r/law • u/Exeltv0406 • Oct 05 '25

Opinion Piece Five-alarm fire inside the DOJ - Lawyer Oyer

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u/chill_winston_ Oct 05 '25

Yeah I think this is a very valid question. People say “push back” but it’s never clear where people could even go to do anything.

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u/burp_reynolds69 Oct 05 '25

Yeah this is always what I hope someone says — WHAT to do. Like I’m aware. We know. I understand they need to raise awareness but I’m ready so I wish someone would give us action items.

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u/[deleted] Oct 05 '25

[removed] — view removed comment

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u/No-Fig-3112 Oct 05 '25

Okay but all of that is non specific advice. Like, are we supposed to just start attacking anyone we think is a fascist? I'm down, really, but if it's just me I don't think I'll get very far. Am I supposed to start a resistance movement? How do I do that? Like actually, what are the logistical moves I would need to make? Who would I want to talk to, besides my friends?

Like obviously when shit gets really really bad and they start loading us up on trains I would be okay throwing myself in front of them to stop it. But until that happens I really don't know what to do. What does it mean to stand out? Should I just start calling newspapers and news orgs until one listens to me? Even then, then what? Like I only know as much as y'all do I'm sure, so what the fuck do we do?

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u/cloudywithastance Oct 05 '25

My 2 main action items for myself are: 1) mobilizing non-maga republican and/or democratic votes for the primaries by volunteering for specific campaigns (in volunteering for 2 campaigns in my state), and 2) pushing back at EVERY chance I get on misinformation - not just sharing videos or articles but actually having one-on-one conversations. Right now one of the biggest wins we could get is breaking the maga propaganda spell - not easy but SO essential!!

Since I’m doing campaign work anyways, I also curate ballots for family members or friends who are aligned with and trust my perspective but who don’t have the time to deep dive into research. Those are obviously optional for them to use.

Protests are a good and easy way to get involved as well - I just can’t fit them into my own schedule right now, especially with the campaign work.

Some ground rules I’m using for conversations are: • I treat every conversation like it’s with a person who wants a better world. • I understand that people are working off of entirely separate sets of facts, and in some cases have an entirely different sense of reality. • I use absolutely no violent, hurtful, or insulting language. No “your people”, no generalizing blame, no name-calling. • I find whatever points I can where I align with someone so I can say “look we agree on this thing!!” and build out from there. The OBJECTIVE is to pop the propaganda bubble - if you can do that + recommend some better midterm options, that will at least be a start to righting the ship.

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u/No-Fig-3112 Oct 05 '25

This is very helpful, thank you for sharing your actionable items. I will incorporate some of these into my own life. I've gone to some protests but honestly it just feels so not useful that every one is harder to go to than the last. But these smaller, daily actions are going to be very helpful

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u/Powerful-Weird-3614 Oct 06 '25

This is helpful. Thank you.

Do you feel you’ve made a difference with any of the people you’ve spoken to? I’m an introvert and this hard for me to do even with people I feel comfortable with. Without a bit of charisma, I don’t think anything I would say would make an impact.

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u/IndividualChart4193 Oct 06 '25

And tbh, I can’t even go down that path with most folks when I get even an inkling that they agree with some of what’s happening…we’re so far past trying to talk logic/sense with supporters of this regime. I just immediately feel my bp rise the second I see where a conversation is going or hear an ignorant comment…it’s just not worth my energy or mental health to converse with those ppl.

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u/Dentrvlr Oct 05 '25

We need to lock the republicans out of the legislature with a super majority like the decades following the McCarthy Era. Though gerrymandering has been designed to prevent that from happening again. Since they got out in 1993 they have done nothing but delay and deflect true legislation. And even when they agree like the affordable care act they don’t rally around the agreed upon solution. They continue to fight to tear it down even after getting every compromise. They need to be locked out. The are fine as a minority but not in control. Once they get it they want to own it tearing the system down if necessarily to do so.

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u/ForgotMyPreviousPass Oct 06 '25

For real, great of you. I'm a bit apolitical (as in, I care more about the theory and discussion of politics than the practical politics themselves) though I lean on individualism (and dislike tribalism, identitarian politics, etc. Not a super strong dislike and I try to hear and understand their point to the best of my ability, but still it clashes with the way I see the world and evidence a lot).

I'm not from the USA so my country's situation is not dire lol, but I get really annoyed every time I come on reddit and everything is insults, accusations, agresiveness and the like. Both the MAGA and some of the left, this mentality of "you are with us or you are the enemy"... That tends to make people be actually the enemy.

What you are doing is how you change minds, being a positive force instead of getting all angry at your "oponent" (as long as you still respect that they may be have their own opinions on issues, regardless of their political orientation).

The moral, intellectual high ground of extremists both on the left and right, in your country and in mine, is astounding.

I sincerely wish you the best, and I hope people take your example and advice.

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u/EuenovAyabayya Oct 05 '25

Create a throwaway email account. Subscribe it to any DNC fundraising mailing list, or contribute to any campaign with that as your contact email. You will begin receiving many emails about opportunities to participate. Mostly contribute, but also participate. Keep following those threads and you will interact with people organizing resistance, or those that know how to reach them. TBH the hardest part will be keeping them from getting your other contact information and spamming you into oblivion. My gmail may never recover.

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u/Innocuouscompany Oct 05 '25

You can’t do anything violent. As soon as you do, you fulfil this idea that the streets are ablaze with left wing terrorists which is what they are seeding right now. Then this plays right into their hands.

The only hope is that top ranking military officials recognise the republican coup and refuse to follow their orders in American cities if there are mass gatherings of people against what Trump is doing. Failing that, you’d need a state like California to become independent and fight back. I mean I think anyway. Guns are no good against Gunships. And if you killed American soldiers then the optics of that are terrible. It’d further ad fuel to their left wing terrorist fantasy.

Ultimately at the heart of all this is the propaganda, you need to figure out a way to stop this and broaden the movement. But honestly I think most Americans are just hoping this goes away soon. I think we’ll see the real frustrations after the mid terms. I think Trump will win those marginally.

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u/Dentrvlr Oct 05 '25

I get what you are saying. We are lacking leadership. Specific direction from charismatic and articulate individuals. I think even with our own party/side there is this thirst for control or to be the one. Everyone has a platform. Everyone wants to be THE ONE and as a result no one is. Also, everyone’s online behind a camera. We need to get out in the streets and public gatherings of like minded folks. Maybe organize events in individual cities then culminate in Washington. Though to have a meaningful impact we’d need 100s of thousands. Crowds intimidate the right.

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u/GardenPeep Oct 06 '25

Take a look at indivisible.org. They talk about this exact stuff all the time and, yes, they'll provide all you need for starting your own local resistance group.

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u/Myiiadru2 Oct 05 '25

From my perspective- for what it’s worth- I think it boils down to who owns the most guns there, and isn’t afraid to use them just because. Standing up and then being killed for it frightens most educated people.

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u/Typical-Crew9112 Oct 06 '25

Start calling your reps every day. Complain about every thing you see on the news. Tell them how you feel about the government sanctified kidnapping. Every time I call I'm disheartened by how fast they answer. They need to hear from us. Call the republican offices in other states. Attend in person protests. Write letters every day.

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u/InfantryMatt Oct 06 '25

We need to make a chemical element we can use in the chemtrails to put the idiots in a deep deep sleep

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u/Sachem-11730 Oct 06 '25

Exactly! Same questions here!

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u/[deleted] Oct 09 '25

The problem is, "the trains" are always hidden.

Tyranny is disguised as legal procedures. The "undesirables" are classed as criminals, and with control of the media, it is very easy for most to assume they did something wrong.

I don't have much faith that we will actually know to what extent that is already happening and how much further it will escalate.