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Vol. 41 | Issue 2 | Oct. 21-27, 2020
Publisher - Chris Keating Associate Publisher - Jim Cohen
News & Views Feedback ............................... 5 News ...................................... 6 Informed Dissent .................. 8
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A foiled plot against Whitmer shows far-right domestic terrorism is a threat ............ 10
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NEWS & VIEWS Feedback W e h a d a n u m b e r o f c o m m e n t s in r e s p o n s e t o J e r i l y n J o r d a n ’s c o v e r s t o r y a b o u t M a r ia n n e W illia m s o n . A s a s up p ort er of arg uab l y t he m os t m i s c harac t eri z ed 2 0 2 0 p res i d ent i al c and i d at e, t he rec ent p i ec e, “ W hy M ari anne W i l l i am s on won’ t l et t he hat ers s t op her f rom c as t i ng her s t rang e m ag i c i n A m eri c a, ” f el t l i k e a d i s ap p oi nt i ng ad d i t i on t o t hi s t rend . S om e of t he word s us ed t o d es c ri b e W i l l i am s on s eem ed i nt end ed f or a wom an s t and i ng t ri al i n 1 7 t h c ent ury S al em , M as s ac hus et t s . I s t hat a f ai r and b al anc ed as s es s m ent of a f our-t i m e # 1 N ew Y ork T i m es b es t s el l i ng aut hor who d el i vers
l ec t ures at H arvard D i vi ni t y S c hool ? H i s t ori c al l y, s oc i al c hang e m ovem ent s i n t he U ni t ed S t at es ( and el s ewhere) have b een p rop el l ed b y s p i ri t ual l ead ers hi p b as ed on t he s am e p ri nc i p l es em b ed d ed i n M ari anne W i l l i am s on’ s hum ani t ari an p ol i t i c al p l at f orm . B y c ont ras t , t od ay’ s m ai ns t ream m oc k ery s ug g es t s a c ol l ec t i ve f ai l ure t o em b od y c ert ai n f und am ent al et hi c al val ues . I ns t ead , m any who c heri s h c i vi l l i b ert i es p art i c i p at e i n c harac t er as s as s i nat i on b as ed on m i s p erc ep t i ons of W i l l i am s on’ s f ai t h b el i ef s whi l e s eem i ng t o f org et t hat i nt ol eranc e c ut s b ot h ways . I n a c ul t ural c l i m at e of i nj us t i c e, d i vi s i on, and hat red , p l eas e enc ourag e your read ers t o ed uc at e t hem s el ves and s ourc e d i rec t l y f rom M ari anne W i l l i am s on’ s wri t i ng s on heal i ng , uni t y, and l ove. —R u s s D ia l, T a c o m a , W A
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NEWS & VIEWS Visiting view
Trump is an enemy of the Constitution and must be defeated B y D a n ie l E lls b e r g
For almost four years , I ’ ve b een very worri ed — as ham ed and d i s m ayed , real l y — t hat m y c ount ry al l owed D onal d T rum p t o b e p res i d ent . I t ’ s now of t rans c end ent i m p ort anc e t o p revent hi m f rom g ai ni ng a s ec ond t erm . M i c hi g an i s m y hom e s t at e. I at t end ed p ub l i c g rad e s c hool i n H i g hl and P ark and was a s c hol ars hi p s t ud ent i n hi g h school in Bloomfield Hills. I’m sorry that M i c hi g an went f or D onal d T rum p l as t t i m e. I t m us t not hap p en ag ai n. S o, I ’ m urg i ng p eop l e t o vot e f or J oe B i d en. A s a p rog res s i ve, I ’ ve c ert ai nl y d i s ag reed wi t h hi m on m any i s s ues i n t he p as t . I n f ac t , he was l ow on m y l i s t of p ref erenc es am ong t he D em oc rat i c c and i d at es . I vot ed f or B erni e S and ers i n t he p ri m ary, as I d i d i n 2 0 1 6 . ( E l i z ab et h W arren woul d have b een m y s ec ond c hoi c e t hi s year. ) N ow, I ’ m i n f ul l es t ag reem ent wi t h S and ers and ot her p rog res s i ve l ead ers l i k e A l ex and ri a O c as i o-C ort ez as t hey urg e us t o s up p ort B i d en t o d ef eat D onal d T rum p , not onl y wi t h our own vot es but with our efforts to persuade others t o d o s o. U nd er a B i d en p res i d enc y, p rog res s i ves woul d need t o b e p ers i s t ent f rom t he very b eg i nni ng i n c hal l eng i ng and op p os i ng m any of t he t hi ng s t hat he m ay p rop os e. Y et f or now, t he i m p erat i ve need i s t o f ree t he nat i on f rom T rum p ’ s unhi ng ed and d es t ruc t i ve g ri p . T hat i s our op p ort uni t y as c i t i z ens , and we m us t not f ai l i t . I t ’ s t rue t hat on t he m om ent ous i s s ue of c l i m at e, B i d en’ s p rog ram i s not f ul l y as g ood as t he G reen N ew D eal . B ut t he f orm er vi c e p res i d ent has g reat l y i m p roved hi s p rop os al s s i nc e l as t year, on t hi s and ot her m at t ers . M eanwhi l e, t he c urrent p res i d ent i s d oi ng everyt hi ng he c an t o m ax i m i z e f os s i l -f uel em i s s i ons whi l e el i m i nat i ng reg ul at i ons t hat woul d red uc e t hem . D onal d T rum p i s d oi ng al l he c an t o enc ourag e d ri l l i ng , f rac k i ng , and b urni ng of f os s i l f uel s , at a t i m e when t he scientific evidence is clear that continu-
Daniel Ellsberg is known for leaking the Pentagon Papers in 1971.
i ng s uc h a p at h m ay m ean i rrevers i b l y c al am i t ous c l i m at e c hang e. W hi l e c l i m at e d i s as t er i s p rob ab l y b ak ed i n ri g ht now, even g reat er g l ob al c at as t rop he c an b e p revent ed — b ut onl y b y p rog ram s t hat wi l l t rul y work t oward s harp l y red uc i ng c arb on em i s s i ons and t hen end i ng t hem b y 2 0 5 0 . W het her we as a s p ec i es wi l l ac hi eve t hat i s an op en q ues t i on. B ut t here’ s no d oub t t hat t he p res ent c ours e i s s el f d es t ruc t i ve, f or hum ans and t he p l anet we d ep end on f or l i f e. T he worl d of human civilization cannot afford another f our years of T rum p ’ s p res i d enc y. That alone is su cient reason to d o what ever we c an t o rem ove T rum p f rom t he W hi t e H ous e. H und red s of t hous and s of avoi d ab l e d eat hs res ul t i ng f rom hi s p and em i c neg l i g enc e are anot her. B ut t here are at l eas t t wo m ore su cient reasons for the urgency of our efforts to do this. What must also stop
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i s hi s enc ourag em ent of em ot i ons and ac t i vi s m of whi t e s up rem ac y f rom t he Oval O ce. Trump’s refusal to disavow flagrant racism has underscored his own rel i anc e on i t f or p ol i t i c al s up p ort . E ven m ore urg ent l y, we’ re f ac i ng an aut hori t ari an t hreat t o our d em oc rat i c s ys t em of a k i nd we’ ve never s een b ef ore. R i g ht now he i s even c as t i ng unwarrant ed d oub t on t he val i d i t y of m ai l -i n b al l ot s , and i n ot her ways as well putting in question for the first t i m e i n our hi s t ory whet her he woul d peacefully leave o ce after a fullac c ount i ng of vot es c as t b y E l ec t i on D ay g ave t he m aj ori t y i n t he E l ec t oral C ol l eg e t o hi s op p onent . I t ook an oat h as a M ari ne, and l at er t he s am e oat h i n t he D ef ens e D ep art m ent and t he S t at e D ep art m ent . I t i s an oat h t o d ef end and s up p ort t he C ons t i t ut i on of t he U ni t ed S t at es ag ai ns t al l enem i es , f orei g n, and d om es t i c .
CHRISTOPHER MICHEL
I now s ee D onal d J . T rum p as a d om es t i c enem y of t he C ons t i t ut i on, i n t he s ens e of t hat oat h. A s p res i d ent he has as s aul t ed not onl y t he F i rs t A m end m ent b ut al s o vi rt ual l y every ot her as p ec t and i ns t i t ut i on of our c ount ry t hat p res erves us as a rep ub l i c . T he el ec t i on now und erway m us t rem ove D onal d T rum p f rom t he p res i d enc y. W hat ever res ervat i ons you m i g ht have ab out J oe B i d en, t he f ac t rem ai ns t hat hi s vi c t ory over T rum p woul d m ean t hat our c ount ry wi l l have d od g ed a b ul l et — p revent i ng t he d es t ruc t i on of our C ons t i t ut i on as a f unc t i onal d oc um ent and avert i ng i rrevers i b l e d am ag e t o hum an c i vi l i z at i on i n t he nex t f our years . D a n ie l E lls b e r g is a fo r m e r D e fe n s e and State Department official who faced 115 years in prison for disclosing the P e n ta g o n P a p e r s in 19 7 1.
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NEWS & VIEWS
This isn’t about a principled stand for republican liberty. This is about power in its rawest, purest form.
Informed Dissent
‘A republic, not a democracy,’ and other lies that serve the status quo y e rey
As a rule, whenever you hear someone confidently (and usually condescendingly) assert that America is “a republic, not a democracy,” know that you’re dealing with either a textbook example of the Dunning-Kruger effect or a disingenuous pedant. Utah Senator Mike Lee’s Twitter comment, midway through the October 7 vice-presidential debate, that “We’re not a democracy,” likely falls into the latter camp. His attempt at cleanup early the next morning probably sounded better in the original German: “Democracy isn’t the objective; liberty, peace, and prospefity [sic] are. We want the human condition to flourish. Rank democracy can thwart that.” Lee is said to be a 2024 presidential aspirant. He’s also said to be one of the sharper minds in the GOP Senate. I’m disinclined to assume that he’s firing off freshman-level Deep Thoughts based on a Wikipedia skim or a Dinesh D’Souza documentary. This isn’t ignorance. It’s more perverse than that. To be clear, I don’t think Lee is suggesting we start practicing goosesteps. In his mind, this isn’t about fascism versus democracy. This is about freedom versus democracy, which he
illman thinks are irreconcilable. Lee and a not-insignificant proportion of the Republican Party believe that too much voting — or the wrong ind of voting — infringes on their inalienable right to impose their worldview on the rest of us. Phrased less generously, democracy threatens a comfortable, privileged status quo. OK, I’ll put it bluntly: They matter more than you. Their votes should matter more than yours. Since we’re here, let’s dispense with it: The “republic, not a democracy” trope is rooted in a superficial understanding of America’s founding. Yes, the framers distrusted “democracy,” by which they meant Athenian democracy — a plebiscite — not a democratic government. Just read James Madison’s ederalist o 1 : “From this view of the subject it may be concluded that a pure democracy, by which I mean a society consisting of a small number of citizens, who assemble and administer the government in person, can admit of no cure for the mischiefs of faction. … A republic, by which I mean a government in which the scheme of representation takes place, opens a
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PUBLIC DOMAIN
different prospect, and promises the cure for which we are seeking.” Counter-majoritarian institutions such as the Senate, the Supreme Court, and the presidential veto existed not to overrule the majority but to protect minorities from oppression. See Thomas Jefferson’s 1801 inaugural address: “All, too, will bear in mind this sacred principle, that though the will of the majority is in all cases to prevail, that will to be rightful must be reasonable; that the minority possess their equal rights, which equal law must protect, and to violate would be oppression.” Yet, as we discussed last time, ours is a system in which the majority’s will does not prevail. Quite the opposite. A strategic, oppositional, and radicalized GOP has turned the constitutional system against itself, shattering norms and using maximalist tactics to cling to power despite its diminishing popularity and looming demographic apocalypse. On Thursday, the Senate Judiciary Committee will, on a party-line vote, send the nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to the floor, where Senate Republicans will rush it to the finish line ahead of the November 3 election, ensuring a far-right 6–3 Supreme Court majority for a generation. Never mind that five of those justices were appointed by presidents who lost the popular vote. Never mind that the last three will have been confirmed by a Republican Senate majority that represents a mere 45% of the population. A week or so later, the Republican
president will probably try to cheat his way to re-election. That’s not hyperbole. All over the country — North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Texas, Georgia, Ohio, Wisconsin — the Trump campaign and its sycophants are waging legal battles to prevent absentee ballots from being counted amid a pandemic, while the president makes reckless, baseless, wild-ass accusations of widespread fraud on the daily. The stated goal — as in, they’ve said this out loud — is for President Trump to insist that the millions of ballots counted after Election Day are fraudulent, sue, and have the courts declare him the victor. That’s not an election strategy. That’s a coup. In Trump’s best-case (and most legitimate) scenario, he again cobbles together a bare electoral majority while losing the popular vote by three or four points, hardly a show of strength. Meanwhile, according to the FiveThirtyEight forecast, Republicans have a 27% chance of maintaining control of the Senate — a majority that would continue representing millions fewer Americans than the “minority.” They have almost no chance of reclaiming the House, but the GOP wants to game that system, too. The administration prematurely pulled the plug on the decennial census, meaning areas with immigrants and poor people — i.e., Democrats — will have less congressional and legislative representation. Let’s acknowledge this for what it is. This isn’t about a principled (if esoteric) stand for republican liberty in the face of democratic oppression. This is about power in its rawest, purest form. This is about people accustomed to status and privilege using every lever at their disposal — some legal, others illegal only if the judges they appoint say so — to maintain that status and privilege in perpetuity. But ruthlessness cuts both ways. Mitch McConnell is putting Coney Barrett on the Court because he can, just like he kept Merrick Garland off the Court because he could. He has power, and he’s using it. If come January 20, Democrats control Washington, D.C., they’d be fools not to do the same: eliminate the filibuster, make D.C. and Puerto Rico states, add seats to the Supreme Court, and expand and protect voting rights. Make our democracy more democratic — then pass a sweeping agenda and have voters judge you on the results. There’s nothing stopping them. Nothing, that is, except nostalgia for an era that is never coming back. et nformed Dissent deli ered straight to yo r in o S scri e today at informeddissent net
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FEATURE A foiled plot against Gov. Whitmer shows far-right domestic terrorism is a real threat — and the calls are coming from inside the White House By Lee DeVito
It was a plot that seemingly could have been ripped right out of the pages of a Hollywood action movie script — something like Liam Neeson’s Taken, or a Coen Brothers film, perhaps, or even Joker. A group of men, secretly meeting in a hidden basement under a Grand Rapids vacuum cleaner shop, had cooked up a scheme to kidnap Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, overthrow the government, and start a civil war before the Nov. 3 election. The men connected on social media, and some had met up at the various protests against Whitmer’s coronavirus pandemic emergency powers, where they brandished guns. But these weren’t just the fantasies of a group of shit-talking internet trolls. According to law enforcement officials, including the FBI, Michigan State Police, and Michigan Attorney Dana Nessel, the men’s talk had turned to action, going as far as meeting up for training drills, making multiple surveillance missions to Whitmer’s family vacation home up north, and even testing bombs. On Oct. 7, a group of the men met in Ypsilanti to purchase explosives and exchange gear, where undercover FBI agents were waiting for their arrest. Across the state and beyond, agents arrested more than a dozen men connected to the plot. The news, which first broke via The Detroit News earlier this month, was stunning, even by the boiled-frog standards of the fourth year of Trump’s America. But if you looked closely, you could see trouble brewing. It might be tempting to assume the men were enraged because they were harmed by the economic impact of Whitmer’s emergency powers, which shut down much of Michigan’s economy this year and successfully lowered the number of COVID-19 cases in the state, but critics charged were unconstitutional. Indeed, on Oct. 2, Whitmer’s emergency powers were struck down by the Michigan Supreme Court because they did not have Legislative approval. Nevertheless, the plot against her persisted. In his criminal complaint, FBI special agent Richard Trask said the bureau became aware of the wannabe insurrectionists from social media chatter in early 2020. In fact, Metro Times reporter Steve Neavling covered a public Facebook group, “People vs Gov.
Gretchen Whitmer,” which included calls for violence against the governor, in January. The group was created in March 2019 — long before the word “coronavirus” even entered the vocabulary of most Americans. The page also included calls for violence against other Democratic women, including Reps. Rashida Tlaib and Elissa Slotkin. In the posts, people — using their real names and profile photos — brazenly talked about shooting Democrats, asked how they could join militias, and even offered to help each other train. When questioned, the creators of the page admitted to Metro Times that the discussion had spiraled out of control, and quickly deactivated it. (Among the nearly 9,000 people who followed the page included state Sen. Peter Lucido, a Shelby Township Republican now running for Macomb County prosecutor. When a Michigan Advance reporter questioned Lucido about his involvement in the group, Lucido said, “The fact that people talk crap back and forth on that page, that’s their crap, not mine. … If those people are talking cowardly and inciting violence, then they should be dealt with accordingly.” The reporter also said Lucido sexually harassed her, creating even more national headlines.) By May, with Whitmer’s pandemic response efforts now in effect, the calls for violence on Facebook continued. Neavling accessed four private Facebook groups and found dozens of threats targeting Whitmer ahead of a planned protest in Lansing against her emergency powers, including a call for “a good old fashioned lynch mob to storm the Capitol, drag her tyrannical ass out onto the street and string her up as our forefathers would have,” while others talked about hiring an assassin. The four pages had a combined 400,000 members. After the story ran, Facebook quickly
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removed the groups for violating its terms of service, which prohibit hate speech, and also told Metro Times they disabled “multiple accounts” linked to the pages. Whitmer responded to the threats by writing a letter to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg pleading for the platform to do a better job enforcing its own policies, and even addressed Metro Times’s reporting in a news conference. “The violent, racist, extreme rhetoric that … was reported in the Metro Times today, I think is — concerning isn’t a strong enough word,” Whitmer said. “And yet, this could be avoided, if Republican leadership in the Legislature would step up and denounce that kind of activity — if there was anyone on the other side of the aisle that would do that.” She added, “I would appreciate it if others would do their part to try to lower the heat. There are a lot of hot tempers right now, and I understand that. In America, we respect people’s right to speak out. Their freedom of speech is something I respect. But they have a duty to do it in a way that doesn’t compromise others or threaten others.” Flash forward five months to October, and Republican leaders have done little to “turn down the heat.” In fact, leaders like President Donald Trump responded to the news by leaning into their criticism of Whitmer, calling her a “dictator.” In the FBI’s criminal complaint, a man named Adam Fox was described as a ringleader of the group, and was quoted as calling Whitmer “this tyrant bitch” in the documents. The name was familiar. Looking back at his notes of various comments pulled from the Facebook groups, Neavling found one attributed to Adam Dean Fox, who called Whitmer a “Lying ass Tyrant Bitch!!!!”
The thwarted plan
“These were very credible, and very serious threats to our elected officials and the public in general, and the swift actions taken by state and federal authorities this past week are nothing short of heroic,” Attorney General Nessel said at a press conference the day the news of the alleged kidnapping plot broke. Those charged at the federal level so far include Fox, 37, of Grand Rapids;
Kaleb Franks, 26, of Waterford; Brandon Caserta, 32, of Canton; Ty Garbin, 24, of Hartland Twp.; Daniel Joseph Harris, 23, of Lake Orion; and Barry Croft, 44, of Delaware. Those charged at the state level include Paul Bellar, 21, of Milford; Shawn Fix, 38, of Belleville; Eric Molitor, 36, of Cadillac; Michael Null, 38, of Plainwell; William Null, 38, of Shelbyville; Pete Musico, 42, of Munith; Joseph Morrison, 26, also of Munith; and Brian Higgins, 51, of Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin. The men face an assortment of charges, including terrorism, conspiracy, weapons possession, and being in a gang, some of which could be punishable by life in prison. It was not the first brush with the law for some of them. Fox’s ex-wife, who served him divorce papers after less than a year of marriage, said he was a violent drunk when she applied for a personal protection order against him in 2015, according to the Detroit Free Press. (A judge did not grant the request because the alleged incidents occurred several years earlier.) At some point after the split, a friend let Fox and his two dogs live in the basement under Vac Shack, his Grand Rapids vacuum cleaner store, “because he had nowhere else to go,” according to the Free Press. According to the FBI’s criminal complaint, Fox and Croft began discussing the plan in early 2020, agreeing “to unite others in their cause and take violent action against multiple state governments that they believe are violating the U.S. Constitution.” On June 6, Fox and about 13 other men met in Dublin, Ohio, to talk about their plan to create a post-government, selfsufficient society. Kidnapping Whitmer was discussed, as well as Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam, also a Democrat. But to pull it off, they’d obviously need help. That’s when Fox reached out to the Wolverine Watchmen, which the court documents described as “an anti-government, anti-law enforcement militia group.” The Wolverine Watchmen had already been on the FBI’s radar since March, however, when the group planned to kill law-enforcement officers by obtaining their home addresses. According to the court documents, this concerned one member of the group enough that they tipped off the FBI, and
Photo illustration by EVAN SULT. Photo source REUTERS/SETH HERALD
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agreed to become a secret informant. Fox met with the group various times in June, including a Second Amendment rally in Lansing. On June 14, Fox told the informant that he would need “200 men” to storm the Capitol building in Lansing to kidnap Whitmer, who he wanted to try for “treason.” On June 20, Fox invited a group to a secret meeting, held in the basement of Vac Shack, which was accessible only by a trap door hidden under a rug. As an extra precaution, Fox collected everyone’s cell phone in a box. Fox’s attempt at secrecy was futile, however. Unbeknownst to Fox, the FBI informant was wearing a wire, who captured an audio recording of the meeting, which included plans to target police with “molotov cocktails” and to reconvene for a tactical training exercise in July. On June 25, Fox livestreamed a video in a private Facebook group, where he complained about Whitmer’s executive order that closed gyms. He again called Whitmer a “tyrant bitch.” “I don’t know, boys, we gotta do something,” he said, according to the complaint. On June 28, members of the ragtag confederacy met in Munith, where Musico and Morrison lived, to participate in training. They were told “to leave if they were not willing to participate in attacks against the government and in kidnapping politicians,” according to the complaint. Another training meeting was held on July 10-12 in Cambria, Wisconsin, where they attempted — and failed — to detonate improvised explosive devices using black powder, balloons, a fuse, and BBs for shrapnel. Members of the group met again, on July 18, back in Ohio, where they discussed various plans, including attacking a Michigan State Police building. There, Garbin suggested shooting up Whitmer’s vacation home. The same day, Garbin said he was “cool” with attacking the governor’s home instead of the Capitol, even if it was just to destroy property. On July 24, the informant and Garbin contacted Fox by phone, where Fox suggested they “make a cake and send it” — code word for sending a bomb to Whitmer’s residence, according to the informant. “In all honesty right now … I just wanna make the world glow, dude,” Fox said, according to the documents. “I’m not even fuckin’ kidding. I just wanna make it all glow dude. I don’t fuckin’ care anymore, I’m just so sick of it. That’s what it’s gonna take for us to take it back, we’re just gonna have to everything’s gonna have to be annihilated man. We’re gonna topple it all, dude. It’s what great frickin’ conquerors [do], man, we’re just gonna conquer every fuckin’ thing man.”
Days after the foiled plot, Trump held a campaign rally in Muskegon. The crowd started chanting: “Lock her up, lock her up, lock her up.” “Lock them all up,” said the president of the United States of America. The code words continued on July 26, when Fox told the informant that he had not heard back from the “baker.” “Maybe we should just make a bunch of cupcakes and send them out,” he said. On July 27, Fox and the FBI informant met again at the Vac Shack. “Snatch and grab, man,” Fox said, according to the court documents. “Grab the fuckin’ Governor. Just grab the bitch. Because at that point, we do that, dude — it’s over.” To pull it off, they’d need more help. Fo suggested finding a local real estate agent to help them find the e act location of the vacation home, and even plumbers and electricians to get them blueprints of the property. Fox appeared to be the member of the group who was most enthusiastic about the plot. Later that day, he asked an encrypted group chat, “OK, well how’s everyone feel about kidnapping?” Nobody responded, according to the court documents. The plan was moving forward. The next day, Fox posted on a private Facebook group. “We about to be busy ladies and gentlemen,” he wrote. “This is where the Patriot shows up. Sacrifices his time, money, blood sweat and tears . . . it starts now so get fucking prepared!!” On Aug. 9, the group was back in Munith for more training. According to the court documents, Fox again asked the group about kidnapping Whitmer, but Garbin “expressed reluctance to talk about the plan in that setting.” Later, on Aug. 18, in an encrypted group chat, the group started talking about moving in on Whitmer’s vacation home. Some became worried that they had become infiltrated by law enforcement — astutely, it turned out — and on Aug. 23, a number of members met, sans Fox, at Harris’s home in Lake Orion, where they were required to bring personal documents to confirm their identities. The group discussed an upcoming surveillance mission to Whitmer’s vacation home, with Harris spending nearly $4,000 on night-vision goggles and a helmet for the occasion. They decided to move their communications to a different encrypted app — which was useless, because the FBI informant was still among their ranks.
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On Aug. 29, Fox, the informant, and a third person embarked on their first surveillance mission to Whitmer’s vacation home, where they took photos and slow-motion video of the house as they drove by, and discussed doing additional surveillance from the water at a later date. Meanwhile, the third person looked up nearby police departments, and tried to figure out how long it would take for them to arrive. “We ain’t gonna let ‘em burn our fuckin’ state down,” Fox said, according to the documents. “I don’t give a fuck if there’s only 20 or 30 of us, dude, we’ll go out there and use deadly force.” The next day, the group shared photos of their mission in an encrypted group chat. The same day, Garbin asked the informant how the surveillance went. The informant shared a map, which showed a nearby bridge. Using emojis, Garbin suggested they blow up the bridge to slow down the police response. “If the [bridge emoji] go [hand pointing down emoji], it also [X emoji] the [wave emoji],” he wrote, according to the court documents. The informant later provided the FBI with a photo of Fox drawing a map that included nearby police departments and estimated response times. On the weekend of Sept. 12, a larger group, including Fox, Croft, Garbin, the FBI informant, and others, met at Garbin’s property in Luther, about an hour and a half from the vacation home. They tested what Croft referred to as his “chemistry set,” an improvised explosive device made from a firework with added gunpowder and wrapped in pennies. Here, Fox chose Croft, Garbin, Franks, the FBI informant, and others to go on a second surveillance mission to Whitmer’s vacation home, this time at night. Before leaving, Croft suggested they just get the kidnapping over with now, but was convinced to wait until a later time. The group took three separate cars. Fox and Croft stopped under the M-31 highway bridge to devise a way to plant an explosive, and took a photo and sent it to an encrypted group chat. Meanwhile, Garbin, Franks, and another person drove by the home, recording it using a dash-cam. (This wound up being used as evidence against them, as the footage
also included shots of Garbin and Frank, as well as GPS data that showed they were in the proximity of the governor’s home — which was then shared with the FBI.) A third car acted as lookout. Unbeknownst to Fox, by this point the group included two undercover FBI agents and two informants. Nevertheless, Fox appeared to be pleased by his unfolding plan. “She fucking goddamn loves the power she has right now,” he said, adding, “She has no checks and balances at all. She has uncontrolled power right now.” “All good things must come to an end,” Croft replied. Fox also openly fantasized about their actions starting a revolution. “I can see several states takin’ their fuckin’ tyrants,” Fox said. “Everybody takes their tyrants.” Back at Garbin’s, an FBI informant asked, “Everybody down with what’s going on?” “Oh no, we’re not kidnapping, that’s not what we’re doing,” Garbin replied sarcastically, eliciting laughter from the group. The group later made a plan for one final training e ercise in late October. With the clock ticking until the November election, Fo scrapped the final exercise, arguing that it was cutting it too close. On Oct. 2, he told the group he purchased a $4,000, 800,000-volt Taser for the kidnapping. Later that day, the Michigan Supreme Court struck down Whitmer’s emergency powers. The men didn’t seem to care. The plan was already in motion. On Oct. 7, Fox, Garbin, Harris, and Franks planned to meet to make a payment on explosives and exchange tactical gear, which is when the FBI moved in on them. Militia or terrorists? Some outlets, like the Detroit Press Press and WDIV, have said that they will use the terms “domestic terrorists” instead of “militia” to describe the Wolverine Watchmen. Just two days before the news of the kidnapping plot emerged, on Oct. 6, the Department of Homeland Security declared in its “Homeland Threat Assessment,” for the first time, that far-right domestic terrorists posed the greatest threat to the U.S., as opposed to foreign groups like ISIS. According to the report, 2019 was the most lethal year for domestic violent extremism in the U.S. since the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995. “Some U.S.-based violent extremists have capitalized on increased social and political tensions in 2020, which will drive an elevated threat environment at least through early 2021,” the report stated. “Violent extremists will continue
metrotimes.com | October 21-27, 2020
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to target individuals or institutions that represent symbols of their grievances, as well as grievances based on political affiliation or perceived policy positions. The report also noted that COVID-19 “creates an environment that could accelerate some individuals’ mobilization to targeted violence or radicalization to terrorism, and anti-government and anti-authority violent extremists could be motivated to conduct attacks in response to perceived infringement of liberties and government overreach as all levels of government seek to limit the spread of the coronavirus that has caused a worldwide pandemic. dditionally, it noted, “Social distancing may lead to social isolation, which is associated with depression, increased an iety, and social alienation. imilarly, work disruptions including unexpected unemployment and layoffs, can also increase risk factors associated with radicalization to violence and willingness to engage in acts of targeted violence. The day the plot was announced, Nessel appeared to acknowledge the findings of the report. “There has been a disturbing increase in anti-government rhetoric and the re-emergence of groups that embrace e tremist ideologies, essel said. These groups often seek to recruit new members by seizing on a moment of civil unrest and using it to advance their agenda of self-reliance and armed resistance. This is more than just political disagreement or passionate advocacy. ome of these groups’ mission is simply to create chaos and in ict harm upon others. Michigan has long been considered fertile ground for domestic terrorism. In the early s, inspired by the bloody standoffs with federal agents in Ruby Ridge, Idaho, and Waco, Texas, armed groups cropped up around the country, including a group called the Michigan Militia, which was one of the largest. The Oklahoma City bombing perpetrators Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols attended early meetings for the ichigan ilitia. “We had representatives of every known right-wing, white supremacist, anti-government group out there. nd why Michigan, we just could never tell, former FBI agent ndrew rena, who now teaches at Western Michigan niversity’s Thomas . Cooley aw School, told the Washington Post. But obviously you got to deal with it. One possible factor could be Michigan Republicans’ — and law enforcement’s co iness with militia groups. t. overnor arlin ilchrist II told C ’s on emon that he believed the suspects in the kidnapping plot were emboldened by resident onald Trump and the “complicity and the encouragement of the Michigan Republican
arty, who created the rhetorical space for them to plan these deadly actions. Indeed, at least four of the suspects were spotted this year at anti-Whitmer rallies, including twin brothers Michael and William Null, who were among those who stormed the Capitol on pril . espite the increased incidents, the egislature has still not passed a ban on firearms in the Capitol. On ay , speaking to a crowd gathered in rand apids to protest Whitmer, Barry County heriff ar eaf pointed to William Null and said, “This is our last home defense right here, ladies and gentlemen. eaf later defended the kidnapping suspects, saying Michigan law authori es residents to arrest the governor for committing a felony. essel later called eaf’s comments dangerous. s ichigan’s top law enforcement official, let me make this abundantly clear, she wrote on Twitter. ersons who are not sworn, licensed members of a law enforcement agency cannot and should not arrest’ government officials with whom they have disagreements. tate enate a ority eader ike Shirkey, one of Whitmer’s biggest critics in the epublican arty, has sparred with her over her emergency powers. On pril , when Whitmer e tended her emergency powers without Congressional authority, Shirkey took to Facebook to invoke the attack on earl arbor a day in our tate’s legacy which will last in infamy, he wrote and accused Whitmer of being “drunk on the addiction of unfettered power. Initially, he condemned the would-be kidnappers. threat against our overnor is a threat against us all, he wrote on Twitter. We condemn those who plotted against her and our government. They are not patriots. There is no honor in their actions. They are criminals and traitors, and they should be prosecuted to the fullest e tent of the law. But mere hours after the kidnapping plot was revealed, both Shirkey and Republican ouse peaker ee Chatfield appeared at an anti-Whitmer rally in ansing, where they continued to use heated rhetoric. “This is no time to be weak in our commitment to freedom, hirkey said to the crowd, according to Michigan Advance. We need to be strong and not be afraid of those who are taking our freedoms away from us. The next day, Nessel revealed that Whitmer had been alerted of the plot before it went public and said that law enforcement had even taken the step of moving her and her family to keep them out of harm’s way. The following day, Chatfield penned a letter accusing Whitmer and law enforcement of keeping epublicans out of the loop. “Why weren’t we warned of the plot
metrotimes.com | October 21-27, 2020
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to take hostages at the Capitol? The plot by these terrorists was against us too,” he wrote. “Why weren’t House sergeants warned? You knew and we weren’t even given a warning. We had people working in the building and their lives matter too.” “Did @GovWhitmer endanger the state legislature by neglecting to inform them of the plot to ‘storm the state Capitol and take hostages?’” the Michigan Freedom Fund asked on Twitter. But the group, funded by the family of billionaire Betsy DeVos, helped promote the April 16 “Operation Gridlock” rally where armed protesters met in Lansing. And then there’s Trump. Unsurprisingly, many of the kidnapping suspects were Trump supporters. In 2016, Musico promoted Trump’s candidacy on YouTube and Twitter, according to the Free Press. “Look at what our country has become,” Musico wrote. “Everybody hates Trump so if everybody hates him, wouldn’t he be a good thing for our country” and “we need to get away from the controllers of this country and become America again that’s what Trump wants.” Croft also tweeted praise for Trump, and Fix had Trump campaign signs in his front yard. (Not all of the members of the group were pro-Trump, however. According to the Free Press, Caserta appeared to have called Trump a “tyrant” on Twitter, while the Nulls reportedly supported Black Lives Matter, suggesting that the men had various and occasionally overlapping ideologies. Many of the men also supported antigovernment movements, including the Three Percenters and “Boogaloo Bois.”) The day the news of the kidnapping plot broke, Whitmer delivered a short prepared address. “When I put my hand on the bible and took the oath of office months ago, I knew this job would be hard, but I’ll be honest — I never could’ve imagined anything like this,” she said. “This should be a moment for national unity, where we all pull together as Americans to meet this challenge headon — with the same might and muscle that put a man on the moon, seeing the humanity in one another and doing our part to help our country get through this,” she said of the pandemic. She then condemned Trump for “denying science, ignoring his own health experts, stoking distrust and fomenting anger, and giving comfort to those who spread fear and hatred and division.” “Just last week, the President of the United States stood before the American people and refused to condemn white supremacists and hate groups,” she said. “‘Stand back, and stand by,’ he said to them. ‘Stand back, and stand by.’ Hate groups heard the president’s
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words not as a rebuke, but as a rallying cry — as a call to action.” Whitmer was referring to Trump’s the first presidential debate against Democrat Joe Biden, where Trump was asked to condemn white supremacists and instead namechecked a group called the Proud Boys, who took Trump’s acknowledgement as a wink and a nod, quickly emblazoning the quote on memes and T-shirts. It was a good speech — harking back to the era when leaders made speeches, which they read from a page, instead of just winging it, attempting to unite and calm everyone with the powers of their words. “When our leaders speak, their words matter,” Whitmer said. “They carry weight.” But Trump, being Trump, cannot stop himself. A week later, Trump did an interview on Fox Business one of his first since his own denial of the pandemic resulted in him being hospitalized with COVID-19. “You sound well and feisty,” host Stuart Varney said. “You sure you’re OK?” Trump was obviously not OK. “I went through the process, heh heh, you know, ’cause we gotta do it, there’s some things you have to do, and that’s the way it is,” he said, quickly changing the subject. “And they ought to open up the states. That’s the other thing with the Democrats, maybe more important. Open up the states. You know, we’re winning a lot of lawsuits about that. Michigan, [Gov. Whitmer] has to open up. She wants to be a dictator in Michigan, and the people can’t stand her.” Despite his close call with COVID-19, on Saturday Trump held a campaign rally in Muskegon, drawing thousands of his supporters, many following his lead and refusing to wear masks to prevent the spread of the virus. “You’ve got to get your governor to open up her state,” Trump said to the cheering crowd. In response, the crowd started chanting Trump’s 2016 chant against Hillary Clinton: “Lock her up, lock her up, lock her up.” “Lock them all up,” Trump said. It didn’t seem to matter to Trump or his followers that Whitmer was just the victim of an attempted violent coup — or that Whitmer’s stay-at-home order, in fact, ended months ago. “This is exactly the rhetoric that has put me, my family, and other government officials’ lives in danger while we try to save the lives of our fellow Americans,” Whitmer responded on Twitter. “It needs to stop.” But Trump, being Trump, cannot stop himself — and neither can his supporters, it seems. Some people just want to make the world glow.
metrotimes.com | October 21-27, 2020
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MUSIC
Heavy shit
Singer-songwriter Chloë Drallos taps into surf, goth, punk, and melodic pop with new Zilched LP y e
ilo
Chloë Drallos is read
CARRIGAN DRALLOS
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y t o t al k , i f you’ re read y t o l i s t en. W hi l e s om e of what t he s ong wri t er-g ui t ari s t m i g ht sing to you might come off caustic in i t s c and or, t here’ s of t en a uni vers al l y ap p l i c ab l e m es s ag e i n her l yri c s t out i ng t he s el f -em p owerm ent t hat ’ s at t ai nab l e when we d i s ent ang l e ours el ves f rom p et t y b ul l s hi t . D ral l os , a. k . a. Z i l c hed , rel eas ed an E P and a hand f ul of s i ng l es over t he l as t t hree years , b ut t hi s week end , s he’ s unveiling her first full-length (via Young H eavy S oul s ) , t i t l ed D o o m p o p . “ A nd I p i c k ed t hat t i t l e m ore t han a year ago, so this definitely isn’t a q u a r a n t i n e a l b u m , or any k i nd of c om m ent ary, ” she says. To an extent, the intent is alm os t f or t he t i t l e t o b e s ort of a p i c k -m eup . R at her t han wal l ow i n g l oom and ni hi l i s m and h e a v i n e s s , D ral l os has m ad e an al b um t hat p rom ot es a s ort of m ent al s oc i al d i s t anc i ng , i f you wi l l , f rom t he anxieties or insecurities of the comingof -ag e years , when we’ re navi g at i ng t he j ud g m ent al whi m s of c l i q ues and c ool c rowd s , or even our f am i l i es . “ D oom p op ” was a c at c hp hras e, of sorts, that Drallos traded off with some m us i c i ans s he’ d p revi ous l y c ol l ab orat ed wi t h, over a s hared ap p rec i at i on f or heavi er, l oud er, g narl i er m us i c . B ut when i t c om es t o t he aerod ynam i c b l end of s hoeg az e and g ot h t hat ’ s s weet ened ( i f not b i t t er-s weet ened ) b y D ral l os ’ t hread i ng s om e s ub s t ant i al earworm voc al m el od i es wi t h her s i g nat ure haz y m i d -rang e c roon, t hen, yes — “ d oom plus pop” seemed to fit nicely. B ut a l ot of t hat s ent i m ent c am e f rom a c onvi c t i on t o work t h r o u g h t he d oom — t o “ f ac e t he heavy, ” as s he p ut s i t , and t hen es s ent i al l y p ut t hat heavi nes s b ehi nd you. T he l oud nes s of t he g ui t ars , t he l i t henes s of t he m el od i es , and t he p rop ul s i on of t he d rum s al l m ani f es t a s ens e of l evi t at i ng a b o v e t he heavy — off-lifting the burden and digging up out of t he d oom .
“ ‘ H eavy’ d oes n’ t have t o m ean b ad , or d ark , i n t hi s i ns t anc e, ” D ral l os s ays . A nd whi l e s om e of her f orm at i ve m us i c al t ouc hs t ones m ay have b een f rom t he ub er-s ub vers i ve p unk s i d e of t hi ng s , “ I ’ m not p ro-f u c k t h e w o r l d , ” s he s ays , and hopes people don’t fixate on that d o o m . “ B ec aus e I ’ m s t i l l a p ret t y p os i t i ve p ers on, ac t ual l y, or at l eas t , t hat ’ s what I t hi nk you s houl d p ut out , even i f I ’ m not al ways f ol l owi ng t hat , ” s he s ays . “ I have p ut a l ot of b ad f eel i ng s i nt o ( t he l yri c s ) , b ut I f eel l i k e every s ong has a b i t of a res ol ut i on i n res p ons e t o t he neg at i ve, us ual l y c onc l ud i ng t hat , ‘ Y eah, t hat was b ad , b ut i t real l y d oes n’ t m at t er i n t he end . ’ ” S he ad d s , “ T hi s rec ord i s j us t ab out g rowi ng p ai ns — al l of t he g rowi ng p ai ns t hat I ac t ual l y s p rang up on m ys el f b ec aus e I was t ryi ng t o g row up t oo f as t . ” Some of us figure out who we are and what we l i k e at an earl i er ag e t han ot hers — and f or D ral l os , t hat i nad vert ent l y g enerat ed a l ot of f ri c t i on, awk ward nes s , and f al l -out s b et ween her and her f ri end s . S he g rew up i n t he rural ( and of t en c ons ervat i ve) m i l i eus of L i vi ng s t on C ount y — and when you’ re a t eenag e g i rl g rowi ng up i n a p l ac e l i k e t hat , b ei ng es s ent i al l y rad i c al i z ed b y B ob D yl an’ s nonc onf orm i t y, enc hant ed b y t he d i s t ort i on of J es us & M ary C hai n, c om f ort ed b y t he avant -ec c ent ri c i t i es of D avi d L ync h, and q ues t i oni ng org ani z ed rel i g i on? T hen, yeah … i t m i g ht t em p t os t rac i z at i on. S he was , i ni t i al l y, t he out s i d er b y ac c i d ent . “ I was al ways t he wei rd one t hat d i d n’ t want t o b e t he wei rd one i n a g roup of f ri end s , ” s he s ays . “ I d i d n’ t want to actually be weird. I was just different t han t he p eop l e I was s urround i ng m ys el f wi t h. I was f ac ed wi t h rej ec t i on, but I started to find representation in s om eone l i k e C ourt ney L ove. E veryone around m e l oved K urt ( C ob ai n) and was l i k e, f uc k H E R … b ut I k i nd a l i k e d her. A nd t o s ee t hat you c oul d b e hat ed but still be great That was exciting to m e! ’ C aus e I d i d f eel ac t ual l y h a t e d f or a b i t . T hat ’ s when I s t art ed t o f eel c l os e t o art i s t s l i k e ( L ove) , and D avi d L ync h wi t h T w i n P e a k s , and al s o J ohn W at ers and all of his stuff, which felt like it was a uni vers e where everyt hi ng t hat everyone el s e hat ed was norm al and c el eb rat ed , and t hos e c harac t ers were wei rd , b ut t hat i t was norm al i z ed and ac c ep t ed . ” S he ad d s , “ I f eel l i k e I ’ m a p ers on t hat j us t i nvi t es p rec onc ei ved not i ons . I ’ m us ed t o i t at t hi s p oi nt . P eop l e p res um i ng t hat I t hi nk I ’ m t oo c ool ? O r p eop l e t hi nk i ng I ’ m not c ool at al l ? M ayb e I s houl d s t op p roj ec t i ng … b ut I f eel l i k e Z i l c hed has b een m y s p ac e where I find my normal. This is my little world [ where] anyt hi ng t hat anyone el s e doesn’t like is exactly what makes t h i s work . ” W ork i ng wi t h p rod uc er B en C ol l i ns
( i n Y p s i l ant i ) , D ral l os ’ s voi c e s oars t o t he top of the mix, despite the fiery feedb ac k and heavy, roari ng reverb und erneat h. O n s ong s l i k e “ T he M orni ng , ” t here are veri t ab l e t i d al waves of c res t i ng d i s t ort i on and p ower c hord s , and i t f eel s l i k e a c at hart i c s ort of c aut eri z i ng of a wound . B ut t here i s a m el od y and a hook , and a b eat t hat c arri es everyt hi ng f orward . “ T he M orni ng , ” j us t l i k e s everal of t he s ong s on t hi s al b um , are t oei ng t he l i ne of b al l ad -t erri t ory — t he p o p elements are verifiably glowing beneath t he m urk and t he c l am or, and t hat ’ s i nt ent i onal . D ral l os has had s om e wri t e-up s f rom out l et s over t he l as t c oup l e of years , b ut they’ve tended to fixate over references t o ei t her C ourt ney L ove or m ayb e S oni c Y out h, or any ot her q ui c k l y p ac k ag ed ref erenc es f or f as t f am i l i ari t y t o c om m uni c at e t hat her m us i c has s heens of at m os p heri c noi s e and f renet i c g ui t ar p hras i ng s , b ut t here’ s ac t ual l y m uc h m ore nuanc ed t o her m us i c al D N A . W hi l e s he s t i l l m ay onl y b e i n her earl y 2 0 s , s he’ s b een wri t i ng m us i c f or a d ec ad e now. A nd i t c an’ t b e und ers t at ed that she experiences the emotions of m us i c , and t he em ot i ons of s ong wri t i ng i n g eneral , very i nt ens el y. “ I c an t end t o g et wrap p ed up i n t he p ers onal s i d e of t hi ng s , ” D ral l os s ays of her l yri c s . “ I ’ m s el f -t aug ht on g ui t ar, s o I ’ m not as t ec hni c al l y t al ent ed as s om e — s o t hat m eans t hat ( Z i l c hed m us i c ) i s p ret t y m uc h al l m y own p ers onal expression.” T hi s i s p rob ab l y t he k ey reas on why D ral l os has op t ed t o k eep t he b and ’ s lineup comparatively loose and fluctuati ng . “ A t t he end of t he d ay, t he s ound , and everyt hi ng ( ab out Z i l c hed ) i s j us t a mix of my favorite things. But I bet that anyone out t here who d oes n’ t t ak e everyt hi ng as p ers onal as I m i g ht p rob ab l y hears t hi s and s ays , O h , G o d , l o o s e n u p ! ” S he ad d s , “ W ri t i ng a s ong l i k e ‘ T he M orni ng ’ was very t herap eut i c b ec aus e I l ook ed at what was g oi ng on i n m y l i f e and m y f ri end s and as k ed why, why was I g et t i ng s o up s et ab out i t , i f , i n t he end , I real l y d i d n’ t c are. I d on’ t want t o b e l i k e t hos e p eop l e who are rej ec t i ng m e, anyway. S o I need t o not c are. ” I n t he end , D o o m p o p b ec om es em p oweri ng b ec aus e i t not onl y enc ourag es us t o l ook , head on, at what ’ s m ak i ng us s ad , b ut m ore t han t hat — as k i ng why, what ever i t m i g ht b e, i s i t m ak i ng us s ad ? W hy even l et i t ? A nd how d o we l et g o of al l t hat heavy? Z i l c h e d ’ s D oom p op i s a v a i l a b l e F r i d a y . C h lo ë D r a llo s is jo in e d b y a fu ll b a n d a n d w ill p e r fo r m a liv e s t r e a m c o n c e r t a t 8 p .m . o n S a t u r d a y , O c t . 2 4 a t fa c e b o o k . c o m / z ilc h e d m u s ic . M o r e in fo r m a t io n is a v a ila b le a t z ilc h e d m u s ic .b a n d c a m p . c o m .
metrotimes.com | October 21-27, 2020
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Savage Love
CULTURE Q:
Borrowing Gen Z’s love for labeling everything, I’m a 46-year-old homoromantic asexual Canadian faggot. For me that means I’d like to love and be loved by another man, but I’d hate having sex with him. To add a vexing complication, I also need some sort of power imbalance. Ideally, I would fall somewhere between being a man’s sub and being his slave. I’ve been searching for this since I came out in my early twenties. I’ve tried everything. Online, bars, hobby groups, friends, hookups. Vanilla relationships, single Masters, dominant couples, sex workers. I’ve spent thousands of dollars on both men and therapy, but here I am busted, miserable, and alone. The point is that no one — and I mean absolutely no one — wants what I want. My dream dude doesn’t exist. It’s easy to tell someone to move on, that there are other fish in the sea, etc., but sometimes your sea is a puddle and you really are the only guppy. I’m considering ending my life before the end of the year. I can’t shake the deep sadness and disappointment and misery that I feel — and this isn’t even touching on my current unemployment or newly-chronic health issues. What would you do if you were in my shoes? How does one switch off the built-in romantic drive? —Sought A Dom Accepting Sad Singlehood
A : I’m sorry you haven’t found
your ideal man, SADASS, or the right dominant couple or a vanilla guy you could love and a dominant sex worker you could see on the side. Not everyone finds their ideal mate position situation, despite our best efforts, which is why it’s important that we build lives for ourselves that are rich and rewarding while we look for our dream dude(s). Because then even if we’re unhappily single or we find ourselves unhappily single again — we would still have meaning and pleasure in our lives. And that makes it easier for us to live in hope that, should all the planets align, it could still happen for us or happen for us again. (Please note: I’m qualifying “single” with “unhappy” here not because all single people are unhappy — which is absolutely untrue — but because this single person, SADASS, is unhappy.) I have to assume it has happened for you once or twice, SADASS. While none of your relationships with any of the vanilla guys, single Masters, dominant couples, or sex workers you’ve met along the way turned into long-term connections, there had to
have been some good times and real — if not lasting — connections over the years. Instead of seeing those relationships as a string of failures because they all ended, SADASS, you should see them as a long series of successful short-term relationships. And while you may regret that none lasted for years or decades, there’s nothing about being partnered that immunizes a person against regret. If you were still with one of those vanilla guys, you might always regret not meeting a Master; if you were with a Master or a dominant couple, you might regret — from time to time — not having a more egalitarian relationship. Although you say you’re not interested in having sex, SADASS, your interests are erotically charged. If your erotic-if-not-sexual fantasies are causing you distress — if you want to switch off your built-in romantic erotic drive — anti-depressants often lower and sometimes tank a person’s libido. For most people that’s an unwelcome side effect, but you may find it a blessing at least for now, SADASS, while you’re dealing with your health and employment issues. It’s an extreme move, but it’s far less extreme than the one you’ve been contemplating, so it might be worth discussing with a sex-positive, kink-positive, reality-aware therapist. Finally, please don’t end your life. The world is a far more interesting place with you in it. nd while finding a romantic partner is never the solution to our problems — it’s only the start of a whole new set of problems — I’ve heard from countless people over the years who found something close to what they were looking for in their fifties, sixties, and even seventies. But it can’t happen for you if you aren’t here for it. Crisis Services Canada maintains a 24-hour suicide-prevention hotline: 833-456-4566. In the United States, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 800-273-8255.
Q:
I’m bisexual man who works on a military base with so many hot men. But how the hell do I even get a quick cock to suck without getting fired for coming on to the wrong guy? Or beaten up? How do I approach some-
20 October 21-27, 2020 | metrotimes.com
By Dan Savage
picked each other up in bars … you had to make eye contact with a lotta guys before you locked eyes with the right guy. If you made eye contact with a guy who wasn’t interested — if you weren’t his style or his type — he wouldn’t make eye contact with you again. That’s essentially what a guy is doing when he blows you off on Grindr: he’s taking a quick look, deciding you’re not for him, and looking away — the exact same thing you’re doing to guys who aren’t your style or type. Guys who left the bar after two guys looked away never got to suck a dick, BIGUY, so don’t give up after a couple of guys blow you off on rindr. ust keep looking around.
Q:
I’m a 60-something straight woman. A few years ago, a longtime male friend and I, both JOE NEWTON in very unhappy relationships, did what I’d never done in my life: one who could be interested? It’s been we cheated on our partners. We both forever since I’ve had a guy! Don’t tell ended our other relationships, and the me to try Grindr. I already did, and resulting two years have been wondermost of the guys on there are not my ful. My guy is smart and funny, and the style, and the two that were blew me sex is very, very, VERY good. We don’t off. I wish I was totally straight or live together and see each other on totally gay cause the bisexual world is weekends. Now for the problem: I think really depressing! he voted for Trump. While he’s a politi—Basically I’ve Got Unfulfilled Yearnings cal conservative, he’s not crazy and he has some reasonable viewpoints that I can tolerate even if I disagree. But Totally gay guys get blown off on not Trump. I don’t think a good person rindr and niffies and econ all the votes for Trump. Practically speaking, time. Totally straight guys get blown it doesn’t matter because we live in off on Tinder and Farmers Only and solid blue Washington state and all our Christian Mingle all the time. I’m not electoral votes will go to Biden, but I’m minimizing the unique challenges not sure I can fuck someone who voted bisexuals face by bisexual men and for Trump. But if I end things with him, women — biphobia is real — but there’s a good chance I’ll never have everyone faces rejection, BIGUY. And sex again. I don’t think there are many while some gay guys don’t wanna date opportunities for 65-year-old averagebi guys, you aren’t looking for a date. looking women, even ones with healthy You’re looking for a dick to suck. So get back on Grindr. When you see libidos. Thoughts? Update: Before I could even hit send on a hot guy on the street, on the subway, this email, Dan, I found out that, yes, or your military base, quickly open rindr or cruff or niffies or econ he voted for Trump. I’m sickened that this person I care for voted for Trump! or all of the above — and if they’re Do I end it?!? on there, too, send ’em a message. If —Oh Fucking Hell they’re interested, they’ll write back. If they aren’t, they won’t. And if you’re worried a guy won’t let you suck his es you do, OF , and you tell dick if you tell him you’re bisexual him why: elections have consequences. and you don’t mind blowing guys who Better a trusty vibrator than an unwormight be biphobic, don’t disclose your thy Trump voter. bise uality on your profile and stick to, “Sup?” and “Looking?” when you Questions? mail@savagelove.net. Follow message them. Dan on Twitter @FakeDanSavage. More And you know … back when men information at savagelovecast.com.
A:
A:
metrotimes.com | October 21-27, 2020
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CULTURE ARIES: March 21 – April 19 “ I ’ ve b een t ol d t hat nob od y s i ng s t he word ‘ hung er’ l i k e I d o, ” t es tified Aries chanteuse Billie Holiday. S he was n’ t s ug g es t i ng t hat s he had a stylish way of crooning about fine dining. Rather, she meant “hunger” i n t he s ens e of t he l ong i ng f or l i f e’ s poignant richness. Her genius-level ability to express such beauty was due in part to her skillful vocal technique, but also because she was a master of cultivating soulful emotions. Your assignment in the coming weeks, Aries, is to refine and deepen your own hunger. TAURUS: April 20 – May 20 Author Renata Adler expresses my own feelings when she writes, “Hardly anyone about whom I deeply care resembles anyone else I have ever met, or heard of, or read about in literature.” I bet if you’re honest, Taurus, you would say the same. It’s almost certainly the case that the peop l e you reg ard as wort hy of your l ove and interest are absolutely unique. In the sense that there are no other characters like them in the world, they are superstars and prodigies. I bring
this to your attention because now is an excellent time to fully express your appreciation for their one-of-akind beauty — to honor and celebrate them for their entertainment value and precious influence and unparalleled blessings. GEMINI: May 21 – June 20 “If you cannot find an element of humor in something, you’re not t ak i ng i t s eri ous l y enoug h, ” wri t es author Ilyas Kassam. That’s a key thought for you to keep in mind during the coming weeks. Levity and joking will be necessities, not luxuries. Fun and amusement will be essential ingredients in the quest to make good decisions. You can’t afford to be solemn and stern, because allowing those states to dominate you would diminish your intelligence. Being playful — even in the face of challenges — will ensure your ultimate success. CANCER: June 21 – July 22 I’m hoping the horoscopes I wrote for you in late August helped p rop el you i nt o a hi g her l evel of commitment to the art of transformation. In any case, I suspect that you will have the chance, in the coming weeks, to go even further in your mastery of that art. To inspire you in your efforts, I’ll encourage you to at least temporarily adopt one or more of the nicknames in the following list: (1) Flux Luster (2) Fateful Fluctuator (3) Shift irtuoso (4) Flow Maestro (5) Alteration Adept (6) Change Arranger (7) Mutability Savant (8) Transition Connoisseur LEO: July 23 – August 22 “ W hen one i s a s t rang er t o oneself, then one is estranged from others, too,” wrote author Anne Morrow Lindbergh. “If one is out of touch with oneself, then one cannot touch others. Only when one is connected to one’s own core, is one connected to others.” In bringing these thoughts to your attention, Leo, I don’t mean to imply that you are out of touch with your deep self. Not at all. But in my view, all of us can benefit from getting into ever-closer communion with our deep selves. In the coming weeks, you especially need to work on that — and are likely to have extra success in doing so. VIRGO: August 23 – Sept. 22 My cosmic tipsters told me that you will be even smarter than usual in the coming weeks. As I scoured the heavenly maps, I detected signs that you have t he p ot ent i al t o b e a s k i l l ed code-cracker, riddle-decipherer, and
22 October 21-27, 2020 | metrotimes.com
Free Will Astrology B y R o b B re z s n y solver of knotty problems and tricky dilemmas. That’s why I suggest you ex p res s g rat i t ud e t o your b eaut i ful brain, irgo. Sing it sweet songs and tell it how much you love it and find out which foods you can eat to strengthen it even more. Now read Diane Ackerman’s description of the brain: “that shiny mound of being, that mouse-gray parliament of cells, that dream factory, that petit tyrant i ns i d e a b al l of b one, t hat hud d l e of neurons calling all the plays, that little everywhere, that fickle pleasuredome.” LIBRA: Sept. 23 – Oct. 22 I vote in American elections, but I’ve never belonged to a political party. One of my favorite politicians is Bernie Sanders, who for most of his career has been an Independent. But now I’m a staunch advocate for the Democrats. Why Because Republicans are so thoroughly under the curse of the nasty, cruel, toxic person known as Donald Trump. I’m convinced that it’s crucial for our country’s well-being that Democrats achieve total victory in the upcoming election. In accordance with astrological omens, I urge you to do your personal equivalent of what I’ve done: Unambiguously align yourself with influences that represent your highest, noblest values. Take a sacred stand not just for yourself, but also on behalf of everything you love. SCORPIO: Oct. 23 – Nov. 21 “I loathe narcissism, but I app rove of vani t y, ” s ai d f as hi on wri t er Diana reeland. Here’s how I interpret that: People who care mostly for t hei r own f eel i ng s and wel f are — and who believe they’re more important t han everyone el s e — are b ori ng and repellent. But those who enjoy l ook i ng t hei r b es t and ex p res s i ng their unique beauty may do so out of a d es i re t o s hare t hei r g i f t s wi t h t he world. Their motivation might be artistry and generosity, not self-centeredness. In accordance with cosmic potentials, Scorpio, I invite you to elude the temptations of narcissism as you explore benevolent forms of vanity. SAGITTARIUS: Nov. 22 – Dec. 21 Yes, do let people see you sweat. At least for now, be forthright and revelatory. Let people witness your secret fire, your fierce tang, your salty tears, and your unhealed wounds. Hold nothing back as you give what you haven’ t b een ab l e t o g i ve b efore. Be gleefully expressive as you unveil every truth, every question, every buried joy. Don’t be crude and
insensitive, of course. Be as elegant and respectful as possible. But make it your priority to experiment with sacred vulnerability. Find out how far you can safely go as you strip away the d i s g ui s es t hat have k ep t you out of touch with your full power. CAPRICORN: Dec. 22 – Jan. 19 Between 2008 and 2017, Southern California had two sizable earthquakes: 5.5 and 5.1 on the Richter scale. But during the same period, the area had 1.8 million small quakes that were mostly too mild to be felt. The ground beneath the feet of the local people was shaking at the rate of once every three minutes. Metaphorically speaking, Capricorn, you’re now in a phase that resembles the mild shakes. There’s a lot of action going on beneath the surface, although not much of it is obvious. I think this is a good thing. The changes you’re shepherding are proceeding at a safe, gradual, well-integrated pace. AQUARIUS: Jan. 20 – Feb. 18 No American woman was allowed to earn a medical degree and practice as a physician until Aquarian-born Elizabeth Blackwell did it in 184 . It was an almost impossible feat, since the all-male college she attended undermined her mercilessly. Once she began her career a doctor, she constantly had to outwit men who made it di cult for her. Nevertheless, she persisted. Eventually, she helped create a medical school for women in England and made it possible for 476 women to practice medicine there. I propose that we make her your patron saint for now. May she inspire you to red oub l e your d i l i g ent p urs ui t of your big dream. Here’s your motto: “Nevertheless, I’m persisting.” PISCES: Feb.19 – March 20 Henry David Thoreau wrote, “I fear my expression may not be extravagant enough, may not wander far enough beyond the narrow limit of my daily experience, so as to be adequate to the truth of which I have been convinced.” You’ll be wise to have a similar fear, Pisces. According to my analysis, you can generate good fortune for yourself by transcending what you already know and think. Life is conspiring to nudge you and coax you into seeking experiences t hat wi l l ex p and your und ers t and i ng of everything. Take advantage of this opportunity to blow your own mind This week’s homework: N a m e f i v e th in g s y o u d o to m a k e y o u r s e lf fe e l g o o d . T h e n th in k o f a n o th e r th in g to a d d to th e lis t .
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metrotimes.com | October 21-27, 2020
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