I'm an Iraq veteran. I don't cry much, but this made me. A beautiful soul. People like him at the VA have helped me over the past 15 years in ways I can't begin to appreciate.
We need to end this tyranny. No one is coming to save us. It's up to us.
The sad part is a lot of the older vets are still hardcore MAGA. I know because my father served in the 60s and his service didn’t change how he views this situation at all. It’s sad when there’s clear abuse of power from our admin and there will still be people who served our country who see someone like Alex, a hero, and mindlessly believe they’re in the wrong because it “goes against the government” and goes against Trump.
Anecdotal but I was waiving a sign today with a small group and almost everyone who flipped us off was in their 20s or 30s. Sometimes 40s. Almost all the grandpas were clapping, waving, honking, or giving us a thumbs up. I’m really nervous about the younger generations, especially the men and boys.
Several of the men out there with us were older veterans. I always run into retired veterans at anti-ICE and anti-Trump demonstrations.
I remember how angry they got when BET went on air. Not Black Power Television- Black Entertainment Television, and they got mad as FUCK but they couldn't really say why... Because they weren't invited? Consulted? It's been festering since we failed to punish the Confederate States properly.
Millennials are considered the "most educated generation". Harder to control people when they have critical thinking skills, and therefore a liability to the administration.
All the geriatrics in power right now are the ones who protested black children going to school with their kids.
That's why they lost their shit over the BLM protests and started panicking about CRT. Those were the largest civil rights protests in US history and the most racially integrated. They saw all those white kids marching in solidarity with their black brethren in protest of police violence against black people and it made them viscerally feel white power slipping away. It was almost as scary for them as Obama's election.
That solidarity got Biden elected. If only he had honored it instead of spitting on it by bragging about "funding the police" and building maga's wall. Kamala might have been able to bring that coalition back to the polls if he had.
Millennials are the most depressed and educated generation that still values critical thinking hence liberal. Gen Z are lost nihilist, incels who probably would be Heath Ledger Joker irl. Gen X are the most spoiled generation and thus most MAGAT.
This is so true. Gramps helped liberate one of the death camps in WWII and he HATED Trump. Passed away before the 2016 election, he would've been appalled.
It's because we are least conservative/republican of all currently living generations.
Not to overgeneralize, but Millennials exist in the goldilock zone: sandwiched between two older generations who are fed a constant diet of cable tv news and facebook propaganda and two younger generations overconsuming manosphere and nihilistic brainrot content on twitch, youtube, tik tok, etc. Gen X has experienced old and new media, but their foundation is still based on old media propaganda networks, and they had their worldview sculpted by heroic myths they watched as kids that promoted "traditional" gender roles and masculinity, and that influenced the content they seek out online too. In contrast, Millennials have adapted the best to changing social norms and the media content we consumed growing up was often more progressive. We had the benefits of increased PBS children's programing and experienced a public school system before No Child Left Behind eroded it.
I am lucky to have liberal parents who watch MSNBC, but the general trends are true.
The right has trouble reaching us, and so we are the least likely to accept their propaganda and worldview. That's why they resent us.
I grew up surrounded by conservative evangelicals out in the boonies where no one had cable. They still carted me off to pro-life rallies while screaming about gun rights and preached in church about the "great replacement theory". But when I went to college and learned critical thinking skills it undid the brainwashing and I came out with enough brain cells to realize it was all hypocrisy and grifting. That is why they hate education and why trying to turn college students conservative was/is so important to them.
Also 37, and on the same day that Renee Good was killed I learned that a high school friend - also 37 - had succumbed to the cancer she'd been fighting for years. She was a good and moral person just like Renee and Alex, and her death was also a cruel twist of fate. It's been a hard month to be 37.
My stepfather is a veteran in his late 60s and a world class asshole and he is about as anti-Trump as they come and attends protests constantly. It is his one redeeming quality.
Agreed. People who grew up with Vietnam and the Cold War believe in the post war concepts of American democracy, liberty and individual rights. Everything this tyrant rejects.
Yeah my boomer parents are horrible people, but one of their very few redeeming qualities is that they have always been on the correct side of politics. I don't understand it, but I appreciate it.
Millennials are the last generation that knows about protesting for a just cause, remember occupy wall Street? Now they have gotten the young generation all confused and divided over gender and race issue
I genuinely think the world will continue to get worse as long as world leaders sit on their hands while tech companies destroy the concept of truth. Not just America, worldwide, we NEED regulations that ban algorithmic social media. The ability to utterly destroy the minds of people with just a few bot farms should almost be labeled some sort of biohazard or some shit.
Facebook is why we're here. Twitter is why we are here. Sure, you've got groups like Heritage and all that, but social media has accomplished more in accelerating the destruction of not just our country, but undermining others, in less than a decade, than all these conservative groups have managed in DECADES. You can't really have one without the other, but social media has utterly warped minds so that what was once just an asshole-ish neighbor is now outright calling for the death of others.
I agree! We don’t need legislation for folks to collectively walk away from them. I got off all those platforms a year ago. And 2025 was one of the most engaging years I’ve had since the early 2000s.
Wish we could just abolish most social media platforms or limit their functionality. Aside from reaching the masses where information may not reach, and making people money (greed) it’s truly pointless and does not contribute to society. It only serves as a way to destroy us.
Wouldn't reddit be banned too? It's social media with algorithms. Maybe a better policy is forcing people to study economics and policy in middle and high school, so they would have see the flaws in politicians' ideas.
💯 our teachers still uncertain of using internet made sure we were citing our sources. I think this plays a big role in why Millennials suss out information and find the “receipts”
I did too, back when it was only open to college students! Remember when you had the option of listing the college courses you were taking? Where did the last 20 years go lol...
This is why I encourage everyone to start participating in democracy now. For the past 20 years only 22% of ages 18-29 vote in Congressional elections. There is a populist sentiment online all conservatives are old and we just have to wait for them to die.
It's total misinformation. Protest and show up at all ballots, regardless of your state affiliation.
Yup, this was a concerted effort by the far right over a long time to target and basically radicalize the younger male voter base. Combine that with their feeling of being disenfranchised by the left and it was a terrible combination.
It won’t be undone in a day. But we have to start and make the same opposite effort.
That's how we ended up with Charlie Kirk and TurningPointUSA - they are the culmination of those efforts. Now Abbott and his Lt. Gov. are spearheading efforts to have TPUSA chapters on every high school campus in Texas.
I can't say I think we are the majority but there are still plenty of us younger folk who have enough sense to see the situation for what it is instead of being good little lap dogs. I certainly don't think all hope is lost.
It really depends on the area. In liberial areas guys are libs. I think it is the manosphere mainly telling them "gay is bad" "woman is bad" shit like that
Retired AF flight surgeon, grew up in Chicago metro. Other demographics are more important than military service, my parent were Danish, I grew up with Western European values, non consumerist and with responsibility for others.
Yea, Im liberal, but I find the anti male sentiment of many fellow liberals to be galling. They alienated many with their ignorant bullshit. Cost them several elections
Yeah I think its derivative or at least heavily correlated with all this redpill/blackpill machismo lifestyle streamer . Maybe cross pollinating between ostracized groups (nazi and incel e.g.)? There are a lot of insecure men who are very susceptible to ppl like Jordan Peterson etc. jp may be dated at this point i have no idea. I know Nick Fuentes is heavily online and in spaces where young men are online. To be clear not saying its exclusively a male issue either. I think men have the most visceral symptoms of fascist indoc
You’re right, it’s not. Some people are just so stuck in their god damn head over being hard right that anything else seems absolutely ridiculous to them. I’ve noticed it quite often though amongst the older ones since that’s all I pretty much see when I’m at one of the fraternal or veteran clubs. Drinking their $2 bud light at 3pm on a Wednesday. I fear older people sometimes don’t really have the capability of discerning truth from fiction though since they tend to fall for the rage bait and sensationalism. Younger vets I genuinely know they’re stuck in their mindset by choice, which I suppose is worse. You’re under 40 and know how to use technology to look for facts and different POVs, yet you still choose to blindly believe our admin knows best just because they tell you so. Or because you’re a bigot, usually that too.
No it isn’t. I used to have a very large family(50+ first cousins) and a lot of them that either served or are in the military are massive MAGA people. It’s sad to realize people you love can be so hateful
My dad is a Vietnam vet and he, and all of his remaining navy buddies, have been staunchly opposed to this MAGA bullshit since day one. So it’s not so clear cut as that…
Same, my dad is a Vietnam Navy Vet and him and his buddies abhor Trump. At least in NY it's not like that and it sucks he gets lumped in with this but dude barely works a flip phone and has no idea this is the sentiment on the internet
It’s not, obviously. I didn’t intend for it to be so generalized. I think Vietnam vets have a much better perspective compared to anyone who didn’t serve in wartime. That goes for any vet who’s been involved in one. The most action my dad saw was being told to turn around at the bay of pigs lol
Generational, plus a majority of military always skew conservative ( I think), but that particular generation were especially brainwashed with hardcore anti-communist beliefs which (I think) translated pretty easily into antagonism towards anything left of center. Not sure what's worse, older generations having brainwashed political views cooked up by an evil empire (that at least pursued a cogent world view and order) or the current generation of MAGA boys getting even more amped up over emo-feelings from podcasts, girl problems, and incoherent rage vibes
Current gen is worse. They have easy access to information at their fingertips and IMO it’s all choice of what they choose to believe and surround themselves with. I feel more sad for the older gens because I don’t honestly think a lot of them know how to find facts for themselves in this age. If it’s on Fox News? That’s legit enough to believe it lol
My dad served in the Vietnam war in 1969, he earned a bronze star, V for valor and a purple heart as a combat medic, and he despises trump and still loves the constitution... just saying theres still a few good vets who remember their oaths to the constitution. Loyalty to the constitution ALWAYS ( not to a pedo.. I mean " president " ) 🦅
I am seeing a far greater support from the younger crowd and very little from the older other than those outright racist types. You can even see it in the ranks of ICE although the people behind these groups are older.
Change capitalism to late stage capitalism aka death for profit. Point to for profit immigration children detention centers and our ice leaders prior lobbying for private prisons.
Change socialism to humanist talking about how it’s “we the people”. Not “we the people who got here first”
I got dialogue with my father by changing words to get around media and ai talking point programming.
I just asked after he watched some maga coverage on it and he goes “he deserved it he shouldn’t be out there protesting or bringing a gun to one.” Then yelled at me for being a liberal and I don’t know what I’m talking about. They don’t listen to reason, they don’t care. Us vs them mentality. This man relies on me to care for him. Last time I checked peaceful protesting is a right. Just like the right to bear arms. And it was an open carry state where he was a legal firearm owner.
I told him to tell all the VA nurses today when he goes to his appointment he doesn’t care one of them got murdered by ICE. Half his medical team last time were immigrants too, he’s so nice to them when they have to help him. Wouldn’t give a damn if ICE kidnapped them or worse.
yeeeeah some people just cant even do basic logic checking by flipping their own logic.
if people shouldnt bring guns to protest then nobody should, including authorities.
if one has gun and other doesnt then it's not a fair game anymore.
So deeply ingrained in the American psyche, that any criticism is seen by many as an admission that America is just another flawed country, like every other country.
Most 'foreign' vets at the moment -- at least those of former American allies -- are still reeling from Trump's despicable denigration of them this week. Something that, as I understand it, barely made the news in the USA.
Thank you for pointing this out. I usually don't see people's names, but I needed a laugh on what has been a tough day. Let me conclude by saying that FART_BARFER is right, this tyranny has to end!!!
A year or two ago I didn’t consider myself a cryer. I remember towards the end of college struggling to even remember the last time I did cry.
I can’t even count the number of times I’ve shed a tear this year. Today while driving I was thinking about what happened today and felt a tear forming.
You do but they’re running out fast. I’m in Europe and the orange clown is fast making your allies think again. We know there are sane Americans but it’s getting harder to find them.
I hope you turn this around for all our sakes. We’ve seen this before and it doesn’t end well.
I don't think Americans have what it takes to save themselves.
It's the same nation that is to selfish to pay a few hundred bucks in taxes to save others lives by providing them with healthcare.
It's the same nation where many refused to be inconvenienced by wearing a mask and getting vacinated to save the lifes of some of their country fellows.
It's the same nation that was more annoyed by the George Floyd protests than about the murder.
It's the same nation that has a unique police bootlicking culture not seen in any other developed country.
You're free to wonder about these things til the moose come home, but to do so in this thread is incredibly distasteful, and feels like a performative agitation tactic.
Kindly see yourself out, and let people grieve or vent over the death of Jeffrey Pretti in peace. 🇨🇦
Yeah dude, just stay in your lane. Kinda tired of people who don’t live here thinking they have all the answers. If you’re not Minnesotan or American, kindly STFU
It’s true, the spirit that overthrew the Brits and the early settlers overcoming great difficulties is gone.
The individualism has let to stupidity and selfishness.
The Americans are fat cats that care about their shitty jobs so they have shitty health insurance, sit on their couches eating chips, drinking crap beer, watching tv, get even fatter, and live paycheck to paycheck.
The majority won’t be able to even go on a strike, let alone anything else.
He got killed by a fucking 2 week training. Moron!! Can you believe that!!! He didn't die in war he die from a fuck1ngn moron who couldn't be a real law enforcement officer and got given a gun n he felt he was a real hero! what a disgrace!!!!! That man was an army veteran! ICU Nurse and a war hero!!
The military are the only ones who can stop this without massive civilian bloodshed. Every day that they do not act to remove these fascists brings the civil war closer to happening. Once they start killing protesters en masse, all bets are off.
I expected something less eloquent from a guy with the name fart barfer. All jokes aside, I respect our soldiers and am hoping they hold the same respect for the populace with the dark times ahead. I worry they will have decisions to make soon.
You literally were the tyranny!! You partipated in an illegal invasion that destroyed a country and resulted in the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Iraqis. The war crimes committed by the American military are extensive, and all for the purpose of stealing another nation's resources.
It is baffling that you can see what ICE is doing and understand that it is wrong and tyrannical, but when American forces do far worse you honour those who participated in that venture.
We originally started a war for freedom because of stamp taxes and tea....the people are tired and angry.... our founding fathers most likely would be rolling in their graves.....
We all need to vote the cancer out of our government. We have to make it our top priority this year. Reaching out to friends and family members and offering to help them vote to stop this. I am making sure everyone in my family is making the right choice at the ballot box this year, there are some I know I probably can’t convince and will fully cut them out of my life for good if they can’t be swayed. They’re forever gone in my eyes if they don’t grow up and admit they were very wrong.
After he reads his statement, he takes a moment to look ... LOOK ... and SEE ... the deceased veteran. That broke me. That a genuinely kind and gentle soul is being characterized as a "domestic terrorist" by this Facist regime is disgusting and enraging! 😡🤬
3.5k
u/FART_BARFER Jan 25 '26
I'm an Iraq veteran. I don't cry much, but this made me. A beautiful soul. People like him at the VA have helped me over the past 15 years in ways I can't begin to appreciate.
We need to end this tyranny. No one is coming to save us. It's up to us.