I (21M) live in an Ohio household of hardcore Trumpers who, unfortunately, found out that I voted for Kamala Harris.
My father and brother are fascists. They believe in killing anyone who disagrees with Trumpism. My mother is not violent, but drank basically all the QAnon Kool-Aid and is batshit insane.
I am disabled. My cognitive ability suffers severely if I sit up or stand up for more than a few minutes. I also have another condition that requires me to avoid bending my neck, so I have to keep it straight. I also can’t safely lift anything that’s heavier than a few pounds, so anything more than that is very risky. I can push and pull fine.
I am also financially-dependent on my mother at the moment.
We moved to a new house recently, and the walls are very thin. That allowed me to overhear a private conversation between my father and brother.
My brother said that he hates Harris supporters so much that he wants a day of retribution where he goes on a violent rampage to kill everyone he knows who supports her, especially gay and transgender people. When my dad asked if that included me, he did not hesitate to say “Sure.”
My brother is in peak physical condition. He owns guns and has military training. I had long suspected that he is the biggest potential threat to my life, but gaslighted myself into thinking I was overreacting. Today, he confirmed it.
My brother isn’t the type to throw out threats of violence willy-nilly. He has also physically abused me in the past when we were younger and has major anger issues. I believe that I have to take this threat seriously, and that means that I need to evacuate ASAP. I think the most likely day for him to act is on election night or shortly after, which would give me just over a week. But then again, I can’t be sure. Maybe he is planning a surprise.
My mother is too unreasonable to take any of this seriously.
I have a few thousand dollars and Democratic relatives from the South who might potentially take me in, though I don’t know for sure if they will, since we’re not close emotionally. I also don’t know if my brother will go out of his way to target them once he notices my absence. He is going to an out-of-state Trump rally this week, so I know that he doesn’t have much trouble crossing state lines.
I don’t know where my birth certificate and social security card are, other than that my mother has them somewhere. My father is home the entire time and stays in one spot where he can see everything. Even if I knew where they were, there is no way for me to retrieve them without him noticing.
Fuck fascism. I was born to a family of vile abusive sociopaths. It was hell the whole time. I won’t miss any of them. Fuck them. They are a disappointment to the rest of my family line. I spent my entire life learning how to become a decent human being in spite of it all and now the fuckers want me dead. FUCK. THEM.
The thing that separates me from the rest of my family is empathy. I refused to hate the people they wanted me to hate. Instead, I listened to their stories and befriended them. I care about everyone, not just straight white Christians. I voted for Harris because I wanted the best for everyone, which means preventing the installation of an authoritarian regime. And for that, I must pay the ultimate price.
I may never get to experience love or deep friendship, but no matter how this all ends, I vow to spend the rest of my days pouring out as much love and joy as I can out to every last ally I meet.
Any advice would be helpful. I don’t want to wait, but I also can’t do this without some kind of plan. I have no idea what the fuck I’m doing, so any input is appreciated.
Thank you.
Democracy dumbs down civilization.
If you’re in acute danger, call the cops. A credible threat has been made. Even if they can’t remove you or your brother, everything being on file might serve at the very least as a deterrent to execute his plan.
Thanks for the quick reply. I have a few concerns here:
- I have no recorded evidence of the threats, so I’m not sure if the cops will take this seriously. I heard that shit loud and clear, but I didn’t get an audio recording.
- I have no idea how corrupt the cops in the local area are; this is a red county, although it’s on the outskirts of a big city. I don’t know if the cops could severely fuck me over in ways I don’t know about.
- I am likely to end up escalating tensions. My brother would probably see it as an attack on him (Harris supporter trying to get his guns confiscated) and make it a priority to get rid of me quicker. He isn’t very smart (hence why he joined the cult) so he might think that Trump will pardon all violence he commits.
I’d love to be wrong, but my current impression of cops is that they are unreliable and involving them could really backfire. But if anyone has a thoughtful rebuttal, I’d appreciate it. I’m not going to pretend to be an expert here.
Someone else said it, contact Adult Protective Services. APS is meant for people like you.
This is OHIO. The Ohio DOJFS’s APS services are explicitly only for adults over 60, and moreover, they don’t just come pick you up. They send someone to investigate first and then make a determination on your need. This does not happen quickly and you CAN be be denied.
Rural Ohio native here. OP if you don’t mind sharing what county you live in, I might be able to give you better info. If you don’t want to share that (and that’s perfectly understandable), what part of the state? Northeast, Southwest, Cleveland area, Columbus area, etc?
Outskirts of Columbus, within reasonably short driving distance of the city
So first things first, all the advice you got about adult protective services is basically moot. Ohio law stipulates adult protective services only apply to age 60 and above. Some counties may extend that to adults under 60 with disabilities, but the law does not require, and they’ll only help if they have the funds to help.
You said you’re in a red county but you’re on the outskirts of Columbus. I think you’re being a little generous on what the outskirts of Columbus are. All the same, if you’re in one of the red ones that circle Franklin county, the only one that will maybe take disability into consideration is Madison.
Other than that, I think you can forget about the APS. As a matter of fact, I would bet if you tried to contact them, they would hand it off to the cops anyway.
If you’re close enough to Columbus and you can get there on your own, you’ll want to look for any support you can find there. They’ll have the most available resources, the most groups willing to help, and the most spaces to potentially house you.
Like, genuinely? If you can find a way to anonymously reach out to some local activist groups, they will be much more likely to give good, actionable advice to you than anyone here.
Discord is good, just be careful who you share your name with.
Please read Apytele’s comment, you are absolutely correct that calling the police will be interpreted as a threat and make your situation even worse.
You have to get out, first.
The police have literally 0 legal obligation to protect any citizen from a crime or potential crime, what they do is investigate after the fact.
And that’s assuming they’re not fellow MAGA cultists.
Right but their comment is suggesting APS which will not help them. They are 21, Ohio’s APS program is only for people over 60.
Ah, I did not know that, thats a good point.
I know that some states actually have a broader reach for things like APS, usually including the disabled.
The cops in Ohio will probably just shoot him for not voting Trump.
You’re not helping
I’m not wrong.
It’s the truth, though. Without any evidence there’s a decent chance no arrest will be made, especially if the cops are Trumpers themselves. And even if they are arrested, there’s no doubt mom will post bond so they’ll be out before very long.
If that happens, OP will very likely be grievously injured or killed.
OP needs to GTFO first and foremost.
That’s not what space noodle said. Space noodle said the cops would shoot him for not voting for Trump.
Is he wrong, though?
This is a serious thread. No jokes and off-topic comments.
It’s not a joke, and it’s entirely topical.
Well then, Ohio’s fucked. I should have believed the memes.
Removed by mod
Leave now. Fuck your stuff.
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get a cab
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get a Greyhound to an area with a better outlook.
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look for roommates in your destination city on the ride
YES! Get to the city any way you can. If you don’t have any money see if you have something to trade or sell. Go to a homeless shelter, some have case workers who can help you. Some cities have shelters just for victims of abuse where they make sure your identity is hidden and they can help you get setup with housing and other assistance. You’ll likely have more options since you’re disabled. Your family is less likely to go to a city to find you. You deserve way better and I hope you find peace.
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If you’re actually as disabled as you are and either you have documentation (such as state benefits) or it’s just obvious:
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Get in touch with the family that might take you in. Try to find three options who confirm they will take you. Write down or keep in a Google doc or whatever their: full names, phone numbers, email addresses, and physical addresses.
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Arrange for a ride locally such as a friend or acquaintance or literally anyone else who has a car and is willing to help you for 24-48 hours. This should not be hard to talk someone into. Many people want to help a person like you but don’t have the resources to house someone for weeks or months. For this acquantaince you are an easy way to help and feel good about themselves. Use that. Tell them to wait for you to contact them.
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AFTER you’ve done that, call your local APS (adult protective services) or file a report online. Tell them you’re being held by your family and kept from accessing your legal identifying documents. Tell them they have abused you in the past and you are in fear for your life. Tell them you HAVE A PLACE TO GO you just need help getting your documents. Again, you are easy to help in this situation, they don’t need to worry about setting you up with benefits or housing or anything, just transport maybe. This is what the numbers are for, they may want to confirm you have somewhere to go. Just play up the danger and that they’re keeping you from your documents.
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The SECOND they show up and if they’re able to get you those documents, get the hell out and block your family and do not tell or hint or give them any other indication of where you’re going. Don’t even tell the person giving you a ride if you think it will get back to them. If necessary tell them an entirely different final destination and just get them to get you to the airport / bus terminal and get out.
Good luck and godspeed. :)
Actually, none of this advice is actionable for OP because Ohio doesn’t have exceptions for disability for APS. You must be 60 years or older.
“Adult” means any person sixty years of age or older within this state who is disabled by the infirmities of aging or who has a physical or mental impairment which prevents the person from providing for the person’s own care or protection, and who resides in an independent living arrangement.
It looks like certain countries may extend those benefits to 18-60 year olds with disabilities, but only if they have funds. It’s absolutely no guarantee.
You really need to break those paragraphs up. If you want to give people advice to help them out, the very first thing you need to do is care about how you’re presenting that information. OP even said they have issues with cognitive function sometimes, so help them out by not giving them sold blocks of texts.
And I can tell you as someone who is intimately familiar with the workings of the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, the assistance available to OP will depend heavily on how their local country office is run. It could be as easy as you say, it could also be an absolute cluster fuck because the county office has been butchered by local conservative leadership.
If you’d like to edit the thing I wrote for free at 2am to include your edits for clarity and more localized bureaucratic knowledge, I’m happy to link right to you at the beginning. Other than that, you’re welcome.
This is the best advice, in the best order, which I have seen laid out so far.
To which I will add:
Assuming you do have at least a valid Drivers License… it should be possible for you to attain your own copy of your Social Security card (which is not actually a card, its just paper) and Birth Certificate.
For the former, you can make an account on ssa.gov , and it is not too hard to get a Social Security card mailed to wherever you end up. Just say your old card was stolen.
As far as your Birth Certificate… theoretically it should be possible to attain a copy through some kind of State records office/website, though I’m not familiar with Ohio specifically.
Finally, when you are settled in a new safe place, if you have not already tried, apply for SSI and/or SSDI from Social Security.
Its a mountain of paperwork, takes up to a year or more, but if you can get any form of guaranteed income, that’s better than 0.
As far as your Birth Certificate… theoretically it should be possible to attain a copy through some kind of State records office/website, though I’m not familiar with Ohio specifically.
Vital Statistics
Here’s the info from Ohio:
https://odh.ohio.gov/know-our-programs/vital-statistics/how-to-order-certificates
You know, you’d think conservatives would put family before politics given their stereotypical “stated values”. But I guess that all goes out the window when their conservatism morphs into something closer to fascism.
Not all, but a whole lot of American Conservative ‘family values’ boil down to Dad is always right, no matter what he does, no matter how objectively wrong he is.
Petite authoritarianism, chauvinism, religious fundamentalism.
I grew up in a right wing, fundamentalist Christian household. Many, many American Conservatives have been like this for decades… they just used to do a better job of masking, pretending that they have a principled, respectable ideology.
Hero.
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I don’t know how things go in the USA but in my country if anyone was to threaten to kill me, like a real threat not some shit talk, I would call the police and they would deal with that. Even more so if I told them I have a disability of some sort and can’t defend myself.
Also, you need to contact a social assistance office, or whatever you may have like that in your town/region/state, because you need to get away from them and be able to sustain yourself. A change that will most certainly take a lot of your energy and focus — one more reason to let the police deal with the death threat.
Things should work in the ways you describe. Sadly they often don’t due to untold decades of lowering funding and general neglect have made the systems we have in place for our most vulnerable slow and bad enough to be worse than useless. They’re actively harmful.
People who are disabled from birth or before working age are religated to a minimum assistance payment that does in no way meet the basic requirements to live in most places in the United States. Filing for that is a lengthy process that’s often arbitrarily refused and requires even more time and effort put into it for (in many cases) a total payment less than the federal minimum wage monthly.
This is why you’re seeing a lot of comments about OP getting moved in with family.
Unfortunately, calling police in America may put you in danger. It’s one of the many, many reasons I’ve left. I don’t think people quite understand what it does until they’ve lived in other, safer places.
Unfortunately, calling police in America may put you in danger. It’s one of the many, many reasons I’ve left. I don’t think people quite understand what it does until they’ve lived in other, safer places.
That is not how the system is supposed to work. I never went to the USA and probably never will (there are a lot of reasons and people that would make me want to go mind you, but there are also way too many things I’m just not OK with). So, like I said I really can’t tell but if that is like you say, that’s very problematic.
I mean, there must be some legal authority to call for help. Self-defence, adding violence to already too much violence, can’t be the only solution a State has to offer to threatened citizens. If that was, what use would there be in such a State?
No, it’s not supposed to work like that. The biggest advice to give to foreigners is to not to talk to cops in America. I’m not afraid of asking for directions in Europe from them, but I wouldn’t do the same at home. They forgot they are civil servants and are being trained on a warrior mentality. It will not end well, however it does. The other social services are there, but underfunded. It’s often about catching the right ear of someone that knows the system and it’s contradictions which takes time. Naturally wealthier areas and cities have more options. Ohio isn’t the best place to find help, that whole state is suffering. I grew up next door in the Rust Belt.
They forgot they are civil servants and are being trained on a warrior mentality.
No, you’ve forgotten that the police are the armed defenders of capital and the state, and they do not exist to serve you, never have, never will. And that this is valid for every state, not just the united ones of America (of course gun culture and generally being ahead in the race towards fascism makes America worse than many, I’m not denying that, my point is that the police as a concept exist to supress and oppress civilians in defence of capital and the state).
Fuck the Pinkertons. ;)
A CAB 👍
100% this. Police exist to protect capital.
Where did you leave to, if you don’t mind me asking? Was it a difficult process?
I’m in the UK. It was a lot of long term chess moves that probably wouldn’t be applicable for you. If you are interested in leaving check out:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/skilled-worker-visa-immigration-salary-list
https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/working-in-australia/skill-occupation-list
Most countries have these shortage lists. They are how to fast track in.
Most police forces in the US were infiltrated by fascist white supremacists long ago. It’s why even in very progressive places like Seattle, the police forces are under federal supervision for racism and so many POC are murdered all the time. It’s rarely worth calling them. Mostly I only report crime for insurance purposes.
Mostpolice forces in the US wereinfiltratedcreated by fascist white supremacists long ago.Not trying to be pedantic, I just think it’s really important to remember that that’s what the police have always been for.
Contact the police and FBI once you are safe. You may very well save lives.
Doubtful either will do anything but maybe make a report that might be ready if they are murdered. Cops will say there is nothing they can do because nobody is hurt. I’d bet a field agent would never call you back or show up.
These people became full blown cult now?
Always have been.
Even if there is no attempt to kill you, the physical abuse and attempts to force you into vulnerable and risky situations will, and you are already vulnerable. Maybe you can contact some form of social service or disability services and report the circumstances. Some guides suggest contacting the police, but it wouldn’t be my first option - maybe try to contact probono lawyers who could help you like this https://www.ohiojusticefoundation.org/tom-and-gerry-cincinnati-attorneys-contribute-hundreds-of-hours-of-pro-bono-service/ in case things get serious. Leave a trail that indicates that the threat has been made. You can also try to get in contact with organizations like Ohio Democrats, but do so quietly. I’d try to lay low if I were you until you can move out, maybe even just throw them a bone by trying to virtue signal their cult thinking until you can get away safely. Definitely clear or hide your browsing and account history so they can’t trace it back to posts like this, and maybe just leave a less threatening persona account that if they do find they would have less of an issue with.
This reads as a shitpost, but I’ll advise on the chance it isn’t and you’re in a crazy deadly situation.
Make a show of applying for remote Jobs ASAP, do it tomorrow. Dress up nice for the “E-meetings”, and then hop in discord or something with a friend and have an “Interview” that goes well.
Then, explain to your family that you need to submit documents to HR to complete onboarding. Get ALL your personal documents in hand, and then ride off into the sunset away from them.
At the very least it’s a copy paste from a popular reddit post, and it indeed reads like a shitpost that combines every single trope…
You need to come here to Australia mate.
Honestly, I feel like there are going to be a lot of refugees from the US if Trump wins
Have you seen Australias immigration policy? If hes got a disability, hes probably already denied. And how many of Americas allies do you think are going to start accepting refugees from the US? They wouldn’t risk the optics of it.
He could request asylum. He’s under threat of political violence.
I dont really think an ally of America that has almost 300 billion dollars tied up in trans-national investments is going to accept a refugee from America because they can’t just take one without acknowledgeding the same violence threatens the entire lgbtq commubity as well as all the women who live in abortion ban states, and soon enough anyone in an inter racial marrige. Australia least of all, the immigration laws there are tight.
the fact this is even being suggested shows a lack of familiarity with Australia’s position on asylum seekers.
People from war-torn countries or fleeing genocide are held in international-law-violating limbo for decades, there’s no chance in hell that somebody from a developed country is getting political asylum here, especially with the current poisoned rhetoric on immigration.
And with Canada next door with a fairly open door immigration wise (even with recent reductions) that’s the more likely play.
It feels like we’re starting to set the scene for the Handmaid’s Tale, with Americans claiming asylum in Canada.
I have plenty of friends who just became Aussie citizens.
One literally was less than a week ago
What newspapers are saying and what’s actually happening is two different things
I was joking about asylum, but there are many paths of entry
Firstly, I live in Australia… We have lots of migrants here. So yeah, I’ve seen the policies. In fact, I get along better with migrants than many multi generation Aussies
And yeah, calling them refugees was part joke, but part truth. There are lots of ways to enter including work or study. If Trump wins, its possible he’ll mess up so bad he’ll be overthrown within 4 years (that’s the worrying thing. I lived in Indonesia during the riots). So, anyone migrating might not need to last long (even the right wing will realize they fucked up bad)
Considering how many people Trump has pissed off including our ex PM, I don’t think countries will hesitate as much as you think…
I don’t think countries will hesitate as much as you think…
There are 280million dollars worth of trans national investments between just the US and Australia. The US is the number 1 foreign investor in the Australian economy by a lot. I think you over value what politicians say and undervalue what they do.
Mate, you’re just spitting out numbers…
Trump already said f you to our ex prime Minister. You think Trump gives a toss about foreign investment?
If Trump does what everyone expects him to, it’s even possible he’ll get in a position where he loses allies
World leaders in general don’t like trump.
He’s openly being a Nazi now. If it’s a cutthroat win, he’ll start prosecuting anyone he disagrees with to Guarantee control. If it’s a huge win, it’s less likely. Don’t forget, there were a lot of people affected by the Nazis, and he is openly being a Nazi now
But he’ll do whatever he needs to do to have ultimate power.
Don’t think world leaders though will bend over and take it from the golden diaper man… They’ll simply tolerate him. Especially since he has a reputation for breaking contracts.
And he’ll find every excuse he can to not pay either (if we send wool for instance, he’ll find a few grains of dirt, claim it’s low quality and than demand a refund or he’ll send it back).
Don’t underestimate the risk management other world leaders use on him
Id love to hear about this risk management plan and about how much of the 280 billion gets divested in it, if any.
Yeah… I’m wrong. You’re right
I’m sure internationally everyone loves dealing with a guy who breaks contracts.
You were joking - obviously!
Honestly I would report the threat to the FBI. He is planning terroristic murders across an entire population of the general public and across state lines.
You don’t need your birth certificate or social security card. They are easy to replace. A birth certificate is a public record: you can order it from whatever government agency handles vital records in the county of your birth.
Social security card is marginally more difficult, but if you know the number, it is surprisingly easy. Just go down to the nearest social security office with your story, and they’ll get it sent to you.
You can only do it like 6 times in your life, but you rarely need the card itself anymore.
Wait what happens at the 7th time?
Denial of service I guess? Either that or having to submit a very specific set of documents or forms to let someone somewhere know why you need just one more after already having seven at that point (First one being the one your parents are given at the time of your birth, followed by the 6 reprints they allow)
it’s like failing a catchpa.
They determine you are no longer you and you have to just start a new identity from scratch.
Get off the grid with this one weird trick
Don’t tell the SovCits.
You can’t tell the SovCits anything. Maybe we’re supposed to have a sheriff inform the human being while we simultaneously address the straw man and thusly create joinder… then I think they have to listen to us based on Admirality Law or something… right?
I just don’t like giving them new ideas… although it is always good fodder for c/InsanePeopleFacebook.
Assuming this is real, and that you have a cell phone, I think your best resource is your not crazy relatives. Ask to visit. I find it more likely your brother is just boasting and full of shit, but if you are physically delicate, it could still end badly.
So call them and tell them what you told us, that you are worried. If they invite you, that will be an excuse to get your stuff from your mom. You need allies.
