Why I Stopped Writing
And Why You Should Stop Reading
TL;DR: This is what I’ve been working on instead
As with many crises that have unfolded over time, the one we’re facing in the United States can be broken out into three general phases (I talked about this a little bit in “Early Resistance is Difficult; Later Resistance is Deadly”).
Early warning signs, which are often ignored
The bad thing starts happening as planned
It becomes too late for us to do anything about it
We are now in phase 2. When I originally wrote about this, I didn’t think it would happen so quickly.
“By the time an authoritarian regime’s true nature is undeniable, open resistance often entails extreme danger. When people finally do rise up or push back in earnest, they find a repressive machinery ready to crush dissent.”
Folks, I don’t know how else to say it: the machinery has arrived, and more people are slowly starting to realize what we’re up against.
We’ve clearly moved on from the “could it happen here?” portion of this exercise, which (in my opinion) means we are now wasting our time with academic and high-level analysis. We are dealing with an authoritarian regime that does not care about the law or intellectual debate, does not respect judges or anyone else standing in the way, and will do whatever it takes to further its mission of consolidating power.
In short: the time for discussion is over. The time for doing is now.
What to do?
As mentioned earlier, we have reached the point where openly resisting is dangerous. That doesn’t mean it should be avoided. Every act of courage and every challenge to the system matters right now, because we don’t have much time. Even the simple act of recording a suspicious or violent arrest could eventually bring justice to those who were wrongfully detained, abused, and/or denied their constitutional rights.
Video evidence is often the only clue about the fate and whereabouts of a loved one who has disappeared. It is, in nearly all cases, your legal right to film law enforcement in public, as long as you obey lawful orders from them (such as “back up” or “move to the sidewalk”).
There are countless examples of agents refusing to:
Identify themselves
Show a badge number
Show a warrant
Identify the agency they represent
Explain what an individual is being charged with
Interact professionally with the public
Typically, the people who film these arrests/abductions are genuinely concerned about masked, often plainclothes, anonymous individuals roaming their streets with guns. That’s where I saw a potential project.
In July, I started gathering evidence. I built a tool for my own use, a database that would preserve and geotag videos even as the posts inevitably get removed from social media. After conversations with activists, members of affected communities, journalists, and countless others, it became clear that it should be made public and offered as a free resource, specifically an app.
Feature suggestions from the community included:
Real-time capturing of video (secure evidence in cloud)
Incident mapping (using the recording location or via map pin)
The ability to download and share clips
Anonymity / no tracking
Important information about your protected rights / tips when filming law enforcement in public
After countless hours of work and many late nights, I am thrilled to announce that “Eyes Up” is available as an iPhone and Android app, in addition to a web app. It allows for truly anonymous recording and sharing of unconstitutional government overreach. I would strongly encourage you to take a look at what’s already posted there (135 videos across 21 states/territories and growing), to get a sense of the sheer scope of this issue.
Document everything.
This is no longer a hypothetical: you will encounter this type of activity at some point. The government is trying to normalize it. They have intimidated or coerced most of the news media into virtual silence about the issue. Their propaganda campaigns are running rampant. They are going after dissenting voices. This is all by design, and it is working.
If you choose to be prepared and properly equipped to document unlawful arrests, the evidence you collect could quite literally save someone’s life. People die from preventable causes in ICE detention. People are also being unlawfully “deported” to dangerous countries in which they’ve never lived, with as little as 6 hours’ notice. This includes a concentration camp in El Salvador where detainees are tortured, denied access to medical care, and eventually buried in mass graves. We cannot allow the federal government to hold unchecked and lawless power, yet they continue to expand their hold on us.
What else can be done?
If you’re not interested but you know someone who could benefit from this app, such as a vigilant community member, a journalist, or someone in a targeted/vulnerable population, please share it with them.
iPhone: Search “Eyes Up App” in the App Store
Android: Search “Eyes Up” in Google Play
A word of thanks.
This project would not have been possible without the assistance of many others who helped to test this app, offer feedback, spread the word, celebrate small wins, and practice patience, as this took a huge amount of time and effort to pull off. This is only the beginning, and I welcome feedback, opportunities for partnership, and ideas for promotion/expansion.
Closing thoughts: this is no longer a debate, this is a war. This is an assault on constitutional rights, civil rights, marginalized communities, history, art, culture, and so much more. It is time to get off the Internet and get into the streets. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER!