Practice defying and confronting authority, for your protection.
Every single day, dozens of people tag me or comment to let me know that they’ve successfully, or at least have tried, to opt out of biometric theft and facial recognition, whether at borders, venues, or at the airport, and I’m so proud of you. Many people also let me know how helpful it has been to watch the videos of myself opting out that I’ve been sharing over the past 10 years. This is practice.
In oppressive societies, like within Empire, unless you have had the exact right conditions to do so, there is no reason you would already or automatically know how to confront authority. If more risk is put on you by that authority, then you are told that you cannot confront that authority. So we must practice.
Those who grow up with relative privilege, including men, white people, and the wealthy, go through their entire lives with opportunities to practice confronting and interacting with authority. They were able to witness it being modeled throughout their lives, through their parents, relatives, colleagues, and classmates.
Those in positions of privilege, are already taught to speak to the manager. They are already taught to interact with and confront authority, not as something to fear, but to get something they want.
Confronting authority is a practice, and most people with privilege have had that practice throughout their entire lives.
There is very real risk put on people that white cis, het, colonial, ableist culture does not want to exist. It is important to distinguish this risk from fear. They often overlap, but they can often be parsed through with practice.
Know your right sites, my opt-out content, and trainings. Those are all practice to interact with authority. Take the opt-out and know your right scripts, and practice.
Practice in the mirror, role play with your friends, do it at dinner parties, role play, someone play the agents, someone play the business owner, someone play the driver, someone play the police, someone play the passenger, someone play the agent. Practice what you will do when you are confronted with authority. Practice what you’ll say to it over and over again, practice over the phone, over video, in person.
Practice with each other, practice for each other, practice for your protection, practice for our protection.
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