I had initially had a book review to publish on Friday, but that felt like ignoring something important. I then wrote a rant that made it much more about my feelings than current events, so I wrote this as something I think can help.

This post is an open letter to the revolutionary dilettantes. Not any in particular, though I was inspired by the specific little revolutionary scrawling "BLM," an anarchy symbol, "Fuck 12", "Kilwaukee," and eventually just "suck my dick" along a bike trail in my town.

My vision of you is probably based on my own bias. I was once an overeager revolutionary, out in the streets for the losing battle to stop the Iraq war. I made signs and stencils and ruminated about how "they" were going to listen. So I'm reading a lot into your poor sloganeering, and bright yellow spray paint very probably lifted from a construction site on your way down to the trail, forgive me.

My first piece of advice is to tell you to shut up and listen. The Black Lives Matter Activists have been at this longer than you. They know the terrain, they know the media perceptions, and what help the movement needs. They don't need a Cliché Guevera ready to cover every visible surface in a half-assed unreadable scrawl and break some windows on that yuppie cafe down the street. Your errant brick to play Hollywood revolutionary and show the media how angry you are.

I'm giving you a bit of leeway here and assuming that you're pure of heart, and your just a dabbler in politics in over your head. You're not some kid from the suburbs, assuming you have an excuse to fuck up someone else's neighborhood without consequences. You're not some alt-right deplorable ready to dress in an Antifa Halloween costume to enable to police and the President to escalate things. I'm hoping that the reason this all looks slipshod is inexperience, not malice. If you do fit either of these categories, fuck off into the sun.

All your wreckless approach has garnered is allowing the usual gang of idiots to dismiss protesters' concerns. We're not talking about bail reform, demilitarizing the police, asset forfeiture, sentencing reform, dismantling qualified immunity, or the other dozen talking points central to Criminal Justice Reform. Instead, the debate comes down to the usual bullshit dichotomy of law and order versus rioting.

Which brings me to the most important thing I want to impart to you: Black Lives Matter doesn't need a white savior. Their activism is better informed, more organized, and fighting more entrenched forces than you can imagine. You are showing up with half an idea from a Naomi Klein book you skimmed, not ready to begin doing the real work.

Revolutions are martial or political. Rarely are they won in some glorious Hollywood ending. It's great you want to be an ally, now it's time to put in the work. Listen to the people who are telling you that you aren't helping.