All of these are also issues. I’ve often voiced the recruitment complaint to other local orgs, to no avail. Truthfully, I don’t care to work alongside anarchists and libs as long as we can get a few things straight and keep the rest civil or leave it at the door, but it’s impossible most of the time so I’d prefer to avoid it.

One group, the founder and myself suggested we form a self-defense section, including firearms training and carry at demos. We had just gotten a threat on social media and so it seemed pertinent to address. All the libs wrote it off as “just some loser blowing off steam.” They said they’d be uncomfortable attending events where guns were present, even if concealed…but I watched the same nerds cheer on cops prior at protests and they clearly don’t mind attending to face off the conservatives and fascists who show up decked out. It was just internal purity policing and it pissed me off. Founder had a pistol in their bag the entire time during the discussion unbeknownst to anyone else because of the threat being new, and they were fine and would’ve been glad had we needed it (doubtful, but still).

That was what told me, “No more libs.” We combined a ton of failed groups recently into a statewide networking effort, and while it has its flaws, we can at least all be civil and agree on some things or table what we don’t. Most anarchists blow, but those who are in this group at least are rare gems that tolerate what they don’t agree with on the left and are willing to learn…future MLs hopefully lol.