#Rallies across US demand change

[reasonsforhope]

Holy crap, I didn't think Biden would be able to get the Climate Corps established without Congress. This is SUCH fantastic news.

--

"After being thwarted by Congress, President Joe Biden will use his executive authority to create a New Deal-style American Climate Corps that will serve as a major green jobs training program.

In an announcement Wednesday, the White House said the program will employ more than 20,000 young adults who will build trails, plant trees, help install solar panels and do other work to boost conservation and help prevent catastrophic wildfires.

The climate corps had been proposed in early versions of the sweeping climate law approved last year but was jettisoned amid strong opposition from Republicans and concerns about cost.

Democrats and environmental advocacy groups never gave up on the plan and pushed Biden in recent weeks to issue an executive order authorizing what the White House now calls the American Climate Corps.

“After years of demonstrating and fighting for a Climate Corps, we turned a generational rallying cry into a real jobs program that will put a new generation to work stopping the climate crisis,” said Varshini Prakash, executive director of the Sunrise Movement, an environmental group that has led the push for a climate corps.

With the new corps “and the historic climate investments won by our broader movement, the path towards a Green New Deal is beginning to become visible,” Prakash said...

...Environmental activists hailed the new jobs program, which is modeled after the Civilian Conservation Corps, created in the 1930s by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, a Democrat, as part of the New Deal...

Lawmakers Weigh In

More than 50 Democratic lawmakers, including Massachusetts Sen. Ed Markey and New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, had also encouraged Biden to create a climate corps, saying in a letter on Monday that “the climate crisis demands a whole-of-government response at an unprecedented scale.”

The lawmakers cited deadly heat waves in the Southwest and across the nation, as well as dangerous floods in New England and devastating wildfires on the Hawaiian island of Maui, among recent examples of climate-related disasters.

Democrats called creation of the climate corps “historic” and the first step toward fulfilling the vision of the Green New Deal.

“Today President Biden listened to the (environmental) movement, and he delivered with an American Climate Corps,” a beaming Markey said at a celebratory news conference outside the Capitol.

“We are starting to turn the green dream into a green reality,” added Ocasio-Cortez, who co-sponsored the Green New Deal legislation with Markey four years ago.

“You all are changing the world,” she told young activists.

Program Details and Grant Deadlines

The initiative will provide job training and service opportunities to work on a wide range of projects, including restoring coastal wetlands to protect communities from storm surges and flooding; clean energy projects such as wind and solar power; managing forests to prevent catastrophic wildfires; and energy efficient solutions to cut energy bills for consumers, the White House said.

Creation of the climate corps comes as the Environmental Protection Agency launches a $4.6 billion grant competition for states, municipalities and tribes to cut climate pollution and advance environmental justice. The Climate Pollution Reduction Grants are funded by the 2022 climate law and are intended to drive community-driven solutions to slow climate change.

EPA Administrator Michael Regan said the grants will help “communities so they can chart their own paths toward the clean energy future.”

The deadline for states and municipalities to apply is April 1, with grants expected in late 2024. Tribes and territories must apply by May 1, with grants expected by early 2025."

-via Boston.com, September 21, 2023

[capybaracorn]

Columbia suspends students after deadline to end Gaza camp passes

The number of arrests has crossed 1,100 since New York police detained first demonstrators at Columbia on April 18.

(April 30th 2024)

Pro-Palestinian demonstrators hold a protest outside Columbia University in New York City. [Michael M Santiago/Getty Images via AFP]

Columbia University has begun suspending student demonstrators after they defied an ultimatum to disperse.

The New York University, the epicentre of pro-Palestinian protests that have upended college campuses across the United States, made the call on Monday.

The move follows almost two weeks of protests against Israel’s war in Gaza, which have swept through higher education institutions from coast to coast, and spread into Europe. The demonstrators have demanded that the universities cease all investment in Israel or companies that are seen as supporting its war effort.

The response of the authorities has been tough, with critics of the protests referring to sporadic instances of anti-Semitism. About 100 protesters were arrested at Columbia on April 18.

In the latest crackdown, authorities at the prestigious university in New York had demanded that the protest encampment be cleared by 2pm (18:00 GMT) or students would face disciplinary action.

“These repulsive scare tactics mean nothing compared to the deaths of over 34,000 Palestinians,” said a statement, read out by a student at a news conference after the deadline passed, referring to the death toll in Gaza.

“We will not move until Columbia meets our demands or … [we] are moved by force,” said the student.

A few hours later, Columbia vice president of communications, Ben Chang, said the university had “begun suspending students as part of this next phase of our efforts to ensure safety on our campus”.

He said students had been warned they would be “placed on suspension, ineligible to complete the semester or graduate, and will be restricted from all academic, residential, and recreational spaces”.

Meanwhile, at the University of Texas in Austin, police used pepper spray as they clashed with protesters on Monday. Arrests were made as they dismantled an encampment, adding to the more than 350 people detained nationwide over the weekend.

“No encampments will be allowed,” Texas Governor Greg Abbott said on social media. “Instead, arrests are being made.”

Protests against the Gaza war, with its high Palestinian civilian death toll, have posed a challenge to university administrators trying to balance free speech rights with complaints that the rallies have veered into anti-Semitism and hate.

Footage of police in riot gear summoned at various colleges to break up rallies has been viewed around the world, recalling the protest movement that erupted during the Vietnam War.

Columbia University president, Minouche Shafik, in a statement on Monday announcing talks had broken down, said, “Many of our Jewish students, and other students as well, have found the atmosphere intolerable in recent weeks.

“Many have left campus, and that is a tragedy,” she continued. “Anti-Semitic language and actions are unacceptable and calls for violence are simply abhorrent.”

Protest organisers deny accusations of anti-Semitism, arguing their actions are aimed at Israel’s government and its prosecution of the conflict in Gaza.

They also insist there have been incidents engineered by non-student agitators.

A protester wears the university's disciplinary warning covered over by support for Palestinians in Gaza at Columbia University in New York City. [Alex Kent/Getty Images via AFP]

The protests have upended university campuses across the US, with the number of arrests crossing 1,100. [Caitlin Ochs/Reuters]

A faculty member holds up a sign as faculty members seek to protect students in the Pro-Palestinian "Gaza Solidarity Encampment" at Columbia University. [Michael M Santiago/Getty Images via AFP]

Protesters at Columbia defied a deadline to disband the event with chants, clapping and drumming. [Stefan Jeremiah/AP Photo]

Columbia University issued a notice to the protesters asking them to disband their encampment after negotiations failed to come to a resolution. [Spencer Platt/Getty Images via AFP]

Demonstrators gathered outside an entrance to Columbia University as the 2pm deadline to disband or face suspension approached. [David Dee Delgado/Reuters]

Students condemned the university’s attempts to silence the protesters and said they were determined to continue. “What trumps our fear is our love for Palestine, and our love for liberation, and our refusal to accept subjugation and censorship from an oppressive institution,” one said. [Nuri Vallbona/Reuters]

Pro-Palestinian supporters continue to demonstrate on the campus of Columbia University. [Spencer Platt/Getty Images via AFP]

One graduate student protester said: "It's finals week. But at the end of the day, school is temporary." [Alex Kent/Getty Images via AFP]

[flyingwargle]

like how one might take their glasses off when they're tired of seeing the world, atsumu takes his hearing aids off when listening to the world becomes too much.

he's sitting on a bench, blissfully protected beneath the trees. a water fountain spews ahead of him, children running through the field, screaming at one another. their parents watch and laugh, other pedestrians walking by to admire the park and take pictures. there are dozens of small groups scattered across the grass, each holding their own conversations. a group of teens play ultimate, shouting at each other. birds soar through the sky overhead, squawks drowned by the airplane that passes by.

for the hearing, all of this would blend into the same layer of sound. for him, each fragment is tuned in and out, like a radio dial that can't find the right frequency, skipping through the channels without pause. it isn't always an issue, something that he's learned to tolerate over the years, but with fatigue accumulated from weeks of training and traveling, it's resulted in a pounding headache and an intense desire to hit something.

a finger taps on his shoulder. sakusa is back, a disposable cup in each hand. his expression is pinched, eyes narrowed with concern, and once atsumu takes his drink, he uses his free hand to pull his mask down and ask, "are you okay?"

"feelin' overwhelmed with all the sound," atsumu admits. "mind if i unplug fer a bit?"

sakusa shakes his head. atsumu switches his hearing aids off, one at a time, and the world becomes muted. he turns back to the park, watches the crowd around them, still engaged in the same activities, just soundless. he doesn't need context to understand them, simply understands that they're enjoying the weather and one another's company.

another tap on the shoulder. sakusa is signing one-handed. "better?"

atsumu nods. sakusa smiles, settles on the bench, and sips his coffee. he leans closer against him, shoulders brushing, legs pressed together, a steady reminder that he's here.

silence used to unnerve atsumu. he was always talking to someone, always kept the tv on with subtitles, always had the radio in the background. the only time he demanded it was during volleyball, because he had to pay extra attention to his surroundings, needing to know when to signal whom, deciding what the next strategy is, knowing where his teammates are during a rally.

it took several years before he could appreciate the quiet that came with his hearing loss, especially now that he has someone to anchor him if it carries him elsewhere.

atsumu turns at the tap on his shoulder. "are you finished?" sakusa signs, gesturing at the cup he holds loosely in his hand. he offers it to him, and his partner steps away to deposit them in the trash. sitting back down again, he signs, "want to head home, or stay a bit longer?"

"stay. need a minute more. okay?"

sakusa nods. atsumu rests his head on his shoulder, closing his eyes, the warm tea spreading through his body. while his teammates learned basic signs to make communicating a bit easier for him, his partner took it a step further to learn jsl for days when atsumu was too overstimulated. he might even be better than osamu, someone who'd learn alongside with him, all those years ago.

after a few more minutes, they rise and exit the park. it's difficult to sign while holding hands, but they have their own language through touch - subtle squeezes to indicate directional changes, stroking thumbs to ask if the other is okay, taps over knuckles to stop because there's something to see. sakusa keeps his mask tucked beneath his chin for atsumu to read his lips, a portrait of soft light and easy affection that atsumu continues to fall in love with, again and again.

at home, sakusa fetches the bottle of tylenol and a glass of water for him. atsumu flushes it down, smiling as he signs, "thanks, omi." he's about to put his hearing aids back in but looks up at sakusa's gestures.

"it's okay if you don't want to wear them. today can be a quiet day," he says, signing along. "i know your headaches are bad when you're overwhelmed."

atsumu's eyes widen, warmth unfurling in his chest. he nods, heading to their room to put on them nightstand. when he returns, sakusa motions him toward the washroom, where they take a bath together, then cuddle on the couch, atsumu resting his head on sakusa's chest to sign and complain about the awful referee's call during their last match, and how bokuto was unfairly benched. sakusa nods along, speaking and signing back. "if he's still dejected, we'll need to do something."

"drinks and board games?"

"perhaps, so long it isn't monopoly."

atsumu pouts. "you need to learn to let it go, omi. just because i bankrupted you once-"

"i'm not bitter," sakusa cuts in. his hands hover in hesitation before he continues, "i simply don't want bokuto to feel worse."

"we should play uno, instead."

"yes, we should. that'll surely strengthen our friendships," his partner deadpans, complete with an unamused expression. atsumu chuckles. sakusa somehow becomes more expressive with jsl, and he loves every face he can make.

as the conversation winds down, atsumu closes his eyes, feeling his headache subside and fade, drowned by a wave of exhaustion instead. it's easy for the silence to carry him away, but what grounds him are the fingers that card through his hair, the hand that presses over his, the rhythmic heartbeat that pulses beneath his head. past partners never quite knew how to accommodate his hearing loss, either treating him as a normal human being or completely helpless. sakusa, on the other hand, strikes a balance between the two, always quick to bark back if he isn't satisfied, yet quick to let him turn to silence and maintain communication all the same.

"i love ya," atsumu says. his own voice sounds garbled to his ears, but he's said it enough to know how the vowels are shaped, what the tones are, how to modulate so it's in a murmur.

if sakusa says something back, atsumu wouldn't hear it, so instead, his hand releases his to press over his heart, a kiss pressed to his cheek, and a whisper to his ear that tickles him, shapeless to be whatever atsumu wants to imagine. however, there's only one response to him.

"i love you too.”

--

inspiration: this fanart of sakusa and atsumu <3

[the-garbanzo-annex-jr]

TORONTO – B’nai Brith is outraged that International Women’s Day (IWD) rallies across Canada are planning to commemorate terrorism while ignoring the violence perpetrated last October by Hamas terrorists against innocent Israeli civilians, including women and girls.

IWD, on Mar. 8, 2024, is intended to celebrate women and their contributions to society. It is also a time to advocate for women’s rights and challenge gender-based discrimination.

Instead of using this day as an opportunity to raise awareness about Israeli women and girls who were raped, mutilated, and killed on Oct. 7, or to demand the release of those still held hostage in Gaza by Hamas terrorists, some groups in Canada will be supporting their captors.

For instance, promotional materials for women’s marches in Toronto and Vancouver feature figures such as Leila Khaled, who participated in the 1969 hijacking of TWA Flight 840 and the 1970 attack on El Al Flight 219 as a member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), a listed terrorist entity in Canada.

Other extremists cited as luminaries of Palestinian “liberation” include Ahed Tamimi, who was arrested for attacking Israeli soldiers and later for inciting violence against Jews on social media.

“The public must see the hypocrisy in these attempts to manipulate IWD into anti-Israel propaganda,” said Richard Robertson, B’nai Brith Canada’s Director of Research and Advocacy. “IWD is a day to promote the universal struggle for women’s rights, and to celebrate women’s accomplishments – not to glorify terrorists, even if they are women. If anything, this should be a moment to express global revulsion towards Hamas’ cruel treatment of women on and after Oct. 7.

“It is profoundly concerning that some IWD organizers do not see the pain and suffering of the victims of Hamas terror as something worth acknowledging simply because they are Jewish or Israeli.”

Following public backlash, the Vancouver IWD march organizers updated a Facebook statement to express “support [for] Jewish women,” while hypocritically dedicating IWD this year to Palestinian women who have “engendered revolutionary change.”

[girlactionfigure]

*ISRAEL REALTIME* - "Connecting the World to Israel in Realtime"

▪️Kerem Shalom - A huge traffic jam of aid trucks that will not enter Gaza today thanks to the blockade.. ‘the blockade’ is hostage families and fighter families (the Order 9 movement) who are protesting against aid entry with no return of hostages and ongoing attacks against the fighters.  "No aid passes until the last of the hostages returns.”

▪️Hezbollah announces that at 11:20 it launched two suicide drones towards the Iron Dome batteries near Kfar Blum.  IDF confirms falls in open areas.

▪️Israel is considering not extending the current water flow agreement with Jordan in the background of the harsh statements of senior officials against it following the war in Gaza, led by Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman al-Safdi.

▪️China's Ministry of Defense: "We have never supplied arms and weapons to the conflict in Gaza. We always adopt a responsible approach to arms exports.”

▪️The Gazans report that they received an instruction (from the IDF) to evacuate the area of ​​UNWRA's Sana'a center in western Khan Younis by tomorrow at 5:00 AM. There are about ten thousand displaced persons there.

▪️In light of the spread of rumors about the establishment of a Palestinian state and the end of the war with a surrender agreement that removes the IDF from the Strip, the members of the ‘military camp’ movement (reservists) decided to intensify the struggle and embark on a number of projects across the length and breadth of the country in front of the government systems in order to convey their demand 'This war cannot be ended without exacting a heavy territorial price from the enemy and a 180 degree change of the reality that was here before October 7.’

The members of the movement decided at this stage to turn the encampment in Jerusalem into a march of reserve fighters leaving the northern Gaza Strip towards the government offices in Jerusalem. 

On Sunday, February 4, the reservists who were released from reserve service in Gaza will begin a march from the entrance to the northern Gaza Strip to Jerusalem, a five-day journey that will end with a rally in front of the Prime Minister's Office. The reservists call on the public to join them in the journey or segments of it and at the end of the victory rally that will be held on February 8 in Jerusalem.

🔶 JUDEA-SAMARIA Front 

▪️Terrorist who attacked IDF forces in Jenin and was killed this morning, was imprisoned in Israel for 16 years… released 2 months ago as part of the hostage releases.

▪️Bethlehem: confrontation between IDF forces and Palestinian police by police station that included the throwing of a stun grenade by IDF soldiers. The Palestinian policemen went back into their police station.

▪️IDF forces are currently doing counter-terror operations in the town of Kablan near Shechem.

▪️Shechem: Shin Bet arrests two wanted persons and a 3D printer used to manufacture weapons was confiscated.

[easterneuropeancrafts]

This is not a typical post. This blog is not about current affairs, but one of the reasons why I started it is to celebrate and center the creations and lives of women across the Balkans, as well as other stories about people's everyday lives that remain on the sidelines of the standard history curriculum. I cannot, in good conscience, post about the lives of women in the past while ignoring what's going on with women's lives in the present.

A teenager suffered several severe wounds at the hands of her older ex-boyfriend in Bulgaria. If you want the gory details of what happened, they are described in the article. The court, on hearing the case, decided that the injuries were "light" and declined to detain the man. People are out on the streets, demanding justice.

This is one of many similar cases affecting women across the Balkans. It is a systemic problem, one rooted deep into our societies and institutions, and often one that people feel powerless to change. But every little step helps - every little fight. Each one of us can help, regardless of gender and political affiliation, be it by voting, protesting, leveraging social stigma against the perpetrators and their supporters, challenging the men (and women) around us who blame victims and believe in the idea that the role of the woman is to be "naturally subservient", or donating to and supporting services for victims where the state fails to do its job.

This case is one of many similar cases affecting women across the Balkans. It is our job to ensure that this is one of the last.

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

The hits just keep on coming with the Harris campaign. It’s almost hard to keep up with the good news.

With that, here we go:

Barack and Michelle Obama issued the following statement this morning:

“Earlier this week, we got a chance to catch up with a friend who we’ve known for more than 20 years. She’d had a pretty busy couple of days, to say the least. But we couldn’t be more excited for her -- or more thrilled to endorse Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee for President of the United States.

“We agree with President Biden -- choosing Kamala was one of the best decisions he’s made. She has the resume to prove it: As a prosecutor, she defended the Constitution and fought for folks who deserve a fair shake. As California’s Attorney General, she worked hard to ensure everyone was treated fairly, no matter who they are or who they love. As a Senator, she was one of the strongest voices holding the Trump administration accountable. And, as Vice President, she helped lead the charge on expanding the Affordable Care Act, combating climate change, fighting for reproductive freedom, equality, and the rule of law.

“But Kamala has more than a resume. She has the vision, the character, and the strength that this critical moment demands. There is no doubt in our mind that Kamala Harris has exactly what it takes to win this election and deliver for the American people. At a time when the stakes have never been higher, she gives us all reason to hope.

“We know over the next few months, Kamala will continue to make her case directly to the American people -- Democrats, Republicans, and independents alike. As she does, she will have our full support -- and we look forward to watching her unite our party and our country around a vision for a brighter, fairer, more prosperous future.

“We’re going to do everything we can to elect Kamala Harris the next President of the United States. And we hope you’ll join us.”

Harris campaign “Breaks Zoom”:

From the HollywoodReporter - Hundreds of thousands of Kamala Harris supporters have rallied behind the presumptive Democratic nominee this week, with Zoom calls breaking records with six-digit attendance numbers.

The events started Sunday following President Joe Biden’s announcement he would not seek re-election. More than 44,000 Black women joined a call to galvanize supporters for the vice president’s historic run for president, drawing celebrity names — including Yvette Nicole Brown and Jenifer Lewis — and raising an estimated $1.5 million.

The trend continued with thousands of Black men on a call earlier this week (they raised $1.3 million), followed by Zooms for white women, LGBTQ supporters, South Asian supporters and more.

At the white women call Thursday night, there were more than 100,000 participants (officially now 150,000), a number so staggering it caused significant technical glitches that sent many to watch the livestream on YouTube, where more than 25,000 also joined the call. ($10 million was raised)

Hollywood was represented across the interest groups. Mindy Kaling joined the South Asian call, with George Takei, Zachary Quinto, Raven Simone, Sophia Bush, Ashlyn Harris, Brian Michael Smith and Justin Tranter attending the LGBTQ call. (Tranter, the co-writer of Chappell Roan’s “Good Luck Babe,” announced he would donate $20,000 to the cause.)

Katie McGrath, Connie Britton, Pink and more signed on to the white women’s call, with Pink reportedly joining right after leaving the stage of a performance in Sweden.

Another Zoom call, women for Harris, is scheduled for this weekend.

Grace outperforms ignorance:

JoeBiden’s farewell address drew 29 million viewers - nearly triple the number that watch Mushroom Donnie’s acceptsance speech.

Harris points to a different direction regarding Israel and Gaza:

After meetiongwith Netanyahu, Kamal Harris said the following:

"I have met with the families of these American hostages multiple times now, and I've told them each time they are not alone, and I stand with them. And President Biden and I are working every day to bring them home.

"With over 2 million people facing high levels of food insecurity, and half a million people facing catastrophic levels of acute food insecurity. What has happened in Gaza over the past nine months is devastating; the images of dead children and desperate, hungry people fleeing for safety, sometimes displaced for the second, third or fourth time.

"Let us all condemn terrorism and violence. Let us all do what we can to prevent the suffering of innocent civilians. And let us condemn antisemitism, Islamophobia and hate of any kind. And let us work to unite our country."

President Biden has made Val Demmings a Governor of the Postal Service. Can we now finally fire Louis De(no)Joy and restore thePost Office?

We knew Trump was rattled by Kamala’s arrival in the campaign, but we didn’t think he would actually wimp out of the debate. But that’s exactly what the orange chickenshit did yesterday. Making up some silly bullcrap about “Barack Hussein Obama” and flailing like the hopeless loser that he is, Trump has officially backed out of the scheduled debate in September. Vice President Harris is already calling him out and making sure the media knows she is ready to go.

All seven battleground states - AZ, GA, MI, NC, NV, PA, WI - are clearly competitive now and in play. New battleground state polls this week also showed Harris gaining and in a competitive position in all seven states. Polls of Maine and New Hampshire found Harris at Biden 2020 numbers, an election Biden won by 4.5 pts. Simon Rosenberg: “To be honest the movement we are seeing towards Harris this week has been a bit surprising to me. It usually takes a while for big events to work their way through the electorate. So that we are seeing meaningful movement this early is a good sign.”

I’ll end for now with across-post from Kareem Abdul Jabar. I think this has significance for all of us here:

Life is a long lesson in humility.

—James M. Barrie, author of Peter Pan

“Barrie should have added, “If we’re lucky.” By that I mean we’re lucky if our lives last long enough for it to be a “long lesson.” But I also mean we’re lucky to have constant reminders on how to be humble because that makes us empathetic to others and lays a foundation for being able to love and be worthy of being loved. In other words, humility breeds happiness.

“Arrogance is the enemy of humility. That need to feel like we matter beyond the confines of our little world means we can only feel important when validated by others—not by ourselves. Unfortunately, the need for that validation often leads to unhappiness. For many, the only way to feel significant is to chase after some sort of fame or popularity. This can be done through gathering “likes” on social media or by accumulating wealth to flaunt. The idea is that if others are envious, the person has proven they are more significant than those who envy them. This is the math of madness.

“For a happy few, fame is merely a by-product of pursuing personal greatness—not to flaunt but just out of curiosity about how far they can go. This is true of the athlete and the artist, the inventor and the innovator. Their joy comes from their reach exceeding their grasp. It comes from the trying more than the succeeding. This path is littered with failure and humility, which only makes them strive harder. The joy is in the striving, not in the accolades of others. Or as Janis Joplin said, “On stage, I make love to 25,000 different people, then I go home alone.”

For me, being a speck of dust is not an existential burden but a profound relief. It is the great equalizer that reminds us we all face the same challenges of wanting to feel useful, needed, and worthy. Humility teaches us that those challenges are overcome through compassion, kindness, and love for others rather than seeking power over others.

“There is nothing that teaches humility more than aging. The increasing frailties of the body remind me daily just how insignificant so much of what I once thought was important really is. I also am acutely aware of how many opinions I had in my youth and even later that embarrass me today. That humility taught me to form my opinions carefully using facts, experts, and research rather than my biased gut or peer pressure.

“The closing door of life just inspires me to make a positive difference in others’ lives while that door is still open, even if just a crack and I can see light. Humility lights the way.”

You can’t go wrong taking advice from Kareem.

Robert Hubbell has been ending his daily posts with astronomical photos he’s taken. To me, they’re humbling to think a small being on a small planet orbiting a small sun at the edge of a small galaxy can look out at creation and comprehend it. So of course the following is a perfect ending. (Thanks Kareem)

+

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Fabiola Cineas at Vox:

It took less than a day for the world to start rallying for George Floyd in late May 2020. The events that led to Floyd’s murder unfolded over hours, but a viral 10-minute video recording of the deadly encounter with Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was enough to send floods of people nationwide into the streets for months.  In the weeks after Floyd’s killing, the number of Americans who said they believe racial discrimination is a big problem and that they support the Black Lives Matter movement spiked. As books about racial injustice flew off of bookstore shelves, corporate leaders, politicians, and celebrities pledged to fight racism. The events of 2020 disturbed America’s collective conscience, and the movement for justice captivated millions. Until it didn’t.  

In retrospect, there were signs of brewing right-wing resistance all along. While many peacefully protested, others called for their defeat. Arkansas Republican Sen. Tom Cotton demanded that the US military be brought in to fight “insurrectionists, anarchists, rioters, and looters.” As police officers used tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse crowds across the country, President Donald Trump deployed the National Guard to “dominate the streets” and defend “life and property,” sending thousands of troops and federal law enforcement officers to control protesters in Washington, DC; Portland, Oregon; and other cities.  Some Americans who wanted to stamp out the unrest took it upon themselves to practice vigilantism. One of them, Kyle Rittenhouse, fatally shot two unarmed men and wounded another when he brought an AR-15-style rifle to protests in Kenosha, Wisconsin. (Rittenhouse was later acquitted of all homicide charges.)

Though the mass mobilization of 2020 brought hope, it’s clear today that it also marked a turning point for backlash as the mirage of progress morphed into seemingly impenetrable resistance. Historically, backlash has embodied a white rejection of racial progress. Over the past few years, the GOP has built on that precedent and expanded its reach.  The right watched progressives rally for change and immediately fought back with the “Big Lie” of a stolen election. In many of the states that Biden flipped in 2020, Republicans rushed to ban ballot drop boxes, absentee ballots, and mobile voting units, the methods that allowed more people to vote. Since then, we’ve seen the passage of dozens of regressive laws, including anti-protest laws, anti-LGBTQ laws, and anti-diversity, equity, and inclusion laws. In state after state, these bans were coupled with incursions against reproductive rights, as some conservatives announced plans to take over every American institution from the courts to the schools to root out liberalism and progress.

[...] “There’s a backlash impulse in American politics,” Glickman said. “I think 2020 is important because it gets at another part of backlash, which is the fear that social movements for equality and justice might set off a stronger counter-reaction.” The protests of 2020 did. And though race is still at the core of the post-George Floyd backlash, many Republicans have gone to new lengths to conceal this element.  "One of the things that the civil rights movement accomplished was to make being overtly racist untenable,” said Anderson. “Today they say, ‘I can do racist stuff, but don't call me racist.’” For Anderson, backlash is about instituting state-level policies that undermine African Americans’ advancement toward their citizenship rights.

By early 2021, alongside the effort to “stop the steal,” legislation that would limit or block voting access, give police protection, and control the teaching of concepts such as racial injustice began spreading across Republican-controlled state legislatures — all in the name of protecting America.  “They cover [voter suppression] with the fig leaf of election integrity, with the fig leaf of trying to protect democracy, and with the fig leaf of stopping massive rampant voter fraud,” Anderson said. And, she said, laws banning the teaching of history get covered “with the fig leaf of stopping indoctrination.” That coordinated legislation was a direct response to potential racial gains for Black Americans and other marginalized groups. “After the death of George Floyd in 2020, it seemed like all of our institutions suddenly shifted overnight,” conservative activist Christopher Rufo said in a 2022 interview. Rufo’s answer was to release a series of reports about diversity training programs in the federal government and critical race theory, which, he argued, “set off a massive response, or really, revolt amongst parents nationwide.” 

[...]

The new era of backlash is grievance-driven 

That racial resentment has since taken on a particularly acrid temperament since Floyd's death. At the 2023 Conservative Political Action Conference, Trump, facing a litany of criminal and civil charges, stood on stage and told the audience, “I am your warrior. I am your justice. And for those who have been wronged and betrayed, I am your retribution.”  Trump’s words summarized the political discourse that has spread since the killing of George Floyd and highlighted the absence of a formal Republican policy agenda. “[What he said was] not policy,” said historian John Huntington, author of the book Far Right Vanguard: The Radical Roots of Modern Conservatism. “It was just vengeance for some sort of perceived wrongs.” He added, “policy has taken a backseat to cultural grievances.” 

What Huntington calls out as “endless harangues against very nebulous topics like critical race theory or wokeness or whatever the current catchphrase is right now” are an important marker of this new era. “A key element of the current backlash we’re seeing is a politics of grievance,” he says. “‘I have been wronged somehow by the liberals or whoever, and Trump is going to help me get even with these people that I don’t like.’” Glickman calls this backlash tactic an “inversion” or “elite victimization”: “It’s a reversal that happens in backlash language where privileged white people take the historical position of oppressed people — often African Americans but sometimes other oppressed groups — and they speak from that vantage point.” To be sure, Republicans have passed dozens of laws through state legislatures to do everything from restricting voting to banning trans athletes from participating in sports. But for Huntington, these reactionary laws don’t amount to legitimate policy. “It's very difficult to convince people to build a society rather than trying to tear down something that's already existing,” he said. “Critiquing is easy. Building is hard.” Nationally, Republicans only passed 27 laws despite holding 724 votes in 2023. 

Vox has a great article on the right-wing backlash against the racial reckoning of Summer 2020 has had effects on our politics the last few years, such as waging faux outrage crusades against CRT and DEI.

[eretzyisrael]

by Dion J. Pierre

McGill University in Quebec, Canada has banned its Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights (SPHR) chapter from using the school’s name after the campus group posted on social media a statement that cheered Hamas’ Oct. 7 massacre across southern Israel.

SPHR described Hamas’ atrocities — which included the murder of 1,200 people, numerous rapes, and taking 240 people hostage — as “heroic.”

“The university cannot be, or seen to be, associated with a celebration of the taking of civilian hostages,” university spokesperson Susan Murley told The Montreal Gazette. “This post by SPHR was antithetical to the university’s values and stands to undermine the important work aimed at bringing our community together through the Initiative Against Islamophobia and Antisemitism.”

Murley added: “The university has clearly indicated to the SSMU [Students’ Society of McGill University] that the revocation should not be interpreted as the university taking a position on the Middle East and emphasized that the university would act in exactly the same manner in regard to any club that used the McGill name when posting content of a similar nature.”

SPHR — a Canadian equivalent of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) that earlier this month accused school officials of having “the blood of 20 000 [sic] Palestinians on their hands” — is refusing to abide by the university’s order. In a statement, the group told the Gazette that it is “rejecting this name change” and charged that the ban “is just another blatant way to smear the only group on campus which is representing Palestinian students.”

McGill University has made numerous attempts to combat antisemitic speech on campus, threatening even to disaffiliate with SSMU, the school’s student government, over a referendum it scheduled to declare that Israel is conducting “genocidal bombing campaigns” in Gaza and demand that the university end partnerships with businesses described in the referendum as “complicit in genocide, settler-colonialism, apartheid, or ethnic cleansing against Palestinians.”

Tensions between the university and its student government resulting from extreme anti-Israel activism have persisted for some years. In March 2022, McGill officials threatened to defund SSMU after its members voted to approve a policy accusing Israel of imposing “settler-colonial apartheid” against Palestinians and backing a boycott of “all corporations and institutions complicit” in the supposed practice. SSMU advanced the measure against the objections of its own judicial board, which had repeatedly ruled that joining the boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) campaign against Israel would violate both the SSMU constitution and university’s policy on equity and inclusion.

Later, a McGill University student sued the school for allegedly reneging on its pledge to defund SSMU, and last month he won a victory when a court ordered an injunction to halt ratification of the resolution.

In the latest controversy, SSMU is charged with officially withdrawing the group’s affiliation with SPHR. The student government has so far not chosen to contest the university’s decision, according to a statement issued on Monday.

“We regret to announce that SPHR will no longer be able to use the McGill name,” its executive committee said. “We continue to take our role as liaison between student groups and the administration seriously and will continue to investigate avenues for remedial action.”

As of Wednesday, SPHR has not published new content on its accounts using the McGill University name.

[fuckyeahmarxismleninism]

A highly coordinated series of anti-LGBT protests rocked more than 80 cities across Canada Wednesday, in a significant escalation of tactics by Canada’s anti-LGBTQ extremists.

The coordinated protests dubbed “1 Million March 4 Children” are demanding an end to discussions on sexual orientation and gender identity in Canadian classrooms. They come as several Canadian provinces have enacted policies that require students to have parental permission to change their preferred name or pronoun used in schools, and shortly after the federal Conservative Party adopted a series of anti-trans policies at its national convention.

There's no safe place to run. We have to unite and fight fascism.

[mika-mediastudies]

MDA20009 DIGITAL COMMUNITIES Week 6 Post

Has any fandoms you’re involved in been part of any protest or acts of social activism

"From Escapism to Activism: The Power of Protest in Animal Crossing"

So the fandom i be deep diving for this blog post will be about Animal Crossings

"When you see pictures of Animal Crossing, you might think of it as just another cute and carefree game in which people of all ages can relax, decorate, and spend time with friends and family. But what if I told you that, beneath its charming, innocent exterior, Animal Crossing has evolved into an unexpected forum for social activism? From virtual protests to displays of solidarity, fans have turned this cozy game into a one-of-a-kind platform for expressing powerful remarks and supporting worldwide causes. This lovely universe isn't just for playing; it also allows you to stand up."

In 2020, Animal Crossing: New Horizons was more than just a location to capture bugs and build trees; it was also a platform for real-world activism! Players from all around the world brought causes such as Black Lives Matter and Hong Kong's pro-democracy rallies to their virtual islands. From homemade protest posters to meetups with friends, Animal Crossing has become a surprisingly strong tool for making a message, demonstrating that even in a cozy game world, gamers can speak out for what they believe in.

Even before its release, Animal Crossing: New Horizons was largely regarded as a welcome respite from real-life concerns, particularly given 2020's harsh isolation measures (Hernandez 2020). However, when police violently interrupt protests across the country in response to the murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, moderators are finding it increasingly difficult to justify keeping their communities completely cut off (Hernandez 2020).

Animal Crossing: New Horizons' online hosting capabilities let individuals of all ages to support ongoing rallies against police brutality and structural racism while staying at home during the pandemic. Typically, players construct an island paradise with buildings, artifacts, and interactions with other players and NPCs. Not only can students create their own worlds and residences, but they can also personalize the products and objects that their characters use. As Black Lives Matter rallies exploded around the world, fans began using these capabilities to construct digital protests, adding BLM iconography to placards and apparel, transforming the game into an unexpected social activism platform.

For parents who are hesitant to bring their children to physical rallies, Animal Crossing provides a safe and collaborative opportunity to support the Black community by organizing or attending virtual protests. Players using Nintendo Online can open their islands for these rallies; one such protest occurred on June 7, 2020. With a maximum of eight players per island, participants queued through a website to get a unique entry code when it was their turn. The host made personalized posters, cushions, memorial images, and a designated protest area where players were invited to contribute in-game cash (bells) to be changed into real-world charity donations.

On the other side, Protests in Hong Kong erupted, prompted by a contentious extradition bill that grew into a broader movement demanding greater democratic rights. Thousands of Hong Kong residents of all ages participated, often disguised to protect their identities. However, when Covid-19 spread, the demonstrations were halted by government-imposed lockdowns, which severely restricted pro-democracy demonstrators, culminating in over 8,000 arrests. To adapt, many activists turned to the virtual world of Animal Crossing: New Horizons, where they discovered a new forum to express their demands for freedom.

In Animal Crossing, players retreat to a deserted island where they can build homes, modify decorations, and engage with friends—ideal for a period of global self-isolation. Hong Kong residents brought their protest art with them, utilizing the game to circumvent political censorship. Joshua Wong, a renowned activist and member of Hong Kong's Umbrella Movement, adds, "Animal Crossing is a place without political censorship, so it is a good place to continue our fight." His virtual island is adorned with protest symbols such as a black banner, images of Chinese President Xi Jinping and Hong Kong's Chief Executive Carrie Lam, and the city's famous cherry blossoms. Wong and others believe that the game's popularity has made it an unexpected weapon for advocacy.

The movement's creativity spilled over into the game, with participants creating protest art and famous designs on their islands and posting them online. Players like as Li, a young student, began contributing protest-themed art on local forums in the hopes of reaching out to individuals who were less politically engaged. Another protester, Fung, utilized the game's design capabilities to create clothes based on Hong Kong's unofficial protest mascots, a pig and a dog, and shared them with pals. Animal Crossing allows Hong Kong protestors to remind the world of their message despite lockdowns and limitations.

While some perceive these progressive shifts as a danger to their escapism, the Animal Crossing community has traditionally used the game as a political tool. Protests in Hong Kong have spread beyond international islands, prompting Chinese retailers to drop New Horizons. U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has utilized the game to make house calls to constituents. And now, the tropical paradise is hosting Black Lives Matter rallies. It's a logical progression that doesn't go against the game's ethos, because this is what it's always been about (Hernandez 2020).

Well that is all for me folks hope you have fun and thank you for taking the time to read all this. Goodbye for now.

Here are some links to YouTube to know more of these fan activism

References

Bernhard, M 2020, ‘On Lockdown, Hong Kong activists are protesting in Animal Crossing’, Wired, Conde Nast, viewed 9 November, 2024, <https://www.wired.com/story/animal-crossing-hong-kong-protests-coronavirus/>.

Hernandez, P 2020, ‘Animal Crossing’s escapist fantasy is getting a reality check’, Polygon, Polygon, viewed 8 November, 2024, <https://www.polygon.com/2020/6/2/21277972/animal-crossing-new-horizons-black-lives-matter-acnh-nintendo-switch-politics>.

Stavros, J 2020, ‘“animal crossing” users are wearing black lives matter shirts, making signs, and organizing virtual protests’, Business Insider, Business Insider, viewed 9 November, 2024, <https://www.businessinsider.com/animal-crossing-users-are-having-virtual-black-lives-matter-protests-2020-6>.

[darkmaga-returns]

Editor��s Note: All the polls are telling the same story. It’s tied, nationally, and in the seven battleground states. So there’s no point in listing them individually. The one that will get all the attention today was just posted at The New York Times website. As follows:

Kamala Harris and Donald J. Trump are locked in a dead heat for the popular vote, 48 percent to 48 percent, the final national poll by The New York Times and Siena College has found, as Ms. Harris struggles for an edge over Mr. Trump with an electorate that seems impossibly and immovably divided.

The result, coming less than two weeks before Election Day, and as millions of Americans have already voted, is not encouraging for Ms. Harris. In recent elections, Democrats have had an edge in the popular vote even when they have lost the Electoral College and thus the White House. They have been looking to Ms. Harris to build a strong national lead as a sign that she would do well in such critical swing states as Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

Ms. Harris and Mr. Trump remain effectively tied even after three of the most tumultuous months in recent American political history. A high-profile debate, two attempts on Mr. Trump’s life, dozens of rallies across seven battlefield states and hundreds of millions spent on advertisements have seemingly done little to change the trajectory of the race.

Ms. Harris’s position, if anything, may have declined among likely voters since the last Times/Siena College poll, taken in early October. At the time, she had a slight lead over Mr. Trump, 49 percent to 46 percent. The change is within the margin of error, but The Times’s national polling average has registered a tightening in polls over the past few weeks as well, suggesting at the very least that this contest has drawn even closer. (Source: nytimes.com)

Every day seems to bring more exciting news. First the drugs tackled diabetes. Then, with just an injection a week, they took on obesity. Now they are being found to treat cardiovascular and kidney disease, and are being tested for Alzheimer’s and addiction. It is early days yet, but glp-1 receptor agonists have all the makings of one of the most successful classes of drugs in history. As they become cheaper and easier to use, they promise to dramatically improve the lives of more than a billion people—with profound consequences for industry, the economy and society. With over two-fifths of the world overweight or obese, demand for glp-1 drugs is voracious. Curbing obesity would be consequential. Yet glp-1 drugs promise to do much more. Overweight patients on semaglutide have been found to suffer fewer heart attacks and strokes; the benefits, astonishingly, seem to be largely independent of how much weight is lost; and there are signs they may lessen brain shrinkage and cognitive decline in Alzheimer’s. Studies of health records suggest that they may help with addictions, too; people already on glp-1 drugs in America were less likely to overdose on opioids or abuse cannabis or alcohol. Researchers are even talking, in hushed tones, of their anti-aging effects. How can one class of drug do so much? As our briefing explains this week, not only do the drugs act in the gut, but they also bind to receptors all over the body and in the brain. The drugs appear to reduce inflammation and interact with mechanisms linked to cravings and feelings of reward. With every new finding, researchers are learning more about the workings of disease and the links between the body and the brain. (Source: economist.com)

[wednesdays-child-full-of-woe]

A Mother's Fury

The sun bathed the park in a warm, golden glow as Kylie Jenner strolled alongside [Reader], their precious baby daughter nestled snugly in her arms. The tranquility of the moment filled their hearts with joy and contentment, an oasis of peace amidst the chaos of fame. Little did they know, their peaceful walk was about to be shattered by the unwelcome intrusion of the paparazzi.

The first clicks of the camera shutters reached their ears, but Kylie and [Reader] tried to maintain their composure, determined to protect their daughter's innocence from the prying eyes. They held each other's hands tightly, seeking solace in their love and the gentle sway of their daughter's cries. But as the paparazzi closed in, their daughter's cries grew louder, her distress palpable.

In the midst of the chaos, a paparazzo crossed the line, reaching out to touch [Reader] without consent. A surge of fury surged through Kylie, her protective instincts blazing like fire. "How dare you!" she thundered, her voice carrying across the park. "You have disrespected [Reader] and our family! Back off!"

The words hung heavy in the air, cutting through the chaos like a knife. Onlookers turned their attention to the scene unfolding, their expressions shifting from idle curiosity to outrage. They recognized the violation of personal boundaries, the blatant disregard for consent. The paparazzo stood frozen, their actions exposed and condemned by both Kylie's words and the collective voice of those witnessing the scene.

As the echoes of Kylie's voice faded, she gathered her family closer, her anger tempered by a fierce protectiveness. "We deserve respect and privacy. Our lives are not a spectacle to be exploited," she declared, her voice commanding attention and demanding change.

The message rippled through the public consciousness, resonating with those who had experienced similar intrusions. Supporters rallied behind Kylie, [Reader], and their daughter, vowing to stand against the invasive practices of the paparazzi. Hashtags spread across social media, demanding accountability and change within the industry.

Empowered by their collective voice, Kylie and [Reader] used their platform to shed light on the importance of consent and personal boundaries. They shared their story, urging others to find strength in setting limits and reclaiming their right to privacy. The media landscape shifted, as conversations surrounding paparazzi ethics and responsibilities took center stage.

Over time, the paparazzi became more mindful, aware of the line they must not cross. Kylie, [Reader], and their daughter found moments of respite, cherishing the precious pockets of peace amidst the relentless spotlight. Their walks in the park returned to a semblance of normalcy, their daughter's laughter ringing through the air once more.

As they continued their journey as a family, hand in hand, Kylie's fierce protectiveness never wavered. Their bond grew stronger, their determination to shield each other from the invasive gaze of the world unyielding. They became a beacon of strength for others, inspiring many to stand up against the disrespect of personal boundaries.

And through it all, their love remained the anchor that guided them forward, reminding them that they were more than just celebrities in the public eye—they were a family fiercely committed to protecting one another and finding joy in the quiet moments, shielded from the ever-present glare of the paparazzi.

[cinnamonest]

Imagine a girl in the male majority au who is just so tired of the way women are treated! Being a skilled fighter, she tries to rally up all the women to strike a rebellion! If only she knew how horribly wrong it would go…

Can I just say I love that I have so many asks about this AU? To be honest in the beginning I thought it might be a bit too… intense for most people lol but y’all really seem to like that one which makes me very happy >:3

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

On one hand, the idea of a full-scale rebellion is sort of a fantasy, really. You can’t really lobby very effectively, most girls are confined to their homes and are monitored well enough that it would be impossible to round them up or anything. You could get some brothel workers, perhaps, but not in a very large number. You’d have to be one yourself to have the option of roaming around in the first place, because there is no way any guy is going to allow that, at least not knowingly, and if one were to be informed of his property doing something so embarrassing in public, it would probably be the last you’d ever see of her outside again.

You’d have to go for a lesser option, but still trying to rebel in some way, make a social change. You can kinda sorta do some very ineffective things. Get some petition signed or get a small group to protest.

At first though, it’s really cute. You’ll have to forgive the amused smirks and chuckles you get, how is anyone supposed to take this seriously?

Not that you demand too much. You try to make it reasonable enough that it might be heard out. Primarily legal changes – let them have some say in where and with whom they end up, allow for contact with family members, let them own money and property, better conditions for brothel workers, outlawing corporeal punishment and public punishment. People might listen if you make reasonable demands… or requests, as you tell the one girl you all could find who knows how to write to put down on paper. “Demands” would sound too, uh… demanding, and they might not respond very well. You’re more likely to be heard out if you don’t come across as too abrasive.

Imagine, though, that after enough pestering officials, enough getting people come with you to increase the degree of an annoyance you cause, you are given the opportunity to earn your way to autonomy.

See, the primary argument against girls having freedom and all that is their own safety. Who would protect you from all the other guys that would harm you, if not for the one that owns you? It’s presented as an act of benevolence, sacrifice and selflessness even (and a lot of girls buy into that, since it’s the way it’s always been presented to them).

Consequently, this is also the first thing brought up at the notion of even an individual girl being granted autonomous status. Being denied that, then, is a form of protecting you from your own foolish naivete. You’re irrational (predictably), thinking with your feelings, and would get yourself hurt if left to your own decisions, which is just further evidence to why you shouldn’t be allowed such a thing.

But after you keep pushing, you are given the opportunity, under a specific set of conditions to be met. If you can do it, you’re told, it’ll be made a policy to allow others to take this option as well.

You just have to beat a guy in a fight.

Prove that you are capable of fending for yourself, without a protector. A random member of your particular nation’s law enforcement will be selected at random and spar against you, and if you can injure him to the point of being unable to carry on, knock him out, or get him to yield… then you win.

You’ve trained yourself quite a bit, specifically for that purpose, knowing you would have to prove yourself one day. Especially with a vision – they can’t afford to confiscate them all and cause you to become hollowed husks or anything, so public property like you are allowed to hang onto them under extreme regulation and threat of immediate confiscation if used for anything other than mild conveniences in daily life or purposes that don’t really affect anyone or anything. You practicing hitting trash and trees as targets isn’t bothering anyone, so people don’t care enough to stop you.

And since you’ve trained so much, you’d be ecstatic and hopeful for the opportunity. All that training gives you an advantage, you think, so you agree to it. Enthusiastically. You just feel a slight pinch of dread at the amused expression on people’s faces, like there’s something you don’t know.

But you quickly find out, when your equipment is stripped from you.

You reach out for it, protest, but it’s taken anyway. No, no. That’s not realistic, is it? You might be attacked in the real world without any of that.

No elemental use allowed. No weapons allowed. It’s an unarmed fight, bare hands and raw strength only. But hey, it’s that way on both sides, so it’s fair, right? That’s what you wanted after all, to be seen as a legitimate opponent, to be treated like you’re the same.

…Hey, what’s with that expression? Why are you backing out now? What happened to being so sure of yourself a few seconds ago, what’s the problem?

Of course, the questions aren’t being asked sincerely. You can see the mediator’s smiling expression, the mocking tone of his voice, along with virtually everyone else. It’s just cute. You know, like a little kitten or puppy trying to act all big and tough – you can’t take it seriously, but you can’t be too mad either when it’s so dumb and adorable.

It’s a bitter feeling to swallow, but you know better than to think you would stand a chance under these terms even against an average dude, much less against a man that’s undergoing physical training on a daily basis. You can see the guy has some muscle mass. You don’t like the look on his face either, like a dog that’s cornered some poor little animal.

You shake your head and back away, but you’re grabbed by the arm and pulled back.

You already agreed to it, so you have to, you’re told. Although the reason is rather obvious to you – there’s people watching, including some of those you managed to get to come with you, even a few other passersby who stop at the commotion. You get to have the privilege of an example being made out of you. To discourage anyone else from doing so in the future, out of fear of ending up the same way.

Not that you’re going to get beat up or something, no, that would be too cruel, and kind of pathetic to beat down something so much weaker. It’s more like you get wrestled to the ground, which is kind of like fighting? And he keeps your face pressed against the ground while fucking you in front of all the onlookers.

Although, it’s determined you and your ideologies are a bit too dangerous and problematic to allow you to continue having contact with other girls. You’re a bad influence. Besides, the guy does deserve to keep you as a sort of reward for volunteering for it, so. At least you won’t have to work in brothels anymore.

[aizenat]

So like the thing about political violence/social revolutions is that yes historically they have worked. In theory, they still could.

We also didn’t have atomic bombs when that happened. Wars were fought on battle fields with canons and and muskets or shields and swords. People (all across the world; not just in some countries) had shit and piss pots they’d empty out into the streets. We didn’t have two day deliveries, cars and high speed trains, fucking Starbucks or McDonald’s.

I think when I criticize modern young people’s desire for violent revolution, it’s because it’s fucking PRIVILEGED WESTERN PEOPLE calling for all of us to take up arms and fight. Most of us are overweight and out of shape. We have office jobs and back issues. The same ones calling for violent revolution, and dismantling systems in place longer than us are living prim lives as they make self aggrandizing videos calling for us to guillotine the rich.

The way our world works now, the poor are the “fat cats” (that’s not a fatphobic remark but a note on how high caloric food is easier and cheaper to get than healthier food). The French were literally starving when they took up arms against the monarchy. Most other modern wars happened out of people defending themselves. Black people literally used nonviolence to get civil rights! While yes, there were those who died, most civil rights activists, feminist activists, fucking lived! LGBT activists too! Many are still alive today who fought then!

I don’t discount all political violence because I do think there is a time and a place; but y’all are demanding that right now, while we’re watching a historic moment, we take up arms and do what? Storm the capital? For revolution? You people have no plans, no real target. And you literally do discount small changes and that’s so infuriating because it disrespects people who laid the groundwork.

I’m reminded of two situations, the BLM protests in 2020 and the Pulse shooting, and the comments I kept seeing from older Black and LGBT people during those times: “we protested/rallied/marched/fought/lobbied so you (referring to millennial and young generations) wouldn’t have to.” If they did it so we wouldn’t have to, why should we be rushing to violence without at LEAST trying to be part of the change we want to see?

I’m mad because Kamala could really start a fucking movement of well meaning, kind, empathetic, helpful people getting into politics to actually HELP! Finally drain the proverbial swamp and replace it with caring politicians who don’t let themselves get bought or destroyed by ego. And instead, you all put her on the same level as the republican assholes who put us in this mess, and you refused to acknowledge that there is a benefit and small incremental change.

The revolution will not be televised, nor will it be on fucking tik tok. People are not signing up to suffer. Especially in the west. If need be, if push comes to shove, then of course we should defend ourselves and fight for our rights if necessary. But don’t fucking come for those who’d rather do the work and keep building on the fucking foundation left to us by those who came before us.

[heliads]

So, Before You Go Chapter Three: Forgiveness is A Difficult Fire to Burn

Hellas is gone; so too is your life as a cartographer. You and the Darkling must quell Alina Starkov’s attempt at an uprising in order to protect the Grisha of Ravka. However, your gods are not as dead as they seem, and that which you have taken for granted will soon prove to be quite unpredictable indeed.

previous / series masterlist / next

At the beginning of a new age, not the start of the world but the start of theirs, a goddess named Hera wed herself to Zeus, king of the gods. She was a proud and powerful queen, capable of everything except keeping Zeus’ focus on her. She declared herself goddess of marriage, and her husband grew famous for his exploits amongst the mortals. How ridiculous, to think that being the only creature remotely close to your lover would be enough to guarantee you their loyalty.

Even after the days fade into one another, even after swearing to Aleksander that you would not let Poseidon’s visit trouble your thoughts any longer, you cannot stop yourself from thinking of that day on the sea. By all accounts, it should be impossible. Dead gods cannot trouble the living, but yet Poseidon did just that anyway.

If Poseidon can do it, what is to stop the rest from claiming fragments of your time? There are a dozen major gods in the pantheon, plus countless minor deities and spirits. If they could rally the energy to make their voices heard from across the Styx and up to you, there is no telling how often you would be haunted, nor how long it would take until you cave to their demands and change your course.

You do not wish to change your course, however. This is your war, bloody and brilliant as it is. No one made a world that would be safe for you. Not even your mother, who fought to keep you hidden until the very day she died. You will make the world that they cannot, and it will be wonderful, and all those children who grow up magical will never fear those who do not understand them.

Alina is alive, of this you are now certain. David knew it, too, or he wouldn’t have run. They must know. Aleksander’s visions are strong enough that he is certain as well. He seems to visit her every day. Almost every time you stop by his study, his eyes are shut tight as he whispers things to her that you cannot hear.

At first, you encouraged the visions to continue. This is the best way to gather intelligence on the movement of Alina’s followers, how many they are and what strength they possess. As the days go on, however, you start to regret how cavalier you were in addressing the visions. It is not a foreign idea for any Hellenid to experience jealousy; in fact, it’s practically a treasured trait amongst its heroes and gods, but that does not mean you have to like it.

Alina, after all, is something young and new and interesting. She defied Aleksander. She wields power with a hand that grows more capable by the day. If you didn’t know better, you’d say that she reminds you of yourself.

Is that really such a terrible thing to admit? The more you think about it, the more your thoughts settle on the truth. You met Aleksander when he still had something to hide from you:  namely, the fact that he was the same Black Heretic who created the Shadow Fold. In that vein, he had an advantage over you, that of a secret well kept. Both of you were more powerful than any around you, and both of you had a type of power that no one else had ever used in recorded history. Alina summons the sun whereas you summon magic, but it is the same thing in the end.

Even Alina’s method of meeting Aleksander for the first time has much in common with yours. You’d met Aleksander when you were both trying to keep a low profile from otkazat’sya soldiers who wanted Grisha dead. Alina was nearly murdered by distrustful Fjerdans on her way to the Little Palace. In fact, foiling one of those attempts to take her life was how you ended up on Aleksander’s radar the second time around.

Aleksander is manipulating Alina at this very moment, all in the interest of regaining strength and control over Ravka. Did he manipulate you, then? Yes. The question is if he is still doing it.

You sit alone in your study, attempting to focus on reports detailing Alina’s potential location without much success. There is a dusty mirror propped up against the opposite wall, and your eyes flicker to it. You wear a different face now than you did all those years ago, Ravkan instead of Hellan, but it is still you, just as Aleksander is still himself. Can he really change all that much? Can you?

You blink and there is someone standing behind you. You flinch in your seat and whirl around to see an apparition of a woman. She is only half formed now, but growing strength by the second, still creating limbs and clothing out of a shower of golden sparks. She catches you looking and grins, the expression sharp as a blade.

“I learned that trick from my husband,” she says, “he used it to see another woman, if you’ll believe that. I gave him everything, and he still wandered every chance he got.”

A memory flits across your mind, a story your mother had shared with you when you were small. Zeus had sired the hero Perseus by visiting a woman in the form of a twist of golden light. If this woman is Zeus’ husband, then that means this is Hera. Another goddess. Another Hellenid who should be dead but isn’t.

This time, instead of bowing, you keep your eyes locked on hers. “Lady Hera. I thought I told all of you to leave me be.”

Hera spreads her arms as if expecting an embrace. “I am not here to talk you out of your conquest, child. I wish to offer advice.”

Your jaw clenches. “I don’t want it.”

Her eyes shutter, expression cold. “Of course you do. I have seen a thousand unions fail, including my own. Do you think I don’t see it? You doubt him. You tell yourself that the two of you are the only ones that matter, but you’re not the one he’s speaking to right now. That pesky Sun Saint of yours has a way of intruding.”

You scoff. “If you had one chance to come back from the dead and you used it to offer me relationship advice, I’ll offer you some advice as well. Save your strength for when it’s important.”

Hera stalks forward, slamming her hand down onto the desk in front of you. Papers scatter to the ground, which makes you lurch backwards despite your best attempts to maintain a normal demeanor. Hera is a ghost. She should not be able to impact your physical world, but the notes tumbling to the floor beg to differ.

“There is more to existence than constant war,” she says through gritted teeth, “I know my domain. I know what being alone can do to heroes. All of them had a partner, or have you forgotten their history? Sometimes a lover can save your life. Sometimes they can drive you mad, or slit your throat while you sleep. How well do you know this shadow of yours? Enough to guarantee that he will not attempt to murder you again?”

You stand in a rush. “He has changed. I have forgiven him.”

“For what crime?” Hera asks, syllables slow and precise. Her eyes glitter, and you remember why the sons of Zeus suffered so in their path to glory. Hera knows enough of torment to ruin your life, and the lives of every soul to ever cross your path again. Her reach knows no bounds. “Did he ever tell you what he wanted to do? Did you ever ask?”

“No,” you whisper. The syllable is torn from your throat, a betrayal of your vocal chords. You had not meant to answer, but her gaze was so intense that you could not help it. Hera is truth, in a way, the demand of knowledge. Although she could do nothing to stop Zeus, she watched from the shadows and exacted her revenge in a cruel and calculated manner. If she wanted you to speak, you would have no choice but to do it.

Hera inclines her head in victory. “No,” she repeats, “you did not. Think on that, little witch, before you let him lead you forward in war. Think about who he will want at his side when this is over. Kings only choose one queen.”

This time, you are left conscious as Hera disappears. You reach out a hand as if to stop her from going, but the room is empty in a second and you are left standing there alone, heart thundering in your chest. The papers are still on the ground even after she left. This is no vision, then. She was actually here.

You hear footsteps in the hall outside and moments later, Aleksander is pausing in the door, mouth already set in a smile from something that had happened already, presumably his conversation with Alina. He starts to speak, but his aura of happiness bleeds from him the moment he sees the look on your face.

“What is it?” He asks, entering your study and quickly shutting the door behind him.

You shake your head once, a violent sideways slash. “Nothing.”

Aleksander frowns. “Are you sure? You look unwell.”

“We both have secrets, then,” you pronounce as delicately as you can.

This time, he cannot brush aside your tone. “Y/N, what is the matter?”

You let him cross the room, you let him stop by your side, you allow him to take your hand and look beseechingly at you. “Did you just speak to Alina?” You ask.

He nods. “Yes, I think she’s nearby. There are things in her room with a Ravkan seal, they must have been sourced locally.”

You choke out a laugh. “You were in her private quarters.”

He has the grace to look ashamed. “I cannot pick where the vision takes me, only when I go to it. You know that.”

You cock your head to the side. “Do I know that? It is what you tell me, yes, but I have no other proof of it.”

Aleksander looks legitimately hurt. “I thought you trusted me, my love. I thought we were past this.”

“We were,” you agree, “but I’ve been thinking. You never told me why you wanted to kill me, you know. Not really. Not in a way that mattered. I was so caught up in getting you back that I didn’t look. I didn’t want to look.”

You pause expectantly, waiting for an answer. Aleksander swallows hard, glancing everywhere in the room but you. Perhaps Hera was right to raise your suspicions. Perhaps you can become just like her someday, checking the face of every woman to pass you by, unable to brush off any interaction as mere triviality. You can use your centuries to grow embittered and afraid, forsaking love for heartless strength. You could let him destroy you.

At last, he takes a deep breath, and answers you. “I was afraid. I had never felt anything half as strong as what I felt for you, and it terrified me. My mother raised me to have no weakness, to never let anyone have a hold on me. That’s how you lose, you know. You love someone and they leave you. They die or they break your heart. I knew that having you taken from me would kill me, and so I sought to remove that part of myself before it could affect me any more than it already had.”

Now that he’s started speaking, the words spill out of him, unable to be contained. You wonder how long he’s held this truth inside, how many times he has repeated it to himself, incapable of mustering up the strength to admit it all to you.

“I spoke this fear aloud once to one of my generals. It was late at night and I was afraid of losing control. That was the conversation you overheard. As I lay awake later, I realized how foolish it was to think such a thing, and I woke up determined to do right by you. That next day, though, you set out on a mission with some of the other scouts, and when they came back, they told me– they told me you were dead.”

His voice breaks off on the last sentence, choked by the memory of that torment. His expression is dark, eyes clouded with a grief that consumed him whole. “I mourned for years. I was never the same. They told me I had become a monster. I faked my death not long after that. They never trusted me again, not in that form, said I had lost my mind. I think they were right. I was nothing without you.”

Aleksander looks up at you again, and you’re shocked by the intensity of the truth written on his face. “I love you, Y/N. I always will. My Hecari. I have done things I regret, and I have been ashamed of them. So long as you are with me, though, I will not let it consume me.”

He stands before you, still as death, waiting for your judgment. You reach your arms forward and embrace him. It is something you have done a thousand times, but somehow now it is worth much more, charged with the pain and fear of centuries of misunderstandings. You cannot see Hera now, in fact you have no idea if she is even here at all, but you still send out a silent thought to her anyway:  you cannot have me yet.

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