#I should mention that every person in political power from my state to my county to my city are now all Republicans

[shanedoesdoodles]

Trying very very very very hard not to go all doomer over the election results

[samwisethewitch]

Witchcraft and Activism

The word “witch” is a politically charged label. If we look at how the word was used historically, it referred to someone who existed outside of the normal social order. The people accused of witchcraft in the European and American witch trials were mostly — experts say between 75% and 80% — women. They were also overwhelmingly poor, single, or members of a minority ethnicity and/or religion. In other words, they were people who did not follow their society’s accepted model of womanhood (or, in the case of accused men, manhood).

If you choose to identify with the witch label, you are choosing to identify with subversion of gender norms, resistance to the dominant social order, and “outsider” status. If that makes you uncomfortable or uneasy, then you may want to use another label for your magical practice. Witchcraft always has been and always will be inherently political.

In her book Witches, Sluts, Feminists, Kristen J. Sollee argues that the “slut” label is in many ways a modern equivalent to the “witch” label. In both cases, the label is used to devalue people, most often women, and to enforce a patriarchal and misogynist social order.

Superstitions around witchcraft are connected to the modern stigma around abortion (and, to a lesser extent, contraception). Midwifery and abortion were directly linked to witchcraft in the European witch hunts. Today, women who seek abortions are condemned as sluts, whores, and murderers. The fight for reproductive freedom remains inextricably linked with the witch label.

During the women’s liberation movement of the 1960s, the socialist feminist group Women’s International Terrorist Conspiracy from Hell (W.I.T.C.H.) used the image of the witch to campaign for women’s rights and other social issues. They were some of the first advocates for intersectional feminism (feminist activism that addresses other social issues that overlap with gendered issues). They performed acts such as hexing Wall Street capitalists and wearing black veils to protest bridal fairs. The W.I.T.C.H. Manifesto calls witches the “original guerrillas and resistance fighters against oppression.”

In her book Revolutionary Witchcraft, Sarah Lyons points out that both witchcraft and politics are about raising and directing power in the world. In a postmodern society, most of our reality is socially constructed — it works because we collectively believe it does. Money only has value because we believe it does. Politicians only have power because we believe they do. Our laws are only just because we believe they are. Like in magic, everything in society is a product of belief and a whole lot of willpower — and that makes witches the ideal social activists.

Lyons argues that witchcraft is inseparable from politics, because witches have always opposed dominant political power. She makes a connection between the witch trials and the rise of capitalism and classism. She connects the basic concepts of magic to historic activist groups like the AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power (ACT UP), who used ritual as an act of protest.

Not every witch is a hardcore activist, but every witch should have a basic awareness of political and social issues and be willing to do what they can to make a difference.

Ways to Combine Witchcraft and Activism

Perform a ritual to feel connected to the earth and her people. Activism should come from a place of love, not a place of hate. Make sure you’re fighting for the right reasons by frequently taking time to reconnect with the planet and the people who live here. This can be as simple as laying down on the ground outside and meditating on all the ways you are connected to other people, as well as to the ecosystem, animals, and the earth herself. If getting up close and personal with the grass and dirt isn’t your thing, try to find a beautiful place in nature where you can sit and journal about the interconnected nature of all things.

Unlearn your social programming. This is the most difficult and most important part of any activism. Before you can change the world outside yourself, you have to change your own psyche. Think about how you have been socialized to contribute to (or at least turn a blind eye to) the issues you want to fight against. For example, if you want to fight for racial justice, you need to understand how you have contributed to a racist system. You can do this in a variety of ways: through meditation, journaling, or divination, to name a few. Note that whatever method you choose, this will probably take weeks or months of repeated work. Rewriting your thought and behavior patterns is hard, and it can’t be done in a single day. Also note that if you are a victim of systemic oppression or prejudice, this work may bring up a lot of emotional baggage — you may want to involve a professional therapist or counselor.

Go to protests. Sending energy and doing healing rituals is great, but someone has to get out there and visibly fight for change. If you are able to do so, start going to protests and rallies for causes you care about. Don’t just show up, but be an active participant — make signs, yell and chant, and stand your ground if cops show up. Be safe and responsible, but be loud and assertive, too. If you want to go all out, you can don the black robes, pointed hats, and veils of W.I.T.C.H.es past, which has the added bonus of concealing your identity.

Turn your donations into a spell for change. When you donate to a cause you care about, charge your donation with a spell for positive change. You can do this by holding your cash, check, or debit card in both hands and focusing on your desire for change. Feel this desire flowing into the money, filling it with your determination. From here, make your donation, knowing that you’ll be sending an energy boost along with it.

Organize an activist coven. Do you have a handful of friends who are interested in witchcraft, passionate about activism, or both? Start a coven! Go to protests together, hold monthly rituals to raise energy for change, and collect money for donations. Being part of a group also means having a support system, which can help prevent burnout. Make a plan to check on each other regularly. You may even choose to do monthly group rituals for self care, which may be actual magic rituals or might be as simple as ordering takeout and watching a movie. Activism can be intensely draining work, so it’s important to take breaks when you need them!

Hold public rituals with an activist slant. Nothing gets people’s attention like a bunch of folks standing in a circle and chanting. Holding public rituals is one of the best ways to raise awareness for a cause. You might hold a vigil for victims of police brutality, a healing circle for the environment, or some other ritual that is relevant to the issue at hand. These rituals serve a double purpose, as they both bring people’s attention to the issue and give them an opportunity to work for change on a spiritual level. Use prayers, chants, and symbolism that is appropriate to the theme, and ask participants to make a small donation to a charity related to your cause.

Begin your public rituals with a territory acknowledgement. If you live in the United States, chances are you live on land that was taken from the native people by force. If you seek to have a relationship with the land, you need to first acknowledge the original inhabitants and the suffering they endured so you can be there. Use a website like native-land.ca to find out what your land was originally called and what indigenous groups originally lived there. Publicly acknowledge this legacy at your ritual, and publicly state your intention to support indigenous peoples. (Revolutionary Witchcraft has an excellent territory acknowledgement that you can customize for your area.)

Make an altar to your activist ancestors. If activism or membership in a marginalized group is a big part of your life, you may want to create a space for it in your home. Like an ancestor altar, this is a space to remember influential members of the community who have died. Choose a flat surface like a tabletop or shelf and decorate it with photos of your “ancestors,” as well as other appropriate items like flags, pins, stickers, etc. As a queer person, my altar to my LGBTQ+ ancestors might include images of figures like Sappho, Marsha P. Johnson, and Freddie Mercury, as well as items like a pink triangle patch, a small rainbow pride flag, and dried violets and green carnations. You may also choose to include a candle, an incense burner, and/or a small dish for offerings. Just remember to never place images of living people on an altar honoring the dead!

Do your research. Staying educated is an important part of activism — not only do your actions need to be informed, but you need to be able to speak intelligently about your issues. Read the news (on actual news websites, not just social media). Read lots of books; some I personally recommend are Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson, Love and Rage by Lama Rod Owens, and (as previously mentioned) Revolutionary Witchcraft by Sarah Lyons. If you can get access to them, read scholarly articles about theories that are influential among activists, like the Gaia Hypothesis or Deep Ecology. Read everything you can get your hands on.

VOTE! And I don’t just mean voting for the presidential candidate you like (or, as is often the case, voting against the one you don’t like). Vote for your representatives. Vote for city council. Vote for the county sheriff. Voting gives you a chance to make sure the people in office will be susceptible to your activism. Yes, your side might lose or your electoral college representative might choose to go against the popular vote. Even so, voting is a way to clearly communicate the will of the people, and it puts a lot of pressure on the people in charge. It’s important — don’t let anyone convince you otherwise.

In my experience, combining activism with my witchcraft is a deeply fulfilling spiritual experience. It strengthens my connection to the world around me, with helps grow both empathy and magical power. I truly can’t imagine my practice without the activist element.

Resources:

Witches, Sluts, Feminists by Kristen J. Sollee

Revolutionary Witchcraft by Sarah Lyons

The Study of Witchcraft by Deborah Lipp

The Way of Fire and Ice by Ryan Smith

[umbralstars]

Alright now that I've talked a bit about his province it's time to talk about the man himself. We should all be aware of the few bits of canon info we got about Rufus, but here's my own general thoughts about his character and the relationships he has with his family.

Rufus is 13 years older than Lambert and wasn't exactly thrilled when his parents decided to make Lambert heir instead because of him possessing a crest while Rufus didn't. Rufus understands logically why Crests are useful for rulers to have (the legitimacy they offer along with a powerful Relic if a ruler needs to defend the state is useful and he won't deny that) but doesn't believe a Crest necessarily makes one automatically a good ruler. Recognizing early on the faults in Faerghus' system of governance, and feeling like he has something to prove, Rufus was hell bent on leaving his mark on Faerghus whether he's king or not.

Rufus is actually an incredibly intelligent politician who studied not only the governing systems of old, but also tried to learn as much as he could about foreign governments so he could reform Faerghus. He's been reform minded since he was a teenager. Even spent a good portion of Lambert's formative years impressing his ideas onto his younger brother, until Lambert knew enough to start coming up with his own ideas and debating solutions with Rufus. While the brothers were never the closest, Rufus implicitly trusted Lambert because his brother was just willing to trust and listen to him and that meant a lot to Rufus. He did more than his fair share of criticizing his younger brother, but at least he knew Lambert could find appreciation in that.

As Grand Duke of Itha, Rufus had a certain view on wealth and how a government should be structured.

He firmly believes that wealth should be used to glorify the state through great public works and that a well educated populace along with a well fed and protected populace led to the greatest societies. He still lived large and made it known, but he had a more patriotic attitude towards his wealth and believed he had a moral obligation to spend it on Faerghus' greatness. Under his rule, Castell Itha went from a cultural backwater in Faerghus to having one of the largest public libraries (something that would be replicated in Fhirdiad with Lambert turning the Fhirdiad College of Sorcery's library into a royal one open to the public) in Fodlan and having better urban planning than many cities in the Empire. He personally encouraged the creation of great works of art, poetry, and new magical techniques all for the good of Faerghus. He believed that Faerghus could be a cultural powerhouse and he was going to make it so by Sothis.

Rufus' aspirations weren't just limited to Itha either as he was of the opinion that Faerghus' incredibly decentralized governance style was holding the Kingdom back from greatness. Ever since Loog, the Kingdom had been an almost confederation of various states who paid homage to House Blaiddyd and the royal court but devolved so much power on internal matters they were functionally independent. The Kingdom's codes of chivalry were mostly developed and lauded by the crown as a way to retain some centralized authority and respect, but the various states in Faerghus could pretty much beef with each other as they pleased. Nowhere worse was this problem than in the northern reaches of Faerghus. Because much of the north has sided with Loog there was never any consolidation, so the north was made up of hundreds of duchies, counties, baronies, etc that could give the Holy Roman Empire a run for its money.

Rufus saw all of this as a blight on the Kingdom and made it his life's mission to fix it when he became Grand Duke. Lambert and him were working towards a goal of essentially a federalized monarchy with a strong centralized government. It's the entire reason he started to consolidate power and take out anyone who dared to get in his way. He also has a very 'my way or the highway' outlook on the other noble houses and wouldn't hesitate to screw them over if they don't fall into lines or prove to him that they're incapable of leadership. 

Rufus can also be incredibly petty and spiteful if he feels he's been offended in some way. House Galatea is the big example of this. Galatea had been having financial problems for decades before hand, and the Count spurning Rufus on his betrothal request for peaceful inclusion in the Grand Duchy he considered a grave insult. Rufus didn't incite the rebellion as some claim but he did capitalize on it because he wanted to show how weak Galatea was and undermine the Count's authority. A more bloody example came when a smaller noble house in his domain tried to kill Rufus and his heir to take the riches for themselves. While they failed on both counts, Rufus decided to purge the entire family and their supporters with having the ringleaders tried and executed leaving the rest to flee for the Alliance.

The only House he begrudgingly respects is House Fraldarius because he does consider Rodrigue to be a capable leader and they do somewhat get along. They encountered each other a lot and, while Rogrigue is critical of Rufus' certain proclivities, they were able to be amicable to one another. He dislikes how many nobles fled to House Fraldarius due to the perceived aggression on the Grand Duchy's part. But for him, as long as Rodrigue was on Lambert's side with the reform measures he can share power in the north. He and Margrave Gautier have always disliked each other for numerous reasons, but the two don't clash over territory so they can tolerate each other's presence.

Rufus is also a mixed bag of being extremely charismatic, but pretty much only becomes so to woo people or get what he wants. In all other aspects of his life Rufus was domineering and stubborn with his beliefs and in his social life. He was and still is extremely piss poor at handling emotions and this includes his own. He could also be cold and ruthless when it came to pursuing his goals and was willing to do shitty things to get results.

Speaking of doing shitty things yes the man is a prolific womanizer, and every single relationship he has with the women in his life and his children is unique. He does frequent brothels and has done so since he was in his late teens. He courts heiresses to incorporate their houses into his territory or for purely political gain. Many of the children he has had may very not consider him a father at all simply because he's never been in their lives for whatever reason. At bare minimum he makes sure his mistresses and his bastards have at least a comfortable living situation, but that's about it. Rufus is obviously not incapable of loving people or considering his children family, he just doesn't a lot of the time while he never wishes ill upon them. There are a few instances where this was not the case and he was much closer to his mistresses and children, but they were honestly few and far between.

Since I mentioned his family other than Lambert and Dimitri it’s OC time. 

Rufus and Emyr

Darya Artemi was probably one of the few women Rufus ever truly fell and love with. He initially approached her in the same way he had heiresses in the past with just intentions of courting her along with her soon to be lands, but somewhere along the line he genuinely did fall for her. When Emyr was born and it was discovered he had a Major Crest Rufus jumped on the opportunity to make him the heir. They never did legally marry, but she was Duchess Consort in everything but legality. Darya was mostly fine with having an open relationship with Rufus as long as he was around for her and their children.

Rufus as a parent is just as domineering as in every other aspect of his life. He could be caring but extremely strict as well and pushed for perfection in everything Emyr did. He wanted his son to be the perfect heir for the province he was building, and be like him in many aspects. Emyr did love his father and wanted to live up to every expectation.

When Darya died, Rufus experienced one of the first major depressive episodes in his life. He pulled away from his children, threw himself into work and all of his vices, and became even harder on Emyr than he was previously. If her death wasn't enough, some of his mistresses felt an opportunity to get ahead and tried to fill the void or even remove Emyr on a few occasions. The houses never really leveled out again and both Emyr and Rufus clung to the perceived stability they had before Darya's death to their relationship's detriment. They never could come close to breaching those vulnerable waters.

When Emyr ran away with Katya, it came after years of strife between him and his father that did permanently damage their relationship. Rufus was devastated when he lost Emyr and Katya along with a good portion of his family. He grew even more depressed, lost control of the court entirely, and never could form anywhere close to a good relationship with his nephew. He lost a good number of relationships during the four years before his death in friends and family. He spent the last years of his life guilt ridden, dogged by horrible rumors, and trying to keep together a country which was begging to rip itself a part. 

For Emyr's part, he never did wish for his father to die in the way he did. In some ways he did love Rufus even after everything. Emyr is like his father in many ways and terrified of becoming him in many others. 

TL;DR: Rufus is complicated.

[whatbigotspost]

as an european, with like really bad democracy, but its still democracy kinda, im so confused how is USA democratic. H o w? Can you even call it that?????

People have written hundreds of pages on this topic, so I def can’t do it full justice...but here are a few thoughts in reply. The shortest answer is that the US is best described a republic, from the perspective of technical definitions according to political science. It is a democracy to the extent that it is a “representative democracy,” not a direct democracy. But the structures that were created way back when were inherently created to maintain power in the hands of a few and out of distrust of the common citizen (and, of course, a racist, misogynistic, classist, colonialist framework of only seeing “citizen” as a white male landowner/land stealer.) I feel like the US got a reputation for a mentality of being a democracy in the late 1700s or whatever because of the Revolution against English monarchy......and then lots of folks glommed onto that w/o paying any attention to the rest of that non democratic stuff I just mentioned.

Also, it is also probably worth noting that a lot of the power that “the people” most have in the US are at the state and local levels, where our votes really can impact local policy and representation. National elections happen every 4 years, and they pull the most attention globally. But (as an example) in Texas, I actually vote multiple times most years...and I’m privileged in that I can operate in that manner because I’m able to keep showing up that much and paying attention, and researching micro local candidates and issues, and taking the time in “off cycle” elections, meaning the ones that don't coincide w/ the Presidential election every 4 years. The Presidential election has such a strong news cycle that it mobilizes people REALLY effectively. (And when the average American is effectively mobilized, they more often vote for democrats or left leaning people, btw, everyone knows this, it’s why Republicans are most likely to engage in voter suppression). 

One of the most insidious types of buried and not nearly talked about enough voter suppression in the US is the simple act of placing certain elections on “off cycle” years. For example, in Texas, we don’t vote on our scumbucket governor again until 2022. So the election that will have HISTORIC BLUE turnout (right now) will not have Greg Abbott on it...he’ll show up in 2 years, when it is very, very UNlikely that there will be the right people mobilized to boot his ass out of office. (But we’ll all still be trying to mobilize folks here, nevertheless.)

In fact, the US has more elected roles and much more frequent elections than most countries. But, again, this itself erodes “democracy” because we have WAY TOO MANY elections when you account for all the levels of government, it’s legitimately overwhelming. Here’s a example of all of the entities with political power governing my community/life that I have voted on in my 18 years of voting across living in 2 states (Indiana, then Texas): city, township, town, county, school district, state, nation, and special districts. When I name these levels of entities, it’s important to specify: that’s just off the top of my head, and each level has multiple ELECTIONS under them. This doesn’t even touch the layer of complexity that the 2 party system adds....and primary vs. general election format that is also present. And sometimes, those elections don’t have clear winners in the first rounds...this happens a lot in Austin because it is a VERY democrat heavy area so we will often have a few different run offs that will come AFTER main elections. Is your head spinning after all of this? It should be. The whole system is a mess, and it really, really works against the average person in the US and really, really works to the advantage of the existing power. As I’ve recently speculated...there’s a reason that our K-12 public education systems don’t teach us all of this. There are people who benefit from how much this complexity and nonsensicalness is overwhelming to us. I only know the vast majority of this information I am rattling off SPECIFICALLY because I *happened* to pick a poli sci undergrad degree when I thought I was going to go to law school someday.  And honestly, the only reason that I’m able to keep up on it as much as I am in real time is because I am child free. If I had a different life path and made different choices and was working multiple jobs to keep food on the table for my family like so many people I know, there is SIMPLY NO WAY I could keep showing up on all the off cycle elections that I do and keep updated about state/local level elections, issues, and politicians. And even with the luxury of time I DO have to dedicate to this, it’s nowhere NEAR what is needed to really understand it all. Like I’m actually still a MAJOR NOVICE on these topics compared to someone who works in or studies political systems.  The last thing I’ll say on this topic because I def rambled on a lot more than I originally intended, but obviously, you’ve stumbled into something I feel passionate about....there could be an argument made that the number of elections and elected roles we have in the US means that we are TOTALLY SUPER DEMOCRATIC, but I’d like to underscore again that something which is accessible in theory only and completely inaccessible in practice for the average person DOES NOT COUNT AS ‘DEMOCRACY.’

[antoine-roquentin]

This year marks Harold “Hal” Rogers’s twenty-first consecutive electoral victory in Kentucky’s Fifth Congressional District, making him the second-longest-serving Republican in Congress. He rode into office on the wave of the Reagan Revolution in 1980, and the governing style he’s employed in the Fifth District—which covers the rural, mountainous, Appalachian region of southeastern Kentucky—can mostly be described as Reaganite: pro–War on Drugs, pro–prison expansion, anti-regulation of extractive industries, and pro-family. The congressman has had to improvise a little over the years in response to changes in the economy and political system, but he’s well-positioned to do so: as a former Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, the elite “College of Cardinals” that manages the government’s budget, and the ranking member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations, he’s one of the most powerful men in Washington. Rogers has extraordinary discretion over where and how the government exercises power domestically and overseas, especially within the border regions; he can coerce other lawmakers to support his policies by withholding funding; and, crucially, he can funnel tons of “pork” back to his home district.

If you were to mention that to the average American, however, you’d probably be met with confusion. Hal who? Most people, when they think of powerful politicians from Kentucky, think of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who over the last decade or so has singlehandedly reshaped how Congress functions, and has all but ensured the prioritization of corporate interests within the federal judiciary. So you’re telling me there’s another powerful congressman from Kentucky who has control over virtually every aspect of my life? That is indeed what I’m telling you, my friend, and it’s no coincidence that both of these men come from the mostly rural state of Kentucky.

How did Kentucky come to mean so much at the national level? McConnell’s story isn’t that compelling. He is deeply unpopular statewide, but every six years he hyper-focuses on a handful of places in the state—Paducah, the Cincinnati suburbs in Northern Kentucky, the rural counties around Louisville (his hometown), and the rural counties in southern Kentucky—and makes enough empty promises and assurances to carry him to victory. He then launders his success as a success story for all of Kentucky, claiming that it allows the state to punch above its weight at the national level against states like New York and California. His voters eat this up, and McConnell plays off of it to increasingly cringe results (see: “Cocaine Mitch.”) At the end of the day it’s a pretty standard story of electioneering, manipulation, and voter suppression; Kentucky consistently ranks among the bottom ten states in terms of “electoral integrity.”

But whereas McConnell is motivated by the long-term viability of corporate domination of the United States, Hal Rogers is motivated by the long-term viability of corporate and personal domination of southeastern Kentucky. Make no mistake that this benighted region—long one of the poorest in the country—is Rogers’s personal dominion, his fiefdom. The fact that his name is on just about everything you see should be enough evidence to support this claim. To enter and exit the region you have to travel on the Hal Rogers Parkway, which used to be the Daniel Boone Parkway until Rogers renamed it after itself. Want to take your family on a weekend getaway vacation? You can check out the Hal Rogers Family Entertainment Center in Williamsburg, which contains a wave pool, water slides, and a mini-golf course. Or perhaps you’re addicted to drugs? Rogers has just the thing for you: the Hal Rogers Appalachian Recovery Center, which has outposts all across the region.

This last “amenity” that Rogers so graciously offers—drug rehabilitation centers—is rich with irony. In 2003 he created a program known as Operation UNITE (Unlawful Narcotics Investigations, Treatment and Education). UNITE is a brilliant form of rural social control. It ruthlessly enforces drug abstention through the traditional methods of law enforcement—undercover policing, kicking down doors—and, at the same time, encourages community members to snitch on fellow community members who they suspect of being involved in drug activities. The result is that no one trusts anyone: everyone is a suspect, all of the time. UNITE is the sort of program that engenders alienation, making it less likely that people will mount meaningful political challenges against the region’s political institutions, such as Rogers himself.

But Rogers’s UNITE program is even more ingenious than that. It sweeps you up in raids and undercover stings, and then sends you to treatment (likely in a building with Rogers’s name plastered on it), and then uses you as an example to the rest of the community about the harms of drug abuse. You will become a poster child, an educator, a warning from the future: Do not become me; I was lucky enough to make it out alive, and even then it was only through the help and compassion of good old Hal Rogers. In other words, Hal giveth and Hal taketh away. He is simultaneously good cop and bad cop, or, if you’re feeling biblical, the Old Testament God of Vengeance and Wrath and New Testament God of Redemption and Forgiveness. If you’re a drug user in southeastern Kentucky, you will eventually come under his all-seeing eye.

Of course, if you do not make it to (and through) the rehabilitation stage, you can go to prison, in which Rogers is also deeply invested. When southeastern Kentucky’s coal economy started going south in the 1980s and ’90s due to mechanization caused by an increase in strip mining (facilitated by Rogers’s loosening of environmental regulations), Rogers became the biggest advocate for prison expansion in the region. During his career he’s brought no less than three federal prisons to his district, and he’s currently working on bringing a fourth, to Letcher County, right on the border of Kentucky and Virginia. Either in jail or on the anti-drug education circuit, your story will eventually be used for Hal Rogers’s personal glorification.

This does not mean that all power is consolidated within the person of Rogers, however. The intricate system that’s slowly grown to facilitate the expansion of drug courts, rehabilitation centers, jails that counties rely on for revenue, and prisons is its own network of feudal control and peonage. Hang around outside any county courthouse in eastern Kentucky for long enough and you’ll see, like I have, people begging judges to sign off on this or that paper granting them this or that level of re-entry into their community (previously restricted as a result of being caught with this or that drug). Or hang around outside any drug counseling office long enough and you’ll hear, like I have, people casually discussing which local judges are the strictest and which are the most lenient. A lot of people’s lives are tied up in a system that is ruled mostly by whimsy and fiat.

If and when Rogers ever kicks the bucket—and this will have to be the way he leaves office, because he will likely never be defeated at the ballot box—all this will have been his legacy. Not just the buildings and highways and rehabilitative centers with his name on them. Not just the prisons and the beefed-up law enforcement agencies. Not just the ominous office building in Somerset, known colloquially as the “Taj Ma-Hal,” which houses a number of nonprofits with boring names like “Center for Rural Development” that Rogers helped create in order to vacuum up federal grant money from agencies like the Appalachian Regional Commission. It’s all these things, but it’s also something bigger: the remaking of rural political economy. Rogers’s model has been exported across the United States.

As the nation’s rural regions experienced deindustrialization, out-migration, drug-assisted suicide, or a combination of all the above over the last three or four decades, rural elites had to figure out a way to maintain control over their constituents. Many of them turned to Rogers’s example. For example, when Rogers launched UNITE in 2003, John Walters, then the White House drug czar, said that it would “serve as a model for the rest of the nation.” It doesn’t go by the name “UNITE” in every community, but if you go anywhere in rural America and listen long enough, you’ll hear the voices of people who are trapped within similar systems of manipulation, coercion, and foreclosure on the future. And you’ll also see, lording over them, the names and faces of men who have carved out their own kingdoms, which from the outside seem impervious to pressure from below. But that’s the thing about power: it doesn’t last forever, and it can always be beaten. It’s up to us to figure out how to do it.

[tisfan]

Copied from Facebook; verified by a friend

From Joe Morice, daughters in 8th & 10th grade in Fairfax County Public Schools' Centreville Pyramid:

To our fellow FCPS families—this is it gang: 5 days until the 2 days in school vs. 100% virtual decision. Let’s talk it out, in my traditional mammoth TL/DR form.

Like all of you, I’ve seen my feed become a flood of anxiety and faux expertise. You’ll get no presumption of expertise here. This is how I am looking at and considering this issue and the positions people have taken in my feed and in the hundred or so FCPS discussion groups that have popped up. The lead comments in quotes are taken directly from my feed and those boards. Sometimes I try to rationalize them. Sometimes I’m just punching back at the void.

Full disclosure, we initially chose the 2 days option and are now having serious reservations. As I consider the positions and arguments I see in my feed, these are where my mind goes. Of note, when I started working on this piece at 12:19 PM today the COVID death tally in the United States stood at 133,420.

“My kids want to go back to school.”

I challenge that position. I believe what the kids desire is more abstract. I believe what they want is a return to normalcy. They want their idea of yesterday. And yesterday isn’t on the menu.

“I want my child in school so they can socialize.”

This was the principle reason for our 2 days decision. As I think more on it though, what do we think ‘social’ will look like? There aren’t going to be any lunch table groups, any lockers, any recess games, any study halls, any sitting next to friends, any talking to people in the hallway, any dances. All of that is off the menu. So, when we say that we want the kids to benefit from the social experience, what are we deluding ourselves into thinking in-building socialization will actually look like in the Fall?

“My kid is going to be left behind.”

Left behind who? The entire country is grappling with the same issue, leaving all children in the same quagmire. Who exactly would they be behind? I believe the rhetorical answer to that is “They’ll be behind where they should be,” to which I’ll counter that “where they should be” is a fictional goal post that we as a society have taken as gospel because it maps to standardized tests which are used to grade schools and counties as they chase funding.

“Classrooms are safe.”

At the current distancing guidelines from FCPS middle and high schools would have no more than 12 people (teachers + students) in a classroom (I acknowledge this number may change as FCPS considers the Commonwealth’s 3 ft with a mask vs. 6 ft position, noting that FCPS is all mask regardless of the distance). For the purpose of this discussion we’ll say classes run 45 minutes.

I posed the following question to 40 people today, representing professional and management roles in corporations, government agencies, and military commands: “Would your company or command have a 12 person, 45 minute meeting in a conference room?”

100% of them said no, they would not. These are some of their answers:

“No. Until further notice we are on Zoom.”

“(Our company) doesn’t allow us in (company space).”

“Oh hell no.”

“No absolutely not.”

“Is there a percentage lower than zero?”

“Something of that size would be virtual.”

We do not even consider putting our office employees into the same situation we are contemplating putting our children into. And let’s drive this point home: there are instances here when commanding officers will not put soldiers, ACTUAL SOLDIERS, into the kind of indoor environment we’re contemplating for our children. For me this is as close to a ‘kill shot’ argument as there is in this entire debate. How do we work from home because buildings with recycled air are not safe, because we don’t trust other people to not spread the virus, and then with the same breath send our children into buildings?

“Children only die .0016 of the time.”

First, conceding we’re an increasingly morally bankrupt society, but when did we start talking about children’s lives, or anyone’s lives, like this? This how the villain in movies talks about mortality, usually 10-15 minutes before the good guy kills him.

If you’re in this camp, and I acknowledge that many, many people are, I’m asking you to consider that number from a slightly different angle.

FCPS has 189,000 children. .0016 of that is 302. 302 dead children are the Calvary Hill you’re erecting your argument on. So, let’s agree to do this: stop presenting this as a data point. If this is your argument, I challenge you to have courage equal to your conviction. Go ahead, plant a flag on the internet and say, “Only 302 children will die.” No one will. That’s the kind action on social media that gets you fired from your job. And I trust our social media enclave isn’t so careless and irresponsible with life that it would even, for even a millisecond, enter any of your minds to make such an argument.

Considered another way: You’re presented with a bag with 189,000 $1 bills. You’re told that in the bag are 302 random bills, they look and feel just like all the others, but each one of those bills will kill you. Do you take the money out of the bag?

Same argument, applied to the 12,487 teachers in FCPS (per Wikipedia), using the ‘children’s multiplier’ of .0016 (all of us understanding the adult mortality rate is higher). That’s 20 teachers. That’s the number you’re talking about. It’s very easy to sit behind a keyboard and diminish and dismiss the risk you’re advocating other people assume. Take a breath and think about that.

If you want to advocate for 2 days a week, look, I’m looking for someone to convince me. But please, for the love of God, drop things like this from your argument. Because the people I know who’ve said things like this, I know they’re better people than this. They’re good people under incredible stress who let things slip out as their frustration boils over. So, please do the right thing and move on from this, because one potential outcome is that one day, you’re going to have to stand in front of St. Peter and answer for this, and that’s not going to be conversation you enjoy.

“Hardly any kids get COVID.”

(Deep sigh) Yes, that is statistically true as of this writing. But it is a cherry-picked argument because you’re leaving out an important piece.

One can reasonably argue that, due to the school closures in March, children have had the least EXPOSURE to COVID. In other words, closing schools was the one pandemic mitigation action we took that worked. There can be no discussion of the rate of diagnosis within children without also acknowledging they were among our fastest and most quarantined people. Put another way, you cannot cite the effect without acknowledging the cause.

“The flu kills more people every year.”

(Deep sigh). First of all, no, it doesn’t. Per the CDC, United States flu deaths average 20,000 annually. COVID, when I start writing here today, has killed 133,420 in six months.

And when you mention the flu, do you mean the disease that, if you’re suspected of having it, everyone, literally everyone in the country tells you stay the f- away from other people? You mean the one where parents are pretty sure their kids have it but send them to school anyway because they have a meeting that day, the one that every year causes massive f-ing outbreaks in schools because schools are petri dishes and it causes kids to miss weeks of school and leaves them out of sports and band for a month? That one? Because you’re right - the flu kills people every year. It does, but you’re ignoring the why. It’s because there are people who are a--holes who don’t care about infecting other people. In that regard it’s a perfect comparison to COVID.

“Almost everyone recovers.”

You’re confusing “release from the hospital” and “no longer infected” with “recovered.” I’m fortunate to only know two people who have had COVID. One my age and one my dad’s age. The one my age described it as “absolute hell” and although no longer infected cannot breathe right. The one my dad’s age was in the hospital for 13 weeks, had to have a trach ring put in because she could no longer be on a ventilator, and upon finally getting home and being faced with incalculable time in rehab told my mother, “I wish I had died.”

While I’m making every effort to reach objectivity, on this particular point, you don’t know what the f- you’re talking about.

“If people get sick, they get sick.”

First, you mistyped. What you intended to say was “If OTHER people get sick, they get sick.” And shame on you.

“I’m not going to live my life in fear.”

You already live your life in fear. For your health, your family’s health, your job, your retirement, terrorists, extremists, one political party or the other being in power, the new neighbors, an unexpected home repair, the next sunrise. What you meant to say was, “I’m not prepared to add ANOTHER fear,” and I’ve got news for you: that ship has sailed. It’s too late. There are two kinds of people, and only two: those that admit they’re afraid, and those that are lying to themselves about it.

As to the fear argument, fear is the reason you wait up when your kids stay out late, it’s the reason you tell your kids not to dive in the shallow water, to look both ways before crossing the road. Fear is the respect for the wide world that we teach our children. Except in this instance, for reasons no one has been able to explain to me yet.

“FCPS leadership sucks.”

I will summarize my view of the School Board thusly: if the 12 of you aren’t getting into a room together because it represents a risk, don’t tell me it’s OK for our kids. I understand your arguments, that we need the 2 days option for parents who can’t work from home, kids who don’t have internet or computer access, kids who needs meals from the school system, kids who need extra support to learn, and most tragically for kids who are at greater risk of abuse by being home. All very serious, all very real issues, all heartbreaking. No argument.

But you must first lead by example. Because you’re failing when it comes to optics. All your meetings are online. What our children see is all of you on a Zoom telling them it’s OK for them to be exactly where you aren’t. I understand you’re not PR people, but you really should think about hiring some.

“I talked it over with my kids.”

Let’s put aside for a moment the concept of adults effectively deferring this decision to children, the same children who will continue to stuff things into a full trash can rather than change it out. Yes, those hygienic children.

Listen, my 15 year old daughter wants a sport car, which she’s not getting next year because it would be dangerous to her and to others. Those kinds of decisions are our job. We step in and decide as parents, we don’t let them expose themselves to risks because their still developing and screen addicted brains narrow their understanding of cause and effect.

We as parents and adults serve to make difficult decisions. Sometimes those are in the form of lessons, where we try to steer kids towards the right answer and are willing to let them make a mistake in the hopes of teaching better decision making the next time around. This is not one of those moments. The stakes are too high for that. This is a “the adults are talking” moment. Kids are not mature enough for this moment. That is not an attack on your child. It is a broad statement about all children. It is true of your children and it was true when we were children. We need to be doing that thinking here, and “Johnny wants to see Bobby at school” cannot be the prevailing element in the equation.

“The teachers need to do their job.”

How is it that the same society which abruptly shifted to virtual students only three months ago, and offered glowing endorsements of teachers stating, “we finally understand how difficult your job is,” has now shifted to “screw you, do your job.” There are myriad problems with that position but for the purposes of this piece let’s simply go with, “You’re not looking for a teacher, you’re looking for the babysitter you feel your property tax payment entitles you to.”

“Teachers have a greater chance to being killed by a car than they do of dying from COVID.”

(Eye roll) Per the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the U.S. see approximately 36,000 auto fatalities a year. Again, there have been 133,420 COVID deaths in the United States through 12:09 July 10, 2020. So no, they do not have a great chance of being killed in a car accident.

And, if you want to take the actual environment into consideration, the odds of a teacher being killed in a car accident in their classroom, you know, the environment we’re actually talking about, that’s right around 0%.

“If the grocery store workers can be onsite what are the teachers afraid of?”

(Deep breath) A grocery store worker, who absolutely risks exposure, has either six feet of space or a plexiglass shield between them and individual adult customers who can grasp their own mortality whose transactions can be completed in moments, in a 40,000 SF space.

A teacher is with 11 ‘customers’ who have not an inkling what mortality is, for 45 minutes, in a 675 SF space, six times a day.

Just stop.

“Teachers are choosing remote because they don’t want to work.”

(Deep breaths) Many teachers are opting to be remote. That is not a vacation. They’re requesting to do their job at a safer site. Just like many, many people who work in buildings with recycled air have done. And likely the building you’re not going into has a newer and better serviced air system than our schools.

Of greater interest to me is the number of teachers choosing the 100% virtual option for their children. The people who spend the most time in the buildings are the same ones electing not to send their children into those buildings. That’s something I pay attention to.

“I wasn’t prepared to be a parent 24/7” and “I just need a break.”

I truly, deeply respect that honesty. Truth be told, both arguments have crossed my mind. Pre COVID, I routinely worked from home 1 – 2 days a week. The solace was nice. When I was in the office, I had an actual office, a room with a door I could close, where I could focus. During the quarantine that hasn’t always been the case. I’ve been frustrated, I’ve been short, I’ve gone to just take a drive and get the hell away for a moment and been disgusted when one of the kids sees me and asks me to come for a ride, robbing me of those minutes of silence. You want to hear silence. I get it. I really, really do.

Here’s another version of that, admittedly extreme. What if one of our kids becomes one of the 302? What’s that silence going to sound like? What if you have one of those matted frames where you add the kid’s school picture every year? What if you don’t get to finish the pictures?

“What does your gut tell you to do?”

Shawn and I have talked ad infinitum about all of these and other points. Two days ago, at mid-discussion I said, “Stop, right now, gut answer, what is it,” and we both said, “virtual.”

A lot of the arguments I hear people making for the 2 days sound like we’re trying to talk ourselves into ignoring our instincts, they are almost exclusively, “We’re doing 2 days, but…”. There’s a fantastic book by Gavin de Becker, The Gift of Fear, which I’ll minimize for you thusly: your gut instinct is a hardwired part of your brain and you should listen to it. In the introduction he talks about elevators, and how, of all living things, humans are the only ones that would voluntarily get into a soundproof steel box with a potential predator just so they could skip a flight of stairs.

I keep thinking that the 2 days option is the soundproof steel box. I welcome, damn, beg, anyone to convince me otherwise.

At the time I started writing at 12:09 PM, 133,420 Americans had died from COVID. Upon completing this draft at 7:04 PM, that number rose to 133,940.

520 Americans died of COVID while I was working on this. In seven hours.

The length of a school day.

[asleepypisces]

A friend of mine recently shared how loud silence can be, specifically from her white friends following the murder of George Floyd. We might feel inclined to offer sympathy with statements like “I can’t believe this happened” or “this doesn’t feel real,” but it is the very privilege of being white that is causing us to feel shocked while this is an every day reality for black Americans. My heart, thoughts, and prayers go out to the victims of police brutality and racism as well as all black Americans, but that is not enough. Thoughts and prayers are never enough. Now is the time for white Americans to reflect on our privilege and use it. Teach other white people about the barriers in society that exist for black Americans and call them out (this includes friends and family) if they are being racist, even when it’s uncomfortable to do so. Listen to and amplify the voices of black Americans - share their words, posts, work, businesses, art, etc during this time and ALL of the time. Lastly, learn! This is a result of a history of racism in the United States, the oppressive system that is the police, and an unjust justice system. What you shouldn’t do is share videos of these murders (share the graphics of artists instead), photographs of protestors (it can put them at risk), speak over black Americans, or be ignorant for the sake of blocking out negativity. You cannot and should not ignore this reality. What can you do, besides attending a protest (which you should if you are able)? See below!

There is a lot of information about contacting government officials and legislators, places to donate, and petitions to sign. I compiled the information I found. Know the words below are not all my own, with information gathered from a Medium article titled 75 Things White People Can Do for Racial Justice and a USA Today article titled Resources, ways to donate: How you can take action from home after the death of George Floyd as well as information I found on my own.

Contacting legislators, lawmakers, and other officials:

* Google whether your local police department currently requires all on-duty police officers to wear a body camera turned on immediately whenever they respond to a call. If they don’t, email your city or town representative and police chief to advocate for it.

* Google whether your city or town uses evidence-based police de-escalation trainings. If not, again email your city or town representative and police chief to advocate for it.

* Call or email your federal legislators in support of the bipartisan (sponsored by Sen Lee (R-UT)) Smarter Sentencing Act (S. 2850) which reduces the length of federal mandatory minimum drug sentences by half, makes the Fair Sentencing Act’s crack sentencing reforms retroactive, and expands the “safety valve” exception to mandatory drug sentences. This is would reduce mandatory minimum sentences on a federal level! Obviously decriminalization is the goal, but supporting this legislation is a start.

* Call or email your federal legislators in support of the bipartisan(sponsored by Sen Rand (R-KY)) Justice Safety Valve Act (S. 399, H.R. 1097), which would allow judges to give sentences other than the mandatory minimum sentence for any federal crime which should again reduce mandatory minimum sentences! Again, a start.

* Call or email your federal legislators in support of another criminal justice reform bill, the Second Look Act, which would make reduced sentences for crack convictions from the previously passed Fair Sentencing Act retroactive, reduce mandatory minimums for people convicted more than three times for drug crimes from life without parole after the third offense to 25 years, reduce mandatory sentences for drug crimes from 15 to 10 years, limit the use of solitary confinement on juvenile prisoners, etc. Again, it’s a start.

* Call or email your your state legislators and governor to support state-wide criminal justice reform! This includes reducing mandatory minimum sentences, reducing sentences for non-violent drug crimes, passing “safety valve” law to allow judges to depart below a mandatory minimum sentence under certain conditions, passing alternatives to incarceration, etc.

* Call or write to state legislators, federal legislators, and your governor to decriminalize weed.

* Call or write to state legislators to require racial impact statements be required for all criminal justice bills. Most states already require fiscal and environmental impact statements for certain legislation. Racial impact statements evaluate if a bill may create or exacerbate racial disparities should the bill become law. Check out the status of your state’s legislation surrounding these statements here.

* Call or write to state legislators, federal legislators, and your governor to end solitary confinement in excess of 15 days. It is considered torture by the UN, and it is used more frequently on black and Hispanic prisoners.

* Write to the US Sentencing Commission (PubAffairs@ussc.gov) and ask them to:

* reform the career offender guideline to lessen the length of sentences

* change the guidelines so that more people get probation

* change the criminal history guidelines so that a person’s criminal record counts against them less

* change guidelines to reduce mandatory minimum sentences for non-violent crimes

* conduct a study to review the impact of parental incarceration on minor children. With more data, the Commission could modify the Sentencing Guidelines and allow judges to take this factor into account when sentencing individuals for non-violent crimes.

* conduct a study to review whether the Bureau of Prisons is following the Commission’s encouragement to file a motion for compassionate release whenever “extraordinary and compelling reasons” exist.

* consider amending the guidelines to reduce sentences for first offenders.

* Write to your state legislators to end cash bail. Your wealth should not determine your freedom. Legally innocent people are in jail not because they’re guilty, but because they cannot afford the price of their freedom.

Petitions:

(If you need postal code for non-US people who sign 90015 is Los Angeles, CA; 10001 is New York City, NY; and 75001 is Dallas, TX.)

* Sign the petition here that aims to “reach the attention of Mayor Jacob Frey and DA Mike Freeman to beg to have the officers involved in this disgusting situation fired and for charges to be filed immediately.“ https://www.change.org/p/mayor-jacob-frey-justice-for-george-floyd

* Sign the petition here to “demand the officers who killed George Floyd are charged with murder." So far, the petitions has garnered more than 1 million signatures. You can also sign by texting "Floyd" to 55156. https://act.colorofchange.org/sign/justiceforfloyd_george_floyd_minneapolis

* Sign the petition here “demanding justice for George Floyd and his family by adding your name to our super petition. When you sign, our platform will automatically send your message to County Attorney Michael Freeman, who has the power to arrest and charge these police officers.” All officers must be held responsible. https://www.justiceforbigfloyd.com/#petition

Text:

* Text “Justice” to 668366.

* Text “Floyd to 55156 to sign the petition mentioned above.

Donate money:

* GoFundMe: Organized by Philonise Floyd, George's brother, the fund was created to cover funeral and burial expenses, mental and grief counseling, lodging and travel for all court proceedings and to assist the family in the days to come as they “continue to seek justice for George,” according to the description. A portion of these funds will also go to the Estate of George Floyd, which benefits his children and their educational fund.” https://www.gofundme.com/f/georgefloyd

* NAACP: Donations to the NAACP go toward: helping “win landmark legal battles, protect voters across the nation, and advance the cause of racial justice, equality, and an inclusive society.” https://org2.salsalabs.com/o/6857/p/salsa/donation/common/public/?donate_page_KEY=15780&_ga=2.209233111.496632409.1590767838-1184367471.1590767838

* Black Lives Matter: You can become a "Global Member" by donating $5 to support their campaigns. https://secure.actblue.com/donate/ms_blm_homepage_2019

* Communities United Against Police Brutality: A Minneapolis organization who accepts donations via mail or PayPal for “office costs, copwatch equipment, court filing fees and other expenses." https://www.cuapb.org/

* Minnesota Freedom Fund: An organization that helps pay jail bonds for those who cannot afford to fight discriminatory and coercive jailing. "Every dollar of financial donations to Minnesota Freedom Fund helps us help free people," the website states. https://minnesotafreedomfund.org/

* Reclaim the Block: A grassroots, Minneapolis organization that demands “that Minneapolis invest in real safety solutions like violence prevention, housing, responses to mental health and opioid crises, and protections for workers instead of 14 more cops.” They are focused on building community-led safety solutions. https://www.reclaimtheblock.org/home

* Black Visions Collective: Aims “to shape a political home for Black people across Minnesota.” They are recommenced by the Minnesota Freedom Fund as they are out on the field right now. https://secure.everyaction.com/4omQDAR0oUiUagTu0EG-Ig2

Donate Supplies:

* North Star Health Collective: Recommended by the Minnesota Freedom Fund as they are also out in the field right now. Accepts first-aid supplies. The link will take you to the website for information on what they need and where to send it. https://www.northstarhealthcollective.org/support-north-star-health

Where to shop:

* If you are looking for clothes, I linked Maya Rigby’s (aka @lovlae) Depop. 100% of her proceeds for the next week will be going to Reclaim the Block. If you don’t need clothes, she has cute scrunchies available! https://www.depop.com/mayarigby/

* Philadelphia Printworks “supports local and national organizations doing work in the areas of food security, police brutality, immigrant rights, tlgbq+ rights, mass incarceration, and more. Support is determined by the needs of the organization and may be financial and/or resource based.” For example, 100% of the profits from the National Bail Out shirts goes to the NBO. https://www.philadelphiaprintworks.com/

* @ghosttownusa is donating 100% of Depop proceeds (@ablesistersvillage) to North Star Health Collective.

*Phenomenal Woman Action Campaign is inspired by Maya Angelou’s poem and supports a variety of organizations including Essie Justice Group, Black Futures Lab, and Higher Heights (as well as many others.) https://phenomenalwoman.us/pages/about

Lastly, be politically active and vote in all elections! Following the recent twitter response of Trump towards people protesting police brutality and considering the future of The Supreme Court, this presidential election matters. Local elections matter too and directly impact our community in our everyday lives. They are the ones who can change policing in our communities. Stay informed on candidates and if you want to do more, canvassing and volunteering at the polls on Election Day are two ways you can volunteer. However, remember that the solution to end police brutality is not a simple matter of voting Trump out of office - consider the victims of police brutality before this presidency. This requires supporting the campaigns of black candidates, specifically women, through organizations like Higher Heights which is “the only national organization providing Black women with a political home exclusively dedicated to harnessing their power to expand Black women’s elected representation and voting participation, and advance progressive policies.”

Please feel free to add on or send me any suggestions/corrections, and may George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and all victims of police brutality and racism rest in peace and power. 💕🖤

[gingyboo]

Mirror Mirror

A/N: Again many thanks to @booglebug

Description- Soulmates existed. People knew that much. Soulmates were rare, a handful in each generation, an unexplainable phenomenon that formed a bond closer than blood and more sacred than marriage.

Bucky finds his soulmate when he needs her most. Little does he know how much she needs him too.

(Soulmate au that slots pretty much in to the MCU but with soulmates. Set after TFATWS.)

Pairing- Bucky Barnes x OFC

Warnings- Mentions of violence and guns, but its mostly fluff, drama and angst.

This is a multi chaptered fic.

Please like, comment, reblog!

prologue Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3Chapter4Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8

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Chapter 9

Shuri led Nancy back to her lab, Nancy looked around in awe at the screens and monitors. She saw one with Bucky’s face on it, lines of data forming around the edge.

“I’m monitoring Bucky, trying to see what caused last nights relapse, but it got me thinking.” She explained leading Nancy to a chair beside her desk. “Soulmates have been around as long as anyone can remember, but no real research has been done, they tend to be quite secretive.” She said inspecting Nancy’s neck with warm fingers. “If your willing I have some theories I’d like to test.”

“What were you thinking?” Nancy asked,

“There’s some form of bio-chemical link between you and Bucky, symbiosis of sorts, I’ve seen your medical records, I know what happened to you following the blip. From what I’ve found those soulmates who were separated, well most of them didn’t make it, and their soulmates never returned.”

“And you want to test how far this link goes?” Nancy said, realising the plan.

“Exactly that.” She grinned opening a small metal box beside her. Inside was a small, round metallic device, it looked similar to the beads around her wrist only flatter. “May I?” She indicated to the back of Nancy’s neck. Nancy swept her loose hair round to her front as Shuri pressed the disk to the nape of her neck. It felt cool and weightless. “There, that’ll measure your brain activity, your vitals and the like. I’ll compare the two of you, see if there’s any consistencies.”

“That’s so cool.” Nancy remarked seeing her own picture appear on the screen next to Bucky’s, her own data starting to appear.

“It you think that’s cool, you haven’t seen anything yet.” She stood up gesturing Nancy to follow. “I was thinking about why you should have survived when the other separated soulmates died. I thought what the difference could be. The serum that runs in Bucky’s veins, it’s never run in yours, but you’re bound to him and you were born decades after he was experimented on. If I’m right about this link then I think you might have some of his capabilities.” Nancy stared at her bewildered.

“I have never had any form super strength.” She protested.

“Maybe not, but recovering, like you did, that was impressive.” Shuri insisted. She led Nancy to the training room.

“What do you need me to do?” Nancy sprung lightly from foot to foot, she’d missed her gym back in London.

“Just a few basic exercises at first, we’ll go from there.”

Shuri started her running on a treadmill built into a panel on the floor. Her heart rate was monitored as well as the impact her feet were having on the ground. She then moved her to some loose weights, measuring the nerve activity in her muscles. She led her over to some targets on the wall, passing her some throwing knives. Her aim wasn’t poor but far from perfect, Shuri kept tapping away on her screen in the corner. By the end of the session Nancy’s bones ached and her head was dizzy with exhaustion. When they returned to the lab Shuri indicated to a bed in the corner.

“Do you think you could rest in here, I’d love to take readings from your sleep state.” Nancy simply nodded, the poor sleep the previous night twinned with the exertions in the training room allowed sleep to come easily.

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“Buck we need you on your A game today,” Sam said coming to sit beside Bucky as Torres flew the jet over Europe. “We’re doing this for her.”

“I know.” Bucky said scratching his head, “I just thought this was over.”

“I know you did. This was just a relapse. Shuri will figure out what’s going on up there,” he indicated to Bucky’s temple, “And we’ll fix it.” Bucky shook his head.

“It’s not that simple he could’ve killed her Sam. I could have killed her” He almost shouted.

“No you couldn’t, don’t you see?” Sam persisted, “She stopped you, she brought you back. No Russian words, no powers, no helicopter to the head. Just her. Now I only know one other person who could do that.”

“Steve.” Bucky sighed.

“Exactly.”

“But I hurt her, how could she ever forgive me. Who wants to be with someone capable of that?”

“She’s your soulmate, you’re not capable of hurting her and she’s not capable of hating you.” Although Sam’s words were encouraging, Bucky still felt the guilt pulsing through his veins. Every time he closed his eyes her face appeared behind his lids, contorted in pain, pleading with him. He tried to focus on mission at hand, finding the dark-haired man, getting to the bottom of his pursuit of Nancy. He just had to focus. He dove into his pocket pulling out the compact mirror Nancy had given him the night before. Before it had all gone so wrong. He opened it seeing only himself staring back. He imagined her there smiling back at him. He snapped it shut again pulling out his phone to send her a text.

‘I miss you.’ He started, staring at his phone not knowing what else to say. He sent the text closing his phone and heading into the cockpit to see the sky opening up in front of them.

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“Miss Cartwright,” Shuri gently shook her awake. “There’s something I’d like you to see.” Nancy stretched out on the bed.

“Please, it’s Nancy, Just Nancy.” She protested, dragging her aching limbs out of the bed.

“Alright Nancy, look at this.” She enlarged a stream of data on the screen. “This shows your brain activity whilst sleeping, your subconscious.”

“Okay.” Nancy said following the rise and fall of the red line.

“Okay, so this is Bucky’s subconscious.” She dragged his data across to overlap Nancy’s. “Do you see the spikes here?” Nancy nodded, “it echoes the spikes in yours.”

“No, that’s not possible.” Nancy starred at the overlapping lines in amazement.

“You see the Winter Solider, he is part of Bucky’s subconscious,” Shuri explained.

“So you mean…” realisation dawned in her eyes.

“I think it’s possible something in your subconscious woke him up. And in waking him he reverted to what he knows.” Shuri continued.

“Killing.” Nancy sobbed.

“But you also managed to stop him. The winter solider stood down for you.”

“He did.” Nancy sniffed, she’d stopped him, she’d brought Bucky back.

“He did, and I think I might be able to figure out what it was that woke him to begin with, but I’ll need to do some more tests with you first. Are you up for it?” Shuri asked, excitement ablaze in her eyes.

“Could it help him, stop it from happening again, he’ll be tearing himself apart over this.”

“I think it might.”

“Then yes, whatever it takes.” Nancy said with all the conviction she possessed. “But I wonder if you could do me a favour?”

“Of course,” the Princess agreed.

“I’d like to look into the circumstances of my brother’s death, would you help me?”

“Sure.” She said smiling sympathetically. Nancy always hated other people’s pity, but she had gotten used to it. She closed her eyes.

“We can’t tell anyone what we’re doing though, please, not my father, not even Bucky, not till I know what I could be looking at.” Nancy bit her lip nervously, she hoped she was right in trusting Shuri, she knew she couldn’t find what she needed alone.

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Christopher Cartwright had been at the top of his game, fresh out of Eton, good grades, a loving family, when he’d decided to enrol at Sandhurst. He felt with everything going on in the world he had a duty to his country to serve. So, serve he did, throwing himself into military training with enthusiasm. He’d never seen his mother look as proud as the day he passed out, an officer of the Royal Navy. That night he’d partied like it was the last night on earth. After that he was fully committed, swearing his life to the military, dumping his then boyfriend, throwing away any previous ideas of joining politics like his father, rejecting his sisters calls. He was a solider now, his duty had to come first. Two tours and 5 medals later he was recruited by a specialist training facility. It was on one of these training missions that tragedy struck, and he perished at sea along with his whole unit. All further information was classified, an empty casket had been buried, no body could be recovered.

Nancy had been 18 at the time. It had destroyed her parent’s marriage, caused her father to flee the country, her mother to move county and Nancy to be left alone. Nancy remembered the funeral well, the black coffin draped in the union flag, Kit’s military portrait standing at the front, the rose arrangements reading ‘Brother’ and ’Son’. People she hadn’t known had stood up sharing stories she’d never heard. They’d shaken her father’s hand and patted her on the shoulder. The whole day had seemed surreal, like it was for someone else’s brother.

The months following were filled with crippling grief. Then university provided a helpful distraction and Nancy managed to throw herself into her degree. In all that time she’d never really dealt with what his death meant for her, her heart never could accept that her big brother, who had always been there, was gone. He was the one who’d chase her around the garden with a water pistol and the hottest day of the year. He had snuck into her room during the thunderstorms to hold her hand because he knew how much they’d scared her. They’d grown together and played together. He’d pulled funny faces behind their mother’s back when she was being told off. She’d snuck into their father’s study to steal back Kit’s Gameboy when it was confiscated for pulling faces behind their mother’s back. She remembered terrorising Acedown Court’s garden with screams and cheers playing pirates with the neighbour’s children. Falling asleep in the back of the car on the way back from holiday after eating too many travel sweets. They had been a double act. Until he’d joined the Navy.

Then a few weeks ago the first glimpse of hope, a hope she didn’t dare speak out loud, not even to Bucky. The man in with dark hair, he could be lying, he most likely was, but there was a chance. Kit might just be alive. She’d be damned if she didn’t find him.

[reading-writing-revolution]

Very long, VERY with the read -

Copied:

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"I have been purposely been absent from the online conversation about opening schools because I was keeping my head in the sand for as long as I could. But the words below from a Fairfax parent, Joe Morice, could not express any more clearly why we should be fully virtual in the Fall. It’s a long read but well worth it.

——-

To our fellow FCPS families, this is it gang, 5 days until the 2 days in school vs. 100% virtual decision. Let’s talk it out, in my traditional mammoth TL/DR form.

Like all of you, I’ve seen my feed become a flood of anxiety and faux expertise. You’ll get no presumption of expertise here. This is how I am looking at and considering this issue and the positions people have taken in my feed and in the hundred or so FCPS discussion groups that have popped up. The lead comments in quotes are taken directly from my feed and those boards. Sometimes I try to rationalize them. Sometimes I’m just punching back at the void.

Full disclosure, we initially chose the 2 days option and are now having serious reservations. As I consider the positions and arguments I see in my feed, these are where my mind goes. Of note, when I started working on this piece at 12:19 PM today the COVID death tally in the United States stood at 133,420.

“My kids want to go back to school.”

I challenge that position. I believe what the kids desire is more abstract. I believe what they want is a return to normalcy. They want their idea of yesterday. And yesterday isn’t on the menu.

“I want my child in school so they can socialize.”

This was the principle reason for our 2 days decision. As I think more on it though, what do we think ‘social’ will look like? There aren’t going to be any lunch table groups, any lockers, any recess games, any study halls, any sitting next to friends, any talking to people in the hallway, any dances. All of that is off the menu. So, when we say that we want the kids to benefit from the social experience, what are we deluding ourselves into thinking in-building socialization will actually look like in the Fall?

“My kid is going to be left behind.”

Left behind who? The entire country is grappling with the same issue, leaving all children in the same quagmire. Who exactly would they be behind? I believe the rhetorical answer to that is “They’ll be behind where they should be,” to which I’ll counter that “where they should be” is a fictional goal post that we as a society have taken as gospel because it maps to standardized tests which are used to grade schools and counties as they chase funding.

“Classrooms are safe.”

At the current distancing guidelines from FCPS middle and high schools would have no more than 12 people (teachers + students) in a classroom (I acknowledge this number may change as FCPS considers the Commonwealth’s 3 ft with a mask vs. 6 ft position, noting that FCPS is all mask regardless of the distance). For the purpose of this discussion we’ll say classes run 45 minutes.

I posed the following question to 40 people today, representing professional and management roles in corporations, government agencies, and military commands: “Would your company or command have a 12 person, 45 minute meeting in a conference room?”

100% of them said no, they would not. These are some of their answers:

“No. Until further notice we are on Zoom.”

“(Our company) doesn’t allow us in (company space).”

“Oh hell no.”

“No absolutely not.”

“Is there a percentage lower than zero?”

“Something of that size would be virtual.”

We do not even consider putting our office employees into the same situation we are contemplating putting our children into. And let’s drive this point home: there are instances here when commanding officers will not put soldiers, ACTUAL SOLDIERS, into the kind of indoor environment we’re contemplating for our children. For me this is as close to a ‘kill shot’ argument as there is in this entire debate. How do we work from home because buildings with recycled air are not safe, because we don’t trust other people to not spread the virus, and then with the same breath send our children into buildings?

“Children only die .0016 of the time.”

First, conceding we’re an increasingly morally bankrupt society, but when did we start talking about children’s lives, or anyone’s lives, like this? This how the villain in movies talks about mortality, usually 10-15 minutes before the good guy kills him.

If you’re in this camp, and I acknowledge that many, many people are, I’m asking you to consider that number from a slightly different angle.

FCPS has 189,000 children. .0016 of that is 302. 302 dead children are the Calvary Hill you’re erecting your argument on. So, let’s agree to do this: stop presenting this as a data point. If this is your argument, I challenge you to have courage equal to your conviction. Go ahead, plant a flag on the internet and say, “Only 302 children will die.” No one will. That’s the kind action on social media that gets you fired from your job. And I trust our social media enclave isn’t so careless and irresponsible with life that it would even, for even a millisecond, enter any of your minds to make such an argument.

Considered another way: You’re presented with a bag with 189,000 $1 bills. You’re told that in the bag are 302 random bills, they look and feel just like all the others, but each one of those bills will kill you. Do you take the money out of the bag?

Same argument, applied to the 12,487 teachers in FCPS (per Wikipedia), using the ‘children’s multiplier’ of .0016 (all of us understanding the adult mortality rate is higher). That’s 20 teachers. That’s the number you’re talking about. It’s very easy to sit behind a keyboard and diminish and dismiss the risk you’re advocating other people assume. Take a breath and think about that.

If you want to advocate for 2 days a week, look, I’m looking for someone to convince me. But please, for the love of God, drop things like this from your argument. Because the people I know who’ve said things like this, I know they’re better people than this. They’re good people under incredible stress who let things slip out as their frustration boils over. So, please do the right thing and move on from this, because one potential outcome is that one day, you’re going to have to stand in front of St. Peter and answer for this, and that’s not going to be conversation you enjoy.

“Hardly any kids get COVID.”

(Deep sigh) Yes, that is statistically true as of this writing. But it is a cherry-picked argument because you’re leaving out an important piece.

One can reasonably argue that, due to the school closures in March, children have had the least EXPOSURE to COVID. In other words, closing schools was the one pandemic mitigation action we took that worked. There can be no discussion of the rate of diagnosis within children without also acknowledging they were among our fastest and most quarantined people. Put another way, you cannot cite the effect without acknowledging the cause.

“The flu kills more people every year.”

(Deep sigh). First of all, no, it doesn’t. Per the CDC, United States flu deaths average 20,000 annually. COVID, when I start writing here today, has killed 133,420 in six months.

And when you mention the flu, do you mean the disease that, if you’re suspected of having it, everyone, literally everyone in the country tells you stay the f- away from other people? You mean the one where parents are pretty sure their kids have it but send them to school anyway because they have a meeting that day, the one that every year causes massive f-ing outbreaks in schools because schools are petri dishes and it causes kids to miss weeks of school and leaves them out of sports and band for a month? That one? Because you’re right - the flu kills people every year. It does, but you’re ignoring the why. It’s because there are people who are a--holes who don’t care about infecting other people. In that regard it’s a perfect comparison to COVID.

“Almost everyone recovers.”

You’re confusing “release from the hospital” and “no longer infected” with “recovered.” I’m fortunate to only know two people who have had COVID. One my age and one my dad’s age. The one my age described it as “absolute hell” and although no longer infected cannot breathe right. The one my dad’s age was in the hospital for 13 weeks, had to have a trach ring put in because she could no longer be on a ventilator, and upon finally getting home and being faced with incalculable time in rehab told my mother, “I wish I had died.”

While I’m making every effort to reach objectivity, on this particular point, you don’t know what the f- you’re talking about.

“If people get sick, they get sick.”

First, you mistyped. What you intended to say was “If OTHER people get sick, they get sick.” And shame on you.

“I’m not going to live my life in fear.”

You already live your life in fear. For your health, your family’s health, your job, your retirement, terrorists, extremists, one political party or the other being in power, the new neighbors, an unexpected home repair, the next sunrise. What you meant to say was, “I’m not prepared to add ANOTHER fear,” and I’ve got news for you: that ship has sailed. It’s too late. There are two kinds of people, and only two: those that admit they’re afraid, and those that are lying to themselves about it.

As to the fear argument, fear is the reason you wait up when your kids stay out late, it’s the reason you tell your kids not to dive in the shallow water, to look both ways before crossing the road. Fear is the respect for the wide world that we teach our children. Except in this instance, for reasons no one has been able to explain to me yet.

“FCPS leadership sucks.”

I will summarize my view of the School Board thusly: if the 12 of you aren’t getting into a room together because it represents a risk, don’t tell me it’s OK for our kids. I understand your arguments, that we need the 2 days option for parents who can’t work from home, kids who don’t have internet or computer access, kids who needs meals from the school system, kids who need extra support to learn, and most tragically for kids who are at greater risk of abuse by being home. All very serious, all very real issues, all heartbreaking. No argument.

But you must first lead by example. Because you’re failing when it comes to optics. All your meetings are online. What our children see is all of you on a Zoom telling them it’s OK for them to be exactly where you aren’t. I understand you’re not PR people, but you really should think about hiring some.

“I talked it over with my kids.”

Let’s put aside for a moment the concept of adults effectively deferring this decision to children, the same children who will continue to stuff things into a full trash can rather than change it out. Yes, those hygienic children.

Listen, my 15 year old daughter wants a sport car, which she’s not getting next year because it would be dangerous to her and to others. Those kinds of decisions are our job. We step in and decide as parents, we don’t let them expose themselves to risks because their still developing and screen addicted brains narrow their understanding of cause and effect.

We as parents and adults serve to make difficult decisions. Sometimes those are in the form of lessons, where we try to steer kids towards the right answer and are willing to let them make a mistake in the hopes of teaching better decision making the next time around. This is not one of those moments. The stakes are too high for that. This is a “the adults are talking” moment. Kids are not mature enough for this moment. That is not an attack on your child. It is a broad statement about all children. It is true of your children and it was true when we were children. We need to be doing that thinking here, and “Johnny wants to see Bobby at school” cannot be the prevailing element in the equation.

“The teachers need to do their job.”

How is it that the same society which abruptly shifted to virtual students only three months ago, and offered glowing endorsements of teachers stating, “we finally understand how difficult your job is,” has now shifted to “screw you, do your job.” There are myriad problems with that position but for the purposes of this piece let’s simply go with, “You’re not looking for a teacher, you’re looking for the babysitter you feel your property tax payment entitles you to.”

“Teachers have a greater chance to being killed by a car than they do of dying from COVID.”

(Eye roll) Per the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the U.S. see approximately 36,000 auto fatalities a year. Again, there have been 133,420 COVID deaths in the United States through 12:09 July 10, 2020. So no, they do not have a great chance of being killed in a car accident.

And, if you want to take the actual environment into consideration, the odds of a teacher being killed in a car accident in their classroom, you know, the environment we’re actually talking about, that’s right around 0%.

“If the grocery store workers can be onsite what are the teachers afraid of?”

(Deep breath) A grocery store worker, who absolutely risks exposure, has either six feet of space or a plexiglass shield between them and individual adult customers who can grasp their own mortality whose transactions can be completed in moments, in a 40,000 SF space.

A teacher is with 11 ‘customers’ who have not an inkling what mortality is, for 45 minutes, in a 675 SF space, six times a day.

Just stop.

“Teachers are choosing remote because they don’t want to work.”

(Deep breaths) Many teachers are opting to be remote. That is not a vacation. They’re requesting to do their job at a safer site. Just like many, many people who work in buildings with recycled air have done. And likely the building you’re not going into has a newer and better serviced air system than our schools.

Of greater interest to me is the number of teachers choosing the 100% virtual option for their children. The people who spend the most time in the buildings are the same ones electing not to send their children into those buildings. That’s something I pay attention to.

“I wasn’t prepared to be a parent 24/7” and “I just need a break.”

I truly, deeply respect that honesty. Truth be told, both arguments have crossed my mind. Pre COVID, I routinely worked from home 1 – 2 days a week. The solace was nice. When I was in the office, I had an actual office, a room with a door I could close, where I could focus. During the quarantine that hasn’t always been the case. I’ve been frustrated, I’ve been short, I’ve gone to just take a drive and get the hell away for a moment and been disgusted when one of the kids sees me and asks me to come for a ride, robbing me of those minutes of silence. You want to hear silence. I get it. I really, really do.

Here’s another version of that, admittedly extreme. What if one of our kids becomes one of the 302? What’s that silence going to sound like? What if you have one of those matted frames where you add the kid’s school picture every year? What if you don’t get to finish the pictures?

“What does your gut tell you to do?”

Shawn and I have talked ad infinitum about all of these and other points. Two days ago, at mid-discussion I said, “Stop, right now, gut answer, what is it,” and we both said, “virtual.”

A lot of the arguments I hear people making for the 2 days sound like we’re trying to talk ourselves into ignoring our instincts, they are almost exclusively, “We’re doing 2 days, but…”. There’s a fantastic book by Gavin de Becker, The Gift of Fear, which I’ll minimize for you thusly: your gut instinct is a hardwired part of your brain and you should listen to it. In the introduction he talks about elevators, and how, of all living things, humans are the only ones that would voluntarily get into a soundproof steel box with a potential predator just so they could skip a flight of stairs.

I keep thinking that the 2 days option is the soundproof steel box. I welcome, damn, beg, anyone to convince me otherwise.

At the time I started writing at 12:09 PM, 133,420 Americans had died from COVID. Upon completing this draft at 7:04 PM, that number rose to 133,940.

520 Americans died of COVID while I was working on this. In seven hours.

The length of a school day."

[jbbarnesnnoble]

Where the Moonlight Shines (Part Four)

Summary:  You’re a junior deputy in Hope County, Montana when things go to hell in a handbasket with the local cult. It’s months before help arrives in the form of the Avengers, taking you down a road you never expected.

Chapter Summary: In the aftermath of the battle, you learn what comes next for you and your friends and what happened to Faith. 

Features: Mentions of canon typical violence, torture, and brainwashing

Pairing: Platonic!Natasha/Reader; Platonic!Wanda/Reader; eventual Platonic!Bucky/Reader

Series Warnings: Canon typical violence; depictions/mentions of torture; depictions/mentions of brainwashing; will add more as they become relevant

Notes: As always, listen to the warnings. I have two outtakes planned at the moment, including one that is an offshoot from this chapter

This is a crossover between Far Cry 5 and the MCU

Word Count: 2256

The sky was streaked with pink and orange as the sun began to rise above the horizon. You sat in a rocking chair on the front porch of the Rye home, baby Carmina sleeping in your arms. Kim was getting some much needed rest and Nick was still helping with the emergency response in the form of getting people set up in the abandoned houses that now dotted the county, starting in Holland Valley. Your rag-tag team was helping in any way they could. Mary May and Jerome were putting together a list of names of people who were unaccounted for. Grace had taken Boomer with her when she went to help see if there were any holdouts from the cult hiding out in bunkers. 

You, Staci, and Joey were the only ones who were being forced to sit on the sidelines. You did your best to soothe him. You wished your powers could heal the mind, if only to help him. He had been your first love, when you were younger and held so much optimism. You heard Natasha before she sat down beside you, a cup of coffee in hand. Wanda had arrived with Bucky not long after Natasha had brought you back to the Rye’s. You had had a difficult night sleeping, plagued by nightmares and the fear that victory was only a dream. 

“How do you feel about New York?” Natasha asked, before taking a sip of her cup of coffee. You glanced at her.

“I’ve been a few times,” you said.

“How would you feel about living there, at least temporarily?” she asked. You frowned. You took one of Carmina’s tiny hands in yours, smiling as the sleeping infant grasped one of your fingers. You needed the distraction. You had a feeling you knew where Natasha was going with her line of questioning.

“This is my home,” you told her. The other woman let out a sigh, remaining silent for a moment as she thought about her next words. 

“You’re enhanced. The therapy you’re going to be going through...it's intense,” she told you. You looked at her, your expression neutral.

“You think I’ll hurt someone,” you said. 

“We can’t rule out the possibility. If you were a normal civilian, we wouldn’t be having this conversation. Most of those affected by Jacob’s brainwashing will be treated here in Montana. You’re the only one we know of who is enhanced,” she said. 

“This is my home. They need me,” you said, before standing up to head inside as Carmina began to fuss. 

As you moved about your day, you found yourself lost in thought. Joey and Staci were heading to Missoula in the afternoon. It was amazing how quickly Stark’s money could get something set up. You supposed the Avengers had a plan for these kinds of things after Sokovia. You remembered hearing about the response team on the news, in what felt like a lifetime ago. You didn’t want to leave your home. You knew Staci would be taken care of, but you worried. You worried about Hudson, about Staci, about everyone. No part of the county had been untouched by the madness. 

You had moved to Hope County to stay off the Avengers radar, only to end up on it anyway. Avengers had been in and out of the Rye home, which had become a base of operations for them and for the Resistance. You had spent part of your day writing down locations where you knew bodies were buried, because you had buried them. Your Aunt Rae-Rae. Your cousin Ryan. Eli. A list of the dead on your side, the ones you knew of. You wrote down what had happened to the group that had come through looking for a man’s sister. 

Staci stood, a shell of himself, with Joey’s arm around him. They were by the car the would be taking them to Missoula.

“Stay safe Rook. Stay in touch,” Joey said. You nodded.

“You have my number. My e-mail. I’ll get you my address too,” you said softly. 

“I’m going to go check in with Captain Rogers. Agent Barton is driving us up with that Spiderkid,” she said. You nodded, pulling her into a hug. You knew what she was doing. You watched as she walked toward where the Captain stood before you turned your attention to Staci. He had wrapped his arms around himself. 

“It’s going to be okay, Pratt. I promise,” you whispered as you pulled him into a hug.

“You don’t know that,” he said.

“It’s over. We won. We’re safe. Jacob can’t hurt us anymore. These people are here to help us. The world’s top specialists are here to help us, Staci. The Seeds will never hurt us again, I promise you,” you said. You felt his shoulders shake as he let out a sob that rocked his too thin frame. You held him tight, a few tears of your own falling. You were trying to stay strong. For Staci. For Joey. For everyone around you. You were their leader. 

Goodbyes were hard. Part of you was afraid you wouldn’t see either of your friends again. Security had been hard to come by in the months since the Seeds had taken over. Security in food. Security in knowing things would be okay. As the car disappeared from view, you went for a walk on the property. You had a tree you liked to sit under. It had enough cover around it that you wouldn’t be seen by any Peggie patrols in the area, something that you didn’t have to worry about anymore. 

You found yourself thinking of Burke. The damned fool who had set into motion the series of events that led to this all. Part of you wondered if Cameron Burke had never set foot in Hope County things wouldn’t have gone south the way they had. You knew in your heart that it would have happened, with or without him. The cult had become more brazen in the days leading up to the attempted arrest. Three bodies had turned up in the span of a week and getting a warrant for the Seed properties had been a struggle with how many connections John Seed had made in the county. They had been taunting the Sheriff’s Department. 

You stood up sometime later, brushing the dirt from your pants. You needed to walk. You needed a distraction from the thoughts that raced around in your head. You knew someone had been watching you from a distance. Someone was always watching you. You understood why. But that didn’t mean you liked it. 

While you needed to escape your thoughts, you needed to talk too. You needed someone to reassure you. Someone to tell you that you’d be okay, that no matter what happened next, you’d be able to return home in the end. You spotted Wanda Maximoff not far from you, keeping a polite distance while keeping you in her line of vision. 

“Wanda?” you called. She looked at you, and you took a breath before continuing as she moved toward you. You felt at ease with her. From the moment you’d met before everything came to a head, you’d felt safe with her. 

“Wanda...will I be...will I be allowed to leave? After I’m fixed...if I’m ever fixed?” you asked. She looked surprised at your question. You hadn’t brought up the topic of your conversation with Natasha with anyone. You knew when you’d be leaving, but that was the extent. 

“You aren’t a prisoner,” she said. You looked at her with a look she couldn’t decipher. Your thoughts were a jumbled mess, like a puzzle that was difficult to put together. 

“I sure feel like one with a babysitter every time I want to take a moment to myself,” you said. She sighed. 

“It’s for your safety and that of others. We’ve tracked down each person who...who completed the trials and survived the fight. They’ve been secured. We’re going to get them help, get you help. We have experience with this,” she said.

“Why aren’t they coming too? Why am I the only one going to New York?” you asked. 

“I thought you and Natasha talked about this,” she said, confusion evident in her expression. You nodded.

“We did. I understand why I’m going to New York. I don’t understand why I’m the only one,” you said. 

“You’ve got powers. You pose far more danger to civilian doctors than the others. It won’t be just civilian doctors, but it’s safer for you to be treated under the supervision of the Avengers. We have the facilities to handle anything that happens during your recovery. These people, their lives are here. Families are here. Some are from out of state, yes, but it will be easier in the long term to have them in one location to monitor progress. You’re an exception,” she said. You sighed. As much as you wanted to argue, you knew people far more qualified than you were making the decisions. You had another pressing question, one you weren’t sure you wanted the answer to. 

“I have another question. Did Faith survive?” you asked. She looked surprised at the question.

“I’m sorry,” she said. You nodded. Rachel Jessop had been one of your best friends in the county before she got caught up with the cult. You wanted to cry, but your tears had long since dried. You had all been pawns in Joseph’s twisted game. 

“We were friends...when we were kids I mean. Before all this. I tried to convince her to leave once, in person. Jacob had brought me with him to a meeting. I had only just finished the trials. I was told to help Faith with something and I tried to talk her into leaving, into taking me with her. She slapped me and told me I should stop thinking like that, and that eventually I’d see that Joseph was right. She didn’t tell Jacob. A small act of mercy. I’d tried it when she had me in Bliss a couple times, but she was always able to redirect me then,” you said. 

“You would have been punished?” she asked. You let out a small laugh. It held not emotion, only the resignation that came with the reality you had faced. 

“I’d be lucky if I survived. You don’t...you didn’t leave the Project alive. The times I was back with the Resistance...it was because Jacob allowed it. It was a cat and mouse game. He’d catch me, chip away more at conditioning me, and let me go back until he called me back again,” you said. 

The two of you continued to walk in silence after that. You felt more at ease around her. You knew of her powers, she had been upfront about it when she introduced herself to you. You wondered how she was coping with this all. It couldn’t have been easy for her to be around all of the suffering, around the pain caused by the Seed family. But you didn’t feel like it was your place to ask her about it. As the sun started sinking below the horizon, you felt at peace for the first time since everything started. 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The journey to the Avengers compound the next morning  was quiet. You had been in contact with family, letting them know you were alive. You weren’t okay. You were far from it. You found yourself humming as you went through messages and emails on your phone. It was a new one Stark had given you. You pulled up a news article about what had happened in Hope County. 

‘What Happened in Hope County? More Questions than Answers as Press Conference Planned’ 

‘Who Were the Resistance? A Look at Hope County’s Heroes’ 

‘Terror in Montana: Religious Terrorism in the US’ 

‘Who is Rook?’

‘Stark Declines Comment on Hope County’

‘Feds REFUSED to Help Hope County’

‘President Set to Hold Conference Call with Survivors Amid Controversy Over Decision to Postpone Visit to the Region’ 

“You shouldn’t read that,” Natasha said from beside you as she glanced at your screen. Someone had spoken about you to the media. Said you were Jacob’s trained attack dog, a cold-blooded killer, that you should be locked up instead of with the Avengers. Your shoulders slumped. 

“They aren’t wrong. The things I did,” you said.

“It wasn’t you. The only people to blame are the Seeds,” she said. You shook your head.

“I could have fought harder. I could have done more,” you said.

“Even the strongest can fall victim to people like that. What matters is they’re gone. We’re going to help you. I can’t promise you’ll go back to how things were, but I can promise you that you’ll have support,” she said. Natasha glanced at Bucky as she spoke. You couldn’t imagine what it was like for him once they’d learned what Jacob had been doing. You knew enough about his background to know that he’d been brainwashed and controlled by Hydra. 

When the jet landed, you were escorted to medical. There, you met Dr. Cho, along with Princess Shuri of Wakanda. Shuri, you were told, was responsible for the recovery of Sergeant Barnes. It appeared she was the only person the Avengers trusted to help you recover, given the circumstances. 

“It won’t be easy, but you will recover, I promise you,” Shuri said to you. You nodded. There was only one path you could take, and it was forward.

[thebluelemontree]

edeniz001 mentioned you in a photo

@thebluelemontree Whether these people are a minority or not doesn't matter. What matters is that these are the people the world sees, and the rest of the world inevitably judges you based on these people. Their existence makes us go: "Oh. So *that's* why the Amis keep electing politicians like that. Makes sense now."

Let me stop you right there because this is as much bullshit as an American judging an entire nation or group of people by its worst elements. This was a staged performance funded by and for the benefit of billionaires, not a true grassroots movement.  We need to look critically at what these images and demonstrations are meant to achieve and who they benefit.  We need to see who is being preyed upon and exploited in this case, not mock or dismiss them.  It’s only going to serve the right-wing and Trumpism in the end by making people targeted by this manipulation feel alienated from the Left and most of the rest of the world.       

*this is going to get a bit ranty and all over the place with my frustrations lately and it isn’t at all directed at you personally.  It’s just my feelings in general. I do not claim to be an expert on all these matters, but it’s simply my opinion* 

If this is “just the way Americans are” then why is voter suppression (in all its myriad of forms) so necessary for conservatives to win in the U.S.? Anytime anyone says “this is just the way they are,” it’s a way to dismiss anyone as people not worth caring about and say “well they are clearly hopeless and deserve what they get.”  IDC if that attitude comes from inside or outside the US. That attitude is why the LEFT is failing miserably with people they SHOULD care about if they want a true leftist movement in the US. 

And what about all the Americans that leftists claim to care about that will suffer if this media stunt succeeds?  The poor, the working-class, the people without access to healthcare.  Fuck them because they are American? They deserve what they get?  

Look, I get it.  I live in a very rural, generally conservative area of Florida. I see people all the time that really piss me off for their Trump bumper stickers, confederate flags, NRA memberships, and bigoted sentiments. It’s easy to just say “to hell with this trailer trash” and lump them all together. But I have to remind myself every single time that this is also a product of the left in the US failing them too. I’m not at all sympathetic to the beliefs of Trump supporters, but I do get how Trumpism can happen and take hold.  

Before anything gets misconstrued from what I am about to say, let me just state I do believe 100% that white privilege exists.  White supremacy is woven into the fabric of the US and needs to be dismantled at every turn. But the left can also be BLIND AF it's own deeply classist beliefs that are driving white working-class people into the eager arms of the right who will make damn sure to appear as though they are sympathetic to their very real problems. 

It happens every time someone says “these people are hopelessly ignorant and uneducated about what is in their best interest. We’re washing our hands of them.”  People can lack formal education, but they are smart enough to know when someone is looking down on them or lecturing at them, and they do know when the left is saying “fuck these people.”  

Right-wingers are more than happy to swoop with “these liberal elitists don’t understand or respect you, but we do.  You’re hard-working salt of the earth.” It’s fake-folksy manipulation leading to exploitation of their vulnerabilities and anxieties. But what alternative is the left offering them that also doesn’t come with a hefty side of condescension and derision for their very existence? This is not how you win people to your side.

Every time people on the left point a finger and laugh at white Americans (’Muricans) who are poor, rural, or struggling to meet a bare minimum standard of living, it does nothing to help and only does harm. These are not people with real political power. The people this campaign is targeting might be white and benefit from white privilege in some ways, but in lots of other meaningful ways, they are far from privileged. They might be living paycheck to paycheck and they are rightfully worried AF about how they will stay afloat.     

There are a lot of liberals in the US that do not respect white working-class people as real people because they aren’t one of their darlings. They aren’t “woke,” they aren’t cosmopolitan, they aren’t coastal city urban, they can be infuriatingly bigoted (as if bigotry doesn’t happen in liberal circles), and they aren’t pretty people living pretty lifestyles in many cases. Nevermind that lots of POC, LGTBQ+, and disabled people are also living in red states, living in trailer parks, living in poverty on dirt roads. You know, the people the left say they care about but it turns out they may also come in similar or the same packaging as the kind of poor people they don’t like.  Are we supposed to throw them all away because they live in a red state or county?  

In order to have things like universal health care and a higher living wage in the US we need a real working-class movement that isn’t divided by racial lines or geographical lines. I’m not saying this is a fix-all because there are a lot of other systemic problems, but the left could really benefit by not participating in alienating demographics it should be reaching out to in a non-condescending way.          

[shansen21ahsgov]

Blog Post #3: Political Party Action

Republican

The greatest asset of the American economy is the American worker. Legal immigrants are making vital contributions to every aspect of national life. They are committed to American values and they strengthen, enrich our culture, and enable us to better compete with the rest of the world. They are specifically grateful for the thousands of new legal immigrants, many of them not yet citizens, who are serving in the Armed Forces. They agree that American’s immigration policy must serve the national interest of the United States. Illegal immigrants endangers everyone, exploits taxpayers, and insults all who aspire to be an American legally. Our highest priority must be to secure our borders and all ports of entry and to enforce our immigration laws. This is why we support building a wall along our southern border. They endorse the SAVE program in which it ensures that public funds are not given to illegal persons in the country. The Republicans believe that sanctuary cities violate federal law which is why they should not be eligible for federal funding. States have the constitutional authority to take steps to reduce illegal immigration. They condemn the Obama Administration’s lawsuits against states that are seeking to enforce federal law. From the beginning, our country has been a haven of refuge and asylum. This should continue but with major changes. Asylum should be limited to cases of political, ethnic or religious persecution. To ensure our national security, refugees who cannot be carefully vetted cannot be admitted to the country, especially those whose homelands have been the breeding grounds for terrorism. I agree with wanting to strengthen our border and protect the citizens of the U.S. I also agree that public funds should not be going to undocumented immigrants and instead to people who are actually citizens. I agree that illegal immigrants endanger parts of society, exploits tax money and insult all who aspire to come to America, legally. 

Democratic

The bedrock American idea, that we are one, has been a part of our country from its earliest days. The Trump administration has repudiated the idea and abandoned our values as a diverse, compassionate and welcoming country. They say the Trump administration has been cruel in the extreme. The Democrats say that Trump has been forcibly separating families, putting children in cages, endangering lives by denying Covid-19 tests and banning people from travelling to the U.S. based on their country of origin. Democrats believe “America can do better.” Democrats will reinstate protections for Dreamers and the parents of American citizen children. Democrats believe that the fight to end systemic and structural cruel racism in our country extends to our immigration system. Democrats believe they should rovide a path to citizenship for all illegal immigration in our county. They want to promote workers right because they know that abusive employers make all workers suffer, most importantly immigrants. Democrats will address the root causes of immigration which are violence and security, poverty and corruption, lack of education and economic opportunity. They want to renew American diplomacy as our tool of “first resort” and rebuild our partnerships and alliances. I agree and disagree with these policies. I do not agree with the things they have been saying about the Trump administration and I feel like they are very bias in their writing. All the other platforms did not mention another party except this one.

Green

Immigration and the large number of undocumented immigrants in the U.S. has become a ot political issue. The Green party thinks that if it were economically possible to provide for their families, many would choose to remain in their native countries. Any immigration policy should be seen as a way to address all people humanitarian needs. The Green party stands for social justice for all those living in this country regardless of their immigration status. Above all, policy and law must be humane. The party accepts as a goal a world in which persons can freely choose to live in and work in any country he or she desires. Although they believe countries do have the right to know the identity of the person seeking to enter and also the right to limit who can come in to protect public safety. They think there cannot be any true solutions to the conflicts created by immigration until we are able to organize globally the campaign to drive down workers living standards everywhere. They will work toward the goal of curbing the power of multinationals. I agree that if it were economically possible people would probably want to stay in their native country. I do not agree that undocumented immigrants should be receiving the same economic and political justice and people who actually are citizens. 

Libertarian

The Libertarian party does not mention immigration on their platform. Their preamble identifies that they “seek a world of liberty: a world in which all individuals are sovereign over their own lives and are not forced to sacrifice their values for the benefit of others.” They defend each person's right to engage in activity that is peaceful and honest and they welcome the diversity that freedom brings. The world they seek to build is one where “individuals are free to follow their dreams in their own ways, without interference from government.” Their ultimate goal is “a world set free in our lifetime.” It is confusing to me why this party does not identify immigration because one of their main goals is to allow freedom for all, and I am confused whether they are talking about worldly or just in the states. They promote diversity and they say that freedom also promotes a diverse culture, so I can infer they are promoting immigration in order to continue that diversity.

Peace and Freedom

The Peace and Freedom Party calls themselevs “Californias feminist socialist party.” This party was born from the civil rights and anti-war movements of the 1960s and is committed to socialism, democracy, ecology, feminism, racial equality and internationalism. They say they represent the working class and those without capital in a capitalist society. Their goal is to organize toward a world where cooperation replaces competition and a world where all people are fed, clothed and used. They want all women and men to have equal status and all individuals may freely do what they desire. They want a world of freedom and peace where every community retains cultural integrity and lives in harmony with others. On the topic of immigration, they say that immigrant workers are hounded by government authorities, worked and housed in substandard conditions and blamed my Republicans and Democrats for society's problems. They call for open borders, they demand an end to deportation of immigrants, and full political, social and economic rights for resident non-citizens.

Which party position do you identify with the most? Is that surprising?

I identify most with the Republican party position. It is not surprising to me, I have always been very interested in immigration and have always found myself connecting most with the policies of the Republican party. I like how they state that the foundation of the American society is the American worker. A lot of people pin Republicans as people who do not like immigrants and immigration but in the platform it literally states that “immigrants are making vital contributions to our way of life.” I agree with this and I connect with their stance on immigration and what to do about undocumented immigrants.

Would you vote for their presidential candidate?

I would vote for the Republican presidential candidate because I think we as a country should vote based on policies the candidate has provided over personal emotions. I think this plays a major part in the large split between the two parties. As well, I think the Trump administration has taken strides to secure America and better the American citizens through their immigration policies.

Was your civic action issue a topic during the debate?

Unfortunately, immigration was not brought up in the presidential debate.

[twentiethcenturymoviesandtv]

The Wizard of Oz: The Characters

Perhaps the most vital element of any story, whether television show, movie, or book, is its characters.  You might have an interesting plot, but without compelling characters, it doesn’t stick, and The Wizard of Oz is no exception to that rule.  In fact, The Wizard of Oz has probably given us some of the most iconic and compelling characters ever created. People don’t forget characters Dorothy Gale, or the Wicked Witch very easily.  Today, we’re going to be taking a look at just what makes those characters so memorable, and so timeless.  First up, let’s check out our heroine.  (Spoilers below!)

Dorothy Gale is one of the most well-known and loved characters in all of pop culture history.  Despite originating as a character from a children’s book, Judy Garland’s portrayal in 1939 has been firmly cemented as the essential Dorothy Gale, and with good reason.

Every protagonist should have a problem, preferably a problem pertaining to the plot (say that five times fast!) and Dorothy’s problem is, initially, Smalltown Boredom.  She is surrounded by adults, authority figures who love her, but don’t understand her, and she’s the only one on her side willing to take action when her dog’s life is threatened.  This reveals something important about Dorothy’s character that remains consistent throughout the entire narrative: Dorothy always tries to solve her problems, even if it isn’t always the best course of action, such as deciding to become the Runaway to save her dog’s life.

Despite her willingness to take action when necessary, she’s not a fantasy hero when it comes to the action itself.  She never learns to use any weapons, or how to fight; her first instinct is to befriend, and she consistently shows politeness and kindness towards others.  Her status as Accidental Hero Trapped in Another World never goes to her head, even after she frees two separate groups of people from underneath the rule of the Wicked Witches of the East and West.  She helps the Scarecrow down from his pole, and oils the Tin Man’s joints, listens to their, and the Lion’s, problems, and then suggests that they join her so they can all get help together.  For heaven’s sake, she even apologizes when she commits Accidental Murder!

While we’re on the subject, let’s discuss that Accidental Murder for a moment.

The witch’s death wasn’t a dragon-slaying moment, it’s a result of Dorothy’s attempt to save the Scarecrow.  Dorothy is certainly not a She Who Fights Monsters character, in any sense of the term.  She never craved adventure, she left the house to save Toto.  She doesn’t try to attack what she thought was a vicious lion until he went after her dog.  In fact, the only times she becomes angry in the film are when someone she cares about is threatened.  She even forgives: she asks the Lion to join them after he attacks Toto, and she’s nice to the Wicked Witch’s guards.  Dorothy is a character who always tries to do the right, and kind, thing, something that sets her apart from many fantasy heroes that have come before and after her.  

Like I said in the last article, Dorothy Gale is an earnest dreamer, a scared, but brave little girl.  She’s a nice person and a brave person, but more than that, she’s a good character.

Good characters change throughout the course of a story, and while at first it might not seem like Dorothy changes at all, a closer look reveals a different story.

As I’ve mentioned previously, Dorothy is one of the first and most famous examples of the Hero’s Journey on film, and a character can’t go through the Hero’s Journey without learning and growing.  Much like her friends, searching for things they already had, (more on that shortly) Dorothy is searching for home, before finding out that she had the means to get there the whole time.  Dorothy’s ‘journey’ in a character sense is discovering her own strength and agency, not allowing herself to helplessly watch others affect her life, while not losing what makes her a good and nice person.  Not only is this a different moral than a lot of fantasy stories, where the hero does need to train to gain something before his narrative is finished, but Dorothy’s change also kicks in at a totally different time in the narrative.

The moment where Dorothy’s goal changes, the scene where she stops wanting to get away from Kansas and wants to get back to it, doesn’t happen at the end of the second act, it’s not a dramatic realization after the hero has gone through much of their journey; no, Dorothy’s priorities switch the exact moment she lands in Oz and is hailed for killing their witch. This doesn’t make her a bad character, or a bad example, because it makes a lot of sense for a young kid to immediately realize that they don’t belong in this fantasy world, and that they have family that’s probably concerned about them.  Dorothy’s learning and growing is done on the journey to get back, struggling to return to the place she realizes that she belongs.

In summary?  Dorothy’s a sweet kid, who doesn’t let adventure turn her into a harder person, just a kinder and stronger one.

But a hero is only as good as their villain, right?

The Wicked Witch of the West is rock solid one of the most memorable villains in film history.  Everything from her laugh to her look is firmly cemented in the minds of moviegoers, even though she doesn’t really look like her book counterpart at all.  She’s the quintessential witch: shooting fireballs, riding on brooms and cackling, but perhaps the most interesting part about her is the fact that she, like multiple other characters in this story, is not one person, but two.

Ms. Gulch is the original Big Bad of the film, an uptight woman who ‘owns half the county’.  Fed up with Dorothy’s dog, Toto, she obtains the legal right to have him put down.  We don’t see a lot of her, and there is even evidence to suggest that Toto did chase her cat and run through her lawn often as well as bite her, but there is also a lot of evidence to suggest that Ms. Gulch had it coming.  Toto tends to be a good judge of character, and even Dorothy’s aunt and uncle, while legally powerless, don’t let her go without letting her know exactly what they think of her.

It makes sense that Dorothy’s frightened subconscious would exaggerate nasty Ms. Gulch into an evil, hammy, black-clad, laughing mad, Wicked Witch.

In the realm of Oz, that one key character trait of Ms. Gulch (besides overall nastiness) did carry over: power.  In our world, she can order around the sheriff, in Oz, she has an army of flying monkeys and magic powers.  And once again, just like in the real world, she uses an offense as an excuse to hunt Dorothy and Toto down, using the death of her sister as a way to get her hands on the magical shoes that she wore.  Throughout the entire movie, she is never shown mourning the death of her sister, but she is very much focused on those shoes, and the fact that Dorothy is wearing them is enough to make the Witch vow vengeance. (‘I’ll get you, my pretty, and your little dog too!’)

In this, the Witch is an extraordinarily good villain.  Just scary enough to frighten young watchers, and still mean enough to make older viewers wince with disgust, the Witch proves an excellent foil to Dorothy.  She’s the ultimate oppression in a child’s life: an unjust adult with power.

(It’s important to note that Dorothy never ‘overthrows’ her as is often seen in these types of scenarios.  Like I’ve stated above, the death of both witches is a total accident on her part, and Dorothy even shows remorse afterwards.)

The Witch maintains a steady threat throughout the film, arriving to throw fireballs, threaten, or just cackle when need be.  She also follows through.  Towards the end of the movie, she kidnaps Dorothy, which leads to the most important thing about being a villain: being beaten.  The Witch goes out in one of the most memorable and iconic deaths in movie history, melted by her Weaksauce Weakness: a bucket of water.

In the end, as with Dorothy, we don’t know a lot about these characters, but in that, both hero and villain feel (fittingly) very much like characters from a fairytale: archetypes for young audiences to immediately grasp and understand.  Sure, the Wicked Witch is no Darth Vader, but does that make her a less effective villain?  I don’t think so.  There’s a reason she’s a Breakout Villain and the second most famous character in the film.

Of course, there’s more to look at here than just the two main driving forces.  No movie is complete without its supporting cast.

The first of the trio of supporting characters that Dorothy meets in Oz is the Scarecrow, a more exaggerated version of his own Kansas Kounterpart.  The Scarecrow’s defining trait is his value of brains, intelligence, and sense.

The thing about the Scarecrow is that he always had brains, he was just under the impression that he didn’t.  Every idea the gang gets is from him.  He figures out how to get Dorothy apples, he comes up with the plan to get the trio into the castle, and he even uses the Tin-Man’s axe to bring the light fixture down on the Witch’s guards.

Once again, part of the brilliance of The Wizard of Oz is that both the Oz trio and Dorothy have the same problem: lack of confidence in their own abilities, constantly using what they think they don’t have to reach their goals.  If it wasn’t for Dorothy’s realization that she needed home, or the Scarecrow’s idea that he needed brains, neither would have ended up on this adventure and neither would have grown as people the way that they do, or learned that they already had what they were looking for.

Same goes for the Tin Man, probably the most emotional character in all of cinema.

Like the Scarecrow, his Kansas Kounterpart also puts a lot of stock in having a specific trait, this time in having a heart.  The Tin Man’s stock is in remaining emotionally open and caring, and also like the Scarecrow, the Tin Man spends most of the movie bemoaning the absence of something he clearly has: a heart.

Like I said before, it’s not an exaggeration to say that the Tin Man might be the most emotional character in the history of movies.  He cries over everything. In another example of the truly interesting acting in this film, the performance that Jack Haley gives is dripping with empathy and kindness, directly tonally contradicting his claims of heartlessness.  Ironically, the gentlest of the company is also the only one consistently armed, with an axe no less.  Also like the Scarecrow, what he actually needs, and what he gets at the end of the story, is belief in the fact that he does have a heart, rather than the vital organ itself.  He spends the entire story using and prominently displaying the trait he determinedly says he lacks, and it’s all the more rewarding when he finally believes he’s found what he’s been looking for.

Perhaps the most complicated and difficult of the three to look at would be the Cowardly Lion.  Of the trio, he’s the one who does seem to lack the trait he claims to, routinely running away from danger and displaying extreme cowardice, to the point of being afraid of sheep he tries to count to go to sleep.  He’s not exactly King of the Forest, Dorothy brings him to blubbering with one almighty smack.

While the Scarecrow and the Tin Man obviously display their own intelligence and emotion, the Lion never seems to portray any bravery of his own. He is drug, kicking and screaming, into danger at every turn, heading into the Witch’s castle, the Haunted Forest, and even the audience with the Wizard.  Even during the rescue of Dorothy he begs his friends to talk him out of it.

The real question we must ask is: does this make him a coward?

The definition of courage is not, as the Lion seems to think, a lack of fear.  In fact, the real definition of courage, especially from a storytelling standpoint, is being afraid, and doing what you have to do anyway.  Many of our greatest heroes from fiction have been afraid during their greatest deeds, but did what they did because it had to be done.  With this definition in mind, the Lion’s characterization makes a little more sense.

The Lion does pull through in every case, and yes, he does need some help from his friends to keep him going at times, but if doing everything alone and without fear constituted courage, very few of us would be considered truly brave.  Once again, this brings out the emphasis that The Wizard of Oz puts on friendships, which is possibly another one of the reasons that this film holds up for all ages.  We all know what it’s like to do things we don’t want to for a friend’s sake, even if it’s not exactly storming a castle.

Just like the Scarecrow and the Tin Man, the Lion never picks up on the fact that he too has what he’s been looking for this whole time, the real prize at the end being his own confidence in his ability.  He also shares quite a few similarities to his Kansas Kounterpart, all bluster until Dorothy falls into the pigpen, and despite being afraid, he charges in after her.  Like Dorothy and the others, he too ends the journey with what he’s been looking for.

But of course, there wouldn’t be a journey in the first place without our titular wizard, would there?

Of all of the characters in The Wizard of Oz, the Wizard himself is the most similar to his real world counterpart, Professor Marvel.  He’s a con artist, a Stage Magician in both worlds, convincing Dorothy of his abilities with his ‘Crystal Ball’ in Kansas, and convincing everyone in Oz that he’s an all-powerful Wizard, with enough parlor tricks and bluster to be in charge without ever having to use any real magic.

Despite this penchant for dishonesty, both the Wizard and Professor Marvel display remarkable amounts of compassion.  He’s a nice enough man when it comes down to it, using his ‘crystal ball’ to try to convince Dorothy to go back home to her family, and at the end, again trying to help her get home.  He gives Dorothy’s friends symbols to represent their ‘missing’ traits, and even dropping a few words of wisdom on them.

(Yes, he did send a child on an assassination mission, but in his defense, he was probably trying to buy time to figure out what to do with their requests. Once again, all bluster, remember? And furthermore, this is all a dream of Dorothy’s.  Cut her subconscious some slack.)

Another tidbit to look at: it’s interesting that his relationship with Dorothy is so very similar in both worlds: a con artist who tries to get her home.  It’s also interesting to note that in Kansas, before her journey, she buys it, whereas in Oz, after her adventure, she unmasks him as the Man Behind the Curtain (granted, with a lot of help from Toto).

Despite the fact that in the end, it is Dorothy alone who can get her home, it’s not for lack of the Wizard’s trying.

There are only three remaining major characters in The Wizard of Oz who do not have counterparts in either universe: Auntie Em, Uncle Henry, and Glinda the Good Witch, and rather than sharing similarities with any other characters, this group actually seems to work as contrasts for each other.

Auntie Em and Uncle Henry are introduced as hardworking people, an older couple with a farm in the middle of the Great Depression, by no means an easy job.  They are also raising Dorothy, which is another not easy job.  As a result, Auntie Em especially comes across as a little stern and stressed, distant, and not really understanding of Dorothy’s young impulsive thoughts and dreams.  In a way, they are part of the cause of Dorothy’s journey in the first place by not stopping Ms. Gulch from swooping off with Toto, coming across almost as a betrayal to not only Dorothy, but the audience.  Dorothy and the audience both feel that the couple are unsympathetic to her, and don’t help her when she absolutely needs it, which works as a neat foreshadowing that Dorothy will, in fact, be learning to solve her own problems.

It is only later, when the tornado strikes, that you see the genuine concern and love that the pair have for their niece.  When Dorothy wakes up, both aunt and uncle greet her with relieved affection.  Despite the fact that it is Auntie Em and Uncle Henry’s inaction that drives her away, it is also them that she is so desperate to return to: caring family that she is sure is worried about her.  (She’s right.)  Dorothy’s self-sufficiency does not come at the cost of her family’s love and support, rather, the message seems to be that through relationships with others, you can learn to handle yourself.

By contrast, there’s Glinda the Good Witch, the first person Dorothy meets in Oz, a super-magical being with the power to scare off the Wicked Witch, and with the knowledge from the beginning that would have saved Dorothy a trip.

Glinda has a similar effect on Dorothy’s life as her aunt and uncle, but in a different way.  It is Glinda’s inaction that is part of the reason for Dorothy’s quest.  By not telling her about the power of the Ruby Slippers to take her home, she allows Dorothy to take that journey that Glinda knows she needs.

Glinda is the most otherworldly and magical thing about Oz.  Everything about her is designed to be different to anyone else in Oz, from her mode of travel to her clothes to her way of speech.  She’s immediately friendly and we instantly get the sense that she knows more than both Dorothy and the audience.  Glinda is Dorothy’s guide, sending her off, rescuing her from the Wicked Witch’s poppies, and then at the end, when she tells Dorothy how she can get home to her mentors in the real world.

If you think that these characters seem a little simple, you’d be right.  At the end of the day, The Wizard of Oz is not a story designed to have complex characters with deep motivations, it’s a fairytale intended to have uncomplicated characters that people immediately connect to and remember.  And it works.

Every character in The Wizard of Oz is not only there for a reason, it’s for a good reason.  It was a perfect cast that worked well onscreen, with enough relatability and charm that people of all ages come back to them again and again. They carry the story and make us care about it and them, and in the end, that is the mark of a good character.

Whether you like or hate them, a character is there to make you care, and in this case, this group does their job.  They leave an impact, and a strong one at that. We remember these characters and their quirks long after the movie is over for a reason.

Join me next time where we’ll be looking at another interesting aspect of The Wizard of Oz: We’ve seen the impact it’s had on the culture, now it’s time to see the impact the culture had on it.  Feel free to drop a suggestion or thought in the ask box, and thank you so much for reading!

[hautecast]

Ohio Fairness Act: A Policy Analysis

The following text outlines my research and analysis of the State of Ohio’s Senate Bill No. 11, more commonly known as the Ohio Fairness Act. In the text, I provide a brief summary and history of the bill, and analysis of how this bill, if enacted, would impact the LGBTQIA+ community in the State of Ohio and potentially beyond.

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The Ohio Fairness Act was formally introduced by Senator Nickie J. Antonio to the 133rd Ohio Senate General Assembly as Senate Bill No. 11, and previously House Bill 160. In summary, the Ohio Fairness Act aims to expand Ohio’s anti-discrimination laws to include sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression as protected classes. This would allow legal expanded access for housing, employment, and public services (House Bill 160). As of this moment in Ohio’s history, it is one of 30 states in the U.S. where it is still legal to discriminate against folks based on their sexual orientation, gender identity, and/or gender expression (Equality Ohio, Ohio.gov, ACLU Ohio).

As mentioned in the above summary, the target group of this policy is the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Asexual, (LGBTQIA+) community, as this policy directly influences their basic human rights. It affects their ability to freely choose where to live, where to work, and how to engage in their everyday activities without fear of persecution or discrimination, both passive and active. Therefore, the success of this policy is ensuring the expansion of human rights to every citizen regardless of how they identify with gender expression and orientation. The specific behaviors that are being targeted are explicit and implicit discrimination of individuals based on these factors of identity expression and orientation in spaces where others would not be discriminated against otherwise.

If the Ohio Fairness Act was enacted, the policy would be considered effective when there would not be proof or suspicion of discrimination based on gender identity or expression (Equality Ohio, 2019). The only way to effectively ensure this is carried out is including this language in an anti-discriminatory law where it is illegal to discriminate based on any non-changeable factor of an individual. The indicators of effectiveness for this program are places of employment, housing, and public services abiding by this policy by making it publically known that they are upholding an inclusive practice for all citizens. Additionally, when the target population has increased representation in every public space, especially those that have previously enacted a discriminatory practice, this would be a public indicator that space has made a demonstrated effort to include these populations.

If the policy were to be implemented, there would be an increase in target group satisfaction as well as a generally positive change in the implementation system. The Ohio Fairness Act aims to empower all people by providing equal opportunity to some of the most marginalized groups, so the outcome of the policy would be effective in qualifying a previously underrepresented and disregarded group, allowing them more access to society than provided previously. The more players that are available to interact in society, the more economic stimulation and social growth there will be.

Regarding this policy, the actors in the Ohio Fairness Act are the legislators who would vote on this policy, the organizations or companies that would be affected by enacting this policy, and the LGBTQIA citizens affected as well as those directly connected to them. The effectiveness of the policy would not have a great span or amount of variance depending on the actors in the policy field, as the population of interest would not necessarily change over time. The only change I could foresee happening would be if the population increases, or, if those who identify in this population outwardly and publically express that they are a part of this community. If this population increases over time, there may be a need for this policy to be more readily implemented for economic purposes. Right now, the only reason the policy is not viewed as being vital is because the majority in power (legislatively) does not feel that it would affect enough people to create a negative impact in our society, economically, or socially. However, as this population, currently seen as a minority, grows or gains traction, allies, or support, the policy may increase in effectiveness because there would be more at stake to lose if it were not implemented.

Since this particular policy aims to augment human rights of very specific individuals within an already marginalized community, and because there is supposed to be the same intended outcome regardless of where the policy is implemented, I believe the outcomes would remain relatively uniform for the most part. With that said, I believe the negative outcomes that may arise from introducing this policy would be uniform across all states, specifically in areas that previously showed resistance to such a policy. Likewise would happen for the positive outcomes across the board.  For example, according to Equality Ohio, this Ohio Fairness Act or legislation that mirrors the act, is only implemented in the following areas of Ohio:

“IN 20 CITIES AND 1 COUNTY IN OHIO, DISCRIMINATION IN THOSE THREE AREAS AGAINST LGBTQ PEOPLE IS ILLEGAL. They are: Akron, Athens, Bexley, Bowling Green, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Cleveland Heights, Columbus, Coshocton, Cuyahoga County, Dayton, East Cleveland, Lakewood, Kent, Newark, Olmsted Falls, Oxford, South Euclid, Toledo, Yellow Springs, and Youngstown” (Equality Ohio, 2019).

These cities for the most part have demonstrated liberal tendencies in voting and support of a more left-leaning political party. Therefore, even before they included legislation that explicitly protected all LGBTQ people, they were already demonstrating an inclusive environment towards them. Therefore, the outcomes when the bill was introduced to these towns did not incite much upset or discord from an opposing party. However, I could foresee that any county or city that has not had a history of inclusivity of the LGBTQ community would likely produce an uproar and push back against the legislation even after it would be put in place. And while this act is only pertaining to Ohio, I believe any policy that reflects the same intentions and outcomes would receive the same pushback from areas that have historically been against the policy (mostly right-winged conservatives and those fighting for religious freedom and expression), and they would simultaneously receive the same support from areas that have historically been inclusive of every individual (mostly left-leaning, liberal areas) (WOSU Public Media).

Looking wider, there are similar trends going on nationwide. Ohio is one of 26 states that does not have a state law explicitly prohibiting discrimination based on gender identity or sexual orientation (LGBTQ Maps, 2019). This means that roughly half our country is still allowing legal discriminatory practices in the workplace, housing, and public goods or services. If the Ohio Fairness Act were to be implemented, one outcome could be adding to the wave of states that are becoming more inclusive of all individuals.

The frontlines would be an area of the highest variance in outcomes, as this would be the instance where many people from different backgrounds, perspectives, and influences would interact with one another while all being affected by the system in place. Since the LGBTQIA population is already a marginalized group, they’re interactions with systems of power have not been the most fortunate, historically speaking. The fact that these groups have to fight to have their identities included in basic protections and anti-discriminatory laws is a taxing effort that populations in the majority never had to go through. The system, meaning, any legislation that has been created to affect change on a large scale, has historically served those who have identified as cis-gendered, heterosexual Caucasian folks who are predominantly not of low socioeconomic status or a racial/ethnic minority.

For any policy, every level of the implementation system has some type of influence on the outcomes. When looking at most policies, the policy field would have the largest impact knowing that that is the area that is responsible for supplying a doctrine or law that citizens must abide by unless they will face consequences. However, with policies pertaining to human rights, I do believe the frontlines and the organizations are the levels that have the most potential for an impact, even though it will ultimately be the players in the top line of the policy field that again are responsible for actually implementing the final say on a policy or regulation or law.

The frontlines have the most potential for change, thought, as they are the bodies and populations that are the physical face of the target population. The frontlines are the ones who have the ability to relate to the general public by sharing personal stories and publicize injustices that are occurring on a daily basis and how that impacts the rest of the community. It is the frontlines who have the most social agency to create a social movement, which is where most human rights campaigns begin and are seen through. This has been the care for the women’s suffrage movement, anti-discriminatory race laws, and even immigration laws. Organizations are also very powerful, as they have the ability to organize those on the frontlines, and empower them with publicity and most importantly, financial support. In this particular example with the Ohio Fairness Act, the target population are the marginalized persons within the LGBTQIA community who are also identified as the frontlines.

While human rights should never be a partisan issue, time has shown that most human rights issues are typically a left vs. right issue when involving political parties. Typically, the parties will have differing outlooks on aspects like legitimizing certain practices and norms, or finding disagreement with certain beliefs and values. It is usually not until the law and the outcomes of that law are proven to positively impact the economy or workforce that the policy is actually put into practice. As I previously mentioned, the frontlines have the ability to begin a movement by influencing social change in a community, speaking to those who share similar beliefs and values. But, ultimately, the main reason why slaves were freed was because of the economic relief it would bring to the country during that time. Similarly, black people and women were seen as pawns for a certain presidential candidate’s campaign or party; if the person in power could speak to those marginalized communities, they could promise change for those populations, gain their votes, and win the election. This has happened repeatedly in history, where the frontlines create a movement, and the legislators capitalize on that energy for economic gain or administrative power (ACLU Ohio, 2019).  

The same cycle would and will occur with the Ohio Fairness Act, as this is an act that pertains to a particular group that has rallied and rioted peacefully protested frustrations regarding unfair treatment due to their identities. In a lot of cases, hostile discrimination that ends in physical harm or psychological damage. But it would not be until this group can demonstrate how this policy’s outcomes would benefit the greater good (outside of acknowledging that every human deserves equality) where the policy would pick up more ground (ACLU Ohio, 2019).

Some of the goals with the intended outcomes of the Ohio Fairness Act include creating equal opportunity for all citizens, regardless of any identity they withhold. This allows, specifically, those in the LGBTQIA community, the opportunity to freely live, work, and engage in every part of our society regardless of their gender identity and expression just as anyone else. However, some of the challenges that could hinder these outcomes are the religious communities that are vying to uphold their religious freedoms, which may directly oppose this policy. While there is a way to uphold religious freedom without persecution or discrimination, it appears that religious groups have won their policy battle over equality policies time and time again, and in the last year of this Senate Bill No. 11, this was one of the reasons the bill was not passed as well (WOSU Public Media).

Additionally, even if the policy does pass, there would need to be an underlying movement of change, where the culture of a community is actively inclusive of all people; this is to say that if this law were to be written out, the culture of that space would still be inclusive and provide protection for all people, regardless of their identity, and regardless of a law. The list of the cities that have already enacted their own Fairness Acts have proven this cultural change, as their cities were already practicing this inclusivity, and then made it permanent and subject to consequence through a law if broken.

Since human rights issues need to have a tangible gain (again, historically economic benefits), the Ohio Fairness Act would need to combine all of the strengths of the movement paired with these tangible, quantitative outcomes. While the LGBTQIA community should not ever have to vocalize and defend their value as humans, and to be provided the same rights as anyone else, to see this policy through, there would have to be an appeal to social and cultural change agents, in addition to an economic factor. I believe the only reason economic gains are always relevant in human rights issues, is because the economy is something that effects everyone in a system in one way or another. While many liberal folx believe human rights issues, even those pertaining to a specific marginalized group, should also be every citizen’s issue, there is usually a divide that they will have to overcome using numbers, trajectory, and a timeline showing economic growth or influence.

[the-gay-prometheus]

In light of recent events in the United States, I wrote up a facebook post targeted at all of the conservatives who follow me - of which there are many, considering like 80% of animal agriculturalists are staunchly conservative, unfortunately. I can’t post it publicly right now (if I did I would probably be kicked out of my house because my father is currently running for a seat as a county commissioner as a republican and he’s already coming under fire for at one point being a democrat himself when he was in college), but I had to write it. I just... had to. Anyways if anyone wants to read through it and let me know what they think that would be appreciative. I very well might make it public after the 21st (the primary election day). Oh - CW: recent politics, mention of r*pe, etc. (please also let me know if i need to add any more.) “To every conservative that follows me here, I have a genuine question. You all speak so much of how us progressives want "big government" and how you wish for government to be "limited," and yet look at what your party is doing.What your party is doing is a SEVERE overreach of power to the DETRIMENT of people. You enact dangerous laws telling people what they should be doing with their bodies, to the point where rapists receive a less severe punishment than a person with a uterus who was raped, as well as the doctor that tries to help them. You endanger the lives of the children you FORCE (yes, force) these people to bring into the world. You endanger the lives of the people who are being forced. Your party wants to see the rights of LGBTQ+ people stripped away. Your party sees healthcare - something which is vital in order to uphold the basic human rights as defined by our constitution - as a privilege and not a right, much to the detriment of those who are poor, underprivileged, and/or are disabled.The "big government" your party fears so much is the one that asks you to treat your employees fairly and give them reasonable compensation for their duties. The "big government" your party fears so much is the one that upholds our constitutional human rights by ensuring healthcare is provided to all and not just the privileged few. The "big government" your party fears so much is the one that gives LGBTQ+ people the rights they deserve. The "big government" your party fears so much is the one that cannot and will not sit and watch in silence as people die every day from gun violence - as CHILDREN are repeating songs back to their kindergarten teachers speaking of what to do when - not if, WHEN - somebody comes to kill them. The "big government" your party fears so much is the one that asks each and every human being to do their part to ensure the nation and ALL of its people can thrive. This may come as a shock to you, but nearly every single progressive I know DESPISES of the government breathing down our backs. Nobody wants the government to watch our every move and control our lives. If we could get away with having very few regulations set as law, if we could get away with having healthcare be privatized, if we could get away with not having to put legislation in place that protects individuals rights to control their own bodies and live their own lives how they please, we would. But the problem is that many human beings generally, when left to their own devices, are horrible creatures with only their own self interest in mind. We know that without regulations, people would be cheated, abused, and swept to the side. We know that when we privatize healthcare, those people who are being cheated, abused, and swept to the side would perish. We know what when we don't have legislation in place protecting individuals' rights to their bodies and lives, people suffer under new laws put in place dictating how they should live - and not in a good way. We don't want the government to control us, but we know we need to use it to ensure that the people who are crushed under the weight of those who have stepped upon their backs in order to gain wealth and power are able to stand tall and contribute positively to our nation. In short, the government your party proposes uses its power to cause the suffering of others and inhibit our citizens rights (those rights which don't harm anyone without due cause such as self defense, that is - and yes, if we are calling abortion "killing," then I will call it killing in self defense because often times that is what it is), while the government we ask for is one which uses its power to protect its people and lift its underprivileged up to their fullest potential. A world without suffering is likely impossible, this is true. A world where a government is wholly just is likely unreasonable, this is true as well. But this is why we have elections. We should be electing people who have the wellbeing of the people as a whole in mind. Right now, conservatives, your republican party does NOT have the wellbeing of the people as a whole in mind. Hate me if you want, but in this way, I take after my father - my father who has somehow decided that this conservative party fits his beliefs. My goal: Protect the innocent. Protect the underdogs. Lift the underprivileged to their full potential. I may not have his physical strength, I may not have his confidence, I may not have his power, but I have his passion, his drive, and his commitment. This is my battle cry. I will be the voice for those who fear using their own, even if only through writing.“

[w0ahitsalli-blog]

KKKrazy

Pretty much everyone has heard of the Ku Klux Klan. The Jim Crow Era is a very significant time period in United States history, and one thing that came out of this time period was the Ku Klux Klan, also known as the KKK. The KKK originated in Tennessee originally as a private club for Confederate veterans. Throughout the Jim Crow era, this hate group grew in size and popularity into an organization that terrorized black communities. It ultimately grew into almost every Southern state by the year 1870. Their main goal was and is to perpetuate white supremacy.

The Ku Klux Klan worked to reverse what the Reconstruction period was doing. We talked a great deal about the Reconstruction period in my Race, Crime and Punishment class. The KKK was a hate group that was actively workign against the progression that the Reconstruction era was trying to achieve. African Americans were now integrating into society more so than ever before from the year 1867 and after. The KKK dedicated themselves to violence towards Republican leaders, both white and black, in order to withhold the racial hierarchy they believed in and thus continue inequality towards black people. Something that is super weird to me about the Klan is the fact that they wear masks and hoods in order to protect their identities, and carried out most of their acts of violence at night. It’s so ironic that these people believe so deeply in these crazy ideas and yet want their identities to remain hidden. It’s almost as if they are afraid to walk around as a regular person because of fear of being attacked, a.k.a. literally what they do to black people. Even though the different branches of the group worked independently, they all worked towards the same goal which was again, to restore white supremacy in the South. One of the ways that the KKK actually enacted on their beliefs was the lynching of black people. A disturbing fact that I found on History.com was, “Among the most notorious zones of Klan activity was South Carolina, where in January 1871 500 masked men attacked the Union county jail and lynched eight black prisoners,” (History). This is particularly disturbing because not only did they attack a jail, but they actually kidnapped prisoners and lynched them. Lynching gets kinda glossed over throughout the school system in America and I feel that that’s in large because people are afraid to talk about, take responsibility, and try to deal with the trauma. I don’t want to dive too far into lynchings because that could be a whole different essay, but my point is that these lynchings were exceptionally horrific, and the KKK was not afraid to partake in them.

An interesting YouTube video about this is called “Origins of the Klan” posted from the account Attention101. The video talks about how the Klan was created and how it was originally created to act as a social fraternity of sorts. The video mentions how the KKK ultimately tried to declare a civil war on the government fulfilling reconstruction. This video is a little boring but the history is important. A quote from the video that encapsulates my point is, “the reconstruction Klansmen saw themselves as the only vehicle to restore the Southern way of life and social order that had been disrupted by the Civil War”. This quote is important because it tells us that the people who were in the KKK actually believed they were doing good for their society. I didn’t know that the KKK was originally created as a fraternity type thing. Another kind of disturbing thing is that they felt so deeply that they had to ‘restore’ the Southern ways. If it was so great then it wouldn’t have changed.

Looking at this theme through a lense of race, crime, and punishment, we can see things in a different light. Dealing with race, the KKK explicitly targeted black people. Crime? Everything they did (pretty much) was crime. Running around at night terrorizing people is a crime. Punishment? None. The KKK hide their identities by wearing the hoods and masks. It’s so deeply problematic because of the lack of punishment. This has to do with a deep rooted racism within the South and a general acceptance of this behavior. Race is integrated throughout the KKK, being that it’s based on restoring a white supremacist nation.

To learn more about this topic I highly recommend the documentary on Netflix called “KKK: The Fight for White Supremacist South”. It really reminds you how batshit crazy people can be. Throughout the film it shows often the Klan chanting ‘white power’ and the Klan generally focusing and worried about a race war going on. There’s one point where the one guy is saying how you never really know who is in the Klan that you know. He then goes on to say that one of the members was a school teacher, one was a doctor, and others were in politics. He said their strength lies in secrecy. This whole concept of being a secret is so backwards to me. I believe that if you believe in something wholeheartedly, then you should not be afraid of judgment or fear what others are saying about you. This makes me think that they know their beliefs are batshit crazy and that’s why they live these double lives. I loved watching this film because the subject matter is intriguing to me. I recommend this source because it is both very entertaining as well as educational on the topic.

Final thoughts? The KKK has been around for a really long time and is still seen today. It is scary that you never know who amongst us is part of the Klan, but I feel like today the numbers are a lot lower than they have been in the past. Either way, stay away. Stay far away. The thing about crazy people is that they often don’t believe they’re crazy, which is the scariest part of all it.  #BatShitKKKrazy #MonstersWearHoods