'm not fucking joking or larping. it was a life or death situation before now and it is even more so now.

we need mutual aid and organizing for multiple reasons and it's not just for the gain of the those temporarily in financial crisis, but to create space. and empowering structures. we've needed these things long before 2020 but it's also needed for the #GeneralStrike

please lol

This may not be the most important story out there today or tomorrow or the next day. There seems to never be an ideal time to be heard though. If you can take 5 mins to hear me & retweet this thread it would mean a lot.
#GeneralStrikeSeptember1
#ComradesUnited