Allomimic Tuesday
On parades, protest, and the heavy silence that follows
It’s been some time, and it’s been ‘difficult’—a vestigial word, much like ‘freedom’ has become. This morning, I’m careful in the way I craft my words. I’ve tumbled them like rocks in a polisher. The last of the dust has settled from the allomimic1 festival against Kings. While one parade-protest creaked its way through the Capitol, thousands more across America roared with excitement, filled with a sense of identity, unity, protest, and of course, food trucks. Americans played by the rules.
Hidden in the month of pride and wrapped in an American flag, millions took to the streets to say out loud this kinda sucks: quip statements and comical one-liners designed to draw hell yahs and thumbs up. It felt good.
Eleven million inmates spoke to the warden of the greatest prison. The inmates stood together, without disruption to the social norm, security, and order. Within the boundaries of what’s legally allowed, they sang together: No Kings.
It’s “trash” Tuesday now, and the colorful signs are all in bins waiting to join others at the dump. American stopped to fill its tank, but the needle didn’t move. Might as well go back to work; after all, we’ve got bills to pay, and dishes in the sink2.
[Slow-clap for the effort]
We [America] manufacture and distribute the shells shot from tanks at civilians and children who starve in food lines. We cut social services and revoke equal rights, all while banging our chests to openly state—as if standing as a beacon of reason—we don’t condone the assassination of another country’s supreme leader3, all while outspoken US citizens (leaders in their own right) are taken by masked men to unmarked vehicles, to be taken to unknown locations, for an indeterminate amount of time. Some call this patriotism. Others call it fascism.
What do you call it?
For far too many, it’s just Tuesday. A work day. And trash day.
Supreme Court decisions loom. A big beautiful bill stands to change the way Americans calculate their debt to their National debtor. Tariffs disrupt global supply, and naval ships set sail for the Middle East.
It’s Tuesday. A work day. Trash day.
(adj.): Appearing to express unity, empathy, or allegiance, but in a way that is symbolic, performative, or hollow—often done to satisfy social expectations or preserve image rather than create real change. | from Allomime (n.): A symbolic or public gesture intended to show solidarity, empathy, or alliance, but which lacks sincere engagement or meaningful action. Often used to describe surface-level support that is performative, obligatory, or socially expected.
A TikTok viral video series.
Source: https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/trump-vetoed-an-israeli-plan-kill-irans-supreme-leader-us-officials-say-2025-06-15/