#And palpable racist

[oceanfloorfires]

Oh. I remembered stopping the x files bc they made scully a weeping baby obsessed freak but I am pressing further now and did not expect the fucking post 9/11 racism even tho I should have. SUCKS DUDE. Fr.

[age-of-moonknight]

“Soldier,” Vengeance of the Moon Knight (Vol. 2/2024), #3.

Writer: Jed MacKay; Penciler and Inker: Alessandro Cappuccio; Colorist: Rachelle Rosenberg; Letterer: Cory Petit

[arysthaeniru]

Sometimes, a reading will take me 3 hours when it's only about 15 pages, and it's never really because it's hard, but because I take psychic damage with every other line.

[junglejim4322]

I love when people with a lot of white guilt scramble up all their courage to find a way to tell me they think I don’t look my ethnicity/ask if I’m mixed or whatever because I just hit them with “there’s over a billion people in India and you think they all look the same?” And without fail it instantly stunlocks them. I’m pretty sure every time I do it i set white people back 100 years

[stepbackattack]

I literally thought when Greg closed that office door that they were about to go to town. Why did they frame it like thatttt

[msvorderofoperations]

New dream journal, and this one is a bit of a doozy.

It starts with me somehow winning an all-expense-paid trip to something very much like E3 (which if you're unfamiliar was the biggest press event for video games and doesn't really exist any longer). One key difference in the dream is that it advertises stuff other than video games, and I'll get to that in a moment.

As part of the ongoing game festivities, I partake in this contest being done with one of the game demos. The whole thing is that you have to find all of the games secrets in a short amount of time. Owing to my time as a games tester and my ability to scrape content I end up winning. The prize isn't directly related to the game itself, it's behind the scenes access to another event happening plus the opportunity to demonstrate a newly created real-life weapon. It's an explosive arrow that uses a never before seen, novel triggering mechanism and the entire thing explosive instead of just the head. The version I am given to show off at an unspecified time and place, is obviously reduced in explosive yield and has a foam arrowhead so it basically is fully safe.

So the following day at this event, I take the arrow with me to a different event that happens to be advertising the capabilities of a new concert venue. The gimmick with this place is that is can operate as a pool for shooting music videos, and the space is fully expandable. Literally, as the first thing they shoot there for the demo involves the set for this music video widening while the cameras are rolling. I am told that this is indeed where I'm meant to be filmed to show off the arrow, but other than that I am given no information. I take a seat while things are being set up for said music video. As I'm waiting, some stage hand next to me is told that the spot we're in is going to be where they throw to the host of this press event so it needs to be spotless. Since I'm not working this event I pay it no mind, thinking I will be told where/when I need to be for my segment. Before long, I notice that the stage hand is picking apart the foam on the arrowhead to clean a spill of coffee. I tell him that I need this for later in the shoot, and he begrudgingly stops but a fair amount of damage has already been done to the arrow.

At this point I start walking around since it's becoming clear that there's a problem of communication happening here. As I walk around, trying to find out where/when I'm supposed to do my bit basically everyone treats me as if I'm a roadie/show tech for either the venue or the visiting artist that is shooting here. This is due in part because the pass I was given was not a VIP one, but one that all of the stage hands have. Another reason is that I'm dressed very similarly, in dark cargo shorts and a Misfits tshirt. Soon, as the people that are due to be on-screen begin arriving, this similarity is driven home. All of the background extras are model-thin, and have movie-star faces. And to top it all off, they are all dressed like naiads and other water-based folkloric entities, and I learn that most of them are trained synchronized swimmers. And here I am, a heavyset, unremarkable white dude dressed like I just finished a shift at Game Stop.

By now, the shoot has started in earnest so I just kind of mill around hoping that someone will recognize me or let me know where my marks are and such. Eventually, the shoot gets to the point where the pool is expanded and nears the climax. For lack of any other instruction, I assume that I'm supposed to take part (as why else would I be told that I'm meant to be here?) and wade into the shallow water. The other performers definitely take notice of me, but they don't say anything. They only cast worried glances in my direction whenever they're done hitting their marks. I try to be as unobtrusive as possible, but all in all I'm still absolutely on camera. The music draws to a close, and wrap is called. I get myself out of the water, feeling deeply confused. It is then that I notice that whatever the water was treated with chemically, it really doesn't get along with the composition of the arrow. The whole thing is starting to flake and fall apart and I start to panic. I know that I was meant to advertise this thing, and I couldn't even be trusted to handle it safely. And compounding on this, I see the director of the music video looking at the footage and then to me with growing anger on his face. Cool, I've ruined the music video as well. Neat. Love that for me.

I leg it before security is called to bring me in. I am panicking pretty hard because I am in a foreign country where I don't know anyone or how to navigate this city with a degraded explosive device. And now I've also got a presumably very angry production team looking for me because I have just wasted a LOT of their money, one way or another. In spite of all of this, I recall that there is youtube creator I follow that should live nearby. His focus is on vlogs and media breakdowns from the perspective of a mixed-race small business owner. He is black and Jewish and runs a game store that does a lot of work in his communities, including helming various cookouts and block parties as well as helping organize protests and other political actions. And as part of his efforts to ensure his community can protect themselves he also showcases archery! My thinking is if I can properly detonate this arrow I still have, it will be one less big thing I have to worry about (as just leaving it behind to possibly blow up in the face of some kid or sanitation worker is not something I'm willing to let happen).

I am somehow able to track down his store, which is empty except for him. I introduce myself, and he immediately asks if we have met before. I panic a bit, thinking news of my bungling the event I just left has already started to spread. I explain that we couldn't have met, as this is the first time I've been to this city. I play it off that I have one of those faces where I look like everyone and no one (this is true, as a few times in my life people claim to know/recognize me when I have never met them before). I explain the (very pared down, omitting everything that happened with the music video) situation with the arrow, and ask if he can help me. He asserts that while he doesn't have an explosive rated shooting range, we should still be able to make it happen. We try to get the thing to detonate with what he has available, but it doesn't seem to work. And exacerbating things, the arrow is breaking apart worse and worse on each attempt. It eventually reaches a point where we're trying to get it blow up by gathering the pieces and launching them in an elastic powered ornithopter. Suddenly it dawns on me, I recall hearing (somewhere) that the thing was meant to go off only if fired by a bow with a 100 pound draw.

Knowing that this is going to be outside the capabilities of most bows, I go to tell him this, but something has changed. His store is now being swarmed with white people who are acting like he doesn't exist and destroying his shop. He turns to me and says that his mixed heritage is often wielded against him by white hegemony, ignoring different aspects of who he is and what he does based entirely what the current hate campaign is. As such, his blackness is being erased to further the narrative of antisemitism that is currently pervading the United States. And he intimates that the damage being done to his base of operations is because of me, because we had been livestreaming the process of trying to detonate the arrow. I try and explain that I would never do something like that, but as he begins to turn on me, I wake up.

[punkeropercyjackson]

I hardly think Luke being the main og villain and Percy the protagonist and the best hero in-universe is 'liberal' writing

1.Luke was literally the HERO OF THE GREAT PROPHECY and is spoken of positively post-death

2.Luke was a white cishet blue eyed blonde male who grew up in a summer camp and was it's leader that the kids viewed as a parental figure of sorts and the reason he's bad is he took advantage of them by grooming them to join his child army and treated boys of color(Chris and Ethan)badly but was attracted exclusively to the underaged girls he abused(Annabeth,Thalia,Silena and Kelli dosen't have a canon age but passed for a high school freshman with no apperance change except hiding her Empousa features)and never actually did anything to fix the system except hating the gods and Percy is a dark featured(black hair + mediterranean complexion described,which means brown skin)New Yorker raised in El Barrio and grew up getting bullied nonstop for being disabled and poor with an abusive stepdad but never stopped being a bully beater no matter how many schools it got him kicked out of,had a whole subplot of proving himself unlike traditional men to a girl who's implied to be persian because she was so traumatized by an awful man she became a misandrist but also just in general throught both Pjo and Hoo without even trying the rest of the time and fights to protect and for the rights of both lower classed greco-roman beings and irl minorities as well as insulting his and their oppressors in his narration and often verbally,including hating the gods before Luke did at his age and told them when he was younger than Luke in TLT too to get they asses in gear with no fear or hesitation and rejected their offer for power in the same breath

Like of course Percy is the good guy.Luke's just good at propaganda and you guys always fall for it because he's the palpable vision of 'revolutionary' unlike Percy,he's safe,he's conventional,he knows how to talk smart.But at the end of the day,which one of them stood up for what was right as only a child instead of perfectly fitting multiple kinds of fascism as a grown man?

Anyway 'Luke Castellan apologists' in bio niggas breath some fresh air,invest in a dating app and help the countries suffering thanks to the kinds of people your racist cradle robber was written to represent instead whining about the show but not going after Rick for his fence sitter shit

@thisismisogynoir

[ahdriking]

Mansuang Review:

Mansuang was amazing. I was particularly impressed by Apo's performance as Khem, which was emotional and complex and deeply moving. His story was riveting to me. I personally love characters with trauma in their backgrounds, who have been beaten down by the world into a certain way of thinking and behaving, and Apo captured that experience gracefully and expertly. There is palpable pain in his performance of the darkest moments. I will say that they could have expanded upon his character development a lot more. It would have been nice to have a bit more emotional nuance in his journey towards self-love and acceptance, but I definitely didn't feel unsatisfied by where his narrative ended up. The movie was already juggling so much they clearly just didn't have the time to dedicate to expanding upon the nitty gritty aspects of his healing.

I will say that I am honestly kinda surprised this didn't have any romance in it at all, because there is such a good foundation for it that it feels like they wasted? Like, Khem feeling that no one cares about him except for his body could have been the gateway to Chatra demonstrating care and affection for him outside of sex, proving that he's capable of being loved for who he is. That jumps out at me. That might have been an opportunity for them also to have expanded on Chatra's character, and given him more presence and personality. Khem is a protector, that's clear in the way he treats Wan, but he so often has to sacrifice himself in that role that it would have been devastatingly effective if Chatra had had an opportunity to take care of him in some way instead.

I loved the *bad touch* backstory, for whumping reasons, but it did leave me a little confused. Why did Khem have to have sex with those people? Was it because he's ambitious enough that he'll sell himself to advance his position? Was it because someone was forcing him to, like a boss or person in power? Was it because he felt he had no choice, or was protecting Wan from something? I just wish we could have gotten to know him better, because we get to see the impact of the trauma but we don't really get to understand it, and that leaves me wondering. It felt like, during the dance scene where Khem goes off script, that he did that as an attempt at seduction, because seduction is what he knows and what he expects. He's used to trading in on his beauty and sex appeal to get what he wants. That suggests so many characteristics to me that just... don't quite exist in the rest of the story. And there's no real conclusion to it other than Khem, at the end of the story, choosing to be a dancer because he's at peace with his place in society. Again, lots and lots of opportunities were built up that just didn't quite manage to hit a home run.

Mile did a fucking fantastic job with what he was given, but I was a little disappointed with his role in the story. I felt like the relationship between him and Khem was half-done and underdeveloped, but it had so much potential! He put in an absolutely solid performance, and knocked the emotional scenes out of the park, but I couldn't help but feel like he wasn't given the chance to really shine.

Tong killed it. Killed it fucking dead. That man has the screen presence of a King, which surprised the fuck out of me cos I thought he was a character actor based on his performance in KinnPorsche. But no, this guy has range. I was very impressed.

Bas did a great job playing a racist sad boy. RIP Wan.

In conclusion: a flawed movie, but still so enjoyable and so, so worth watching. I cannot fucking wait for Shine, I hope that it delivers in some of the areas Mansuang wasn't able to.

[canonicallyobserving911]

A possible reason why Gerrard's and T.K. 2.0's pasts weren't/won't be addressed.

Within my review of episode 8x4 (linked here), underneath my dislikes section, I included a statement that I would do a separate post regarding the reason why I believe Gerrard's racist and bigoted past wasn't addressed and it's the same reason why I don't think they'll do it for T.K. 2.0 either. They were both complicit but neither of them was or will be called out on the things they did and said.

Details underneath the cut!

I considered this at the beginning of the season when I noticed in 8x1 how Gerrard was acting differently than he had been in Chimney's and Hen's Begins episodes (linked here). I knew then something changed and I believe I was right because after 8x3 aired, TM (showrunner) posted the message below about the "bees."

Basically, he explained the "network" stepped in and made the change to advertise the season opener as a "Bee-nado" instead of them letting him lead with Athena's airline disaster like he planned. Why? Because doing what he wanted to do during the month of September wasn't a good idea. He also included it was due to reasons he shouldn't have to explain.

It's understandable because it's likely everyone remembers what happened in September 23 years ago. But if there are some who aren't aware, it can be Googled.

The details TM included in his Facebook post, led me to believe I was right in my original post about someone (the network) telling him it wasn't a good idea to have a racist and bigoted captain be at a firehouse filled with minorities and have him spouting trifling comments towards the employees like he did in Hen Begins. The audience was already in an uproar about it at the end of season 7 and during the hiatus, there was all sorts of speculation about what was going to happen to Hen, Chimney, Eddie and Ravi (this is one of the reasons why I believe Ravi hasn't been in any episodes thus far) and I think all of it has to do with the current political climate here in the U.S.

It wouldn't be good for the network or the show to stoke the flames of an already palpable time that's leading to one of the biggest elections in U.S. history. Please understand, I don't converse about politics here! Therefore, I'll move on but... IYKYK!

Do I like it? NO! I HATE IT!

WHY?

BECAUSE GERRARD AND T.K. 2.0 SHOULD BOTH BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE THINGS THEY DID AND SAID!

However, if this is the case, it's understandable why the "network" would tell him not to follow through on the storyline he originally had planned.

IMO, this is the reason why Buck's storyline with Gerrard in episodes 8x1 - 8x4 made absolutely no narrative sense. I explained this in a response to someone who reblogged a post I made while I watched the episode (linked here). I asked why Gerrard would think Buck was going to help him fire someone from the 118. It was RIDICULOUS because anyone who knows Buck would understand it wasn't the original storyline since the one thing Buck has always been, is loyal to the 118. Reminder, he filed a lawsuit to get his job back in season 3 because he felt like they were moving on without him (his words to Eddie in 3x6). Also, he went back to work before he processed his death after he died for 3 minutes and 17 seconds in season 6 but I digress.

I suspect whatever TF they've included for 8x5 between Buck and T.K. 2.0 will make even less narrative sense. Especially since T*mmy won't be allowed to be the true version of his racist and bigoted self. It's unlikely Buck will call him out on his past transgressions against his found family the same way Hen and Chimney weren't allowed to do it with Gerrard. It'll probably be something lame like T.K. is jealous over Buck buying an expensive pair of socks or some other ridiculous BS that makes absolutely no sense. It happened before with T.K. 1.0 when Buck didn't break up with her because he was unhappy even though she was allowed to say, "You knew who I was when you started dating me." 🙄 He did know which means he shouldn't have been dating her in the first place the same way I believe Buck should know about T.K. 2.0's past since the 118 tells each other all their business.

The point of this post is to illustrate that it appears TM had an idea when he reintroduced two problematic characters from season 2 in season 7 and the network said, "Hell no! Not in this political climate" and he had to change course. If this is what happened, he should have had a plan B but it was established during the hiatus that he doesn't plan episodes too far in advance (it's the reason why we all had to suffer through that "Vertigo" doppelgänger BS for Eddie last season). (Related post about his lack of planning linked here.) He's been a showrunner long enough to know that he needs to always have a backup plan.

Let's be real for a minute, the whole situation with Gerrard hugging Buck because he saved his life and taking him under his wing was weird AF. I HATED the piss poor redemption arc they gave Gerrard and yesterday, an article was released with OS indicating T.K. will be "weirded out" by something Buck's going to do or from his connections with the 118 or something but I have absolutely no idea what that is and at this point I don't care because I want T.K. gone the same way I wanted Gerrard gone.

If my speculation about what happened is correct, then TM shouldn't have ever tried it with the storyline from the beginning. He should have gotten two new characters so when their plot device arcs were over, they could have been forgotten and everyone could move on but NOOOOO, he tried to do something else that he wasn't going to fully address and it backfired and now Buck's storyline is suffering because of it. Buck breaking up with T*mmy because he was complicit and participated in the f~ckery would have been perfect but now the audience won't ever get to see it.

Just saying.

[nostalgicnarrator]

Over Hill and Under Mountain

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

Word Count: 6,233

Parings: Thorn X Bilbo (if you squint and tilt your head Nori x Dwalin)

Description:

Throin gets a letter from Gandalf and soon he finds himself and a gaggle of his best idiots making the track to Mirkwood

Chapters: 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

─── ⋅ ∙ ∘ ☽ ༓ ☾ ∘ ⋅ ⋅ ───

Warning

🧝🏻Thorin being slightly racist to elves. 🧝🏻‍♂️

Note:

Listen to me, I have struggled to put my thoughts into words that make sense and all the while I have struggled I have been also busy with my real work. For as much as I love writing and writing fan fiction it’s not my main job and I’m really sorry for the long wait. Enjoy chapter three and all her spoils. I tried to make it fun. Don’t forget to give me feedback and your options on how I did.

─── ⋅ ∙ ∘ ☽ ༓ ☾ ∘ ⋅ ⋅ ───

When Thorin finally was released from the council chamber, he fled the accursed room that held him prisoner all morning, his footsteps thundered through Erebor as he hurried down the halls. He wish to put as much distance as possible between him and the council chamber.

He was at his wit’s end with it all; endless meetings had begun to consume him, for weeks, meetings this meetings that. He blamed the elves for dragging the deal out longer then it should have taken. 

Thorin was well aware how others often joked about his long-winded speeches. But this,  the incessant talking, the flowery words and cryptic speech was almost enough to drive him back to madness. He almost certainly preferred it. 

It was not that he lacked desire to help his kingdom prosper; to foster the good relations between the different races. Truly Thorin understood the necessity of meeting with the men of Dale, but,  the elves of Mirkwood, he was beginning to question the necessity. 

Because of this Thorin often found himself wanting for the more palpable labors of Erebor- discussing construction plans, addressing the changes within the mountain, determining the fate of the halls that could not restore entirely to their former glory.

Thorin let out a heavy sigh as he stepped into his chambers, the familiar surroundings offering a small comfort. He leaned against his chamber door as he closed it, rubbing his brow and groaning softly. A throbbing made itself aware at his temples. 

Thorin huffed as he sank into the chair at his desk, he moved his crown and tossed it to the side of his desk before his fingers sifting through the parchments upon it until they found what they sought after. 

A fond smile crossed Throin's face as thumbed through the bound parchment, the neatly handwritten letters staring up at him. A name signed in lovely loopy letters, “Bilbo Baggins” Thorin humed.

‘Perhaps, I should go and see him soon, I am beginning to miss his cooking.’ He huffed at his thoughts and looked away to the hearth. The embers of the morning fire still glowed with a warm light.

‘I doubt I will be able to’ Thorin began to think as he brushed a Knuckle over the writing, ‘I should take a page from the hobbits book and sneak away in the dead of night.’ Thorin chuckled and shook his head “now that is courting disaster.” He told himself as he began to shift through Bilbo’s letters once more.

He unfolded one of the most recent letters, it was about the upcoming festival Bilbo was excited for, one Thorin wishes to see, ‘I would have all of Erebor looking for me before I even made it to Mirkwood-’ Suddenly, his thoughts were interrupted.

Interrupted by a sudden tapping on his chamber door- three quick raps, then silence, his temper flared in a way it hadn’t in a while. Honestly, he truly tried to keep it in check, he had ever since Bilbo had asked him to.

It was the only form of repayment the hobbit asked for, he had no choice but to accept, after all, Thorn had nearly thrown him to his death. 

All Bilbo asked for was: to be better. And Thorin truly did strive to honor his hobbit request of him, but in such a moment as this, he could not. He had been reigning it in all day, he’d been holding his tongue to not snap every time someone, Thranduil, interrupted him.

Tossing the letters back onto the desk, he stood abruptly and threw the door open, ready to …urge…whoever dared disturb him not to again.

But when he checked, he saw no one there. Not his sister's sons, nor another dwarf, nor an elf or a human. He leered out the doorway hoping to catch sight of someone but he saw nothing. 

“I really am going mad” he muttered aloud as he furrowed his brow, taking one more look before he closed the door. When he turned around he nearly choked at the sight of a raven fluttering to the nearby table. It hopped to the edge offering a letter. 

Recognition dawned on Thorin as he took in the juvenile bird’s form. “Hugin? What in Mahâl’s name-” but he didn’t get to finish his sentence before the young raven cawed excitedly.

“Letter for you, King Thorin called Oakenshield! it’s from Master Bilbo Baggins!” Hugin rasped out loudly. The raven hopped in place before offering the latter again.

Thorin blinked owlishly, it had been some time since he had seen the raven in person, but, it seemed the bird hadn’t changed a bit. Maybe he looked a tab but chubbier, though living with a go bit will do that to one’s body.

Thorin still hadn’t- ‘wait a minute’ his mind called to him, suddenly Thorin felt himself glare at the young raven, he knew the raven knew how the mail system worked, ‘he should not be in the halls, especially while they are still busy.’ He thought.

Such things are dangerous, especially for young ones not used to the bustling “Why are you in the halls of Erebor Hugin?” Thorin demanded, “I know you know better than that lad” Thorin took the letter and offered his hand to the young raven.

Thorin looked the young raven over as he crossed to his desk, “Master Baggins said to deliver this to you!” Hugin croaked when he hopped onto Thorin’s offered hand. “So I came to you!” Hugin finished, looking at Thorin expectantly, turning his head side to side.

“Well, I thank you for such dedication, lad, but next time, send the mail runners. There is a reason we have them, after all,” Thorin gruffed, searching for a treat for the young raven. “I would hate for you to come to harm.”

“But Master Baggins said it was important, to deliver it to you,” Hugin whined. “If I gave it to a mail runner, it would have passed hands before it got to you! Then it wouldn’t have been just for you anymore!” The raven puffed up, snatching the treat from Thorin’s fingers before he could truly offer it and flew away to perch on a bedpost.

Thorin couldn’t stop himself chuckling at the young raven, he opened the letter without hesitation as he sat at his desk, a smile ghosted his face while he scanned the graceful handwriting.

As Thorin read, his smile broadened. “Great minds think alike,” he mused aloud. Rising from his seat, Hugin cawed and followed Thorin as he carefully put the letter away and quickly went to find Balin. There were preparations to be made, after all, his hobbit was coming home.

The coming days stretched into weeks, each one feeling increasingly longer than the last. He often thought about meeting Bilbo halfway, but, to his extreme frustration, Thorin’s duties kept him firmly rooted in Erebor. 

So, Thorin tried focusing on his duties, to distract himself from thoughts of his hobbit. He tried to focus more on his meetings, or whatever paperwork he could find even if it wasn’t his.

Balin was his first victim of paperwork stealing, His adviser had to hunt him down to wrestle the work away. So Thorin turned to Dwalin, the dwarf didn’t have much paperwork to begin with but Thorin started sticking his nose in Dwalins work all the same.

Dwalin hadn’t like that at all, Thorin had begun to fallow him around if he wasn’t in a meeting, it took about a week before Dwalin was yelling at Thorin to piss off. Thorin tries to go to others he knew

Dori caught on quickly; it was only a day before Thorin found himself looking for someone else to distract him. Glóin hadn’t even let him get within five feet. Thorin wondered if Balin or Dwalin told the red headed dwarf what happened with them.

Bombur had let him stand in the entrance of the kitchen, but otherwise left him alone with a “sorry Thorin, I wouldn’t mind you helping, it’s just, well, you’d find a way to burn water.” Bombur's words were truly a blow to his pride. 

Bofur was still in the blue mountains, although a large portion of their population over there had moved to Erebor, they still had mining operations there and Bofur had to check them out now and then seeing as he was the new mining guild master.

Thorin found that Ori didn’t mind his company but, being in the library in his free time began to feel more like a chore then anything, Nori had disappeared 

Thorin hadn’t even gotten one foot in Óin’s office before being picked up and turned around. Thorin decided to go to Dís but, she shooed him away after he started lurking over her shoulder.

He had basically been ran off by everyone he knew, he was begging to take it almost personally when Dís set the boys on him after he complained about needing a decent distraction - not that any of his attempts at distraction seemed to work anyway.

He often found himself recalling the smallest details about his hobbit: the way Bilbo’s eyes sparkled with curiosity and kindness, the soft lilt of his voice when he spoke.

Thorin could almost feel the warmth of his hobbits laughter, warmth that seemed to melt the cold stone walls of Erebor and replace them with the rolling hills and blooming flowers.

Thorin remembered the moments of easing mornings and quiet evenings they shared when he visited. He would lose himself in sweeter memories, moments that seemed so insignificant at the time.

Thorin could still see the way Bilbo worked in his kitchen in Bag End, preparing tea and scones or whichever of the seven meals they were supposed to be eating, as Bilbo hummed a gentle tune that only he seemed to hear.

Thorin found himself truly lost in memories of his hobbit. He could imagine when they would walk side by side, they would discuss whatever they wanted, people would say hello as they passed.

The image brought a smile to Thorin that was quickly replaced by a deep frown when reality struck him once more, Bilbo was not there, and Throin was not in bag end. And they were not strolling through the rolling hills.

How different it all was from the stone halls of Erebor. The shire was a place filled with warmth, laughter, and life. Not that Erebor didn’t have such things, Thorin simply could not enjoy it as he could in the shire.

Sometimes He dared to imagine what it would be like to be a part of that world, to sit beside Bilbo in his cozy armchair by the fire, sharing stories and tea, forgetting the burdens of kingship, if only for a moment.

But these thoughts, though sweet, were also painful. They reminded Thorin of what he could not have, what was not true, he longed for his hobbit for something else that Bilbo always seemed to complete within him.

Of course if the day dreaming of his hobbit wasn’t enough soon, Thorin faced another issue besides incessant thoughts: he began speaking his thoughts aloud and much to his utter embarrassment, this often happened in the presence of others.

On one particularly dreadful morning, as Thorin was forcibly enduring another horrifically long and insufferable meeting, a mail runner burst into the room, cheeks flushed and out of breath.

Ballin whipped his head toward the dwarf that bursted in, closing his mouth as he was about to address Tranquil. Their meeting was concerning the proper shipping routes Dwarfs would take through the forested lands of Mirkwood, not that Thorin was really paying attention.

They sought Thranduil’s agreement for elven escorts through his fowl magical lands, the eleven king had questioned why they needed protection and it had been an uphill battle from there.

Thorin was adamant that it was not because dwarfs needed protection, but because an elf or two to guide the caravans would prove convenient, then Blain promptly told him to shut up and took over from there.

Thorin was glad for the distraction, Balin seemed less so, “What is the meaning of this? We are in a meeting-“ Balin said, he looked to Thorin for help in reprimanding the young lad.

Thorin decided to look the lad over, The lad was clearly young, an apprentice still, if the beads in his hair were to be believed. He had wild red hair. His beard covered his chops and came no farther than a few inches down.

Thorin had to put his hand up to silence the others in the room as they began to speak out and complain. He motioned for the lad to come to him.

The mail runner shook himself from some sort of daze and waved the somewhat crumpled letter and rushed to Thorin immediately handing it to him.

“Ah, can this perhaps-” Thorin tried to say, but he was interrupted by the young dwarf as he shook his head urgently.

The glar that Thorin gave was one that had the lad tripping over what he was trying to say, “’is an emergency, ‘a-‘a letter from Tharkûn,” the lad suddenly seemed to realize how close he was standing to Thorin and took a large step back, his cheeks reddening with embarrassment.

Thorin looked the paper over then decided the distraction of the letter was a welcome one, but he mostly decided to not send the lad away when he realized that Tranduil was the most perturbed by the interruption. Thorin quickly broke the seal.

“I-I, uh, don’t know what’s in the letter, but the elf who brought it looked right panicked,” he stammered, the young Dwarf wrang his hands worriedly as Thorin quickly skimmed through the letter.

Thorin paused as he felt his skin grow clammy. Without a word, he rose from his seat, horror crawled up Thorin’s back, he saw Balin raise an eyebrow before looking off somewhere else. Thorin’s hands began trembling slightly as he reread the letter.

Balin stood and moved toward Thorin. “What is it, lad? Thorin?” Balin asked. Thorin felt eyes bore into him. He glanced at Balin, he had a looks of concern and confusion mixing on his face.

Then Thorin looked at Fíli who had been on his other side, the lad looked up at him. Thorin barely registered the question from his cousin before he was suddenly out the door.

Thorin clutched the letter tightly, as he sprinted down the halls, his footsteps were the only warning other dwarfs had of someone approaching before being almost shoved out of the way by Thorin.

He was scrambling to find Óin. He bounded around the corner and caught the door frame to the head of healer’s office forcing himself to an abrupt stop, he threw the door open. 

Óin had his back turned as he was making salves and balms, the only indication that the dwarf gave to tell Thorin he heard him was a sigh. 

“Lad we have been over this,” Óin’s loud voice suddenly said as the dwarf turned to look at Thorin. “I am busy, and you really shouldn’t be trying to over work yourself if-“

Thorin shook his head desperately “Óin,” Thorin choked out, struggling to push down his panic. “Bilbo is hurt- he’s in Rivendell- He’s refusing all medical treatment from the elves!”

He offered the letter to a surprised Óin. The dwarf took the offending letter and began to read it. Óin stood a little straighter as he did. Thorin rubbed his cheek as Óin read painfully slow.

Silence had settled over them as Throin watched the healer, after a moment Óin stepped closer to Thorin and looked up at him, “What do ya need me to do lad?” Óin asked.

“Please, go to Rivendell. Help Bilbo.” Thorin pleaded, he grabbed Óin’s shoulders and squeezed. “Please.”

Óin nodded “alright, give me less than an hour.” Óin said as he packed.

“I’ll be going with you.” 

“Alright lad, then hurry when I’m done here I’m leaving”

“Right!” Thorin called as he left Óin to pack. Thorin hurried to his chambers, he had several things to do and he didn’t have time to waste. Thorin was glad Hugin had been staying with him in his room instead of raven hill. He really didn’t want to run all the way up there.

Thorin quickly settled himself at his desk and began to write a letter to Tharkûn. Hugin hopped up and landed near the parchment, tilting his head back and forth as if attempting to read it.

“My king, what are you writing?” The raven asked.

Thorin swiftly sealed the letter and offered his arm to the raven. He gazed at Hugin, when he hopped onto the offer arm without hesitation. “This must go to Rivendell- it is of utmost importance, it is for Tharkûn” 

He explained as he left with Hugin from his chambers, almost running down the hall to the nearest balcony. He offered the letter to the raven once there “go hurry!”

Yet Hugin hesitated, croaking out instead “…is, is it bad? What happened?” 

Thorin gave the bird a stern look but softened when Hugin shrunk back, offering what he hoped was a much more pleading glance. “Hugin go, please. It is for Master Baggins, this needs to go to Rivendell.” At that the Raven snatched the letter and the young bird took flight.

Thorin hurried himself back to his chambers, he had to pack quickly, Throin could not find it in himself to allow Bilbo to be alone. He couldn’t.

As he reached his door, it opened, and out came Balin with Dís, Fìli, and Kìli not far behind him. Balin glanced around till he found Thorin, the white haired Dwarf gave him a worried glare and began to take a breath as if to speak, but Dís spoke first.

“Brother, what is going on? What happened? Ballin told me you got a letter from Tharkûn then shot out of the room as if you were on fire.” She asked as soon as she saw him.

“Bilbo has been injured,” Thorin went into his chambers. The group begrudgingly parted to let him pass, his sister’s son followed him closely “I…I do not know the extent of his injuries but-” Thorin gritted his teeth. 

He could not stand the thought of what could be, all of which were linked to one thought ‘he will die.’ Throin shook his head, he would not, no, he refused, to entertain that thought for even a minute more.

Thorin began to gather his things, “I must get to Bilbo, I have to” he mumbled as he grabbed his pack from his wardrobe.

But before he could do much else, someone grabbed his arm, “Uncle?” Fíli’s voice cut through Thorin’s loud thoughts. “What do you mean”

Thorin looked up to the lad. Thorin saw one of the most intense pleading looks he has ever seen on the boy's face. In that moment, Thorin was heavily reminded truly how young his sister's sons were. 

He could remember how he used to help his sister put the two to bed. How Kíli had yet to truly grow into his beard and how he had to hold the youngest when thunder rolled over the blue mountains. He remembered teaching Fili how to properly hold a sword and how he used to read to the oldest till he could read Western on his own.

Yet he was also reminded of how much they have grown during the time in the company, and the journey had begun to shape them. But the battle for the kingdom had stolen something away, that hopeful look both the boys used to wear. Now, Fìli walks with a slight limp and Kíli could never take a full breath even when at rest.

He sighed and looked at the two young dwarfs, Thorin caught the back of Fílis head and knocked their foreheads together gently. “I don’t know, Tharkûn says it to be serious. I am leaving with Óin to-“ Thorin started but Fíli yanked away 

 “-I want to go with you uncle!” Fìli yelled, he reached for his brother and pulled Kíli beside him “we’ll both go”

Kìli nods excitedly. Thorin couldn’t help the sigh that bubbled out of him “Fíli, someone must be here to watch out for our people, and you are to become king one day so it must be-” Thorin started but Kìli interrupted.

The boy puffed up his chest a bit, he glared at Thorin. “Uncle, what was the point of establishing a- uh, -council if-“ Kìli was nearly yelling, Dis stopped him as she placed a hand on his shoulder.

“Hush now, please, peace.” Dis said softly to her son before making her way to Thorin and glaring at him “Brother,” her tone alone was nearly enough to make Thorin want to back down “I will be here and Balin will be with me. This mountain is as much my place as it is yours and my sons’”

Balin nodded and stepped up beside Dis, “Thorin, you established the council for a moment like this, 'in a way that if need or problems arise, the king can temporarily take leave.' This is what it was made for, we will keep Erebor from falling while yer away lad.” 

Thorin looked at the two in front of him, he felt his resolve brake as he signed “…hurry and get packed then” he knew it was impossible to argue with them.

Fíli grins and nods quickly running off, Balin looked at Thorin and put a hand on his shoulder

“Keep me updated on Bilbo once you get there.” Balin told him, though he looked normal, Throin saw the worry in his eyes.

Throin nodded “You have my word” he looked to his sister. “And, I expect reports when I get to Rivendell.”

Dis rolled her eyes and huffed “we’ll leave you to pack.” Was all she told him

And with that they left, as Thorin expected word of what had happened had spread like wild wildfire, as few more dwarfs suddenly seemed insistent on joining Thorin and his sister’s sons.

They had approached Thorin when he was preparing his pony, the boys were running behind and he was nearly ready to leave them having watched Óin already leave.

The stable wasn’t all that far outside the mountain’s gates, seeing as ponies and goats didn’t much like being keep inside the mountain, it was mostly just an open pin with a large building at the entrance to allow Dwarfs or animals through. 

Thorin was hastily securing his gear to his pony. He kept checking the Stables entrance waiting for his Sister’s sons to appear. The only thing keeping him calm was the clinking of the metal stirs and the occasional snort of a pony.

When the large doors of the stables creaked open some more, Throin had sighed in relief but it sank as Dwalin strode in, his boots thudding against the straw-covered floor. Nori trailed closely behind, a pack slung over his shoulder. Thorin raised an eyebrow in confusion as Dwalin approached.

“Dwalin?” Thorin tried to keep his voice steady. ‘Had something horrible happened? Was there another letter?’ he couldn’t keep the worry in at that thought “Has something happened?”

Dwalin had stopped not far from him, the warrior crossed his arms, his face pulling into almost glare. “I’m coming with you,” Dwalin said, his tone leaving little room for argument.

Nori stepped forward, adjusting the pack on his shoulder. “Me too,” Nori said. He looked the guard over a second before he crossed his arms too. 

Thorin’s gaze shifted between the two. He sighed, ‘even if I say no, they will most likely fallow anyway’ and He knew better than to argue with Dwalin when he gets a idea in his head, and Nori would tell Dis he was being difficult again and that’s a whole different problem he didn’t have time for.

“Fine,” Thorin sighed. “But hurry and pack. If you’re not ready, I will leave without you.”

Dwalin nodded and left the Stables, Nori went to find his own pony to saddle, and it happened to be the pony closest to Thorin.

“Did Gandalf say anything about Bilbo or was it that he was only hurt?” Nori asked.

“He’s dangerously hurt, that's all he said, Óin is already on his way” Throin says as he looked up to Nori, the spymaster nodded. After a moment Throin decided to ask “Did Dis send you?” 

Silence filled the stables. Thorin pulled a strap down tighter, his sister was always such a worrywort over what he’s doing and her son’s safety.

He wasn’t surprised when Nori nodded, Dis has sent him after Thorin before. “Aye, she’s worried for you ya know?” Nori said and Thorin paused.

“Yes I know.” Thorin mumbled, With that a more comforting silence fell between them as the two Dwarfs readied their Ponies. 

By the time the small company had gathered and readied their ponies, it was well past when Thorin had intended to depart. ‘Óin must be miles ahead by now,’ Thorin thought as frustration began to bubble up.

Fíli and Kíli at least had to decency to look sorry and embarrassed for taking so long to gather everything, speaking of-

He glanced behind him, the two brothers were saddled in the middle of the group, Fíli was currently digging through Kíli’s bag- the brown haired boy seemed to not notice what his older brother was doing.

Thorin rolled his eyes then looked away to the trail in front of him again, ‘Maybe we can push a little faster’ Thorin thought. 

A shout drew his eyes right back behind him, he watched as Fíli held something away from Kíli to the point where the two were nearly tumbling off their ponies.

Thorin heard a small chuckle and looked to Dwalin, who was riding beside him. Dwalin had a slight smile on his face as Fíli and Kíli caused a ruckus.

Nori, who was in the back behind the two, seemingly got fed up, as Thorin heard two wacks and identical whines of pain behind him.

Nori trotted his pony up beside Dwalin, both Dwarfs shared a look before amused grins found their faces. Thorin shook his head. Dwalin looked at him and chuckled before shrugging.

‘At least someone finds this amusing-‘ Thorin thought as Dwalin and Nori shared a quiet chat. Thorin cleared his throat to get their attention. Both older dwarfs looked at him.

He opened his mouth to say something but then the sounds of his sister’s sons shouting and roughhousing again sucked the words from his mouth. He was not in the mood for their antics.

he clicked his tongue before grumbling. “This is going to be the longest trip in my entire life” and Nori smiled at him.

Thorin spurred his pony into a trot, pulling ahead of the company in a vain attempt to distance himself from the commotion at the back. 

They had days of travel ahead of them, and he would rather avoid a headache for as long as possible.

By the time the noise of the boys had finally faded into a quiet murmur, they had reached the edges of Mirkwood. 

They had been walking the edges of for a while in search of an entry point, and as the sun dipped toward the horizon, casting long shadows over the land and the dark forest seemed to try and swallow them.

When they found one, Thorin glared into the darkness of the entry, the sun’s rays where being swallowed whole by the cursed trees and twisted branches. 

Thorin looked behind him to the rest of his small group and then back to the entrance of the canopy laced with foul intent. ‘This may not end well’ Thorin thought he took a deep breath and swung himself from his poney.

‘Still, we cannot use the common entrance. That is a few days farther and this will cut our time down-if I remember correctly anyway.’ He thought

“We’ll camp here tonight, Fíli, Kíli gather wood for a fire. Nori, handle the ponies and Dwalin, you'll take the first watch.” Thorin called.

“Aww! But uncle!” Kíli wined “Don’t make us do the boring stuff!” 

Throin looked at Kíli and raised his brow, “Do as I say,” Throin crossed his arms and pointed at Kíli “and be careful. We are on the elf’s land, there is no telling what tricks they might pull.” Throin grumbled 

Throin turned away as he helped Nori unpack the necessities off the ponies. Throin was fed up with eleven everything- he’d be lucky to never have to see one again, “Uncle.” He heard Fíli sigh.

“That is enough both of you, we camp here! You will do your job Kíli! you and Fíli were not brought along for leisure,” Thorin snapped at the princelings, he was done with the discussion. 

He did not care for the elves, in fact he thought he made that obviously clear. “We keep our guard up,” Thorin glared at Kíli, “and we don’t fall for any of their-“ he gestured around then into the forest “tricks.” 

Thorin did not understand why his sister’s sons insisted that there was nothing wrong with elves, not even his hobbit seemed to trust the leafheaded idiots.

“Tricks- uncle don’t be so unreasonable!” Kíli crossed his arms.

Throin looked over at Kíli, he marched himself as spoke “Unreasonable? I am being unreasonable.” Thorin glared down at the boy.

“Yes!” Kíli cried before poking Thorin in the chest “You were the one to begin fostering the alliance between our peoples!” Kíli threw his hands up as he yelled. “Why do that if you do not trust them!?”

“Kíli, alliance does not mean trust, it means that we can not try and kill each other. You know I do not trust those creatures” Thorin raised his voice, “I believe you are getting to big for your boots, do I need to send you home?”

Kíli yelled out in frustration and whipped around as if looking to punch something, Fíli took a step beside his brother and placed a hand on his shoulder “I am sure what he meant was that it seems strange…”

Kíli glared at his brother “ strange!? Strange is an understatement!” He glared at his uncle again “it’s stupid! You act as if they wish to steal something!

“They would, mark my words, if they had a chance they would steal everything” Thorin crossed his arms “what they want is information, If there’s one thing an elf likes more than tricks or prancing around their woods, it’s meddling in affairs that are none of their concern.”

“Aye” Dwalin said before he nodded out into the darkness of woodlands beside them, “I wouldn’t put it past them to be watching us right now, their sharp ears pressed against the wind, waiting to hear our every word,” he grumbled

Kíli rolled his eyes, he was dragged away by his brother “it’s not worth it Kee, you know how uncle is…” Thorin her Fíli wisper to his younger brother. 

Throin looked into the darkness of the forest and huffed, Dwalin was right they definitely could be. Dwalin patted Thorin on the back roughly as he trotted off to find where to take first watch.

‘That boy,’ Thorin thought, shaking his head, ‘he knows nothing.’ Throin casted a look across camp now as Nori patted the princeling’s shoulder. Soon the boys left to find something for a small fire.

Soon, Throin found himself lost in other thoughts ‘Óin must be farther ahead he would have used this same path, it’s the fastest way to the mountain pass’

‘It’s the same one we were meant to-‘ Thorin’s thoughts were interrupted as an uneasy feeling began to crawl up his back, he looked around, it felt as if eyes were burning into him. 

But all he saw when he looked was Fíli and Kíli coming back from finding wood, Fíli was basically carrying it all and Kíli looked upset still while he talked with his brother.

Thorin looked around so more hoping to see what could have possibly made him feel that way, the eyes, felt evil and like a sickness, he saw Dwalin talking with Nori as he took care of the ponies. Nothing really out of the ordinary 

Thorin leaned back against a tree, his eyes scanning the darkening forest once more. Suddenly he remembered something and furrowed his brow ‘aren't there supposed to be elves posted at all entrances of Mirkwood?’ Thorin asked himself, ‘if that’s true then why had non-’

Thorin snapped his attention back at the group when a yelp came to his ears, Fíli and Kíli, were now wrestling each other over- well, something. Fíli had a large grin on his face and Kíli seemed less upset then before.

The two were rolling around b the floor- Fíli kicked Kíli away and scrambled up to run, he only got to steps before getting tackled. 

“Master Dwalin!-ow! Tell Fíli it’s my dagger!-hey!“ Kíli whines as he kicks his brother in the face and pulls at the sheathed blade in Fíli’s hands

“Ow- ugh! -Master Dwalin! tell Kíli he doesn’t even appreciate the art of blades-Ow! Kíli!” Fíli yelped before he got an elbow to the face.

The two boys began to whines to Dwalin much to Dwalin’s misfortune. Nori chuckled but covered his mouth when Dwalin glared down at him-

Kíli held his dagger up in victory and tried to run away leaving his brother sprawled on the floor but suddenly his brother had him by the foot and yanked him back down. The two continued their roughhousing.

Dwalin pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed- loudly, he looked at Thorin as if to ask for help. A small smile tugged at Thorin’s lips he shrugged and looked away. 

The next morning, after a quick breakfast that made Thorin wish he dragged Bomber along, the company packed up what little they had gotten out, and began the trek through the horrible wood.

The forest shadows creeped and crawled along the sides of the path- Thorin swore he saw large shiny eyes watching him from the shadows.

The area smelled of stale water and was thick with unpleasantness. Much like Thorin remembers from the last time he went through the territory.

When they passed an area Thorin was certain was definitely supposed to have Elves posted, he stopped his small company. 

“There are supposed to be elves here…right?” Thorin mumbled, he looked to Dwalin who nodded in agreement.

Dwalin began digging through his pack quickly, Kíli sat up straighter before looking around, Fíli followed him before furrowing his brow “Really uncle?-” Fíli asked.

Kíli continued for his brother. “-I don’t see any.” The two looked at Thorin expectedly

“Aye, That’s the problem, do you think we’re on the right path?” Nori asked as Dwalin kept looking in his bag.

“For our sake I hope so” Dwalin muttered and pulled out an old map. He began to look over it.

Thorin shifted in his saddle. ‘Have I led them astray yet again? Perhaps it is not too late to send the boys away’ Thorin thought to himself.

“Oh man I knew we shouldn’t have let Uncle lead!” Kíli whined.

Fíli nodded solemnly before speaking “you know he always gets lost” Fíli grinned like a cat  before adding “he gets lost on his way to the throne room!”

Kíli snickers and nodded in agreement “He’s gotten lost on the way to the kitchen!” Kíli tried to sound serious as he spoke, Kíli felt the need to continue. “It’s like the third biggest room if you don’t count the ballroom!”

Thorin felt his cheeks get a little warm as the two kept pointing out times Thorin had gotten himself turned around. Thankfully, Nori saw mercy for the directionally challenged king.

“Hush you two, if we’re on the wrong path, your whining will get us killed” Nori said and that had the boys snapping their mouths shut.

Dwalin shook his head and groaned “this map doesn’t make any sense, some of these roads don’t exist anymore.” Dwalin huffed and shoved the map away back into his pack.

“Are we lost?” Fíli asked, Thorin opened his mouth to calm the young boy, but was interrupted.

“I’m too handsome to die yet uncle!” Kíli quite basically wailed.

“That’s pushing it Kíli, i don’t know about handsome- sill only got scruff brother.” Fíli said and yanked on one of Kíli’s braids.

“Hey!” Kíli whines.

Thorin grits his teeth as his temper tried to flare, ‘this is no joke, they are acting as if this is something to joke about’ his mind droned angrily, he whipped around and glared at the two as they kept bickering.

“Enough! We’re going to follow this path.” Thorin yelled over the two young dwarfs. The boys blinked owlishly at him, the glare never left his face as everyone looked at him now. After a beat he continued, “it has to lead somewhere and hopefully it’s the other side of the wood”

The others nodded and Thorin allowed Dwalin to lead as he fell to the back of the group. All Throin could truly do now was hope

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

Oh no, what’s this? I left you on a clog hanger, don’t worry you didn’t wait all this time just for this, I have a chapter 4, 5, and 6, this is just what I’ve finished editing for now. Tell me if I missed something during editing. Btw I’m gonna keep tagging the people I tagged last time and I will continue to do so till asked not to.

@m4yh4ps @bllbabaggins

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

Jesse Duquette :: @JRDuquette :: Of Inhuman Bandage

* * * *

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

July 31, 2024

Heather Cox Richardson

Aug 01, 2024

Yesterday, from a Harris campaign event in Atlanta, Georgia, Atlanta reporter Tariro Mzezewa noted that the crowd of 10,000 people “was ecstatic. There was chanting, cheering, singing, and dancing for hours in the lead-up to and throughout the event,” Mzezewa wrote today in Slate. 

Mzezewa reported that rapper Megan Thee Stallion told the audience “I know my ladies in the crowd love their body. And if you want to keep loving your body, you know who to vote for,” before performing her hit “Body.” Georgia Democratic politicians showed up in force: voting rights advocate and former state representative Stacey Abrams, senators Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff, state Democratic Party chair Representative  Nikema Williams, and Atlanta mayor Andre Dickens. 

“What you’re seeing is very real,” Mzezewa wrote, and she quoted an attendee who said: “it’s nice to witness history, but getting to be a part of it from the ground up is a whole other level.” Certainly, the grassroots enthusiasm for Harris’s presidential candidacy is palpable. More and more self-identified groups are launching fundraising calls for Harris; yesterday the Latter-day Saints for Harris—Mormons—announced that they, too, are “putting [their] shoulders to the wheel!” Today the executive board of the United Auto Workers also endorsed Harris.

At last night’s event, Vice President Harris noted that Trump has pulled out of the September debate to which he had previously agreed. “Here’s the funny thing about that,” she said. “He won’t debate, but he and his running mate sure seem to have a lot to say about me,” After hitting the campaign’s refrain that marks MAGA Republican behavior as “weird,” she added to applause: “Well, Donald, I do hope you’ll reconsider to meet me on the debate stage because, as the saying goes, if you’ve got something to say, say it to my face.”

Trump did not say it to her face, but today he unloaded spectacularly on three Black female interviewers at a meeting of the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) in Chicago.

When ABC News senior congressional correspondent Rachel Scott began the interview by quoting a number of his racist statements about Black Americans and asking why, given that history, Black voters should trust him, he lost it. “I don’t think I’ve ever been asked a question in such a horrible manner,” he began. “You don’t even say ‘Hello, how are you?’ Are you with ABC? Because I think they’re a fake news network, a terrible network.” 

He went on to try to dominate Scott, listing the policies he claimed to have put into place, and to attack the people who organized the event before saying, “I have been the best president for the Black population since Abraham Lincoln. That’s my answer….  And for you to start off a question and answer period…in such a hostile manner, I think it’s a disgrace.”   

As the session began, so it continued, with Trump questioning Harris’s Black identity—while also mispronouncing her name—and warning the attendees that they need “to stop people from invading our country that are…taking Black jobs.” NBC News correspondent Yamiche Alcindor told MSNBC that during the interview, “people were stunned, people were gasping, there were some people who were shouting back at him saying ‘That's a lie!’” Attendees laughed and jeered at Trump throughout the 37-minute session; his handlers made him leave early. 

Scott accurately summed up Trump’s long history of racism, but lately he has been advertising it. In an interview with Fox News Channel personality Laura Ingraham aired last night, Trump said that Harris would be “like a play toy” for world leaders. “They look at her and they say we can’t believe we got so lucky. They’re gonna walk all over her.” “I don’t want to say as to why,” he said to the camera, “but a lot of people understand it.”

It is unlikely that his insults and naked racism will appeal to anyone but his base, making his performance, as Jessica Tarlov put it on the Fox News Channel, “a complete, absolute dumpster fire.” It is possible that Trump has lost the ability to read a room and reassure his audience that he’s a good bet. But it is also possible that Trump cannot bear to see the enthusiasm building behind Harris, not only because of its electoral meaning, but also because it reveals how small his own following is and how much people loathe him.  

Aaron Rupar of Public Notice, who produces wonderful video threads of important events, “put together an 11-minute supercut of Trump angrily self-immolating at the NABJ before his handlers pulled him from the stage.” 

Josh Marshall of Talking Points Memo analyzed Trump’s meltdown in Chicago this way: “I think we’re getting the first view of imploding Donald Trump as he realizes that what was his for the taking ten days ago is slipping away and he’s likely to go to prison rather than the White House. He [is] being dominated and humiliated by Harris and he’s losing it.” His post after the interview, in which he boasted “[t]he questions were Rude and Nasty, often in the form of a statement, but we CRUSHED IT!” seemed an attempt to reassert his old pattern of simply declaring things to be true that…aren’t. 

Indeed, one of Trump’s answers to the journalists in Chicago revealed that he cares only about getting elected, rather than governing. It also suggested that his camp is trying to reassure him that his pick of Ohio senator J.D. Vance to be his running mate will not hurt their chances, even as more and more videos of Vance attacking women become public and as he is historically bad in front of television cameras.

Vance has only 18 months of experience in elected office, making him one of the least qualified candidates for vice president in U.S. history. When asked if Vance would be ready “on day one,” to assume the duties of the presidency if necessary, Trump answered a different question altogether, revealing what is uppermost in his mind. “I’ve always had great respect for him…but…historically, the vice president in terms of the election does not have any impact, I mean, virtually no impact. You have two or three days where there’s a lot of commotion…and then that dies down and it’s all about the presidential thing. Virtually never has it mattered…. Historically, the choice of a vice president makes no difference.”   

The Harris campaign responded to Trump’s performance by saying: "The hostility Donald Trump showed on stage today is the same hostility he has shown throughout his life, throughout his term in office, and throughout his campaign for president as he seeks to regain power and inflict his harmful Project 2025 agenda on the American people…. Today's tirade is simply a taste of the chaos and division that has been a hallmark of Trump's MAGA rallies this entire campaign,” while “Vice President Harris offers a vision of opportunity and freedom for all Americans.” 

It urged Trump again to “stop playing games and actually show up to the debate on September 10."

Trump’s petulant fury at the Black journalists today suggests just how dangerous it would be to put him in control of the nation’s law enforcement and military capabilities a second time. We were given a glimpse of how eager he was to turn those capabilities against American citizens in his first term when the Department of Justice today released the report of the department’s inspector general concerning the Trump administration’s response to the Black Lives Matter protests in Washington, D.C., in summer 2020.

The authors of the report emphasized that they were unable to compel the testimony of officials including then–attorney general William Barr, his chief of staff William Levi, FBI deputy director David Bowdich, and FBI Washington Field Office assistant director in charge Timothy Slater. 

But what they were able to put together even without their information was that, although the protests were largely peaceful, Trump was desperate to get 2,000 federal officers into the area around the White House on June 1, 2020, to increase federal control of the city. To the frustration of the people in charge of the agencies, he could not articulate a mission, only that he wanted 2,000 people around him. With only about 90 officers from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, the Bureau of Prisons, and the U.S. Marshals Service on hand early on the morning of June 1, Barr told a conference call with Justice Department leadership that  Trump wanted “max strength” on the streets, and to “dominate the streets.” 

Trump then echoed that language in a call with the nation’s governors, saying, “If you don’t dominate your city and your state, they’re [going to] walk away with you. And we’re doing it in Washington, in D.C., we’re going to do something that people haven’t seen before. But you’re going to have total domination.”

Then, the report says, the administration began to prepare to invoke the Insurrection Act, an 1807 law that authorizes the president to deploy the U.S. military and federalized National Guard troops within the United States to suppress civil disorder, insurrection, or rebellion. At 4:48 that evening, lawyers from the Office of Legal Counsel, who advise the president, received an email that the president was going to address the nation at 6:00 and that a proclamation invoking the Insurrection Act should be “ready for signing” before then.

Shortly after, additional officers from the Bureau of Prisons—without names on their uniforms because they do not usually wear them, if you remember the concern over those nameless uniforms—arrived at the White House. Barr was in charge of clearing the streets, and ultimately, by about 9:00 he felt things were calm enough that he advised Trump against invoking the Insurrection Act. 

But it was evidently a close thing.

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

[leporellian]

Every dog has his day.

Carlos Vargas was never supposed to exist, and for the first two years of his life it was as though he never did. The product of alcohol, boredom, and his father’s wandering eye; Carlos was initially cared for by his mother and was only turned over to Martin Vargas once she no longer had the means to raise the boy. The discovery of the affair child damaged Martin’s reputation, but at least in this regard Martin tried not to hold that against his son (although when he got heated, blame would slip out). 

But what Martin did hold against Carlos was that he was half-Mexican via his mother’s side. To Martin it was a great kindness to let Carlos keep his birth name and know what he was, but beyond that Martin was often quite racist towards his own son, blaming his son’s failures on his “other side” and palpably caring about his fully-European daughter Lenore more than him. This abuse led to Carlos developing a complex of always, always needing to prove himself to his father no matter what- as well as a load of resentment towards his sister. Carlos shuns his identity in an effort to appeal and be as “good” as he can, although it leads to him always feeling a bit out of place to some extent or another. While he doesn’t hate Lenore per se, he sees her as squandering the opportunity that he should have had, and that he should be in her position and would do a much better job with the family reputation.

Strangely, Carlos does not look down upon his father- from the way he speaks about him, you’d think the man was God. Every abuse and transgression is justified- Carlos is certain that all the wrongs he went through will be justified and meaningful at the end of the day.

Near the end of Martin’s life, he and Carlos were actually on somewhat good terms with one another; Martin had promoted Carlos to being a minor executive in the Calatrava Rail Company, and Carlos thought that this meant he would soon finally get the chance to win his father over. But then when Martin was shot out of the blue by Lenore’s would-be eloper, Carlos had many reactions. Sharp grief for the father he never got to please. Fury towards his sister, whom he saw as personally responsible. Panic over the lingering questions that he doesn’t want to face. And most of all, a burning need to avenge his father by killing his murderer. 

Carlos sees vengeance as his grand destiny and fashions Alvaro, said murderer, into his mortal enemy that he must vanquish in order to finally prove himself once and for all. The world is a righteous revenge plot and Carlos just happens to be its protagonist; Alvaro’s judge, his jury and his executioner. Sure, he never actually knew the man prior to his declaration of vengeance, but he knows enough about the outlaw Peruvian to despise him. (If Carlos were perhaps more self-aware, he’d realize he describes Alvaro the exact same way he describes himself at his most self-loathing…) And as Carlos realizes who Alvaro is, and how Alvaro feels about his own identity- questions are raised that Carlos is too busy raising his pistol to answer to.

[themaeve]

AHHHHH! Memoire 61.5 of the Case Study of Vanitas just dropped! I'm loving everything about where we are going with this dham arc!

We are finally getting more on the whole business with where dhampirs stand in this society. Feared by humans as being too close to vampires, looked down on and at one point hunted(!) by vampires. And wow are the Count's people prejudiced as fuck. The only reason Dhampirs have "the right to exist" is because they are under the eccentric Marquis Machina's protection.

Watching Johann and Riche broke my heart this chapter. The way they both reached for their glasses when it was mentioned how dhams are revealed by their eyes. Riche was visibly scared the entire time and Johann was trying his best to comfort her. It really characterizes Dante, the member of the Dham trio who doesn't wear glasses, and is also almost always the most loud and proud of the three. Dante doesn't give a single fuck to "hide" his eyes.

Bless Noe, calling bullshit on everyone with "Isn't it just less confusing to just call people by their name?" Love that man so much. Vanitas stifling his laughter at Noe's wholesome honesty. Perfect.

I also really appreciate Domi's bits this chapter. My girl thinks she is so progressive with her whole "Being prejudiced in this day and age? How unattractive." And then only minutes later getting somewhat called out by Noe for never even learning Dante's name. Domi learning that she ain't above being prejudiced and that she needs to do better. Not being outwardly hateful is the bare fucking minimum. I love that last panel of her, that mix of embarrassment, panic, and palpable shame she feels with herself. The way she got really quiet and shut down. It hurt to watch in a good way. I've been there Domi. You gotta collect yourself, learn from your mistakes, identify and overcome your personal biases. Don't fall back into more self-hatred, you can do it girl! God I love her so much.

Also, I love that last panel of pissed off Dante! Dude is so over this conversation. Staring daggers at Noe like "Is this some kind of fucking White Knight routine of yours or are you genuinely this naive and friendly?" Good sir I eagerly await your angry rant next chapter. Fucking go off my dude.

This chapter had so much emotion from everyone. Hate, anger, fear, shame, love. All of it on display. As much as I have really started to hate the "fantasy racism" cliche, I'll give this one credit for some realism in displays of prejudice and the subtle effects it has on its targets. While I don't have experience being the target of racist prejudice, I do have experience being the target of queerphobic prejudice. The dhams really hit with me, especially the lines calling them "half-formed things, neither fish nor fowl." Like, yep I'm trans and non-binary, I've heard and seen that type of shit said before.

The way Riche and Johann reached instinctively for their glasses when it was mentioned how the uncontrollable gold flashes of their eyes give them away to humans. I felt that, being "revealed" by features of your body and being instinctually self conscious about them. Trying to hide the things that "give you away". I still remember when Jeanne was trying to figure out if Johann was human or vampire, watching the anime, hearing the tired and thorny contempt in Johann's voice with the delivery of "Nope, I'm a dham." Shivers. Same fucking energy of delivering "I'm nonbinary" to random people for fuckteenth flippin time watching the fucking look in their eye change as they realize what I am. Then, Johann catches himself after saying it, realizing Jeanne didn't mean any offense, that his tone was too prickly. She just genuinely didn't know. You can feel how Johann is always on guard. Always having to be prepared for people who think he doesn't have "the right to exist." I felt that.

I'm optimistic for how the story handles this arc. I'm praying it's good and doesn't fall for the problematic elements of "fantasy racism" tropes. The way this chapter handled Domi makes me hopeful. That and anymore material we get on Dante, Johann, and Riche is a win in my book.

[metamatar]

this letter signed by several of the luminaries of the modern left in the west actually manages to undercut any point it wants to make immediately lol.

Israel/Palestine has become the central morality drama for much of the contemporary left, in a way that South Africa was for many in a previous generation. [...]

At the same time, both mainstream and leftist media outlets pay vastly more attention to Palestine/Israel than to Syria, Kurdistan, Sudan, Ethiopia, the DRC, Sri Lanka, Myanmar or any number of other global flashpoints in which militarist states (or non-state actors) oppress national and ethnic minorities, or carry out massacres.

omg why don't you care about other things instead of this conflict where all of the western world is offering multi billion dollar aid packages to an occupying rogue state that murders un workers and children? you should actually not be galvanized by the unique ways in which solidarity with palestinians and participating in bds can lose you your job and is criminalised? ofc israel palestine its central to the western left

gaza's bombardment is urgent, violent, immediately palpable due to the years of work palestinian journos and activists have put in this awful whataboutism is genuinely such an ugly urge.

Much of the left has turned potentially useful concepts like “settler-colonialism” from tools of analysis into substitutes for analysis. Applying these labels in a simplistic way allows activists to avoid a confrontation with complexity. The historical internal diversity of Zionism, its ambivalent relationship with various imperialisms, and the different stories of displacements that drove Jewish migration to Israel from various countries are often little understood.

The process of Israeli Jewish national formation included settler colonisation that saw large numbers of existing inhabitants displaced, including via war crimes and expulsions. It was also a process of a desperate flight by people who had themselves been victims of racist violence and attempted extermination. The Palestinians are, in Edward Said’s phrase, “the victims of the victims and the refugees of the refugees.” Israeli Jews are far from unique in having consolidated themselves as a nation, and founded a state, on a basis that included violent dispossession of a territory’s existing inhabitants.

is this diverse zionism in the room with us right now?

Jews everywhere – who are often tied in multiple ways to people and places in Israel – feel under attack when Israelis in general are targeted.

lol. this is antisemitic dual loyalty bullshit.

[misfitwashere]

July 31, 2024

Heather Cox Richardson

Aug 01, 2024

Yesterday, from a Harris campaign event in Atlanta, Georgia, Atlanta reporter Tariro Mzezewa noted that the crowd of 10,000 people “was ecstatic. There was chanting, cheering, singing, and dancing for hours in the lead-up to and throughout the event,” Mzezewa wrote today in Slate. 

Mzezewa reported that rapper Megan Thee Stallion told the audience “I know my ladies in the crowd love their body. And if you want to keep loving your body, you know who to vote for,” before performing her hit “Body.” Georgia Democratic politicians showed up in force: voting rights advocate and former state representative Stacey Abrams, senators Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff, state Democratic Party chair Representative  Nikema Williams, and Atlanta mayor Andre Dickens. 

“What you’re seeing is very real,” Mzezewa wrote, and she quoted an attendee who said: “it’s nice to witness history, but getting to be a part of it from the ground up is a whole other level.” Certainly, the grassroots enthusiasm for Harris’s presidential candidacy is palpable. More and more self-identified groups are launching fundraising calls for Harris; yesterday the Latter-day Saints for Harris—Mormons—announced that they, too, are “putting [their] shoulders to the wheel!” Today the executive board of the United Auto Workers also endorsed Harris.

At last night’s event, Vice President Harris noted that Trump has pulled out of the September debate to which he had previously agreed. “Here’s the funny thing about that,” she said. “He won’t debate, but he and his running mate sure seem to have a lot to say about me,” After hitting the campaign’s refrain that marks MAGA Republican behavior as “weird,” she added to applause: “Well, Donald, I do hope you’ll reconsider to meet me on the debate stage because, as the saying goes, if you’ve got something to say, say it to my face.”

Trump did not say it to her face, but today he unloaded spectacularly on three Black female interviewers at a meeting of the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) in Chicago.

When ABC News senior congressional correspondent Rachel Scott began the interview by quoting a number of his racist statements about Black Americans and asking why, given that history, Black voters should trust him, he lost it. “I don’t think I’ve ever been asked a question in such a horrible manner,” he began. “You don’t even say ‘Hello, how are you?’ Are you with ABC? Because I think they’re a fake news network, a terrible network.” 

He went on to try to dominate Scott, listing the policies he claimed to have put into place, and to attack the people who organized the event before saying, “I have been the best president for the Black population since Abraham Lincoln. That’s my answer….  And for you to start off a question and answer period…in such a hostile manner, I think it’s a disgrace.”   

As the session began, so it continued, with Trump questioning Harris’s Black identity—while also mispronouncing her name—and warning the attendees that they need “to stop people from invading our country that are…taking Black jobs.” NBC News correspondent Yamiche Alcindor told MSNBC that during the interview, “people were stunned, people were gasping, there were some people who were shouting back at him saying ‘That's a lie!’” Attendees laughed and jeered at Trump throughout the 37-minute session; his handlers made him leave early. 

Scott accurately summed up Trump’s long history of racism, but lately he has been advertising it. In an interview with Fox News Channel personality Laura Ingraham aired last night, Trump said that Harris would be “like a play toy” for world leaders. “They look at her and they say we can’t believe we got so lucky. They’re gonna walk all over her.” “I don’t want to say as to why,” he said to the camera, “but a lot of people understand it.”

It is unlikely that his insults and naked racism will appeal to anyone but his base, making his performance, as Jessica Tarlov put it on the Fox News Channel, “a complete, absolute dumpster fire.” It is possible that Trump has lost the ability to read a room and reassure his audience that he’s a good bet. But it is also possible that Trump cannot bear to see the enthusiasm building behind Harris, not only because of its electoral meaning, but also because it reveals how small his own following is and how much people loathe him.  

Aaron Rupar of Public Notice, who produces wonderful video threads of important events, “put together an 11-minute supercut of Trump angrily self-immolating at the NABJ before his handlers pulled him from the stage.” 

Josh Marshall of Talking Points Memo analyzed Trump’s meltdown in Chicago this way: “I think we’re getting the first view of imploding Donald Trump as he realizes that what was his for the taking ten days ago is slipping away and he’s likely to go to prison rather than the White House. He [is] being dominated and humiliated by Harris and he’s losing it.” His post after the interview, in which he boasted “[t]he questions were Rude and Nasty, often in the form of a statement, but we CRUSHED IT!” seemed an attempt to reassert his old pattern of simply declaring things to be true that…aren’t. 

Indeed, one of Trump’s answers to the journalists in Chicago revealed that he cares only about getting elected, rather than governing. It also suggested that his camp is trying to reassure him that his pick of Ohio senator J.D. Vance to be his running mate will not hurt their chances, even as more and more videos of Vance attacking women become public and as he is historically bad in front of television cameras.

Vance has only 18 months of experience in elected office, making him one of the least qualified candidates for vice president in U.S. history. When asked if Vance would be ready “on day one,” to assume the duties of the presidency if necessary, Trump answered a different question altogether, revealing what is uppermost in his mind. “I’ve always had great respect for him…but…historically, the vice president in terms of the election does not have any impact, I mean, virtually no impact. You have two or three days where there’s a lot of commotion…and then that dies down and it’s all about the presidential thing. Virtually never has it mattered…. Historically, the choice of a vice president makes no difference.”   

The Harris campaign responded to Trump’s performance by saying: "The hostility Donald Trump showed on stage today is the same hostility he has shown throughout his life, throughout his term in office, and throughout his campaign for president as he seeks to regain power and inflict his harmful Project 2025 agenda on the American people…. Today's tirade is simply a taste of the chaos and division that has been a hallmark of Trump's MAGA rallies this entire campaign,” while “Vice President Harris offers a vision of opportunity and freedom for all Americans.” 

It urged Trump again to “stop playing games and actually show up to the debate on September 10."

Trump’s petulant fury at the Black journalists today suggests just how dangerous it would be to put him in control of the nation’s law enforcement and military capabilities a second time. We were given a glimpse of how eager he was to turn those capabilities against American citizens in his first term when the Department of Justice today released the report of the department’s inspector general concerning the Trump administration’s response to the Black Lives Matter protests in Washington, D.C., in summer 2020.

The authors of the report emphasized that they were unable to compel the testimony of officials including then–attorney general William Barr, his chief of staff William Levi, FBI deputy director David Bowdich, and FBI Washington Field Office assistant director in charge Timothy Slater. 

But what they were able to put together even without their information was that, although the protests were largely peaceful, Trump was desperate to get 2,000 federal officers into the area around the White House on June 1, 2020, to increase federal control of the city. To the frustration of the people in charge of the agencies, he could not articulate a mission, only that he wanted 2,000 people around him. With only about 90 officers from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, the Bureau of Prisons, and the U.S. Marshals Service on hand early on the morning of June 1, Barr told a conference call with Justice Department leadership that  Trump wanted “max strength” on the streets, and to “dominate the streets.” 

Trump then echoed that language in a call with the nation’s governors, saying, “If you don’t dominate your city and your state, they’re [going to] walk away with you. And we’re doing it in Washington, in D.C., we’re going to do something that people haven’t seen before. But you’re going to have total domination.”

Then, the report says, the administration began to prepare to invoke the Insurrection Act, an 1807 law that authorizes the president to deploy the U.S. military and federalized National Guard troops within the United States to suppress civil disorder, insurrection, or rebellion. At 4:48 that evening, lawyers from the Office of Legal Counsel, who advise the president, received an email that the president was going to address the nation at 6:00 and that a proclamation invoking the Insurrection Act should be “ready for signing” before then.

Shortly after, additional officers from the Bureau of Prisons—without names on their uniforms because they do not usually wear them, if you remember the concern over those nameless uniforms—arrived at the White House. Barr was in charge of clearing the streets, and ultimately, by about 9:00 he felt things were calm enough that he advised Trump against invoking the Insurrection Act. 

But it was evidently a close thing.

[coochiequeens]

The TQ+ love to shout "Just be Kind" until a lesbian states her belief in the importance of biological sex. Even though she didn't say anything mean to her TQ+ coworkers.

Prof Jo Phoenix was hounded out of the Open University for being gender critical

A group of academics who harassed her were blasted in an employment tribunal 

By STEWART CARR PUBLISHED:  3 February 2024 

These are the academics who were blasted in a stinging judgment by an employment tribunal after they hounded a lesbian lecturer out of her job.

Criminology expert Prof Jo Phoenix, 59, saw her name dragged through the mud at the Open University once her views on the importance of biological sex became known.

Despite assuring colleagues she was not transphobic, a small group of trans activist lecturers refused to set aside their personal politics to allow freedom of opinion.

Instead, ringleader Dr Leigh Downes, a female who identifies as non-binary, led a campaign against Prof Phoenix - publishing an open letter 'in order to create a pile-on', which amassed 368 staff signatures

Last week, in an extraordinary judgment, the participants were criticised for their vindictive motives; as well as their evidence, which a judge described as 'evasive' and 'not credible'.

Employment Judge Jennifer Young said: 'On multiple occasions, whenever gender critical views were expressed at the Open University, Dr Downes complained or tried to get the view suppressed. 

'The claimant's gender critical beliefs made Dr Downes feel palpably uncomfortable.'

The judge went on: 'The purpose of signing the open letter was to create an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment for Prof Phoenix. 

'We conclude that having 368 of your colleagues sign a public letter saying that you are part of a group that is fundamentally transphobic, is stigmatising and damaging.'

Besides Dr Downes, other signatories in the open letter - Dr Helen Bowes-Catton, Dr Nicola Snarey, Prof Peter Keogh, Natalie Starkey and Dr Chris Williams - were found to have contributed to the hostility, despite their claims that they were expressing academic freedom.

The judge dismissed this reasoning and wrote: '[It] was not an exercise in academic freedom. There is nothing scholastic about the open letter, it stigmatised the claimant and damaged her reputation.'

Rather than stamp out the febrile atmosphere on campus, departmental leaders at the university left Prof Phoenix to face the onslaught alone and even blamed her for having spoken out in the first place.

Prof Louise Westmarland, a former friend who had unsuccessfully competed for the same job, likened the under-fire professor to 'a racist uncle at a dinner party'.

The head of the department, Dr Deborah Drake, caused huge distress by comparing Prof Phoenix to controversial US political scientist Charles Murray, whose views have been likened to a racist.  

Despite both of their denials, Judge Young found that on balance, they had indeed made the comments and both had contributed to the harassment of Prof Phoenix. 

Judge Young noted: 'We find that Dr Drake disliked the claimant expressing her gender critical position. 

'This was evident in her efforts to silence the claimant speaking about her research, comparing her to a prominent sociologist Charles Murray (perceived as being racist), and her frustration in her emails to various members... in particular Dr Downes.

'We consider that this was pivotal in creating and maintaining the hostile work environment."

'Dr Drake's role as head of department meant that she set the tone for the department. Professor Westmarland's behaviour towards the Claimant likening her to a racist uncle also contributed to the hostile atmosphere.'

The tribunal at Watford heard that Prof Phoenix, an expert in criminology, had began her academic career at the Open University 30 years earlier where she studied for her PhD. 

Having held senior posts at Durham University and the University of Leicester, she returned to the Open University in 2016, taking a £18,000 pay cut in order to enjoy a 'homecoming' for the final phase of her career.

Prof Phoenix's problems began in October 2018, when she signed a letter alongside 53 other academics, which appeared in The Guardian, criticising proposals for the introduction of self-identification in gender reassignment.

The tribunal heard the Guardian letter was met with dismay from Prof Phoenix's colleagues. One of them, history lecturer Dr Chris A Williams, wrote to his colleague Dr Helen Bowes-Catton and expressed deep concern about Prof Phoenix carrying out research into the area and even discussed getting an injunction against her.

The tribunal noted: 'Dr Williams was displaying an irrational fear and was hostile to the Claimant because she had gender critical beliefs.'

On March 6 2019, a planned conference into prison abolition was axed after several academics objected to Dr Richard Garside speaking at the event. He had previously written a critique against placing transgender prisoners in the women's estate.

On April 16, 2019, Prof Phoenix spoke up for women's sex-based rights at an event hosted by campaign group Women's Place UK and she criticised the university for cancelling its prison abolition conference.

A video of Prof Phoenix's speech was shared among colleagues.

Prof Louise Westmarland wrote, 'I can hardly bear to watch it' while Dr Downes claimed to have been reduced to tears, writing back to her: 'I watched it yesterday and had to take a walk. I found it very upsetting. Been a while since I cried at work.'

The panel read through a transcript of Prof Phoenix speech and noted: 'There is nothing in the talk that we find that would be upsetting.'

Prof Phoenix faced wrath from her colleagues again in June 2019, when she signed another letter, this time in The Sunday Times, criticising the closeness of UK universities with the LGBTQ charity Stonewall.

In September of that year, Prof Phoenix attempted to reach out to Dr Leigh Downes, to discuss carrying out research into trans prisoners, but her attempts were rebuffed.

In May 2021, Prof Phoenix was interviewed on a podcast called Savage Minds by the presenter Julian Vigo, where she discussed her gender critical beliefs. 

The following month, she launched the Open University's Gender Critical Research Network alongside Dr Jon Pike and Laura McGrath.

Giving evidence, Prof Phoenix told the tribunal she could never have imagined the level of backlash she would receive. 

Almost immediately, a WhatsApp group was set up by Open University staff. 

Among those involved in this WhatsApp group were Dr Leigh Downes, Dr Avi Boukli, Dr Chris Williams and Dr Helen Bowes-Catton, but they all denied before the tribunal that the group's purpose was to create a campaign against Prof Phoenix.

But the tribunal noted: 'We simply did not believe Dr Downes, Dr Boukli, Dr Bowes-Catton or Dr Williams' evidence on this point and find that the WhatsApp group was set up to counter gender critical beliefs at the OU and was being used to set up the open letter.'

On June 17, 2019, the 'open letter' blasting Prof Phoenix and the new Gender Critical Research Network was published on Google documents and was signed by 368 Open University staff. 

It stated: 'We call on the OU Vice Chancellor's Executive Team to take the following actions: 

'To withdraw its public support for and affiliation with the Gender Critical Research Network 

'To affirm their position as a trans inclusive employer 

'To commit to developing a concrete plan of action for supporting and affirming trans students and staff in this trans-hostile external and internal environment.'

Dr Downes, who published the document and was its first signatory, was unable to explain in court who drafted it, neither were fellow contributors Dr Williams and Dr Bowes-Catton.

On June 24, 2021, one of the open letter's signatories, Professor Peter Keogh, sent an email to the LGBT+ staff network email list blasting Prof Phoenix's gender critical network for 'sharing transphobic views and materials on their website'.

The tribunal noted: 'The purpose of the conduct was to violate the claimant's dignity. The claimant's email response the same day to Professor Keogh's email indicates that Professor Keogh's email affected her deeply.'

The 'punishing' backlash eventually led Prof Phoenix to leave the university in December 2021.

Last week, the court upheld almost 20 of her claims. A remedies hearing will take place to decide the damages owed to her.

It also ruled that the abuse Phoenix endured was harassment and the university's failure to protect her from it made it complicit in this treatment.

Professor Tim Blackman, Vice-Chancellor at the Open University, released this statement: 'This judgment made for difficult reading for all of us. In several areas we fell very short. We apologise unreservedly to Professor Phoenix for the hurt and distress this has caused. This is not The Open University we want to be.

'The University has supported and continues to support the work of the Gender Critical Research Network (GCRN) as part of the many important research activities that take place at the OU. But our understanding of academic freedom and freedom of speech at the time meant we did not intervene about the open letter, statements and social media posts that followed the GCRN's launch. The tribunal ruling makes it clear that we should have acted differently to address the impact of this reaction on Professor Phoenix and the working environment that she experienced. 

'We are sorry that this has been a painful episode for many colleagues. Research and academic debate are the life blood of universities. They are not at odds with inclusion, and we will find a path that encourages diversity of thought and views in the inclusive environment we all want to see at the OU. We have learned from the judgment and there is now more we need to do. The experience and outcome of this case will guide us with this important and essential work.

'We will be initiating a major independent review of our internal working environment. This will include addressing the challenge we and the sector face balancing the complexities of upholding academic freedom, freedom of speech, and equality and employment rights. It will help us to work together to ensure those with differing views are safe and free to express their opinions within the law.  

'Achieving our mission to be open to people, places, methods, and ideas depends on us all at the OU committing to take forward this learning and to treat each other with civility and respect however profoundly we may disagree.'

This is why I don't trust most libfems and non-binary or trans identified females over a certain age. Those women were willing to smear her reputation and cost another woman her job because she spoke against a movement that benefits men.