#Puerto Rican Independence Party

[ausetkmt]

In the middle of the 20th century, one woman became the face of the movement for Puerto Rican self-determination. Her name was Lolita Lebrón, and in an effort to draw the world's attention to Puerto Rico's colonial subjugation by the United States, she and a handful of men opened fire in the U.S. House of Representatives.

After the United States Capitol was stormed by insurrectionists on January 6th, 2021, Amarilis Rodriguez questioned how long the domestic terrorists would serve in prison, considering that Lebrón and her fellow pro-independence activists served 25 years (after being sentenced to even more.) Will the United States legal system punish insurrection as harshly as it punishes anti-colonialism?

Although Puerto Rico remains a US territory today, the independence movement that Lebrón was a part of has never disappeared. Lolita Lebrón and her collaborators expected to die in the attack, and although five congressmen were wounded, they claimed that they had never intended to kill anyone. This is the story of the 1954 attack on the Capitol and the woman who led it.

Who was Lolita Lebrón?

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Born on November 19th, 1919, Dolores "Lolita" Lebrón Sotomayor was the fifth and final child of a financially insecure family living in Lares, Puerto Rico. Her father tragically died at the age of 42, when Lebrón was a teenager, due to an inability to access sufficient medical care, and their financial situation only worsened afterwards.

Although she may have had some nationalist ideas, during her youth she didn't keep up with politics or activism. But according to Latinas in the United States, although Lebrón didn't take "much notice of Puerto Rico's political situation" while she was growing up, after moving to New York City, she joined the Puerto Rican Nationalist Party chapter in the early 1940s.

However, one event that is said to have resonated with Lebrón was the Ponce Massacre of 1937, where, according to the Zinn Education Project, 19 Nationalists were massacred by the police and over 200 others were wounded. The Guardian claims that the event "radicalized" Lebrón, but she never explicitly said that herself. Lebrón even claimed that she only ended up knowing about the massacre "because someone came to our house who had lost a relative in it. I had heard about a man named Pedro Albizu Campos but I never knew him personally."

The United States and Puerto Rico

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Before the Spanish colonized Puerto Rico, the island was inhabited by the Taíno, who were a subset of the Arawak people. But after the Spanish invaded in the 15th century, they ended up subjugating the island for almost 300 years. Then in the 1800s, according to National Geographic, the people of Puerto Rico started advocating for self-determination and self-governance.

Although the Spanish ended up allowing the island relatively more autonomy, the United States invaded Puerto Rico on July 25, 1898 during the Spanish-American War. And in the subsequent peace treaty, signed December 1898, the Spanish gave the colony to the United States. According to Boricua Power, almost as soon as the United States took control of Puerto Rico, they started encouraging people from the island to emigrate to the United States, Hawaii, Cuba, and Santo Domingo. The United States government pushed the perception that Puerto Ricans were "a good source of labor," though often the jobs that Puerto Ricans traveled to pursue "didn't live up to expectations and promises." 

Puerto Rican people who'd emigrated frequently protested their unjust working conditions and the devaluation of their labor. However, even cigar makers in New York City, which was an industry that was "the highest-paid, best organized, [and] most independent," found its work rendered "obsolete, unemployed, and poor" by the tobacco employers. During this entire time, Puerto Ricans continued to demand the right to self-governance.

The Gag Law and the Smith Act

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Meanwhile, on the island itself, the United States sought to suppress any and all nationalistic and pro-independence activity. On June 11, 1948, Jesús T. Piñero, a Puerto Rican man appointed governor by the United States, signed a bill into law that would become known as the Ley de la Mordaza, or the Gag Law.

According to War Against All Puerto Ricans, Law 53, as it was known in the legislation, was entirely intended to disrupt the Puerto Rican independence movement. It made it illegal to speak in favor of independence, write in favor of independence, sing a patriotic tune, or even display the Puerto Rican flag, per Mother Jones. The penalty for breaking this law was a fine of $10,000 and/or 10 years' imprisonment. And when the Puerto Rico colonial government adopted the pro-independence flag in 1952, they changed the blue color on the flag to make it more similar to the United States flag, nullifying the flag's symbolism, "whether intended or not."

Some also referred to the Gag Law as "the Little Smith Act" since it resembled the Smith Act from the mainland United States, which had been intended to suppress communist movements. A big component of both of these Acts made it a felony to "advocate for the violent overthrow of the government" or to be associated with such an organization.

The 1950 uprisings in Puerto Rico

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Over the course of four days in 1950, there were several uprisings in Puerto Rico that were led and organized by Pedro Albizu Campos, the president of the Nationalist Party. Along with staging uprisings in eight different towns (Arecibo, Jayuya, Mayagüez, Naranjito, Peñuelas, Ponce, San Juan, and Utado), there were attempts to assassinate both Governor Luis Muñoz Marín of Puerto Rico and President Harry S. Truman of the United States.

According to Introduction to Latino Politics in the U.S., the nationalist groups carried the Puerto Rican flag around and in turn were "attacked by U.S. bomber planes from the air and by U.S. artillery on the ground." Oscar Collazo and Griselio Torresola, who were living in the United States, made an unsuccessful attempt to assassinate President Truman at Blair House on November 1st, 1950. In response to the uprisings, President Truman allowed Puerto Rico to hold a referendum over the creation of a new constitution. After it passed, the new constitution was implemented by July 1952.

According to the Encyclopedia of Activism and Social Justice, Albizu Campos was caught and sentenced to 80 years imprisonment the following year. Although he was pardoned two years later by the governor he tried to assassinate, the pardon was revoked after Lolita Lebrón's attack on the U.S. House of Representatives in 1954.

Lolita Lebrón moves to New York City

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In the 1940s, Lolita Lebrón moved to New York City and found it difficult to find work. Although she was able to be hired as a seamstress several times, whenever she confronted the discrimination against Puerto Ricans, she was fired. According to Lebrón herself, "After three days of looking for work, getting lost in the trains, walking in the snow, without money for lunch or shelter, I had to deny that I was Puerto Rican in order to have a job."

In response to the prejudice and racism she experienced, Lebrón joined the Puerto Rican Nationalist Party in 1946 and started promoting both feminist and socialist values within the organization. According to Latina, she soon became incredibly influential in the organization and was promoted to top positions like executive delegate and vice president.

Albizu Campos was the party's president and Lebrón had learned everything she could about its founder. According to The Guardian, the two began to correspond as Lebrón took on more and more responsibility within the organization. And in 1954, Lebrón was asked by Albizu Campos to come up with "strategic targets" for an attack. Lebrón chose the United States Congress as their target.

Deciding to attack Washington, D.C.

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In the new constitution of Puerto Rico, the official name of the island was made Estado Libre Asociado, or Commonwealth of the United States. According to Women on the Edge: Ethnicity and Gender in Short Stories by American Women, although this allowed people in Puerto Rico to elect local political officials, the description of "commonwealth" was "an ambiguous political designation" that kept the island "situated within American politics."

According to CENTRO Journal, as with the Guyana Uprising, the attack on the United States government wasn't "so much an attempt to seize power as it was 'a supreme act of protest to attract the attention of the world to the cause of Puerto Rico's independence.'" The ultimate goal was always to throw off the colonialist yoke, but even the note found in Lolita Lebrón's purse after the attack stated that the attack was "aimed at making the Puerto Rican plea heard throughout the world, as no one seemed to pay attention to the sufferings of her people." She reiterated this statement years later from prison, stating, "Attacking the U.S. in its own heart, its own entrails, was Puerto Rico's last recourse... because the island could not arm itself... and confront the U.S. in a traditional war. We made our war the only way we're able to."

Lolita Lebrón recruited Irving Flores, Rafael Cancel Miranda, and Andres Figueroa Cordero for the mission and on March 1st, 1954, they set out for Washington, D.C.

'¡Que Viva Puerto Rico Libre!'

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On the day that Lebrón, Flores, Cancel Miranda, and Figueroa Cordero traveled from New York City to Washington, D.C. and entered the United States House of Representatives, there were two imperialist topics on the agenda. According to The Young Lords, Puerto Rico was one of the topics, and the other was the Chamizal district between Mexico and Texas, which the United States government didn't want to give back to the Mexican government.

The group waited in the visitor's gallery, and around noon, Lebrón shouted, "¡Que Viva Puerto Rico Libre!" and opened up the Puerto Rican nationalist flag. They all opened fire, firing both into the ceiling and the House floor. Five congressmen were wounded, although no one died in the attack. According to Latina, they had "no intentions of murdering anyone during their attack. Rather, they had prepared to die in their struggle for liberation."

When they were captured, Lolita Lebrón insisted that the men weren't responsible for the attack and that she was the sole instigator, but they were all given lengthy sentences.

And although The Guardian notes "Extraordinary as it seems today, the four Puerto Rican radicals had no difficulty in entering the visitors' gallery of the House of Representatives armed with their Lugers," it was revealed in the attempted coup of 2021 that maybe it's not actually that extraordinary.

Lolita Lebrón's capture and trial

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Lolita Lebrón and her fellow nationalists were captured almost immediately, although one was able to escape briefly before being apprehended. The trial started three months later, lasted 12 days, and on June 16th, 1954, they were all found guilty. According to The New York Times, while Cancel Miranda, Figueroa Cordero, and Flores were sentenced to 25 to 75 years in prison, Lebrón was sentenced to only 16 to 50 years. Since Lebrón had fired at the ceiling rather than the House floor, she was cleared of "assault with intent to kill," which is why she had a lesser sentence.

Although the defense counsel attempted to bring up the question of the nationalist's sanity, even claiming that the "appellants' adherence to an organized minority group in Puerto Rico is said to indicate irrationality," the defendants actively refused an insanity defense. Per the Washington Post, during her trial, Lebrón insisted that she was "being crucified for the freedom of my country." In another trial, an additional six years were added to all the shooters' sentences for "seditious conspiracy."

Lebrón also lost her 12-year-old son during the trial, although no one knew until she was testifying on the stand, and she recounted "what her life had been like with her child and the meaning of his loss."

Continuing to protest in prison

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Lolita Lebrón was imprisoned at the Federal Correctional Institution for Women in Alderson, West Virginia. According to Latinas in the United States, most of her time in prison was spent writing poetry, praying, sewing uniforms, and advocating for the rights of those imprisoned alongside her.

Helping organize a number of hunger strikes in the prison, Lebrón was furious that "women were intimidated and placed in isolation just to keep them in line." She also "refused to accept the validity of her conviction" and refused to apply for parole unless her fellow nationalists were also going to be freed. Insisting that she wouldn't leave prison for anything less than a presidential pardon, she devoted herself to her religion.

In 1978, Assata Shakur was transferred to Alderson and the two political prisoners crossed paths. They knew of the other's activism and admired one another, and at the moment they met there was an outburst of joy in a traditionally austere place. As their eyes recognized one another in the middle of prison, they called out the other's name in happiness and "hugged and kissed each other." It was an auspicious meeting, since the following year both Shakur and Lebrón left prison, one by escape and the other by pardon, respectively.

President Carter commutes Lolita Lebrón's sentence

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In 1978, President Jimmy Carter started reviewing the cases of the nationalists and pardoned Figueroa Cordero first since he had been diagnosed with cancer. The following year, President Carter also commuted the sentences of Lebrón, Flores, and Cancel Miranda after they had been imprisoned for 25 years.

Although some claim that this pardon came out of the pressure from political circles, academics, and the Catholic Church in Puerto Rico, the Washington Post claims that the pardon was "widely suspected to have been part of a prisoner swap to release CIA agents jailed in Cuba." However, according to Women of Color, in Solidarity, the governor of Puerto Rico at the time, Carlos Romero Barceló, was against the pardon because he claimed that it would "encourage terrorism and undermine public safety."

Although Lolita Lebrón was initially treated as a heroine when she was released from imprisonment, some of her followers abandoned her when they became aware of "her pacifist views and her devotion to the Catholic faith." In her autobiography, Shakur also notes how "anticommunist and antisocialist" Lebrón was at the time of their meeting.

Lolita Lebrón's continued activism

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Out of prison, Lolita Lebrón continued her activism for Puerto Rico's self-determination. According to The Guardian, although she recognized the economic benefits of living under American colonial rule, Lebrón "regarded freedom from foreign interference as more important than material well being."

In 2001, Lebrón was arrested twice during the struggle to remove the U.S. Navy from the island of Vieques, which it was using as a bombing range. She was 81-years-old at the time, and although she served 60 days at one point, their protests were ultimately successful.

According to Radical Women, on March 8th, 2008, she led a protest demanding for Puerto Rico's right to self-determination, saying, "We want everyone to know that in Puerto Rico, we women are fighting for our rights as workers, we are fighting for a healthy environment, for poor and marginalized communities, for the freedom of the political prisoners, the well-being of children, for peace, for the defense of our culture and all the rights they intend to take from us."

The end of Lolita Lebrón's life and her legacy

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On August 1st, 2010, Lolita Lebrón died as a result of a respiratory disease. But according to Latina, her legacy continues to be celebrated amongst Puerto Ricans. Her portrait is illustrated in murals across Puerto Rico as well as in neighborhoods in Chicago and New York. According to Maria de Lourdes Santiago, a member of the Puerto Rican Independence Party, Lebrón was "the mother of the independence movement."

Lebrón claimed that she had renounced violence due to her religious convictions, and she maintained the new pledge of nonviolence for the rest of her life. However, Lebrón stated that although she herself would not take up arms, "I acknowledge that the people have a right to use any means available to free themselves."

Although votes for independence in Puerto Rico typically garner up to 5 percent of the vote and statehood accounts for up to 50 percent of the vote, Puerto Rico remains a colony of the United States empire. And Lolita Lebrón never repented for her actions. When released, she said "We didn't do anything that we should regret. Everyone has the right to defend their right to freedom that God gave them."

[what-even-is-thiss]

Hey Roman, just wanted to give you some of the ways we us to talk about people from the US in Spanish. Context: I’m Puerto Rican so this can vary from country to country. Not only that a further disclaimer that I am a supporter of independence for my country and lean very much into some of our more extreme parties on that side so even other Puerto Ricans will have their own ways.

So, in the case of a lot of us who support independence there is a concerted effort to not say Americans or Americanos exactly for what you said, we are all of the Americas. In Spanish you can from estadounidense, to maybe using states (es newyorkino, es floridiano), to gringo which can be anything from a silly name to an insult depending on the tone and context, to yanqui (a Spanish spelling of Yankee) which almost always is said in a derogatory sense (yanqui go home is a big slogan here). In English we don’t have that level of variety, but we try. People will use states, gringo and yanqui in the same ways as Spanish, or will just outright say “people from the US” or similar long winded ways of saying it (US people, in the US, those from/in the US, etc) because its about the principle.

People in the circles I am in politically even say like its a pity that people from the US don’t have a way to talk about themselves and wonder if that plays a role in the identity issues there is of extremists in the US. Like maybe never having something to rally under like the rest of the countries has broken something and now they need to control all the Americas cause they see only themselves as American. It’s one of the best examples of how intricate language is to identity and why here in PR we refuse and have refused any tries to eliminate our Spanish.

Anyways, sorry for this long winded ask that feels like it says nothing. love seeing you work so hard on learning Spanish, it can be a hassle and I say that with all the love I have for it. I’ve been bilingual my whole life (you don’t really have a choice here in PR) and teach English so I know how hard it is to juggle those two particular languages! Sigue adelante y como decimos en Puerto Rico, pa’ atras ni pa’ coger impulso.

I appreciate all of this and I don’t wanna take away from the information that you’re kindly providing to me but I also find it so funny that some people think we don’t have a shared identity as a country just because we call ourselves Americans. That issue that they’re talking about just doesn’t exist in English.

Also personally I see Puerto Ricans as fellow Americans (as in the country) because they are legally so that’s good enough for me but I also understand that issues of identity can be complicated over there.

[bfpnola]

introductory excerpts on COINTELPRO

it came to my awareness that some folks don't know what COINTELPRO is still, so imma drop some excerpts from the wikipedia page. ofc there are a billion other resources you can check out, especially firsthand accounts, but this is always a good place to start! link attached below:

[Note that the embedded link above's photo has the following caption: "COINTELPRO memo proposing a plan to expose the pregnancy of actress Jean Seberg, a financial supporter of the Black Panther Party, hoping to "possibly cause her embarrassment or tarnish her image with the general public". Covert campaigns to publicly discredit activists and destroy their interpersonal relationships were a common tactic used by COINTELPRO agents."]

The Introduction:

COINTELPRO (syllabic abbreviation derived from Counter Intelligence Program; 1956–1971) was a series of covert and illegal[1][2] projects actively conducted by the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) aimed at surveilling, infiltrating, discrediting, and disrupting domestic American political organizations.[3][4] FBI records show COINTELPRO resources targeted groups and individuals the FBI[5] deemed subversive,[6] including feminist organizations,[7][8] the Communist Party USA,[9] anti–Vietnam War organizers, activists of the civil rights and Black power movements (e.g. Martin Luther King Jr., the Nation of Islam, and the Black Panther Party), environmentalist and animal rights organizations, the American Indian Movement (AIM), Chicano and Mexican-American groups like the Brown Berets and the United Farm Workers, independence movements (including Puerto Rican independence groups such as the Young Lords and the Puerto Rican Socialist Party), a variety of organizations that were part of the broader New Left, and white supremacist groups such as the Ku Klux Klan[10][11] and the far-right group National States' Rights Party.[12]

Methods COINTELPRO Utilized

According to attorney Brian Glick in his book War at Home, the FBI used five main methods during COINTELPRO:

Infiltration: Agents and informers did not merely spy on political activists. Their main purpose was to discredit, disrupt and negatively redirect action. Their very presence served to undermine trust and scare off potential supporters. The FBI and police exploited this fear to smear genuine activists as agents.

Psychological warfare: The FBI and police used a myriad of "dirty tricks" to undermine movements. They planted false media stories and published bogus leaflets and other publications in the name of targeted groups. They forged correspondence, sent anonymous letters, and made anonymous telephone calls. They spread misinformation about meetings and events, set up pseudo movement groups run by government agents, and manipulated or strong-armed parents, employers, landlords, school officials, and others to cause trouble for activists. They used bad-jacketing to create suspicion about targeted activists, sometimes with lethal consequences.[74]

Harassment via the legal system: The FBI and police abused the legal system to harass dissidents and make them appear to be criminals. Officers of the law gave perjured testimony and presented fabricated evidence as a pretext for false arrests and wrongful imprisonment. They discriminatorily enforced tax laws and other government regulations and used conspicuous surveillance, "investigative" interviews, and grand jury subpoenas in an effort to intimidate activists and silence their supporters.[73][75]

Illegal force: The FBI conspired with local police departments to threaten dissidents; to conduct illegal break-ins in order to search dissident homes; and to commit vandalism, assaults, beatings and assassinations.[73] The objective was to frighten or eliminate dissidents and disrupt their movements.

Undermine public opinion: One of the primary ways the FBI targeted organizations was by challenging their reputations in the community and denying them a platform to gain legitimacy. Hoover specifically designed programs to block leaders from "spreading their philosophy publicly or through the communications media". Furthermore, the organization created and controlled negative media meant to undermine black power organizations. For instance, they oversaw the creation of "documentaries" skillfully edited to paint the Black Panther Party as aggressive, and false newspapers that spread misinformation about party members. The ability of the FBI to create distrust within and between revolutionary organizations tainted their public image and weakened chances at unity and public support.[49]

The FBI specifically developed tactics intended to heighten tension and hostility between various factions in the black power movement, for example between the Black Panthers and the US Organization. For instance, the FBI sent a fake letter to the US Organization exposing a supposed Black Panther plot to murder the head of the US Organization, Ron Karenga. They then intensified this by spreading falsely attributed cartoons in the black communities pitting the Black Panther Party against the US Organization.[49] This resulted in numerous deaths, among which were San Diego Black Panther Party members John Huggins, Bunchy Carter and Sylvester Bell.[73] Another example of the FBI's anonymous letter writing campaign is how they turned the Blackstone Rangers head, Jeff Fort, against former ally Fred Hampton, by stating that Hampton had a hit on Fort.[49] They also were instrumental in developing the rift between Black Panther Party leaders Eldridge Cleaver and Huey Newton, as executed through false letters inciting the two leaders of the Black Panther Party.[49]

...

In order to eliminate black militant leaders whom they considered dangerous, the FBI is believed to have worked with local police departments to target specific individuals,[78] accuse them of crimes they did not commit, suppress exculpatory evidence and falsely incarcerate them. Elmer "Geronimo" Pratt, a Black Panther Party leader, was incarcerated for 27 years before a California Superior Court vacated his murder conviction, ultimately freeing him. Appearing before the court, an FBI agent testified that he believed Pratt had been framed, because both the FBI and the Los Angeles Police Department knew he had not been in the area at the time the murder occurred.[79][80]

...

In 1969 the FBI special agent in San Francisco wrote Hoover that his investigation of the Black Panther Party had concluded that in his city, at least, the Panthers were primarily engaged in feeding breakfast to children. Hoover fired back a memo implying the agent's career goals would be directly affected by his supplying evidence to support Hoover's view that the Black Panther Party was "a violence-prone organization seeking to overthrow the Government by revolutionary means".[84]

Hoover supported using false claims to attack his political enemies. In one memo he wrote: "Purpose of counterintelligence action is to disrupt the Black Panther Party and it is immaterial whether facts exist to substantiate the charge."[85]

Intended Effects of COINTELPRO

The intended effect of the FBI's COINTELPRO was to "expose, disrupt, misdirect, or otherwise neutralize" groups that the FBI officials believed were "subversive"[58] by instructing FBI field operatives to:[59] 1. Create a negative public image for target groups (for example through surveilling activists and then releasing negative personal information to the public) 2. Break down internal organization by creating conflicts (for example, by having agents exacerbate racial tensions, or send anonymous letters to try to create conflicts) 3. Create dissension between groups (for example, by spreading rumors that other groups were stealing money) 4. Restrict access to public resources (for example, by pressuring non-profit organizations to cut off funding or material support) 5. Restrict the ability to organize protest (for example, through agents promoting violence against police during planning and at protests) 6. Restrict the ability of individuals to participate in group activities (for example, by character assassinations, false arrests, surveillance)

When did they start?

Centralized operations under COINTELPRO officially began in August 1956 with a program designed to "increase factionalism, cause disruption and win defections" inside the Communist Party USA (CPUSA). Tactics included anonymous phone calls, Internal Revenue Service (IRS) audits, and the creation of documents that would divide the American communist organization internally.[9] An October 1956 memo from Hoover reclassified the FBI's ongoing surveillance of black leaders, including it within COINTELPRO, with the justification that the movement was infiltrated by communists.[31] In 1956, Hoover sent an open letter denouncing Dr. T. R. M. Howard, a civil rights leader, surgeon, and wealthy entrepreneur in Mississippi who had criticized FBI inaction in solving recent murders of George W. Lee, Emmett Till, and other African Americans in the South.[32] When the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), an African-American civil rights organization, was founded in 1957, the FBI began to monitor and target the group almost immediately, focusing particularly on Bayard Rustin, Stanley Levison, and eventually Martin Luther King Jr.[33]

How did the news get out about COINTELPRO?

The program was secret until March 8, 1971, when the Citizens' Commission to Investigate the FBI burgled an FBI field office in Media, Pennsylvania, took several dossiers, and exposed the program by passing this material to news agencies.[1][54] The boxing match known as the Fight of the Century between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier in March 1971 provided cover for the activist group to successfully pull off the burglary. Muhammad Ali was a COINTELPRO target because he had joined the Nation of Islam and the anti-war movement.[55] Many news organizations initially refused to immediately publish the information, with the notable exception of The Washington Post. After affirming the reliability of the documents, it published them on the front page (in defiance of the Attorney General's request), prompting other organizations to follow suit. Within the year, Director J. Edgar Hoover declared that the centralized COINTELPRO was over, and that all future counterintelligence operations would be handled case by case.[56][57]

[tomorrowusa]

The Trump campaign is puzzled why Puerto Ricans don't like being called "garbage".

Donald Trump has a serious Puerto Rico problem — in Pennsylvania. Many Puerto Rican voters in the state are furious about racist and demeaning comments delivered at a Trump rally. Some say their dismay is giving Kamala Harris a new opening to win over the state’s Latino voters, particularly nearly half a million Pennsylvanians of Puerto Rican descent. Evidence of the backlash was immediate on Monday: A nonpartisan Puerto Rican group drafted a letter urging its members to oppose Trump on election day. Other Puerto Rican voters were lighting up WhatsApp chats with reactions to the vulgar display and raising it in morning conversations at their bodegas. Some are planning to protest Trump’s rally Tuesday in Allentown, a majority-Latino city with one of the largest Puerto Rican populations in the state. And the arena Trump is speaking at is located in the middle of the city’s Puerto Rican neighborhood. “It’s spreading like wildfire through the community,” said Norberto Dominguez, a precinct captain with the local Democratic party in Allentown, who noted his own family is half Republican and half Democratic voters.

Trump is speaking at a rally in Allentown, Pennsylvania. An appropriate protest would be to leave bags of garbage there with TRUMP written on them.

Schools are being closed in Allentown on Tuesday – but not to honor Trump.

And in a sign of how worried local residents are, a school district in Allentown announced Monday morning that it had canceled classes for Tuesday, when Trump visits.

Did the Trump campaign understand that there are over 400,000 people of Puerto Rican descent in Pennsylvania before its orgy of anti-Latino hatred at MSG on Sunday?

“I’m not a Republican, I’m not a Democrat, I’m independent,” Lugo said. “But at this point, it’s not about political, partisan issues. It is about the respect and honor our Puerto Ricans and Latinos deserved as citizens and legal residents of this country, that’s the issue.” “We held Trump and his campaign responsible for this disgraceful act,” he added. State Rep. Danilo Burgos, co-chair of the “Latinos con Harris” group in Pennsylvania, said residents have spread the comments on social media and within Philadelphia’s Puerto Rican community. “I saw two ladies in particular saying they were considering voting for Trump, but they’re not now,” he said, “because of the comments.”

When a candidate treats you like garbage, it's only fair to respond in kind.

[patriottruth]

2024 U.S. Election: donald j. trump Is Not President Elect Until After the Canvas Confirming EVERY SINGLE VOTE, All Election Litigation is Decided in his Favor, and The Results Are Certified By All States (Just Like 2020). Nothing's Official Until December 2024. Initial Election Results Bible Study and Resultant Earthquake Analysis:

A few inconsistencies with the 2024 U.S. elections thus far:

Hillary Clinton received 65,853,514 votes in 2016 when women's human and civil rights hadn't been destroyed, when rape-induced pregnancies weren't spiraling out of control, when the people of the United States didn't know about donald trump's true colors, before donald trump's incompetent COVID-19 response, before all of donald trump's criminal investigations and negative outcomes, when donald trump hadn't tried to overthrow the U.S. government, when donald trump hadn't incited an insurrection, before donald trump's massive cognitive decline, and before donald trump's campaign rallies were only half full for the full 2 weeks prior to the election.

And now, after donald trump said he'd have the election so rigged his supporters would never have to vote again, with American women and men of all ages, of all political parties voting against him, with Puerto Ricans, Latinos, and Blacks voting against him, and with Harris/Walz rallies being packed full the entire election season, with historic early and mail-in voting, with millions more youth voters joining the electorate and voting for Harris/Walz, and with massive Democrat turnout on voting day, donald trump is "somehow' leading Kamala Harris by 5 million votes while he's also under criminal prosecution for election tampering, fraud, interference, and racketeering for the 2020 election and being a long-established cheater and fraud at business, golf, and all of his marriages? Yeah, right…like that's not as fraudulent as the 2016 election where he lost by at least 3 million votes…that we know of… It's important to remember that there's going to be a nationwide canvas to confirm every vote that was cast in the 2024 election for every single race in the election; and that every instance of trump allies "finding him and his allies the votes" they need is an easily resolved, and criminally prosecutable, situation.

Biden/Harris received 81,283,501 votes after donald trump's disastrous COVID-19 response and before his January 6 insurrection; and then there's all of his criminal investigations, scandals, and court losses, his severe cognitive decline and low energy setting in, Republicans, Independents, and former trump voters aligning with Harris voters, his rallies being not only far smaller, but far smaller AND half-empty compared to his 2016 and 2020 presidential campaigns, and him intentionally pissing off all Latinos, Blacks, and Jews the week before the election. And the American people are supposed to believe Kamala Harris somehow received 15 million votes less than Biden/Harris received in 2020, while donald trump received 4 million less votes than he received in 2020 AND he's somehow beating Kamala Harris by 5 million votes? C'mon, now, the American people aren't as stupid as donald trump and his allies!

The 2024 elections aren't over until after the official nationwide canvas/voter confirmation has occurred, all litigation is settled in the courts in December, the results are certified by each individual state, and Congress certifies the results on January 6, 2025. donald trump isn't headed back to the White House, and the control of Congress isn't settled, until every vote he and his allies claim to have received has been verified by every single voter who cast a ballot in the 2024 elections and all litigation has been settled in their favor. And the most important thing to remember about all of donald trump's court cases since the 2020 election: he's lost almost every single one of them; especially when he he was fighting against women, so this 2024 election has only just gotten started, and EVERY single election "victory", at every single level of local, state, and federal government that donald trump and his allies are claiming at the moment are going to have to hold up during the canvas, in court, and in final certification. I mean, claiming that Republicans swept every single race they were competing in along with taking the House, Senate AND Presidency after everything they've been up to since November 2020? The investigations and trials from this attempted overthrow of the U.S. government will be quite similar to what the Nazis experienced after their defeat; and let's not forget that donald trump's OWN MAGA SCOTUS already anointed President Joe Biden as Divine King for Life of the United States of American with Unlimited Immunity and Unchecked Power…so, he's quite likely to use all of that limitless immunity and unchecked power to start the vigorous "ass-smacking" of donald trump and his allies at any moment now that it won't affect voter turnout…

As of 6:08 AM EST 11/6/2024:

Georgia: 117,385 votes votes difference between trump and Harris trump: 2,651,206 (+189,352 from 2020) Harris: 2,533,821 (+60,188 from 2020) Electoral votes: 16

Georgia 2020: Biden: 2,473,633 trump: 2,461,854

Pennsylvania: 170,601 votes difference between trump and Harris trump: 3,434,001 (+56,327 from 2020) Harris: 3,263,400 (−194,829 from 2020) Electoral votes: 19

Pennsylvania 2020: Biden: 3,458,229 trump: 3,377,674

North Carolina: 191,543 votes difference between trump and Harris trump: 2,875,538 (+116,763 from 2020) Harris: 2,683,995 (−297 from 2020) Electoral votes: 16

North Carolina 2020: Biden: 2,684,292 trump: 2,758,775

Wisconsin: 32,192 votes difference between trump and Harris trump: 1,676,729 (+66,545 from 2020) Harris: 1,644,537 (+13,671 from 2020) Electoral votes: 10

Wisconsin 2020: Biden: 1,630,866 trump: 1,610,184

Iowa: 223,320 votes difference between trump and Harris trump: 899,659 (+1,987 from 2020) Harris: 676,339 (−82,722 from 2020) Electoral votes: 6

Iowa 2020: Biden: 759,061 trump: 897,672

Michigan: 109,302 votes difference between trump and Harris trump: 2,717,396 (+67,544 from 2020) Harris: 2,608,094 (−195,946 from 2020) Electoral votes: 15

Michigan 2020: Biden: 2,804,040 trump: 2,649,852

Nevada: 59,862 votes difference between trump and Harris trump: 660,980 (−8,910 from 2020) Harris: 601,118 (−102,368 from 2020) Electoral votes: 6

Nevada 2020: Biden: 703,486 trump: 669,890

Arizona: 103,355 votes difference between trump and Harris trump: 1,150,781 (−510,905 from 2020) Harris: 1,047,426 (−624,717 from 2020) Electoral votes: 11

Arizona 2020: Biden: 1,672,143 trump: 1,661,686

Do not be bitter, my Father will reign over Adam and Eve: אִי תָ מָר אֲבִ ימֶלֶךְ אֹדֶם אִיּ וֹב

Initial 2024 Election Results Bible Study: 11/6/2024: 02:50 AM EST: When asking about why and if the Abrahamic G-d gave the United States and the world over to donald trump and his global dictator allies: TANAKH (Jewish Publication Society, Hebrew-English) Page 56 Genesis 26:13 And the Lord was standing beside him and He said, "I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac: The ground on which you are lying I will assign to you and to your offspring.

Earthquake: 09:55:50 GMT+2 Jerusalem, Israel, 23:55:50 PST Local Time Petrolia, CA (02:55:50 EST (5 minutes and an unknown number of seconds after the bible study))

Luke 9:51 As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem. Luke 9:52 And he sent messengers on ahead, who went into a Samaritan village to get things ready for him; Luke 9:53 but the people there did not welcome him, because he was heading for Jerusalem. Luke 9:54 When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, “Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them?” Luke 9:55 But Jesus turned and rebuked them.

Luke 23:55 The women who had come with Jesus from Galilee followed Joseph and saw the tomb and how his body was laid in it. Luke 23:56 Then they went home and prepared spices and perfumes. But they rested on the Sabbath in obedience to the commandment. Luke 24:1 But very early on Sunday morning the women went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. Luke 24:2 They found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance. Luke 24:3 So they went in, but they didn’t find the body of the Lord Jesus. Luke 24:4 As they stood there puzzled, two men suddenly appeared to them, clothed in dazzling robes. Luke 24:5 The women were terrified and bowed with their faces to the ground. Then the men asked, “Why are you looking among the dead for someone who is alive? Luke 24:6 He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead! Remember what he told you back in Galilee, Luke 24:7 that the Son of Man must be betrayed into the hands of sinful men and be crucified, and that he would rise again on the third day.”

2 Thessalonians 2:6 And now you know what is holding him back, so that he may be revealed at the proper time. 2 Thessalonians 2:7 For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way. 2 Thessalonians 2:8 Then the man of lawlessness will be revealed, but the Lord Jesus will slay him with the breath of his mouth and destroy him by the splendor of his coming. 2 Thessalonians 2:9 The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with how Satan works. He will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders that serve the lie, 2 Thessalonians 2:10 He will use every kind of evil deception to fool those on their way to destruction, because they refuse to love and accept the truth that would save them. 2 Thessalonians 2:11 For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie 2 Thessalonians 2:12 and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.

TANAKH (Jewish Publication Society, Hebrew-English) Pages 1796 and 1797 Esther 8:1 That very day King Ahasuerus gave the property of Hama, the enemy of the Jews, to Queen Esther. Mordecai presented himself to the king, for Esther had revealed how he was related to her. Esther 8:2 The king slipped off his ring, which he had taken back from Haman, and gave it to Mordecai; and Esther put Mordecai in charge of Haman's property. Esther 8:3 Esther spoke to the king again, falling at his feet and weeping, and beseeching him to avert the evil plotted by Haman the Agagite against the Jews. Esther 8:4 The king extended the golden scepter to Esther, and esther arose and stood before the king. Esther 8:5 "If it please Your Majesty," she said, "and if I have won your favor and the proposal seems right to Your Majesty, and if I am pleasing to you--let dispatches be written countermanding those which were written by Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite, embodying his plot to annihilate the Jews throughout the king's provinces. Esther 8:6 For how can I bear to see the disaster which will befall my people! And how can I bear to see the destruction of my kindred!" Esther 8:7 Then King Ahasuerus said to Queen Esther and Mordecai the Jew, "I have given Haman's property to Esther, and he has been impaled on the stake for scheming against the Jews. Esther 8:8 And you may further write with regard to the Jews as you see fit. [Write it] in the king's name and seal it with the king's signet, for an edict that has been written in the king's name and sealed with the king's signet may not be revoked." Esther 8:9 So the king's scribes were summoned at that time, on the twenty-third day of the third month, that is, the month of Sivan; and letters were written, at Mordecai's dictation, to the Jews and to the satraps, the governors and the officials of the one hundred and twenty-seven provinces from India to Ethiopa: to every province in its own script and to every people in its own language, and to the Jews in their own script and language. Esther 8:10 He had them written in the name of King Ahasuerus and sealed with the king's signet. Letters were dispatched by mounted courieers, riding steeds used in the king's service, bred of the royal stud, Esther 8:11 to this effect: The king has permitted the Jews of every city to assemble and fight for their lives; if any people or province attacks them, they may destroy, massacre, and exterminate its armed force together with women and children, and plunder their possessions--

Acts 8:8 So there was great joy in that city.

TANAKH (Jewish Publication Society, Hebrew-English) Page 1777 Ecclesiastes 8:8 No man has authority over the lifebreath--to hold back the lifebreath; there is no authority over the day of death. There is no mustering out from that war; wickedness is powerless to save its owner.

1 Corinthians 5:5Then you must throw this man out and hand him over to Satan so that his sinful nature will be destroyed and he himself will be saved on the day the Lord returns.

TANAKH (Jewish Publication Society, Hebrew-English) Pages 1815, 1816, 1817, and 1818 Daniel 5:1 King Belshazzar gave a great banquet for his thousand nobles, and in the presence of the thousand he drank wine. Daniel 5:2 Under the influence of the wine, Belshazzar ordered the gold and silver vessels that his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple at Jerusalem to be brought so that the king and his nobles, his consorts, and his concubines could drink from them. Daniel 5:3 The golden vessels that had been taken out of the sanctuary of the House of God in Jerusalem were then brought, and the king, his nobles, his consorts, and his concubines drank from them. Daniel 5:4 They drank wine an dpraised the gods of gold and silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone. Daniel 5:5 Just then, the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall of the king's palace opposite the lampstand, so that the king could see the hand as it wrote. Daniel 5:6 The king's face darkened, and his thoughts alarmed him; the joints of his loins were loosened and his knees knocked together. Daniel 5:7 The king called loudly for the exorcists, Chaldeans, and diviners to be brought. The king addressed the wise men of Babylon, "Whoever can read this writing and tell me its meaning shall be clothed in purple and wear a golden chain on his neck, and shall rule as one of three in the kingdom." Daniel 5:17 Then Daniel said in reply to the king, "You may keep your gifts for yourself, and give your presents to others. But I will read the writing for the king, and make its meaning known to him. Daniel 5:18 O king, the Most High God bestowed kingship, grandeur, glory, and majesty upon your father Nebuchadnezzar. Daniel 5:19 And because of the grandeur that He bestowed upon him, all the peoples and nations of every language trembled in fear of him. He put to death whom he wished, and whom he wished he let live; he raised high whom he wished and whom he wished he brought low. Daniel 5:20 But when he grew haughty and willfully presumptuous, he was deposed from his royal throne and his glory was removed from him. Daniel 5:21 He was driven away from men, and his mind made like that of a beast, and his habitation was with wild asses. He was fed grass like cattle, and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven until he came to know that the Most High God is sovereign over the realm of man, and sets over it whom He wishes. Daniel 5:22 But you, Belshazzar his son, did not humble yourself although you knew all this. Daniel 5:23 You exalted yourself against the Lord of Heaven, and had the vessels of His temple brought to you. You and your nobles, your consorts, and your concubines drank wine from them and praised the gods of silver and gold, bronze and iron, wood and stone, which to not see, hear, or understand; but the God who controls your lifebreath and every move you make--Him you did not glorify! Daniel 5:24 He therefore made the hand appear, and caused the writing to be inscribed. Daniel 5:25 This is the writing that is inscribed: MENE MENE TEKEL UPHARSIN. Daniel 5:26 And this is its meaning: MENE--God has numbererd [the days of] your kingdom and brought it to an end; Daniel 5:27 TEKEL--you have been weighed in the balance and found wanting; Daniel 5:28 PERES--your kingdom has been divided and given to the Medes and the Persians." Daniel 5:29 Then, at Belshazzar's command, they clothed Daniel in purple, placed a golden chain on his neck, and proclaimed that he should rule as one of three in the kingdom. Daniel 5:30 That very night, Belshazzar, the Chaldean king, was killed,

Acts 7:55 But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed steadily into heaven and saw the glory of God, and he saw Jesus standing in the place of honor at God’s right hand.

Matthew 16:1 One day the Pharisees and Sadducees came to test Jesus, demanding that he show them a miraculous sign from heaven to prove his authority. Matthew 16:2 He replied, “You know the saying, ‘Red sky at night means fair weather tomorrow; Matthew 16:3 and in the morning, ‘Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times.

LAW AND ORDER!!! The People of the State of New York v. donald j. trump is a criminal case against failed and deposed former president donald j. trump. donald j. trump was charged with and convicted of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records to conceal payments made to the pornographic film actress Stormy Daniels to ensure her silence about a sexual encounter between them; with costs related to the transaction included, the payments totaled $420,000. The Manhattan District Attorney (DA), Alvin Bragg, accused Trump of falsifying these business records with the intent to commit other crimes: violation of federal campaign finance limits, unlawfully influencing the 2016 U.S. presidential election that he lost to Hillary Clinton by 3,000,000 American votes, and tax fraud. The criminal indictment charged Trump with 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in the first degree, in violation of New York Penal Law §175.10. Each count is related to a specific business document, each having a date ranging from February 14 through December 5, 2017: 11 for invoices from Michael Cohen 9 for general ledger entries for donald j. trump 9 for checks from donald j. trump 3 for general ledger entries for the donald j. trump Revocable Trust 2 for checks from the donald j. trump Revocable Trust

Earthquake: M 2.6 - 8.8 km (5.5 mi) WNW of Petrolia, CA

2024-11-06 07:55:50 (UTC) 40.347°N 124.385°W 16.3 km depth

In the Pacific Ocean off of Mussel Rock adjacent to Mattole Road and Petrolia Table Cemetery.

Mattole refers to a Native American group and their language, historically situated in the northwestern region of California, particularly along the Mattole River and nearby coastal areas.

The common name "mussel" is also used for many freshwater bivalves, including the freshwater pearl mussels. Freshwater mussel species inhabit lakes, ponds, rivers, creeks, canals, and they are classified in a different subclass of bivalves, despite some very superficial similarities in appearance. The most valuable pearls occur spontaneously in the wild, but are extremely rare. These wild pearls are referred to as natural pearls. Cultured or farmed pearls from pearl oysters and freshwater mussels make up the majority of those currently sold. All shelled mollusks can, by natural processes, produce some kind of "pearl" when an irritating microscopic object becomes trapped within its mantle folds, but the great majority of these "pearls" are not valued as gemstones. Nacreous pearls, the best-known and most commercially significant, are primarily produced by two groups of molluskan bivalves or clams. A nacreous pearl is made from layers of nacre, by the same living process as is used in the secretion of the mother of pearl which lines the shell.

Natural (or wild) pearls, formed without human intervention, are very rare. Many hundreds of pearl oysters or mussels must be gathered and opened, and thus killed, to find even one wild pearl; for many centuries, this was the only way pearls were obtained, and why pearls fetched such extraordinary prices in the past. Cultured pearls are formed in pearl farms, using human intervention as well as natural processes. One family of nacreous pearl bivalves – the pearl oyster – lives in the sea, while the other – a very different group of bivalves – lives in freshwater; these are the river mussels such as the freshwater pearl mussel. Saltwater pearls can grow in several species of marine pearl oysters in the family Pteriidae. Freshwater pearls grow within certain (but by no means all) species of freshwater mussels in the order Unionida, the families Unionidae and Margaritiferidae.

Matthew 13:45 “Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant on the lookout for choice pearls. Matthew 13:46 When he discovered a pearl of great value, he sold everything he owned and bought it!

40.347°N

Strong's Concordance #40 Abimelek: From 'ab and melek; father of (the) king; "father is king," "My father will reign," a Philistine name, also an Israelite name Original Word: אֲבִימֶלֶךְ

Strong's Concordance #347 Iyyob: From 'ayab; hated (i.e. Persecuted); Ijob, the patriarch famous for his patience -- Job. Original Word: אִיּוֹב

124.385°W

Strong's Concordance #124 odem: From 'adam; redness, i.e. The ruby, garnet, or some other red gem -- sardius; a carnelian Original Word: אֹדֶם

Strong's Concordance #385 Ithamar: From 'iy and tamar; coast of the palm-tree; "land of palms," Ithamar, a son of Aaron Original Word: אִיתָמָר

Do not be bitter, my Father will reign over Adam and Eve: אִי תָ מָר אֲבִ ימֶלֶךְ אֹדֶם אִיּ וֹב

[transmascpetewentz]

ok, this is my final prediction:

MI will go blue because of Trump's racist comments about Arabs.

WI will go blue because I've done some on the ground work there and that seems to be the vibe.

PA will go blue because of Trump's racist comments about Puerto Ricans.

NV will go blue because last time I was there, I saw so many protestors whose top issue seems to be abortion.

OH will go red because Vance is from there.

NC and GA will likely go red because of the misinformation surrounding the hurricanes and conspiracy theories, plus they are generally more red states.

AZ will likely go red, but I'm honestly unsure. If my predictions about MI, WI, and PA are correct though, it doesn't matter who wins AZ.

Harris will win at least 55% of the popular vote but will win the electoral vote only by a small margin.

Trump will frantically attempt to get officials to overturn the results, but due to PA, MI, AND WI being the only key swing states in my prediction, all his fuckery in GA, OH, and NC will do precisely nothing in this scheme.

On January 6 2025, Trump's cronies will independently decide to storm the capital, and Trump will deny any responsibility. Police presence will guarantee that the vote counting process is safe and goes smoothly.

Harris will be inaugurated without incident after Trump's attempts to overturn the result inevitably fail.

Trump will die in 2025 or 2026.

The Republican party will implode on itself. With no figurehead to unite the fascist wing and the libertarian wing, the party will struggle with internal disputes for years to come.

Harris will win again in 2028. JB Pritzker (current governor of Illinois) will become president in 2032.

Due to Harris's pressure to negotiate a ceasefire, relations between the US and Israel will inevitably sour. Bibi will die of natural causes or be assassinated between 2026 and 2030. The Israeli right will implode on itself just as the American right. Whatever is left of the Israeli left will become a more dominant force in Israeli politics.

Putin will continue to fight in Ukraine, with no progress being made on either side. This will continue until Russia is completely starved of resources and cannot continue fighting. A liberation movement from within Russia will assassinate Putin or wait for him to die of natural causes, somewhere between 2026 and 2030. Russia's government after Putin will be incompetent and weak, and will take several decades to take shape again.

China will continue its economic growth but will inevitably hit a wall at some point. Xi Jinping will die between 2030 and 2040.

Late stage American capitalism continues. However, the big companies we all know and hate will eventually fail, leading to a recession and eventually leading to better pay and workers' rights.

[ruggiezz]

soy yo de nuevo 😎😎 digamos que yo soy una persona muy apegada a su cultura y me encanta el baile y la comida tradicional de mi país: la bomba puertorriqueña y los pasteles puertorriqueños. now, it doesn't have to be puerto rican culture (puede ser de cualquier cultura de latam), that's just an example. but, how would the housewardens react to the reader's culture? maybe they see how much the latino! reader loves their culture and they ask to know more about it ((p.d. i know you don't write for some of the housewardens, so exclude those lol))

— LATINO READER THAT LOVES THEIR CULTURE : twisted wonderland

[synopsis] dormleaders with a latino! reader that loves their culture

[characters] dormleaders (except for vil)

[extra] GRACIAS TUVISTE LA MEJOR IDEA EXISTENTE, also, Venezuela, Colombia, Argentina and Peru celebrate their independence this month, so this is perfect for the occasion

★ RIDDLE ROSEHEARTS

You two had private study sessions in his room every week, where he would help you with some lessons you couldn't understand, and in return, you would buy him a slice of a strawberry dessert you found at Sam's. (He didn't really need anything in return, but he wasn't going to say no to a dessert, even if he wasn't meant to eat sweets.)

During one of the study sessions, he noticed you were in a gloomy mood and asked what was the matter.

"Today is my country's independence day, and I haven't done anything to celebrate it."

And with that, it somehow went from a study session where he was teaching you about ancient magic to a study session where you were teaching him about your country's history and how it became independent. It was very 'educational', Riddle would say. You also spoke about how they would celebrate in your country, about the festivals and parties they would hold, and most importantly, about the food. Good, now Riddle was hungry.

He offers to celebrate with you in Ramshackle; he and Trey can help you cook some national desserts if you want, and you can tell them and your friends more about your culture and how they do things where you come from. Just don't make him dance; he'll get embarrassed because he doesn't know the steps (and because Ace will make fun of him), and he is good with just watching you dance. But maybe someday you can both dance alone, together.

★ LEONA KINGSCHOLAR

"Herbivore, what pride flag is that?" He said, pointing at a pin you had of your country's flag that you had attached to your backpack.

This probably went two ways: either you almost died of laughter at his question while he looked extremely confused, or you looked at him dead in the eye with the most serious face ever. Whichever option you chose, you both ended up lying on the bed while you told him stories of your country. You told him about how people back in your world celebrated their independence every year, about the dances, the festivals, and how colorful everything was.

If you didn't know Leona well, you would have thought he was uninterested and was falling asleep, but he was listening. Everything you said was important to him; it didn't matter if it was a small thing, like the fact you found a nickel while walking to the store, or if it was a big thing, like an important achievement, he would remember it. And you talking about your culture wasn't the exception. He hummed in agreement while you talked about this one thing you did back in your country to celebrate your country's independence.

Tell him more—about the food, the celebrations, the music—it doesn't matter; he will listen. Tell him about this really popular artist who's also Latino; tell him more about this 'Chayanne' and his achievements. Even if he doesn't completely understand, he can understand the feeling of being proud of where he comes from.

★ AZUL ASHENGROTTO

Azul invited you to Mostro Lounge with the intention of getting innovative material for a new event that will attract more customers out of the kindness of his heart. He sat you down on a couch in his office and offered you a cup of tea.

"Say, prefect, could you tell me more about your country? Is there any food you particularly like? Something we can make here?"

You see, Azul was expecting this meeting to go like this: He asked. You told him about the food. He wrote it down. Everyone was happy.

What he didn't expect was sitting there two hours later and hearing you ramble about your country's food and the history of it. And he was ACTUALLY INVESTED. This wasn't part of the plan at all.

He wrote down a lot on his notepad; every detail you told him was important for him to "use in Mostro Lounge's new event", but he was just really impressed by how rich your country's culture was.

Weeks later, Azul summoned you to Mostro Lounge, surprising you with dishes you told him about. Jade brought a lot of plates with some desserts, and Floyd brought some mocktails. You were so happy, you even felt like hugging Azul, but ended up being squeezed by Floyd (affectionately), who was also happy to be able to taste new food.

The event was a success, with students praising the new dishes, and Azul decided to keep some of the popular dishes on the menu. But if your favorite one didn't make the cut, he will remember the recipe, and will make it for you from time to time, just don't tell anyone about your 'special treatment'.

"This will be our little secret, okay, prefect?"

★ KALIM AL-ASIM

Not surprisingly, Kalim got sick after taking you on a carpet ride with wet hair. Nights at Scarabia are particularly cold, and even when Jamil warned him not to forget to dry his hair when he showered at night, he ignored it that day out of excitement to see you. He just didn't have enough time to dry it, okay?

His throat ached, and he was sneezing a lot. Jamil was in a bad mood that day, and he had a lot to get done, so he left Kalim in your care on the condition that you both didn't do anything stupid.

You brought a small container to Scarabia that had ointment inside. You had it in the backpack you brought from your world; it was small enough to fit in your palm. Kalim looked in curiosity while you approached his bed and opened it to apply it to him.

"What ointment are you applying to me? It smells like mint." Kalim asked while you rubbed some of the ointment on his chest and neck.

"It's 'Vick Vaporub'; it will make you feel better; this thing can even heal a broken leg."

"FOR REAL??"

You had to explain to him what it was and how your family used it on you when you got sick. Sadly, it couldn't cure a broken leg, but it could alleviate colds. And it did work; Kalim felt better the next day, to Jamil's surprise (and relief).

Kalim ran to Ramshackle after you nursed him back to health with the help of 'Vick', asking more about how people did things back in your country. He was fascinated by your stories, and the way you described the food made him want to taste it so badly. Maybe you two could try and make the food in Scarabia's kitchen? Please teach him! If the food from your country makes you happy, then he wants to try and learn how to make it for you!

★ IDIA SHROUD

You and Idia had this routine where you both always spent the afternoon in his room, either playing videogames, doing homework, or just doing whatever in silence. But on this particular day, Idia was playing this one single-player game while you lay on his bed scrolling through your phone.

Suddenly, an idea popped into your mind. A few months ago, Idia repaired your old phone as a birthday gift, and you had a few episodes of this particular show saved on your phone. You started watching, but you had forgotten your earphones back in Ramshackle, so Idia could hear it too.

"What are you watching? It's so loud..."

"I'm watching 'Caso Cerrado'/'Caso Encerrado'. It's the English dub."

"Why is everyone yelling..? What even is that?"

You explained to Idia how it was this show where a lawyer called Ana María Polo sat in a court and heard cases, where she ended up dictating whether they were guilty or not. Idia disregarded it as a 'normie show' and continued what he was doing, but he ended up hearing the whole episode while playing. It was actually very entertaining to hear while playing.

"Wait, SHE'S PREGNANT with her boyfriend's father? WTF???"

He ended up binge-listening to the whole season while playing. Did your world always make such interesting shows? Tell him more.

Even if history was never his favorite subject, you talking about it was just like listening to a podcast—a very interesting one at least. Your routine now is to go to his room and play some video games while you talk about your country, and Idia occasionally makes a comment. And then repeat it daily.

If you couldn't come to Ignihyde, then you both could have a call, and you could talk while Idia played. Wasn't that a good relationship dynamic? You talked while Idia listened. And you were always so excited to talk to him about you where you and where you came from that he just couldn't help himself but smile (just a little) while hearing you.

★ MALLEUS DRACONIA

"This is for you, Malleus." You said as you pulled one of those blankets you used in the winter. You had found one extremely similar to the ones in your world, and you had bought two. Lately, the weather in Twisted Wonderland has been extremely cold, and Diasomnia wasn't any different.

"Thank you, Child of Man; I will treasure it."

The blanket in question:

AND HE DID TREASURE IT, using it as a blanket on his bed for a week and washing it afterwards to continue using it. It was a gift from his partner after all, much to Sebek's dismay. Silver said it looked really comfy, and he wanted one now too, while Lilia just found it amusing how attached Malleus was to a blanket.

The next day after, you gifted it to him, he appeared on your doorstep with the blanket on his hands, asking to sleep over in Ramshackle with both of your blankets. You told him more about your country and the customs over a cup of hot tea, and he listened attentively to every single thing you said. There was a dessert you liked from your country that you couldn't recreate yourself? Don't worry; he will make sure his private chef back in Briar Valley makes it for you. There's this traditional clothing from your country you want? His tailor will get it done; you don't even have to move a finger, just say the word, and he will have it done.

Hearing you talk about how proud you were of your heritage made him giddy inside over the fact that he had such a passionate partner. Tell him more; he's so invested, especially in the history. The history is the best part.

"I only have one question, child of man. Who is this 'Shakira' you talk so highly about?"

[latestagebaby]

sin miedo por 🇵🇷 puerto rico libre

60,000 people last night for the puerto rican independence party

[silent-raven13]

P FKN R!!! 🇵🇷 (Warning Harsh Language!)

Miles is always proud of his Puerto Rican side. Hell, he's the first one in Spider Society to burst out his Boricua music out loud. He wears his flag on his back when there's any Puerto Rican holidays or parades. Hell, he made a special suit with the Puerto Rican flag on it when he felt like showing off his culture, his Pride!

Yet today a racist asshole test him! Miles flew in the air using his venom strike, absorbing energy to give him a boost to do a flip before launching his webs to swing! The 19 year old wore his black, and red suit with the Puerto Rican flag on his chest to his torso.

Miles blasting Bad Bunny song "P FKN R" as he sings out loud as he swings from building to building: Si no sabes de dónde soy, no me ronquen, no -getting pump as he fight a rodder trying to steal from an elderly woman- Si no sabes de dónde soy, eh-eh, (ey) eh-eh, (ey, ey, ey)! -he beats up the robber as he give the purse back to the older woman before going up in the air to look for more crimes-

He sings along to his music: Yo soy de P fuckin' R (hoo)! -bangs his head as he swings- WHOA! Bad Bunny, you know me so well! -he chuckles as he went on a building keeping watch on the City's mainstream. The roads were closed off for Puerto Rican Day parade, he knew he needs to be home early to celebrate with his family. His mom took the day off for this occasion. Little Billie is probably wearing a cute dress with the Puerto Rican flag and her hair with ribbons matching the flag's colors- I should get a closer look to see if everything is good! -he saw the parade is about to start, so he should make sure no hate crimes were gonna be committed-

A familiar voice: Luv, what are you wearing? -Miles turns around to find Hobie standing behind him-

Miles happily smiles underneath his mask to find his boyfriend: OH hey, bae! -he went to hold his partner's hand- I'm glad you came! I thought you would miss today!

Hobie arched his eyebrow being masked: I never missed anything you invited me to. Now, what is this? -he eyes on the flag- A bit too Patriotic?

Miles chuckles giving him a kiss on the cheek with his mask on: Mi amor, it's my Puerto Rican pride.

Hobie: Isn't it a bit much?

Miles pouts: No! I think it's cool! -sounding a bit upset- You don't like it?

Hobie quickly change his statement: I meant, to be devoted to a country... the government, I meant. You know, how I feel about it. -he looks down at the parade seeing massive crowds- Isn't America's way to manipulate Puerto Ricans to appreciate being part of America? When they colonize your country and set up a military base! -he did a quick research on his partner's country and it's history-

Miles understood what he meant: Well, that may be true, but! -he hugs his partner's arm- Look, mi amor! You see how everyone is excited to celebrate being Puerto Rican! It runs in our blood, our pride, our culture is who we are! We may lost too much, hell Puerto Rico never had independence, but we're still here. Still Boricua! Still proud of our flag! It's who we are, and we throw the craziest parties, baby.

Hobie hears the loud music and many families gathering around to celebrate: I guess so.. you know how I am.

Miles: Hey, you're here so you're gonna get the full effect! Come on, let's check around. I know, you may judge America for their crazy ass colonization, but remember, you love protecting POC! There might be racists trying to commit hate crime!

Hobie became alert: Oh! I have no problem beating up a racist! -he grins under his mask, he follows his partner. As they got lower to the parade. The crowds cheers as they saw their Spiderman swinging by-

A random woman: Look! Mira! Mira! Es Spiderman! Boricua Spiderman!

The crowd in the parade cheers playing louder music and getting hype: Spiderman! Spiderman! Te amo!

One guy shouted: He's Puerto Rican?

Miles laughs: Por supuesto que soy puertorriqueño! -as he got low taking a balloon to give a little boy being carried by his mother-

Hobie saw the crowd wearing their flags in outfits, makeup, all sorts to show their pride. He follows Miles through the parade seeing no crime, yet. The music plays outlaid from the parade: Yo soy de P fuckin' R (P fuckin' R) Eh-eh-eh-eh-eh (ah)!

Miles turns around swinging backwards to look at his partner while singing along: Los maliante' con la' R! Prr-prr-prr-prr-prr -he chuckles- Come on, bae! Mejor que la boca cierre, ey Ah-ah-ah-ah

Some of the crowd started to sing or dance getting hype for their parade: Antes que los mío' te entierren (oye) Uh-uh-uh-uh-uh (yeh)

Hobie chuckles: You know what, I get it.

Miles smiles under his mask: I'm glad. You know, my mom made a lot of food so you can try.

Hobie: Yum, I didn't eat just to be prepare. -The two swing side by side-

Miles laughs: She made a lot of food! So you better eat like five plates! Also everyone is coming by for the roof top party! Isn't it exciting! -The loud Bomba music plays as they watch the parade starting having the female dancers following the rhythm of the music. Everyone enjoying the large floats, organizations, and other groups walking as they wave their flags.- Wow, it's bigger than last time!

Hobie saw a small group of men looking a bit suspicious: Aye, luv. Looks like we found a couple of muppets...

Miles looks over seeing them holding up microphones: Huh oh! Let's check it out! -being quick to get over the group-

The hate group had a leader preaching out about God and shouting at the Puerto Ricans: GO back to your countries! This a hate on America! You don't belong here -causing the crowd around to get upset-

A woman speaking in Spanish: No tienes derecho a estar aquí! ¡Estás arruinando el desfile! Déjanos en paz, Puñetas! Pendejos! Mama a tu culos! -some of the other crowd tried to held her back seeing they didn't want the cops to come in or worst stop the parade-

Miles flew down seeing the group of men: Hey fellas, what's going on here?

The hate group scowls at Spiderman's outfit with disgust. The leader had his microphone on: You are an American! You are disrespecting our country's belief! USA! USA!

Miles could only scowl under his mask: Hey man, people are allowed to celebrate where they come from!

The leader kept over talking Spiderman: Your just Spiderman 2! You're not even the real Spiderman! WE WANT SPIDERMAN!

Hobie crosses his arms getting super pissed off. Miles stops him: I got this. -he turns to the group- I kinda suggest you all to leave! Your ruining-

The leader of the hate group: FUCK YOU! GO BACK TO MEXICO! -the crowd behind Miles started to get super mad, almost riling up with anger. The racist insult was enough to cause them to shout back. MEXICO? Miles got mad too. This group is testing him- You and all your Mexican, pals should go back to your country! USA! USA! -the hate group chanted wearing their American flags-

Miles: I'm giving you one chance to apologize to me and my people! Before-

The leader over talks him: Or WHAT? You're gonna hit me? I'm using my first amendment! FREEDOM OF SPEECH, BUDDY! YOUR NOT EVEN A REAL SPIDERMAN WITH THAT TACKY FLAG YOU HAVE ON! -The older leader grins widely to pissed off Spiderman-

Hobie took out his guitar: That's it. I'ma beat this bloke! -the crowd behind him agrees-

Miles push him back: NO! We are better than them! -He turns to the group- you left me no choice!

The leader said: Oh yeah! You're nothing but a dirty sp- -Miles quickly uses his webs to shut up the leader then quickly uses his webs to tied the group, then he swing them high on the building-

Miles smiling happily: Ah-ah-Ah! Tsk. Tsk. I give you a chance to apologize and to go home, but since you want to harass me and everyone here. I think I have the right to shut you up! -the crowd cheers out loud as they saw the hate group being web against the building up high. Some took photos and laugh out loud-

Hobie grins widely seeing one of the dumbass racist pissing himself crying about his fear of heights: Wonderful, luv! -He slouches on Miles being a bit handsy with him-

The leader of the group shouted spotting the two Spidermen being a bit too close for his liking: UGH! YOUR NOTHING BUT A FUCKING FAGGOT! UGH, DISGUSTING! YOUR GOING TO HELL TOO!

Miles arched his eyebrow under his mask: Oh yeah? Well -He lift Hobie's mask to reveal his lips, then he lift his own mask to show his lips. A bit of his nose showing his pierced Septum. Then his lips pressed against Hobie's without a care who was watching. When he pulled his lips away then to hide his lower mouth- I RATHER BE A FAGGOT THAN A FUCKING RACIST!

Hobie froze being too in shock by his partner's action, he felt Miles' hand pulling down his mask to hide his mouth. He could've never love any more than he already did- No, he's falling in love with Miles all over again! Miles grab the Pride flag from one of the civilians having to tie it around his neck, flaunting it. Hobie could only awe at his boyfriend.

The crowd cheers having mix reactions from being shock to joy about the scene. Hell, most of their reactions were positive. The hate group were making loud taunts, until Hobie shut their mouths up with his webbing. Then he got close to the leader: Aye, mate. You're lucky if it wasn't me! I would've throw you in the Hudson River and let you all drown! -his voice low and menacing- I'll left you off with a warning, mate. Start another racist shit, and I will fucking kill you myself, huh? -the men looked horrified.- So you will stop this crap and not bother my darling, do you hear? -they all nodded- Good! -he harshly patted the leader's cheek almost slapping him-

Miles shouted: Come on, we gotta patrol some more, bae! -he launched his web shooter causing the to swing as he wave at the crowd-

Hobie follows him seeing the crowd being so happy, they can have a peaceful parade. The hate group being stuck on the building to be made an example of. As they made their rounds, the two got up on a building to watch one last time. Miles being happy by the parade, then he heard Hobie being breathless: I love you, Miles.

Miles being surprised: Huh, what made you say that? -he giggles being so bashful-

Hobie pulls Miles close to him for a close hug: You were amazing! No Spiderman would've done what you did!

Miles: Hahaha are you implying not even you would've stop them racist assholes?

Hobie shook his head: You know, what I mean. You kissing me in front of the crowd? Heh, New York City is gonna go crazy for you being bisexual, Sunflower.

Miles snorted: Pfft, good! Let them know that this bisexual boy issuing their asses! AND HE'S PUERTO RICAN! DOUBLE PUNCHES! -he chuckles- I love you, too Hobie.

Hobie: Can I get another kiss, Brooklyn?

Miles chuckles: Do you have to ask?

Hobie holding his love: Consent is important, luv.

Miles smiles widely: Sure, baby! -The two lift their mask to reveal their lips to kiss again. This time Hobie holds Miles like his special gem, being oh so gentle. The parade being loud and proud as the crowd celebrates their Puerto Rican Day while Yo Soy Boricua, Pa'Que Tu Lo Sepas by Taino plays in the background.-

(Sorry for the harsh language! Was listening to Bad Bunny and saw a post that made me inspired @babyhellboy post and comic photo also another comic post of Hobie Brown saying he rather be a F-word than a Fascist. Hehe, you know his Sunflower is heavily inspired by him😉.)

[alessamp4]

    • ° .   *   ࿐   now  entering  the  apartment  building  is  𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐫𝐚  𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐨 , a twenty5  year  old  who  is  currently a  tattoo  artist. netizens  have  said  they  seem withdrawn but  others  have  said  they’re earnest !  gossip  aside,  we’re  sure  they’re  bound  to  be  a  fan  favorite  ! ♡ young  miko,  lesbian,  cis  woman,  she/her. 

* 𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐦𝐲 𝐰𝐚𝐲.

full name: alessandra elena manchillo. nickname(s): ale, al, alessa. age: twenty5. gender: cis woman. sexuality: homosexual, homoromantic. socially identifies as an "out lesbian." occupation: tattoo artist specializing in black linework and black + grey portraits place of birth: san juan, puerto rico. ethnicity: puerto rican. height: 5'11 spoken languages: spanish (fluent,) english (fluent,) korean (conversational, most fluent when discussing her work) zodiac: cancer. character inspos: fiorenza from i kissed a girl, carina deluca from grey's anatomy.

* 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐭𝐰𝐢𝐜𝐞.

ale  is  born  in  the  puerto  rican  capital  of  san  juan  and  spends  her  childhood  there  before  moving  to  new  york  with  an  aunt  for  middle  and  high  school.  her  parents,  not  able  to  readily  join  her  as  they  raise  her  younger  siblings  back  home,  encourage  her  independence  and  send  what  they  can  to  support  ale  and  her  aunt  as  they  run  a  local  corner  bodega  in  the  south  bronx  area. 

ale  does  poorly  in  school,  enjoying  the  friends  she  makes  but  a  victim  of  falling  in  with  the  wrong  crowd  far  too  often.  though  a  good  kid  at  heart,  she  finds  herself  doodling  in  a  notebook  far  too  often  during  in-school  suspensions  that  come  all  too  easily  to  her.  cutting  class,  smoking  in  the  stairway,  and  one  particularly  notable  instance  in  the  9th  grade  where  she  gets  into  her  first  and  only  fight  when  a  classmate  calls  her  something  she  wouldn't  dare  repeat.  secure  in  her  sexuality,  having  come  out  at  the  tender  age  of  14,  ale  lets  a  lot  slide—  but  not  attacks  on  her  most  sacred  identity.

she  finishes  her  senior  year  by  the  skin  of  her  teeth  and  by  then  is  already  giving  stick  and  pokes  in  the  girls'  bathrooms.  she's  dyed  her  hair  silver  for  the  first  time  and  experiments  with  whatever  she  can  add  to  her  school  uniform  to  make  her  feel  more  herself.  her  aunt  takes  her  for  her  first  tattoo  at  17,  her  mom's  name  on  her  arm,  and  ale  realizes  this  is  what  she's  needed  her  whole  life  to  feel  complete.

she  takes  on  an  apprenticeship  at  the  parlor  uptown,  practicing  on  anything  and  anyone  who  lets  her.  she's  covered  from  head  to  toe  by  the  time  she  goes  pro  at  20,  and  is  the  youngest  tattooer  at  the  parlor.  she  travels  for  her  work  after  recognition  of  her  incredible  black  and  grey  portraits  go  viral  on  tik  tok,  and  discovers  that  traveling  the  outside  world  gives  her  a  high  like  no  other.  south  korea,  a  new  frontier  for  tattooing  techniques,  beckons  to  her,  and  ale  is  all  too  eager  to  start  her  next  adventure.

* 𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥𝐬, 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐡.

ale  is  a  earnest  girl  at  heart,  quiet  but  still  eager  to  be  involved,  tending  to  keep  to  herself  at  first  until  she's  made  a  friend  or  two  she  can  hide  behind  (despite  her  above-average  stature.)  she  tends  to  come  across  as  cold  or  too-cool  but  often  explains  it  just  as  social  anxiety  and  awkwardness  snksns.  she  is  laid  back  and  brings  a  calming  energy  to  the  circles  she  frequents,  peacefully  cheerful  and  eager  to  bring  a  smile  to  others'  faces  with  her  shamelessly  stupid  sense  of  humor.  she  enjoys  partying  and  is  passionate  about  art  and  music,  often  loosening  up  after  a  few  drinks  or  a  smoke  and  able  to  carry  on  quite  the  debate  on  the  topics  of  choosing.  a  romantic  and  a  flirt,  she  calls  herself  a  textbook  golden  retriever  girlfriend,  however,  she'll  often  omit  the  parts  where  she's  perhaps  a  bit  too  friendly  and  has  been  critiqued  for  her  wandering  eye.  despite  her  quiet  nature,  ale's  greatest  vice  are  beautiful  women,  and  she  makes  it  no  guess  that  she  enjoys  the  feeling  of  the  chase.  monogamy  has  been  a  touchy  topic  for  her,  both  from  fear  of  commitment  and  fear  of  emotional  intimacy,  but  a  contradictory  desire  for  both  these  things  as  ale  has  immense  love  to  give. 

* 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞 𝐦𝐲 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞.

tattoo clients!

a confidant/good influence

her "comfort blanket" friend that she seeks out in social settings

i will think of more i promise!

[clonerightsagenda]

In honor of my nth W359 relisten, here is the breakdown of how I accidentally independently headcanoned most of the characters as Catholic:

Eiffel: He was born in Boston, where Catholics are the largest religious population. I've been told the Lord's Prayer he mumbles is the Protestant version, but that prayer is used a lot in Alcoholics Anonymous, which is probably where he's remembering it from. Perhaps his issues with authority stem in part from having to go to Catholic school.

Minkowski: Her father's surname is Jewish, while her mother is French, where the dominant religion is Catholicism. I envision her as growing up in a mixed household (which I believe is also the case for her VA) but she leans harder into celebrating Christian holidays on the station as part of her attempt to assimilate into white bread apple pie Americanism. After the events of the show I like to think she reconnects more with her Jewish heritage, especially as she could relate to the theme of so many holidays being 'they tried to kill us, they failed, let's eat'.

Hera: Hera quotes St. Augustine, quotes the Bible to Maxwell in Memoria, and says "amen" during the funeral despite never being exposed to religious services. Conclusion? She had Catholicism installed in her to nerf her. Why? Because Pryce is also Catholic. More on that later.

Lovelace: I hc Lovelace as having a Puerto Rican mom. Puerto Rico is heavily Catholic. (Her dad is probably Protestant, but when it came to parents from different denominations choosing which to raise their kid(s) in, my mom won for us, so I shall assume her mom won as well. It's possible she also went to a private Catholic school. She may not have considered herself very religious at the start of her mission, but I think about her leaning on hopes of an afterlife when her crewmates start dying as a scrap of comfort.... only to be forced to contemplate the state of her soul later.

Cutter: It was at this point that I realized I was hcing a whole bunch of the characters as Catholic and decided to lean into it. Luckily for me, he's from Carmel-by-the-sea, which is in fact fairly Catholic due to the presence of a historic Catholic mission. (Did I know this because of a probably Buffy-inspired YA paranormal series I read in high school? Maybe.)

Pryce: Again, was leaning into it at this point, but also it makes sense. She was raised in an orphanage, and a lot of those institutions were run by religious organizations. How many of her problems can be traced back to being raised by nuns. She quotes the Bible to position herself as divine. Why Catholicism specifically? The cannibalism. It's all coming together.

Non-Catholics (Hilbert + the Midwestern Corporate Hit Squad):

Hilbert: Grew up in the USSR. Likely not religious.

Maxwell: Her father was a pastor in Montana, where the biggest Christian denomination is Evangelical. Likely ex-Evangelical. Sorry that happened to you Alana.

Jacobi: His name is Jewish, which is supported by his disdain for office holiday parties and ordering Chinese food on Christmas. Catholics are the dominant religious group in Milwaukee though so he gets to the station and goes ah not this shit again.

Kepler: I do not care about him and thus have not spent much time thinking about him, but probably not religious. When he is trying to turn everyone against Lovelace, he doesn't appeal to religious language while dehumanizing her. There are quite a lot of Catholics in Chicago though so he is also used to them.

What's funny about this is I'm not even Catholic. I did not start out doing this on purpose. Somehow Wolf 359 is a more Catholic podcast than Greater Boston, set in Boston, where the character who talks about religion the most is a Protestant.

[critical-skeptic]

Exploring the “Trump as a Hillary Plant” Conspiracy Theory: A Pragmatic Analysis

The notion that Donald Trump could be an intentional “plant” to disrupt the GOP, fracture American populism, and pave the way for establishment entrenchment sounds, on the surface, absurd. Yet, as with any significant political phenomenon, it's worth peeling back the layers with a pragmatic lens. We’ll examine whether Trump's actions, campaign trajectory, and increasingly desperate legal situation inadvertently, or perhaps even purposefully, serve the establishment interests that he initially claimed to oppose.

The Unlikely Puppet: Trump’s Unique Role in Destabilizing Populism

If Trump were a deliberate plant, his role would be to embody and lead a populist movement to self-destruction. This would involve drawing a wide, fervent base, inciting anti-establishment sentiment, and then failing to follow through in any meaningful way, discrediting populism from within. Interestingly, this is nearly a perfect description of Trump’s trajectory since 2015. From his “drain the swamp” rallying cry to his fixation on chaos over coherent policy, Trump has pulled large swaths of the disillusioned right-wing and independent voters into his orbit, only to offer a disorganized and scandal-ridden administration that ultimately delivered few of the systemic changes he promised.

Trump’s ability to build momentum around populist issues was unmatched, but his administration’s impact on these issues was limited or, in some cases, counterproductive. His appointments, far from shunning establishment figures, often included former lobbyists, Wall Street elites, and traditional GOP insiders, a contradiction of his anti-establishment rhetoric. This incoherence fractured the GOP into Trump loyalists and establishment conservatives, leaving a divided, weakened party that struggled to find a cohesive identity. As a consequence, many GOP voters were left feeling betrayed, and populism became tainted with the chaotic, scandal-laden reputation Trump cultivated.

Post-2020: Trump’s Role in Undermining Republican Cohesion

After the 2020 election loss, Trump’s fixation on election fraud claims took on a self-destructive quality. By encouraging his supporters to distrust the electoral process, he not only delegitimized the democratic process but also drove wedges between different factions within the GOP. Establishment Republicans, wary of his influence, found themselves alienated from his die-hard supporters, and potential new populist leaders were crowded out by Trump’s omnipresence in conservative media and his unwillingness to exit the spotlight.

From an analytical perspective, this strategy—if intentional—was almost perfectly designed to dismantle any serious right-wing populist challenge to the status quo. Instead of grooming successors or building lasting institutions, Trump’s post-presidency has focused on self-preservation, clinging to influence by pushing baseless conspiracy theories that repulse centrists and moderate conservatives. His ongoing legal troubles, which have led to desperate, even irrational public behavior, only serve to deepen these divides. Rather than building a populist legacy, Trump has eroded the foundation for one, effectively neutralizing any serious anti-establishment momentum on the right.

2024: The Ultimate Self-Sabotage

Looking at Trump’s 2024 campaign and recent legal catastrophes, the idea of him as a “plant” appears almost prophetic. Facing mounting legal battles that could result in criminal convictions, his desperation to win the presidency has escalated into borderline erratic behavior. Trump has alienated key voter demographics—women, younger voters, LGBT+ individuals, and minority communities—by doubling down on divisive rhetoric that no longer resonates in the same way it did in 2016. His apparent disdain for Puerto Rican and Latino communities, coupled with rhetoric that alienates the Black community, only hastens the decline in his support base, as his once-core demographic of Boomers shrinks.

In the context of 2024, Trump’s campaign appears as an exercise in self-sabotage. His repeated inflammatory statements, coupled with a legal strategy that borders on “fake insanity,” creates an image not of a leader, but of a desperate man clinging to power to avoid personal downfall. For many voters, this portrayal likely conjures an unsettling image of instability and unpredictability, driving them away from Trumpism and back toward establishment figures. This behavior could serve the establishment’s interest by reinforcing the narrative that populism is inherently unstable, dangerous, and incapable of effective governance—a perfect foil for the steady, predictable establishment power structure.

Coincidence, Intentionality, or Self-Fulfilling Prophecy?

The Trump-as-plant theory remains speculative and, on its face, improbable. There is no empirical evidence proving that Trump was placed by establishment forces to discredit the GOP or right-wing populism. However, the results of his actions—especially his behavior since 2020—align almost perfectly with the objectives one might expect if such a conspiracy were true. His approach has not only weakened the GOP’s internal cohesion but has also disillusioned many voters with the very idea of populist politics. Trump’s actions have inadvertently ensured that anti-establishment rhetoric on the right is synonymous with chaos and division, making it unlikely that any future populist figure could rally the same support without facing skepticism or outright dismissal.

In the end, whether Trump is an unwitting pawn or simply a victim of his own ego, the impact remains the same. The establishment benefits from a weakened populist movement, an alienated base, and a divided GOP that can’t pose a cohesive challenge. Trump may not have started as a plant, but his trajectory has served the establishment’s interests with a precision that’s either astonishingly coincidental or cynically intentional. For pragmatists and skeptics, this theory serves as a cautionary tale on how populist movements can be co-opted, dismantled, or rendered impotent—not necessarily by conspiracy, but by a lack of strategy, coherence, and self-awareness. In Trump’s case, he may well have been his own worst enemy, unwittingly paving the way for establishment dominance that will endure long after he’s faded from the political stage.

[importantwomensbirthdays]

Julia de Burgos

Julia de Burgos was born in 1914 in Carolina, Puerto Rico. In 1938, at the age of 24, de Burgos published her first poetry collection, Poem in Twenty Furrows. She was a supporter of Puerto Rican independence and a member of Puerto Rico's Nationalist Party. Her poetry dealt with colonial violence in her homeland. In 1939, de Burgos published another poetry collection, Song of the Simple Truth, for which she won the Puerto Rican Institute of Literature Award. In 1940, de Burgos left Puerto Rico. She ultimately settled in New York, where she worked as an art and culture editor for Pueblos Hispanos, a progressive newspaper.

Julia de Burgos died in 1953 at the age of 39. Another collection of her poems, The Sea and You, was published posthumously. Today, many cultural centers, parks, and schools are named for her.

[gwendolynlerman]

Separatist and irredentist movements in the world

Puerto Rico

Proposed state: Puerto Rico

Region: Puerto Rico, United States

Ethnic group: Puerto Ricans

Goal: independence

Date: 1904

Political parties: Puerto Rican Independence Party

Militant organizations/advocacy groups: Boricua Popular Army, Hostosian National Independence Movement, Puerto Rican Nationalist Party, Social Front

Current status: inactive

History

7th-11th centuries - Taíno culture

1493 - arrival of Columbus

1868 - Grito de Lares

1873 - abolishment of slavery

1898 - U.S. invasion

1900 - Foraker Act

1914 - independence vote

1917 - Jones-Shafroth Act

1922 - foundation of the Nationalist Party of Puerto

1946 - creation of the Puerto Rican Independence Party

1952 - Puerto Rico becomes a free associated state

1976 - formation of the Boricua Popular Army

1990 - launch of the Socialist Front

2004 - creation of the Hostosian National Independence Movement

2012 - status referendum

2020 - statehood referendum

Rebellions and revolts in Puerto Rico were already present during the Spanish colonization. The most important one was the Grito de Lares or Lares uprising as a result of an economic crisis. It led to the adoption of the first Puerto Rican flag.

After the 1898 Spanish-American War, Puerto Rico became a U.S. possession as an unincorporated organized territory. Soon after, the Foraker Act allowed some measure of civilian popular government. The 1917 Jones-Shafroth Act granted citizenship to Puerto Ricans born after 1898.

The 2012 referendum posed three alternatives: statehood, independence, or free association. Almost two-thirds voted for statehood, a decision that was confirmed by the 2020 referendum.

Puerto Ricans

There are around 9 million Puerto Ricans, of which only 3.2 million live in Puerto Rico. 6 million additional Puerto Ricans live in the diaspora.

They speak English and Spanish, the two official languages of Puerto Rico. The main religion is Catholicism, but there are Protestant groups as well.

Vocabulary

Ejército Popular Boricua - Boricua Popular Army

Frente Socialista - Socialist Front

Movimiento Independentista Nacional Hostosiano - Hostosian National Independence Movement

Partido Independentista Puertorriqueño - Puerto Rican Independence Party

Partido Nacionalista de Puerto Rico - Nationalist Party of Puerto Rico

puertorriqueño/-a - Puerto Rican