One time it wasn't a bigot, but an old guy taking creepshots of college girls on the light rail
Edit: If you're going to argue against my meme, then why don't you tell me what you expect me to do when I see someone hurling epithets and slurs against brown people or trans people, or homophobes calling me a "faggot" and spitting at me? Just sit there on my hands like a useless log?
And moreover, if you've come here from other instances for the sole purpose of calling me names, I'm going to report that shit and message your instance admins. There is NOTHING about my post or comments that is attacking or insulting anyone, unless you're a creep or a bigot.
I'm not going to sit idly by while others cause harm.
Remember to always stand up for what's right. Ignore the ignorant people who tell you not to. They're part of the problem.
This is an essential part of mutual aid
It's not like I have a clear grasp either, and anyone who says they do is being either arrogant or dishonest.
But one thing that comes to mind is diffuse sanctions. Scroll down to the secion on "decisions" -- it's a pretty easy read imo, with lots of examples -- also, I'm just posting this to try to be helpful, not to argue -- peace <3
Also, keep in mind that many of the societal problems we experience may not always be caused by the state and hierarchies, but are certainly greatly exacerbated by them. There will always be those few that seek to cause harm however, and that's why it's important to keep in mind that you can't just let someone like an ax murderer, neoliberal, or others who seek to cause harm and oppress others, continue to do so. There will always be those few who need experience community pushback or even exile. But I think that's something that would happen very rarely, once you've esablished an equitable community based on principles such as horizontality and mutual aid.
I'm trying to parse my own thoughts though, so this is just my thinking so far. There are so many different anarchist theories, that it's hard to be dogmatic about one or another, and probably counter-productive to try.
But back to my meme: Experiencing this at least gives me hope that perhaps given the right circumstances, most people are willing to step up and do the right thing. And like I said, this wasn't just a one-off, but something I've seen happen repeatedly. To be specific, I've seen it happen most often on the light rail between Lake Street and Downtown in Minneapolis.