The first thing Maj. Jason Watson wants you to understand is that what he did on the Capitol steps was not a good thing. He said it plainly: this is not a first to be celebrated, it is not “oh, goody, we had a military member do this.” An active duty officer had to throw away a career to say out loud what tens of millions of Americans already know, and the only reason it landed the way it did is that nobody else was doing it. He was explicit that other service members should not copy him — there are legal pathways to refuse illegal orders, and the people who should be stopping those orders are the ones in the chain of command with the authority to say no, not the person at the trigger. He asked members who can stomach staying in to stay in, because a military hollowed out of people who understand what is happening is how you end up with a military that looks like ICE. What he did was an act of defiance aimed at us, not a model for them. If you take the courage and leave the assignment, you’ve missed the whole point. The assignment starts with red lines. Maj. Watson’s argument is that a person who has never defined the moment at which they will act has already decided to do nothing — they’ve outsourced their freedom to whoever shows up to defend it. He defined his in advance: would this president defy a 9-0 Supreme Court ruling? He did, in April, and the Oval Office victory lap after the Kilmar Abrego Garcia decision made the contempt unmistakable. The one he didn’t see coming was the murder of Alex Pretti — the second in a sequence, filmed, with a government narrative so far from what any American could see and hear with their own eyes that the gaslighting itself became the line. That’s the exercise. Not a mood, not a feeling that things are bad. A specific line, named in advance, with an answer attached to it. Because the checks and balances were never built for a President who tests every boundary and waits to be told no, and you do not need the Supreme Court’s permission to recognize unconstitutional conduct when you’re looking straight at it. So here’s what he’s actually asking, and it’s smaller than you’re bracing for. The Trump regime is weak. The projection of strength is what a shrinking minority requires to keep ruling from a position of weakness, and Congress still works for us — if we genuinely demanded removal and held our representatives accountable for answering to us, we would be rid of this government. The only thing standing in the way is the perception that it’s impossible and the unwillingness to be uncomfortable. There is something you could be doing right now that you are not. Take that step. You don’t know whether it will be enough, because you haven’t taken it. And for those of us already in the fight, Keira Havens of Citizens' Impeachment gave Maj. Watson the line that should reorganize the rest of our year: it is not enough to be right, you have to be effective. Brave is not the metric. Sincere is not the metric. Ask whether what you’re doing is working, and if there’s something more effective available to you, go do that instead. Millions have shown resolve. It isn’t enough yet. The hardest step is the first one — after that, you’ll want the next. We’re done being sick of this shit, so now we’re doing this shit. — Nick Paro More with Maj. Watson * On Monday, August 17th, Maj. Watson made his first nationally televised public appearance on CNN’s Outfront with Erin Burnett stating clearly that Trump ‘has failed us’ and calls for Impeachment, Conviction, and Removal. * AngryMaleVet sat down for A Discussion with Major Jason Watson. * You can find previous writings by Maj. Watson on Defenders of Our Republic. Nick’s Notes I’m Nick Paro, and I’m sick of the shit going on. So, I’m using poetry, podcasting, and lives to discuss the intersections of chronic illness and mental wellbeing, masculinity, veteran’s issues, politics, and so much more. I am only able to have these conversations, bring visibility to my communities, and fill the void through your support — this is a publication where engagement is encouraged, creativity is a cornerstone, and transparency is key — please consider becoming a paid subscriber today and grow the community! Join the uncensored media at the 1A Collective Support as a paid subscriber however you can — to help get you started, here are a few discounted options for you * Forever at 50% off * Forever at 60% off For support, contact us at: info@sickofthisshitpublications.com This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sickofthis.substack.com/subscribe
