a tale of two many stories "...know that I went out fighting and wish we all just could have peace and be free." -From Tortuguita's "If the Cops Kill Me" journal entry, dated 12/18/2021 Let's start with what A City in the Forest does right. The movie is well paced, shot beautifully, and has been scored with music that captures the vibe of both the occupation of the Weelaunee Forest and the subsequent referendum petition opposing its destruction. CITF is at its best when i

I came across a substack post by a prominent activist that made some observations about the state of abolition in the US and some of its flag-bearers. As I began reading, I couldn't help but come away from the post feeling as if the author had an axe to grind with abolition (or individuals who express that they are abolitionists) more-so than merely offering a timely critique. What could have prompted this, I wondered to myself. Further down the page things became clearer to

For the uninitiated, the quote is from baseball great Yogi Berra. Yogi was a man who - despite great intentions - often struggled to get the message across. The comparison seems apt for many on the left who have similarly genuine intentions but have also failed to stick the landing when it comes to conveying the point. What I'm referring to is propensity on the left to buy into the framework that all of the cruelty of the Trump administration represents an aberration as oppos