#Support all forms of protest against all forms of oppression no matter what they are
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kilowogcore · 2 years ago
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I wanna be perfectly clear, poozers, it's ethical ta' fight fascists. Full stop, don't ya' dare take this ta' mean anything ta' the contrary.
But the fascists, they like ta' pretend that's all we do. An' sure, if people are in danger we'll defend 'em, sometimes ya' gotta get in a scrap, but 99% of what leftists do is helpin' the community. Leftists staff charity drives, run food banks, teach education, raise money ta' help those in need, advocate fer their communities with the government, an' all sorta other things. If corporate media was honest, that's the face of Antifa, BLM, an' other leftists that we'd see, because that's most of what we do.
We ain't mindless fighters. We're smart an' tactical fighters. We're workin' on a revolution, an' that means usin' all sorts a' tactics, an' keepin' our communities strong and organized! An sometimes that means even though it's ethical ta' clobber Sinestro, once people ain't in danger there might be better things I can do with my time.
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horreurscopes · 1 year ago
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So, I could be out-of-bounds here since I think you meant it as dark humor, but what did you mean in the tags of that 'israel-hamas war' post? I suspect you(and op) are criticizing that framing because Israel is obviously demolishing much more than 'Hamas'(and probably doing a terrible job of actually targeting terrorists- they seem content to reduce Gaza to rubble even if the brass of Hamas escapes). I'm guessing that by saying "joining the Israel-Hamas war on the side of Hamas" you mean, if they're going to conflate Palestinians with Hamas unilaterally, then you're saying, whatever the media wants to call Palestinian civilians- you still support them. I am asking anyways though bc, given reports of increasing antisemitic activity in the US and Europe, I am worried about the potential for blurring lines between the cause of Palestinian civilians and the alt-right individuals who are likely masking their antisemitism in the context of being anti-Zionist. Although Israel's government has been the source of Palestinian loss for decades, (it seems to me that) even joking about supporting terrorism is enough to reinforce the persuasion that Israeli/Palestinian Jews and Palestinian Arabs must be mutually-exclusive peoples. I don't think it's fully rational per se(tho I'm not claiming to have all the relevant information myself, and I'm white US American goyim so like- grain of salt-), but I think that existential fear is the incredible hurdle facing Zionist Jews. (Idc too much about the opinions of non-Jewish Zionists bc I don't grant that they are dealing with the same emotional complications at this time, although that doesn't stop me from arguing w my acquaintances abt their callous acceptance of US/Israeli propaganda.) I just think..... isn't it overall harmful to allow anti-semitic rhetoric, even used sarcastically, to enter the genuine humanist cause for Palestinian liberation? Or, have I misunderstood, and you actually are not in opposition to Hamas, or something else I didn't think of?
hi! thank you for approaching the question thoughtfully and with curiosity, i really appreciate it. i was being kind of flippant with that meme, but this is the only ask i'm going to reply to on the matter given that i am neither jewish nor arab, so i'm going to answer in earnest:
hamas is a political resistance movement with an armed wing, much like the black panthers party was, and like the bpp, a large part of the organization is dedicated to social welfare and civic restoration.
they have stated that they are not against judaism, but against the zionist project. they openly support political solutions.
labeling hamas a terrorist group is a propaganda tactic used by the united states and israel to justify the horrors of settler colonization.
hamas is palestine, a part of it, even if palestinians like any other demographic on earth, are not a unified, single-minded people. to declare hamas a separate entity falls prey to the imperialist lie that there is an enemy to fight "fairly" within the people they are displacing and exterminating.
am i rejoicing in the deaths of israelis? of course not. killing civilians and taking civilian hostages is a war crime, whether it is committed by the opresor or the oppressed. the israeli government is not its people, and many jews, within israel as well as in the US, are bravely risking their lives to publicly dissent the criminal acts of the israeli government. all loss of human life is a tragedy.
no one should ever be faced with the choice between annihilation and murderous violence after exhausting all other forms of peaceful protest and being massacred like animals.
but why is it that we consider a resistance group formed within a population with a median age of eighteen a terrorist group, and not the IDF, a US-backed military force with an annual budget of twenty billion dollars?
i am currently reading hamas and civil society in gaza by sara roy to learn more about hamas and the history of israel in palestine. i'll remember to post more excerpts which i am admittedly terrible at.
but all of the information above can be found by reading wikipedia. investigating with duckduckgo searches (not gonna pretend google isn't prioritizing propaganda, to be fair), and reading reliable news coverage like aljazeera and the many journalists who are at risk of, or have lost their lives, reporting on the ground.
i have also appreciated reading posts from @determinate-negation @opencommunion @fairuzfan @ibtisams and @bloglikeanegyptian amongst others
in conclusion:
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onelatenight-longago · 2 years ago
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My Thoughts on the Issue
Not that anyone asked but whatever....
Hot Take #1
Is JKR problematic? Absolutely.
Can problematic media be consumed responsibly and with neutrality? Absolutely.
Consuming and even enjoying problematic media can help people develop informed opinions and even help people develop a moral compass. Especially, when this source material is a generation-spanning thing that has been a part of pop culture for decades.
Recognizing problematic themes within media doesn't always make that media problematic itself. For Example, in the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, readers are exposed to problematic views that existed at the time of its publishing. Do we protest this media and demand that it be removed from circulation? Do we condemn anyone who consumes it? No, we instead use it as a tool to teach others about the existence of problematic media. About the existence of social issues. How to recognize and how to respond to these things.
This all leads me to....
Hot Take #2
Do I, personally in my view of things believe that Hogwarts Legacy's purpose is to be transphobic and antisemitic?
No. Absolutely not. In the face of JKR's views, the developers have made strides to try and combat against this. Did they resolve the issue entirely? No. But they tried. And that effort should be recognized.
Do I believe one can see these issues or relate these issues back to this piece of media?
Yes, but that can be done with ALL forms of media. Nothing is truly unproblematic. Social issues and social activism are fluid.
Is 'cancelling' a piece of media because it can be found problematic the correct approach?
Absolutely not. It will have the same effect as banning media always does, it'll will just make people want to consume it more.
Hot Take #3
When addressing problematic media, especially in this instance of Hogwarts Legacy, a lot of definitive statements are being made. The biggest being;
"If you buy this game you are transphobic and antisemitic."
The problem with definitive statements like these is that it excludes some of the members of these communities that you claim to defend. On top of that, it encourages others to engage in harassment.
Many people have said "If you buy this game you are no alley and you should just unfollow and block me." But what the posters of these statements fail to realize is that there are many people within the LGBTQ+ and Jewish communities (not allies but true members of the community) that do not share this same point of view.
Suddenly we see trans and Jewish peoples scared to enjoy a piece of media that means something to them personally for fear of being attacked and demonized by their own so-called allies.
No member of any community should have to prove themselves to be valid to an ally.
Hot Take #4
Allies who yell and scream overtop of the voices of the people within the community are not allies.
Allies who invalidate members of a community due to conflicting opinions are not allies.
Allies who claim to be allies but do not show up, be present, or engage when it truly matters are not allies.
True allies are there to support and lift up the community, not silence them or push them aside when differing opinions are presented.
Hot Take #5
Your unyielding aggression and verbal/written attacks on others is not helping the communities you claim to defend. It instead paints the already affected peoples in poor light and gives even more ammunition to those wishing to oppress/harm them.
People who do not already have well formed or educated opinions on these matters only see the explosive discourse, and this can sway them into the direction of those what wish to oppress/harm these communities.
Hot Take #6
This is something more specifically related to the Hogwarts Legacy that I haven't seen many people discussing.
On the specific subject of antisemitism. Yes, goblins (the mythical creatures) have been used as a way to stereotype and hurt those of the Jewish community. However, you also have to consider that the concept of goblins did not originate for this purpose and these are real aspects of someone's real culture. Just as the Swastika was once, and still is, a religious symbol of divinity and spirituality in Indian religion until it was appropriated by the Nazi party. So has the image of goblins and other mythical creatures been appropriated to represent the Jewish communities.
This takes me back to a previous Hot Take, I don't believe this game or this media is meant to perpetrate this stereotype. And many of the Jewish community are of the same opinion as well. But also there are some of a different opinion, this all goes back to how we consume and enjoy media.
Instead of becoming aggressive, instead of immediately condemning someone because they choose to consume this piece of media we should instead be using this as a segway into the discussion of how these things have been used to harm communities in the past and how we can stop perpetrating these stereotypes in the future.
Before this explosive discourse, there were many who truly never even knew these stereotypes of the Jewish peoples existed. But instead of becoming informed they were immediately condemned, and that is what is can become dangerous.
Now, my final words on the matter.
I've said my peace, and I know it won't change opinions. I don't expect it to. I know it won't magically fix the issues at hand. I don't expect it to. I know my opinions are mine and mine alone and that both members of the communities and allies will not agree with me. I don't expect them to.
Instead, I decided, as an ally, to post this for those within the LGBTQ+ and Jewish communities whose voices have been drowned out on the matter.
I've posted this for a transgender friend that has lost friends and support within his own community because he wants to enjoy something that has saved his life more than once and has been there through the good and the bad for him.
I've posted this for my Jewish friends and family members who were happy and excited for this game, but now instead they are facing backlash and are shocked and hurt at being compared to mythical creatures.
And I've posted this for everyone else who is scared to speak out and up for fear of retribution. Whether it's the religious extremists or the social activists leading it, a witch hunt is still a witch hunt.
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eretzyisrael · 8 months ago
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by Lionel Shriver
Another day, another opportunity for huffy, hypocritical “progressive” posturing. PEN America has now been forced to cancel its World Voices literary festival in New York and L.A., on the heels of also canceling its 2024 awards ceremony. Too many authors had withdrawn from both events to make going ahead with staging either practicable. The reason for so many writers flouncing from these programs? PEN’s failure to publicly denounce Israel’s “genocide” in Gaza. But you had probably guessed the point of indignation already, because as of October 2023, the Anglosphere’s far left has neatly pivoted from the infantilization of black people to the Palestinian cause with the coordinated grace of a synchronized swimmer.
To clarify: the purpose of PEN is to defend freedom of speech and to protect writers from political oppression and persecution. It makes perfect sense, therefore, that a significant cadre of its membership would seek to stifle freedom of speech and engage in political oppression and persecution. Or: we’re all for free speech so long as you say what we tell you. These folks are athletes. It requires considerable intellectual acrobatics for Writers Against the War on Gaza to regard the shutting down of events to advance free expression as “a win for free expression.” Presumably, the fact that a number of withdrawals from both occasions were motivated by fear of being attacked by a mob of pro-Palestinian zealots is also “a win for free expression.” PEN itself stated its concern “about any circumstance in which writers tell us they feel shut down, or that speaking their minds bears too much risk.”
PEN is, by its nature, a big tent. It represents not only Muslim writers but Jewish ones too, some of whom might just support the existence of Israel, might just regard Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza as justified, and might just find alliance with genuinely genocidal terrorists whose unembarrassed aim is to wipe Israel and the Jewish people off the map as a teeny tiny bit obnoxious. While one PEN member decries the nonprofit’s “both-sidesing,” the truth is that PEN has no business taking a position on this issue whatsoever.
Unfortunately, the left has successfully installed the expectation that, regardless of their established purpose, all institutions—companies, museums, theaters, universities, charities, you name it—must proclaim their fealty to the “right” (which is to say left) position on a host of inflammatory issues of the day. This hyper-politicization of entities that ought sensibly to remain politically neutral has been systematically debauching everything from the UK’s National Trust to its NHS, from Anheuser-Busch to the Chicago Art Museum. First, all such outfits were required to fly Black Lives Matter flags, then garishly incoherent Pride flags, and now these banners have all to be swapped out for Palestinian flags, never mind what constituency or customer base might be alienated by this gratuitously partisan branding. Thus, an organization established for the defense of free speech of every sort—including the overtly Zionist kind—is necessarily obliged to openly advocate for Hamas, a murderous, cheerfully antisemitic cult whose interest in free speech on its home turf would fit in a thimble.
Of course, PEN’s membership has form when it comes to hypocrisy. In 2015, under armed security, PEN awarded its Freedom of Expression Courage Award to the satirical French magazine Charlie Hebdo. Six writers withdrew from participating in the proceedings to protest the magazine’s ostensibly offensive printing of cartoons that depicted Muhammad. Yet funnily enough, what your average normal person found offensive was the vicious massacre of 12 of the publication’s employees, most of them journalists, for neglecting to adhere to one religion’s hysterical blasphemy laws in a secular country that famously celebrates liberté. Yet over 200 writers—including, to my astonishment, the likes of Joyce Carol Oates—signed an open letter to PEN criticizing the Charlie Hebdo award. For these authors, defense of free speech, promotion of tolerance, and opposition to violent political oppression—the very purpose of PEN—counted for nothing when weighed against any injury to the delicate feelings of fundamentalist Muslims.
Much has been written about the unholy, and in some ways, hilarious alliance developing between the progressive left and Islam (Lesbians for Palestine, etc.). But for Western writers to embrace a restrictive, prescriptive, and stifling culture isn’t merely ironic or comical; it’s self-defeating. One needn’t consult a professor of Middle Eastern studies to conclude that these fair-weather friends in Gaza may welcome useful idiocy, but the permissive ethos of the Anglo left is diametrically at odds with despotic Islamic theology. Moreover, for American writers to express increasingly shrill and little-disguised hostility to Jews is to disavow a substantial chunk of the country’s distinguished literary canon: Philip Roth, Saul Bellow, Isaac Bashevis Singer, Bernard Malamud, and Elie Wiesel just for starters.
But then, the past 15 years have demonstrated with depressing clarity that writers, along with artists of every stripe, aren’t special. Although our occupation is more at risk from censorship than most, we’re all too capable of perversely embracing suppressive viewpoints that violate our own interest. We’re paid not only to write but to think, yet we don’t think; we listen keenly for whatever tune is playing in our fellow travelers’ AirPods and whistle along. Apparently, we’re no more creative than the average bear, and as soon as the memo goes out, we’ll chant along with the kiddies camped at Columbia University, “from the river to the sea!” whatever that means. We’ll obediently switch out one cause for another whenever we’re told, as nimbly as using “find and replace” in Microsoft Word.
We’re cowards, conformists, and copycats. Real freedom of expression is too scary; we’d rather hide in a crowd whose keffiyeh-masked members all shout the same thing. PEN has a laudable history of advocating for writers who’ve been persecuted for their opinions in repressive polities—polities much like the contemporary United States. But too many of its members would have the nonprofit corrupt its global mission to protect free speech across the board so long as they can bully its leadership into pointless partisan posturing for progressives’ acrid flavor of the month.
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disco-cola · 8 months ago
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the icj (rather call it icij international court of injustice) ruled against nicaraguas case to halt arms exports from Germany
this is absolutely outrageous
last year alone Germany was Israel’s second biggest arms supplier right behind the USA with around 245 MILLION euros being approved and sent only between October and December
Meanwhile politicians here say there’s a „hole“ in Germanys treasury and that it should be filled up again by cutting unemployment benefits and things of that sort this is absolutely insane THESE PEOPLE are the enemy they rather play out poor against poorer and push their own people into poverty even further instead of stopping to supply arms to a genocidal apartheid state that killed about FIFTEEN THOUSAND CHILDREN in 6 months
seriously it’s time for a second RAF these motherfukkers up there will not learn otherwise but of course anyone who fights state repressions with the same means they use to keep the lower and middle class suppressed is a „terrorist“ but I genuinely feel this is where it needs to be headed to make a change when oppression and exploitation become a daily standard and you can’t get anywhere with protesting - because the state crushes them down, just look at what’s happening at columbia- militant resistance becomes mandatory. I stand with the students no matter what they do, I stand with the Palestinians, I stand with all other oppressed indigenous people on the globe from canada, the us to australia and new zealand and everything in between and I fully support any militant resistance they feel the need to use to free themselves of the chains of their oppressors. White supremacy is the worst form of terrorism and the ones in power legalized it. This is not normal and it needs to be changed, whatever is necessary to do so.
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duchessofostergotlands · 2 years ago
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Hello. What do monarchs usually think of anti-monarchists or those who want a different form of government? Do they just ignore them, think they have valid arguments, or is it as long the majority of the population supports the monarchy, they have no reason to care?
So I can't be bothered to go and find interviews for all the different monarchs where they talked about this stuff but I actually think 1) we don't know what they think really because we're not in their heads and 2) even if we go by what they say, they could be lying because of point 1. For example, the King of Thailand said he loved the people protesting against him and that Thailand was a country of compromise. Then they were arrested for simply dressing like him in public. So I think the most helpful thing is to look at what they do, rather than what they think or what they want us to believe. Actions matter more than thoughts. There are totalitarian monarchies where critics of the monarchy are oppressed and murdered - Jamal Khashoggi being a notable example. In most European monarchies they generally don't comment, just like they don't comment on other political beliefs, but any examples I can think of they just say they live in a democracy and people have the right to believe whatever they want. And when they're confronted with protests they generally just smile, wave, or ignore it (I remember Harald and Sonja going up and voluntarily chatting to protestors once but they weren't anti-monarchists, they were protesting Norwegian companies in their country, I want to say Chile). People aren't generally arrested in most monarchies just for not supporting a monarchy so regardless of what Charles or Margrethe think in private - it would be understandable to not like people who dedicate themselves to taking everything you believe in - their behaviour is to treat anti-monarchists with a polite indifference.
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talisidekick · 1 year ago
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The hardest thing about being queer and learning what that means is learning that the people against you are projecting their faults, their evil, onto you.
You hear talk about the "gay agenda" and the "trans agenda", and no matter how hard you look, you won't find one. You look because all your life you were told how to be straight and how to be cisgender, so there has to be something telling you how to be gay or transgender. You look so you can know if it fits for you, but there's nothing.
The cold and damning truth is that there is nothing telling you how to be gay or trans, because the only agenda out there is to tell you how to be straight and cisgender. The straight and cisgender folk against you have an agenda to shame, mock, and belittle you into being straight and cisgender like them. They'll hurt you to make you like them, lie to you, lessen what you feel, and give every reason to tell yourself you're mistaken in who you know you are. They'll call you "pedophile" or "molester" or "rapist" or "groomer", because that's what they do. They'll protect parents that harm their own kids, pastors that harm children, absolve anyone who harms women and men on their side, and teach kids there's only one way to be which is blindly obedient and silent.
They can't understand how their opposition is nothing like them. That we hold our own accountable, even if it will set us back. We don't defend people who do wrong because we don't hide when one of us fails or fucks up. We don't have a plan to turn cisgender and straight kids gay and trans, because we don't want people to not be who they truly feel they are.
Learning to be who you are, to embrace being queer, means learning that it is fundamentally nothing like being straight and cis. And it means learning that you, thinking this is going to be easy, will have trauma to go through. But you're not alone.
I personally have begun to understand the power behind the third A behind Aromantic and Aasexual. It's Ally. An Ally isn't just someone supporting Pride as a cisgender and straight person outside of it. Being an Ally and at Pride can also mean that that person is on a gender and sexuality discovery themselves. That straight and cisgender doesn't have to mean what they were taught by an oppressively patriarchical system that is heavily misandrist and misogynistic. Cisgender people can learn from Transgender people how to be more comfortable in their gender, and vice versa. Heterosexual people can learn from Gays, Lesbians, Bi's, Pan's, Poly's, etc. how to be more comfortable in their sexuality, and vice versa.
Pride is a protest against the Heterosexual and Cisgender agenda of grooming, shaming, aggression, and assault that it's supporters normalize. Allies are fighting this too. This is about freedom to be yourself and not attacked for existing in a way that's different from a mould others would enforce.
Whether you understand it or not, being an ally can be a form of queer, because they're trying to change what it means to be heterosexual and cisgender. They're trying to stop the norm being bigotry and hatred for those the express their gender and sexuality differently. Not everyone that fits the cisgender/heterosexual description fits the enforced societal mould.
Learning to be queer, to be yourself, means also accepting others experiences and admitting that you know absolutely nothing because you were lied to your whole life. Sometimes the lies are easier to see, othertimes you miss them entirely and need a second, third, etc. take.
The most profoundly queer moments to me have been watching a lesbian teach a straight man how to love and understand women, a trans man teaching a cisgender man how to be confidently masculine, a straight woman telling a fresh out-of-the-closet gay man good pick-up lines/conversation starters, and a straight woman teaching a trans woman how to braid her hair.
Our opposition can't understand how we can be so different, and yet so accepting of eachother without some way of enforcing that acceptance through manipulation. That our greatest strength is our diversity, because to them, any difference is problematic.
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creativefya · 2 years ago
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ANGELA DAVIS : Protest Art
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By: Beltrán
The Revolutionary Orientation Department supplied Beltran with several photographs to use as sources for his poster. This print is his most famous work, from an image of Angela at a press conference in New York City on September 9, 1969 by photographer F. Joseph Crawford. Beltrán created Crawford’s photograph into an abstract work of art. The colors he used were deliberate with the red color combined with blue to evoke the U.S. flag while making it Angela’s flag.
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Angela Davis is known for being wanted by the FBI with gun charges in connection to a crime she was later found not guilty of. She fled the US and gained a lot of support from Cuba and Germany as a communist. She is seen speaking which is a form of address in this protest art. 
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Black Femicide : Stop The Violence: by Andria Jones 
For this protest art I took the inspiration of Beltran of Angela Davis, an activist, scholar and writer who advocates for the oppressed. She represents women, culture & politics.
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This art is an original photo with a gloomy red filter for effect. The female symbol is placed translucently in front with only her eyes in the center, resembling a gun target. Her mouth is not in view because her words don't matter. Her afro is round big as she represents the black woman of America. The blue is also masculine energy targeting feminine energy. This is a protest of the rise of black femicide in America. The purpose is to wonder more about the black woman and what  black femicide actually is. 
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Black femicide affects Black women and girls of all ages. The term is coined by Rosa Page, the founder of Black Femicide U.S., which is a movement to bring awareness to the extreme increase in the murders of black women and girls from within their own communities.
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Almost 45% of black women have reported to experiencing physical and sexual violence. Pregnant Black women are 11 times more likely to experience femicide. 
Seeing, painting, and speaking are modes of address used to initiate a response by an artist. Both of these art pieces respond to political tension and issues as black women.
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The digital art initiates a response towards stereotypes and bias against black women. Hyper independence and cultural norms keep black women stranded from seeking mental health when in need.  Black women should arm themselves for protection and survival. 
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REFERENCES
Black Femicide: A Silent Public Health Crisis - ADVANCING KIDS
Trailing Angela Davis, from FBI Flyers to ‘Radical Chic’ Art | Collectors Weekly
youtube
Andria Jones
Philosophy of Art
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tuxebo · 4 months ago
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hey i’m sorry if this comes across as rude at all! but i just got back on tumblr recently and noticed your now pro-trump and an israel supporter yet i remember you being the opposite as in quite liberal is there any reason for the switch? i love your bots btw
Hello, not rude at all! I'm very open about being a liberal, it is not something I try to hide. I'll give you my story, no problem, and thank you if you stay for the whole thing. I was always pro-Israel, but I wasn't always conservative, I'm actually an Independent now. I'm glad you like what I make, thank you for staying <3
The thing is, the Democratic party is full of lies. I was at my lowest when I began to believe the garbage the blue spit and I was beyond suicidal. Praise God that isn't the case anymore, and I got off a lot of meds. But you'll hear that being blue messed with a lot of people's minds because of the amount of fear mongering and "you're perfect as you are" nonsense.
I couldn't go out in public because I believed men were out to get me, I couldn't walk through a parking lot, go to the bathroom, go to school. I hated men and believed the feminist lies, and those were the worst years of my life. The idea that because I am a girl I must be a feminist ruined my teenage years. And I was not perfect as I was and I am not now, none of us are, then none of us would need a Savior. But I strive for perfection, as much as I am able. This "me, me, me" mentality is so damaging, I could not make friends and I was terrified I was going to get kidnapped, raped, and sold by guys that didn't even look once in my direction.
I hated people around me for the language they used. I policed the people around me because a joke they made was too "racist" for my tastes. Jokes that are actually pretty funny now that I'm not being uptight fighting a ghost-man for an entire race.
Self-love is not the glory they sell it to be. I don't need to look in the mirror and be in love with what I see. I don't hate my appearance, it is just one of those things that do not matter. Be hygienic, be clean, take care of yourself. However, also pray, be humble, work hard, take care of those around you, love those around you, respect those around you; these things matter more than how much makeup you put on or how expensive the car you drive is.
Then, take a look at the economy. Do you think Democrats care about you? They abandoned the people in Aurora, Colorado, the people in Springfield, Ohio. They abandoned New York. They abandoned us in California. The blue is full of lies, and I'm sick of buying into it. I'm not a victim, I'm not oppressed, I am a survivor of Domestic Violence and multiple forms of abuse. Stupid identity politics will not work on me, I am not a victim.
Prices are at an all time high, crime is up, the border is open, only 43% of people in California speak english, drugs are everywhere, you can't buy a home, protesters are in the streets chanting "Death to America," out veterans are struggling. Men suicide rates are too high, single parenthood is becoming too common, white people are being shamed for being white, babies are being murdered, children are getting procedures they can't fully comprehend before they even finish puberty. Our streets are disgusting and homelessness is everywhere. This is the definition of insanity, this is not normal.
The government is trying to make it hard to practice our 2nd amendment right, given to us to fight against tyranny. Look at Europe, they lost their right to bear arms long ago and now they need it more than ever. Women are being raped in the streets, people are being murdered, muslims are breaking in at record numbers.
One of the reasons it is important now is because of the gang invasions and illegals coming here to commit crimes. It's not just Mexicans. Russians, Chinese, and tons of other countries are coming in through the Southern Border. Sex trafficking is going on down there like crazy, mind you, a lot of it involves CHILDREN.
There were no wars under Trump, the prices were low under Trump, small businesses were supported by Trump, the border was secure under Trump. He supports and takes care of veterans, he supports the police. He supports black citizens, asian citizens, mexican citizens. All we ask is for you to come legally and be prepared to work, just like everyone else.
Kamala Harris is a damn joke. A mockery of the black community, let me remind you, she isn't even a full black. A real black person isn't black to win votes, isn't black when it is convenient. Her polices... wait, what are her policies? Price gouging? The literal definition of communism? That is a joke.
Illegals are stealing lives, homes, jobs, education, you name it. They need to go, now. Don't defund the police, we need them now more than ever. By the way, let me say, Kamala hasn't changed at all. She is a lying liar. That's what they do: they lie. She does talk to the press. She hasn't changed from how she was, I implore people to vote with your heads and not emotions. What happened when you voted black just because they were black? Well, we had Obama. What a joke of a man.
The evidence is irrefutable, and the debate tonight will solidify it. Watch it and see for yourselves, learn for yourselves. I made the political switch before I fully began believing and trusting in the Lord again, so that isn't my full reason. I would also suggest looking into Christ, though. Not the church, not the religion, the God that became fully man to be tortured and killed so that we may live in eternity with Him. Because that's how much He loves us.
The West is deteriorating, fast, but I find assuredness in my Lord and Savior. I grew up Catholic before my family joined Christianity. It was a bumpy ride, but I'm glad to say I've found the Lord for myself. It is a personal relationship, not a religion or a group of people. People lie, people fall short, but the Lord never has and never will.
“For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares Yahweh, ‘plans for peace and not for calamity, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart." ‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭29‬:‭11‬-‭13‬ ‭LSB‬‬
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prinxe-of-darkness · 1 year ago
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VIDEO TRANSCRIPTION
“-I also wanna say that this is not he time to pit two groups against each other. Simply put, we were all placed on this earth to vibe and not be caught in th-”
“I am... Honestly at a loss for words for the ways I have seen toxic positivity culture and this narrative of “self-care” and mental health matters being weaponised against the Palestinian cause.
“At this point I have seen multiple creators on TikTok with extremely large followings posting things along the lines of, “Take a social media break this weekend and practise self-care, look away from your screen.”
“And to me there is no better example that solidifies the ways that these narratives and paradigms of “self-care” as a form of politics or a form of radical action, is a complete lie used to dissuade people from actually doing collective action.
“If we convince people that the best way to respond to an international human rights crisis is simply to ignore it and take care of your own mental well-being while thousands of children are being bombed in Gaza every day, we can effectively produce non-action en masse.
“Because if you are paying attention to what’s happening in Gaza, there is literally no other way to respond aside from outrage and disgust that our politicians and our tax dollars are supporting this war.
“It is absolutely wild to me that there are people in the United States who don’t see how completely tone-deaf it is to say something like “we need to take time off of social media to practise self-care because it’s too sad for us to pay attention to what’s going on.”
“While there are over a million kids in Gaza who are burying their parents, their families, their friends.
“Where is the care for them? They don’t get the opportunity to “practise self-care” or, “peace and love” and “just vibe.”
“They were born into colonial occupation and are now being caught in the violent crossfires of the aftermath.
“Meanwhile, the Israeli government is putting out collabs with BetterHelp and I just don’t see how other people don’t see that this is the natural conclusion of the extremely individualistic, anti-solidaristic mindset of “self-care” rather than community care or collective liberation.
“When we only prioritise our own individual feelings, instead of contributing to an effort for collective liberation of the oppressed, we play into the hands of the oppressor.
“Now is not when we need to be “practising self-care,” we practise self-care literally all the time, we need to be practising collective, community care for Palestinians who are being oppressed by a violent, colonial regime.
“We can’t “self-care” our way out of an apartheid. We need to be using every piece of leverage that we have to disrupt the economy and the functioning of this country until we put an end to this country’s support of Israeli apartheid, we need to be calling and contacting our representatives, we need to be flooding the streets in protest, we need to be stopping work, we need to stopping our school.
““Self-care” in not the priority right now!
“This is literally the biggest “Kim, there’s people that are dying” moment and it is driving me insane.”
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candysims4 · 3 years ago
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FREEDOM HAIR
A wonderful and voluminous wavy hair, with 3 color palettes and some loose strands this hair is a mix of what I love in hairs and name with a meaning huge for me, I hope you guys enjoy this hair. 
BEHIND THE NAME: This hair is named after Beyoncé’s song: Freedom.  This song has been a mantra for me in the last weeks.  It reminds me that I have to fight those who oppress me and never give up my freedom to be who I am and that “if life gives me lemons, I can make lemonade”. 
This music also reminds me, that there are millions of people around the world protesting, facing rubber bullets, pepper spray, and whatever else comes to them to scream for everyone to hear that none of them will simply lay down and let their freedom rot in hell! Showing their oppressors that they're tired of being oppressed and killed by their skin color, gender, etc. 
And as each one of these people had/have the strength to go out into the streets and scream: BLACK LIVES MATTER, WE ARE BORN THIS WAY, I'M NOT A VIRUS and a lot of other truths, that aren’t hard to say but apparently is hard to understand for some “people”; I can also have the strength to face those who humiliate me and discriminate me in my real life.
I admire all these brave people, each one, all of you are my inspiration for not bow my head in a country where when happening homophobia, xenophobia, r*cism, sexism, etc, is something "normal" and even cultural; and for a LOT of people, it makes you an aberration, a monster, you shouldn't even exist or even worse, they kill you. 
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Some facts about Brazil that I also want to take this opportunity to say to the rest of the world, and the government and a lot of people I know in real life doesn’t mention:
- 71% of homicide victims in Brazil are black. They are mostly black men, with low education and income, living in the periphery and aged up to 29 years.
- In Brazil there is one murder a day related to homophobia.
- We are the country that kills the most transsexuals in the world.
- Brazil ranks fifth in female homicides, with a rate of 4.8 murders per 100,000 women, of which 65% are black.
- There were 4,606 women murdered in 2016, in addition to 49,497 reported r*pe cases
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I know that I promised to not do long posts, but there are things in life that need to be said for everyone hear and not hide as I’m wrong for being proud of myself and for the fearless people out there, who fights against the oppression for themselves, their family and friends.  And I am really tired of being quiet to avoid conflict, hate, and more stress in my life; because here is my safe place from my real life as I always wanted it to be for everyone, and if someone hates me for being just for who I am and for what I believe it HAS to change.  I usually do early access in all my items, but this hair means so much for me for not sharing with everyone, as a reminder that I LOVE YOU ALL, no matter who you are.  Always remember to not hide because of the fear, and also that you are amazing, beautiful, and perfect in the way you are and if you need a place to feel safe, my Simblr is always here. And thanks to everyone who filled my mailboxes (DMs, asks, feedback form and also email) with lots of love and support. I'm still reading through all the messages and answering one by one. 
YOU ALL INSPIRE ME! AND AS A WONDERFUL DRAG QUEEN I KNOW SAYS: “IF YOU CAN’T LOVE YOURSELF, HOW THE HELL YOU GONNA LOVE SOMEBODY ELSE? CAN I GET AN AMEN?" ✊🏳‍🌈
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TEEN TO ELDER
HAT & BASE GAME COMPATIBLE
MADE FOR FEMALE FRAME
DISALLOWED FOR RANDOM
75 SWATCH COLORS - 24 plain colors from EA Color Palette - 24 ombre colors from EA Color Palette (Island Living EP) - 27 plain colors from my Candy Color Palette
YOU WILL FIND IN MEDIUM HAIR OR/AND WAVY
360º GIF & THUMBNAILS (HOSTED IN IMGUR)
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MY SITE (NO AD.FLY) - No early access, because freedom is for everyone! PATREON EARLY ACCESS
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TERMS OF USE | SEND YOUR FEEDBACK | REPORT AN ISSUE
Thanks to all cc creators that I used in the pic. And thanks for @maxismatchccworld, @simblrcollective, @love4sims4, @s4library​ and everybody who reblog this post! With your help more people are able to know my work! 💖
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norrington-hell · 5 years ago
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Yesterday, I, and one of my dear friends, participated in ‘The Defiant Walk of Resistance Against Injustice’ in Seattle, Washington.
When we arrived at 3pm, there was already a heavy police presence surrounding the intersection next to the Westlake Center where the march was supposed to start. I assumed they were there to close off streets and stop traffic, like they had during previous marches I’d attended in the city. But this time, even early on, I could tell things were different.
The Seattle PD was in full riot gear, every one of them standing in the line was holding a baton across their chest. They had barricaded the street by forming a wall and not letting anyone past, which meant that anyone approaching from the north could not join with anyone approaching from the south. From the very beginning they were separating us from each other.
Protesters filled the streets in all four directions, we could hear chanting and drumming. Our branch to the north was the quietest of the groups, but was still hundreds strong. Nearly every protester I encountered was wearing a mask, and those that were not were quickly offered ones by helpers who had come prepared.
I want to be very clear on this point: I was at the front of our portion of the protest, not ten feet from the police line, and there was no violence on the part of the protesters. We shouted and clapped and waved our signs and took hundreds and hundreds of videos and photographs. Nobody attacked the police on our side.
But that didn’t stop things from turning ugly fast.
The police began switching out, putting on gas masks and then rejoining the line. Then, they started to push forward. Without warning, the police used their batons to shove back the front lines, spraying mace and foam at anyone who didn’t move fast enough for them. Shove and spray. Shove and spray. Flash-bangs started going off, echoing down the streets. Protesters were scared and confused, with no idea why we weren’t permitted to march or why we were being herded back down the street.
The police line stopped advancing after about a block. Back at the original intersection, we could see the same thing was happening to the other branches of the protest. Helpers ran in with canteens of milk and spray bottles of baking soda and water to wash the eyes of those maced. They were handing out gloves and holding each other up. I have never seen so many strangers banding together.
About five minutes later, the police started advancing again. Now, with so many people, it was not possible to get out of their way with any speed. And many of us had taken to sitting in order to show that we were peaceful and had no intent to fight back. The cops marched forward regardless, forcing the line of protestors in front back over the seated ones and creating a pileup.
This is when I was maced. A woman fell back over my seated form and pinned me to the ground. I could not stand up. My friend had a death grip on my hand, trying to pry me free. But I could not move. The cop behind me sprayed pepper spray over the top of my head and down the back of my neck and into my jacket. Some got in my eyes. I was trapped and scared and I could not move out of the way.
Then a woman came forward and grabbed hold of my hands. I’ll never forget the look in her eyes. She was terrified, but she still came forward to pry me and my friend out of the pile. She risked getting maced too to save us.
This pattern continued on. The cops would advance, shove, spray, then stop. We’d regroup, help each other, share water and energy bars and masks and tend wounds. Flash-bangs were detonated right in front of us. Smoke was visible further down the street. Tear gas, I later learned. That, and on the south end, someone was starting fires.
After what felt like an eon of confusion and police provoking a crowd that was determined to stay peaceful, our branch peeled away and turned Northeast, finally beginning a march. We eventually met up with the fleeing south branch and headed toward the I5. A huge portion of the protesters blocked Southbound, and our group climbed up the median embankment to spread across Northbound.
Cars were stopped, half of their drivers leaning out to chant with us or honking to cheer us on. As we started working our way south, people lining the overpass joined in with encouraging support. Eventually, we took the nearest exit and headed back in the direction of downtown. The rain that had been present all afternoon was starting to come down harder, washing the chemicals in our hair down into our eyes. But the helpers were there. Brave people who came prepared.
This was when the emergency message was sent out. A five pm curfew had been put into place. That didn’t give us enough time to actually leave. Much of downtown had been blocked off. My friend and I, like many others, were kept from our vehicles. We could not leave the city. We were trapped.
I was very fortunate. A friend of a friend generously came to our rescue, taking us back to her home further away from the pandemonium. She washed our clothes and gave us milk soaked towels to ease the sting of our chemical burns and fed us grilled cheese. In the morning, when the blockade was lifted, she took us back to our car. It was not damaged. We got home safe.
I’ve watched the same feeds as everyone else. I’ve seen footage of protesters being maced and struck and fired upon with rubber bullets. I know this sort of thing does happen. But my previous experience in Seattle, one of the most liberal major cities in the United States, had not prepared me for the violence exhibited by the police yesterday. We were peaceful protesters exercising our First Amendment Right to peaceably assemble. We were given no warning and, in many cases, no chance to comply. The Seattle PD were the instigators. And their abuse of power was cowardly and wrong.
This experience has changed me. What I witnessed has shaken me to the core. I cannot, and will not, remain silent. From now on, when I hear a protest began peacefully, I will believe it. I will join with those who speak out against police brutality. I will pay less attention to rioting than the circumstances that drove people to it. And I will continue to fight for the rights of the oppressed.
Black Lives Matter Black Lives Matter Black Lives Matter
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lubdubsworld · 4 years ago
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Change of Heart
Pairing : Taehyung x OC
[ Summary :
Times are changing.
After years of being oppressed, werewolves are taking a stand against humans , demanding equal rights and fair treatment. Heading the movement is Kim Taehyung, the breathtaking heir to the Kim fortune and one of the few remaining Alpha werewolves in the country. His disdain for the human race is well known and well warranted. They killed his family after all…..
He wants to change the world , to put humans in their place but when his five year old daughter takes a shine to their very human neighbor , maybe he has to start with a change of heart , first.  ]
Pairing : Taehyung x OC
Genre : Romance, Explicit Content.
Warnings : None. ( Some mild violence but mostly off screen )
Chapter 1 / Chapter 2 / Chapter 3
Chapter 4
The Preserve had originally been an isolated island about 50 miles off the coast of the mainland.  Over the decades, the land had been expanded with man made floats serving to support the extra buildings and complexes that cropped up to cater to the small human population that stuck around to help out. 
The wolves still kept to the interiors, most of them having built huge cottage-villas which could house the entire pack, territories marked out clearly to avoid disputes. A few of the very traditional ones lived on the huge mountains that lined the northern end, opting to stay in their wolf-forms most of the time. 
The island itself was beautiful, rich vegetation , a thriving fauna and a landscape that was lined with beautifully stark cliffs up high and private little coves and beaches scattered below. 
Taehyung and his daughter lived on a beautiful beach side villa, which had its own vegetable garden , a staff of over 8 to take care of everything, a private jetty for trips to the mainland and a helipad/ airstrip. 
True to his word, Taehyung did not stay around most days. He was busy with his campaign and I spent the first week recovering. The doctor visited everyday and by the end of the week, most of the internal injuries were healing well, the pain well managed with meds.
Luna had moved into my room, pretty much and I spent the days with her curled into my side, reading from her favorite books, stopping when she encountered a particularly difficult word, ebony eyes turning to mine for help. We read countless books, and she introduced me to all her best friends : Mr. Ted the bear, Kihyun the bunny and Momo the panda. The stuffed animals had a small baby carrier of their own and she liked carting them all around the house. 
“She was really pretty. Mama....” Luna whispered one night, as we lay curled on the window seat in my room, a fur throw covering us up as we stared out into the rocky beach far below. 
I felt my heart lurch in shared grief. 
“Was she? What else do you remember about her....?” I asked softly.
“Her scent. “ Luna said quickly. “ She smelled just like you. Like home and fresh cookies with sugar sprinkles. And rainy puddles you can jump in.” 
I bit my lips, mindful that Luna was just listing her favorite things. I didn’t know much about how weres scented other weres or humans. But i supposed it made sense that her mother’s scent should remind her of things that offered her comfort and joy. 
But her next words threw me for a loop. 
“Daddy didn’t like her much....” She said suddenly and I felt my throat close up . 
“Oh-Oh?” I was genuinely shocked. Taehyung had looked devastated when he had told me about his wife’s passing.... 
Luna shook her head. 
“My friend from school, Mina? Her mommy’s still alive and her daddy likes her. They kiss and stay in the same room. Mommy and Daddy never kissed. Mommy lived on the east wing.... That’s on the other side. Near the rose gardens.”
I bit my lips, feeling incredibly guilty for some reason. This information felt somehow private and not for stranger’s ears. I didn’t want Luna to get into trouble for saying this to me . 
“I miss her sometimes. I’m glad you’re here.” She sniffled and i felt my heart crack in two. The girl was replacing her mom with me, I thought miserably. I couldn’t in good conscience let this happen. 
But as the days stretched into weeks, with Taehyung out and busy most of the time, i couldn’t bring myself to leave. Luna did appear to be calmer, more grounded and happier with me around. She liked staying close to me, at touching distance and she often buried her nose into my neck, sniffing till I had to gently pry her off. 
Although, absent physically, Taehyung called every day. He facetimed his daughter twice at least and I got a call every night at exactly nine. It was usually curt and formal but he did tell me what he was upto.
“The elections are coming up soon.... I need to work a bit more on the immediate reforms we’re planning to launch...I won’t be available this week, Luna’s keeping well?” 
“Yes, she is. We made a modern recreation of red riding hood and the wolf today with play dough.” 
Silence.
“Interesting choice of fairy tale, Mi Rae ssi...” He drawled. 
I flushed at how my name sounded in that voice.
“It’s a bit different plot wise. In this case, the granny is just a meanie who likes to order Red about and the wolf is the one who rescues her.” I grinned.
He chuckled amicably.
“Bit of a stretch , that. But I’m glad you’re happy. I didn’t want to pressure you too much and i know its asking way too much of you . But Ms. Lee says that Luna is happier than she’s ever been and I do believe you’re the one I have to thank for that. “
I bit my lips. I wanted to tell him that Luna was getting way too attached. That I was afraid of what would happen when it was time for me to leave, but already i could hear voices in the background, people calling for his attention and I remembered that he was doing something important.
 He was trying to build a better world for his little girl. 
In the long run, all of this would be for Luna’s benefit only. 
~~~~~~~~~~~~
it had been nearly a month since I’d last seen Taehyung . A whole three months since I’d moved into his villa. My paycheck as a nanny was three times what I was paid as a lab tech. But I hadn’t stopped working at the research facility either. I spent the days there, when Luna was busy with her school work . The vaccine had been successful but somehow, my father’s company had pulled some sort of nonsense with the patenting and not everyone had got the shorts. 
I stared out into the murky blue waters as they crashed into the jagged black rocks that lined the private beach. The huge bay windows in the living space offered an unfettered view of the rocky beach. 
Next to me, Luna was pretty much bouncing around, trying to find all her beach day toys. I watched her fondly, feeling something squeeze my heart when I thought about not seeing her again. The elections were done, the results were due any day now and Taehyung had already told me that he was looking to end this arrangement soon. 
Luna had a mind like no other. A vibrantly curious child with the most incredible questions, it was clear that she adored her father more than anything else in the world. In the evenings, she liked to play near the small water inlet that fed into the Ocean. The water was shallow, barely an inch or so deep, the terrain covered in small smooth pebbles in every shade of brown of grey.  
Luna and I  spent most of the weekends exploring the small beach around the villa, foraging around in the coves while her caregiver watched me covertly from a distance. She clearly didn’t trust me much, but I tried not to let it get to me.
I wasn’t here to stay. Taehyung had sent me a mail the previous week, letting me know that I was no longer had to babysit, because he was planning to move to Seoul himself. He would be renting out a condominium there and hiring a full time nanny. 
And that was fine. it wasn’t like i hadn’t seen that coming. I had a life of my own and i had to get back to it. My cottage near the research facility was fixed now and I was looking forward to getting back to my life, no matter how much it hurt to leave Luna behind. 
 I was a little upset that he had sent an impersonal mail to me instead of talking to me in person. Or maybe spoken about it over the phone at least. But I knew that he was just trying to make it easier for me to cut all ties. 
Okay, fine, maybe I was a little bit bitter that Taehyung hadn’t even offered to hire me to take care of Luna .  I wasn’t qualified , yes, but so far Luna had been a dream to stay with. She was so inquisitive and bright, so full of sunshine and happiness. 
After three months of her unconditional love for me,  the idea of not coming home to her vibrant laugh and endless giggles, it just felt so painful. 
“Rae Rae, let’s gooooo....” Her voice broke me out of my thoughts . Despite endless protests from Ms. Lee, Luna insisted on calling me Rae Rae and I found it adorable. 
I jumped a little, hastily moving to grab the sunscreen, the hat and gloves. While Luna did heal quickly courtesy her wolf-y genes, she was also incredibly prone to sunburn. The first few times, she had promptly shifted into her wolf form when i tried to put it on her, snipping my fingers angrily. The chemical was supposed to be unscented but her sensitive nose had clearly picked it up anyway. 
It took a lot of bribing with delicious meat patties and steak bites, for the girl to shift back and let me apply it on her.
But now she was comfortable with letting me apply it on her when we went to the beach. 
She picked up her backpack, a baby blue fur lined affair with twin bunny ears near the handle , and the small tote bag full of her collection of seashells and skipped out of the room happily. I finished packing the rest of her beach stuff : towels, napkins, hair pins and a change of clothes just in case. 
We were just climbing down the huge stairwell, when Taehyung’s voice rang through the foyer, startling me badly. i hadn’t seen him in a long time and against my better judgement I almost half ran back to put some make up on at least. I probably looked like an ogre with smeared sunscreen and my hair uncombed and in a bun. 
“Lu - Lu? Baby???” He called out, his deep voice pretty much reverberating off the walls .
“DAAAADAAAAAA” 
I watched her almost tumble headlong the stairs in her rush to get into her father’s arms and I hung back, letting them have their reunion. 
I waited till Taehyung called out for me, before moving to greet him as well. 
The first thing that stuck me was how incredibly handsome he looked, hair now fully black, swept straight back from his forehead. He was dressed in skinny jeans and a loose black shirt, buttons undone to show the lines of his pecs and a pair of dangly earrings caught the light as he turned to stare at me. 
“Mi Rae ssi....i see you’re all ready for Beach day?” He grinned softly.
There was something radiant about him, a definite lack of anxiety. He looked relaxed almost.
“You won?” i blurted out. “ You won didn’t you?”
Taehyung’s eyes glinted .
“Its not officially announced yet, but yes, the Commission called me today . They think I’ve won by a landslide.
Before I could rethink my impulse, I flung myself into his arms, genuinely thrilled beyond belief.
“RThat’s so incredible, Taehyung ssi...i’m so happy for you and-”
“Tae? Should I get the other suitcase?” 
The female voice made me jolt, and I pulled away, arm still arapped around his neck, intensely aware of his hands on my waist.
Three feet away from us , stood an incredibly beautiful young woman. She was almost as tall as Tae, probably the same age as him and her eyes flashed red when she looked at me. 
I flinched, stepping back like i’d been scalded.
“Just leave it sweetheart, one of my men will get it. Come meet my little girl.” Taehyung said casually, shooting me one brief intense look of.....anger? annoyance? I couldn’t figure it out.
 Sweetheart? did he just call her-
Luna had shuffled to hide behind my legs now, her fingers gripping my waist as she refused to greet the newcomer.
“Luna, this is Ms Jihyun. She’s a very good friend of mine.”
Jihyun dropped to her knees, eyes flashing red again as she smiled a tight lipped smile.
“Hello, Luna. How are you doing?” She said seriously. Luna’s grip on me tightened.
“She’s a little shy.” I choked out, trying to tamp down the rising sense of heartbreak. No. i had actively fought against feeling this way. Every night here, I had told myself that I would not think about Kim Taehyung. Admiring him for what he did , for how hard he worked for his kind....that was one thing ....but this. This was madness. 
Taehyung reached out around me to lift Luna up into her arms. 
“How about we go to the beach with Jihyun and Ms Lee today?” He said casually, holding his hand out to me.
I almost did something stupid, like press my hand into his before realizing that he was asking for the bag i had over my shoulders. Wordlessly, I handed it over. 
“I want to go with Rae Rae....” Luna said sharply, lips jutting out in a petulant little pout.  
“Well, Appa and Ms. Rae need to talk about something and once we’re done, I’ll join you there okay?” He ruffled her hair softly and then gently placed her back down. 
Luna gave me an imploring look.
“Are you leaving me?” Her lips wobbled.
I shook my head instinctively.
“Of course not baby, I’ll be right there. Just a few minutes, okay? Don't forget your sunscreen.” I smiled and Luna pouted again but moved to Ms. Lee’s side hesitantly. 
Taehyung waited till the three of them began leaving before turning to me. 
“Thank you.” He said quietly , gaze moving to me with the same intensity, and this time I knew what he was doing. He was trying to gauge what I was thinking and I remembered, weakly that Alpha wolves could sometimes sense moods, changes in a person’s body temperatures and things like that. It wasn’t like mind reading or anything but a perceptive enough werewolf could definitely guess what kind of mood someone was in.
I fought to keep my face neutral. There wasn’t much I could do about how clammy and cold my entire body had gone after meeting Jihyun. It wouldn’t take a rocket scientist to guess why I didn’t l;ike Jihyun there.
“It’s not you.” He said gently.
I swallowed.
“Sorry?”
“You’re beautiful. If we were.... the same kind of people.....I wouldn’t be saying this. But because of who we are.... I’m going to say it. It’s not a good idea.” He whispered.
I flushed, feeling like my entire body had been dipped in ice cold water.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I said evenly.
He hummed.
“If you leave today, there’s a job waiting for you in the Research Center. It’s a level up from what you’re doing right now. I’ve asked them to put up extra security around your cabin and I’ve talked with the wolves here. No one will come anywhere near you. “ 
I nodded bleakly.
“Thank you.” I said quietly. 
“You’re going to forget me and Luna in a few weeks. And I would rather that things end now, before Luna becomes more attached.”
I nodded.
“Can i talk to her before I leave?” I asked softly.
He hesitated. 
“I don’t.... I mean, I would rather not have Jihyun be present for that. She’s.... well she’s someone I’m getting to know and she may feel -”
I wanted to kick myself in the face for ever having agreed to this whole thing.
“I understand. I’ll be back tomorrow morning to get the rest of my stuff and to say goodbye to Luna.” I said shortly. 
Before he could reply, I brushed past him and ran up to my room. I had to get out of here as soon as I could.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Luna cried inconsolably and I was eternally grateful that no one else was there when I carefully unpacked the huge carton of snacks and toys , I’d packed for her. Taehyung had made things a little easier, by telling Luna that it wasn’t me who was leaving but it would be them. They were going to a new place so they would be leaving me behind because I had stuff to do here. 
“I’m not going to be gone completely. I’m going to come visit you as often as I can alright and look....” I pulled out the small phone I’d brought her.
She stopped sniffling and held her hand out. I placed the flip phone in her hands.
“Theres just two numbers there. See the picture of the wolf? Thats daddy..... And see the one with the flower.....that’s me. If you want to talk to either of us, all you need to do is press this button.”
Luna hesitated.
“Daddy said, I can’t have any phones.” She said hesitantly. What a wonderful child, i thought fondly.
“Yes, but this isn’t the kind of phone that could hurt your eyes. It’s just a talking phone. Besides, your daddy already knows and he’s okay with it.” I smiled. 
She nodded, turning the little device over and over in her hands.
“Daddy say’s we’re going to the city. Why don’t you want to come?” She said angrily and i sighed.
“Its not that I don’t want to come, baby. It’s just that my home is here. I help take care of the little pups here remember? Some of them get sick and I help make them better....” I smiled, ruffling her hair. 
She nodded.
“Good girl...Now how about we go see the sandcastle you built yesterday...? See if it’s still there?”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Life went on and I found myself busy enough to not dwell on Taehyung too much. The vaccines were rolling out much faster now and most of the cases were milder . i spent the days in the research center and went home to my cozy cabin. Taehyung had been true to his word an an electric fence ran around the perimeter , twelve feet tall . A security guard stayed near the gate at all times, a beta werewolf named Minjun. 
Two weeks after Taehyung had moved out of the island, a distraction arrived in the form of one Jeon Jungkook . He was a year younger than me and finishing his internship before becoming a radiologist. He was smart , handsome and an alpha wolf with a deceptively cute bunny like smile.
Jungkook liked following me around when we had free time and I found his incessant noona , noona...endearing. But I was also not an idiot. 
Jungkook was looking for a fuck buddy and I was convenient. The only female in the research center. Werewolves didn’t do one night stands with each other, because being intimate always left a scent and it would make things messy. So weres  generally went to humans for no strings attached sex. 
It wasn’t that I minded , but a part of me was terrified i would do something stupid. Like call him Taehyung in the middle of us fucking. 
But of course, stupid decisions were my forte. 
So I did end up sleeping with him. 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Well, you look miserable.” Jimin commented mildly, as I stumbled forward to the counter. I hadn’t slept much the previous night and had nearly missed the ferry to the mainland in the morning.
“I’m fine oppa. Just frazzled. Give me something strong but sweet...” I begged, riffling through my bag for my wallet. Outside, the rain poured in torrents. I was still dripping water from my hair and my jacket, although I’d been out of the rain for a whole five minutes. 
“Taehyung’s been asking about you....Why don’t you pick his calls?” Jimin said casually and I flinched. 
“I did pick his calls. a couple of times....” I muttered . 
That had been a whole experience. Taehyung had called me two weeks back, frothing at the mouth about something. 
Apparently, Ji Hyun the lovely girlfriend that Kim Taehyung like flaunting all over town, was also the older sister on one Jeon Jungkook. And because we had had sex the previous night, Jungkook had smelled like me when he visited Taehyung and Ji hyun. Even Luna had picked up on the scent.
How on earth was i supposed to know? 
Taehyung had been so furious that I’d hung up the phone midway through. 
“And, what happened?”
I shrugged.
“And then I got busy. Why? I’ve been talking to Luna... I even met her a couple of times. It’s not like I have any other reason to talk to him.... “ I protested.
Jimin hummed.
“He’s still seeing that model. Jeon Ji hyun? I heard her brother works in the Research center?” Jimin raised an eyebrow, sliding my drink across the counter. I stepped out of the line but stayed near the counter, staring at him. Damn it. Had Taehyung actually told Jimin about it? 
“Jungkook? Yeah. He’s a doctor... He’s doing his MD , radiology and he’s here for exposure , apparently...”
“Alpha?” Jimin continued flitting about, making orders but his tone held a note of sympathy. 
I shrugged.
“Yeah, he is. But we don’t talk much. We went out one night but then he’s been aloof ever since.” I shrugged again hoping that Jimin was buying my nonchalant act. i still didn’t know how much he knew. 
Jungkook was a nice guy and I was a little peeved that he didn’t seem to want anything more than a friends with benefits thing. But that had less to do with him and more to do with the fact that men, in general, never seemed to consider me as a potential girlfriend. 
But then, the poor guy was in probably the most crucial part of his education. Relationships were probably the farthest thing from his mind. 
Jimin stopped when the last customer in the line left. He stared at me. 
“Taehyung told me Luna called you one morning and Jungkook picked the phone.” 
I froze.
“What?!” I hissed, completely thrown. This, I hadn’t known. 
“You went out? With Jungkook?  And he stayed over , I’m guessing....I’m going to go out on a limb and say that you guys did not play Jenga all night?” He glared at me. I flushed.
“Fine. We slept together. We are sleeping together....its just consensual sex between two willing parties,  . It’s no big deal.” I said flippantly.
“You don’t think that’s why Taehyung has been calling you? That’s his potential brother in law right there. It’s too messy. I think you should stop. ” He frowned. 
I rolled my eyes.
“Listen it has nothing to do with me. I’m not going to marry Jungkook okay? I’m not going to be calling Taehyung my brother in law either. Its not going to happen. i just had this...stupid king of crush on him and he knew about it. He turned me down too, did he tell you that. He told me him and I were too different.... meaning I wasn’t a were so he wouldn’t consider being with someone like me. ”
Jimin groaned. 
“you know why he feels that way. Don’t make this about you. It’s not personal.”
“Then why is it spilling into my personal life? I have no obligation to him. I can sleep with who I want.....”
Jimin rolled his eyes.
“Taehyung’s a were. He’s not going to see it that way.” 
“Well, I don’t give a damn how he sees it, I’m having sex with a handsome young man who is attracted to me. That’s a good time, right there and I’m not going to stop having a good time just because it offends Taehyung’s delicate sensibilities.” I snapped. 
Jimin shrugged.
“Just don’t say I didn’t warn you.” 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When I went back to my cabin that evening, I found Minjun missing from his usual place near the gate. The gate was still locked so I didn’t think too much about it, merely slotting the rusty old key into the huge lock and prying it open. 
I made my way to the door, opening it carefully. 
i nearly jumped out of my skin when I saw who was there. 
“what the- Seo Joon?” I said in disbelief, stumbling back when the tall alpha stumbled to his feet from where he was lounging on the couch. 
“Well, look who’s here....if it isn’t the slutty little bitch who wants to sleep her way through every were on the island....First Taehyung and now Jungkook.....you sure know who to pick, huh.....? All powerful, influential wolves..... “ He slurred.
I stared at him. This wasn’t good. I turned on my heel, ready to run back out but he was faster than me. I groaned when he slammed into my back pinning me to the door with so much force that the wood splintered,. 
While my bruised ribs had healed, they still hurt a bit. And the force of his actions left my mind reeling from the pain. 
“Get off me!! “ I screamed, “ MINJUN!!!!! MINJUN HELP!!!” 
“SHUT THE FUCK UP YOU WHORING BITCH!!!”
He slapped me right across the face, the strength of it sending me crashing into the side table. I whimpered as I tried to get on my feet, fingers fumbling for my phone .
“it was you wasn’t it? I was supposed to be the deputy minister.... Taehyung’s supposed to be my fucking friend. instead i got fired like some lowly runt ...... It was you wasn’t it? you convinced him that humans are our fucking friends....” 
I shook my head, frantic.
“No...i swear I’ve not spoken to Taehyung...i didn’t say anything... Seo Joon please don’t...” I screamed when he reached down and grabbed my hair, yanking me to my feet till my scalp felt like it was on fire.
“Maybe I should fuck you too....since that's the thing people seem to be doing these days....Its because of your father isn’t it? That bastard has been all over the news,  talking these past few weeks about how his precious daughter is doing a lot of work for the welfare of wolves....Maybe I should fuck his daughter too....  ” He began, reaching for my blouse. 
I barely registered the nonsense about my father before a loud sound broke through the din. 
The door swung open and the sound of gunfire made me scream.
 I stared at the door only to see the security guard staring at us with wide eyes. 
Minjun , panicked and completely overwhelmed , had blindly opened fire on both of us. 
I felt the touch of the bullet to my shoulder, before the blinding explosion of pain.
 But he seemed to have hit Seo Joon as well, enough times for the were to let go of me and I crashed to floor, clutching my shoulder in agony. 
The sound of gunfire had attracted more people and through the throng I heard Jungkook’s voice.
“Noona.... Mirae noona is that you----???”
“Kookie!!” I croaked out desperately. Jungkook’s eyes went wide when he saw, me, pushing his way past the other wolves before letting out a snarl. The sound seemed to make the others cower and I remembered that he was an alpha too. 
I gripped his arms when he reached me. 
“Don’t tell Taehyung...” I gasped out, still clutching  my shoulder. 
“God, what the fuck.... We need to get you out of here...” He was already dialing for the ambulance. I waited for him to finish, gasping from the pain. Fuck, it hurt like hell. 
“We’re going to get you to the research center first.” Jungkook said frantically.  
I nodded, stumbling to my feet when he tried to lift me up. 
“It’s okay...just...get me something to …” But he was already peeling off his shirt, wadding up to press against the bleeding bullet hole .
“Hyung is going to kill Seo Joon.” He said grimly. 
For once, I didn’t particularly care. 
My mind raced because I hadn’t thought about my father in years. 
What did that tyrant want with me now??
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Author’s Note : Me trying to finish all my fics and not lose my mind in the process :’( 
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comrade-meow · 3 years ago
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LYNNE WALSH looks ahead to the biggest radical feminist conference in Europe, FiLiA, which takes place over two days in October
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SOME of us have cynical definitions of “conference”: interesting people talking about boring things or boring people talking about interesting things — or the worst combination of those two.
You get the picture. Let’s face it: we’ve all been there. There are conferences where you leave more exhausted than energised; there are events which turn out to be uneventful, there are summits which plummet.
And then there is FiLiA.
This is a two-day event, the biggest radical feminist conference in Europe, which delivers a breathtakingly fine series of speakers, as well as providing opportunities aplenty for women (and a few male allies) to plan, regroup, support one another, spark new ideas and action — and dance.
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This year’s event, on October 16 and 17 in Portsmouth, includes sessions from journalists Jenni Murray, Julie Bindel and Joan Smith,lesbian feminist scholar Sheila Jeffreys, and Harriet Wistrich, founder and director of the Centre for Women’s Justice.
There are stalwarts of the women’s movement at every turn. Gill Hague, activist, practitioner and researcher on violence against women nationally and internationally since the early 1970s, is the professor emerita of violence against women studies at the University of Bristol.
She co-founded the Centre for Gender and Violence Research, School for Policy Studies at the University of Bristol.
Her book, History and Memories of the Domestic Violence Movement, published in May this year, is a passionate and assiduous account of this arena.
Its strapline is “We’ve come further than you think” — just what we need, to encourage us to persist.
She tells it like it is. When she speaks about her international work, and perhaps especially that involving Uganda, Hague is uncompromising, though there is “honey in the rock”; she cares deeply about injustice towards women and girls, and that has clearly always fuelled her dedication.
She says of her work: “As I get older, I feel I can look back with pride; this is a fantastic way to spend the one human life we have.”
And so say all of us.
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Choosing from the FiLiA conference agenda is no easy task. Here are only a few of the sessions: Misbehaving: Stories of Protest Against the Miss World Contest and the Beauty Industry; Not Dead Yet: Feminism, Passion and Women's Liberation; Political Participation of Migrant Women, and Police Perpetrated Abuse.
It’s no wonder that one woman attending the 2019 event said: “FiLiA galvanises women — it is without a doubt one of my lifelong conference experiences — and I have been to many.”
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Lisa-Marie Taylor, chief executive officer, sums it up: “FiLiA is a place where local, national and global women come together to network, learn from each other, plot the overthrow of patriarchy and to party!
“We’ve received messages from women in Norway, Germany, Spain, the US and more saying they’ve heard about FiLiA and they are coming over — this is incredible to us, and a testament to global consciousness-raising around the rights of women and girls, as well as the desire to gather together wherever and whenever we can.”
These annual gatherings have always had a real international feel, and with good reason.
Delegates greeting one another may be social media mates, but that’s never all they are.
There are campaigns and actions linking women’s rights activists across the world, from Kurdistan to Latin America to Ireland, Israel, India and Ukraine. There are speakers from all these movements on the FiLiA conference agenda.
Typical of this ongoing, FiLiA-inspired, global campaigning is a project focused on a refugee camp in Kenya.
Lesbian refugees escaping violence and lesbophobia in their home country were sent by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to the Kakuma camp, in Turkana County, one of the poorest areas of Kenya.
It’s been a refugee camp since 1992, and currently has 160,000 displaced people. Those facts stand alone as a damning indictment.
As the women were seeking asylum due to their sexuality, they were put in the LGBT Block 13 — named with a grim irony.
This, of course, identified them to other refugees in the camp; they’ve suffered violence and abuse as a result.
The women have told FiLiA about a lack of food, constant physical and sexual abuse and lack of basic shelter for them and the other LGB&T refugees in Block 13.
Also recently announced as a speaker is Joanna Cherry, the SNP MP for Edinburgh South West since 2015.
She said recently, of LGBT+ history month: “…these days the L is very much an afterthought and many people have forgotten the contribution made by lesbian feminists of my generation to fighting homophobia and discrimination.
“At a time when the SNP was still undecided about Section 28, I was out on the streets campaigning against it. A large part of my career as a lawyer was spent standing up for women’s rights and prosecuting sex crimes against women and children. So it is particularly galling to be misrepresented by those who have come late to the field of the battle for equality.”
Feminist philosopher Jane Clare Jones speaks in a session called The Radical Notion: Female Class Politics / Founding The Countess, Advocating For Women And Children In Ireland.
The countess in question is Constance Markievicz, the first woman elected to the parliament at Westminster, in 1918. Then representing Sinn Fein, she did not take her seat.
Founder of “The Countess” Laoise UI Aodha de Brun points out that Markievicz “attended her first political meeting aged 41 — it’s never too late to effect change.”
The agenda promises this session will get to the heart of some tight issues: “Many people claim feminism is a form of ‘identity politics,’ but women’s oppression is not a matter of ‘identity,’ but of the material exploitation of women’s bodies and labour.
“This panel will explore why feminism is better thought of as a type of class politics.
“What are the implications for feminist activism and theory of understanding feminism as ‘female class politics’? How might this help us rectify some of the mistakes feminism has made in the past, and reimagine the future of feminism?”
In the session FiLiA Stands with Sex Trade Survivors, Yulia Dorokhovah will speak about the work she does as director of the sex workers’ self-organisation in Ukraine.
This is the NGO All-Ukrainian League “Legalife,” aimed at combating sexual slavery, human trafficking and violence against sex workers.
The two-day happening is to be Covid-compliant, with proof either of vaccinations or of a negative test. The extra regulations are not daunting delegates, many of whom registered as soon as they could.
Another delegate to the 2019 conference told organisers: “FiLiA is Radfem Glastonbury: you see all your mates, get to see the living legends, and it takes three weeks to recover.”
True, in some ways — though we can’t really afford that long recovery time. There is work to do. Thankfully, there are great women to work alongside.
Conference details: filia.org.uk/tickets. You can support the Kakuma refugees here: filia.org.uk/kakuma-campaign.
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starrysamu · 5 years ago
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i’m not someone with a huge following or anything, and it’s been a while since i’ve been here, but i’m sure everyone has heard about the state of the world right now. i wanted to use this platform to use my voice. 
i also wanted to take the time ask everyone to be respectful and use your voice during this time. there are two particular events i want to highlight: 
1) black lives matter 
black lives matter. i won’t hear it any other way, i won’t have it any other way. if you see it differently, feel free to unfollow me because i won’t be allowing for any other opinions. as someone who is still learning, however, i can offer what i’ve picked up along the way.  
as someone who is trying to do better and become a better ally, here’s some other thoughts i have on the situation: 
♦ the lack of solidarity amongst minorities in absolutely baffling. i’m not sure how else to elaborate on this other than that many minorities are not using their voices. your silent support is not enough. you have to do better.  
♦ the lack of solidarity in future healthcare workers is just as astounding. this is mainly targeted to the people in my life, irl. many of my peers specifically have been silent on this matter. please, please, please, use your voice. now is the chance to decrease the disparity in treatment and care for our black patients. how will you be a good healthcare worker if you can’t even support basic human rights. how.    
♦ nobody wants to see your selfies. that’s not to say you can’t go and do things like you normally would. use your platform for something more productive. if you’re not contributing anything constructive, don’t contribute at all.  
♦ criticisms against rioting and protesting: where was the coverage during peaceful protesting? the situation has escalated so dramatically that it requires this. black voices have been stifled for YEARS. it is not up to YOU how an oppressed group protests. criticisms against rioting and protesting minimizes the racism and oppression that black individuals have faced. if you are uncomfortable with violence, it is most likely because your privilege has protected you. and nb people - if you’re attending a protest, please don’t loot and burn things like it’s some free-for-all purge. your actions will be blamed on black people, defeating the purpose of protesting. 
♦ lastly, here is a collection of thoughts i have formed upon discussion: 
it may feel super fake/performative to share information that everyone else is sharing: however, those who agree with you might learn more, and those who disagree might reflect on their own opinions. information can spread to those who have not yet received yet either. 
you may not feel qualified to speak on these matters: i sure as hell don’t. it took me a long time coming, but i want to do better and be better. there is always a learning curve. all we can do is continue to learn and strive to do better.
you may not feel like you’re doing much or changing anything: i’m sure many of you have seen resources to help you take this a step beyond the instagram posts. if it’s within your capabilities, considering donating. advocating by signing petitions, making calls to your DAs, or protesting is a great way to stay involved. lastly, educate: speak on these matters, call your friends and families into discussions, read more about oppression and reflect on how your lifestyle is intertwined with institutional oppression.  
♦ to take it a step beyond, here’s some resources and action you can take (thank you to @/writeiolite for compiling these earlier): 
sign petitions, text or call, and donate. the link has all the information you need to take action! it’s very comprehensive. here is another comprehensive document with other ways to take action. 
educate: here is a very comprehensive document on how to learn more about systematic racism and black oppression. 
to other minorities that are struggling to find their voice, please check these instagram posts out. from these, i was able to find the strength to use my own voice. 
and for my black friends and followers, please take care of yourselves. here is a resource for mental health support. 
2) the anti-terror law 
this is something that has come to my attention very, very recently. i also am not very educated on this either, but from what i gather, this is a form of martial law without actually being termed as martial law - infringement of personal freedoms and rights. 
there is simply not much i can say because i am still reading and learning about it. i will update and edit as soon as i can get more information.
as previously mentioned, i am still in the process of educating myself on this topic. this is a great resource to get started, and is comprehensive on what it is and how you can help. please take a look at it!! to my friends living in PH, please stay safe. 
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lifewithchronicpain · 3 years ago
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Despite best intentions, I don’t think website will be started today. But I still worked on it by writing a new section:
My section on how to make activism events more inclusive is probably going to be my last piece but hardest to write because I’m gonna have to try and think of lots disability needs beyond my own, but I definitely got some great feedback in that area, it will help.
So tonight I wrote a piece on why should this matter to abled people, it’s a rough draft so criticism or typo comments all welcome:
Why Should it Matter?
The current pain crisis should matter to all people, whether you suffer from chronic pain or not. 1 in 5 people in the US suffer from some form of chronic pain, meaning there is a good chance someone you know and love has been affected by the opioid restrictions, and that’s not the only reason.
You can be healthy now but one car accident from permanent disability with chronic pain. These restrictions have caused many ERs to not give acute pain meds for broken bones and such, or sufficient post surgery meds. Then you try and get a doctor for you new bad neck and no one will take you own because of these restrictions.
Or maybe you will avoid such a fate only to suffer from arthritis so bad in your elder years that only opioids help. I personally never thought I would be housebound by 32 with severe pain caused by genetic conditions I had no knowledge of until the pain made me look for answers.
This is not an abstract problem and it’s almost inevitable you will experience this disability personally or through a friend or especially a family member. It should be our moral and ethical duty as a society to treat pain seriously and aggressively. Untreated pain ruins lives, takes lives, and takes the unlived futures of all touched by this cruel condition. The dangers of opioids have been overblown and overemphasized while the genuine benefits for pain patients are ignored and minimized.
Lastly and importantly, this should matter to you because opioid prescriptions are at an all time low while opioid deaths are at an all time high. Whatever roll big pharma had in pushing these drugs, it is done now. Continuing the restrictions against opioids serves only one purpose: punishing pain patients for needing a legal drug that has been drilled into society’s as nothing but dangerous. If you actually care about stopping overdose deaths, wouldn’t you want to go after the drugs like illicit fentanyl that are actually killing people?
Addiction is a problem that deserves the same kind of compassion I have asked for pain patients. Personally I believe restriction is a failed rhetoric around addiction, remember prohibition did not stop drinking. I believe in more science based approaches to addiction that many have a knee jerk reaction to, like having places to allow people to het high in a safe environment and where they can talk to people if they want to and have access to addiction cessation information. I think addiction needs a human approach that doesn’t restrict but rather helps people to get to better circumstances so there won’t be be a needb to escape their lives through illicit substances. Knowing that there are better directions to go with addiction treatment, it almost seems like restricting legal drugs to be security theater, a way of being seen to do something.
To be clear, have nothing against reasonable regulations that keeps pill diversion low. I’m just tired of the restrictive hammer coming down on addicts (who aren’t stopped from accessing illicit drugs) and hitting pain patients instead. If the restrictions as they stood actually saved addicts then I could understand why people would support it. Since it has not, it’s time to look elsewhere and let pain patients decide with their doctor what meds they need and not prejudiced guidelines.
I realize that my suggestions on why this should matter to you, the ally, is I am assuming you have a heart and don’t want to see people in pain. I also know we are evolutionary programmed to empathize better with friends or family, as opposed to the internet stranger I am.
So once again I return to my first point. This could be you, your family, your friend. Do try to be a pain ally for me. Be a pain ally for your mom who just got 30 less pills and can’t go out to dinner like she used too. Think about your son with a broken leg screaming in the ER with pain, and they only give him Advil. Think of you friend who you used to hand out with all the time, but then they got Fibromyalgia and now you see less and less and less, until suddenly not at all because they were forcibly removed from her meds and can’t leave the house anymore.
We need you to think of us, we need you to care about what’s happening! Pain patients have the unique distinction of the conditions that oppress us are also conditions that make it impossible to protest and be active on the way we wish to. For so many, especially with forced tapering, it’s a daily fight to just get through the day. We need ally’s to step up, lift our voices, and maybe even plan direct action activism.
Now that you know why you should care, will you do something? Pain patients are dying, so if not now, when?
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