It's frankly uncanny. This phase of things..

Touch grass? Yes easily, have my morning garden routine, play with the cats, take a photo here and there..

Myself, I'm armed, I expect this civil war to eventually go 'hot'. I also think the left will (initially) get decimated because nobody is taking this seriously as a war.

However,

Here in the rural sticks, the realities don't align. The fourth felt like a typical day in Mayberry. You see no evidence of the strife, ICE, any of it. -And you DEFINITELY don't want to be some idiot lone-wolf starting something..

I'm a little reluctant to talk about our hispanic populace. Just in that you can really see the rift between those families that voted trump (and for some ungodly reason think they are safe) versus those that have gotten real quiet. It's a brooding tension, that hasn't erupted. But largely they act like nothing is happening

As things are going, the facade will break eventually. But hell yes, I take in these peaceful moments unlike ever before.

For now the answer depends on your skin color and whether you wear non conforming clothing.

The answer, as always, is a strong local community for resilience. But it’s damn hard to start that late.

Personally, I know ICE is out there. But this is a very big country and even in places in California where I go which are high in Hispanic populations, I as a white male haven't noticed them and I've been kind of looking.

I believe that the more you stay inside and engage with the news and with the internet you get a very specific message that is very scary. But going outside, it's a different experience.

It's bad out there, and I'm afraid it's getting worse. But staying inside isn't going to be good for your mental health. Get outside and get a bigger picture of everything in your neighborhood. See how what your imagining and what's actually happening differ and what are the same.

Spend time with your neighbors and build a community; together you will be stronger to resist ICE.

I went to the park this morning, kicked off my shoes, and literally wiggled my toes in the grass. Did I feel completely safe? No. Did I enjoy it anyway? Yes. Do I feel better having done it? Yes.

For me, touching grass is pretty much quite literally that. I spend spring through autumn outside as much as I can just keeping the grass mowed, maintaining the landscaping, and generally just doing something barefoot in the dirt (or, as much as I can be on my 1/3 acre in the suburbs lol).

"Touching grass" generally just means going and doing something, anything, besides doom scrolling. Or, at least that's how I've always interpreted it.

In the winter when I can't do the literal interpretation of "touch grass", I try to focus on my hobbies.

How do people just be so chill about all this? Am I overreacting? Are they underreacting? What even is the healthy about of fear to have?

Little bit of A, little bit of B. People around here will be quick to tell you differently, but you can't be in fear/rage mode 24/7/365. Look for the good things that are happening. Strengthen your connections with the good people in your life. Take more naps. Unsubscribe from or hide news/politics communities for a few days or even log off of Lemmy entirely for a bit (I swear, some people here make it their mission to keep people constantly raging about something).

Focus on what you can do/change and try not to think/worry about the things you can't (in before the usual response: no, this doesn't mean 'bury your head in the sand' or forget about those things entirely).

Bottom line is you gotta take care of yourself and find a way to look away from the horrors of the world once in a while; the good is still there.

I use my passport card instead of my driver's license as my my ID now. I am very mixed race including Dutch, French, Italian, Irish Portuguese, African-American (slaves from Louisiana plantations) and Native American (15%). Louisiana was a melting pot. My look is peculiar enough that I have been confused for Arab, Greek (general Mediterranean when traveling in Europe) and depending on which part of the USA I am thought of Cuban, Puerto Rican, Mexican, Brazilian, etc. So even though the only family member in my bloodline to immigrate after the declaration of independence was an Irish man who landed stateside in the 1800's, I still feel like I need to carry my passport because I popped out a shade darker than my cousins.

I've been stopped at in-state border crossings since 2016. Yes, it worries me enough that I literally moved so I wouldn't have to cross the checkpoint regularly.

I don't fear going outside, but I certainly wouldn't say I'm living my best life in this dark era. Even pre-colonial citizens have to prove ourselves, but really... That's not so new. The new wrinkle is that more anglos used to be fine with victimizing non-anglos, so I'm sort of optimistic

How do people just be so chill about all this? Am I overreacting? Are they underreacting? What even is the healthy about of fear to have?

i wonder the same thing; you're not alone. personally i think everyone is underreacting. it's a defense mechanism in the face of overwhelming constant bad and horrifying news. it just sucks being surrounded by people so deep in denial, not even wanting to talk about what can possibly be done, let alone actually doing something

Most of my hobbies include fucking off into the wilderness for days at a time

I do, yes. But I worry about the not "white" and not native born people of my family and my city. Have seen one incident with unmarked cars but don't know if it was a drug bust (it looked like one) or ICE.

Some of the houses in my neighborhood are full of Mexicans, and they used to be outside all the time to say "buenas tardes" and wave but no more, and the house across the street was getting a new metal roof, and it's been halfway done for weeks, not sure what's going on with that, but think it's related, the roofing companies use a lot of immigrants in their crews.

IMO - it is better in a way to act normally, that normal life is what we are fighting for. Renew your passport, and keep documents handy but don't let them cow you into submission. You worked to become a citizen, that's more than I did by just being born here.

I do all the same things I've always done; walk the dogs, run errands as needed, go out for dinner once a week etc.

Though now I do all those things armed.

First, I don’t mean to minimize the severity of what’s happening in this country, which is awful and dangerous and we all should work to resist in any way we can.

But, objectively, the risk to citizens right now is extremely low. Now that could change, and I don’t blame you for being fearful. But I don’t think we’re yet in a situation where you should fear going outside.

Also, touching grass is a bit vague but if you are going out and building bonds with your neighbors and community, I think that’s actually a form of self defense. Those are the people who may be able to help support or protect you if and when things get worse and the danger expands to you.

So definitely don’t stop doing that. That’s what the regime wants. A terrified populace where everyone is hiding indoors and too scared to work together is a much stronger position for them than one where we support one another and actively resist what they’re doing together.

I try to, but I am really confused with my place. I live in a small town that is one of the more remote places of the US that is on an interstate (maybe a confliction), my neighbors on one side are Latino, and on the other Sikh, and neither one has had an observable change since January. I think that most of these folks believe they are safe here, and maybe that is true, but nobody wants to talk about it. The independence day stuff was muted, but it's really dry here so that is normal. Everyone respected that. Still plenty of music and gatherings and what not. But most folks here are conservative, even those who are vocal about their dislike of Trump.

So, to answer your question, I touch grass daily. I mean, this is bad. I can't get other people onboard, hey still seem to feel that it is affecting "others." I work for the federal government, and they say things like "they don't mean you" and I think, they mean us.

I'm in a conservative area where everyone has guns, so no ICE around here yet, but I have my eyes open as my wife is a brown, legal immigrant. Still, I'm armed everywhere I go, particularly with her, and that fucking sucks as I would formerly only carry in strange places. I now have a gun within reach everywhere in my house.

Other than ICE, I'm afraid Trump's win and actions have emboldened the most radical racists. Plenty of people around here seem to think she's Mexican. LOL, Filipinos are indeed Asian Mexicans!

She wants to take a trip home, but I'm scared shitless of getting back in. She's had plenty of friends who have made the trip in the past few months and is utterly unafraid. OTOH, she's woefully ignorant about American politics, just now figuring out that Trump is an "evil man". Also, she thinks her legal status will protect her.

I have dogs. They need walkies. Usually on grass. 🤷‍♂️

I got foraging sometimes and it is nice. I am lucky enough to live near relatively large sections of nature where there aren't many people.

You aren't overreacting though, these are scary times

being gay and autistic? no. I go out to work, get food, and basically nothing else. I would've liked to go to pride, but I decided it was too dangerous, living in a reasonably major city, that some fuck might feel emboldened by everything else to start targeting gay people. I would've liked to celebrate July 4th, as well, but I'm not feeling very patriotic.

mostly just waiting to die at this point tbh -- gay, autistic, or leftist; there are no shortage of reasons they'd love to target me and I have no means to leave. Nothing to do but wait.

I'm an adult white US citizen so I don't really worry about it, personally. I do however worry about my friends and colleagues pretty much every day.

Luckily I live in an area where local police aren't allowed to assist ICE. I haven't seen any agents luckily. I'm scared for other reasons though. I don't think I'll be able to qualify for medicaid and my options for employment aren't great. I have a shitty job right now but it's not enough. Most of the people around me are right-wing sheep. They still don't even realize how bad they fucked themselves.

I do. Maybe I'll die, or be imprisoned for life, but fuck 'em, I'm going to be me up until I cannot anymore.

The probability of the worst happening likely depends on where you live, how passing you look from a distance, and so on, so to be clear I absolutely do not disparage someone else's choice to do otherwise.

Also, there's at least a chance that this all won't simply blow over 4 years from now. Sorry. I only mention it since it is relevant to my decision to say fuck it we ball.

The partying is surely a choice, bc what else can be done about any of it? So be safe, but also enjoy life when and where you can.

You just have to go all the way outside.

Yall really think the media is an accurate representation of everyday life? It’s not