Jakebe T. Drake-Lope @jakebe@awoo.space

We should absolutely call out toxic behavior and long-standing abuses that have been ignored.

We should be listening to each other and finding ways to respect the fact we're all imperfect.

I get we're all tired -- trust me, I am SO TIRED of being mistreated.

I think activist Twitter of just about all stripes has become unbalanced. We continually look for the worst in people, and offer little social support to those who are trying to be better. It's beginning to feel like a purity test no one can possibly pass.

But there are so many folks who spend so much time pointing pitchforks and demanding that everyone else has an 11/10 response to every problem. It's unsustainable.

I jdon't have an inexhaustible supply of anger, and I don't want one.

And I get that there are many totally valid reasons for this. For too long, bad actors have used ambiguity and a lack of consequences to do terrible things. Mob justice is the only justice we can get, and it's necessary to stand up to these abuses. I agree.

It feels impossible to use Twitter without knowing that one day, you too will get roasted by an angry horde.

We have no chill for anything, and no sense of perspective about how to respond to people who, let's say, are still on their journey of understanding.

It's exhausting.

If you're unable to get a vaccine appointment where you are due to state/local policy or a supply issue, trust me, I know it sucks. But lying about your situation to jump ahead in line is the kind of anti-social behavior that makes dealing with pandemics harder. DON'T DO IT.

I know it can be frustrating to get info and there's a lot of conflicting information out there.

But health care workers WANT to vaccinate as many people as they can; the more local your resources, the better your chances of finding an appointment!

+ Check "How Do I Get a Vaccine?" section of the CDC page here: https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/covid-19/index.html

You can also Google "covid vaccine appointments (state)" to see what comes up.

Check in with your insurer to see if they're offering anything.

Holy crap, just managed to get an appointment for my first COVID vaccine today, and I didn't even have to lie to do it!

Check state, county, AND local resources -- especially for any website offering appointments. Each state has a different plan.

It will never be less depressing to see how incensed people get when asked to just be respectful of people who have different experiences than they do.

We all have blind spots, and we should appreciate the friends who check them for us.