RESIST

Alright, I'm about to piss off everyone on the left. For what it's worth, I'm not a Trump fan.

I'm also not a Democrat.

I'm not even sure I'm capable of joining a political party at this point. Both sides spend so much time screaming at each other that they've forgotten how to do anything useful. They keep us fighting over shit that will never change while party leadership quietly lines their own pockets.

It's exhausting.

Lately I've been seeing these "No Kings" protests popping up everywhere. And honestly? I think they're fucking stupid.

Trump isn't a king. He's a president. You may not like him. Hell, I don’t like him. But he was elected through the same process that elected every other president we've had in our lifetimes.

That's the risk of representative government. Sometimes your candidate wins. Sometimes your candidate loses. That's life.

What I don't understand is turning a political loss into a personality trait. At some point you have to stop protesting and start living your life.

But the "No Kings" signs aren't even my favorite part. My favorite part is the RESIST signs. There's one in our subdivision.

Actually, there was one in our subdivision.

It was planted between the sidewalk and the street like some brave declaration of revolutionary courage.

RESIST.

One word.

Bold. Defiant. Rebellious.

The kind of sign that says: "I will not comply."

And then something incredible happened. The sign disappeared.

Now before you get excited, no, it wasn't hauled away by Trump's secret police. Nobody got disappeared in the middle of the night. Nobody was dragged off to a government reeducation camp.

No.

The sign owner apparently realized that putting signs there probably violated HOA rules. So naturally, being a proud member of the resistance, he moved the sign.

And complied.

But here's the beautiful part. He didn't completely surrender.

No, no. That would be admitting defeat.

Instead, he taped the sign to a ladder sticking up above his fence.

And I swear to God I laughed out loud when I saw it.

Because the entire thing perfectly captures modern political activism.

RESIST! But not too much.

Defy authority! Unless there's a fine involved.

Fight the power! Provided the power sends a politely worded notice first.

This guy wants me to believe he's part of some grand resistance movement while simultaneously obeying the homeowner's association.

The HOA.

The most suburban form of government ever invented.

What happened to the rebellion? What happened to the civil disobedience? What happened to telling authority figures to go fuck themselves?

Apparently the revolution ends where the landscaping regulations begin.

And look, maybe that's what bothers me most about modern politics. Everybody wants to cosplay as a rebel. Nobody wants to pay the price of being one.

The left thinks they're fighting fascism. The right thinks they're fighting communism. Most of them are doing neither. They're posting on social media, attending rallies, yelling at relatives, and then going home to check their retirement accounts.

The country hasn't collapsed. Your neighbors aren't your enemies. And the republic somehow survives another election cycle.

Just like it always has.

Meanwhile, somewhere in Santa Fe, a man is bravely resisting authority by carefully complying with HOA regulations … One ladder at a time.