Some people thrive on their grievances. Not me. I get plenty angry from time to time–more often these days, sadly–but anger, nursed too long, enervates and depresses me. I fear my grievances will consume me, will turn me into an embittered, curdled person.

So while I’m as sensitive as anyone to injustice and cruelty, I find myself turning outwards in response, and it makes me happy to dwell on how kind, loving, and creative people can be, especially in these times.

This brings me to a particular flavor of response to those who supported (and may still support) Trump, given all the harm he and his administration are causing: “fuck those people now and forever”, “FAFO”, “leopards eating faces”, that sort of thing. These responses are totally natural! Nevertheless, I think about what we’re fighting for in this fight, and what these responses reveal about us. What kind of society do we want, and what do we want from our leaders and from one another?

It’s one thing to allow ourselves to vent our anger, and to hold people accountable for the harm they cause. It’s quite another to revenge ourselves on ordinary people who didn’t make the same choices we made, and who didn’t see the same things we saw.

We are seeing, right now, what Rage as an Organizing Principle looks like. Let’s not make it ours.