#I hope he and all of the other countless victims of police brutality get the justice they deserve out of this

[spider-stark]

Anti-Hero // Hero x Villain Trope // pt. 1 //

Next Part

Summary - Reader and Peter are both living double lives. Spider-Man is considered a national hero, while the reader is viewed as a criminal. In their personal lives, they're both head over heels for one another, their friendship finally blossoming into something more. But as vigilantes? It's complicated.

a/n - A very sweet anon requested a hero x villain trope with Peter or another Marvel character, and after being bored at work for several hours, I ended up playing around with the idea. I decided to split it into two parts because I'm still toying around with the next half, so let me know what you think. :) And thank you anon for the request!

If there was anything in this world that Jonah J. Jameson loved, it was finding new ways to prove to the public that Spider-Man was a menace to society. More than that, he loved having photographic evidence of Spider-Man’s failings, which is exactly what New York’s latest crime-doer had been giving him.

Some random New Yorker had started an Instagram live just a few days back right after spotting Spider-Man leap onto the rooftop of the citizens apartment complex, and right on his heels was the most recent villain—one who had become the suspect of countless armed robberies as of late.

This footage was the first live-action clear shot that anyone had managed to get of the mysterious individual that now plagued the streets of Queens, and everyone wanted their hands on an exclusive with the boy that saw them first-hand.

“Now, tell me, what did they look like up close?” Jameson questioned the boy, leaning so far forward on his chair that it looked like he could slip out and hit the floor at any second.

The boy was glancing around the studio in pure amazement, clearly relishing his time in the spotlight. “Uh, well, they were dressed in all black. Like, black shoes, blank pants, even this weird black mask that covered their entire head! Literally just like all the victims have described so far—they’re like a shadow!”

He was beyond excited, talking about the person that had thieved and pretty much brutalized over a dozen people in the last month. He spoke like he had just spotted a celebrity, rather than a criminal. The severity of the situation went right over his head, and Jameson gritted his teeth at the fanboy before pressing on.

“And what were they doing on the roof of your home?”

“Chasing each other!” He might as well have squealed from joy, his eyes looking directly into the camera as he spoke rather than Jameson.

Jameson edged closer, his ass just barely touching the seat at this point, “So Spider-Man was going after the assailant?”

“Oh, God no!” The boy laughed as he said it, leaning back in his own seat to try and create some distance from Jameson, who was violating his personal space more with each second. “They were chasing him! By the end of it, Spider-Man could barely catch his breath. I think that’s why they were able to escape!”

Jameson’s brows snapped together, processing the information and prepping his next question. “So they were able to outmaneuver him? Outpower him, even! Tell me, as someone who got to see this as it unfolded, do you think it’s possible that this new man also has powers?”

“I’m not sure.” The boy answered truthfully, seemingly thinking back on the occurrence. “They were definitely fast, and super strong, so maybe! And those knives—” The look on his face was practically orgasmic, as if the sheer thought of the villains power had him bursting at the seams. “They might as well be a part of her! She never missed—not once! Superpowers or not, she knows what she’s doing.”

Jameson’s jaw fell open, practically touching the dirty rug that laid across his studio floor. “I’m sorry, did you say she?”

The boy nodded rapidly. “Yeah! It’s kind of hard to see in the video, but I told the police in my report that it was definitely a girl! I was hoping it would show up better on camera, but you can tell by their build it’s a woman. And God, her ass–”

“You heard it here first, folks!” Jameson quickly cut the boy off, throwing a sharp glare in his direction that had him immediately shutting his mouth, cheeks turning red. “Spider-Man not only let the assailant involved in countless crimes get away, but he also lost to a girl that might not even have superpowers!”

Behind the scenes Jameson could see his publicist making an X motion with her hands, trying to get him to shut his mouth before he made any further sexist comments. He ignored them, mostly.

“In my opinion, Spider-Man is no better than the rest of those animals. New York has placed him on a pedestal, bestowed upon him the title of ‘hero’, and yet he can’t even catch a girl with a pocket knife?” Jameson scoffed at the camera, shaking his head. “He’s nothing more than a fraud, a feckless, treacherous, unhinged menace!”

After seeing the interview, Peter had wanted nothing more than to throw away his entire television set and never check news headlines ever again. He had been trying so hard—unnecessarily hard—to catch you, and yet despite his best efforts, you always slipped right out of his grasp.

“Seem a little off your game, Spidey!” Your chipper voice rang through the empty alleyway they had found themselves in. Your tone was so steady, so even, as if you hadn’t even broken a sweat during their fight. Peter, on the other hand, was practically gasping at this point. “Still upset cause that idiot from the Bugle called you out on being weaker than a girl.”

He could practically feel you roll your eyes at the word, letting the taunt roll off your tongue despite being just as annoyed by Jameson’s comment. It felt like a cheap stab at both of you, and it annoyed you just as much as it did him.

“I’m getting really tired of you.” Peter huffed, desperately trying to make himself sound as composed as you did, trying not to show his exhaustion. How were you so damn fast? “Not only are you destroying the city, but now you’re dragging my name through the mud too?”

You shrugged your shoulders before slipping another knife out of the holster on your upper thigh, “Well, if you’re so tired of me, then why don’t you try to catch me for once?”

He narrowed his eyes, the white of his Stark Tech suit mimicking the expression. You were just a few feet away from him, and you had practically backed yourself into a corner by darting into this alley, nothing but a brick wall behind your back.

“That’s the plan.” He snidely remarked, taking a sharp inhale of breath before darting straight towards you, webs shooting from his wrists as he tried to pin you in place.

Miss, miss, miss.

The words chanted in his head, playing on a loop as you repeatedly dogged the webbing he shot at you, as if you always knew exactly where they were gonna land. This is impossible, he thought to himself, his irritation growing more and more.

Once he was close enough he took a swing at you, his webs rendered practically useless due to your keen senses helping you dodge them each and every time. With just centimeters between your face and his fist, you ducked, giggling to yourself as you heard his knuckles collide with the brick wall.

A series of obscenities fell from him lips, and you took this small window of opportunity to slip past his leg and get behind him, swiftly using one hand—the one that wasn’t holding a knife—to grab his arms and bring them behind his back.

“That looked like it hurt.” You came in close, so close that Peter could feel your breath brushing against his covered ear. He didn’t like the sensation, the way his body betrayed him by his knees going weak at the sound of your voice purring in his ear. “Did it?”

Peter didn’t respond, afraid that words would fail him if he tried, and instead just grunted as he went to rip his arms from your grasp to spin himself around so he was facing you.

Despite your quickness and impressive strength, he was still stronger than you. But as his left arm slipped from your grasp, you swiftly brought your other hand up and let the thick metal of the knife slice across his suit, tearing the fabric and digging into his flesh.

Peter hissed at the sensation, his hand immediately flying up to apply pressure to the wound. It was a deep cut, one that could potentially cause fatal blood loss in the average person, but Peter was not the average person, and you knew that much. He would heal, quicker than you wanted him to.

“Too slow.” You grinned at him beneath your mask, he could hear it in your tone. “Sorry to break it to you, but our fun is gonna have to end here for now, mkay? I’ve got big plans later, don’t wanna be late!”

“You’re not going anywhere.” Peter growled, his rage towards you finally building to a lethal point. He never lost control, not with any villain, but you always made it so hard to keep composed.

He took a step forward, but staggered a bit. It felt like his legs weighed thousands of pounds, like he was carrying a load of bricks. His gaze shifted back to you, squinting as his vision began going blurry. “What did you do?”

You lifted your shoulder in a half shrug, watching as he stumbled against the wall, using it to hold up his weight. “You know what botulinum is, right?” You paused, pointing your knife in his direction, waiting for an answer he couldn’t get out of his mouth as he fell towards the ground. “Guess not. Well, it’s essentially just botox. The lethal dose is around 2.1kg for the normal human, and you’re obviously not normal. So I decided to triple it!”

Peter’s eyes widened as the words rang through his ears, his muscles suddenly feeling stiffer, more difficult to move. His arms were locking up, unable to move from where they laid at his sides.

“Oh don’t give me that look.” You frowned at him, holstering the knife you had used on him now that he was struggling to move. “I haven’t killed anyone before, have I? Injured, maybe, but I’ve never killed. I’m certainly not gonna change that by killing New York’s savior, alright? It’s just gonna paralyze you for a bit, maybe knock you out for a while. That’s why I led you here!”You motioned to the dank alleyway.

“No one comes down here, so you should be safe until you recover. You’ll be back on your feet in like an hour—two, at most!” There was a pause as you scrunch your nose up a bit, a gesture just barely evident through your mask. “That is if I estimated the dosage right. Kind of hard to tell when I’m not sure what all that radioactive spider did to your body, ya know?”

You took a few steps back, beginning to move yourself back towards the street. Once you turned your back on him, you shot him one last smile over your shoulder. “Anyways, I’ve gotta hit the road. See ya next time, Spider-Boy.”

Peter tried to scream, tried to move, tried to do anything—but his body failed him entirely, forcing him to do nothing but lay against the cold, damp brick pressing into his back and watch you leave.

He was definitely gonna be late for his date with Y/N.

a/n - A very sweet anon requested a hero x villain trope with Peter or another Marvel character, and after being bored at work for several hours, I ended up playing around with the idea. I decided to split it into two parts because I'm still toying around with the next half, so let me know what you think. :) And thank you anon for the request!

[mymusicalcat]

Not that I’m surprised I guess, but I’m horrified and absolutely heart broken with what the p*lice have been doing to protestors and BYSTANDERS the past few days in my city.

[rocorambles]

A Cop and His Black Cat (Part 2)

Pairing: Daishou Suguru x Kuroo Tetsurou

Genre: Superhero AU

Summary: Daishou just wants to solve cases and live his life, but a certain Black Cat vigilante refuses to leave him alone.

Part 1, Part 3

Daishou wakes up to the sound of a beeping monitor and the sight of white walls. He tries to sit up, but quickly stops when pain lances throughout his entire body. He looks around as much as he can without moving to get a bearing of his surroundings and he realizes he’s in a hospital bed, his entire body neck down, bandaged like a mummy. “Thank kami-sama you’re up!” Daichi is rushing through the door and making his way to Daishou’s side. “You idiot! You shouldn’t have gone up against a villain by yourself. You’re lucky Black Cat was there to save you.” 

Daishou scowls at the reminder of that night’s events and he flushes when he remembers how he practically cuddled into Black Cat’s hold like some lovesick girl. They exchange details of how the night had gone and Daichi confirms that Black Cat had apprehended the villain for them and stayed by Daishou’s side until Daishou was fully situated and being treated at this hospital. If it weren’t for his wounds, Daishou would have smacked Daichi for the way he waggled his eyebrows and smirked at Daishou when he mentioned how adorable the two of them looked together. 

A knock on the door puts a halt to Daichi’s teasing and a doctor with the worst bed hair Daishou has ever seen walks in to greet them. “Hi, I’m Kuroo Tetsurou and I’ll be the one treating your injuries while you’re here.” Daishou can’t explain the instinctive way his hackles rise when Kuroo draws near, but he also begrudgingly admits internally that the man is good looking with his long, lean build, tanned skin, and cat-like eyes. He doesn’t realize that he actually hasn’t said a word or greeted the doctor yet when there’s an awkward pause and Daichi is staring at him like he has two heads. Kuroo grins. “Cat got your tongue?” Daishou splutters in embarrassment and exchanges names with the still smirking doctor and they discuss in detail what treatments and procedures Daishou will need. Turns out Daishou will be just fine, but he’ll need to stay at the hospital for the next two weeks for medications, wound dressings, therapy, and surgery. The two officers thank the doctor and Kuoo makes his exit. The door has barely closed behind him before Daichi is howling in laughter at Daishou for blatantly ogling the hot doctor earlier and Daishou wonders if he can die from humiliation. 

 The days pass and Kuroo and Daishou spend a lot of time together as he continues down his path of recovery. They learn a lot about each other as they share about their families, reminisce on their old shared love of volleyball, and laugh about their past relationships. Daishou can’t help the little seed of hope that plants itself inside of him when he finds out that Kuroo is currently single and when he’s alone in the hospital bed, bored out of his mind, he lets himself daydream about what dating Kuroo would be like. 

One day as Kuroo is dressing his wounds, he asks the doctor if he has any abilities and he just laughs and says no. Kuroo asks him the same question and Daishou shares about the paralyzing venom he can excrete from his teeth. It’s not ideal to get close enough to villains to actually bite them, so Daishou ejects the venom into a container and coats the knives and bullets he carries. Kuroo is fascinated as Daishou explains and pride flares in the officer, but that is quickly squashed when Kuroo lets out a hideous hyena cackle and says “that ability suits you, you snake”. He’s feeling more mobile and stronger, so he grabs Kuroo by his messy locks and shoves him into a headlock, but he freezes when he smells an oddly familiar scent of cinnamon. Where does he recognize this scent from? Kuroo uses his distraction to escape the hold and Daishou’s thoughts are cut off as the two start to playfully exchange light blows.    

Two weeks fly by and Daishou is finally being discharged. He’s excited to get back into the swing of things, but he feels a pang of sadness when he says farewell to Kuroo. He almost musters the courage to exchange numbers with the cat-like man, but chickens out last minute and leaves the hospital with regret lacing his mood. However, he doesn’t have much time to dwell on trivial things like missed chances when Daichi and him are again being summoned by Ukai. 

“Multiple high-ranking officers have been found dead. Evidence has shown that they were tortured before being brutally murdered. We believe it’s one villain doing all of this, so we might have a serial killer on our hands.” Daichi and Daishou are veterans in the field, but they can’t help but flinch at the photo evidence Ukai shows them. Mutilated bodies (Daishou assumes they’re bodies, but it’s hard to distinguish even that in some of the photos), blood and guts everywhere…”We don’t have many leads yet so I’ll need you two to work with your teams to make some headway on this case.” Ukai pauses before continuing. “And please be careful...these officers who were targeted had similar ranks and standings as both of you.” A solemn silence fills the room at those words.      

Daichi and Daishou frantically get to work gathering as many clues as they can from the evidence. Where are the victims going missing? When do they go missing? They sift through information determining what’s useful or not and finally after countless sleepless nights fueled by too much coffee, they feel like they’re closing in on the killer. Daishou is exhausted as he leaves the police precinct and makes his way home. Satisfied with the progress they’re making, he decides to reward himself with a full night of rest. He enters his apartment and starts to make his way to his bedroom when he literally can’t move. It feels like his feet are locked to the floor and he looks down and sees...his shadow?...encasing his feet. A blow to his head is the last thing he remembers.

Daishou blearily opens his eyes and is greeted with the sight of an unfamiliar ceiling. His head throbs and he tries to move an arm to rub the injured area, when something holds him back. Confused and still groggy, he slowly looks down and panic blazes within him when he sees his naked body laid out on a metal table, his ankles and wrists locked down by metal cuffs. A dark chuckle reverberates throughout the room and Daishou turns his head to see a shadowy figure standing in the corner. “I guess you’re the one behind all the cop murders. Why don’t you come out and show yourself, you coward.” The shadowy figure slowly claps as he makes his way under the single hanging light bulb in the center of the room and all Daishou sees is a mass of shadows in the general shape of a human figure. “Well, well, aren’t you quite the clever one, officer. Too bad that knowledge isn’t going to do you any good right now.” The figure bends to examine an assortment of tools lying next to Daishou’s head and Daishou trembles as he picks up a jagged knife and trails it along the officer’s vulnerable body. “Wh-why are you doing this?” Daishou barely manages to spit out as his heart rate accelerates and cold sweat forms on his temples. “There’s something so intoxicating about seeing powerful men begging me for mercy. You cops think so highly of yourselves, but I’m here to show you where you really belong, groveling underneath me.” With that, the knife is digging in harder and harder and Daishou screams at the pain. His world narrows and all he knows is agony as metal continues to carve its mark in him.

A day passes and Daichi is desperately searching for Daishou. He hopes that Daishou just overslept or decided to play hooky from work, but deep inside he begins to accept that the worst may have happened. He quickly rushes to Ukai’s office and immediately a rescue team is put together to find and retrieve the officer. Not willing to lose one of his best without a fight, Ukai has enlisted the help of the big guns and Daichi stands next to Bird of Prey as they get ready to infiltrate the few locations they’ve pinpointed as possible holding zones. Just as they’re about to depart, Bird of Prey places a hand on Daichi’s shoulder and asks him to wait for a second because additional help is on the way. Daichi’s confused but he trusts the owl-like man (even if he doesn’t understand the need to spike his silver and black hair so flamboyantly) and within minutes a lithe feline-esque figure gracefully lands next to them. Bird of Prey slaps Black Cat on the shoulder and Daichi grins at the leather clad man before they quickly move. First location. Nothing. Second location. Empty. Anxiety is beginning to fester and build as they rush to the final location. 

The three men stand in front of the abandoned mansion. Daichi and his team will take the top floor, Bird of Prey will take the main floor, and Black Cat will take the basement. Aligned, they waste no time as they perform their duties. Black Cat stealthily saunters through the desolate halls of the lowest level and as he opens a room, his heart sinks. There is Daishou, but there’s so much blood and he doesn’t see a spot of unmarred skin. He is clambering over to the man on shaky legs and lets out a sob of relief when he sees that Daishou is still breathing. “Hey, you stupid snake,” he purrs gently into Daishou’s ear. “I’m going to get you out of here. I promise. Everything’s going to be okay.” 

Daishou’s consciousness has escaped to the deepest recesses of his mind. He just wants everything to stop. He’s so tired. So tired of the torment and the darkness. He just wants to be left alone. He just wants to die so that it’ll finally be over. His thoughts are spiraling darker and darker, but a gentle voice halts his dangerous train of contemplation and coaxes him back to reality. He slowly opens his eyes and finds solace in the cat-eared masked face looking down at him. He wants to say something to the vigilante, but it’s too much effort to move his lips. Black Cat smiles at him. “Cat got your tongue?” That phrase elicits a reaction within Daishou and he’s momentarily befuddled as he tries to think about why that phrase spoken by this specific voice seems so familiar and just as he thinks he’s about to put a finger on it, Black Cat is being thrown against the wall by shadowy tendrils. Fear bubbles inside of Daishou when he sees his tormentor, but worry and concern also begin to well up within him as he sees Black Cat struggling to keep up with the relentless attacks. The fight continues and it’s not looking good for the vigilante until he extends fearsome claws from his fingers and pounces at the light bulb illuminating the room. Then there is only pitch black and Daishou struggles to listen to what is happening. He hears the sound of flesh hitting flesh and an agonized scream. There’s a moment of silence and then footsteps are gingerly making their way towards him. He tenses when hands make contact with his wounded body, but as soon as he inhales the comforting scent of cinnamon, he smiles and lets himself be carefully carried away. 

[masked-buffoon]

Chapter 14: Truthful liar (Part 4)

Warnings: mentions of drug addiction

Author notes: quite a long part... I have to admit, I did not pay attention to its length ^^” I hope you enjoy nonetheless!

It was impossible for us to question the victim. As soon as he had set a foot in the nearest hospital, he had collapsed and had been immediately taken care of by the nurses. And he had not yet woken up… The white corridors smelled like medicine,but it was not unpleasant. Perhaps it was because I was used to the infirmary… My fingers clutched around my box of pills. I could not show a single health care professional that I was an addict, unless I wanted to be brought to the psychiatric unit… However, that stressful situation did not help with my withdrawal, and I was starting to grow uncomfortable. I sighed, and covered my hand to hide the fact it was trembling. Soon enough, Dazai reached me. He was coming back from the doctor's office, and his serious face did not reassure me the least.

"His condition is bad, isn't it…?" I frowned.

"Yep. He isn't going to wake up anytime soon." He stood next to me "We should find another lead."

"... I'm tired, already…" I groaned.

"Don't, the case has just started."

He took my trembling hand into his, and pulled me up suddenly. Then, he brought me towards his chest and used his taller body to hide me from anyone's eyes. I looked up at him, ready to question him, but he was quicker and grabbed the box in my pocket.

"Take that opportunity. Hurry."

"But people —"

"Who cares about what people believe? No one knows us here, anyway…"

He had rarely been that firm since my entrance in the Armed Detective Agency. Quietly, I nodded, before shoving up to three pills on my mouth and swallowing. It was burdensome to be an addict… I was glad that this pitiful life would stop soon. Soon… I closed my eyes a moment, before glancing up at him. He had not budged and, from an outsider's point of view, that scene must have looked like a hug… But to me, who had just drugged myself, it was just a convenient hideout… Gently, I cracked a smile and put a hand on his chest to push him away. Slightly…

"It's alright, now… We can go…"

"Really? Good~" He regained his usual playful smile.

"Should we head to the police station?" I suggested.

"That's not a bad idea." He pulled away from me.

"... Your hand…"

"Ah. My bad."

He had casually left it on my shoulder.

"Dazai… I'm fine, really. Besides, you've seen me take morphine countless times, already." I assured him.

"I have, yet that doesn't mean I am used to it. Every single time…"

"It's almost over. Don't worry… I'll never end up in such a state again…"

"Did you read my mind? That's surprising…~"

"I couldn't possibly… Not that I wouldn't want to…" I looked away.

"Mine will remain a mystery for you~"

"If I can't use my ability to understand it, I'll just strive to know you better…" I muttered.

"... You're right…"

I looked at him softly, and tugged on his sleeve to get him moving.

"We have some work to do. The case won't solve itself."

He chuckled, and we both headed out of the hospital. In front of our colleagues in the Agency, Dazai always behaved strangely, constantly acting like a buffoon, making a joke of himself. I had secretly resented him for putting on such a mask, and it hurt even more to know that everything was a lie. However, at the moment, there were only the two of us, and there was no need for him to keep playing the tragic story of the sad clown who was never allowed a single tear. In front of me, weakness was allowed, and I hoped he was aware that I would never judge him nor take advantage of him… Somehow, I felt special. I was the only one alive who got to see the sadness hidden beneath his mask… That in itself was exceptional enough, coming from Dazai, and it brought me back to our days in the Port Mafia. Thinking about it, he had been less secretive than he was these days, more willing to show his emotions, perhaps… I wondered if that was because of his mistake, because he felt as though he owed me, because he had hurt me… I was most certainly putting too much thought into that, anyway.

The policemen we met told us that they had never assigned any guards for Suda Hiroshi — that was the name of our client. Immediately, they deployed troops to arrest the imposters, but when we arrived, they had already disappeared.

"That's a fishy story…"

The detective in charge of the case put his cigarette out in the ashtray, and sighed.

"We were aware of the many assassination attempts on Suda-san's life, but we had received words that he was already guarded… That's why we never made a move…"

"What do you know of his research?" I questioned him.

"Wasn't it something about oil…? I have to admit that, as a proud citizen of Sapporo, I wasn't too pleased to hear about it…"

"So false information was spread about him… Why would anyone want him to be hated, though…?" I thought out loud.

"Is there anyone who would benefit from Suda-san's fall?" Dazai asked.

"Not that I know of… The only prominent family around here is the Ogawa family. However, they've come here around twenty years ago to retire. I heard their granddaughter lives with them, too." He told us.

"So, they aren't involved in business anymore…"

"No, not at all…! The granddaughter goes to school with my own children. She's well-behaved and polite, really, a kind girl…! They won't create any troubles."

We exited the police station, without much more information. At the very least, I knew that my grandparents were not involved in the case, which relieved me, in a way. I would not have to come into Ruriko-chan's life to destroy it once again… On the other hand, I had no idea about the motive of the criminal. Why would they sequester the man and let him die a slow, painful death, while running his reputation in Hokkaido? If there was nothing worth Suda-san's downfall, then it was surely…

"A passionate crime. A revenge." Dazai completed my thoughts "That's the only thing I can think of."

"I agree with you. It's the only option left, anyway. I'll call the Fox to get his background checked."

"Such a troublesome case… It doesn't help that the victim is a friend of your friend… Will you tell him?"

"Tell him what? That his friend is wounded, in a hospital between life and death…?"

"Wouldn't you want to know, though? If I was in this state, wouldn't you want to be aware?"

"... You have a point…" I conceded "I'll tell him…"

The call was short. My informer was upset and regretted taking so long to inform me about the situation. Although he had not been in contact with Suda-san for years, he was still his friend, and, knowing how he cared about the people close to him, I could only imagine how terrible it felt for him to know the researcher was hurt. He promised to work on the case, but I could perceive how disheartened he sounded. I did not insist and simply hung up. It was not my fault, yet I felt guilty; the Fox had entrusted me with his friend's life, but I had not managed to save him in time.

"Let's go back to the inn." Dazai suggested, slowly guiding me towards a car.

"Mmh… I want to rest…" I muttered, shoving the phone in my pocket "I don't want to hear about that case anymore…"

"You know we'll be back on it tomorrow."

"... I want to quit…"

"Don't be nonsensical, you're simply tired. A long bath in the onsen will make you feel better."

"Maybe you're right… I hate personal cases. Being emotionally involved doesn't go well with me… I should have asked Kunikida to take care of it." I regretted my choice.

"But the Fox made that request to you, his friend. You couldn't have refused either way."

"So, I was trapped from the beginning… Ah… That's the last time I go to Hokkaido."

"So it isn't entirely about the case." He noted.

I stayed quiet, unable to answer. I had not told him about my dream, after… Would he understand? Would he brush it off and call it "weird"? Would he laugh at me…?

"I'm bothered… By my sister…" I murmured "I'm torn between the wish to see her and my reason telling me that it would destroy her even more…"

"I see…"

As I was wondering if that would be all and if he truly did not care about my issues, he leaned towards the driver and changed our route.

"Where are we going?" I frowned.

"It's a surprise~ Do you have your sunglasses?"

"... Sure…?" I took them from my handbag "Why?"

"Wear them when we arrive~"

I did not question him, used to his strange yet meaningful behaviour from time to time, and obeyed him. Although the sun was playing hide-and-seek behind the clouds, I hid my eyes behind the darker glasses and followed him out of the vehicle. After walking a few meters, we arrived in front of a school, and I immediately understood which trick he had played on me. I grabbed his arm, rather brutally.

"Dazai…! You know… You know I can't…!" I protested "Let's leave this instant…!"

"No." He easily removed my grip from him "You want to see her, don't you? Then, at least, look from afar and check for yourself that she's alright."

"... Isn't that stalking her…?"

"Was gathering information on her via the Fox more legal?" He retorted.

As though I were scared they would fall, I readjusted the sunglasses on my nose, and leaned my back on a wall, waiting for the bell to ring and for Ruriko-chan to come out. Would she have friends? Most certainly… How many? I wished for her to have a lot of them… Would she see me? But she would surely mistake me for a stranger… She would not mind my presence too much, since she would not know I was her sister… In fact, I was terrified to meet her, and feel her look full of disgust on me… I was afraid she would scream "murderer" in the street and attract the police… Yes… I was scared that she would destroy my own life, the normality I had gained through so many hardships. In the end, it was the selfish side of myself which was frightened by Ruriko-chan. Unconsciously, my hand brushed against Dazai's, hoping desperately that his ability could cancel my feelings as well, where I knew it was simply impossible. Even so… It gave me the courage I lacked to face my precious sister.

The bell rang — an unfamiliar melody I was hearing for the first time, since had never attended school — and it did not take long before a flow of students came out of the building to head towards the gate. However, I did not see Ruriko-chan. I waited, and waited. My friend did not leave my side, despite the minutes passing and the sun slowly going down behind the buildings. I was disappointed. After bracing myself so hardly, all of my efforts had been in vain… I did not feel ready to experience such an unpleasant time ever again.

"Some clubs end later." Dazai spoke, out of the blue "Let's wait a bit more…"

"Even so, if she comes out alone… She'll be more likely to see me…"

"But will she recognise you? To be honest, you've changed…"

"How? Except for my clothes, I'm still Ogawa Yōko. If it weren't for my sunglasses, do you think these eyes of mine will go unnoticed? Sometimes, I hate them…" I crossed my arms.

"You can be so childish, sometimes~" He teased, wrapping an arm around my shoulders "These eyes are a part of you, as recognisable as they are, and I, for one, like them."

"Y-You do…?" I stuttered, turning towards him "I… Well… Thank you…? I suppose…"

Many people had already complimented my mother's eyes, but never had they paid attention to mine. The fact that it was Dazai, above anything else… It was… Surprising, to say the least… And oddly pleasant. It was impossible for me to suppress the smile from my face after his unexpected words, and even the nervousness I had felt upon waiting for my sister had faded away. Instead, it had been replaced by a strange mixture of warmth and contentment. Was receiving kind words always this agreeable…?

"There she is." My friend broke my train of thoughts.

Time seemed to stop as my eyes fell on the young girl who was Ruriko-chan. Unmistakably, it was her. The uniform of her high school seemed to fit her perfectly, the pleated skirt gently flowed around her legs as she walked, and her face had gotten thinner, more delicate… She had grown into a fine lady, although she was not yet an adult. And her clear blue eyes… They did not have the lavender colour of our mother's, but their blue, alike precious lapis lazuli, shone even brighter under the sunlight. My heart panged painfully in my chest as I refrained myself from running towards her. I could not…

"So that's her… She's cute~"

I could not repress a glare.

"Don't you dare even get close to her." I warned him.

"I'm not into younger girls, don't worry~" He laughed at me.

"Whatever…" I mumbled.

"She does resemble you, though…" He remarked.

"... Does she…? Are you blind…? Look at her gentle, pale face…! She is just like a doll…! And her long, jet black hair… Mmh… She's so beautiful, you really should get a pair of glasses…"

"Oh, really…~?" He smirked at me "I don't think so… But anyway, since she looks so good, I'll just have a word of two with her~"

"Dazai…! I forbid you…!" I ran after him "Come back here…! You're doing this on purpose…!"

However, he was much faster than I was, and he quickly reached Ruriko-chan in front of the gate. There, he put on his brightest and most seductive smile, and bowed slightly in front of her.

"Hello miss~ I saw you from afar and couldn't resist greeting you, since you're such a beauty~"

Her face expressed disgust, and she took a step back.

"I'll report you, sir…" She threatened.

"I apologise on behalf of my coworker…!" I moved in between them "Don't mind him, he's always like that, but he doesn't mean any harm…"

"I see… Well, I suppose I'll let you go, then."

My sister looked me up and down.

"It's strange… I'm positive I never saw you around here, yet you seem familiar, somehow…"

"Is… Is that so…?" I cleared my throat "We're detectives from Yokohama. We're here on a case. This is Dazai Osamu, and I am Fuyuno Kasumi."

"Oh… You're here for Suda-san…? The man whose life is constantly threatened?" She realised.

How smart she was… Was she truly my sister?

"Indeed… We hope to solve it soon."

I noticed the case she was holding.

"You play an instrument?" I asked to change the subject.

"I do." She smiled "Since you're a detective, why don't you try guessing it?"

"Sure… May I hold it?"

She handed me the case, and I took a quick look at it. Then, within a few seconds, I had my answer.

"The violin." I stated confidently.

"That wasn't too hard, was it? That's the most common one after all." She shrugged.

"It could have been a trumpet. But I mainly looked at your hands, and most particularly your fingers. They are a violinist's." I grinned.

"... I see…"

"Is there a problem?" I inquired.

"No, just… For a moment… Your smile… There is someone whose smile I've never seen… I was just wondering… If it would look the same… But that's impossible, you're not her… And… She's possibly already dead…" Her face darkened.

"I'm sorry… I didn't mean to remind you of that person…"

"It's not your fault. She was very sick… Perhaps it was for the best, after all…"

I clenched my fists. If Ruriko-chan believed I was dead, then perhaps I should let her live thinking that way… Even if it did not seem like she resented me for my deeds.

"You seem to like her a lot." Dazai said softly, taking me aback.

"Yes! She was my precious older sister, after all… Although I once held a grudge against her… No, maybe everything is better this way, after all…" She whispered "Anyway, it was nice to meet you two. Good luck with your case…! I have to go back home, otherwise, my grandparents will be worried."

"Yes, it would be wiser to go back, indeed. Be safe on the way." I waved lightly.

As soon as her back was turned, I sighed slightly. Did she not  hate me for killing our parents…? Did she not want me in jail…? Or gone from this Earth…? Ruriko-chan truly had a gentle heart… She did not resemble me at all, her hands were pure, and produced beautiful music, unlike mine which only provoked screams of agony. We were different, and, despite the fact that I had gotten accustomed to living in a lighter word, it did not change the fact that I was tainted. I should not approach her anymore…

"Ogawa…!"

His sudden call, along with the screeching sound of a car's wheel on the concrete, made me act before my brain could even register what was occurring. I grabbed Ruriko-chan from behind, and pulled her out of the road before the vehicle could hit her. Her musician's hand did not let go of her precious instrument, even as we fell back on the sidewalk, which would have amused me if her life had not been in danger. Unable to help it, I wrapped my arms around her a moment, and kept her close to me, feeling my heart beat even faster at the thought of losing her so cruelly.

"How… How did you know my name…?" Her small and shocked voice reached my ears.

"That…" Dazai clicked his tongue, looking away.

He had made a mistake when calling me… Even so, I was grateful — the fraction of second gained when she stopped, hearing her name, had allowed me to save her.

"You must have misheard." I lied "Can you stand up?"

"Wait, Fuyuno…" My friend prevented me from moving "Your sunglasses…"

They had fallen from my face, and the car had crushed them, adding to my misfortune.

"Shit…" I cursed.

"Are you alright?" My sister turned towards me "I must be heavy…"

I immediately closed my eyes.

"Y-Yes… I… Just… I'm sensitive… To the sun, so… It's hard for me to see without my glasses…" I invented an illness.

She did not say a thing and, since I had deprived myself from my eyes, I could not see her face.

"You know… I'm not a detective, but… If you truly were sick, you would take better care of these glasses… You could have tied them, for example… And you should own a spare…"

She really was too smart… It was my defeat, and I had to face its consequences.

"You're right… I'm not sick… I was just… Hiding."

I opened my eyes, and glanced at the shock in her look, before helping her up. Then, I smiled — or smirked, it seemed like a weird way to lift the corners of my lips up.

"It's been a while, Ruriko-chan…"

"Ah… I see… It was one of your horrible tricks…" Tears fell onto her cheeks "You're the worst… The worst…! Even after everything I told Fuyuno Kasumi, even after losing your only way of hiding, you're still dishonest… Why are you always, always lying…?!"

"Ruriko-chan…"

"Don't touch me…! You're a liar…! I don't… I don't want to see you again…!"

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have… But… I thought you hated me… So, I… I just… I just wanted to know… How you were doing…"

"If you truly wanted to check on me, you would have come in person, instead of lying, as always… As expected…"

"But you said you didn't hate me —"

"I don't hate you, but I don't trust you either. Go away, now. Don't… Don't try to reach out to me anymore. My sister is dead to me."

I was not able to hold her back and, powerless, stared at her silhouette fading away in the remnants of the sunlight. Being alive, yet dead in another person's heart, felt like the ground had shattered beneath my feet.

"... It was a mistake…" I breathed out "A terrible one…"

"Ogawa, that was my fault… I should have given you more time… Or maybe I shouldn't have insisted in the first place…" Dazai sighed.

"Yes… It is your fault." I cried "Everything… It is your fault… If only I had waited more, I would never have hidden myself, had I been ready…! But you had to butt in and convince me otherwise… Why did I even follow your lead, in the first place…?! This is my business, my sister, yet you interfered again! You always do! And now… And now she… Whereas she didn't hate me…"

"Ogawa…"

"I'm dead to her…! Do you understand…?! I do not exist anymore…!! I stopped living in her mind…! She might as well have killed me, I would have suffered less… That's your fault…" I sobbed, falling to my knees "I've lost my sister… Ruriko-chan…! Ruriko-chan…!"

"... I'm sorry…" He crouched down to face me "I'm sorry that it turned out so badly…"

I reached for his collar, and pulled him towards me to bury my face in his coat, to hide my pitiful tears. Even when he had left, I had not cried this much. Why was this one loss so painful…? Was it because I had expected something…? What was the point of desiring and hoping, then, if these feelings only brought pain by crushing my heart…? What was the point of longing, if the person I wanted to see did not want me by her side…? I should have known and abandoned these useless emotions long ago, I should have learnt from my experience with Dazai, but I was as ignorant as I had been years ago.

"It's alright… Blame me all you want, if it alleviates your pain…" He murmured "I did miscalculate, this time…"

"... I'm sorry…" I sniffed, slowly calming down "I got carried away…"

"I said it's fine."

I looked up at him, but far from a face matching his comforting words, his expression was… Well, he was expressionless. Or perhaps annoyed. I had vexed him.

"There is something I've come to understand, with time…" I pulled away from him "Human feelings… Are kind of unpredictable. You can manipulate them, you can play with them, but at the end of the day, you'll always end up surprised… Besides, you made a mistake because you're not familiar with Ruriko-chan…"

"And what's your point?"

I grabbed his cheeks and forcefully pulled them up to force a smile on his face.

"A genius strategist can make mistakes. And, you're a human too. You have a brain, and emotions, not a chessboard which pieces you move thanks to calculations." I told him.

"I don't have enough ego to be angry about failure." He avoided my eyes "Rather…"

His fingers tucked a strand of loose hair behind my ear, and he sighed again.

"Nothing… The night is falling, let's really go back now." He took my hand to help me up.

"Mmh… There is no use crying, anyway… What's done is done, and I can never go back. I'll just have to live without her." I wiped my tears away.

"... But you have me…"

"... Did you say something…?"

A car had passed right while he was talking, and I was afraid to have misheard. He cracked a smile.

"Nothing at all. I'm just excited to try the onsen, that's all~"

"True." I giggled "We do deserve some rest."

[ohdearhiddles]

TITLE: Angel of Death

CHAPTER: 4/? (Chapter Masterlist)

CH. SUMMARY: Loki tells you to be careful, but you aren’t sure what to be careful of. Meanwhile, word spreads of the inevitable fate your past flames met.

WORD COUNT: 3755 

AUTHOR NOTES/WARNINGS: no warnings i think (?); This was going to be infinitely longer than what it is, but I didn't want to drown you guys in like 20 pages of words so here we are with Chapter 4! I'm really enjoying writing this story, and I hope you guys are enjoying it too x (AO3 Link)

TAGLIST: @inumorph​ @literally-anythin​

For hours, Loki sat with you under the dazzling moonlight. You admired the way his skin seemed to glow as he sat by the window. At one point, you had moved to the small seat to sit beside him, and you listened as he read a book aloud in foreign tongues. Where he got the book, you would never know, but you couldn’t find a reason to care. The way the language rolled off his tongue with ease calmed your raging mind, allowing for peace to be pleasantly bestowed upon you.

Before you knew it, the sun was rising in the east, prompting you to arise and ready yourself for the day to come. For the first time in quite some time, you found yourself not fully dreading the day. Perhaps the presence of a god was more beneficial than you had imagined; however, part of you still understood to some degree that Loki had done unspeakable things, things more grave than you could possibly imagine. He had offered no explanation for his past actions, and you weren’t sure if that was a good or bad sign. As you made your way down the stairs of your complex, bidding farewell to the God of Mischief, you were certain of one thing: Loki was a troubled individual, but he was kind to you.

“I can accompany you,” Loki offered as you basically shooed him off. You shook your head, smiling at the thought of an escort, but knowing that it would only draw unnecessary attention was enough for you to turn him down. “Do be careful, then.”

You weren’t expecting him to give up so easily, but perhaps he had recognized the fact that he had already stepped too close to the line in which he shouldn’t cross. Loki walked in the opposite direction, a green glow exuding from his body as his black clothing turned into a forest green top with black slacks. For a moment you were surprised that his outfit had changed on such an effortless whim, but then you were reminded that he was a god of many talents - the first and foremost being trickery. Shaking your head at his obvious use of magic, you turned on your heel to go on your way.

The sun kissed the horizon, golden rays of sunlight streaming into the city streets. It allowed a pale, ghostly glow to resonate off the buildings, producing warmth that melted the hearts of all it touched. Gentle smiles passed you by as your feet took you farther and farther from your home. The city was never one to sleep, nor was it one to stop and admire the sunlight. No, this city was filled with individuals who desperately needed the extra hours of work because if the city doesn’t sleep, they don’t either.

Your walk was more than pleasant, but the feeling that it wasn’t going to last was something you couldn’t shake. Every step felt like a brutal blow to a could-be perfect day. As you ascended the staircase to your workplace, you realized that every person you walked by had their eyes narrowed. The elevator was the same. At first, you thought that perhaps this was merely coincidence. Soon thereafter, you were assured that this wasn’t so.

Every person who would normally approach you with brazen smiles upon their faces seemed to wither away into corners, talking amongst other employees. Snickers and pointed fingers were directed at you from every seat in the room, and suddenly, you were very aware of Sarah, your closest colleague, and her gaze on you. When you attempted to meet her eyes, she turned away, pretending as if she wasn’t just looking at you. 

Minutes later, another coworker approached her. You strained your ears, attempting to hear the hushed conversation that had everyone around you on edge. “Hey, Sarah.”

“Yes?” She spoke curtly in response. 

These coworkers crowding around her were people that the two of you would typically frown upon. They were the instigators of all workplace drama, and to say the least, no one really liked them all that much - for good reasons, too. If your workplace was a high school, then the posse of gossip-loving individuals would quickly be the snarky bullies of the classroom.

“How’s it feel knowing you befriended a serial killer all these years?” One of them chimed in and you jolted in your seat. 

The sudden movement caused you to bump into the glass of water you had placed on your desk, spilling the contents onto the carpet below you. As you hastily put the mug upright on a farther corner, you stood from your seat, gaining even more unwanted attention than when you had walked in. You reached for some tissues on your desk before kneeling down to place the flimsy paper on the ground. As you did so, a familiar hand aided you, laying down more durable paper towels to help soak up the moisture.

Sarah’s eyes met yours for a brief moment, and although you knew she was wary of the rumors, she quite possibly still cared about you. She had left the posse of annoying gossipers to help you. You, a person who was the center of rumors. You, a murderer trying to live a normal life.

“Y/L/N,” a voice called out. “Boss wants you in the office.”

You mouthed a silent ‘Thank You’ to Sarah before standing from your spot. With hesitant steps, you made your way to the large office that you had been in countless times before. An almost nonexistent smirk was on your boss’s lips as he shut the door behind you, proving that he, too, was feeding into the gossip. He motioned for you to sit in the chair across from his desk while he walked the short distance from the door to his own seat.

“A coworker of yours saw you getting arrested last night,” he tutted, hands folding on his desk as he looked you in the eye. “Furthermore, the police came in asking questions about you on your day off. Care to inform me as to what this is about, Miss Y/L/N?”

Just by the glint in his eyes, you could tell that this man had no interest in knowing the truth. How could he? You were seen getting escorted by a detective, and the police had already made their investigation known that you were someone of interest pertaining to a case. There was no way to brush it off.

“There,” you stuttered, “There’s been a misunderstanding. I wasn’t arrested; there were no cuffs. I just went into the station to be asked how I knew some of the victims of an old case.”

“Misunderstanding or not,” he pointed out, “It doesn’t look good for us, and seeing as though the media is on a rise about the old serial killer case pre-alien invasion, you can understand why the office is having a bit of difficulty keeping their focus on anything but you,” he stated.

“I’m sorry,” you attempted to apologize, but it came out more like a question if anything else. An eyebrow raised on your boss’s face as he stared back at you.

He heaved a heavy sigh, fingers clenching at one another as if there was a habit he needed to forget. The wrinkles on his forehead creased, his eyebrows furrowing in concentration as he thought of what to say next. One hand reached up to pinch the bridge of his nose while the other rubbed against his thigh aggressively.

“There’s no easy way to say this, Y/N,” he started to say. It was never a good sign when people started sentences like that because there was no way to gloss over the truth. “I’m going to have to ask you to stay home until this blows over.”

“What?” You asked, sitting up straighter. “Why? I can still work.”

The words you said seemed to plead with the man, ‘Please, let me keep this routine. Please, my sanity cannot take it if you take this away from me.’ But the unspoken words went unheard, and he held his hand up to stop you from speaking any further. You had no say; this was decided before you even stepped foot through the door. His smirk had wasted away over the course of your short interaction and was replaced with a look of disdain.

“Some of the employees, especially the males, are worried about your presence in the office,” he answered calmly. “While I may not have an issue with you being here, I can’t have over half the office on edge while working. Their wellbeing is important.”

‘And yours isn’t.’ His words were laced with the underlying meaning, weaving in and out of each word like a vengeful spirit out for your blood. Of course, you could understand the way they were thinking, and you were aware that you were far from innocent. However, that didn’t make you feel better at the fact that nothing had been publicly confirmed; yet here you were, getting kicked out of the office until further notice. How would you pay your bills without an income? Were you just supposed to rot in the streets?

“I hope you can understand,” he spoke again, voice like nails on a chalkboard. The words practically made your ears bleed. You nodded, not bothering to put up a fight to a decision that you had no say over. So, you stood up, dignity in tact, and walked out of his office.

The stares were harsh as you walked back to your desk to gather your things. Everyone’s eyes watched as you quickly pulled your jacket into your arms along with your bag and cellphone. You could hear the murmurs from around the office. They sounded like the pesky degrading voices from your nightmare the night before. All too quickly, you felt a familiar suffocating feeling growing within you. Your nightmares were practically coming true as each person who used to greet you happily now looked on with looks of contempt and disgust.

You stepped into the elevator as the doors fully opened, and when the doors were practically closed with only a sliver of the office to be seen, you heard the words, “Good riddance.”

You leaned back onto walls of the elevator, feeling the coolness of the metal seep through your clothing. Sighing, you tilted your head back and stared at the ceiling as the every so often beeping resonated off the walls of the small space. The you from just a couple hours before desperately wanted to laugh in your face at this very moment. It wanted to laugh and remind you that you were not meant to have happy moments - you were undeserving of such glorious things.

Peace was not a word fit for your vocabulary. Happiness, joy, peace, and all words pertaining to such heavenly emotions were no longer fitting for you or your way of life. Fear, anguish, desperation, and all words expressing such distraught and heavy emotion were much more suited for the likes of you. And as you emerged from the elevator onto the first floor, the welcoming eyes of a few late coworkers met yours, reminding you that the minute they arrived at work, their image of you would quickly deteriorate into something short of hatred.

You felt helpless as your feet touched the pavement outside of the building. Your friends were wary of you, your work was uninviting, and the police had your face in the database in big, italic, and bold lettering. Perhaps if you slipped away in the night, you’d be able to run away. But years ago, you had told yourself that running meant you were nothing but guilty. If you hadn’t meant harm, you would not have to run, right?

The inviting sunlight suddenly felt void of warmth. It was no longer something to smile upon or allow the ice around your heart to melt. It was nothing but cold, unfeeling light. 

The smiles you had passed this morning were something of the distant past, and every face you seemed to register expressed sorrow, disdain, and palpable distress. Perhaps the city, too, could feel your pain, and she was speaking your emotion into the street. It was as if New York City herself was roaming the streets, whispering stories of irrevocable tragedy into the ears of all she passed. She was desperate in herself to ensure that you did not suffer alone.

For a moment, you found solace in the fact that you were not the only person walking the streets with such a sour heart nestled within your chest. Then you were repulsed by your own satisfaction in the unhappiness of others. You breathed in, hoping to inhale sanity alone with the elements you needed to survive, but you were only met with the smell of cigarette smoke and vodka as you passed a local bar.

You walked for a while. You walked until your feet felt heavier than your heart, and you walked until your mind was so riddled with the idea of sitting down that you had almost forgotten you had any troubles at all. But then you sat down on a familiar bench in a familiar park, and your heart was heavy yet again.

The singing of the birds and the soft gentle breeze that rustled the trees was anything but calming. Songs of the birds reminded you of the music in your dream the night before. The sunlight streaming through the trees reminded you of the blinding lights that surrounded such a surreal nightmare, and the rustling of the trees sounded like muffled laughter of the demons that cluttered your thoughts. If you closed your eyes, it was only that much worse, but you couldn’t complain.

To be honest, you weren’t sure how long you sat there. It could have been seconds or hours for all you knew. The feeling of the sun had grown slightly cooler as you sat beneath it, and you couldn’t decide whether or not you welcomed the chill that overtook your body or if you resented it.

A soft fabric fluttered on your shoulders as you stared into the distance, wishing to be anywhere but where you were. At first, it felt only like any other gust of warm air encircling your body, but then you caught sit of a plaid cashmere fabric resting on your shoulders. It was warm and friendly; the feeling made you feel safe before you felt threatened. But then the question appeared: Where had it come from? You glanced around, eyeing your surroundings before feeling a presence beside you.

“Did I not say to be careful?” A familiar voice spoke, his tone playful.

You turned quickly, eyeing the god standing before you. He was still wearing the outfit you had seen him effortlessly change into as he had walked down your block, and now that you had a clear view of him, he was stunning. His hair was pulled back into a small bun and his hands were behind his back as he stood underneath the tree beside the bench. 

“I was careful,” you huffed, legs crossing as you stared back at the gorgeous god.

Loki chuckled - a pleasant sound that you needed to to hear. It was a soft sound of delight; despite everything you had heard about how merciless and cruel he was meant to be, there was a faint sense of innocence and kindness within him as well. You wanted to understand the conflict that took place within the God of Mischief, the feelings within him that played catch with his morals. You wanted to know him.

If a god, or a man, had shown such kindness and acceptance to you, then you wanted to be able to do the same for him regardless of all else. This didn’t have to mean that you turned a blind eye to wrongdoings or that you condoned any of the things he had done in the past, but you wanted to meet Loki halfway. You wanted to understand his mind and be able to say that he could be redeemed of whatever he seemed to believe he fell short of. He didn’t need to suffer, and he most definitely didn’t need to do so alone.

“Then why are you here right now instead of at work?” He inquired, a gentle and cautious smile adorning his nearly perfect features.

“I left early,” you responded. You weren’t lying, and part of you didn’t want to know if you could thoroughly lie to the God of Lies himself. 

“For what reasons?”

“Well,” you began to say, not knowing entirely what the answer would be either way. “My presence was considered… undesirable.”

Loki nodded, his eyebrows furrowing with a look of anger or concentration. You weren’t sure what his features held, what emotions he held towards the subject. The two of you stayed silent for a few moments as the sun began to dip below the tree line. Loki stood like a sculpture of dignified proportion, carved from the most divine shade of marble fathomable, and as you watched him for any sign of change, you found yourself admiring him more than anything else.

“Come,” he spoke suddenly, turning to you.

You didn’t protest as he motioned for you to follow him; in fact, it felt nice to be walking with a destination set by anyone but you. Loki’s steps were light, barely audible as he walked a couple steps ahead of you. His eyes were fixed on the lowering sun when your surroundings suddenly changed. 

The soft rustling of the trees and sounds of bustling individuals out for evening jogs were nowhere to be found. Instead, the silent chirping of birds and distant cars filled the silence as you took in your surroundings. You stopped walking, breathless as you realized that you had somehow managed to move quite a distance without barely moving at all. The grass beneath your feet rustled as the breeze shifted in your direction, and you almost asked the god as to how he had managed to get you here.

Loki approached you slowly, his eyebrows still furrowed as they were before you had arrived here. His pale hands reached for the shawl conveniently placed on your shoulders before taking it and laying it on the ground. He sat down smoothly, patting the space next to him to indicate that he wanted you to sit with him.

You sat quickly and clumsily, attempting to find a comfy position on the earth below. Your surroundings were familiar, and after a few moments of contemplation, you recognized it as Cedar Hill. 

“What are we doing here?” You asked.

Loki turned to you before looking up at the sky, “I am not fully accustomed to the ways of your kind,” he stated. “However, I believe every being in every realm has taken a chance to admire their morning star set.”

“You,” you began, a small smile on your lips. It astounded you how at ease the god could make you feel sometimes, “Took me to watch the sunset?”

“No, I simply brought you here so I did not have to look upon this sight alone.”

You laughed lightly at his words. Although he seemed to say that he was not doing this for you, it still felt like he was doing you a favor. Killing two birds with one stone you supposed. A blithe smile appeared on his face at the sound of even the slightest bit of cheer, and you were thankful yet again for his presence.

When you turned to face the setting sun, you realized one of two things. The first being that the two of you were the only ones on the hill, which was usually not so in such a popular area; the second thing you realized was how lovely the atmosphere was. This was not to say that it was the perfect setting to a kiss - because it was - but, instead, it was a light, playful atmosphere you had not felt for years. Over the past 6 years, you stayed away from relatively everyone besides your family because you couldn’t bear the idea of dragging anyone else into the mess you had made for yourself. 

You found yourself leaning back, using your hands to keep yourself inclined just enough to see the lavender and pink tint in the sky. The silence between the two of you was something you were quickly growing accustomed to, especially in such seemingly pristine moments like this. Just the presence of Loki besides you was enough for your heart to feel just a little bit lighter, and perhaps he had brought you here because your presence did the same for him. 

As your eyes danced to keep track of the infinite colorful sky, you felt a hand touch yours. Loki’s pale fingers rested delicately on your skin, a fire much resembling an arctic breeze setting fire on the place his hand touched. Your eyes fell shut as you wondered for a moment how his fingers would feel entwined with yours or perhaps how it would feel to have such long, nimble fingers caress your body beneath the stars. Part of you desperately wanted to know his body and how it might fit with yours, but the other part of you screamed to let the daydream go. 

Shaking away the thought, you opened your eyes to see that the god had been looking at you for who knows how long. He made no further movements besides touching your hand, and maybe that was for the best seeing as though you may not try to stop him despite all that has happened. Your cheeks flushed upon the realization that he had watched you immerse yourself, even if it was only briefly, into a small fantasy.

Loki did not make any remarks, nor did it seem like he had any idea of what was running through your mind. Instead, he looked back up to the sky, eyes shining with such splendor you wished to never look away.

“I have a confession,” he spoke suddenly, catching you off guard. 

“Yes?” You asked, wondering if he would tell you that he was not a god. Maybe he would tell you that this was a hallucination, or perhaps you were still stuck in your nightmare from the night before. However, as your mind raked through the abundance of possibilities forming within your mind, Loki said the one thing you weren’t sure you wanted to hear.

“When I met you, I knew who you were.”

(Chapter 5)

[theantitote]

A Call to Action + A Few Resources for These Times of Unrest in the US

On the Recent Unrest and Our Worst Fears (Is a civil war brewing?)

These times are uncertain, dire even. A mismanaged pandemic has and will continue to claim many lives and ravage our economy, yet several Republican governors still stand poised to reopen schools in the fall, and economic woes potentially put millions at risk of falling victim to mass evictions. Police and government brutality has long plagued our nation with near impunity and in the wake of George Floyd’s death and the violent crackdowns on protests, we seem to be reaching a breaking point. Police have been seen on numerous occasions assaulting the media, and federal agents sent to Portland, Oregon have been responsible for among other things, shooting Donavan La Bella in the head with “less lethal” impact munitions, cracking his skull and nearly killing him, arresting protesters into unmarked rental vans, and striking a Navy vet with a baton after he attempted to confront them on their oath to the constitution, breaking his hand. Now as anger swells in the streets and fears rise of an apparently fledgling secret police force due to the actions of federal agents, recently threatened to be deployed to more cities as part of Trump’s Operation Legend, a question thought unthinkable just a few months ago seems to be becoming uncomfortably plausible - are we heading for a civil war?

Anyone with even the slightest bit of morality and an inkling as to what such an event would entail should be struck with terror at the mere thought of the possibility. So it is imperative in these times that we do our due diligence as citizens of this nation to learn from history and do everything in our power to deescalate such a situation before our worst fears are realized, all without loosing sight of the problems and what must be done to solve them. To this end I have compiled a fairly brief list of videos, podcasts, articles, and webpages that I recommend all Americans observe and heed the messages and warnings found therein.

Top Recommendations

Note: All podcasts link to Spotify pages however you should be able to find them elsewhere if needed, including most popular podcasting apps from my experience.

1) The Youtube channel Beau of the Fifth Column, and his recent covering of the events in Portland.

I link his playlist of videos covering Portland and how the federal response runs counter to the guidelines of their manuals because it’s most relevant however I can’t recommend his entire channel enough. For further reading, here are a few links related to what he discusses in those videos:

FM 3-24 - Insurgencies and Countering Insurgencies - FAS PDF link

Federation of American Scientists - their website hosts a sizable amount of information some of which is relevant, including the aforementioned pdf

The Rand Corporation’s website, which has more public documentation and who also plays a large role in the making of classified documents for policy makers on the subject.

The nonprofit archive.org free online library

2) It Could Happen Here - A podcast from 2019 by Robert Evans, who has a background in investigative journalism on the conflicts in Iraq and Syria and Ukraine among others, exploring the possibility of a Second American Civil War, what might cause it and how it could be prevented. Though he is rather open about his own leftist bias he does not shy away from addressing the valid grievances rural America might have with the government as well as areas where the true left of America and rural conservatives might share some surprising common ground.

3) Behind the Police - Another podcast and a recent spinoff of “Behind the Bastards” that covers the history of American policing and how it has led to the often corrupt institutions we have today. Also hosted by Robert Evans and joined by the hip-hop artist Jason Petty aka Propaganda.

A few reminders of recent state violence

Tweeted video of the moment Donavan La Bella was shot in the head by a US Marshal

Tweeted video of the immediate aftermath (CW: profuse bleeding)

An update on Donavan La Bella’s condition (CW: distressing images) - “His mother, Desiree La Bella, previously said her son’s face and skull were fractured and that he underwent facial reconstructive surgery in the hours after the encounter. She said he had a tube in his skull to drain blood and had vision problems in one eye.” - the good news is the article says he’s recovering better than doctors expected.

Tweeted video of Navy veteran Chris David being struck with a baton by federal officers, breaking his hand, dubbed by some as “Captain Portland” after the viral video showed him taking the blows unflinching

A Newsweek article with an interview with Chris David - "I want to use my 15 minutes to put out a message to my fellow vets. I also want to use my 15 minutes to try to refocus this whole discussion back to Black Lives Matter as opposed to an old white guy who got beat up because I don't think I'm worth the attention, to be perfectly frank" - He states in the interview that he sought to confront the federal agents on their oath to the constitution when the beating happened, after hearing of the seemingly random arrests using unmarked rental vans.

NowThis News compilation of police violence against journalists from June 1st

Another NowThis News compilation of more police violence against journalists from June 3rd

Vice coverage of the protests in the wake of George Floyds death, posted on June 2nd. This includes a rather emotionally intense moment when the crew is assaulted by police with pepper spray and tear gas along with a small family who were attempting to protect their local business.

What Now? A Few Words of Advice

The times ahead are uncertain and fraught of dangers to say the least, but if we wish to avoid the worst we have to act. So, what do we do? Don’t just hope but organize, strategize, plan, and fight for the best, while preparing for the worst. At the very least and most simple take the advice from Beau’s videos and make your voice heard. Demand the government start following their own manuals and stop escalating tensions even further. 

Yet distressingly enough, it seems unlikely that the onslaught of violent federal crackdowns will slow down anytime soon regardless of what we do. Preparedness seems more important now than ever, so here are a few basics. Try to get at least a month's worth of food if you haven’t already and still can. There are several sites for such things, such as Mountain House as one example, however much of this might be sold out or unaffordable so you might have to consider buying canned goods little by little as you can. Prepare a bug out bag, especially if you live in the city. There are countless tutorials and advice on this topic but try to stay focused on what you might need - things like a first aid kit, water, a filtered straw and other purification methods, a way to light a fire and cook, and so on. If you’re sane and responsible and wish to acquire a firearm for self defense if you haven’t already, and want to train but don’t want to have to involve yourself with the toxic conservative dominated gun culture, look into the SRA (Socialist Rifle Association) as they might be offering range days and training in your area. 

But most importantly, start networking and organizing. No matter what comes to pass it will be imperative that we develop close ties with those within our communities which we can call upon not only to help try to prevent the worst, but also for protection should our worst fears become a reality. You might consider joining your local IWW if you’re an advocate for democratic unionization and workplace democracy like myself, or you might look into and maybe get into touch with folks like Mutual Aid Disaster Relief, and see if there’s any local to your area or what you might be able to learn from them. Regardless, try to find some group you at least somewhat fit in with and organize with them together.

A quick final note on my blog

I started this blog spontaneously on July 3rd hoping to ease my way into amateur blogging first and hopefully a career in journalism later, however current events have left me anxious of the future and uncertain of what new tragedies might lurk around the corner of tomorrow. I am however, highly privileged. I live at home in a rural town in the South Eastern US far away from the unrest with a supportive family who have at least for the time being a fairly secure income, and am currently unemployed, meaning that while I have no income of my own at the moment I do have a lot of free time, which I plan to spend much of on my amateur blogging pursuits. So if you want to see more blog posts like this in the future, give me a follow and consider turning on notifications and you’ll certainly be seeing more posts like this from me in the days ahead.

[tlatophat]

Outrage

You know... at this point, maybe I should re-brand myself as “Career outsider tells you what you don’t want to hear”.  Because whoooo boy are there people that don’t want to hear things right now.  Funny how even lawmakers who were shutting down barbershops, revoking licenses, and trying to sue churches suddenly don’t care about masks and 6-ft distancing and staying home and self-isolating when there’s an easily exploitable movement of reactionaries to cater votes from with empty motions and stupid promises. Because here we are again, caught up in what I need to start calling the “Wheel of Half-Truths”; one of the greatest perpetual lies of omission ever perpetrated.  Blindly believing the American press about social issues in 2020 is akin to believing North Korea when it says all its people are well fed and Westerners drink hot snow in the winter to keep warm.  They’re just saying what the people who hold the leash want them to say so they get their treats and live fat and happy.  So, since the rags and talking heads on the news won’t report it, it falls to people like me to inform you of what’s actually in the public record, but isn’t being told to you. But first of all, congratulations to the rioters in Minneapolis, Minnesota!  You just successfully destroyed your neighborhoods, sunk dozens minority-owned businesses, removed countless jobs from the community, and drove at least one major employer out of your state!  Give yourself a round of applause, guys, because you proved. . . absolutely nothing.  Except that you’re violent, greedy, ignorant anarchists and vandals; the very kind of people our police forces exist to stop.  You’re not revolutionaries.  You’re self-destructive criminals, and I hope you realize that you’re going to have to continue living in the neighborhoods that you just destroyed; with no jobs, no grocery stores, no gas stations, and now no factory to employ you.  You are menaces to your own communities, have made your neighbors suffer in the long term for a small pile of ill-gotten gains, and proved to the rest of the country why police are not only appreciated, but necessary.  Again, congratulations.  You played yourselves. Oh, and you rioters and vandals in other cities around the country?  You’re not far behind, and you’re just as vile and villainous.  Don’t think I don’t see you trying to knock over ambulances and blocking fire trucks, defacing and damaging buildings and property.  I see you, and I pray for your incarceration. But now on to that juicy stuff.  The stuff that people don’t want to hear because it spoils this pretty little narrative we have going right now.  And oh how the people hate it when someone tries to come in and spoil a narrative.  How dare I suggest that this outrage is built on misinformation and omission of truth!  Well, I dare.  The following are facts, not opinions or perspectives.  And are in the public record, so you can find them for yourself. - Of the cops present at at the arrest, most were minorities, including one Black officer, and their reports all match - The arresting officers called an ambulance to the site twice, while the ‘victim’ was still alive and struggling against arrest in response to the man’s insistence that he was claustrophobic...  despite having just been pulled out of his own car and simply being put into... another car. - The ‘victim’s’ “I can’t breathe” quote came from him insisting he was claustrophobic and ‘afraid to get in the car’, not in response to anything the officers were doing... other than trying to get him into the car. - The autopsy report shows the ‘victim’ had drugs in his system and had multiple problems with his heart, meaning that just about anything could have caused the heart attack that killed him.  Oh yeah, it was also a heart attack, not suffocation, that killed him.  Important detail. - The victim was being arrested on suspicion of counterfeiting $20 bills, which he had just tried to use to defraud a Muslim-owned business.  Just saying. - The officer who had been the one restraining the ‘victim’ when he died was arrested on a holding charge while a full investigation began, and he is now sitting, in jail, with a million-dollar bail.  The formalities have barely started and people are already accusing him of racism and protesting ‘racist cops’, and tacitly supporting rioting. In other words,  “I can’t breathe” is yet another “Hands up, don’t shoot”; a lie of omission perpetuated by suppressing the evidence that contradicts it.  Now... maybe this cop did cause the death.  Maybe he does deserve to face Negligent Homicide or Murder 3rd.  That’s for a jury to decide months from now when he goes to trial  But, based on the information in the public record, this has nothing to do with race, which is the major premise of this whole protest movement. “The cops is racist and they killin the Black man” is the only reason this movement even exists, but the evidence in the public record casts a great amount of doubt on that narrative.  And the media?  They don’t want to ruin that narrative, so they just choose not to report that evidence.  Outrage is easy clicks, it’s easy views, it’s easy clout.  Companies can cash in on the outrage with their “[Brand] supports Black People” marketing.  Politicians get easy votes by promising change and making grand gestures and speaking empty words to an angry crowd.  Propagandists can take the stage and push their anti-cop, pro-riot philosophy to gain donations without people questioning them.  All the suits get to turn a profit, so long as the outrage narrative continues and the reality goes unreported. This isn’t a conspiracy theory.  This is just reality.  If what I said above really is a matter of public record, and it is, why isn’t it reported clearly?  Why is it being buried?  Why aren’t CNN, MSNBC, and ABC talking about the fact the cops called an ambulance while the victim was alive, or that the cops were mostly minorities, or that the victim was trying to defraud a Muslim business, or that, despite having been sitting in his own car and attempting to get away from the scene of his crime, he insisted he was claustrophobic and refused to peacefully get into the patrol car?  Think about it.  Why not report these facts, unless there’s a reason to not tell you the whole truth? So I don’t blame the protesters, in one sense.  They don’t know any better.  They’re just reacting to what they’re being told.  That a racist White cop brutally suffocated a Black man.  It’s easy to believe that.  It’s what the media has been telling people for at least a decade.  That the White Man is evil, the Black Man is a victim, and the Cops are the Fist of the White People.  And if you believe the media always tells the whole story, then you have no reason to doubt them. Until someone like me shows up and shows you they’re not telling you the whole story.  Which begs the big question: What else aren’t they telling you?  And why?

[spaceandtimeuniverse]

Election Anxiety

Today is Wednesday, six days left until the election. 

This morning, I woke up to countless news in related with the election. My anxiety started the moment I got into the news. There are cases that the court took up in related with the voting such as the court uphold Texas governor’s order of having one drop in ballot in each county. It is unfair because in several of counties, there are thousands of people and they all need to send in their ballot in one box? There are several that were rejected in Texas that some officials are trying to stop a suppression of vote such as age eligibility requirement to be lived, allowing curbside voting and waive the witness requirements for mail in ballots in Alabama, or suspend the witness requirement in South Carolina. The Court has rejected those arguments. Although the Court has sided for Pennsylvania to have ballots to be counted if they arrive up to three days after election day, I am still concerned on more cases as this in several states in regarding to the election. 

It does not help that a Justice was confirmed early on Monday that has never supervised or argued a case and had little experiences with the court proceedings as Amy Barrett could use her conservative’ beliefs to overturn Roe vs. Wade, the 2008 LGTBA same-sex marriage, DACA and numerous of cases that the majority of Americans does not believe or would agree with if those court cases were overturned. The anxiety increased. 

While there are news all over the media that showed Joe Biden is leading in polls where Clinton four years ago would have been declined or gave Trump an advantage in the polls, I am still reminded by the memories of four years ago where all the national polls would claim Clinton to won the election but the world was shocked when the electoral college counted has gotten Trump to arrive to victory. No matter how many positive news about that, the flashback and anxiety would keep increasing. Memories of those past four years would keep coming back. 

Do you remember when our president mocked a disabled person? Do you remember when the leaked tapes revealed of Trump’s “locker talk”? 

Do you remember where there were protests in Charlottesville and Trump backtracked his condemnation on white supremacists and claimed there were “good people on both side”?

 Do you remember the countless, outrageous tweets that Trump tweeted sometimes in the middle of the night, sometimes four in the morning? That many of those tweets that if someone else would say those in public, those people would have been fired? 

Do you remember the handling of his first hurricane and procrastinated or never gave the aid to Puerto Rico? (Even if the news found later that it was stolen by local officials, why didn’t his administration double checked) 

Do you remember the family separation policy and Trump claiming it was his predecessors’s policy and refused to change the policy? How many families that were separtated? How many children that were locked in cages with “minimal” resources that they could provide to help those children? Remember when ICE was destructive and went to various states including sancturacy cities to take undocumented immigrants from their homes that they were supposed to be safe in? 

Do you remember how many people in his administration have ties or working with Russia? Or that they took advantage of their position for personal gain such as Scott Pruitt, Steven Mnuchin, Ben Carson, Betsy Devos, and so many numerous people who shouldn’t be on the job? Why did the Trump’s administration has so many people such as Flynn, Kelly, Sanders, etc. working and left. He has the highest vacancies or people who left his administration than any administration? 

Do you remember Trump’s ban on transgender in the military? Do you remember Trump mocking the late John McCain claiming that he wasn’t a war hero because he was captured? Do you remember when he called those type of people ‘losers’ that many veterans took offense because they served their country as well as they did? Do you remember when Trump question the soldiers who fought in Afghanistan and sacrificed and turned to John Kelly and said, “I just don’t get it” when John Kelly’s son died in the war? 

I could list so much more. So many more. What was even worse was that under Trump, our country never has been this polarized. This country has never been so divisible. Both parties are blaming each other. While we know that the facts remain about Trump and his administration, there are people who supported him all around the world, claiming “fake news” and refusing to double check those facts themselves. Why is it that lies are more believable than the truth? Is it because people are afraid of admitting they are wrong? Is it because people finally find like-minded people and are stubborn to admit they were wrong because they didn’t want to leave a group where they felt their opinions matter? Is it because people are indifferent to other people’s pain? Their opportunities taken away? Is it much easier for people to shrug off their shoulders and say “it is what it is”? Just as what Trump said during this covid pandemic and how he would respond differently to more than 200,000 lives gone? I am not even surprised that the president had covid, but it doesn’t change his views or his stance on covid. 

I am scared. I am scared for the soul of our country. I know our country have its dark history with breaking treaties with Native Americans, with slavery, with Jim Crows laws, segregations, wars, becoming a face of democracy and secretly rigging elections in third world countries because the outcome would benefits our country and so much more. I believe in the positivity of the country’s progress. We have grown up so far so that we could be in a place where we could finally have laws that matched the constitution that “all man are created equal”. All people are created equal and deserve the same rights and the same privileges as each other. So while we have made so much progress, there is this president that America voted four years ago that shred up all of those progress! Look what happened with gun violence, police brutality, voters’ suppressions, etc. Look what happened when the courts or other police stand by or supported the words of the officers over the victims because they were biased toward the police, laws that needed to be changed or there need to be more resources such as dash-cams needed to be installed, or even . Look what happened with the Keystone Pipeline that threatened our native lands! 

We even have a president who refused to do something about the climate change! Trees are dying, the ocean is in pollution of numerous of plastics, waste that we contributed to kill off other animals’ lives or that affected their habitat negatively. Trump was against alternative energy, claiming about wind power that is killing birds or that he claimed people are just fine in putting more waste in the environment. Because of his reluctance to helping our Earth, winter are getting more colder and dangerous with snow storms and hurricanes. Our summers are getting more hotter with the fires that devastated the west coast and that thousand of people are dying from heat exhaustion, heat wave, etc. The midwest are dealing with more tornados than before. 2020 has topped all previous weather or environmental records in several states or countries. It is just disastrous! All of those regulations that the president strapped off years ago have given more companies or corporations to gain profit, gain more equipments to do more damage to the environment every day. There was an article that it is not the matter of if anymore. Because the  consequences that the world would face has already happened and that it was the matter of now to prevent those consequences from being worse. 

Even in the election, we shouldn’t have the fear of what would happen if our president does not concede if he loses. That is something that should scare so many people. What would happen if the president does not concede? Would the Supreme Court sided with Trump about the election? Would there be an illegible recount in hopes for Trump’s officials to try to rig the election with more ballots? What if the recount cause Trump to win? What does that means? Would there be a revolution? A civil war? What if Trump does concede but his supporters would be outraged to cause a civil war? 

Whatever that means, all of this shouldn’t happen. A presidential election should just be boring and whoever the next president, the transition should be smooth. Our constitution is in crisis.  Our democracy is in perils. If there are something afoul with our government, our democracy, and our votes in this election, then come what may, we should do something. We should get our voices heard or our hands seen. We should go out and protest, revolt if we have to. If it leads to a constitutional crisis or to start off a new government in the process, so be it. 

But it doesn’t have to be this way. We should go out there and vote! Vote by mail or vote in person safely. Make sure you check if your vote is valid. The power is in our hands. What would you do with that power? Would you keep it for yourself like our president did? Or would you share it for others in need? 

[expatimes]

Academic freedom is under attack in Modi’s India | Human Rights News

Last year I had the opportunity to listen to the prominent Indian intellectual and author, Anand Teltumbde, speak at an academic conference in Delhi. At one point in his speech, he got teary-eyed and told the audience that he has lost all hope because India’s transformation into a “Hindu nation” under Prime Minister Narendra Modi appears complete. Having followed his profound anti-caste scholarship and civil rights activism closely over the years, I was heartbroken to witness his despair. I wanted to walk up to him and tell him that things will eventually get better. But since I did not know him personally, I chose not to.

I thought of him and his sorrow about the state of India often in the following months. I was miles away in the United States studying towards a PhD, but I was aware of the increasing repression of dissident academics and student activists in my home country. So when I read about Professor Teltumbde’s arrest in April this year, it felt personal. He was accused of having links with Maoist rebels and conspiring against the government, including “plotting the assassination” of Modi. Countless legal experts agree that the charges are fabricated and politically motivated, but he remains behind bars to this day.

Sadly, Teltumbde is not the only scholar to have fallen victim to the ongoing witch hunt against government critics in Indian academia – many public intellectuals have been accused of endangering “national security” and imprisoned for challenging Modi’s authoritarianism in recent years.

Just last month, a report published by the international NGO Scholars at Risk exposed the steady curtailment of academic freedoms in India under the Modi government. While the findings of the report were undoubtedly disturbing, they did not come as a surprise to anyone who has been following the news from India closely.

Since assuming power in 2014, Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has been systematically destroying the secular, democratic foundations of India and transforming the country into a strictly Hindu nation. BJP’s Hindu supremacist ideology portrays Muslims as the nefarious “other”. Moreover, Hindu supremacy is about the hegemony of upper-caste Hindus. Lower castes, which constitute the majority of the Indian population, are on one hand told to be proud Hindus, and on the other hand, oppressed violently because the caste system deems them inferior. It is in this context that anti-caste, Dalit (formerly “untouchable”) scholars such as Teltumbde, as well as Muslim and other dissident academics, are accused of being “anti-national” and prosecuted with fabricated charges.

Last August, India revoked the special status of Jammu and Kashmir, a Muslim-majority region over which both India and Pakistan claim jurisdiction. Following this move, the world’s so-called “largest democracy” imposed a communication lockdown in the region, closed all educational institutions and erected police barracks in university campuses.

Without access to the internet and university campuses, scholars and students from the region were left struggling to study, teach and communicate with each other and the outside world. To make matters worse, Hindu nationalist groups supporting the government started attacking Kashmiri students in other parts of India for merely “looking Kashmiri”. Scholars working on subjects related to Kashmir, meanwhile, have been summoned by state authorities to explain why they are doing “anti-national” research. Attempts by the Indian government and its supporters to silence dissenting voices in academia have not been contained within the country’s borders, either. Letters accusing Kashmiri scholars based in the US of “supporting terrorism” have been sent to the universities they are associated with, and events they participate in have been disturbed by Modi’s supporters.

Just a few months after the revocation of Kashmir’s special status, Modi’s BJP rammed the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), which offers an accelerated path to citizenship to migrants who are not Muslim, through India’s parliament.

On university campuses across India, students held unprecedented, peaceful protests against this blatantly discriminatory law. These protests were met with brutal state repression. Police and paramilitary forces entered university campuses and fired tear gas and rubber bullets and beat up students. In some cases, officers stood by and watched as Hindu nationalist groups stormed the same campuses, vandalised property and attacked anti-CAA student protesters.

Indian scholars and students studying abroad, such as myself, watched these events in horror. Many of us published open letters against the CAA and in support of the protesters. Despite a large number of signatories including many prominent scholars, these letters made little difference to the Modi government – it continued its repression of peaceful protesters, which eventually resulted in an anti-Muslim pogrom in Delhi that claimed 53 lives.

This year, the COVID-19 pandemic provided another opportunity for the government to clamp down on any criticism of its policies and actions. As protests became difficult and at times “unlawful gatherings” amid the pandemic restrictions, the Modi government decided to utilise its powers to further silence dissenting voices. It started wielding the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act – which gives the state the power to designate an individual as a terrorist before being proven guilty by trial – against dissident scholars and students participating in anti-CAA protests and anti-caste activism.

In July, at the height of the coronavirus crisis, the BJP government also approved the National Education Policy 2020 (NEP) outlining its vision for India’s education system. Not only does NEP pave the way for further privatisation of education and the erosion of the federal character of the educational structure, BJP’s rhetoric around NEP reveals how Hindu supremacy is shaping education in India.

BJP officials’ discussion of NEP has been replete with proclamations that education needs to be grounded in “culture” and “traditions” and that India was a “knowledge superpower” in the ancient past, before Muslim invasions and British colonialism.

According to Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal, the NEP is based on the dictum that “nation must”. Under this ideological design, questioning caste oppression, Islamophobia, patriarchy and crony capitalism is “anti-national” and scholars who dare to do so lack “character”.

The NEP prioritises the development of “practical skills” over critical thinking abilities. I, myself, have seen what this means during my undergraduate studies in one of the country’s premier engineering and science institutes, the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT). It means keeping the curriculum and the university atmosphere strictly apolitical, which ensures graduates obtain remarkable technical skills but remain unable to think critically and question oppressive structures.

With Indian engineers and technical professionals working across the world, this issue has global ramifications. After watching my college peers bash affirmative action for Dalit students for years, I was not surprised to find that there is rampant caste discrimination among Indian-origin engineers in Silicon Valley. Having experienced the meritocratic, technocratic environment of the IIT, I was not surprised that Google CEO Sundar Pichai, who is an IIT alumnus, chose to work with the Chinese government to create a censored, trackable search engine rather than question how doing so will endanger human rights in China.

The ongoing unlawful imprisonment of Professor Teltumbde and numerous other scholars is a clear reflection of the bleak state of academic freedom in India. It will take years, if not decades, to undo the damage that Modi and his Hindu nationalist supporters have inflicted on Indian education. It will require university leaders, lawmakers, civil society, and crucially, the international community, urging the state to end repression of ideas and safeguard academic freedoms.

The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera’s editorial stance.

#humanrights Read full article: https://expatimes.com/?p=15809&feed_id=24012 #asia #humanrights #india #opinions

[sciencespies]

These Photos Capture the Unity—and Defiance—of the Million Man March

https://sciencespies.com/history/these-photos-capture-the-unity-and-defiance-of-the-million-man-march/

These Photos Capture the Unity—and Defiance—of the Million Man March

Photographer Roderick Terry recognized the significance of the moment. It was October 16, 1995, when he picked up his camera and set out to document the Million Man March, a remarkable moment in American history, when tens of thousands of African American men arrived in Washington, D.C. heeding the call of the rally’s organizers, the NAACP and the Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan. “We cannot continue the destruction of our lives and the destruction of our communities,” Farrakhan told the crowd in his more than two-hour speech, calling for atonement and a demand for self-discipline. The day would prove powerfully moving to those who came by the droves to unite and to pledge a commitment to black communities across America against a backdrop of racist coverage that sowed fears that would not come to fruition during the march.

“I decided that I wanted to create my own visual record,” Terry says. “I wanted to be able to capture the most accurate representation of the march possible. This was very important to me because I really didn’t believe all of the characterizations before the event even occurred. So I decided that I wanted to take matters into my own hands and document the march myself.”

The result is a breathtaking visual testament to the power of those who stood together in unity to focus on community improvement and to self-reflect. The Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture recently acquired 55 of Terry’s images captured on that remarkable October day, a quarter-century ago.

I Am a Man by Roderick Terry, October 16, 1995

(NMAAHC, gift of Roderick Terry, ©Roderick Terry)

Terry grew up in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, and after studying at the University of London, earned his law degree at Howard University. At the time, he was working in the Washington, D.C. prosecutor’s office, taking photographs in his spare time and pursuing a passion he’d had since a child when his mother gave him his first camera. Evidence of his unencumbered approach to his subjects that day resound in his images—a cache of photographs portraying a plurality of faces and brimmed with individual stories and portrayals. Terry is bearing witness, capturing decisive moments that encapsulate the energy of the moment. His photographs force the viewer to see these men as whole people, not as the tropes and stereotypes typically used to characterize black men. Looking back 25 years later, Terry’s nuanced documentation feels even more necessary and urgent in the wake of today’s racial reckoning following the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and countless other victims of police brutality.

“I really wanted to get a cross-section of the participants,” he says. “Old and young participants. Straight and gay. Fathers and sons. People of different religious affiliations. People from different regions of the country. [I wanted to] just show us in our most natural state.”

In the photograph, I am a Man, Derek Charles Livingston holds a sign saying, “I Am A Black, Gay Man. I Am A Black Man. I Am A Man,” recalling another watershed moment in the civil rights movement—a photograph taken during the 1968 Sanitation Worker’s Strike depicting a parade of men carrying signs emblazoned with the words “I Am A Man.”

Livingston’s face is solemn, distant. His eyes avoid the viewer, registering, perhaps, a weariness of oppression, a feeling of being unheard. Many mainstream narratives of black masculinity can focus on homophobia, violence and laziness, even if these personality traits are stereotypical or grossly inaccurate. Terry’s photograph, on the other hand, tells a different story about a queer black man affirming his identity.

“Why did he take that photo?” asks Aaron Bryant, a curator at the African American History Museum. “Why was it important for him to show? Well, as a historian I think it was important. We generally buy into the whole idea of heteronormativity when defining the black male identity, and the Million Man March was defined that way, as well, at least in the cultural imagination. But when [Rod Terry] took that picture, there were actually groups of gay men who were there, out in the crowd who were part of that movement as well, and you never hear about that. Rod saw that, and recognized the importance of capturing it.”

Positive Reflections by Roderick Terry, October 16, 1995

(NMAAHC, gift of Roderick Terry, ©Roderick Terry)

Two Boys on Bench by Roderick Terry, October 16, 1995

(NMAAHC, gift of Roderick Terry, ©Roderick Terry)

Peace by Roderick Terry, October 16, 1995

(NMAAHC, gift of Roderick Terry, ©Roderick Terry)

Public Enemy by Roderick Terry, October 16, 1995

(NMAAHC, gift of Roderick Terry, ©Roderick Terry)

Signs of a Revolution by Roderick Terry, October 16, 1995

(NMAAHC, gift of Roderick Terry, ©Roderick Terry)

In his photograph Dome and Silhouettes, the backs of two unidentifiable men are carefully framed against the U.S. Capitol. Looming overhead is the figure of Lady Freedom at the top of the doom. The composition communicates a sense of deep historical trauma as well as a silent sense of solidarity.

“The reason I think this photograph captures the spirit of the march is because you have a juxtaposition between those two black men, and on the capitol dome you have the freedom statue. The interesting thing about that statue is that it was casted and hoisted up onto dome by slaves,” Terry says.

Later, he continues, speaking about the ironic nature of using slave labor to create a freedom statue. “You have this occasion, the Million Man March, and I’m able to capture two black men standing in front of this statue, the freedom statue, that a slave helped to build. I found it remarkable.”

Now an author of such acclaimed works as Hope Chest: A Treasure of Spiritual Keepsakes and the award-winning Brother’s Keeper: Words of Inspiration for African American Men and One Million Strong, Terry is pleased his images are housed in a permanent collection for future generations.

“It’s really about representing the voices of the people who were there and representing the perspectives . . . and the experiences,” Bryant says when reflecting on the importance of having the Terry’s photographs in the Smithsonian’s collection. “We’re really about preserving what he experienced. These photographs represent his voice and his experience and the experiences of the people he captured in the photographs. And so we’re committed to preserving their experiences. That’s the national treasure for us. Their experience is the national treasure.”

#History

[crookedmediatranscripts]

Pod Save the World

2017.09.20

Crisis in Burma

“Tommy talks with New York Times columnist Nick Kristof and Nexus Fund Executive Director Sally Smith about the ongoing ethnic cleansing happening right now in Burma.”

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0:00:01 

Tommy Vietor: Pod Save the World is brought to you by The Great Courses Plus.

Jon Lovett: The Great Courses Plus. You know, Tommy, we made a joke about The Great Courses when we were talking about the fact that Donald Trump is basically in school at UNGA learning about foreign policy.

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[Laughter]

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0:01:31

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0:01:33

TV: Welcome back to Pod Save the World. Today’s episode is about the ongoing ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya minority in Myanmar. Some people call it Burma, the names are gonna be used interchangeably throughout the interview. The Rohingya are a Muslim minority group that practices Islam in the Rakhine State, which is one of Myanmar’s poorer states. They have their own languages, they have their own cultural practices, and unfortunately are the victims of some of the worst discrimination you can imagine. This discrimination comes in a number of ways. The Rohingya are attacked and oppressed by the Buddhist majority for being Muslim, based on their religion. They’re also being falsely accused of not being from Myanmar. It is a truly vicious version of the familiar nationalism that’s turned deadly in so many different countries. Samantha Power, who was Obama’s ambassador to the United Nations and wrote a Pulitzer prize winning book about mass atrocities and genocide, told me that this was a degree of prejudice that she had rarely seen in all of her travels. In recent weeks, this situation has exploded. And to be honest, I didn’t have any idea how bad it had gotten until I started researching for this episode. My experience working on Myanmar had been very different. I visited the country with President Obama back in 2012. He was the first sitting U.S. President ever to visit the country. I was there when he met with Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi, who was considered by many to be the Nelson Mandela of Myanmar. We were at her lakeside villa where she had been kept under house arrest for many years. The day he met with activists, organizers, dissidents, he gave a speech at the University of Yangon, it felt like the opening of a new era for the country and the people of Myanmar and it truly felt historic. It still may turn out to be a historic opening and visit. But the situation today is far from hopeful. It is in fact horrific. The military is driving hundreds of thousands of innocent Rohingya men, women, and children from their homes. They’re burning down their villages, they’re indiscriminately slaughtering them along the way. It is undoubtedly ethnic cleansing and some are calling this a modern genocide. So today’s episode is based on interviews with two experts who helped me understand the situation on the ground. We recorded the interviews separately, but edited them together to give you multiple perspectives on the situation. You’ll hear from Sally Smith, the executive director of the Nexus Fund which is a non-profit organization Sally founded to prevent mass atrocities, and Nick Kristoff, a Pulitzer prize winning for the New York Times who has spent his career documenting human rights abuses and injustices around the world. It’s not easy to read or hear about some of the things that are happening. It’s not easy to hear this episode. But the violence is happening right now. And there’s still time and there’s still a chance for the international community to put pressure on the government of Myanmar and force them to stop. And there’s time to raise money to get aid to people who are suffering and who desperately need our help. For more information about the situation and how to help, go to the Pod Save The World Facebook page or go to the Nexus Fund website at www.nexus-fund.org to donate. Thanks for listening, we start with Nick Kristoff.

0:04:23

TV:  I’m familiar with the Rohingya, they are a Muslim minority group who lives in Burma, or Myanmar. I was aware of the history of discrimination they faced and some of the awful treatment. But it wasn’t until I read a piece you wrote, a couple weeks ago now, about just how bad things have gotten, that I truly understood the degree to which they were suffering and being driven out of their country. Can you talk a little bit about what has happened recently that has gotten this crisis to such an acute level?

Nick Kristof: Sure. So the Rohingya have been persecuted for years and years and years. And disenfranchised and this gradually radicalized them. And so an armed group appeared among them with a somewhat crazy idea that they were going to find back against the Myanmar government. And so a year ago, half-heartedly, and then in August, more vigorously, they attacked Myanmar government institutions – police stations and an army base. And it wasn’t effective at all as an insurrection. But it did lead Myanmar to mount a brutal scorched-earth attack on ordinary Rohingya civilians. And the upshot is that 400 thousand of the Rohingya have been driven out of Myanmar across the border into Bangladesh. Countless homes have been burned and villages destroyed. The, I believe, that the Myanmar government itself said that 60% of the Rohingya villages have now been abandoned. And many, many, many people – we don’t have a good count – have been killed in the scorched-earth operation. And women raped, accounts of infants being flung into lakes to drown, this kind of thing. It is about as brutal as an ethnic cleansing can get.

TV: When you read about these atrocities, the military beheading 6-year-old children, it is -- I think for a lot of people -- incomprehensible. The idea that a military force, human beings, could do this to another. But, I mean, how do you think this happens? Like why do you think that they go to these extreme lengths to terrorize a group of children?

Sally Smith: Because they- there’s a few reasons. They don’t see them as human. You know, in every mass atrocity situation you have an escalating level of dehumanization by the perpetrators. And so they start using the words like, they’re cockroaches and rats. We’ve seen this in the holocaust, in Darfur, in Rwanda. And, when you start doing that and you start saying that and you start thinking about people that way, it means that it’s time to exterminate them and that, again, you’re doing a good thing by killing them. Now to kill a child, obviously, it is incomprehensible, but it does happen because they don’t want them to grow up into the Muslims that they fear today. So, you know, this is nothing new in human history. It’s not like, let’s be so shocked. It’s horrendous, but I think that what happens when you’re shocked or it seems incomprehensible is that you become paralyzed and then you don’t take action. And right now, what they need more than anything is for the rest of the world to take action.

TV: Do you think this was the Myanmar government or military waiting for an opportunity to take actions against a minority group they have long despised? Or was this actually in response to this insurgent activity?

NK: I think that, to some degree, it probably was in response to this insurgency which, of course, they had helped create with their earlier repression. There have been these periods of brutal repression of the Rohingya and then, then there tends to be an outcry, the government tends to back off a little bit, allow a little more outside humanitarian help. And then there is some other episode that sets them off. But, you know, one of the really troubling things, I think is the way democratic politics have affected this. And -- obviously, I’m in favor of democracy, obviously you are -- but one of the- the challenges in Myanmar has been that as it has become more democratic, one of the rallying cries to win votes has been, “How much do we hate Muslim minorities?” And, “How much do we want to drive out the Rohingya?” So, democracy in effect has created, not a break in this kind of repression, but rather perhaps a spur to it.

TV: Do you think it was a mistake by the Obama administration to restore relations with Burma too soon? And relatedly, do you think the world made a mistake by putting too much hope on one person, Aung San Suu Kyi?

NK: So, I think that engagement is almost always worth it, and so I think that the Obama administration was right to engage with Burma, to make those trips. I do think that the Obama administration then got into the position where it was regarding Myanmar as one of its great successes at a time when it was under a lot of criticism for problems in the Middle East and elsewhere. And that, perhaps that made it too reluctant to speak out about what was going on with the Rohingya. And in any case, I think it- I don’t fault the engagement with Myanmar. I do fault, I mean the administration, they did speak out but I think they could’ve spoke out more forcefully and made it clear to the government that if, if they did the kind of things they’re doing now, that there would be a real price to pay for that. And indeed, yeah, I think we were all a little bit too starry eyed about Aung San Suu Kyi. She was an amazing fighter against the military regime and we all celebrated when she won the Nobel Peace prize. We were inspired by her words. But, you know, it turned out that she meant to apply those words and those aspirations largely to the Buddhist ethnic majority in Myanmar and does not seem to think that those words apply equally to the Rohingya minority.

TV: Yeah. Nearly 400 thousand people, as you reported, have fled from Myanmar to Bangladesh in just a few weeks. That’s like moving the city of Cleveland or the city of New Orleans to another country in a matter of days. Is there any sense that Bangladesh is ready to support that massive flow of refugees?

NK: So, historically Bangladesh has done a pretty poor job of accommodating the Rohingya and there, there have been huge flows of Rohingya in the past and Bangladesh has put them up in camps, offered them few education or job opportunities. In general, I’d say, has not handled them very well. One thing that is a little bit different is that today the expulsion of the Rohingya, the repression of the Rohingya, has attracted a huge amount of attention in the Muslim world all around the globe, including the Arab countries. And so, I think that there may be somewhat greater flows of money to help Rohingya refugees than there have been in the past. I think that Bangladesh, there may be more attention and publicity in ways that will lead Bangladesh to do a better job. But, unfortunately the other side of the coin is that there is also indication that there will be more foreign fighters, perhaps flowing into Burma, to join these rebel forces in fighting the Myanmar government. And, you know, this is just a prescription for disaster. If there is a civil war there, in Rakhine State, it won’t be good for the government. It also certainly won’t be good for those Rohingya who were left behind there.

TV: Sally, what can people listening do to help?

SS: People really need to get there, and get there now, to help Bangladesh. Because they don’t really have the resources and the infrastructure to handle this amount of people. I mean this is a biblical amount of people that are flooding into this country. And from the estimates of my- our partners, Fortify Rights, who are on the ground and at the border -- they say it could be upwards of a million within a week. They want them to leave, right. They’re doing this on purpose. And they’re shooting at men, women, and children – civilians. Civilians. Shooting at them as they flee into Bangladesh as well. So killing as many as they can, getting rid of the rest.

0:13:05

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0:13:11

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0:14:33

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0:16:14

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0:16:18

TV: How concerned are counter-terrorism experts you talked to that the actions of the Myanmar government and military are gonna set the stage for ISIS to come in and really radicalize a generation of Rohingya who are being treated in the worst possible way by their government?

NK: So, I mean, what we don’t know about the Rohingya and Rakhine State could fill volumes. I mean, it’s really- this isn’t an area where we know a lot. It’s been very difficult to get in there and travel around. I managed to make two trips into Rakhine State, but I couldn’t get to large swaths of it, especially in the northern part. And you hear a lot about ISIS and Al Qaeda but I do think that in the past it’s mostly been talk. And in general, I’d say that people have responded to their desperation more by paying human smugglers and trying to leave to go to Thailand or Malaysia to try to start over, rather than to try to fight back. You have the sense that in the last year or so, that is changing and what will really change it is if you end up getting a pipeline of money and guns into Rakhine State. And there are some indications that is now happening. And people are just so outraged, you know, I mean they- they’ve seen family members raped, they’ve seen children drowned, they’ve seen these villages burned. And the refugees on the Bangladesh side, they can look across and they see smoke filling the skies as their- their villages -- and these huts all have thatch roofs so they burn very easily -- they see these fires from their own villages and of course they’re furious about it. And a lot of them wanna fight.

TV: It’s probably not great to speculate if ISIS might come in. What we do know is that the worst things imaginable happen to people in the most desperate situations and you see human trafficking and all sorts of assorted horrors come along with situations like this. Are there aid organizations that are providing relief or support to refugees that you think Americans listening should support today to try to do something?

NK: Yeah, so there are a lot of aid groups that are on the Bangladesh side of the border -- International Rescue Committee, the- you know the whole lot of them are there. And they- and because the issue is getting a lot of attention so they’re active there. The real problem is for the 600 thousand or so Rohingya who are left on the Myanmar side. And they’re not getting help. There are a little more than 100 thousand who are in effectively in a concentration camp in the city of Sittwe. They’re locked up there. They’re not allowed to go to schools, they’re not allowed to get easy medical care. On my- on one of my visits there was a woman who was in obstructed labor, she desperately needed a C-section to save her life and the life of her baby and, you know, she could not get it. The only medical support she had was from a pharmacist and, so those folks- they get a little bit of help from- those folks who are in this concentration camp, they do get some visits by some aid groups, including International Rescue Committee. But outside of Sittwe, and especially in the northern part of Rakhine State, aid groups just are not allowed to move. There is no humanitarian access whatsoever. And I think that has to be one of, you know, one of the first things we have to do -- to pressure the Myanmar government to provide that access. And so- and I’d say that in general when people ask me today, what they can do to help. I would put less emphasis on the need for provision of services and more for advocacy because- there are groups like Fortify Rights that are focused on advocacy for the Rohingya because what we need is to get that access by aid groups to get into rural parts of Rakhine State so they can begin to provide services.

TV: Sally, what is your nonprofit, the Nexus Fund, do?

SS: So the Nexus Fund is dedicated to preventing mass atrocities around the world, which includes genocide, ethnic cleansing, crimes against humanity. And our model is actually based on, you know I came out of the Obama campaign ’07, ‘08 and I really believe in empowering locals. And I think what we’ve been doing in aid is going into other countries and telling them- basically putting a project on top of their lives and saying, you know “here’s a bunch of money for this project that we’ve decided because I went to Brown and I got my masters, you know, and I’ve read about you.” And you know what I figured out over the last 10 years or so is that, that doesn’t work, right? And I think the aid community is actually coming to that conclusion as well. So our model is really about going in, finding the locals, talking to them about who is addressing the risk factors for genocide and mass atrocities in their communities. And then supporting them. So whatever that means. Whether that’s through, you know, funding resources or training or connecting them with other people in the world who have already been through what they’re going through, so they don’t have to reinvent the wheel. For anything that I care about, I have four words that I always keep in mind: knowledge, social, time, and money. So knowledge is, you’ve done it. Pat yourself on the back. You’re listening to this podcast. You’re learning about the Rohingya. Social is share with people, you know like, in person when you see people, bring it up on your Facebook and Twitter. Like, please talk about it. The more it actually gets talked about, that is important. And then time and money is, you know I would say normally it’s like volunteer time but we’re not gonna fly everybody over to Burma. What we really need is your donations. And I know Save the Children could use your donations, so I’m not just here to pitch my own organization. But this is- what’s crazy to me, Tommy, is this is an orphan cause. There are zero donors working on this cause. At a full time.  There are donors that give a little bit here and there. The pie isn’t big enough. You know there’s not enough money to go around. People’s resources are stretch really thin. And I’m not saying that to say that, you know, everybody’s just swimming in a pool of their money. There’s a desperate need and we really need the pie to get bigger, so one of the things I’m really trying to do is bring more funders into this field and into this issue in particular. Cause I think there’s an assumption that people are funding efforts that need to be done and helping, and they’re not.

0:22:57

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0:25:02

TV: So, the UN general assembly is this week. Aung San Suu Kyi was supposed to come to New York but now is not gonna come. Do you have any sense that there will be efforts to take some sort of meaningful collective action to either highlight the treatment of the Rohingya or put pressure on the government to, you know, allow access like you said or stop with this horrific ethnic cleansing?

NK: So, there certainly will be more attention on it, and the Muslim world is very concerned about this. It’s getting a lot of attention in the Arab press and Indonesia and so on. I don’t think that there is likely to be effective UN action. Partly because in the Security Council, China is going to protect Burma. I think China to some degree sees this and an opportunity to peel Burma away from U.S. orbit and into its own orbit. And there’s been some competition over the last 20 years between China and the U.S. over who will be Burma’s protector down the road. In the past the U.S. had been winning that and this may be an opportunity for China to make strides, in the most cynical way. So I don’t think the Security Council has a very tool box given China’s resistance. And the UN agencies haven’t been terribly effective. Partly because they tend to work in a fairly collegial way and they’re…not good -- except for the High Commissioner on Human Rights-- about standing up and using the bully pulpit.

TV: You know you sort of have a choice, you can look away say there’s nothing we can do and throw your hands up. Or you can decide to raise awareness, to call members of Congress, to support aid groups doing great work, and support journalists who are covering these stories. So, thank you for what you’re doing to bring the world’s attention here.

NK: Yeah, let me mention a couple of things that are- you know- you mentioned Congress, so there is a Senate resolution that is in the works, sponsored by Senator Durbin and Senator McCain that indeed does call on Aung San Suu Kyi to try to live up to her values on the Rohingya. It’s a way of applying a little bit more pressure. Similar pressure led Senator McCain to take a measure out of a bill and thus make it more difficult for weapons to flow to the Myanmar military, which I think is a useful signal to them. And I’m glad you mentioned journalists because, you know, this- this to me is just a- a great example of why we need people out in the field including, maybe above all, photographers and video journalists documenting this kind of thing because once it’s projected into our living rooms and on to our laptops, it’s really hard to turn away. And I think it’s those images that are gonna galvanize us and, I hope, lead to some kind of improvement in the situation.

TV: Sally, how can people encourage the United States government to put pressure on Myanmar to stop this ethnic cleansing?

SS: International political pressure is…so paramount right now. So please do pick up the phone and call your member of Congress and tell them- just say, “I care about the issue of the Rohingya, what are you gonna do about it?”

0:28:17

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0:28:19

TV: Thank you for listening to Pod Save the World and for caring about this issue. Again, if you want more information, go to the Pod Save the World Facebook page. We’ll have links for all the places you can donate and all the groups that are helping. You can also go to the Nexus Fund website at www.nexus-fund.org to donate and to sign up to help out Sally’s cause. So, thank you again.

[MUSIC]

0:29:02

[larrykrakow]

Camden, NJ Suffers Through Decades Of Institutional Racism

New Post has been published on https://theprogressivemind.org/camden-nj-suffers-through-decades-of-institutional-racism/

Camden, NJ Suffers Through Decades Of Institutional Racism

In a recent trip to Camden, NJ, the horrors of decades past still rears an ugly picture today. Institutional racism turned this once vibrant and essential city to our nation into a war zone with little hope. Sadly, we have seen a decline in a city that offered many advances in manufacturing and

The decline of Camden, NJ and institutional racism has led to despair and a great city lost to our race to the bottom as a nation.

culture. Sitting directly across the Delaware River from Philadelphia, the city has played a vital role in American history. Unfortunately, the story of a city once viewed as invincible turned into a place of despair.

Riding around town, I had a look around the city and the makeup of the community. I saw African American people, Hispanic people and some white people. Most of the white people appeared to be obviously addicted to drugs. Drug addiction is rampant and there is little hope. For those that look for hope, they do not see it in our institutions. They see hope in Jesus as a way to cope with the understanding that help from people in high places may never come.

As I rode around town with my photographer wife, we went down endless streets laden with potholes and lined with boarded up homes. The tragedy was clear in this place. Dreams were lost and hopes were dashed over decades of decline as industry after industry left town. Furthermore, as African Americans moved in, white flight happened. White people decided that living with African Americans was not what they wanted. Institutional racism and deindustrialization started to work hand in hand. This kind of thing was gradually beginning to happen across the country, in particular, the Rust Belt. As African Americans moved in looking for opportunities in industry, white people and capital left.

We saw RCA Victor move operations out of Camden to lower wage areas after the second world war. The NY Shipbuilding Corporation shut down in 1967. The Cherry Hill Mall opened in 1961, decimating the retail business base in the city. As the city deindustrialized, the number of jobs in manufacturing left along with many of the white collar jobs as well. The city witnessed a steady decline. As decline happened and properties started to face distress due to abandonment, crime started moving in. Today, Camden looks much like a city in a third world country.

Camden public library long boarded up.

In the wake of the George Floyd tragedy, we are reminded of the systemic problems that black and brown people face. Unfortunately, we have over 400 years of history working against African Americans. Sadly, the streets of Camden are heavily policed yet drug addiction is an epidemic. Institutional racism has kept this city underfunded, broken down and suffering. The public library is boarded up and the streets are loaded with potholes.

As you can clearly see, pain and suffering make up life in this city. There are a few spots that receive investment. A few blocks of the city are invested heavily in colleges. The Philadelphia 76ers have their training facility near the waterfront.  The USS New Jersey is docked in Camden and the city is home to an aquarium. Unfortunately, all you have to do is drive a few blocks and life is completely different.

The last thing that I did before leaving town was introducing myself to a an African American gentleman as he worked on his pickup truck. I was able to pick up a few things about the history of the city. Sadly, he talked about the time he came and bought his home only to see his white neighbors leave in a way calling him the n word without saying it. As the black population grew, the white population left and the funding for schools, services and maintenance of the streets started to slip.

  Over the years, there were incidents of police brutality which brought on change in policing. The Camden Police Department was disbanded and replaced with Camden County policing. Still, there is a disconnect between power and the people. The city is a hub for drug addiction creating an underground economy. Real opportunity is tough to find.

You can find countless blocks of abandoned homes in Camden as the population declined from the city’s industrial peak.

So what can we do as a society? We can demand that our leadership recognize communities like Camden and other places as the first to help thrive. New York or other major cities will always thrive as wealth finds a way. The people of these deindustrialized cities, regardless of race are a national treasure. They are part of our culture and citizens of our great land. We cannot allow politicians to pay lip service to these cities when looking to win an election. They have to get serious.

The last thing I want to hear African Americans say to me is that they think the white man believes that the n word is the only thing to describe them. When it comes to benefits and relief, the mainstream media often victimizes African American people as moochers and users. This leaves the most vulnerable that have suffered for generations without recourse. They are forced into the underground and then into the hands of police. This is a cycle of oppression that is only thought about briefly when one dies at the hands of a brutal cop.

We are all linked as one people, even if there are some of us that use the n word to describe others or some African American people who have no trust of white people. Our society is plagued by the structures put in place by yes, a white capitalist elite. Systemic oppression is what makes their brutal system work. Fortunately, we can unite if we have the will and the way. Let us understand first is that we are all consumers and producers. When we break this cycle by denying one access to the fruits of life, we eventually deny all of us. Our system cannot succeed without each and every one of us collectively working towards a better lifestyle.

[rolandfontana]

The Superpredator Myth: It’s Still Alive Behind Bars

There is a strange parallel between the history of the so-called “superpredator” and the conception of “dope fiends.”

Not too long ago, “superpredator” became the favored word of some criminologists to describe the emergence of what was considered a dangerous threat to public safety in the U.S. A ruthless criminal concealed within the body of an adolescent male, he was often black, and his habitat was the inner city.

Violent criminal conduct was a unique, and terrifying, behavioral characteristic of these young beasts. When captured, the mantra “Adult Time for Adult Crime” supported sentencing them as if they were just as culpable as their fully matured counterparts.

Similarly, a much older phrase, “dope fiend” came back into use to describe those superpredators immersed in the world of illicit drugs. The stereotype was just as brutal: He (usually a he) was conceived to be a hedonistic, nihilistic hybrid, usually having dark skin, who sometimes spoke with a Hispanic accent.

Committing crimes to support his narcotic addition was a favorite pastime. And just as in the case of violent superpredators, he was the target of the “tough on crime” policies that sent so many young black men to prison in the 1980s and 1990s for long stretches of confinement.

Fast forward to 2019.

Now, there’s a broad consensus among criminologists that the so-called superpredator is better understood as a youth whose crimes more often than not reflect transient immaturity rather than irreparable corruption, and whose skin complexions encompass the color spectrum. The U.S. Supreme Court and last year, the Washington State Supreme Court, relied upon the attendant neurodevelopmental research findings to invalidate some of the harshest penalties for the kinds of juvenile offenders once written off as unreformable superpredators.

Even heinous crimes committed by young people are now viewed through a prism that mitigates their culpability.

I was once in the superpredator category myself. I received a life-without-parole sentence for my involvement in a murder at age 14—a crime that I have regretted ever since.

But the courts’ new approach gave me—and many others in similar situations—a path for hope. My sentence was amended retroactively, and I was given an opportunity to be freed. I received mercy.

But the stereotyped “dope fiend” version of the superpredator still stunts the lives of thousands of inmates in U.S. prisons today who were sentenced for crimes committed when they were young—despite a growing body of research that has made that version anachronistic.

For one thing, opioid addiction is no longer, sadly confined, to the poor young person of color.

We all realize that the opioid epidemic in America has destroyed the lives of soccer moms and rural white teenagers just as much as it has youths in the inner city.

The broad consensus that dealing with this crisis requires a public health approach rather than criminal justice machinery has spread to policymakers at federal, state and local levels.

But not to prisons.

All too often, these ameliorative approaches are only being implemented at the front end of the criminal justice system. Unlike former superpredators such as myself, mercy has yet to be applied retroactively to the sentences of opioid addicts imprisoned while they were young. Their lives are untouched by the contemporary recognition that their crimes were not simply a product of free will, opportunity and a rational calculus.

The case of Corey Irish provides one illustration of why such former drug “superpredators” should receive relief—notwithstanding the fact that their crimes occurred long before overdosed bodies began to pile up in refrigerator trucks from West Virginia to Ohio.

Drugstore Robbery

Late in the evening of April 23, 2007, in Tacoma, Wash., Daniel Garibay was just about to turn away from the customer he finished serving through the drive‑through window at Walgreen’s pharmacy when he heard a loud thump on the floor behind him.

He would never forget the sound.

“I mean, I’d never heard something like that,” he testified, according to trial transcripts.

The sound was Corey Irish landing on the floor after he leapt over the counter. The young man immediately began demanding drugs by their generic and non-generic names.

“When he first jumped in, at first he asked for Percocet, Oxycodone, and Vicodin…then it seemed like he just wanted anything,” Garibay told the jury during Irish’s trial in Pierce County Superior Court.

He was stunned when Irish pulled out two trash bags and told Garibay to fill them up. According to Garibay, “They looked like forceflex bags. He told me which drugs he wanted, and then he asked me to put them in the bags after I opened the cabinet.”

Meanwhile, Irish’s accomplice, who stood guard over the other two employees after flashing a gun in his waist line and corralling them into the stockroom, kept apologizing.

“I’m sorry I have to do this, you know…Just be quiet,” Jeanelle O’Dell recounted the accomplice saying as he made her kneel on the floor.

‘He kept apologizing for what he was doing’

Mike Staten also recalled, “He kept apologizing for what he was doing, saying he wanted to be in and out.”

Back in the pharmacy, Garibay had moved on to filling up a third garbage bag that Irish made him get after the two that Irish brought with him were filled to capacity. Ten minutes elapsed from the loud thump Irish made when he landed behind the counter to when he finally lifted the bags filled with childproof bottles, summoned his accomplice from the stockroom, and began to leave with his haul of prescription narcotics.

The police arrived before the men escaped from the scene. Irish was arrested with the bags of OxyContin, Percocet, Valium and Vicodin, and everything in between. His accomplice fled empty-handed and was never apprehended by the police.

During the closing arguments of Irish’s trial, Sunni Ko, the deputy prosecuting attorney, rhetorically asked the jury, “Ladies and gentlemen, again, what do you think he was going to do with three bags of drugs? Do you think that he was going to keep them in his room and have it for personal use for the rest of his life?”

The notion that an addiction to prescription medication was powerful enough to make anyone do such a thing stretched belief. His intent was obviously to distribute the pills for profit, Ko argued to the jury.

The jury agreed.

At sentencing, Irish, who met the DSM-IV-TR criteria for opioid dependency, explained to the judge, “We wasn’t trying to hurt anybody. We just wanted some pills. And besides…I do pop pills, constantly. That’s why—not making excuses on any of that—but I mean, I do have a problem.

“Whether it was one bottle or 100 bottles I took, it was going to be a robbery anyway, so I mean, a thousand apologies, especially to the victims.”

His mother, a high school teacher, told the judge how she had tried to convince her son to get treatment before the crime occurred. His aunt, an assistant mayor, also implored the court, writing, “Corey needs the opportunity to enter a program where he can receive help for the drug problem and counseling to get to the root of his problems.”

The judge empathized with Irish’s family, but she had no sympathy for Irish.

He was sentenced to spend the next quarter century in the care of the Washington Department of Corrections—a prison term that exceeds the minimum sentence a defendant would serve for committing premeditated murder.

The Paradigm Shift

Criminal justice officials in Ohio probably would not be surprised upon hearing that someone tried to steal garbage bags filled with prescription pills from a pharmacy in a robbery. There, the opioid epidemic is so devastating that the foster care system has been overwhelmed by children who have become the detritus of addicted parents.

Tom Synan, Newtown Ohio’s Police Chief, has come to believe that addiction should no longer be considered a crime.

“It took 70,000 people to die before society shifted its opinion on opioid addiction,” he observed during a symposium sponsored by The Washington Post, headlined Addiction in America, The New War on Drugs.

Experts on substance use disorders who have tracked the etiology of opioid addiction would also see a familiar theme with respect to how Irish went from being a supervisor at a fabrication company to the perpetrator of a drug store robbery.

After suffering a back injury in 2006, he was prescribed OxyContin during a period when pharmaceutical companies where downplaying its addictive properties, financial incentives led doctors to over-prescribe opioid pain medications, and the naive failed to perceive the signs of misuse and abuse going on around them because addicts did not fit the stereotypical image of a dope fiend.

They resided in the heartland.

They worked and went to church on Sundays.

They weren’t dark-skinned and had no accent.

During the 12 years that have elapsed since Irish was confined, legions of young men and women went from pilfering their parents’ pills when they were teenagers and snorting them with friends to shooting heroin. Nurses have lost their jobs for stealing narcotics from their elderly patients. Countless men and women have lost custody of their children.

Let us pause for a moment to reflect on the crack epidemic, the policies it generated, and the character attacks on the addicts. Whether America learned from these mistakes or the socio-demographic and white complexion of many contemporary opioid addicts brought enlightenment with respect to this latest drug epidemic, I can only guess.

In any case, the criminal justice system is already bursting at the seams due to mass incarceration. It therefore comes as no surprise to me that officials have lost the appetite to use demonization and imprisonment as expedients for dealing with the opioid epidemic—especially since the problem exists within their own communities.

I can imagine policymakers deliberating about establishing drug courts, implementing diversion programs, and funding more treatment centers now that a drug epidemic is not confined to the inner city.

“These people need help. They have a disease. We can’t just lock them up and throw away the key,” I can hear them saying.

Left Out

But those still confined before these sentiments affected the criminal justice system are seemingly left out of such discussions.

Recall that retribution was warranted because it was believed that these people were driven solely by their criminogenic needs. Their addictions, in and of itself, manifested they had little interest in being a part of law-abiding society.

But that was the past. The scientific consensus that opioid addiction is a disease undermines the deterrent and retributive purposes of punishment in these cases, leaving only incapacitation for rehabilitation.

Regardless, those confined before this paradigm shift have got nothing coming. Far too many of them present unsympathetic images due to their current convictions and dark skin complexions.

But make no mistake about it: If 10,000 soccer moms were languishing in prison for pulling capers to obtain prescription pain medication, lawyers would be battling to get them executive clemency or, alternatively, judicial relief based on arguments that these new socio-medical findings satisfy the legal standard for newly discovered evidence and warrant resentencing hearings to present mitigating factors in support of reducing their prison sentences.

Jeremiah Bourgeois

That said, it remains a mystery how many years will pass before policymakers provide relief to those locked away in penitentiaries because their disease drove them to commit crimes to secure more—and more—prescription pain medication.

Until then, Corey Irish will continue serving out a sentence that exceeds the minimum term that is imposed on those who commit premeditated murder.

Jeremiah Bourgeois is a regular contributor to The Crime Report, and a recent graduate of Adams State University, where he earned an interdisciplinary degree in criminology and legal studies. Since 1992, he has been confined in Washington State for crimes that he committed at age fourteen. He is currently petitioning for release. Readers who wish to support him are invited to sign up here. He welcomes comments.

The Superpredator Myth: It’s Still Alive Behind Bars syndicated from https://immigrationattorneyto.wordpress.com/

[designerkj]

Original Story: Vulture.com Early Wednesday evening Jenni “JWoww” Farley posted a lengthy open letter to her estranged husband Roger Mathews on her website. In it, the Jersey Shore alum alleges physical abuse by Mathews, as well as attempts by Mathews to allegedly conspire with another one of her exes. This is the plot that allegedly lead to that ex being arrested for attempting to extort her. Farley then alleges that Mathew reached out to yet another one of her exes, this time one from her college years who had “brutally beat me so badly I was hospitalized.” “You chose to reach out to this unspeakable person in order to intimidate me,” she wrote, before going on to accused Mathews himself of physical abuse. “If this was not enough, you have spit at me. You have pushed me. You have shoved me. You have aggressively thrown me to the ground.” Farley also accompanies the letter with several videos, one of which appears to depict Mathews throwing Farley to the ground. She also posted videos taken by Mathews, which she alleges in the letter were on a USB drive in his gun case, allegedly to be used by him to discredit her claims that he’d shoved her the day before. Read the full letter below: A MESSAGE TO ROGER: I HAVE SPENT THE LAST FEW MONTHS TRYING TO PROTECT OUR CHILDREN FROM PUBLIC HUMILIATION, BECAUSE AS PARENTS, WE ARE SUPPOSED TO PROTECT THEM. I WANTED TO HANDLE THIS OUT OF THE SPOTLIGHT BECAUSE OUR SILENCE IS THEIR GREATER GOOD. EVEN WHEN YOU TRIED TO DISGRACE MY NAME, MAKE FALSE ACCUSATIONS AND EVEN POINT BLANK LIE… I STILL REMAINED SILENT AS CHALLENGING AS IT WAS … WHY? BECAUSE, GREATER GOOD. I CAN NO LONGER SIT IDLY BY WHILE YOU MISTREAT AND MALIGN ME IN SUCH AN EGREGIOUS MANNER. YOU HAVE PRESENTED YOURSELF TO THE PUBLIC AS A PRAISEWORTHY FATHER AND A HUSBAND WHO HAS BEEN SUFFERING BY MY ALLEGED ACTIONS AND BEHAVIOR.    THE ALTERED PERCEPTIONS YOU HAVE CREATED FOR YOURSELF ON SOCIAL MEDIA IS TRULY STAGGERING. YOUR POSTINGS ARE CONSUMED WITH INACCURACIES, FALSE STATEMENTS, SELF-SERVING COMMENTS, OUTRIGHT MISREPRESENTATIONS AND BLATANT LIES. WHAT IS YOUR ACTUAL TRUTH? WHAT IS YOUR REALITY? IS IT THE VIDEO YOU TOOK OF YOURSELF WHILE DRIVING THE CHILDREN, PLACING THEM AT RISK BECAUSE YOU CANNOT TAKE THE CAMERA OFF OF YOURSELF EVEN FOR A MINUTE WHILE OPERATING A VEHICLE? IS IT THE PIZZA THAT YOU FED TO OUR 2 YEAR OLD SON WHO IS HIGHLY ALLERGIC TO GLUTEN AND DAIRY, PLACING HIM IN SERIOUS MEDICAL JEOPARDY? WHEN I ASKED YOU ABOUT THE FOOD SITUATION, YOU CHOSE TO BERATE ME INSTEAD OF ACKNOWLEDGING THAT GREYSON’S HEALTH IS OF PARAMOUNT CONCERN. HOW DARE I BE WORRIED ABOUT OUR SON’S MEDICAL CONDITION? HOW DARE ANYONE QUESTION YOU ABOUT WHAT GREYSON EATS DURING YOUR PARENTING TIME? IT’S ONLY OUR SON’S SAFETY AT ISSUE. APPARENTLY, ALL OF HIS MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS ARE WRONG AND YOU KNOW BEST ABOVE ALL OF THOSE WHO HAVE THOROUGHLY EVALUATED HIM. YOU FORGOT TO POST A PHOTO OF WHEN YOU RECEIVED YOUR MEDICAL DEGREE SO THAT YOU COULD PERSONALLY DIAGNOSE OUR SON AND THEREFORE DISREGARD ALL OF THE PROFESSIONAL ADVICE WE HAVE RECEIVED FOR HIS MEDICAL BEST INTERESTS. I AM CURIOUS WHY YOU DIDN’T POST LAST WEEK’S VIDEO OF GREYSON WITH HIS THERAPIST ON SOCIAL MEDIA? OH, OF COURSE!! THAT WOULD BE BECAUSE YOU REFUSED TO OPEN THE DOOR (AND YOU WERE HOME!) TO ALLOW THE THERAPIST IN FOR GREYSON’S SCHEDULED APPOINTMENT, EVEN THOUGH SHE STOOD THERE KNOCKING AND RINGING THE BELL FOR 30 MINUTES IN THE FREEZING COLD. SHE SHOWED UP ON THE MOST ARCTIC DAY OF THE YEAR TO PROVIDE CARE FOR GREYSON AND YOU AGAIN IGNORED THE CRITICAL MEDICAL NEEDS THAT HE REQUIRES. UNFORTUNATELY, THIS IS ONLY A SMALL SAMPLING IN THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS OF “ROGER REALITY ON IG”. A PRAISEWORTHY FATHER? YOU NEED TO LOOK OUT FOR THE BEST INTERESTS OF OUR CHILDREN, ROGER. THE CHILDREN ARE THE ONLY PRIORITY. YOUR ACTIONS HAVE AND CONTINUE TO PLACE THE CHILDREN IN HARM’S WAY. STOP, PAUSE AND HAVE A TRUE REALITY CHECK.  YOU HURT THE CHILDREN AND YOU HURT ME. WHEN WILL IT END? IT IS INCONCEIVABLE THAT YOU PERSONALLY RESEARCHED THE WHEREABOUTS AND CONTACTED EX BOYFRIENDS OF MINE TO INFLICT HARM UPON ME AFTER I FILED FOR DIVORCE AND YOU WERE REMOVED FROM THE HOME AS A RESULT OF A TEMPORARY RESTRAINING ORDER. IT IS UNFATHOMABLE TO ME THAT BECAUSE OF YOU PROACTIVELY CONTACTING AN EX-BOYFRIEND OF MINE TO TEAM UP AGAINST ME, HE WAS ARRESTED FOR TRYING TO EXTORT MONEY FROM ME. YOU DIDN’T STOP THERE THOUGH. YOU PERSISTED TO TRY TO TAKE ME DOWN. YOU KNEW THAT ANOTHER EX FROM MY COLLEGE YEARS BRUTALLY BEAT ME SO BADLY THAT I WAS HOSPITALIZED. HE WAS INCARCERATED FOR THE VIOLENT ACTS AGAINST ME. HE WAS GUILTY OF 3 COUNTS OF CRIMINAL CONTEMPT IN THE SECOND DEGREE. HE VIOLATED AN ORDER OF PROTECTION MULTIPLE TIMES. HE EVEN CONTACTED ME FROM JAIL AFTER HE WAS ARRESTED IN VIOLATION OF THE ORDER. HE SHOWED UP TO MY HOME, WORK, GYM AND IT GOT SO FRIGHTENING THAT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT PLACED A CAPER ALARM IN MY HOME FOR MY 24/7 SAFETY.  I CONFIDED IN YOU ABOUT MY PAINFUL PAST AS A SURVIVOR OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE. HOW SHAMEFUL THAT YOU USED IT TO BEAT ME DOWN FARTHER. WHEN YOUR OWN ACTS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AGAINST ME WERE QUESTIONED, YOU CHOSE TO REACH OUT TO THIS UNSPEAKABLE PERSON IN ORDER TO INTIMIDATE ME. YOUR ATTEMPT TO BRING THIS HEINOUS PERSON BACK INTO MY LIFE (THE MOTHER OF YOUR CHILDREN) AFTER HE NEARLY MURDERED ME SPEAK VOLUMES AS TO WHO YOU REALLY ARE. YOU ARE AN ABUSER TO THE CORE, ROGER MATHEWS. IF THIS WAS NOT ENOUGH, YOU HAVE SPIT AT ME. YOU HAVE PUSHED ME. YOU HAVE SHOVED ME. YOU HAVE AGGRESSIVELY THROWN ME TO THE GROUND. YOU HAVE PREVENTED ME FROM CLOSING DOORS TO ESCAPE HAVING YOU COMING AT ME. YOU HAVE BELITTLED AND DISPARAGED ME. YOU HAVE THREATENED ME. YOU HAVE CONTACTED MY BOSSES TO ATTEMPT TO SMEAR MY NAME AND HURT MY PUBLIC IMAGE. YOU HAVE CALLED AUTHORITIES TO FALSELY ACCUSE ME OF HARMING OUR CHILDREN HOPING TO GET A LEG UP AS LEVERAGE IN A CUSTODY CASE, ONLY RESULTING IN OUR CHILDREN HAVING TO BE UNDRESSED AND PHYSICALLY EXAMINED, BEING HUMILIATED AND INVESTIGATED WITH NATURALLY NO SUBSTANTIATION OF ANY ABUSE ON MY PART. YOU CLAIM TO HAVE SUFFERED? YOUR ACTIONS ARE REPREHENSIBLE. NO REAL MAN WOULD TORTURE HIS FAMILY AS YOU HAVE. YOU ARE CRUEL AND VICIOUS. YOU ARE A “MAN” WHO ACTUALLY BLAMES THE VICTIM. SADLY, I HAVE LEARNED THAT THIS IS ALL JUST ORDINARY BEHAVIOR FOR YOU. UPON YOU BEING REMOVED FROM THE HOME BY THE POLICE, I FOUND THE RECORDS OF YOUR MULTIPLE ARRESTS, WHICH YOU PREVIOUSLY HID FROM ME. A VIOLENT PERSON IS WHO YOU REALLY ARE THROUGH AND THROUGH. YOUR THREATS AND ABUSE ARE NOT LIMITED TO THOSE INCIDENTS THOUGH. THERE IS SO MUCH MORE. JUST ONE EXAMPLE RIGHT NOW IS THAT YOU HAVE BEEN THREATENING TO USE A USB THAT YOU KEPT HIDDEN IN YOUR GUN AMMO CASE AGAINST ME. I ALREADY KNOW WHAT IS ON THIS USB HOWEVER. YOUR INTIMIDATION TACTICS WITH FOOTAGE THAT YOU INTEND TO SHOW OUT OF CONTEXT ARE MEANINGLESS. THE VIDEOS ARE FROM 2 YEARS AGO. YOU ARE RECORDING YOURSELF WHILE HOLDING GREYSON THE DAY AFTER YOU CHOKED ME AND THREW ME DOWN TO THE FLOOR IN THE KITCHEN. I CAN’T RECALL WHY YOU ASSAULTED ME ON THAT OCCASION – JUST ANOTHER DAY IN THE FARLEY-MATHEW’S HOME. I DO HAVE THE FOOTAGE OF THAT DOMESTIC VIOLENCE INCIDENT THOUGH. IT IS OBVIOUS NOW THAT THE FOLLOWING DAY YOU WANTED TO RECORD YOURSELF BAITING ME IN YOUR “SELFIE VIDEO” BECAUSE YOU WERE SCARED OVER A POSSIBLE RESTRAINING ORDER DUE TO YOUR ACTIONS FROM THE DAY BEFORE. YOUR SELFIE IS 20 MINUTES OF ME CRYING AND RANTING IN THE BACKGROUND … LOOKING PALE AND FRAZZLED. WHY? BECAUSE YOU CALLED ME HORRIBLE NAMES, DISPARAGED MY FATHER, STATED THINGS LIKE “I GOT MY ASS BEAT BY SAM”, FALSELY ACCUSE THAT I’M A “DRUG ADDICT,” YOU HAVING BRAGGED ABOUT HOW THIS WOMAN YOU HAD AN AFFAIR WITH IS “SMOKING HOT” AND HOW “SHE WAS WORTH GETTING PUNCHED BY HER HUSBAND.” I HAD GREYSON 6 MONTHS PRIOR. WHILE MY HORMONES, MY INSECURITIES AND MY EMOTIONS ALL GOT THE BEST OF ME, I BELIEVE THAT ANY REASONABLE PERSON WOULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY UPSET BY YOUR VERBAL ATTACK UNDER THOSE CIRCUMSTANCES. YOU TALK ABOUT OTHER WOMEN IN MY PREMARITAL HOUSE THAT SHELTERS YOU AND WHERE OUR CHILDREN LIVE? YOU BRAG ABOUT AN AFFAIR, HAVING NO RESPECT FOR ME AS THE MOTHER OF YOUR CHILDREN? YOU RECORD YOURSELF WITH OUR SON AT YOUR SIDE WHILE SAYING THESE DISGUSTING THINGS TO ME, HAVING PHYSICALLY ABUSED ME THE DAY BEFORE, AND WITH A PROVOCATIVE SMIRK ON YOUR FACE? I AM DISAPPOINTED THAT I THREW A VACUUM ABOUT 15 FEET AWAY OUT OF FRUSTRATION BUT CANDIDLY BEING TAUNTED IN THIS MANNER WHERE YOU SPEAK ABOUT CRAVING ANOTHER WOMAN’S “PU**Y” JUST AFTER I GAVE BIRTH TO OUR SON WAS SIMPLY APPALLING. I HAD BEEN CLEANING GLASS YOU SHATTERED IN THE KITCHEN. YOU HOWEVER TRY TO MAKE IT APPEAR AS IF I BROKE THE GLASS BY THROWING IT AT YOU AND GREY. YOU DON’T SEE THAT IN THE VIDEO YOU “CREATE”. YOU DON’T SEE GREY UPSET IN THE VIDEO. YOU ARE OF COURSE AS COOL AS A CUCUMBER, CHILLING OUT WITHOUT MAKING A MOVE. JUST PROVOKING AND RIDICULING ME, TRYING TO GET A RISE OUT OF ME. SO YOU HAVE EMBARKED ON A CRUSADE TO ABUSE ME AND PLACE ME AND THE KIDS IN HARM’S WAY. STILL A PRAISEWORTHY FATHER AND HUSBAND? FOR MYSELF, ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS AND I CAN HONOR THAT. YES, EVEN IN LIGHT OF ALL OF THE ABOVE, AND MY HAVING FILED FOR DIVORCE, I MADE SURE COUNTLESS TIMES THE KIDS KNEW REGARDLESS OF OUR DIVORCE, WE WERE STILL A UNIT. THE DAY AFTER I FILED, I BOUGHT DISNEY ON ICE TICKETS FOR ALL OF US. THESE TICKETS WERE FOR JANUARY. I CLEARLY THOUGHT OF US CO-PARENTING WELL INTO THE FUTURE AS RESPONSIBLE PARENTS SHOULD. I INVITED YOU AND PAID FOR YOUR PLANE TICKET TO GREYSON’S DOCTOR APPOINTMENT IN ORLANDO, FLORIDA. EVEN AFTER 6 MONTHS OF FIGHTING, EVERY STEP OF THE WAY TO GET GREYSON HELP YOU MADE ME FEEL ISOLATED AND ALONE BECAUSE YOU INSISTED THAT GREYSON DIDN’T NEED HELP AND THAT I WAS THE ONE WHO NEEDED IT. IT WAS ALL ABOUT SAFEGUARDING YOUR EGO INSTEAD OF OUR SON’S MEDICAL NEEDS. AN OBSTACLE THAT HAS BEEN COMPLETELY FRUSTRATING. YET, I STILL HAD THANKSGIVING WITH YOU TO TRY TO REMAIN ALIGNED FOR THE SAKE OF THE CHILDREN. THE GREATER GOOD. JUST BECAUSE TWO PEOPLE CAN’T MOVE FORWARD IN THEIR MARITAL RELATIONSHIP, DOES NOT MEAN THEY CAN’T CO-PARENT. I HAVE SINCE TRIED EVERY DAY TO WORK WITH YOU, WORKING WITH MY LAWYER TO PREPARE AND PROPOSE MULTIPLE AGREEMENTS AND SOLUTIONS TO RESOLVE ALL OF OUR CUSTODY, PARENTING TIME AND DIVORCE RELATED ISSUES WE HAVE SO THAT WE CAN GLOBALLY SETTLE THE CASE IN RECORD TIME. WHY NOT BE THE EXAMPLE OF HOW PEOPLE CAN WORK TOGETHER FOR THE BEST INTERESTS OF THEIR CHILDREN, RIGHT? UNFORTUNATELY, YOU WON’T EVEN COMMIT ON A PERMANENT BASIS TO ME HAVING MOTHER’S DAY WITH THE KIDS AND YOU HAVING FATHER’S DAY. YOU WON’T COMMIT LONG TERM TO EACH OF US HAVING EQUAL ACCESS TO SCHOOL AND MEDICAL RECORDS FOR THE CHILDREN. IT IS INCONCEIVABLE. YOUR INSISTENCE TO FIGHT MERELY TO FIGHT HIGHLIGHTS YOUR ABUSIVE TENDENCIES. YOUR SPITEFUL ATTITUDE CONTINUES TO BE HARMFUL TO THIS FAMILY. YOU ARE CONTROLLING. YOU ARE MANIPULATIVE. YOU ARE IRRESPONSIBLE. OUR CHILDREN ARE THE ONES WHO SUFFER AS A RESULT. NOT YOU.    NOW YOU EVEN REJECTED TAKING MEILANI FOR AN OVERNIGHT BECAUSE IT MEANT SPENDING $20-$40 FOR A MORNING BABYSITTER BECAUSE YOU WANTED TO PROVE A “LIFESTYLE” (AND YOU WERE UNABLE TO CARE FOR HER BECAUSE OF YOUR WORK SCHEDULE). YOU HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE TIME WITH OUR DAUGHTER AND REFUSED THE OVERNIGHT OVER A FEW DOLLARS BECAUSE YOU’RE TRYING TO BUILD A CHILD SUPPORT CASE. THE $20-$40 SAVINGS TO YOU WAS MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE OVERNIGHT TIME WITH MEILANI. DO YOU POST THESE FACTS ON SOCIAL MEDIA? NO! YOU POST INSTEAD THAT I AM WITHHOLDING YOUR CHILDREN. I RECALL YOU BEING THE MAN WHO TOUTED HIMSELF ON AND OFF CAMERA SO MANY TIMES… “I AM NOT WITH YOU FOR YOUR MONEY. I WILL NEVER WANT CHILD SUPPORT, ALIMONY… I AM A HARD WORKING MAN AND CAN HOLD MY OWN,” ETC. SO WHERE IS THIS PERSON NOW? HOW COULD YOU LOOK ME IN THE EYE FOR SO MANY YEARS AND SAY THAT YOU LOVED ME FOR ME AND NOT FOR MY PAYCHECK? NOW YOU ASK FOR ALIMONY AND CHILD SUPPORT AND YOU ALSO WANT TO CHALLENGE THE VALIDITY OF A 2015 PRENUPTIAL AGREEMENT THAT YOU SIGNED AS A VALID, BINDING AND ENFORCEABLE CONTRACT ON CAMERA? BE A MAN AND HOLD YOURSELF TO YOUR WORD THAT “YOU WERE NEVER WITH ME FOR MY MONEY, AND NEVER WANTED MY MONEY…” CHOOSE TO BE AN AMAZING FATHER WHO RECOGNIZES THEIR HEALTH, WELL-BEING AND NEEDS AS A PRIORITY INSTEAD OF BEING IN IT FOR YOURSELF. I GUESS I WON’T EVER KNOW WHAT IT’S LIKE “KEEPING IT REAL… AND THE REAL REALITY.” I AM THE FOOL IN THE END FOR BELIEVING IN THE HYPE OF YOU. NEVERTHELESS, I WILL CONTINUE TO HOLD MY HEAD UP HIGH AND BE THE BEST PARENT I CAN BE. I WILL HOPE ONE DAY YOU WILL STOP WITH THE HATE FILLED ANTICS AND JUST BE A GOOD FATHER TO OUR CHILDREN, FOR THEM… NOT FOR THE MONEY MOTIVES BEHIND IT. I WILL TRY MY BEST TO HANDLE THIS MATTER WITH CLASS AND DIGNITY BECAUSE OUR CHILDREN MAY SEE THIS ONE DAY. HOWEVER, MAKE NO MISTAKE ABOUT IT, I WILL NEVER ALLOW SOMEONE TO TRY ALL AVENUES TO RUIN THE PERSON I WORKED SO HARD TO BECOME… I HAVE BEEN BROKEN DOWN, BEATEN, HOSPITALIZED, TRAUMATIZED, THREATENED, DEGRADED, BATTERED, AND ABUSED. I GOT OUT. I STAND STRONG TODAY. FOR ME. FOR GREYSON. FOR MEILANI. THEY WILL NOT GROW UP WATCHING THEIR MOTHER BEING A VICTIM OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE. I WILL BE A VICTIM NO LONGER. ROGER, KNOW THIS HERE AND FOR ALWAYS - MY KINDNESS SHOULD NEVER AGAIN MISTAKEN FOR WEAKNESS. REMEMBER THAT. I WILL NOT BE THREATENED. I WILL NOT BE CONTROLLED. I WILL NOT BE BROKEN. ON A MORE GENERAL AND PERSONAL NOTE. I KNOW THIS MAY BE SEEN BY MANY PEOPLE IN VARYING CIRCUMSTANCES IN ALL WALKS OF LIFE. VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ARE NOT JUST THOSE WHO ARE PHYSICALLY ABUSED. BECOME EDUCATED AND PROTECTED. MY DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND DIVORCE LAWYER, BARI WEINBERGER, HAS CREATED FREE MATERIALS THAT ARE DESIGNED TO HELP EXPLAIN THE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE LAWS, THE PROCESS, YOUR RIGHTS, AND WHAT TO DO TO OBTAIN PROTECTION FOR YOU AND YOUR CHILDREN. http://bit.ly/2Tm2KIz. SO MANY OF YOU MAY BE UNDERSTANDABLY AFRAID TO COME FORWARD, AND HAVE BEEN STUCK IN ABUSIVE RELATIONSHIPS FOR FAR TOO LONG JUST AS I HAVE BEEN. IF ANYONE IS FEELING DOWN, BROKEN, HURT OR LOST, PLEASE KNOW THAT IT IS NOT YOUR FAULT! PLEASE DON’T FEEL ALONE. PLEASE SEEK HELP… WHETHER IT’S THROUGH A FRIEND, LOVED ONE, HOTLINE, LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENT, JUDGE OR STRANGER … SUFFERING IN SILENCE IS NO WAY TO LIVE. I WAS THERE FOR MANY YEARS AND YOU AND YOUR CHILDREN DESERVE TO BE SAFE. YOU ARE VALUABLE, YOU ARE WORTHY, YOU ARE LOVED. JENNI FARLEY

[brulermag]

20 Times GOP Proved To Be Something Out Of a Horror Movie

Once upon a time, Congress was a place where we elected government officials to do their jobs. Each state elected men and women to fulfill the will of the land and of its people for their better interest. Today, it seems that all of that has taken a turn for the worse; In fact, The Republican Congress has become something out of a horror movie...doing and saying things that would freak anyone out. I don't mean just passing strange bills and laws. Well...here are 20 examples:

20. The Time The Trump Administration Compared Trump to Jesus: In December of 2016, almost a month after Trump's nefarious win for presidency, The Republican Party put out a Christmas message that seemed extremely odd and apocalyptic: "The message reads: “Merry Christmas to all! Over two millennia ago, a new hope was born into the world, a Savior who would offer the promise of salvation to all mankind. Just as the three wise men did on that night, this Christmas heralds a time to celebrate the good news of a new King.” No, this is not something out of "The Omen" this ACTUALLY happened. When confronted, The RNC denied it and deflected. Here is the article: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/donald-trump-gop-rnc-republican-christmas-message-new-king-jesus-christ-a7495951.html

19. Senate Votes To Shut Up Elizabeth Warren: In a shocking turn of events that proved America is no longer a Democracy, The Republican Party said Warren was violating Senate rules by reading a letter by Coretta Scott King. The letter spoke about Sessions (who at the time was being installed in The Justice Department) who in 1986 was implored by Ms. King to be denied a life appointment on the federal bench. "Nevertheless, she persisted" became a viral phenom, with people all over the world championing Elizabeth Warren, even though she was told to be silent. https://www.politico.com/story/2017/02/elizabeth-warren-sessions-silence-234779

18. The RNC Endorses An Accused Pedophile: Roy Moore, a controversial racist running for Alabama Senate, was accused of pedophilia by many women. Because of the world we live in and how Trump gets away with everything, Moore seemed to follow suit and say that the parents of the girls were okay with him being with them. He then stood with his off the rocker wife and continued his bid for The Alabama Senate. Immediately, Trump backed Moore and so did The RNC. It seemed like some crazy John Grisham novel but the truth is, this all really happened!! Though Roy Moore did not win, he did appear on a horse like the fucking nutcase that he is; and ironically, almost half of Alabama did vote for him which proves how fucked up this country is. https://www.politico.com/story/2017/12/04/trump-support-roy-moore-277771

17. The RNC Tries To Murder Obamacare: In an act of defiance and totalitarianism, The Republican Party tried greedily to murder off Obamacare simply to say they did it. In an ongoing effort to taint the name of President Obama and erase his legacy, The RNC tried and tried and tried to brutally murder Obamacare even if it meant millions would be without healthcare. They even introduced something absurd like "A Skinny Bill" to choke out Obamacare but to no prevail. It seems there was not one Republican in office that could write something legible, plausible or real, proving that The RNC was full of duds. Male & Female Conservatives who were willing to be cutthroat and band together even against the will of The People. It didn't work. It failed miserably. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-healthcare/republicans-fail-again-to-kill-off-obamacare-in-senate-idUSKCN1C00BT

16. Puerto Rico SUFFERS: While The Caribbean is no stranger to hurricanes, storms and cyclones, Hurricane Maria proved that destruction had a new name. Hurricane Maria was the worst natural disaster on record in Dominica & Puerto Rico. Maria was the third costliest hurricane in history with a whopping 99.45 billion dollars in damage. And because Puerto Rico belongs to America, we waited for Trump and Congress to react. There was nothing for weeks. Then suddenly, after a Twitter war with a very disheartened and concerned Mayor of San Juan, Trump appeared in Puerto Rico without even giving Mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz the time of day. Mayor Cruz was the ONLY government official in Puerto Rico making the rounds in the news trying to get America and the world to react to Puerto Rico's devastation. Trump didn't give a fuck. Instead, he met with other officials and threw paper towels at The Puerto Rican People. YES, this happened. Since 2018, 26 people have committed suicide because of Hurricane Maria. When Americans were polled, most of them didn't even know Puerto Ricans were American Citizens. TRAGIC STUPIDITY.  http://www.newsweek.com/puerto-rico-mental-health-hurricane-maria-us-780062

15. Let's Ignore A Supreme Court Nominee: Before Obama left office, he nominated a wonderful judge for The Supreme Court on March 16th, 2016 named Merrick Garland. He was suppose to replace Antonin Scalia. The RNC, hellbent on ignoring Obama and obstructing justice, ignored the Garland nomination for almost 9 months. When Trump came into office, they showed their true colors and immediately voted in Neil M. Gorsuch.

14. TWILIGHT ZONE @ THE WHITE HOUSE: When Trump came into power, Government websites suddenly went dark. LGBTQ Rights? Gone. Climate Change? Gone. Civil Rights Page? Gone. In what seemed like a deliberately calculated move by a Totalitarian Administration, Trump's Party made it clear they were not interested in moving forward. https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/2017/live-updates/politics/live-coverage-of-trumps-inauguration/civil-rights-page-also-deleted-from-white-house-website/?utm_term=.3956314659e4

13. Evangelical Zealots: In what seemed like a sign of the end times, a photo of Trump appeared with various pastors and preachers laying hands on him. Their total devotion and honor to Trump raised red flags and seemed extremely strange, given that Trump has been a habitual liar, cheater, saboteur and non-Christian. It seemed that Trump's strange Hitler-like qualities appealed to Church leaders. In fact, one Trump supporter was quoted as saying he trusted Trump more than Jesus Christ. In what feels like an H.P. Lovecraft novel, Trump has become as symbolic to Christians than Christ himself...which proves that the devil is indeed a deceiver. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/acts-of-faith/wp/2017/07/12/photo-surfaces-of-evangelical-pastors-laying-hands-on-trump-in-the-oval-office/?utm_term=.17d74abf78cb

12. Kellyanne Con Artist: If Trump and The RNC are the power players in this Creepy New America, Kellyanne is the devout disciple. A woman from Camden NJ who's credentials are as elusive as her credibility, Kellyanne has managed to mind fuck Americans and the world with her complete and utter bullshit. Time and again, she has done the masterful spinning of silliness and has taken everyone to task for it. She has appeared on countless shows lying, scheming, scamming and spinning so hard that she has been compared to The Crypt keeper from Tales From The Crypt. In a smug fashion, Kellyanne has managed to have people repeat her bullshit and believe it. Even the people that hate her the most can't deny she is a master of disaster. https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2017/04/kellyannes-alternative-universe/517821/

11. The Great MUSLIM Scare: Though the majority of mass shootings and terrorist attacks in America are done by Americans and White Men, Trump and his warped RNC/followers have convinced the world that Muslims should be banned and that they are the true devils. Not since Hitler has there been such true raw hatred of races until now. White men attacking minorities and telling them to go back to their countries, rogue conservative reporters pushing the racist agendas; America is slowly becoming a cesspool of hate. And yet, The RNC has not condemned Trump or his leadership in all of this. Even banning countries he knows nothing about. http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-38781302

10. Hiel Trump!: In what seems like the freakiest and most sinister RNC Party, Conservatives have been seen raising their arm in Hitler salute fashion, using outdated racist terms and uniting in solidarity for racist goals. In rallies that STILL go on for Trump, his supporters pretend to care about jobs and money but secretly support an Aryan cause. It's pretty clear that most Trump Supporters are worshipping Trump. What really seems fucking nutty is the influx of white men marching for White Supremacy and having speaking engagements at colleges and Universities. It's pretty clear that America is having a turn for the worst and yet no one is really saying or doing anything. Is this how it began in Germany?

9. The GREAT SILENCE: During Obama's last days it seemed like Black Lives Matter was really solidifying itself in The New Civil Rights Movement. And though there were plenty of haters and a few bad apples, Black men, women and children (among other races) were standing up for the victims of police brutality, for marginalized minorities and for progress in America. And just like that, they disappeared. Trump's volatile candidacy and disastrous presidency snuffed the flame of Black Lives Matter, leaving us to wonder what happened? There were rumors that some of the leaders of the movement decided to "leave this mess for the white people" and yet some people said BLM just faded away. Read this racist article put out by Newsweek to understand that perhaps the true reason BLM is gone is because they're afraid to be new victims of this Fascist Dictatorship America. http://www.newsweek.com/black-lives-matter-protests-police-646050

8. Shithole Countries: One of the most horrific things to come out of this pathetic excuse for a presidency is a comment Trump made in front of many leaders. He called Haiti and Africa shithole countries and suggested we let in people from Norway instead. And what didn't surprise anyone was the outpour of support and defending of Trump, leading washed out attention seeker racist Tomi Lahren to say that we should admit they ARE shithole countries. This coming from a young woman who says things for clickbait with ZERO credibility. That an American President would scoop to that level....WOW. Disgraceful. http://www.cnn.com/2018/01/11/politics/immigrants-shithole-countries-trump/index.html

7. The Financial Martyrs: Once again, riding on the coattails of absolute power and Trump's Twitter distractions, The RNC managed to fuck Americans over with a bill to help The Top 1%. Not even sugarcoating it, The Republican Congress has proven to be enemies of The People, simply pushing their Capitalistic agendas and this shitty Budget Bill. And of course, right after, Trump decries that corporations should have inflation to distract from the fuck over Americans got. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/01/us/politics/senate-tax-bill-debate-vote.html

6. Congress Pushes Out 1 Million Minorities Of Color: In what IS and not what feels like Ethnic Cleansing, Trump and his pet Congress are aiming at making America Whiter Again. In efforts to use every excuse in the book to extinguish minorities from America, The GOP seems onboard to manipulate "Legal" immigration to only White Countries. In a perfect world we would have banned together ages ago and toppled over this racist government, but it seems Americans are just shrugging and tweeting too much rather than reacting. http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-na-pol-trump-gop-immigration-20180112-story.html

5. Appointments: In the beginning, when Trump won his presidency seat aka One of America's Darkest Days In History, it seemed like The Republican Congress was pushing out Administration appointees like premature babies. They didn't care if they had credentials, decency or credibility...if they were Capitalists, they were in. And in what seemed like one of the diciest and shadiest moves in Congress history, with the speed of lightning, we got The Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos...someone with no real knowledge of Education or what it takes to move America's Education System forward. And while this slime bucket slithered in, there were plenty who were complete fools who never got the nod and some who declined, to lessen the social suicide of it all. But here are some of the rotten apples that managed to get a spot: Steven Mnuchin, Jeff Sessions, Ben Carson and Ellen Chao....all of whom are failing miserably at what they're doing. But this only proves that A Republican world is one where we will never move forward ever.

4. GOP's Obsession with Women's Bodies & Lives: For some creepy reason, GOP have been adamant about telling women what to do and not do. It has started with abortion and is creeping into other things. It seems like white older men want to dictate American women's personal decisions which infringes upon their rights. But it doesn't seem like they care. Nutcase zealots like Huckabee and Cruz have been very vocal about putting their foot on the rights of women. Women, however, had something to say which lead to a National Women's March and Time's Up. In fact, 2017 & 2018 have been big years for women: speaking up against wage gaps/rights, sexual harassment, rape, their bodies and choices and political choices. Women have decided they were not going to be silenced any longer. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2017/01/21/womens-march-aims-start-movement-trump-inauguration/96864158/

3. Trump Gets Loyalty: Anyone living in America on either side of the political party knows one thing for sure: there is a sadistic undying loyalty from The GOP to Trump. They do so willingly and are aware that if Trump were to ever leave office, they'd be stuck with Pence who is as entertaining and a leader as a lead pencil sharpener. And if Pence ever left, once we found out he colluded with Russia as well, we'd be stuck with the most annoying Speaker ever: Paul Ryan as president. If you thought GOP was trash, imagine him running it. But there's something very AntiChrist about the lengths The GOP is willing to go to turn a blind eye. It doesn't even feel like its about passing laws or bills. It's something more. The last time a party was that loyal to a fault, was Hitler's Party. And if we don't wise up, we will live to regret it.

2. FOX NEWS: The Shithole Of News Channels: In what has been a blatant disregard for facts, morals, responsibilities or an ounce of dignity, Fox News decided to show its true colors the minute Trump came into office, ignoring all the bad things he says and does and only kisses his ass so that they get the GOP ratings. If anyone has ever truly sold their soul to The Devil, Fox News has sold more than that. The fact that no one has ever investigated Fox News as a state sponsored channel run by our new dictator government makes me nervous. This channel is a spawn of hell with disgraced journalists scheming up ways to scream at Liberals and completely fucking up the news. If I worked there, I'd run for the hills and save my reputation. It's only a matter of time before it all blows up in their faces.

1. Trump Is STILL In Office & Nobody Knows Why: After every scandal, lie, tweet, disrespect, lack of a moral compass, sign of illness, racist remark, lack of intelligence or track record, Trump is STILL here. His children are still shadowy figures in the background, being the creepy assholes they've always been. Jared Kushner is still the puppet master and The GOP Congress is still pretending like nothing is wrong. Trump has managed to let his crazy followers and ideas get under people's skin, making them unaware that he is clearly manipulating the left into anger. Trump is winning, despite his illegality and his scams....The American Government is standing by him, on his every word, worshipping him hand and foot. They were waiting patiently for someone like him to ruin America and they're standing by helping him. The most criminal and complicit cabinet and Congress ever. But soon....we'll reclaim OUR time.

By: Xavii Matisse ©

XAVII MATISSE

JANUARY 14, 2018

[wciblackbeltacademy]

Women's Self Defense: A True Story About What Happens When You're Not Prepared! If you're seriously committed to learning effective and reliable women's self-defense, and the ability to survive a brutal attack from a bigger, stronger, and determined attacker, I can only hope that you have also learned the importance of mastering the non-physical, strategic and emotional aspects that actually forms the foundation - the most important parts of effective self-defense for women. Of course, if you've been following along with my articles in this series, you know that these elements include: Attitude, Mindset and knowing who and where the dangers in your life could be. If you haven't learned about this important pieces of your training, I highly suggest that you learn these right now. Don't worry, this article will still be here when you get back. No really. Reading about women's self-defense in an article or on your computer screen is going to give you the ability you need. So... take the time to learn it... Now! Okay, you're either: 1) Back from your information-gathering and learned what you need to know 2) You have already learned the critical and foundational parts of a solid self-defense program for women, or... 3) You're going to do it just as soon as you finish reading this lesson Either way... Now that you're thinking on the right track, you have to start thinking about preparation in order to protect yourself. Before I start in on preparation, I want to tell you a story about a woman I know who has had three situations in her life that put her in danger. And, believe it or not, it took that many for her to start carrying a gun and another to make her a believer. Some people are either in denial, or just slow learners, I guess. Anyway, here's the story. Around the age of 10, this woman had a rogue uncle who was staying with her parents. He attempted to sneak into her room but was caught lurking near her door and she was saved. Later, it came out that he had molested his daughter through the years and she almost became another victim of a trusted family member. About 17 years later, this same woman was walking in a park. It was about two o'clock in the afternoon, she was about half of a mile from her car and had no kind of women's self-defense weapon with her when a predator pulled up on a motorcycle and started making gestures and flicking his tongue at her in a lewd way. Luckily, as he was starting to get off his bike, a car came by and he drove away. She definitely was not thinking about women's self-defense when that incident took place. She had walked in this park for years without an incident. I should point out that both of these incidents were rare in the area she lived. But, about a year later this same woman had a situation where an attacker jump from the bushes of her driveway and tried to climb into her SUV. In a panic, he drove off with the guy hanging out the door. Shortly after that, the assailant was arrested and found to be a juvenile detention officer who was in the middle of nowhere because of a domestic situation he had with his own wife. Apparently, she was mad, pulled over, and left him and his son on the road. The real problem was that he was drinking and going to strong-arm her and make her drive him to where he needed to go. After that, this lady's husband bought her a gun and trained her how to use it. It took all that to get her in the mindset of actually accepting the fact, and responsibility that she should learn some women's self-defense tactics. But, after about five years, her women's self-defense mindset became complacent. She had moved to a new place and walked in a new park where people were around constantly. Again she was harassed, this time by a guy in a mini-van. He followed her slowly in the park in what seemed to be an attempt to figure out where she lived. The police were called and they advised there was nothing they could do unless he physically assaulted her. After that, the reality finally sunk in that she was on her own and that it was her responsibility to be prepared to defend herself. And ever since that moment, this woman has had the proper women's self-defense attitude and mindset. She has taken protecting herself to a needed level, but still does and enjoys what she wants. She just does it with a proper and vigilant self-defense mindset now. Oddly enough, she has three or four close friends that have never had a single incidence of this type. Fortunately for her, she has had great luck with these situations not turning into a rape and/or murder. The point of the story is this. This is just one woman who was "lucky" when she wasn't prepared. There are countless other stories out there of women without a proper women's self-defense mindset - who are not prepared - who were not so lucky. Now, they are either mentally traumatized, physically scarred for life or dead. Is this you? How many suspicious or overt "close-calls" have you had over the course of your life? What will it take for you take action to get the kind of training and abilities that you will need to be a survivor - rather than a victim? Do yourself a favor and start now by developing a solid women's self-defense attitude and mindset. Put yourself into a position adequate for protecting yourself. Protecting yourself is solely up to you. By the way, this story is not internet junk. It is a 100% true account of one woman's encounters in a town where "things like this are not supposed to happen!" Effective women's self defense requires more than just a few "karate moves." It involves the ability to think strategically, and understand how to defend yourself with as little wear-and-tear on you as possible - against an attacker who will be bigger, stronger, and determined to succeed! How? Start by following the steps above and decide to be responsible for your own safety and survival. You can also visit our website, http://sunburymartialarts.com/ to request information about Women's Self Defense Or call Warrior Concepts Black Belt and Life Mastery Academy at (570)884-1118 Jeffrey M. Miller SPS, DTI, is an internationally-known women's self defense expert. He is a former police officer, undercover investigator, and body guard. Each month he teaches literally thousands of students through live seminars, corporate training events, and his online self defense courses, the lessons to be able to survive in Today's often dangerous world. pa pa skarate