No they're Nazis.

I'm not gonna say Nazis aren't people, but just because all life has inherent value doesn't mean that value sticks around their entire life...

It's the single most understandable thing there is.

It just sucks to experience and doesn't make you a better resistor. You have to abandon pragmatism for a feeling of phony power that doesn't do shit, in order to keep it up.

Hope you can surf the storm.

It is the weak who are cruel, gentleness can be expected only from the strong. -Leo Rosen

Also “Hurt people hurt people.”

Note I am not in any way meaning to imply that one should accept or excuse cruel behavior.

But I do not want to respond to hateful people by being hateful myself. Responding from strength means taking action and responding clearly and forcefully. It is really hard to see fellow humans be so blind and so cruel and cause such unimaginable harm. Agree - they need to be stopped. I don’t know how to help this stop.

But they are still fellow humans - with their own stories and struggles. The response to someone dehumanizing others isn’t to dehumanize them back.

So the question is what actions can we take? I am not a target (born in the US, white) outside of my political beliefs - so how can I take a stand in a way that might help / have an effect?

I don’t know. I share your despair at seeing what is happening - and I encourage you to keep hold of your compassion and strength and act from there. Act boldly, forcefully, and with love.

That is the correct and just reaction to have. Join an org near you and start training for the time when you are called upon to protect innocents.