by Mick Rhodes | editor@claremont-courier.com

This week I joined the herd migrating to Bluesky from the Mark Zuckerberg-owned Facebook and Instagram, and Elon Musk-owned X. I don’t relish beginning anew on yet another social media platform, but considering the cesspools those three established entities have become, it’s a self-care move.

With fact-checking abandoned, hate speech rules rolled back, white nationalists’ accounts reinstated on X, and a host of other fascist horrors being allowed to bubble up and boil over on the big three, Bluesky looks to be a chance at a social media feed that doesn’t leave me roiling with anxiety.

I’m old enough to remember the hazy, optimistic days of nascent social media. Quaint ol’ MySpace (b. 2003) had this everyman mascot, Tom, who looked like he could have been Zuckerberg’s roommate at Harvard, or maybe his roommate’s drinking buddy. Tom — actually Tom Anderson, co-founder of MySpace — became its benevolent overlord, and later, the butt of the joke for many an early meme. MySpace’s market share was cannibalized and vastly expanded on by Facebook (b. 2004), and it has now become a millennial punchline.

But in hindsight, MySpace — which is still a thing — was sort of the ideal; we communicated with friends, promoted our bands, listened to music, and laughed at jokes. I can’t recall ever having a political debate on Tom’s platform. Thanks, Tom.

So maybe just maybe Bluesky will fill that void. I’m a few days in and I’ve yet to experience an instance of blood-boiling disinformation passed off as fact. It’s kinda nice.

Digging into Bluesky, I’ve learned it operates on “open protocol,” which means anyone can add to it, customizing their feeds as they see fit, as opposed being subjected to the whims of ever-evolving Facebook and X algorithms, designs driven by the whims of billionaires that have been used to foment all manner of harm (insurrections, radicalization, bullying, etc.). “Bluesky enables users to collaborate on verification and moderation by sharing block lists and labels. Letting people shape their own experience of social media is nothing short of revolutionary,” according to MIT Technology Review.

We shall see.

Piggybacking on last week’s column, “Coping in the age of all-consuming existential dread,” I’m hoping for a new connection in a social media landscape increasingly dominated by actors who mean to do harm to me and my people. Hopefully life’s a little less enraging on Bluesky.

Claremont crime

Through the first nine years I was at the Courier, we covered one, maybe two shootings. Over the past two weeks, we’ve covered two, one involving a fatality.

What’s happening?

I know it’s coincidence, but this uptick in gun crimes — Monday’s police-involved shooting on Fenn Court that left a 57-year-old man dead, and a January 23 incident in which a would-be car thief is alleged to have shot two men on Colgate Place — is nonetheless unsettling.

And very, very sad. A look at the court documents relating to this week’s shooting by Claremont police leaves one aching for the family of the man killed, and for the cop who pulled the trigger. It’s about as big of a lose-lose imaginable. Police were there to enforce a restraining order. The man they were there to see is alleged to have emerged from the home he was barred from, then produced a handgun. Cops have to make split-second decisions when confronted by a person brandishing a weapon. That’s a heavy responsibility. In this case, it sure sounds like they had no choice but to protect themselves and bystanders. My heart goes out to all involved.

The LA County Sheriff’s Department’s Homicide Division is investigating the incident. We will report on the findings when they’re made public.

All this on the heels of unprecedented deadly wildfires in nearby Altadena and Pacific Palisades, the deadliest air disaster on U.S. soil in 24 years, and a rapidly escalating constitutional crisis in Washington D.C; it’s enough to put anyone on edge, or worse.

Hold your head up

Our democracy is clearly at an inflection point. And though one might be tempted to chuck it all, head east to Washington, and join the resistance, I heard an interview Wednesday with an embattled USAID official who had some good advice: rather than live in a constant state of agitation and rage, perhaps we should be taking small, manageable bites of the apple rather than trying to gobble the whole thing up at once.

It’s time to show some grace — there’s that controversial word — patience, and empathy, because sh!% is getting funky out there. One avenue toward solace may be in helping the vulnerable people in our community.

For instance, the nonprofit Immigration Legal Resource Center’s “red cards” can be downloaded and printed at home. They list the Constitutional rights of every person on U.S. soil, and are helpful tools if one is confronted by ICE agents. Go to ilrc.org/red-cards-tarjetas-rojas for more info.

The Trump administration has made a point in going after the LGBTQ community. As such, standing up for our besieged family, friends, and neighbors is more important than ever. Being vigilant against hatred and bigotry doesn’t cost a thing, and it’s probably the most powerful weapon in our arsenal at this moment. The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation has a handy list of resources for folks to utilize against hate and discrimination, with a page dedicated to one of the administration’s many constant targets, transgender people, at glaad.org/transgender/resources. And locally, Pomona Valley Pride has close-to-home resources and opportunities for involvement at pomonavalleypride.org.

If you’re able, giving to nonprofits that work to defend the Constitution can feel pretty good right about now. The ACLU, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, the Environmental Defense Fund, and Common Causeare among the many organizations working to combat the rising tide of authoritarianism in our country.

Perhaps the easiest and most effective way to keep your chin up is to avoid the Fox, Breitbart, Newsmax, and X rabbit holes of mis- and disinformation. Where you get your news can impact how you make your way through this wacky world. Choose wisely.

Results may vary. Consult your therapist or a trusted friend if dread lasts more than four hours. Side effects include clenched teeth, flop sweat, and stroke-like symptoms. Alcohol may intensify these effects. Do not operate heavy machinery while experiencing existential rage. If symptoms persist, consider Fiji.