#YOU ARE ACTIVELY PREVENTING HIM FROM SEEKING JUSTICE IN A NORMAL WAY

[peeledstrawberry]

I can't find it, but there was a post where Danny described Jason's pit rage as the "terrible twos" and I'm obsessed with the concept.

Like yeah OF COURSE every fresh ghost goes through their flickering lights and floating silverware phase! Especially ones who died violently and were never avenged. It's even WORSE if their violent death was covered up.

Meanwhile there's Batman who refused to avenge Jason and covered up his death

[linkspooky]

Yuta vs Yuji

(They are both Good Boys ™ and that’s the Problem ™ )

As this week the boys are still fighting, I thought it would be interesting to take a more in depth look at both of their characters and how they compare and contrast with each other. Yuta and Yuji are both protagonists who have protagonistic motivations. Their central conflict, Itadori’s struggle to find a good death surrounded by people he loves, and Yuta’s struggle to be surrounded by people he loves and protects them, relates to protecting the people they love and the world around them. However, that’s also what drives them into conflict with each other. They both view themselves as “the hero” even in conflicts such as the fight against each other, where there is really no good guy. 

1. I want to live / I want to die

Yuta and Yuji are opposites in their stated motivation. Yuta’s goal is to find a way to live a happy life, surrounded by the people he loves. Yuji’s goal is to find a way to die surrounded by people he’s helped in life. 

Not only are their stated motivations opposites however, on the outside they are both the opposite in several ways. Yuji is someone who is known for his strength whereas Yuta is immediately remarked upon as the type to get bullied.  Yuji is immediately remarked upon for his cheerful disposition, whereas everyone who knows Yuta picks on him at first and notices how gloomy he is. 

Yuji is someone who seems to make friends and connect with people almost immediately, whereas Yuta is someone who it probably took him a long time to start getting along with Maki and Inumaki based on what we see in the prequel. Maki challenges him at first, and Yuta doesn’t understand Inumaki at first. 

Yuta is passive, and Yuji is active. Yuji is known for running after people to save them. Yuta’s actually not as motivated to save random strangers as Yuji is, he’s simply going along with becoming a Jujutsu Sorcerer because that will help his goals, 1) to make new friends and find a reason to live 2) to release Rika.

The difference between them even manifests in the way they became cursed. Yuji actively chose to swallow a curse, because he wanted to help Megumi and needed the power to do so. It was a decision he made. Yuta was the one who cursed Rika yes, but not only was it a jujutsu technique he used unconsciously, he also forgot about it and blamed Rika for cursing him instead.  

Which is also something that reflects in the central flaws of both characters. Yuta is someone with a victim complex. He tends to avoid taking direct responsibility for his actions and blaming it on someone else. He acts passive in almost every situation, and doesn’t accept that it may be his fault. Which is why he misremembered what happened to Rika. Yuta could not accept the idea that he was to blame for cursing Rika, so he blamed Rika in his memories instead for cursing him.

It’s been outlined by Maki before Yuta’s victim complex, but basically he reads as a nice person on the surface by pretending to be innocent when he’s not. Which is why she says his goodness feels fake, and he himself feels gross. Yuta kind of just, represses and ignores the bad parts of his personality, to seem like a hapless victim. Of course Yuta is not good or bad, he’s just a dude. But, Maki even goes further to point out Yuta himself doesn’t even seem to know who he wants to be. 

Yuta’s central character flaw is that he never accepts responsibility for his own actions. He has no self confidence and because of that he has a really tough time standing up as an individual. 

When he can learn to control his power, and stand on his own two feet rather than just avoiding responsibility and acting like a victim with no control over his situation. Yuta begins to change, but I think he also elevates his friends far beyond himself. 

He aspires to be like his friends, but he also feels like they’re already better than him and he’s unworthy. Which is why he’s constantly insecure about the relationship and needs to protect them. Yuta believes himself to be weak, he sees himself as a weak person, and so in every situation he tends to assume he’s the weak one or a weak victim which makes it hard for him to see what he’s responsible in those situation. 

On the other hand Yuji takes almost too much repsonsibility. Rather than trying to depend on others, Yuji is always, running ahead on his own and that’s where he makes his mistakes.

He thought he was strong enough to take down Choso on his own. He wasn’t. He thought he was strong enough mentally to prevent Sukuna from rampaging, he wasn’t. Yuji’s mistakes always come from taking on more responsibility than he can handle, and then letting things fall out of his control. 

Yuta’s irresponsible because he sees himself as a victim and doesn’t understand how strong he is, Yuji’s irresponsible because he constantly overestimates what he himself can handle.

If you take the scene after Yuji dies the first time into account. Sukuna outlines several facts. One, that Yuji is not actually strong enough to suppress him. Two, that he rampaged against Megumi specifically because Yuji got cocky and tried to use his power without using a binding vow and think it through. Three, that Yuji overestimates himself and his capability to keep Sukuna down and because of it, he agrees to a simple terms of “If I defeat you inside my own body you revive me with no conditions” and then just immediately dies. 

All of this of course being foreshadowing for what happens after the Choso fight. Once again, Yuji overestimates himself and how he can win the fight fighting alone. Halfway through Yuji gets overwhelmed and Sukuna surfaces. When Sukuna surfaces he rampages, because Yuji did not even think of the possibility that Sukuna might rampage if he died or lost consciousness, and therefore there was no binding vow in place to stop him. It’s not because Yuji is a bad kid, but because he is a kid, and doesn’t know better. He acts like any fifteen year old would dealing with a 1000 year old spirit that’s much smarter than him. But it’s also a case of Yuji thinking everything comes down to strength and he can beat Sukuna just by being stronger, when Yuji actually solves none of his problems by fighting alone, and all of his major victories come from fighting together with others. 

Yuji and Yuta are even opposites in regards to their curses. Rika loves Yuta and wants to protect him. He loses control of her because he’s too scared to face her, and has no idea how to begin controlling his power, which is once again this flaw that Yuta’s fear is a fear of taking responsibility. Yuji on the other hand his curse Sukuna loathes his guts, and is constantly trying to undermine him. Yuji’s problem is again and again he’s proven to underestimate Sukuna, he’s not afraid enough of Sukuna because Yuji himself considers himself a strong person and overestimates what he can be responsible for. Rika is an ally outside of Yuta, and Sukuna is an enemy within Yuji. 

However, after going to such length to establish them as opposites they have one central similiarity. Both of them are incredibly lonely people. They can’t really make friends or connections normally. 

Yuta has this fear of living alone, and Yuji this fear of dying alone. 

They both only form relationships on the basis that they’re needed. Which is why Yuta goes so insane about protecting his friends. Which is why Yuji keeps focusing on death above all else, because that’s their true “purpose” that underlies their stated motivations. They’re both doing this because they are afraid of being alone.

However, they both need to prove that they are “worthy” of love. In order to do that, they need to be good, useful people. Thus they are heroes, thus they are good guys, thus they are protagonists. 

Yuji becomes so insanely motivated to fight after Sukuna’s rampage, because if he doesn’t help someone, if he doesn’t justify his decision to keep on living somehow they’re just a murderer. Both Yuta and Yuji don’t really care about the world or circumstances around them, they just want to be validated by the people around them.

Yuta is a deeply selfish person, because he just wants other people around him to tell him it’s okay to live. However, he’s also just a suicidal fifteen year old kid in the first place, any kid his age would feel that way, would need that support and he shouldn’t need to earn it. That’s what he misunderstands. However, Yuji and Yuta keep trying to seek external validation. They keep trying to earn love rather than having it given to them.

It’s what Yuta completely fails to internalize after his fight with Geto. The lesson he needed to learn was that there was more to the world around him than just protecting the people he loved, but it seems coming back to both of those people he loved being hurt has caused him to double down on “protecting the ones he loved” vs “thinking about what is justice”.Yuta’s still stuck in this mode where he has to earn love, and that becomes his first priority in everything.

The problem with making the decision to ignore justice is that you can end up at the wrong side of the equation. Yuji is Yuta. He’s another victim who allowed a curse to rampage because he was cursed as a teenager and could not control his own power and people ended up dying for it. 

However, because Yuta only understands that his friends have been hurt, and refuses to understand Yuji as both a victim and a person outside of himself he accepts his role of executioner.

Yuta was the person who was going to be executed a year ago. The only reason he didn’t was because Gojo gave him a chance and extended a helping hand. However we’re now seeing Yuta take the opposite path. he’s made the decision to become executioner, to not save when he himself was saved. Which is just sad because Yuta and Yuji are character foils.

 A conflict against Yuji, the other main character, is really just Yuta fighting himself. Yuta cannot forgive himself for the crime of being weak, and therefore he blames Yuji for being like he was a year ago. Yuta still doesn’t know how to stand strong on his own, to accept that his friends love him for who he is, so he’s still trying to earn love by avenging them and acting overprotective against Yuji, when we know Inumaki was friends with Yuji and probably would not want him to be hunted down and killed. 

Yuta and Yuji are both seemingly completely selfless people who can come off as rather self centered when you examine their deeper motivations (they do what they do, because they want to be loved and needed) but it doesn’t come from a place of ego, it’s just that they’re lonely. They can’t feel accepted for who they are so they both try to be heroes instead. 

[reddish-green-personality]

Both conscience and the fear of the afterlife has not stopped bad things from happening if you think that a person who commits a crime does have a conscience. I think unless he seeks forgiveness both from himself and the person that he wronged this life will be painful as it is. Guilt is a difficult thing to live with and so is fear, you are absolutely right, that the conscience of the culprit should be fixed, but conscience itself is a subjective entity, it only refers to what a certain individual believes in, for example, a certain vegan teacher may consider it ethical to feed her dog only vegan meals despite the fact that it has negative impacts on the dogs’ health, and consider it ethical, whereas the rest of the world finds the idea absolutely repulsive. 

Now, the thing is, as I said before, hoping for a life after death has little to do with the person who wronged you and more with one’s own peace and wellbeing, the dying man does not find comfort in the fact that the wrongdoer will rot in hell, but in the fact that he will finally be relieved of the life in which he endured pain, and will finally receive justice, in whichever form it may be in. Because the person has already given up on this world, I think he has already made peace with injustice, but only because he hopes for a better conclusion to his miseries.

If someone wrongs me, (and I don’t punch back that is) I find comfort in the fact that I will get good in return for not spreading any more negativity than already exists in this world, and not in the fact that the person who punched me will get 20 punches in return, my patience has everything to do with me and nothing to do with the..well...punch-er.

No one can go to the dying and enforce the idea that oho fire awaits, unless the person already believes in an afterlife and is already fearful on his own, there is not much anyone can do, and if the person does not believe that slowly killing your dog in the name of veganism is wrong, you cannot even prick their conscience. So well, neither of these two things actually prevent bad from happening and are only repercussions, that too, only if the person believes. 

About the fear of dying thing, I am sorry, I think I was projecting, because I am not afraid of death, I am only afraid of dying a stupid death. But, I guess I am afraid of living for too long, because this life gets old, again that is just my opinion, but I also think that there are worse things than dying, one of which is living with guilt. That is, I think, a self-made hell. Why the concept of an afterlife is comforting is because guilt is also a blessing, it is only when one feels the weight of one’s actions that he can seek redemption, and after a guilt-ridden life in this world, he may find peace in the afterlife. 

Again, I am not wishing that the person lives in a hell of one’s own if he did something wrong, I am just saying that this would eventually happen if the person has an active conscience.

To answer your question, I do not believe in rebirth, I believe that our body is only a shell that carries our soul and that the soul passes on into another dimension, that existence is only a concept of space and time.

Do you think that it is better to have good imposed on someone from a very young age, or for someone to choose evil and find their way back? There is a lot of importance laid in seeking forgiveness when it comes to God and the power of reinventing yourself for the better, so I was just wondering.

Godd, I am sorry if that is too long.

OH MYGOD IM FINALLY GETTING TO IT JEEZ, very sorry for the massive delay

right, criminals and bad thing makers definitely do have a consience, just that they feel that indecency is more required. And yeah,forgiveness is necessary, but that always cant leave a bad act null and void.

consience and ethics are very different i think. Consience is knowing that what youre doing is wrong, and ethics is a mental rule justifying the negative action

The vegan teacher, must have a consience that she cares not to listen to, and rather, follows her mental list of veganistic ethics

To me, and i think i speak for no one at all, death is conclusion enough, dying is painful enough. Thinking of the horrible things that will happen to someone in hell after they die, and feeling gratification for it, is a little sadistic and inhumane to me. But thats just how i think of it

That kind of patience is absolutely good, and just. if you get punched, you dont need to punch back to deal damage, for there are more that many ways to hurt him back without bruising your knuckles

thats 100% correct about not being able to enforce thoughts into someone while dying, and so hoping for that kinda justice is like hoping for a meteor to hit the guy on his head. the chances are low and you have no control over it, and justice shouldnt be an act of chance

Ahh no no, i too fear dying more than death. I dont think living with guilt is worse than death personally, because guilt is like a heavy blanket on a sunny morning Like its terrible and uncomfortable, and you can almost live normally, and it sucks, but atleast you can take it off sooner or later with therapy and such. but death is just a coffin. youre dead. You can get out of a nailed coffin. 

redemption in afterlife is as good as no redemption because you can only redeem yourself in the real world where the actions took place. If i punch you, i dont wanna wait till i die and ask for forgiveness in my afterlife(if any), but rather ask for forgiveness from you while im still alive. and not only does that rid me of my guilt blanket, i also dont need to suffer for the rest of my life, and whilst dying, be thinking about my punishment, because i have apologized, whether you accept it or not is your deal

and for your last paragraph

You dont need to impose ‘good’ to a child, for all thats good in a child is unpolluted concience, and concience of human is always good. what you must do is keep a child away from ‘evil’ till the child knows what the difference is, and how to to differentiate in the future

Asking for forgiveness is important, and should be one of the first things taught to a child, because being sorry for everything never hurt anyone. 

[dalekofchaos]

Grahamfield au

We need a spin off game or a fanfic about Max and Warren where

Max  met Warren the moment she came back to Arcadia Bay and they have been absolutely inseparable ever since

Chloe and Rachel successfully ran away to LA

In place of no Rachel, Samantha would be the one Jefferson kills

Nathan would just have a psychotic break down in the girls bathroom and when Max comes out of hiding, Nathan would attempt to shoot her and this is how her rewind powers activates

Warren and Kate are the only people Max will willingly come out of her cocoon for

While Max and Kate have their tea dates, Max and Warren occasionally have study dates and movie nights together

With being more open and welcoming to Warren, Max is more receptive to Warren’s texts

In the parking lot Max and Warren’s interactions will be the same and Nathan will attack will remain the same. But without Chloe, Max would knee Nathan in the groin Warren will try to help Max but Nathan will keep beating on him until David breaks up the fight. 

Max would rush Warren to the nurse’s office and help wipe the blood off and reduce the swelling of Warren’s bruises. Warren would say “Max, you are my super hero” and Max would say “and you are my white knight Warren.” they smile at each other and hold hands.

They would go to Warren’s dorm. Fan art of what his dorm could look like, art  by Rey1000 

Max and Warren would chill and Max would tell Warren about everything. Her dream of the storm, and Nathan and her powers. Warren believes her instantly

Max and Warren would drive down to the lighthouse, Max has another blackout, Warren helps her out of it and the snowstorm happens

Same situation with Kate. 

We later get to talk about Kate to Warren. Warren will of course believe Max about Nathan’s involvement with Kate  and says he will be there for Kate and help her.

Warren wants to ease Max and take her mind off things and invites her to “Go Ape” and Max will say yes!

Max asks Warren to go to the Two Whales with her

After meeting Joyce, Joyce confirms that Chloe has left Arcadia Bay with her girlfriend Rachel and doesn’t believe she’ll ever return. This saddens Max but is happy Chloe is free to live her best life with the girl she loves

In place of the junkyard, I can see Max and Warren studying together while both trying to figure out how they can help Kate. 

While they study together, We find out Warren is basically the boy version of Matilda. Was neglected as a child, so he chose books and science as his passion and sci-fi and it made him feel whole.

At the end of episode 2 their moment of them together remains the same, but we are given a choice to kiss Warren

Warren calls Max his “Super Max” and Max calls him her “White Knight” Max and Warren will also say “You are my partner in space(Warren)” “And you are my partner in time(Max)”

Max and Warren are investigating Blackwell at night looking for evidence on Nathan

Instead of going to the pool, Max and Warren would sneak off to Warren’s dorm for movie night. 

The next scene will open with Max and Warren cuddling and the two taking a selfie together.

They will talk and say they should go on a date to the End Of The World Party as a date and a means to spy on Nathan and make sure he doesn’t hurt anyone again.

In episode 4 Max and Warren are together throughout the episode gathering evidence. 

Warren knocks Nathan down and Max prevents him from stooping to Nathan’s level

Eventually they uncover the darkroom

In wanting to look good for Warren on their dates and to go to Vortex Club parties together, Max takes Courtney on her offer  for a makeover. So every date, Dana, Courtney,  Taylor and Victoria gives Max a makeover and dress and doll her up. Warren’s jaw hits the floor the moment he sees her

Max instructs Warren to keep a look out for Nathan while Max warns Victoria

After talking with Victoria. Max and Warren share a dance and a kiss and Max takes a picture of them to save the memory.

We are given the opportunity to enter a photo for the Everyday Hero Contest. We enter at the last minute as Jefferson would give Max the opportunity. So Max with Kate’s permission, Kate would let Max take a photo of her in the hospital. And Max enters her photo at the last minute when she returns to Blackwell. Max wins the Everyday Hero Contest. Max gives an inspiring speech about how everyone can be a hero and that Kate has always inspired her, how much she loves Kate and that she hopes that Kate knows that she is loved by everyone in Blackwell and everyone, especially Warren, and, Victoria would cheer Max on. This would also give Jefferson the means and opportunity to drug Max

Warren brings the cavalry to save Max. One of the things that bothered me about Polarized is Warren just gives up on Max and doesn’t try to look for her. Warren would not just give up on Max, he would go look for her, damn the storm.  He knows Max has been gone for a while. So what I think should’ve happened is Warren seeks out David for help.

Max thanks Warren and the choice is presented hug or kiss. if platonic hug is taken, Max just thanks Warren normally. If kiss is chosen, Max will tell Warren “I’m so glad my white knight was here to save me” Warren will explain after her long disappearance, he got worried and sought out David to warn him about Max’s disappearance and used their evidence to find her.

Max would use her photo and after the kiss Max would tell Warren everything. They leave and warn everyone about Jefferson and the storm. After Jefferson is arrested, the bunker is cleared out and the towns people hide within the bunker and as the storm is raging over Arcadia Bay, Max and Warren hold each other.

Eventually Arcadia Bay would be in a process of rebuilding. Mark Jefferson is on his way to prison as is Sean Prescott. Kate and 20 other girls get their justice. 

Max and Warren eventually complete their education in University of Oregon and they bid farewell to Arcadia Bay.

Eventually Max and Warren heads to LA. To visit an old friend. Max and Chloe catches up. Chloe is relieved to hear no one died in AB and just glad she’s okay and glad Max has a knight in shining armor to watch over her, even if he’s a nerd(Oh Chloe lol)

Max, Warren, Chloe and Rachel would travel together for some time. But eventually Max and Warren would decide to settle down

Max and Warren would date for a long time and eventually getting married. Kate, Chloe and Rachel would be there for the wedding

Max has finally become a famous photographer and eventually a photojournalist. Warren becomes a chemistry professor and married Max Caulfield. He often brings in photographs by Max to show to his students how proud he is of his wife. Think of Warren as the John Mulaney of Chemistry lol

[irnbraw]

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If there was a massive criminal conspiracy to pervert the course of justice in Scotland - it would be a Sturgeon botched attempt to stitch up Salmond (and ongoing attempt to cover it up)! 

Case to Answer

There are now enough accounts of criminal wrongdoing circulating in Scotland to require a proper and through inquiry.  But how do you have anyone in Scotland inquiry into a series of allegations that implicate all the instruments of the state that might normally conduct such a wide ranging and in depth investigation.

The story - now being publicly told by nationalists themselves both those in their own numbers - is that (not necessarily in this exact order..!)

the former FM was either a threat or an embarrassment to the current FM 

she actively wanted rid of him

she was constrained by his popularity and high (increasingly so) profile

everyone knew for years that the former FM was a sex-pest

political members of the Civil Service (CS) AND political appointees (Special Advisors & staff) were consulted

the FM’s husband, along with the aforementioned, concocted a plan to undermine the former FM

a policy on sexual harassment was written/rewitten

several ‘victims’ came forward and complained about everything from innuendo to attempted rape by the former FM

the policy then applied and (helpfully) now included ‘former’ ministers

a CS inquiry was instituted 

the CS inquiry was patently biased and conducted in a way that ran contrary to rules of fairness, justice and this the law

extract from Alex Salmond Submission to QC inquiry (see below)

the former FM was found ‘guilty’ under the CS inquiry

elements of the entire process were leaked from among the FM’s inner circle

the objective to discrediting the former FM appeared to have been achieved

the lead conspirators banked on the former FM’s loyalty to their mutual political interests (separatism) and the party they had each led

the former FM did not comply - instead instituting legal action against the Scottish Government (SG) for its biased investigations rules, procedures and findings

the SG lost that legal fight - i.e. it was forced to cease defending the case 

the SG’s external legal counsel (advocates) both threatened to resign as they could not continue to defend an unstable case

the Court of Session ruled that it was ‘procedurally unfair’ on the grounds that the investigating officer had ‘prior involvement’

extract from Alex Salmond Submission to QC inquiry (see below)

in losing the SG lost its costs AND paid over £500,000 to the former FM

before losing SG lawyers advised that the SG’s position was untenable and they would likely lose (a consensus of that view was also held in the legal community outside SG circles

the SG ignored all advice and maintained its losing position

initial suspicion was a) the SG was simply incompetent and/or - worse - b) the party running the SG was looking for a way to feed public money to the former FM 

concurrent with the broad timing of the success of the former FM’s case agains the SG, Police Scotland (PS) confirmed its own inquiry into the same series of allegations

PS looked into the CS inquiry allegations AND at the insistence of either the CS or the SG, can a wide net looking for additional items

ultimately PS passed a file to the Scottish prosecutors office - the Crown Office (CO)

concurrent with this the Chief Executive of the party of government (and husband to the FM) was exchanging correspondence with third parties calling for increased pressure on the former FM and on the SP to press a strong case against the former FM

The CO indicted the former FM on a number of charges from sexual touching (battery) to attempted rape 

the criminal trial of the former FM ended with his being cleared of all charges (one “Not Proven”) in a stunning defeat for the CO 

the person in charge of the CO is an appointee and ally of the current FM

after the ending of the criminal case the former FM hinted that there had been a conspiracy to get him

evidence had been emerging that the party was in fact ‘creating a case’ against its former leader and former FM

after the ending of the criminal case reports have emerged of political appointees and career CS openly talking of “getting” the former FM

with the criminal case over political attention turned back to the first loss of the CS inquiry civil case

its now alleged that all the CO witnesses who testified to the former FM’s conduct are connected to the current FM (their anonymity being protected by law, this may not be publicly verified or denied)

the loss was of such a scale that the Scottish Parliament (SP), when it returned to the issue, it demanded an inquiry

the SG ‘permitted’ a SP Committee of Inquiry a) promising full cooperation and b) ensuring its party had a majority and chairmanship of the inquiry

concurrent with establishing the SP Committee the SG (or the party?) used a third party lawyers, paid with public funds, a) to coach potential Committee members from the FM’s party and b) to secure personal commitments in writing from such potential members to avoid specific questions and areas in inquiry

When MSPs refused to sign up to SG/party lawyers’ demands, one witness – a senior official – failed to give ­evidence at all

in the run up to the initiation of the SP inquiry, and after it started, the FM made various statements about what she know and when she knew it.

the statements were made to the press, to the SP and to the SP Committee of Inquiry

any of those made to the SP or its Committee(s) will be a violation of Ministerial Code and WILL REQUIRE resignation

the statements by the FM have partially contradicted each other and have subsequently been contradicted by her husband (the Party’s Chief Executive) and by the former FM and his witnesses

the FM has been accused directly of lying on the key issue of what she knew and when she knew it

the implication of her lies is that she is covering up the conspiracy

the Chief Executive of the party - and husband to the FM - offered testimony that contradicted itself in the same session 

the husband of the FD - and party Chief Exec - misled the Committee on the existence of ‘conspiracy electronic messages’

the SG has consistently refused to comply with demands of the Committee or the full SP to provide the legal advice it received prior to losing the civil suit to the former FM

as matters progressed various reports leaked from inside the SG’s party support and the broader separatist movement

the former FM’s separatist supporters are openly deriding the Committee of Inquiry

the result of ongoing revelations caused those following to realize that this was never about ‘getting a bung’ (i.e. money) to the former FM - but it was about getting him

Failed State

even as the party Chief Executive was forced into re-appearing before the Committee he, in his Party CEO role, was scrambling to prevent the Committee from seeing evidence (re another accuser and her contacts with SG and others behind the scenes)

Scotland’s top law officer - the SG’s appointee and ally of the FM - refuses to answer certain specific questions about the conduct of the case(es)

extract from Alex Salmond Submission to QC inquiry (see below)

the Committee Chair - the SG’s appointee and ally of the FM - refuses to allow the Committee to ask about certain areas - no matter how logically or practically they may appear to be linked to the Committee’s remit

the party Chief Executive refused to clarify his testimony’s contradictions with that of his wife (the FM) and tried to refuse to re-appear before the Committee

the Deputy FM - an SG role held by an ally of the FM - appointed a QC to look into the potential failings of the FM in her involvement with the initial CS inquiry

the way the remit has been drawn by the Deputy FM cannot result in a finding of a Breach of Ministerial Code by the FM

the investigating QC refuses to consider specific evidence from the former FM, refuses to look at any circumstances that NOW surround the apparent motivation for the initial complaints/inquiry and writing/re-write of the ministerial code

the investigating QC declines to consider whether the FM lied to the SP or under oath - he instead said “he was inclined to the view that such matters could be considered and will take into account arguments for their inclusion”

the SP Committee of Investigation is increasingly derided as a fiasco - and worthless both by broader comment and from among members of the Committee

the SP Committee chair and SP officials seek to have the former FM testify but insist they vet what he may talk about

the SP Committee chair and SP officials refuse to publish the former FM’s submission to the Committee on the record

new revelations continue to come out daily which tend to show a conspiracy against the FM by many close to the FM - or her husband

another such revelation exploded today - apparently timed to coincide with the Chief Executive’s additional time before the Committee - but which appears to backfire 

Notwithstanding the emerging evidence of a conspiracy - there is not a very specific charge made (by Alex Salmond, supported by witness testimony) that Sturgeon purposefully lied to the Scottish Parliament, not once but several times on more than one item of fact   Even if all the conspiracy evidence were NOT THERE this alone requires independent adjudication - and not by any of the elements of potential inquiry that have not been so wantonly found failing.  If she did lie - that’s a breach of the Ministerial Code and it requires that she MUST RESIGN.

See extract Salmond Statement:

“31. Most seriously, Parliament has been repeatedly misled on a number of occasions about the nature of the meeting of 2nd April 2018.

32. The First Minister told Parliament (see Official Report of 8th,10th & 17th January 2019) that she first learned of the complaints against me when I visited her home on 2nd April 2018. That is untrue and is a breach of the Ministerial Code.

The evidence from Mr Aberdein that he personally discussed the existence of the complaints, and summarised the substance of the complaints, with the First Minister in a pre arranged meeting in Parliament on 29th March 2018 arranged for that specific purpose cannot be reconciled with the position of the First Minister to Parliament.

The fact that Mr Aberdein learned of these complaints in early March 2018 from the Chief of Staff to the First Minister who thereafter arranged for the meeting between Mr Aberdein and the First Minister on 29th March to discuss them, is supported by his sharing that information contemporaneously with myself, Kevin Pringle and Duncan Hamilton, Advocate.”

Because this potentially implicates a criminal conspiracy at the highest level of the Scottish administration AND the allegations have tainted both Scotland’s Chief Legal Officer and the Crown Office AND has compromised the SNP structured police service Police Scotland - we now URGENTLY need a UK Public Inquiry.

[miracutrashcan]

Only the irredeemable should tremble (Part 2/3)

Hey everyone! I forgot to post the update onto my Tumblr so have part 2 and 3 in one single post. If you have any questions about what’s going on feel free to message me and I’ll see how much  I can answer without giving too much about the plot away. Anyways... bug out!

Part: [1] [HERE] [3]

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She could protect the innocent and punish those who take advantage of others and not learn from their mistakes. Finally registering how tightly someone was holding her hand, Marinette pushed the hand away from her. "You are right Hawk Moth, I accept on one condition. You uphold your end of the deal, I get to personally judge you for your sins once I retrieve the Miraculous." After her last word is said a dark miasma covered the troubled girl, a pained cry could be heard in the distance and then silence.

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Once the miasma disappeared Marinette was replaced with Princess Justice. Dressed in a pure red, short-sleeved, high-low dress ending just above her knees in the front and midway down her caves on the back. Covering her chest was a black breastplate with golden detailing all throughout the area before fanning out ever so slightly. Her gloves were opposite colors her left hand was covered in a black, light metal gauntlet with golden accents while her right hand was covered in a light golden gauntlet with black metallic accents. Her knee-high boots the same color as her breastplate. Her eyes were covered in a purple cloth that trailed behind her, stopping midway down her back. Strapped across her chest was her bag, gone were the pink and white polka dots with her custom embroidered pattern. Instead, the purse was pure black with five red spots on it, a rather strange coloration given the rest of the costume. Finally, her hair was let loose, flowing gently in the breeze — the ensemble completed by a single golden tiara on her head.

Attention shifted from the unseen voice to those remaining within the locker room. A few students left during the conversation with Hawk Moth. 'No matter, they will receive their judgment in due time.' Focusing on those who are left. Princess Justice noticed that Adrien was sprawled across the floor, a strange sight to behold. "Freeze." A single command ushered from her lips. Everyone within earshot swiftly obeyed, even Lila. Magic was not the source of the power behind her word. Rather there was an aura present around her that screamed danger to any who dared to disobey her command. Satisfied that no one was going anywhere, she made her way over to the semiconscious boy and checked immediately for a pulse. He appeared to be in pain, yet Princess Justice could not fathom any reason why he should be suffering like this. She could get a few reactions from him but not enough to satisfy her concern for the model. Not to mention, she passed no judgment on him, and her transformation should not have caused this. Without moving from Adrien's side, Princess Justice spoke once more. "Nino, Chloe, you may step forward."

Since the moment that she watched Adrien collapse to the ground, she was desperate to check upon him. However, Princess Justice had other plans in mind that prevented Chloe from running over to her childhood best friend. After the words were spoken to release her from the invisible bindings, Chloe felt like she could safely move her body. The experience was strange, even by Akuma standards. She's been caught in the crossfire between Ladybug, Chat Noir and Akumas on more than one occurrence, and she's never felt a presence such as Princess Justice. She could tell that it was not magic keeping her in place, instead the authority and power behind the Akuma's words. It almost reminded her of - no, that was impossible. The mere idea that Ladybug could be Akumatized made Chloe want to laugh. However, she could not afford to spend time on speculation, there was a full-blown Akuma present, and she did not have Polen nor her Miraculous to help her. Her only saving grace is that Marine- Princess Justice does not seem to be mad at her... right? Following the Akuma's orders, she glanced to where Nino was, a glance of uncertainty was shared among them. Chloe took a deep breath and reminded herself who she is. She was Queen Bee, and she needed to start acting like it.

"Chloe, you were able to see through the carefully woven lies, and you have not only acknowledged your past sins and faults, but I have also seen you actively attempt to remedy and improve yourself. For that, I commend your efforts and pardon all crimes you have committed thus far. Keep this in mind, if you start to revert to your old ways. I shall not extend this kind of mercy again. Understand?" Princess Justice kept her back towards Chloe as she continued to make sure that Adrien was safe. Reaching into her bag, she pulled out a vial of clear liquid and rolled it within her hand.

Chloe listened to each word intently and with bated breath. Princess Justice powers were unknown to everyone within the room, so Chloe decided that her best option was to play it safe and remain on the Akuma's good side. Once the Akuma appeared to be finished with her speech, she let out the breath she held this entire time. "Thank you for the kind words, Princess Justice." It was mildly irritating being forced to be so formal with Marinette, but as long as she stays on her good side, she may learn important information that she could relay to Ladybug. The vial that she held had Chloe feeling on edge but not enough to cause her to leap into the situation irrationally.

"Nino, you also learned to question statements when they seem far too good to be true. While you are not nearly as vocal as some other people, you attempt to seek the truth in your way. For that, I also pardon you from any crimes you have made thus far. Just like Chloe, if you change your ways and start following a darker path, then there will be no second chances." With her warning shared, Princess Justice finally stood up, away from Adrien and turned to the two students. "I want you to take Adrien to the infirmary. Tell the nurse that he collapsed in the locker room and the moment he seems to be in any more pain to call an ambulance and have him transferred to the nearest hospital. You are free to tell anyone about me, and you are also free to leave provided that you see to it that Adrien gets the proper medical treatment first." She opened her bag once more and returned the vial inside. The bag was angled in such a way that no one could see what was inside.

A single nod came from both students as they walked around the Akuma and gently lifted Adrien. He was heavier than he initially appeared, but not enough to cause too many problems between the two students. After an awkward first few steps, Nino and Chloe made it out of the locker room safely. Once the door was shut, Chloe was the first one to speak up. "Her Akuma is definitely in her purse. Now the problem is, how do we get Ladybug and Chat Noir's attention so they can come to save everyone."

"I don't know dudette, normally Alya makes a post on the Ladyblog about it, or the Akuma makes a big enough scene that the reporters flock to the attack site. I dunno if either one of those options are going to help us now." A quiet but frustrated sigh escaped the DJ's lips. The feeling of seeing one of his friends Akumatized in front of him caused him to feel sick to his stomach. However, he knew better than to dwell on the fact. Just because Princess Justice was active, who knows when Scarlet Moth will make a reappearance. Heroes Day was traumatizing enough. He was not quite sure if he could handle a repeat event.

"Princess Justice is a dangerous Akuma. You could feel the sense of dread if you even thought about disobeying her. I think that Ladybug is going to need everyone to take down her. Which means I need to be close by so Ladybug can give me my Miraculous." She glanced towards Adrien for a few moments, and her expression softened. "If the school becomes a battleground, I don't think that taking Adrien to the nurse would be safe. Especially if he doesn't wake up soon."

"So call an ambulance? Maybe the paramedics can do something to let Ladybug and Chat Noir know that Hawk Moth is at it again." Nino suggested as he pulled out his phone to show Chloe. It was weird for him to be working with Chloe like this, but Nino could not find it within himself to complain. It seems like being Queen Bee did help Chloe mellow out. It could be the current crisis kicking her into her 'hero' mode, but if he could see Chloe acting like this more often the school would be much better off.

"I know if I call daddy, he'll have the news all over this... but he might also cause the police to show up at the school and who knows how Princess Justice will react. Let's start with the Paramedics and see where we can go from there." One silent nod from Nino later, the duo were headed away from the nurse's office and towards the front door. Nino was on the phone with the paramedics to arrange for an ambulance to show up and take Adrien out of the danger zone.

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Now that Adrien was safely out of the way, there were three more people that Princess Justice needed to address first before she could properly start her mission. Her parents have done nothing wrong to her nor anyone else that has not warranted their rage towards. It was by sheer chance they were present when she finally fell prey to Hawk Moth. Alya, on the other hand, she had her share of issues that needed to be addressed. Ultimately, Princess Justice determined that Alya did indeed work on improving her fact-checking and understood now that not everything people say is the truth. She turned to face her parents first as they were the people she wanted to get out of this room the quickest.

"Tom and Sabine, you have done nothing but try and support your daughter's innocence this entire time not only that you have gone out of your way countless times to help those who need your aid regardless of their situation. For that, I commend you for your efforts, and you may leave. I do not wish for you to see the judgments that are to come." Up until now, Princess Justice's lips remained in a straight line upon an emotionless face. The moment she started talking about her parents, there was a sense of pride coming from the Akuma's lips.

An uncertain gaze was shared between Tom and Sabine. They both knew the dangers that Akumas presented, yet at the same time, this was their daughter they were dealing with. How could they abandon her while she was suffering like this? Tom took a careful step forward. He wanted to hug his daughter and tell her that whatever caused this Akumatization will be all right. Before he could open his mouth, he noticed a small arm shoot out in front of him. Sabine's entire expression and body language changed from mere moments ago. "We understand Princess Justice. Thank you for the kind words, and we will be leaving now." With those words said, Sabine took the lead and guided a dumbfounded Tom out of the room.

Now that her parents were out of the room, Princess Justice was left with just one more. Alya. "Alya, you've been tricked by the lies before and held them to the highest standards of truth without even checking the validity yourself. You claim yourself a journalist, yet there are times where you needlessly throw yourself into danger, causing the situation to grow worse for everyone involved. Yet you are starting to learn from your mistakes, and for that, I pardon you for the sins you -"

"No! I do not want a pardon. I know I've done bad things to you, and I've been an even worse friend. I've been trying to improve so I don't make the same mistakes again. Despite this, I feel like I should be properly judged by you, Princess Justice." While this time she may have stood by Marinette's side without a second thought, Alya knew that she's also abandoned her best friend for Lila and more than one occasion. Despite being blinded by Lila's supposed connections, and assuming Marinette was simply jealous. Marinette never turned her back on her. Marinette has done so much for her, it seemed like it was only fair that she do something for Marinette. "I am not leaving your side, Princess Justice. I've abandoned you once before. I am not going to do it again." While this may have been one of the stupidest things Alya could do, her heart knew this is the right decision.

"Very well, Alya, you shall consider yourself among those waiting to be judged." If someone listened close enough, they could tell there was a hint of pride within the Akuma's voice as she spoke. The smile that was once on her face disappeared as she focused on the task at hand. "Now that everything is taken care of, it is time to begin the judging." Once she was done here, she would go find Chat Noir and ultimately bring Hawk Moth to his knees.

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Because the distance between the school and bakery was so short, the duo walked home in silence. Tom was still in shock over Sabine's sudden change in attitude while Sabine was focused on a plan that would get her daughter back. She walked into the house via the side door, with no intent to go inside the bakery. Ideally, Tom would accept what happened and go down to the bakery to get out whatever emotions he was feeling, allowing Sabine to take care of business uninterrupted. Once the duo entered the main living area, Tom could not hold back his raging thoughts any longer. "Sabine, dear... why did you leave our daughter behind? She's suffering if she fell to Hawk Moth's words! We should be at the school with her trying to help her come back to her senses." He could tell that his wife had some sort of plan the way that she talked and moved, but he could not figure it out. If anything, he was stunned that she was so quick to leave.

Finally facing her husband, Sabine let out a quiet sigh. There are a few things she's been keeping a secret from him ever since they started dating. She never saw a reason to talk to him about it before, that chapter of her life was completed, and she believed that her chances of going back to that life were slim. Clearly, fate said. Otherwise, she finally turned to face him a determined look settled on her face. "I'll explain as we walk, I need to find something very important and quickly. If we want any chances of seeing our daughter back the way she was, I need to work fast." Sabine turned back around and went straight for their bedroom, with more questions than answers Tom reluctantly followed after his wife.

Once in the bedroom, Tom opted to take a seat on the bed he watched his wife dig frantically through the dresser drawers, not sure what she was searching for. "So Marinette just got Akumatized... situations like this happen all of the time since Hawk Moth appeared in Paris. What makes this time so dire?"

Sabine did not expect Tom to notice the signs, partially because this entire time she's been running interference for Marinette. It seems like even after all this time, certain habits die hard. "Because once Hawk Moth realizes who exactly he Akumatized, he will not let her go without a fight. So there is only one person I know who might have a solution to this mess that we found ourselves in. Assuming I can find this little gift, he gave me all those years ago." Sabine explained digging through the drawers looking for a small box. She had hidden it away simply out of respect, despite believing that no one will ever put the dots together. It's been about ten years since she last saw that box and it was getting on her nerves that she forgot where she hid it. After a few more minutes of digging around a triumphant cry came from her lips as she found the box she was looking for. Opening the box, she saw that inside was a single slip of paper. After setting the box down on the drawer, she pulled out her phone.

"Who are you calling at a time like this?" The box that Sabine pulled out seemed familiar. He knows that he's seen it somewhere before, but could not place where.

"An old, grumpy, turtle who just so happens to owe me a favor." A cocky smile crept slowly onto her face as she heard the phone dial before an hearing a familiar voice utter hello on the other line. "Good you picked up. Tell me where you are, and I'll be right over. Hawk Moth does not Akumatize my daughter and get away with it if I have anything to say about it." It turns out that Master Fu was right; once your life becomes intertwined with the Miraculous, there never is a way to escape fully.

"So it is true, she did fall prey to Hawk Moth... this is troubling news indeed. Did you see where the Akuma is hiding?" Master Fu sighed and shook his head in disappointment. He knew that Marinette mentioned to him a few times about how her situation was starting to grow worse. Stress is a temperamental emotion; at specific points, being stressed does wonder for productivity and motivation. However, when stress levels get too high, that is where the problems typically begin. He gently bit his lip as he looked over at the school, he would have to do this quickly and quietly if he wanted any chance to avoid a repeat. He's already put Sabine through enough pain by failing her once, and he would not make the same mistake again.

"Her purse. I guess that the Akuma was sitting there just waiting for her to get angry, neither one of them had time to prepare." Sabine explained as she went towards the bed and pulled out a locked wooden box. On the top of the box held a specialized type of engraving pattern, a pattern that only a select few would recognize. She muttered a few words under her breath, and the box suddenly opened, revealing a large assortment of herbs, vials, and liquids within. She knew that Tom was still in the room, and under normal circumstances, she would have waited until Tom left to create her signature brews. However, time was not on her side today. Nesting the phone in-between her ear and shoulder, Sabine got started by spreading all of the packaged herbs out along the floor. "At least it didn't go for the earrings."

"Honey, what are you planning to do?" Concern was spread across Tom's face. For a few moments, he could not recognize his wife with how suddenly her personality changed and how she spoke. The box she retrieved from under the bed, he's seen that patterning before within Marinette's room. While the box Marinette possessed was not nearly the same size as Sabine had, clearly there were a few things that he was not told about. He feared for his daughter's safety, and he feared for whatever his wife was planning. There was a glint in Sabine's eyes, one that he's never seen before. There was a sense of danger that he never felt from his wife before this. Not when his father was stubborn about his baking style, nor when they were caught in the middle of an Akuma attack. The best way he could describe this feeling was like a cornered queen trying to protect her kits.

Sabine looked up from the mixture she was creating to where Tom was sitting. A deep frown was on her face as she thought about telling him the truth. There was a strong chance that if anything went wrong today, she would not be coming back. The thought of leaving him alone to tend to Marinette shook her to the core. However, the idea of leaving her daughter alone, waiting for the other heroes of Paris to figure out a plan to purify her? Unacceptable. "I'm getting ready to fight to get our daughter back. I'll tell you the entire story once she's safely home, alright?" She felt terrible over how much she was lying to Tom right now. However, she wanted to prevent him from worrying any more than he already is. She needed to focus in on her preparation if she wished to have the highest chance of success.

"I know what you intend to do and I am going to tell you that this is a terrible idea Sab-" Master Fu attempted to talk her out of this insane plan. While her experience in battle would shift the favor towards them, he was far too concerned about the risks she was taking. He knew that there was an element of risk for anyone he chooses to get involved with this particular Akuma. Sabine's particular risk was tripled in this situation.

"I know the risks going into this. But this is my daughter we are talking about. You wouldn't understand how painful it is to watch you child get Akumatized right in front of your face. Besides, you know as well as I do this situation I know the most about. So just tell me where to go. I am not taking no for an answer." Sabine looked at the paste she created and sighed, outside of meeting Tom luck was never on her side. However, she had to trust in her skills that this paste would work well enough to get the job done. Taking a small piece of parchment paper, she carefully bundled up the paste into a square. The longer she waits to take this, then the longer she has before problems start arising. Setting the bundle aside, she picked up a vial of clear liquid and swished the contents inside around. She glanced between her arms and the vial and shook her head. She was going to need all the help she could get today, which meant being at the top of her game. She twisted the lid off and consumed the entire vial in one single gulp.

"I will let you help only if you swear you've been taking your medicine on a daily basis." At least if she's been keeping up with her medical regiment, then some of the most significant risks were mitigated at least somewhat. He has not talked to her in-depth about her condition in at least five years, so he had to trust her that she kept up with the treatment. If she was not maintaining her program, then there would be no way she could adequately fight against Marinette. In that situation, Sabine was just begging to be lost, just like - no. He would not allow himself to go down that line of thinking right now. "How are your marks?"

"I have, every single morning for the last twenty-two years. I made a double-strength dose just for this mission." Sabine replied calmly without missing a beat. She was faithful to her treatment, especially since it meant that Marinette would avoid any of the side-effects from their mistake all those years ago. Though at the mention of her marks, Sabine glanced down at her arms. She knew Tom, Marinette, nor anyone besides a select few groups could see what appeared to be intricate black, cat-themed tribal tattoos dancing across her body. Right now the color was relatively light, however, by the time she met up with Master Fu that would be a different story. "Fairly light, and there are times where I forget that they are even here." Another lie, but she needed his approval if she wanted a fighting chance to try and talk to her daughter.

An audible sigh came from the Guardian's lips, and he's heard rumors of the lengths parents would go for their children. Clearly, nothing besides restraining Sabine will get her to back down. "You are right. But the moment you start to notice anything I want you to stop, understood? You better take as many safety precautions as you can..." The last thing he wanted was to rescue Marinette just for her to find out what happened to her mother. If that happened, well... he was reasonably sure he would need to find a new Ladybug.

"Yes, I understand."

"I see that there is no changing your mind on this, so meet us at the bottom of the Arc De Triomphe in half an hour. I'll fetch you then." Master Fu wanted to continue with his lecture but could not find the energy to finish. Hanging up shortly, he shot a concerned glance towards Wayzz. The Turtle Kwami could only nod his head in sympathy for his decision. If there was anyone in this world who truly knew what the stakes were right now, it was Sabine. Maybe luck will be on their side, and Hawk Moth will not realize who he has, and everything will be fine until then, Master Fu needed to get reinforcements, and he needed them now. He was old, and transforming was painful for his back. Yet, if Sabine could find the strength needed to come back, he could manage one more transformation. He took off the Turtle Miraculous and safely stored it away, opting for the Horse Miraculous for the mission ahead. "Kaalki, Full Gallop!" Being transformed with Kaalki was strange for him, but this was neither the time nor place to dwell on that, he had heroes to recruit.

With the conversation done, Sabine packed up the box, careful to leave the paste out and returned the box to underneath the bed. She finally made full eye contact with her husband, as she reached for the square and stood up. She needed to change her clothes before she left, her arms were too exposed, and Master Fu would catch her lie immediately. Placing the square on top of the dresser, she switched into a long-sleeved shirt and jeans to match. She had to assume that there was still a chance that he would still say no to her, meaning she needed clothes she could quickly move in just in case. Everything was moving so fast; the only way Sabine was keeping up was through experience. Though for someone like Tom, who had no experience here, it was no surprise that confusion was the only emotion visible on his face. Walking over to him, she wrapped her arms around his neck and squeezed him tightly. "I need you to stay here love, and it is too risky for you to go out there. I don't know what Marinette is capable of while she's Akumatized so I would feel better if I knew you were here where it is safe. I doubt she will have any reason to attack the bakery."

Returning the hug, Tom tensed up once he heard the request. He had no idea what paste Sabine made, nor what the conversation she had was about and coupled that with her ominous request, he felt like something terrible was about to happen. "Promise me that you will come back safely?" He pushed her away just enough to see directly into her eyes. He needed to have this confirmation from her for his sanity. Otherwise, he'll drive himself to insanity, thinking about what kind of dangers his wife and daughter could be in.

A forced smile came onto Sabine's lips, and she knew in her heart that she could not truthfully agree to his request. The hidden energy dancing across her skin was a prominent reminder about what kind of limitations she has to deal with. She slowly nodded her head in agreement regardless. "I promise I'll come home with our daughter safely." With what could be her final lie uttered she pulled away from Tom and left him alone in the bedroom. She needed to make her way over to the Arc De Triomphe as quickly as humanly possible. "I'll save you, Mari, just please keep fighting. I lost a bug once, and I'm not going to let it happen again."

[wisdomrays]

LOVE AND OBEDIENCE

Question: “Love should be learned from Satan and obedience from Adam.” What does this statement, which is originally attributed to Hallaj al-Mansur, mean?

Hallaj al-Mansur was inspired by the philosophy of Unity of Being (wahdat al-wujud), which he followed. When looking at his words we can understand love in two ways. First, love is an irrevocable desire for truth and the quest to discover it. Second, love is being preoccupied with someone, expecting favor from them, and not accepting any other rivals for their affection. Selfishness and egoism can easily be sensed in this second type of love.

As a matter of fact, Satan can be said to be superior to humankind in terms of its extensiveness in time and space – at least as far as its nature is allowed to reach. Being so blessed, one could think highly of oneself. Satan thought, “I will not prefer Adam to myself.” If we call this “love,” this is the kind of love Satan possesses.

Instead of such an impaired love, a love that expects reciprocity, we should follow a love of obedience, which takes a person to perfection. This obedience refers to doing everything for the sake of God’s good pleasure and expecting nothing in return. It means remaining remote from worldly grudges, never making one’s relation to God a matter of negotiation with God, and always behaving with submission and surrender.

Hallaj was referring to these considerations, which are by all means restricted by various boundaries, when he said, “Love should be learned from Satan and obedience from Adam.”

Love is associated with one’s weakness and neediness; as such, there are some gateways in its nature that are open to abuse. Perhaps, this was the case with Satan.

Causality

For this reason, it is very important to follow the Prophetic path in regards to love, enthusiasm, and gratitude. Sometimes a person may not find the things he has been seeking. This person may consider causes as absolute values, and may say, “These causes should have given certain results.” This person doesn’t understand that there is a distinct mercy and justice in God dragging us through compulsory situations. Of course, He is not required to create a result according to our causes. The Prophetic path teaches us this truth. As Ali al-Qari said, nothing is incumbent on God, Who is All-Transcendent. In some of the covenants He condescends to make with His servant, His saying, “This is your right and this is Mine,” is characteristic of the language as it occurs in a mutual communication. Otherwise, what right do we have to try and determine the result of something with our will, all the materials of which belong to Him? Getting a result is not in our hands, nor is passing judgment on the result.

Yes, there actually is a relationship between causes and results, and within the principles of Divine practice when those causes are observed, a certain result occurs. However, people representing those causes have no right to think of the result and say “It has to be like this...”

For even if there is a connection between cause and effect, in reality, effects are not built on causes. For example, if to put forth His will, God said to people, “When you blow on the solar system, I will disperse it,” and we blew on the solar system and God dispersed it, then we thought we were the cause of this, we would be mistaken. Our blowing would not have caused the solar system to disperse.

Servanthood

It is better to follow the path of Adam’s servanthood instead of Satan’s love. For love can sometimes cause a person’s foot to slip from the true path. But obedience on the Prophetic path will never slip!

Let’s also look at Hallaj al-Mansur’s point from the perspective of a comparison between love and obedience. Actually, what made Hallaj say this was that he thought Satan had fixed his heart on God; he gave his heart to no one else. However, when he saw man between himself and God, Satan’s love prevented him from prostrating to anyone but God.

It is not possible to fully agree with these ideas. Even if it were true, there is something that Hallaj and Satan overlooked; that is the fine point of the command to obey. Adam understood this fine point, and after his lapse, he pleaded and prayed, “Our Lord! We have wronged ourselves, and if You do not forgive us and do not have mercy on us, we will surely be among those who have lost” (A’raf 7:23).But Satan did not learn; he did not understand God’s command to bow down to Adam.

In comparing love and obedience, it was stated that if love is based on obedience, then it means something. If there is no obedience in love, then just as intoxication can be born from it, so, too, can hopelessness, vexation, and even rebellion. In fact, intoxication grows in proportion to the size of the love, which may lead to estrangement from God, even while one may assume he or she is on the Divine path. Worthy things can suddenly lose their value.

These results do not prove that love is unimportant. As stated in “The Emerald Hills of the Heart” series, love is very important. In fact, some have even given great importance to metaphorical love, even considering those who died for physical love as martyrs. Folk stories like Laila and Majnun, Shirin and Ferhat, and Aslı and Kerem all turned this kind of obsession into legend. However, love is meaningful only when it is endowed with the merits explained above. If these requirements are not fulfilled, then when one’s expectations from love are not fulfilled, and reunion does not take place, love can turn into resentment.

The case with Satan is – perhaps – that when he did not find reciprocation from God, he was disappointed and ruined; as such, he did not rise up again. With respect to obedience, this kind of mistake can never be made. Obedience is a heartfelt and active deed made in line with the approval of the One who must be obeyed because His wishes and desires must be obeyed. On the other hand, love affects the balance of a person. It opens the door to unbalanced behavior. In other words, it can make a person insane. In this regard, Satan is an unbalanced creature. It is mandatory to conform scrupulously to rules imposed by obedience. This is balance. Adam preferring obedience shows he was a balanced creature.

A final point: I initially mentioned, with just one sentence, that Hallaj believed in the philosophy of the Unity of Being. He and people like Muhyiddin Ibn Arabi often evaluated matters from the angle of the vastness of God’s mercy. They do this and even seek a road to salvation for Satan and the pharaohs. In this respect, their kind of interpretation is a necessity of their basic philosophy. For according to them, “Everything is He,” and Satan is a different manifestation of Him. Whereas according to me, “Everything is from Him.” Consequently, Hallaj’s saying, “Love should be learned from Satan and obedience from Adam,” should be accepted as normal in respect to his philosophy of Unity of Being.

[ladyrevanhalin]

ONLY LIGHT CAN CAST SHADOW: CHAPTER TWO - THE JEDI ARCHIVES

https://archiveofourown.org/works/15753210/chapters/36690765#workskin

           Despite the Jedi presence on both worlds, Coruscant and Dantooine could not be any more different from one another. Dantooine was a planet full of fields, and farmers, and all varieties of beasts roaming its plains. Everything seemed peaceful there. It was quiet—too quiet for Halin’s tastes. Outside of the odd scattered ruins or caves, there wasn’t much interesting about the planet. It was home to the Jedi Training Facility… and that was about it.

           Coruscant, however…. Coruscant was something else! The entire planet was one enormous city. Tall spires reached up endlessly toward the sky, and it was a complete mystery to most as to what the actual surface of the planet looked like underneath all of that gleaming polished metal of the seemingly infinite constructs that surrounded it. Hovercars, speeders, and other planetary transport ships bustled about busily in neat lines between the gaps in buildings. There was so much life here, so much noise, that it could almost be deafening if one’s senses were not prepared to take in the spectacle.

           Coruscant was also the location of the Jedi Temple where the High Council of the Jedi Order sat. To Halin, it made the Jedi Enclave and training Academy on Dantooine feel like a total sham. She was happy to escape to the Capitol Planet for a while.

           Halin and Alex sat at the bar in the Tipsy Mynock Cantina on Coruscant. On the other side of the Cantina, a Bith band played while two Twi’lek females danced. Neon lights flowed across the walls. Not far from the bar was the Pazaak den, where gamblers, both locals and travelers passing through, made wagers to pass the time.

           The bar-tending droid approached the two Knights.

           “Well, well… I can’t say that we get too many Jedi in our Cantina. What brings you?”

           “We’re off duty,” Halin replied. “Drejarrk Ood recommended this place.”

           Drejarrk Ood had been one of the assistants to the Thrakian diplomat that the two had accompanied on their recent assignment. While the outcome of assignment had been inconclusive at best (with the actual diplomats on both sides of the dispute failing to appear in person for the treaty), Ood had thanked the Jedi for their patience and recommended the Tipsy Mynock as a place where they might unwind before heading back to Dantooine.

           “Any friend of Drejarrk’s is more than welcome. What can I get for the two of you?”

           “I’ll have a Wookie-wango,” said Alex.

           “And for the lady?”

           “Pink Nebula, please.”

           “Coming right up!” the bar-tending droid replied as it hurried to prepare the drinks.

           “Did you bring them?” Halin asked Alex once the droid had left.

           Alex pulled out three crystals that had been hidden in an inner pocket of his robes. “They’re right here… but I still say you cheated me.”

           “Stop being such a sore loser,” Halin said with a dismissive gesture. “If you would have waited for me to come exploring that cave with you like we had originally planned, no bet would have been necessary.” And with this, she held her hand out to him to claim her prize. Reluctantly, Alex placed the crystals in her palm and she closed her hand around them before concealing them in her own robe. “Besides, you still have half of them. With your recklessness in the cave, the Masters have determined that it’s too dangerous to go back in for more.”

           “One Wookie-wango and a Pink Nebula,” the bar-tending droid said as it returned. “Enjoy!”

           Halin and Alex waited once more for the droid to leave before switching glasses.

           “Thanks,” Alex said, sheepishly.

           “You know, the galaxy won’t implode if a droid knows you like sissy cocktails….”

           “It’s not a sissy cocktail!” Alex protested.

           “It’s a sissy cocktail. Why else would you need me to order it for you? Is it going to hurt your man pride if you have to ask for a pink drink yourself?”

           Alex fell silent and instead took a sip of his drink.

           Halin smirked. “That’s what I thought.”

           The two finished their drinks without further conversation, the bustle of the cantina around them serving to fill the silence.

           “You ready to head back to the Enclave tomorrow?” Alex finally asked.

           Halin groaned. “No…. There’s still so much I want to do while we’re here. Maybe one of these days I could get a permeant transfer to Coruscant…”

           Alex chuckled.

           “I’m serious!” Halin began to protest. “I’m sick and tired of fields and kath hounds. Jedi are supposed to be heroes of justice. Dantooine is just too damned quiet! And there are too many injustices that still exist in this universe for us to just remain idly by….”

           “Relax, Halin! I didn’t mean to upset you. I mean… there are no wars right now. The galaxy is in a time of relative peace. Sure, there are still little things—there always will be—but nothing’s falling apart.”

           “You say that with such certainty…”

           “Because I believe it’s true. And you ought to as well”

           Halin shot him a side glance before standing and putting the credits for her drink down on the counter. “Like I said, there are some things I need to do while we’re still here…”

><><><><><

           It was quite late when Halin entered the Jedi Archives on Coruscant. She did not have the authority to view everything (since much of the material was restricted to only the eyes of the Jedi Masters), but she wished very much to see what more she could having gained Knighthood.

           On Dantooine, she had been able to see a bit more than what the Masters approved of Padawans being able to view. After all, Master Sana was one of the Jedi Historians, and had great faith in her Padawan’s capacity to understand much of what the archives contained. Being a historian, Master Sana was of the mind that without knowledge, there was ignorance, and that if one did not study and learn from the failures and successes of the past, then history was doomed to repeat itself.

           Halin, taking up the cause from her own Master, had decided long ago that she would do everything she could to learn the complete history of the Jedi and their teachings, in order to spot and prevent such repetitions before they could take place. She had determined that it was in this way she would make her own mark in the Jedi archives—by investigating the mysteries that the galaxy had to offer, seeking out injustice and harm and bringing it to light, just as the Jedi watchmen had during the times of Ulic Qel-Droma and Exar Kun…

           A brief smile of amusement flashed across Halin’s face at the thought. It was a bit ironic, really—that these two of the greatest of the Jedi Watchmen would also become two of the most feared of the Sith Lords… In her mind, it only further proved her Master’s theory.

           Halin walked through the empty halls of the archives, passing shelf after shelf of data records. The archives were quite quiet at this hour. What she wanted to know was why. Why had Qel-Droma and Exar Kun fallen from the path of the light during their service as Watchmen? Perhaps the records on Coruscant contained information other than what she had previously heard….

           The Great Sith War was still recent history. It had ended less than thirty years before, and many of the current Jedi Masters had fought in the War, or knew a Jedi who had fallen during the time. Perhaps this was why many were reluctant to speak of the events in great detail, simply telling the youth that it served as a warning against the dark side…

           However, Halin thought that if the reason was known and understood for their fall, then effective countermeasures could be taken, and the Era of the Jedi Watchmen could safely resume without the fear of being overwhelmed by temptation.

           Halin succeeded in locating the information she sought, but, unfortunately, it was restricted. She figured she should have expected so much, and let out a sigh. It seemed she would have to wait to attain the rank of Master before she would find the answers she sought… Or would she? A thought had occurred: the archives were empty. And perhaps if the security systems controlling restrictions were not too complex…

           She pulled a security spike from her utility belt. She had some amount of skill in the field, and thought it would at least be worth a shot. Carefully, she sliced in and attempted to tamper with the system.

           “Looking for something?” came a voice from behind her.

           Halin quickly spun around, hiding the spike, her face flushing a little. Before her stood a grand-looking woman with white hair pinned neatly into a bun. She was all robed in white from head to toe, the absence of colors only serving to accentuate her piercing blue eyes.

           “Master Atris! You startled me.”

           Master Atris was a Jedi Historian and keeper of the Archives.

><><><><><

           Alex watched Halin as she paced outside of the door of the Jedi Council Chambers on Coruscant. Master Atris had caught her in the process of trying to access restricted material in the archives. Alex knew first hand that his friend could be overly adventurous at times, but why she would have tried something to this extent right under the noses of the High Council was beyond him! She was really asking for trouble this time…

           The doors to the Council Chamber opened and a voice came from inside.

           “The Council summons Halin Chan to appear.”

           Halin stopped in her tracks and closed her eyes giving a wince before she turned to enter the Council Chambers. The Chamber was a high-vaulted circular-shaped room with windows surrounding it. Outside, Coruscant buzzed with its normal activity, the planet’s sun having made it to just before noon point.

           Halin entered the chamber and made her way to the center of the circle, where she stopped to be addressed by the Council. All around her sat twelve of the wisest of the Jedi Order—the Masters who composed the High Council of the Jedi. They were of many different species… Some of the members Halin knew quite well, since they also served on the Council on Dantooine. Those Masters were among the ones who sat in their chairs only as holo recordings, since all could not attend in person,

           “Master Atris tells us of your attempts to access restricted materials last night in the archives… Do you deny these attempts?”

           “I do not,” Halin replied simply.

           “There are sections of the archives that are restricted for good reason, young one…”

           “May I ask the Council a question?” Halin said, nearly stepping on the words of the Master who addressed her. There was a pause of silence and slight shock from the Masters.

           “You may…” one finally said, hesitant of granting this permission.

           “I ask the Council to recite the Jedi code.”

           Master Atris scoffed. “We have no duty to fulfill such frivolous requests when there are more serious matters being discussed here…”

           “What could possibly be more serious than the code that we are taught to live by—the oath that we take as Jedi!?”

           There was another pause, which was eventually broken by Master Tokare. “There is no emotion, there is peace. There is no ignorance, there is knowledge. There is no passion, there is serenity. There is no chaos, there is harmony. There is no death, there is The Force…”

           “Yes, Master,” Halin replied with an accepting nod. “but how are we supposed to live by these teachings when knowledge is deliberately withheld from us? Are we not choosing a path of ignorance in accepting such?”

           “To gain knowledge is one thing,” Master Lemar replied to her, “but to have the wisdom to fully understand all knowledge is something that only those who have been granted the rank of Master have. You are young and headstrong, and too full of emotions…”

           “Then is seeking the truth a crime?” Halin looked the holo of Master Lamar straight in the eye.

           “This mere girl speaks out of turn,” Master Atris said in a condescending tone. “She talks of upholding the code, and yet she cannot find peace within herself!”

           This time it was Halin who fell silent.

           “Halin Chan,” the first Master continued. “the Council understands your concern. However, there are certain things regarding the war with Exar Kun that remain under investigation, as we are still rebuilding. Your intentions are admirable, but the Council kindly requests that you respect our judgment on this matter and refrain from any further attempts of investigation yourself.”

           Halin closed her eyes and bit her lip, bowing her head in bitter acceptance. “I understand…”

           “You are dismissed from this chamber with no further punishments under the assumption that you will uphold this request. Should you fail to do so, the Council will be forced to take more serious action.”

           Halin opened her mouth and drew breath as if to protest, but restrained herself from doing so. She knew that the Council was being quite gracious in their judgment. Even she dared not to push it any further. Instead, she simply bowed in acceptance, turned, and left the Council Chamber in silence.

[kitsoa]

The Fated Showdown Pt. 1-The Lights

I find the debate over who’s assembling on which side to be the most interesting topic on the KH3 speculation train. Mainly because of how much of a toss up it is. And you’d think the possibilities are vast because of the ‘empty seats’ in need of filling but no Nomura makes it a toss up because each side has too many candidates. The roster is oversized, meaning that we have to essentially count on a shake up happening over the course of the game to let this master plan play out to some completion. So let’s try predicting that shake up shall we?

Disclaimer: This is just my opinion and I’m basing my percentages off of a personal hunch and no real science.

Very long post under the cut. Break down of points:

The Lights

The Shake-up

Line the Pieces

The Lights.

The per-requite for being a Guardian of Light seems to simply be that one must be a Keyblade wielder on the good side. When reviewing the viable candidates who are active and capable of function at the start of the game we have: Mickey, Sora, Riku, then Kairi and Lea in training. Since there’s no reason why their training status should disqualify them from intended candidacy that leaves 2 spots empty. So then we go to our list of wielders to save:

Aqua, Ventus, and Roxas.

It shouldn’t be assumed that the sole reason in saving these folks is to fill the Guardian roster-- so the intent and ambition to do so does not make them a guaranteed part of the the prophecy. That being said, one doesn’t need to be intended to save to be a viable candidate for the Lights. It isn’t like no one wants to save Terra, he just has virtually no leads for rescue from their perspective, so they are at a standstill. Doesn’t mean he couldn’t be a Light-- more on that later. Similarly so, Xion has no present rescue intent from our understanding so far (though hints at Lea remembering her could spawn an attempt), but her potential is about as equal as anyone else, should she be saved. So the count of potentials to take the last two spot is 5-- with Aqua, Ventus, Terra, Roxas, and Xion standing some kind of chance in the toss up. This is knowing that our heroes will not cut corners and work equally hard to save them all should the opportunity come up-- guardian or not.

Now it’s about the probability in our heroes succeeding in the respective rescues and the resulting chances of them being a Guardian.

Aqua.

Her status at being taken by the darkness puts a wrench in this rescue plan, but from trailer context we can tell that they aren’t going to take Aqua’s stint in the dark side lying down. We are getting a boss fight and a passionate rescue attempt for sure as Mickey knows where she is and makes clear plans to go for her. The TGS trailer has multiple flashes of situations both with Aqua taken by darkness and not. The question is which status lingers to the end when the prophecy is realized.

She is seen normal during a supposed conflict with Vanitas at the Land of Departure during some kind of Ventus awakening (considering the glow of light from the throne). She is also untouched by darkness in a conflict on the Dark Margin in the Realm of Darkness with Ansem SoD-- suspiciously the place where she also does battle with our protagonist under that influence (so which comes first is the question). Finally, and the biggest hint at what I think is a successful rescue, is Sora’s hand reaching in the water. Call it literal or in some kind of symbolism, the message is clear. Aqua is getting saved from the darkness that over takes her before the prophecy comes to fruition. Her chances of being a Guardian are at 85%.

Ventus

Serving as the story’s current damsel in distress, Ventus has no active agency toward his fate and is at the mercy of Sora and Aqua’s success and the forces against them. We know that Vanitas shows interest and is present before his sleeping body in the TGS trailer. While you can’t say he’s won outright he does beat everyone to him in some form, but this is easily a boss fight set up. The thing about boss fights is that game determined success does not translate to story success. This becomes less of an issue as we see a picture of Sora before Ventus Station of Awakening which all but confirms that Ventus is waking up. Barring some last minute hijack or tragedy, he’s a potential shoe in for the Guardians. His chances are at 73%.

Roxas

He seems to be the primary rescue attempt presented during the trailers, with a clear sub-plot dealing with his data in the virtual Twilight Town. We can see from the last teasing shot that there is some kind of success in resurrecting him, but the question comes from if he’ll be on the side of the Lights. I’ve talked about this in an ask about Roxas’ norting chances  and I stick by it for the most part. He’s got a ton of potential toward the bad side considering the trailer framing and a decent foundation for darkness, but the progression of his resurrection and the chances of different character getting that honor brings down his chances. As such, I put Roxas at a tentative 60% Guardian of Light.

Xion

As stated before there’s no one actively seeking her rescue but the idea of her being inadvertently rescued or the motivation rising later still stands in the realm of possibility. We get an idea from the orchestra snippets, the canon quotes from the leaflet promotion, and the potential context from that clip of him crying that Lea is poised to start remembering her in some form. Thus him wanting and aiming to save her could come to a realization. At this point it’s not terribly strong nor are there any clear leads at what could bring her resurrection. So her chances are at 25% for being a Guardian of Light.

Terra

Terra’s tricky because no one knows where he is. The result of Xehanort’s reformation has us wondering if Terra’s back to his normal self as well, which I might assume if Xehanort wasn’t so vague about harboring him in DDD and a brief image of Terranort wasn’t seen in the TGS trailer... But even so I think we can’t immediately come to the conclusion that he’s been compromised by the darkness. Bluffing is a thing... and while I seem to take trailers as law in this analysis what we got was extremely lacking context. Furthermore, I would say that we can’t be sure that all pieces of Terra’s being were available for re-assemblage at the destruction of Xemnas and Ansem-- namely, the “Terra’s Heartless is the Guardian” theory could very well be true, potentially putting his heart in Riku’s path (a la Ansem’s possession of Riku and the resulting lingering darkness dealt with in COM could belong in part to Terra)... but we also must consider the Lingering Will possessing Terra’s Soul. And in that case, there has been no catalyst to release that aspect of Terra’s being toward the reforming needed to revive him.

So taking this uncertainty as true and calling Xehanort on the potential bluff he has about Terra (which may be a nonissue if he’s referring to Aqua at the time)-- the heroes would still have to put him together somehow or find him. This still has a chance of happening and could in fact be a major trump card against Xehanort’s big gambit. I think this could be vital in outsmarting this plan but that’s for another analysis. The chances of this happening are low, but just unexpected enough to be worth consideration. I put Terra’s Guardianship chances at 30%.

So What’s the Shake Up?

While it’s anyone’s guess who outside the active players is getting in, it’s worth understanding that even those in the “confirmed” category are not safe. This is where the real shake up happens, both opening up more spots and making use of the cast of rescuees. We can almost guarantee something is going to mess up the intended count on the Light side (and even more so with the New Organization’s numbers)-- how that takes form and who it shall take is the question.

How--

Any of the confirmed subjects can be incapacitated in some way, kidnapped, cast away, god-forbid killed for real (which I don’t see happening at all but the point is made)-- as long as it prevents them from being present on the side of the light when the prophecy comes to pass. Of course we have another method of removal and that comes in ‘nortification’ (I still can’t believe it’s a verb). Unconfirmed characters being norted are always a possibility and there’s a good chance of these active players getting stolen from the roster by Xehanort to add to his. While I believe there may be unforeseen variables in regards to the actual prophecy, I’ll focus on the main means of removal.

Who--

Knowing what can potentially take the existing members out of the running, it really narrows down the possibilities. Kairi, Riku, and Mickey are safe from ‘norting because of lore logic and cold hard Disney image preservation respectively. This doesn’t exclude the other means of take out so they all roughly find themselves on equal footing, their potential to be taken off the roster lying under 25% each.

So naturally the only existing Lights in danger of the most potent fate are Lea and Sora.

Lea has his subplot with Isa to consider. The sake of drama could lend itself to a sacrifice or being bested before the prophecy comes to pass. My imagination goes towards Lea swapping ‘norting places with Isa to save him, but that’s ultimately countered by his strong sense of justice and the other factors (i.e. Roxas) motivating him against the Darkness (it’d also be clumsy because he’s already a reformed bad guy). Still the plot with Isa seems to be chugging forward as seen with the trailer clips with him encountering his old friend on the clock tower among other possibilities. This does mean that things are moving and could result in an unfortunate outcome, more so than the lore-safe characters. Potential for Lea to get taken out of the running-- 40%.

Sora got a million red flags. The chances of him being taken out from Nortification alone are exponentially higher than the other characters and I talk about it in that same ask about Roxas, this taking into account the content in the trailers, the circumstantial evidence, and the narrative hints toward this fate.  I would only adjust my 81% norting chance to a 71% only because I think one has to account the probability of something other than norting to take him out. I would say there’s a 15% chance something unforeseen takes him out of the running which I will elaborate on with the final 14% being Sora on the side of Lights. Final Verdict? 86% chance Sora’s not going to be a Light.

Line the pieces up

So reviewing all these possibilities while understanding that there are still many unforeseen variables, makes finding the final outcome to be interesting to say the least. Logic has it that our current 2 seat vacancy will increase to a 3 seat vacancy and this filled by the 3 clearly intended rescuees.This puts a logical roster at:

Mickey, Riku, Kairi, Lea, Roxas, Ventus, and Aqua.

Roxas could end up taking the helm in Sora’s place, aligning with the ‘big secret’ buzz surrounding his involvement. The efforts of the game will be to fill the 2 spots and unknowingly find Sora’s replacement, making no plot line a ‘waste’.

Even so, I could definitely see a shake up of even this scenario take Lea out of the running as well-- or perhaps we Shoo Out The Clowns by tying Mickey up in a different and equally important sub-plot to make room for a surprise Terra. For the record, a big last minute show of heroics on the side of the Light would be a very desirable twist with all the villainous wins we are foreseeing. This isn’t an outright endorsement of Soranort, because I ultimately believe we will have multiple layers of subversion happening but I really think Sora’s got a good chance of not getting on the roster. 

Now that we’ve got the Heroes chances accounted for, it’s time to delve into the New Organization in Part 2 of this analysis.

[ice-tigress]

Queer Self-Presentation and Burlesque Auto-Sexuality in Yuri Plisetsky’s “Welcome to the Madness”

PHEW! It’s finally ready for ya! 

Thanks to everyone for patiently waiting. I was overwhelmed with the response to my teaser post about this meta. I’m sorry it took so long to finish... I had to write the academic version for class, then rewrite it to be tumblr-appropriate (I’m still not sure that it is, constructive criticism is welcome!) I’m hoping that this will contribute to the ongoing conversation about underage characters in fandom, and am looking forward to your asks. I’m a little nervous to be tossing my hat into the Otayuri discourse, but I hope I won’t catch too much hate. I took out footnotes but included the bibliography at the end. If you have any questions about specific references, send me an ask or DM :) Enjoy! (2272 words)

This meta considers how we might safely and healthily engage with Yuri Plisetsky’s sexuality and consequent YOI fandom shipping practices. I am interested in Yuri’s self-presentation as a sexual subject “Welcome to the Madnes,” taking seriously both sides of the Otayuri debate (because I think it’s unavoidable with WttM). I will analyze WttM as a kind of burlesque performance that highlights his auto-sexuality and provides opportunity for him to express his developing (queer) identity.

 WttM presents gender, sex, queerness, and adolescence in conversation together, and these categories must be recognized as social constructions. Because the intersection of sex and adolescence is plagued by anxieties about violence, I deliberately approach sexual activity as generally positive in the absence of explicit abuse to avoid essentializing adolescent sexual experiences.

 I take a cultural studies approach in this meta, recognizing that representations of fictional characters can have real-life effects, in this case meaning that both YOI and fandom practices have consequences for people IRL. Popular culture provides opportunities for individuals to understand and mediate their own intersecting identities, and this process can also have negative effects when problematic and even dangerous activities and relationships are normalized.

 Therefore, any discussion of popular culture must foreground a social justice-oriented approach that points out connections to political and social contexts. We all conform and rebel against mainstream culture through our engagement with popular culture, and along with the potential negative effects mentioned above, this can also provide opportunities for self-empowerment.

 Adolescents are expected to rebel against authority figures and engage in subcultures, all while navigating their way to an acceptable, stable identity by the time they reach adulthood. Yet their behavior is safely contained by adult authority. Yuri subverts this authority by producing his own exhibition skate.

 As @otayuribekayura​ puts it:

 @otayuribekayura​ posted this before we found out from the PASH! Interview how accurate it actually is. As predicted by much of the fandom, Yuri produced the exhibition himself, and as a result, this is the first time we see Yuri’s punk/emo aesthetic reflected in his skating.

 Emo, as both a youth subculture and personal aesthetic choice, is a rebellious, sometimes anti-social, and attention-seeking mode of identity presentation (Sound like someone???). It relies on mutual rejection between the emo individual and mainstream culture, resulting in stronger bonds to and greater authority for the individual within the subculture. Emo also provides opportunities for expressing desire, typically coded as queer, by rejecting both heteronormative and homonormative expressions of sexuality.

 The emo boy’s androgyny and visible otherness stands in for the invisibility of his sexuality. A number of the skaters, including Yuuri and Viktor, demonstrate a somewhat fluid gender presentation as well, but Yuri’s masculine-yet-androgynous emo/punk self-expression is unique in the anime.

 Given the sexually suggestive nature of WttM, I characterize Yuri’s performance as a kind of burlesque, which I am defining as a conscious performance of gender and sexuality, set to music, that typically involves the performative removal of clothing. A key reason for this is the choice of music. Otabek chose for Yuri an electric, screaming, hard rock number that sounds like it is based on “Welcome to the Jungle” by Guns ‘N Roses. Burlesque performers similarly choose music based on their own personal tastes, using the signifying power of music, both as a contained object and its broader cultural context, to reference specific identities and orientations.

 In choosing this song, Yuri shifts the character for his skating repertoire along with expectations for his future programs. In this way, Yuri’s burlesque performance gives him a kind of authority that previously belonged to his coach and choreographers. Yuri’s choices for this exhibition connect his on-ice performances to his off-ice punk/emo personality. The effects of his burlesque also cross this divide; Yuri demands recognition as a sexual subject off the ice.

 Deborah Tolman defines sexual subjectivity as “a person’s experience of herself as a sexual being, who feels entitled to sexual pleasure and sexual safety, who [can] make …active sexual choices, and who has an identity as a sexual being,” and emphasizes the importance of sexual desire. For some fans, Yuri’s age brings his sexual agency into question.

 Age, as a social construct, imparts false narratives of natural and normative development on youth, who are expected to perform their age in particular ways. These performative acts and behaviors are supposed to correspond to the physical development of the body. As a result, an adolescent’s maturation may appear exaggeratedly fast or slow if they behave in a way that is out of line with this normative timeline, especially in relation to their physical growth and maturity.

 Despite these inconsistencies, adolescence is known to be a period of sexual awakening regardless of one’s physical development, yet adolescents are denied access to this sexuality and its expression. Adolescents’ sexuality is systemically controlled by adults, as the responsibility for their welfare has extended and expanded both in time and scope. Adults are conditioned to continue seeing young people as children even when they are mid- and post-puberty.

 Adolescent sexuality, therefore, threatens the adult/child binary and the “invention of childhood,” which relies on the assumption that sexuality necessitates the end of childhood, therefore children should be prevented from expressing any sexuality at all. Children are expected to follow a supposedly natural progression from asexuality to heterosexuality, and they may be considered queer not only if they defy heteronormative standards of desire, but also if they display sexual desire too early in the progression, regardless of whether or not said desire manifests as homosexual. With asexuality as the norm for children, any expression of sexuality becomes queer.

 Jack Halberstam’s book In A Queer Time and Place considers the ways in which expectations of reproduction impact individuals’ progression through life, especially during young adulthood. Queer folks defy these timelines, blurring the divide between adolescence, young adulthood, and adulthood. Navigating sexuality, a priority for most adolescents, becomes an even greater necessity for queer-identifying youth seeking authentication and community.

 Community is key for queer identity development, as Jason Torkelson speculates that “less conforming individuals’ understandings of their own adulthood might be affected by predominant standards, since the extent to which they may or may not even perceive the ability to obtain adulthood in the first place can potentially be brought into question.” Access to queer community allows for young people to discover possibilities for their futures.

 The intersection of adolescence and queerness, therefore, presents enormous challenges to teenagers who are coming to terms with their sexuality and navigating their personal expressions of sexual subjectivity, especially if they are prevented from entering queer spaces while they are still expected to be “asexual” “children”.

 Ultimately, the inability to recognize the sexual subjectivity of queer adolescents may stem from individual or cultural queerphobia.

 As a professional athlete and performer, Yuri’s understanding of his own identity is tethered to what he presents on the ice. By taking control of his exhibition program and defying the expectations of his mentors and the audience, he skates WttM as an act of auto-sexuality, “an expression of free sexuality which has no object but itself.”

 Though he performs for an audience—therefore subjecting himself to the gaze of both the audience at the Grand Prix Final and the anime audience behind their screens—Yuri exerts power and control over his self-presentation in performance, subverting the vulnerability that usually accompanies the gaze of spectators.

 Yuri’s defiant auto-sexuality is characterized by a healthy commitment to self-care, the act of prioritizing one’s own wants and needs. By expressing himself honestly and completely, Yuri presents an accurate portrait of himself to his fans while demonstrating an intimate self-knowledge. Notably, establishing relationships with others is a primary ingredient in self-care.

 I don’t think it’s a coincidence that Yuri gains the confidence to pursue his own interests in his exhibition skate after making his first friend. In other words, Otabek’s influence is present in more than the selection of music. Their mutual interests allow Yuri to gain greater confidence in his identity and, therefore, sexual subjectivity (even if their relationship is strictly platonic). It is this intimate contribution to Yuri’s sense of self that I think makes the possibility of romance between these two characters so appealing, rather than merely a desire to see them interact sexually.

 Concerns about adult-child sex in fandom are subject to extremes of moralizing and condemnation. A number of studies have shown, however, that assumptions that sex between adults and minors is inherently, necessarily harmful are unsupported by scientific evidence. This does not deny the ever-present possibility for abuse in such relationships, a possibility that is statistically higher than in other kinds of sexual and romantic relationships. But in the absence of abusive behaviors, these relationships are not necessarily problematic (regardless of legislation, which I’m not even going to bother discussing here).

 The stigma of adult-minor relationships is especially strong for queer communities, due to accusations of pedophilia, fear of the seduction of young boys by queer men, and the implicit homophobic assumption that an individual can be “turned gay” through forced sexual activity. Lydia Kokkola confronts this provocative issue by arguing:

 For many, both within and outside the queer community, ‘man-boy love’ is simply an attractive name for sexual abuse … For others, the majority of whom enjoyed their first sexual encounters with someone considerably older than them, it is offensive to assume that these acts were not volitional. In the end, the matter comes down to the issue of what constitutes informed consent, and at what age a person is capable of informed consent. Since individuals mature at different rates, the latter issue cannot be resolved, which places even greater onus on us to discuss what constitutes informed consent. It takes a very brave individual to face the public scandal of supporting adolescents’ right to choose to have sex with people much older than themselves, but we must do so—at least provisionally—if we are to understand what ‘informed consent’ means for those making such decisions. Blanket assumptions that teenagers cannot make informed consent about sex affects adolescents’ autonomy in ways that may have far reaching consequences.

 If we accept that minors are capable of giving informed consent, we must accept that they are also capable of enjoying their consensual sexual experiences with adults regardless of age gap. Instead, these accounts are often ignored and assumed to be the result of manipulation or trauma.

 As adolescents’ understandings of their own sexual experiences are ignored, leading to the kinds of “far reaching consequences” to which Kokkola alludes. When narratives “are grounded in discourses that rely on un-safety, the possibilities for even imagining what safety might mean are constrained by the discourses.” We do a disservice to young people when we deny them appropriate agency and ignore accounts of their experiences.

 Infantilizing adolescent characters often emerges from the assumption that all children are affected by media in the same way. While the normalization of child sexual abuse is of course detrimental, so is the assumption that all adult-minor relationships necessarily constitute abuse. Thus, the presentation of a variety of possibilities can be beneficial, especially for those navigating queer identity.

 The reasons behind the Anti-Otayuri movement are clear: fans are earnestly concerned with the depiction of relationships between characters whom they believe are at life stages that are too far removed from one another to be healthy. While I disagree for a number of reasons, I understand these anxieties. I too harbor some discomfort with art depicting Yuri in sexual situations when he is still underage.

 I think the less obvious question is: What is at stake for fans who ship Otayuri? What is so meaningful about this ship that they continue supporting it despite backlash?

 The answers will of course be different for each shipper. And I’m not sure I have anything good to say about this because my analysis is mostly about Yuri as an individual. But here are some closing thoughts.

 First, it is important to recognize that the narratives told and images shared by fans should not be assumed to be based on actual events and are not indicative of a desire to pursue such behaviors in real life.

 Second, many Otayuri shippers are in fact quite young, perhaps around Yuri’s age, so interest in his sexuality is entirely appropriate. Young fans’ interests in sexual narratives is healthy and educational, and fans “in the interstitial stage between age of consent and age of majority are inhibited … from exerting ‘control’ over representations of their bodies,” leaving fandom as an important space for exploring such representations. Further policing of sexual desire online may have harmful effects on young people’s maturation.

 Third, adult fans may mediate their readings of underage sexuality autobiographically, processed through their own memories of adolescent sexuality. Age, as a social construction, does not inhibit identification, so a fan may relate to a character like Yuri regardless of age, or through their remembrances of themselves at his age. I certainly see in Yuri a lot of what I experienced and struggled with when I was a teenager.

 While the conflict over Yuri’s sexual subjectivity is unlikely to be resolved, a more nuanced cultural studies-based understanding of media engagement and adolescent, queer sexualities may allow for more empathetic interactions between fans of differing opinions.

 Regardless of how you feel about Otayuri, I hope that we can all at least acknowledge Yuri’s auto-sexuality in WttM and beyond. The point of sharing this analysis is to give Yuri his rightful agency in fandom, and in WttM, he is insisting on it. And something I think we can all agree on: nothing good can come from ignoring Yuri Plisetsky.

 Thanks so much to everyone who sent encouragement and thoughts. I really appreciate it. Thanks to @otayuribekayura and @kobuta-katsudon for giving me permission to use their posts (although I didn’t end up using the latter’s, sorry about that)!!

 Bibliography

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[dwallison]

The Answer To Gun Control Is Simple

Some time ago, while on active duty, coming home for a visit, I had to make a connection to Houston in Chicago. With about maybe 30, or 40 minutes to spare, I decided to step outside the airport and take in the skyline of the city. It was a cold, windy December night in Chicago, and when that wind whipped around the corner, I decided, to hell with Chicago’s skyline and rushed back into the warmth of the terminal. Today as we debate gun control, that night in Chicago always seems to come to mind, for at the time, the city appeared to be no different than any other major city in the country with large black communities that was filled with a lot of meaningful progress in the field of education that would propel residents up, up and away, from what many considered to be, neighborhoods filled with setbacks, poor educational systems and a constant struggle to prove, they were ‘young, gifted and black,’ of which disappeared after integration. Today, Chicago and other black communities across the country have become cold blooded detriments to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness for it’s residents. As of lately, let’s say the last decade plus, Chicago makes the headlines in a very negative fashion, and while grieving families in El Paso, Texas and Dayton, Ohio prepare to bury their loved ones, the age old debate of gun control and violence dominate the news and Chicago inner-city communities leads with the best example of why we need ‘sensible’ and ‘practicable’ gun control. Contrary to the seemingly sincerity behind talking points of ‘gun control,’ as well as the much more silent theory now days that ‘black lives matter,’ neither will become a reality, for both, ‘gun control’ only appeases certain segments of society, while at the same time, ‘black lives matter’ does the same. In Chicago over any given weekend it appears that there are no quiet, peaceful or restful nights. It appears everybody in the city lives next door to somebody who’s suffering a tragedy and while doing so, supposedly responsible leadership only talk about solutions. Democrat Presidential Candidates are saying on the heels of the mass murders in Texas and Ohio that took the lives of 31 people overall, and wounded two dozens more, it’s time for gun control across the board. They’ve come up with a wide range of old progressive proposals refined, that may appeal to some, but not to everybody. In order for progressive proposals, as the case with black lives matter to actually work, certain critical elements has to exist before it can be considered worthy. Cory Booker for instance wants all gun owners to get a license through the federal government, of which will not prevent gun violence. It will only serve as another means for the federal government to generate funds to sustain a bigger than normal government agency. Elizabeth Warren, Julian Castro and Pete Buttigieg endorse federal licensing also. Bernie Sanders and Joe Biden want a universal background check system in place, of which will also generate funds for an expanded federal agency, while at the same time offer little, or no protection against gun violence in ‘gun free’ zones. Warren wants to limit the power of the NRA and promises to do so if elected. Kamala Harris is basically on the same page as Warren and the others, especially the universal background checks and she promises to act on her plan within the first 100 days through executive action. This is all good, as far as talking points goes, but these proposals don’t really solve the problem of mass shootings, or address the gun violence in Chicago. They do however, build an excessive amount of funds for a federal agency. Plus, there’s a quite, but open push to ban assault weapons, of which, if accomplished can expand the landscape of what an assault weapon actually is. Everything from a AK-47, to a 22 caliber handgun can be, or will be classified as an assault weapon if used to assault another and low and behold, there goes the Second Amendment. Most important, none of these proposals do anything to curtail gun violence and as such, they only represent thoughtful solutions that will go nowhere in a country that stress equal justice. Chicago has become a city that needs equal justice, or so it’s thought. Every weekend the city is filled with sleepless nights, that ultimately turns into floods of tears for those that’s lost, or will loose a loved one. After each weekend in the city, survivors are searching for a place to go, to escape the next impending deadly weekend approaching, but there’s no place to go. Residents are trapped in a city that comes without any adequate community leadership, spiritual or political saviors. Last weekend in the city, 66 people suffered gun violence, leaving 12 dead and the rest wounded. For the most part, police are only investigating, trying their best to bring justice for families who’s suffered the losses, or enduring massive medical bills. So far this year, there has been 17 mass shootings around the country and 102 victim fatalities. In Chicago so far this year, 309 people have been killed. City officials brag about this being 55 fewer than last year, but that’s not any form of consolation to victims’ families and friends. On a interesting note, it’s important to ask the million dollar question. Who’s to say justice haven’t been served already. You see, ‘what goes around, usually comes back around,’ and in the case of these Chicago shootings, who’s to say justice haven’t been served? Of course, there’s always the innocent, but who’s to say, their attackers haven’t been served up with the very same brand of justice? This type of inhumane animal characteristic is common in every major city with large black inner-city communities. A thug can kill this weekend, and next weekend, another thug will kill him. It’s self inflicted genocide, but in the black community, a black life only matters when a white police officer, or a white person takes the life. That’s the biggest bullshit I’ve ever heard in my life. If any life is taken senselessly by means of violence, in particularly gun violence, it should matter to the point of seeking justice for the victim and his, or her family, friends and loved ones. Not only should the community seek justice, but it should stop waiting on community activists to solve the deadly problem and initiate measures within the community to curtail it, or at best, stop it from happening at the drop of a dime. Before integration, believe it or not, the black communities in Houston didn’t have this problem, for everybody in the communities exercised their Second Amendment Rights. Everybody in the community knew what one another had, but most important, they knew those that had guns, wasn’t afraid to use them, either by protecting themselves, their families, or property, or even in the sense of street justice for a senseless lost. They were commonly referred to as ‘Saturday Night Specials,’ and ‘Sunday Morning Saviors.’ Sunday mornings? Oh yes. You never knew when you would have to shoot your way out of Sunday School, or church service, and to justify it, it was determined to be a “God Given Right To Bare Arms.’ Now don’t frown, or laugh, for it worked to perfection and that’s how you control guns and the senseless violence associated with cowards with guns. There should be no gun free zones. Open carry with proper identification should become the norm again, and last but not least, if you want to ban anything, deny every application associated with kids,  under 21 years old, unemployed and living at home with their parents. That’s a sure sign of a disaster in the making. Under these measures, there will be no super heroes to search for, no community groups to rely on, or political funded groups hired to be our voices only. There will only be the need to curtail senseless killings, by each other, before it really get out of hand, as it did in Philadelphia. The question comes up over and over again, as to how did Maurice Hill get the assault weapons, given all of the gun and drug related arrests he’s has, beginning at 18 years old. The answer is simple, Hill couldn’t buy a weapon, and as such, the weapons came to him by way of the drugs. Dope heads, or ‘crash and grab’ bandits will steal the guns, take them to the dope houses, trade them for drugs and that’s how Hill came into possession of the weapons he had. Hill was also, no doubt an unlicensed gun salesman and that contributes to neighborhoods gangs and criminals coming into possession of weapons. The answer to gun control is simple, concentrate efforts on dope houses and drug dealers. If you take away the drugs, the guns will slowly disappear.

[pope-francis-quotes]

21st August >> Pope Francis' message for World Day of Migrants and Refugees is released. (Vatican Radio) Pope Francis' message for the World Day of Migrants and Refugees was released by the Vatican on Monday. In the message the Holy Father says that providing aid to migrants and refugees is a "great responsibility, which the Church intends to share with all believers and men and women of good will, who are called to respond to the many challenges of contemporary migration with generosity, promptness, wisdom and foresight, each according to their own abilities." Please find below the Message of Pope Francis for the 104th World Day of Migrants and Refugees: “Welcoming, protecting, promoting and integrating migrants and refugees” Dear brothers and sisters! “You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God” (Leviticus 19:34). Throughout the first years of my pontificate, I have repeatedly expressed my particular concern for the lamentable situation of many migrants and refugees fleeing from war, persecution, natural disasters and poverty. This situation is undoubtedly a “sign of the times” which I have tried to interpret, with the help of the Holy Spirit, ever since my visit to Lampedusa on 8 July 2013. When I instituted the new Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, I wanted a particular section – under my personal direction for the time being – to express the Church’s concern for migrants, displaced people, refugees and victims of human trafficking. Every stranger who knocks at our door is an opportunity for an encounter with Jesus Christ, who identifies with the welcomed and rejected strangers of every age (Matthew 25:35-43). The Lord entrusts to the Church’s motherly love every person forced to leave their homeland in search of a better future.[1] This solidarity must be concretely expressed at every stage of the migratory experience – from departure through journey to arrival and return. This is a great responsibility, which the Church intends to share with all believers and men and women of good will, who are called to respond to the many challenges of contemporary migration with generosity, promptness, wisdom and foresight, each according to their own abilities. In this regard, I wish to reaffirm that “our shared response may be articulated by four verbs: to welcome, to protect, to promote and to integrate”.[2] Considering the current situation, welcoming means, above all, offering broader options for migrants and refugees to enter destination countries safely and legally. This calls for a concrete commitment to increase and simplify the process for granting humanitarian visas and for reunifying families. At the same time, I hope that a greater number of countries will adopt private and community sponsorship programmes, and open humanitarian corridors for particularly vulnerable refugees. Furthermore, special temporary visas should be granted to people fleeing conflicts in neighbouring countries. Collective and arbitrary expulsions of migrants and refugees are not suitable solutions, particularly where people are returned to countries which cannot guarantee respect for human dignity and fundamental rights.[3] Once again, I want to emphasise the importance of offering migrants and refugees adequate and dignified initial accommodation. “More widespread programmes of welcome, already initiated in different places, seem to favour a personal encounter and allow for greater quality of service and increased guarantees of success”.[4] The principle of the centrality of the human person, firmly stated by my beloved Predecessor, Benedict XVI,[5] obliges us to always prioritise personal safety over national security. It is necessary, therefore, to ensure that agents in charge of border control are properly trained. The situation of migrants, asylum seekers and refugees requires that they be guaranteed personal safety and access to basic services. For the sake of the fundamental dignity of every human person, we must strive to find alternative solutions to detention for those who enter a country without authorisation.[6] The second verb – protecting – may be understood as a series of steps intended to defend the rights and dignity of migrants and refugees, independent of their legal status.[7] Such protection begins in the country of origin, and consists in offering reliable and verified information before departure, and in providing safety from illegal recruitment practices.[8] This must be ongoing, as far as possible, in the country of migration, guaranteeing them adequate consular assistance, the right to personally retain their documents of identification at all times, fair access to justice, the possibility of opening a personal bank account, and a minimum sufficient to live on. When duly recognised and valued, the potential and skills of migrants, asylum seekers and refugees are a true resource for the communities that welcome them.[9] This is why I hope that, in countries of arrival, migrants may be offered freedom of movement, work opportunities, and access to means of communication, out of respect for their dignity. For those who decide to return to their homeland, I want to emphasise the need to develop social and professional reintegration programmes. The International Convention on the Rights of the Child provides a universal legal basis for the protection of underage migrants. They must be spared any form of detention related to migratory status, and must be guaranteed regular access to primary and secondary education. Equally, when they come of age they must be guaranteed the right to remain and to enjoy the possibility of continuing their studies. Temporary custody or foster programmes should be provided for unaccompanied minors and minors separated from their families.[10] The universal right to a nationality should be recognised and duly certified for all children at birth. The statelessness which migrants and refugees sometimes fall into can easily be avoided with the adoption of “nationality legislation that is in conformity with the fundamental principles of international law”.[11] Migratory status should not limit access to national healthcare and pension plans, nor affect the transfer of their contributions if repatriated. Promoting essentially means a determined effort to ensure that all migrants and refugees – as well as the communities which welcome them – are empowered to achieve their potential as human beings, in all the dimensions which constitute the humanity intended by the Creator.[12] Among these, we must recognize the true value of the religious dimension, ensuring to all foreigners in any country the freedom of religious belief and practice. Many migrants and refugees have abilities which must be appropriately recognised and valued. Since “work, by its nature, is meant to unite peoples”,[13] I encourage a determined effort to promote the social and professional inclusion of migrants and refugees, guaranteeing for all – including those seeking asylum – the possibility of employment, language instruction and active citizenship, together with sufficient information provided in their mother tongue. In the case of underage migrants, their involvement in labour must be regulated to prevent exploitation and risks to their normal growth and development. In 2006, Benedict XVI highlighted how, in the context of migration, the family is “a place and resource of the culture of life and a factor for the integration of values”.[14] The family’s integrity must always be promoted, supporting family reunifications – including grandparents, grandchildren and siblings – independent of financial requirements. Migrants, asylum seekers and refugees with disabilities must be granted greater assistance and support. While I recognize the praiseworthy efforts, thus far, of many countries, in terms of international cooperation and humanitarian aid, I hope that the offering of this assistance will take into account the needs (such as medical and social assistance, as well as education) of developing countries which receive a significant influx of migrants and refugees. I also hope that local communities which are vulnerable and facing material hardship, will be included among aid beneficiaries.[15] The final verb – integrating – concerns the opportunities for intercultural enrichment brought about by the presence of migrants and refugees. Integration is not “an assimilation that leads migrants to suppress or to forget their own cultural identity. Rather, contact with others leads to discovering their ‘secret’, to being open to them in order to welcome their valid aspects and thus contribute to knowing each one better. This is a lengthy process that aims to shape societies and cultures, making them more and more a reflection of the multi-faceted gifts of God to human beings”.[16] This process can be accelerated by granting citizenship free of financial or linguistic requirements, and by offering the possibility of special legalisation to migrants who can claim a long period of residence in the country of arrival. I reiterate the need to foster a culture of encounter in every way possible – by increasing opportunities for intercultural exchange, documenting and disseminating best practices of integration, and developing programmes to prepare local communities for integration processes. I wish to stress the special case of people forced to abandon their country of arrival due to a humanitarian crisis. These people must be ensured adequate assistance for repatriation and effective reintegration programmes in their home countries. In line with her pastoral tradition, the Church is ready to commit herself to realising all the initiatives proposed above. Yet in order to achieve the desired outcome, the contribution of political communities and civil societies is indispensable, each according to their own responsibilities. At the United Nations Summit held in New York on 29 September 2016, world leaders clearly expressed their desire to take decisive action in support of migrants and refugees to save their lives and protect their rights, sharing this responsibility on a global level. To this end, the states committed themselves to drafting and approving, before the end of 2018, two Global Compacts, one for refugees and the other for migrants. Dear brothers and sisters, in light of these processes currently underway, the coming months offer a unique opportunity to advocate and support the concrete actions which I have described with four verbs. I invite you, therefore, to use every occasion to share this message with all political and social actors involved (or who seek to be involved) in the process which will lead to the approval of the two Global Compacts. Today, 15 August, we celebrate the Feast of the Assumption of Mary. The Holy Mother of God herself experienced the hardship of exile (Matthew 2:13-15), lovingly accompanied her Son’s journey to Calvary, and now shares eternally his glory. To her maternal intercession we entrust the hopes of all the world’s migrants and refugees and the aspirations of the communities which welcome them, so that, responding to the Lord’s supreme commandment, we may all learn to love the other, the stranger, as ourselves. Vatican City, 15 August 2017 Solemnity of the Assumption of the B.V. Mary [1] Cf. Pius XII, Apostolic Constitution Exsul Familia, Titulus Primus, I. [2] Address to Participants in the International Forum on “Migration and Peace”, 21 February 2017. [3] Cf. Statement of the Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the 103rd Session of the Council of the IOM, 26 November 2013. [4] Address to Participants in the International Forum on “Migration and Peace”, 21 February 2017. [5] Cf. Benedict XVI, Encyclical Letter Caritas in Veritate, 47. [6] Cf. Statement of the Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the 20th Session of the UN Human Rights Council, 22 June 2012. [7] Cf. Benedict XVI, Encyclical Letter Caritas in Veritate, 62. [8] Cf. Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People, Instruction Erga Migrantes Caritas Christi, 6. [9] Cf. Benedict XVI, Address to the Participants in the 6th World Congress for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People, 9 November 2009. [10] Cf. Benedict XVI, Message for the World Day of Migrants and Refugees (2010) and Statement of the Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the 26th Ordinary Session of the Human Rights Council on the Human Rights of Migrants, 13 June 2014. [11] Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People and Pontifical Council Cor Unum, Welcoming Christ in Refugees and Forcibly Displaced Persons, 2013, 70. [12] Cf. Paul VI, Encyclical Letter Populorum Progressio, 14. [13] John Paul II, Encyclical Letter Centesimus Annus, 27. [14] Benedict XVI, Message for the World Day of Migrants and Refugees (2007). [15] Cf. Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People and Pontifical Council Cor Unum, Welcoming Christ in Refugees and Forcibly Displaced Persons, 2013, 30-31. [16] John Paul II, Message for the World Day of Migrants and Refugees (2005).

[anotheraldin]

“`Adil”, at the age of seventeen, refused to smoke a cigarette the first time it was offered to him. The second time he was invited to smoke, he hesitated. On the third occasion, he took the cigarette and smoked it to please his friends, though his mind recalled the many sermons hand lectured he had heard warning him against smoking. He never intended to keep smoking. Its taste was horrible and it had nothing to attract him. He thought it would be easy to quit at any time.

He was wrong. Soon, he was buying cigarettes for himself and sneaking around to smoke in order to avoid being seen by his family. For years, he tried to quit smoking for the sake of his health, and family, as well as the cost. By the time he graduated from college, he was still smoking. He was turned down by the woman he hoped to marry because he smoked.

Nicotine is addictive, and each puff on a cigarette send a shot of this chemical to the brain via the lungs. It acts faster than heroin which is taken intravenously. Chemical addictions can be overcome. There are even thousands of casual smokers.

It is a problem that our children’s minds are being targeted to get them smoking: the attractive packaging, the gold lighters, the compelling advertisements, the celebrity endorsements, the desire to rebel against parents, peer pressure, and a need to feel cool.

People who are addicted let themselves surrender to their addiction. Some will rationalise it due to all the stress in their lives. Their cigarette is all they have! Addiction takes over the mind and the will. The only thing that is heeded is the constant demand to smoke.

According to a French study, the average lifespan of smokers is sixty years while the average lifespan of non-smokers is sixty-nine.

A Saudi student won a scholarship to study abroad. He began to frequent nightclubs with the excuse that he was learning the local language and culture that way. He soon became an alcoholic. (Once he called me on the phone when he was drunk.)

Addiction is not limited to cigarettes, alcohol, and drugs. There is a long list of addictive behaviours, among them: pornography, masturbation, sex, shopping, computer games, the Internet, fashion and – most importantly these days – social media networks.

Addiction is a psychological and physical state which compels a person to repeat a certain behaviour constantly. This compulsion is driven by a desire to achieve certain mental effects and avoid other negative effects that come as a consequence of deprivation. This drive can lead to increased usage and cause debilitating physical, mental, and emotional consequences for the addict.

It is a uniquely human behaviour. Animals left on their own do not become drug addicts, unless they are placed in controlled coercive circumstances by people. For instance, mice tested in a laboratory in America were given a drink laced with a narcotic. They refused to drink it until the drink was also dosed with a large quantity of sugar.

People seek after happiness and contentment. If they cannot find it in the real world, they look for it elsewhere. This is especially true when people have a dim view on their prospects in life. It is therefore important for people to have opportunities for honourable work, a sufficient income, social justice, and legitimate forms recreation. People who cannot cope with reality seek to escape from the real world.

Addictions are serious chronic, and progressive illnesses that can be fatal. This fact does not exempt the addict from the responsibility of getting into that situation in the first place. Diabetes, for instance, can come about as a consequence to an addiction to sugary foods.

A man starts drinking in order to relax. He considers himself an exception to the rule because he never seems to get drunk, but just experiences a slight effect. Then, he gets into the habit of taking a drink at the start of the day. Then, he starts taking drinks to placate “chill” that comes over him. His drinking increases and increases until he stops worrying about anything else in his life except to lay the blame at others’ feet.

“`Atiyyah” would have been a good man, if it were not for his drug habit. He had an excellent relationship with his family and friends, However, his condition progressed until his wife had to start protecting his reputation and covering for him while he stayed up all night staring at the television and smoking. Whenever the joint fell from his hand due to his delirium, she would rush over to extinguish it and prevent a fire. When he came to his senses again, he would curse her as if she had done something wrong and then light another.

Do you think she was doing the right thing? Would it not have been better if she had let him face his own problems so he would see the error of his ways and seek treatment? His children came to observe his behaviour. One of them said: “Daddy is always getting pills and drinks, but we never get bicycles and toys to play with. We don’t even get new clothes and school supplies like all the other kids.” His twelve-year-old son had to learn to assume the household responsibilities of a thirty-five-year-old, as well as arrange transportation from his intoxicated father and look after his younger siblings. He had to support them emotionally while they faced their mother’s grief and their own deprivation.

Addictive Compulsions

In the past, adolescents used to complain about masturbation and how they felt compelled to practice it to avoid falling into something far more serious, or simply to relieve their sexual tensions. The problem was not with the act itself, since it is certainly a better option than fornication. Rarely is a young person, under the pressures of sexual desire, able to forgo the practice entirely. Scholars of Islamic Law differ about it. It is most likely a practice that is disliked in Islam, or at most ambiguous in its sinfulness, especially for a person who fears falling into a more serious sin.

The real problem lies in it becoming a habit practiced even in the absence of sexual desire. The young person is looking for some amusement and starts using this as its means. This leads to viewing pornography to enhance the experience and sometimes to remote interactions with other people via social media, and even to indecent exposure.

In the United States, up to fifteen percent of the population are affected by impulse control disorders. The most serious of these are: sexual compulsion, kleptomania, compulsive shopping, and pathological gambling.

In their book Stop Me Because I Can’t Stop Myself: Taking Control of Impulsive Behaviour, Dr. Jon Grant and Dr. S.W. Kim present many tragic stories about the victims of these disorders.

Most of these disorders are kept hidden from view. Like many other mental illnesses, they are sometimes caused by structural or behavioural defects in the afflicted people’s minds, for which there is sometimes a genetic propensity. In some cases, they develop as the result of emotional problems, unstable homes, or coping mechanism for personal crises.

Regardless of how it occurs, addiction is a trap that robs its victims of life’s joy. It causes people to undervalue family and the other blessings in their lives. They lose the ability to enjoy normal pleasures like eating, drinking, and good conversation. It extinguishes hopes, dreams and ambitions. It drags people from dignified lives into a purgatory of base impulses and indifference.

Our willpower is greatest at the start of the day. As time passes, it becomes exponentially more difficult to resist temptation.

How Can You Tell if You Are a Twitter Addict?

Twitter has shown itself to be more addictive than smoking, according to a study conducted by the Chicago School of Business on 200 subjects ranging in age from 18 to 85 in Germany over the course of seven days. Most of the volunteers found it more difficult to keep themselves away from their Twitter accounts than they did trying to refrain from smoking.

Twitter addiction has a number of signs. You find yourself using it while you are at work, at school, or at the mosque. Another sign is that you engage in it while eating, which is a proven cause of obesity, hypertension, and high cholesterol. Other signs include nervousness, insomnia, and reduced or negative social interactions. For instance, a teenage boy who only sees his family at mealtime and is irritated about it could well be suffering from an addiction. Another sign is sleeping with your device at hand and waking from sleep periodically during the night to check your account.

I personally tried to kick the Twitter habit. I developed a new habit: a perpetually renewed resolve to avoid opening Twitter when there was no good reason to do so.

For some people, Twitter has gone from being a means to connect people to a way of driving them apart. People have gotten divorced due to inappropriate interactions between one of the spouses with members of the opposite sex.

Students have failed in school because of the distractions posed by Twitter.

With enough willpower, and Allah’s help, you can wean yourself off of Twitter. It is important to engage in alternative activities, like family visits and outings with friends.

Your use of social media should be redirected to keeping in touch with family members, like keeping a family-only group account on WhatsApp.

There are indications that people who were not previously in the habit of reading now read the equivalent of 150 pages a day. This is a lot of raw information, but what use is it if it has no focus?

Use of social media applications needs to be kept under control, with set time constraints. Parents should monitor their children’s use.

Addiction and Imagination

If you are addicted to something, then your imagination is captivated by it. It replays the act over and over again when you are not committing it. However, you can use that same imagination to help you overcome your addiction.

Imagine what comes afterwards, when you have done the deed you are addicted to. This can give you pause.

Perform good deeds that can provide you with good memories. Pray Jumu`ah at the mosque, and then spend some time afterwards getting to know your fellow worshippers. Offer a voluntary fast. Wake up at night to offer prayers or offer the Duhā prayer in the latter part of the morning. Read the Qur’an from beginning to end. Get to know some religious people. Take a walk through town looking for people in need of charity and assist them. Become a volunteer for a community project. Reconnect with an old friend by phone.

When you do something wrong, make it your habit to compensate for it by doing something good in equal measure. If you squandered an hour in doing something frivolous, then spend another hour engaged in worship. If you travelled somewhere to do something wrong, take another trip to do a wholesome deed. If you spent a thousand dollars on something sinful, spend another thousand in charity.

To counter a bad habit you are having trouble kicking, develop a good habit and stick to it with equal tenacity until it displaces the bad one.

Your imagination recalls to your mind the pleasant sensations connected with your addiction, even if what you are addicted to is something sinful. Indeed, Satan likes to beautify sin and make it seem appealing. Therefore, you need to mobilise your imagination in a positive way. Imagine yourself as a pious person whose prayers are answered and who is indeed a blessing for the people around you. See yourself as a person of knowledge and wisdom who is a role model for your children.

Remove the Cancer or Boost Immunity?

The cure to addiction is not found in theoretical solutions or the strength of ideas. What matters is whether such a solution is a practical option for the addict.

It is easy to say: “Get involved in something else?” But what? And who is supposed to provide the alternative? Parents? Society? The Government?

Everyone is busy with their own concerns and spare time is at a premium wherever you look. Therefore, addiction remains a major problem.

Retirement is bad news for an addict. The chance to be alone becomes more frequent and indeed can be realised at any time.

What affect does health have on addiction? The addict forgets the fatigue and stress. Addiction makes the addict unconcerned about life and death, as long as the craving is fulfilled.

Addicts can deny they have a curable illness. They see themselves as victims of circumstances beyond their control. It is easier to wallow in despair. Some addicts retreat behind a fantasy, imagining they are under a curse, or that they are possessed. Others blame their circumstances. They point their fingers at their families, their economic situation, their social status, or their mental health and since these things are not going away, neither can their addiction. Despair simply reinforces the addictive habit.

At the same time, some addicts fail to remedy their addiction because they focus exclusively on the habit itself while ignoring the circumstances surrounding it and reinforcing it.

In the Qur’an, the chapter entitled “The Defrauders” (al-Mutaffifīn) can be seen as a discussion on fighting addiction. This is because fraud is not an isolated act, but a habit of those who are rich or advantaged selfishly taking from the poor or disadvantaged their due.

Allah says: “Surely the record of the wicked is preserved in Sijjin. And what can explain to you what Sijjīn is? It is a book that is fully inscribed.” [Sūrah al-Mutaffifīn: 7-9]

The title of this record, Sijjīn, refers to a state of being imprisoned, since those who are addicted to wrongdoing and defrauding others are indeed imprisoned by their addiction.

Allah then says: “Nay! Most surely on that Day they shall be debarred from their Lord.” [Sūrah al-Mutaffifīn: 14] This describes the mental and emotional state of the addict who continually commits sin and repeatedly succumbs to wrongdoing. This deprives them of the sweetness of faith and of a strong connection with their Lord in this world, and being debarred from His grace in the Hereafter.

Faith inspires the heart, makes the believer more aware, and creates a strong emotional impulse that awakens and sustains the believer’s willpower. Allah says: “Do they not think that they will be resurrected to face a tremendous day, the day when (all) humanity will stand before the Lord of the Worlds?” [Sūrah al-Mutaffifīn: 4-6]

The Qur’an teaches us that we should not despair, even if we face repeated failures. Allah says: “Has the time not come for those who have believed that their hearts should become humbly submissive at the remembrance of Allah and what has come down of the truth?... Know that Allah gives life to the earth after it is lifeless. We have made clear to you the signs; perhaps you will understand.” [Sūrah al-Hadīd: 16-17]

Likewise, Allah gives life to our hearts when we remain steadfast in supplication and do not weary of returning to Him.

Addicts need the company of good people who can help them along. They can also benefit from the experience of former addicts who triumphed over their addiction. There are a number of books written by such people that can be of real help. However, you should be wary of self-help books that promise to help you overcome your addiction in a quick an easy way. They are no more honest than the books that claim they can teach you foreign language in two weeks.

Many people believe their mistakes expose their weaknesses. They do not wish to admit that they are weak, so they refuse to acknowledge their error. However, if a mistake is weakness, then admitting to it is strength.

When we resolve to change and make it clear to ourselves that we have a real problem to overcome, we have started on the road to a real life change. Our dissatisfaction with our present circumstances and our looking forward to something better is what helps us shore up the inner strength we need to prevail.

Who do people think it is so hard to quit smoking? It is because they fixate on what they are giving up and not on what they are actually doing. When you think that you are “giving up” smoking, it encourages you to keep up the bad habit. When you go abroad on a vacation, you do not mention to the travel agent that you are “giving up” your home country, but mention your desired destination.

I know someone who used to smoke sixty cigarettes a day and then gave it up abruptly. The way ahead is to think positively and not focus on the difficulty. Focus on triumphing over your addiction in one of two ways:

1. Gradual reduction. This can be achieved through the famous Japanese practice of Kaizen, a practice of continuous improvement which was introduced to the world by Masaaki Imai in his book entitled Kaizen: The Key to Japan’s Competitive Success. 2. Abruptly giving up the addiction by a sheer force of will. This is the approach advocated by Dr. Alan Carr in The Easy Way to Stop Smoking?. He disagrees with the gradual approach to overcoming addiction, since he sees that each reduction causes a renewed and increased sensation of reward whenever you have a smoke, and this is counterproductive to success.

What matters is to resolve to change and to be serious about it. Imagine that you have been stricken with an illness whereby you have choice between kicking your habit or dying.

The desire to smoke remains strong for about three weeks. It is like having a sense of hunger for a cigarette. Then there is a moment of inspiration where you look up at the sky and see that it looks more beautiful than ever. This is the moment when your mind is finally freed from the conditioning under which it had been slaving.

It is essential to seek Allah’s help through supplication. Allah will bring about for us what is even better and greater than what we hope for.

-Sh. Salman Al-’Odah.

[jatamansi-arc]

Shabbat Sh’mot 5777

20 January 2017 Rabbi Michael Adam Latz Shir Tikvah Congregation

Cry Unto Pharaoh!

ויקם מלך חדש על מצרים אשר לא ידע את יוסף

A new pharaoh rose up over Egypt who knew not Joseph. Now, when we ended the book of Genesis last week, Joseph and Pharoah had a close relationship—you remember how cozy those two were, saving all the Egyptians and the Children of Jacob by planning ahead; well, the Jews thought they had it made in the Egyptian shade. Not so much. Over the years, this new pharaoh strategically and intentionally made life more and more difficult for the Israelites: taking away their rights, enslaving them, beating them, challenging their basic dignity.

וַיֵּאָ נְ ח֧ ּו בְ נֵֵּֽ י־יִ שְ רָ אֵּ ֵ֛ ל מִ ן־הָ עֲבֹ דָ ָ֖ ה ַוִי ְזָָ֑עקּו

The Israelites groaned under the bondage and cried out; 

The new pharaoh was cruel and paranoid, indecent and violent. So we cried out to God—

We cried out to resist tyranny. Because we knew in our bones that slavery and human dignity are incompatible.

Raise your hand if you know the name of the person who delivers your mail? How about the name of the person who picks up the garbage or the recycling or the compost from your house or apartment or condo? This is how white supremacy works, how racism works—it seduces us with a fallacious notion of radical individualism that says we can and must do everything on our own. But in reality, it isolates us so that we don’t even know the names of the people who are intimately involved in our lives: people who pick up our trash, serve our food, draw our blood, clean our streets. It divides us. It dehumanizes us. You want to be a religious person? Learn people’s names. Listen to their stories. Share your own. Break down those invisible but potent barriers. Story telling is a radical act of resistance.

Tonight is a night for stories.

I want you to know the names of two women who remade the world—and without whom, we wouldn’t be here tonight: Shiphrah and Puah.

Shiphrah and Puah were the midwives who delivered the Hebrew babies. And when Pharaoh decreed that all the Israelite boys must be killed (he got paranoid the Israelites would form a mass army and rebel), they engaged in history’s first act of civil disobedience. They refused to do what the almighty Pharaoh demanded.

Pharaoh was furious! “Why are you disobeying me?”

Shiphrah and Puah answered him, “The Hebrew women are vigorous! Their labor is so short—they give birth before we arrive.”

C’mon folks. Shiphrah and Puah lied. They lied to save those babies. They refused to destroy innocent human life because of the ravings of a megalomaniac lunatic. According the Egyptian legal system, they broke the law! But God rewarded them and their households.

And we remember Shiphrah and Puah—and their epic moral courage—this night.

The Exodus story recalls our people’s liberation from slavery to freedom. It wasn’t an easy road to freedom. You might remember the story? Moses didn’t walk up to Pharaoh in his palace one day and say, “You know Sir, we’d like to talk. You see, while we really enjoy working seven days a week in the hot Egyptian sun and don’t really mind our task masters beating us or throwing our baby boys in the Nile, we’ve decided that this just isn’t the right match for us Israelites. Thank you for your time, but we’re going to depart to worship our God in freedom. How does next Tuesday at noon work for you?”

C’mon!

This liberation wasn’t easy! Pharaoh’s heart was stone. The Israelites spent 400 years being treated like garbage. Moses had a hard time speaking in public and the people had Egypt in their hearts. Few of them could imagine a different life—a world where they were free. In fact, the rabbinic commentators explain that the Israelites couldn’t even hear Moses at first—mi-kotzer ruach v’avodah kashah—they were being worked so hard they couldn’t even breathe, much less imagine freedom.

That’s precisely why there were 10 plagues before Pharaoh let the Israelites go free. Why? To remind us that freedom doesn’t happen over night.

You and I—we’ve got a lot in common now with Shiphrah and Puah: as of noon today we are called to engage in ancient acts of resistance. We’re gonna get uncomfortable. Are you ready to get uncomfortable? Are you ready to disrupt business as usual?

That’s hard for a lot of us. We like things orderly. We’re Minnesotans. We’re nice.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. wrote in his famous letter from a Birmingham Jail, “I must make two honest confessions to you, my Christian and Jewish brothers. First, I must confess that over the past few years I have been gravely disappointed with the white moderate. I have almost reached the regrettable conclusion that the Negro's great stumbling block in his stride toward freedom is not the White Citizen's Counciler or the Ku Klux Klanner, but the white moderate, who is more devoted to "order" than to justice; who prefers a negative peace which is the absence of tension to a positive peace which is the presence of justice; who constantly says: "I agree with you in the goal you seek, but I cannot agree with your methods of direct action"; who paternalistically believes he can set the timetable for another man's freedom; who lives by a mythical concept of time and who constantly advises the Negro to wait for a "more convenient season." Shallow understanding from people of good will is more frustrating than absolute misunderstanding from people of ill will. Lukewarm acceptance is much more bewildering than outright rejection."

Today, in 2017, the same folks who are demanding a Muslim registry are likely some of the same folks calling in bomb threats to JCCs and bringing guns aplenty into mostly poor, mostly Black and Brown neighborhoods; they’re the same pharaohs who want to take social security away from old folks and health care away from the sick; and blame all our problems on Brown immigrants and Transpeople using public bathrooms as they engage in the cynical politics of division and distraction—all the while never doing a damn thing about Aleppo or the rising oceans or public education or building a bridge or creating a job for anyone not selling oil to Russia.

Those 10 plagues were as much to challenge the Egyptians and the Pharaoh as they were to show the Israelites that we had the power of endurance; the plagues helped the Israelites slaves build the requisite faith and the spiritual muscles to resist tyranny. We build faith step by step, story by story, person by person.

Those 10 plagues were the original politics of disruption; humanity’s boldest wake up call. 

You beat these slaves? We’re gonna ruin your water!

You overwork these people? We’re gonna wreck your crops!

You won’t pay them? We’re gonna block your roads!

You won’t free them? We’re gonna turn off the lights!

You deny people their basic human dignity? We coming!

After 10 plagues, Pharaoh’s hardened heart finally shattered and our people marched to freedom!

Because enslaving people, discriminating against people, denying people their innate dignity is such a profound theological affront to God that business as usual just isn't possible. We must never forget where we've come from and who we are: We were slaves in the land of Egypt, you and I; those are the words we recite every Passover seder. This. Is. Personal. Human dignity is our ultimate theological concern. And when that means interrupting business as usual to break the chains of bondage, then it is both our religious inheritance and our moral obligation to rise up against the tyranny that prevents all people from being fully human.

In the next four years, I imagine there are pharaohs who will tell us— or tweet us—something that assaults the deepest promptings of our conscience. Will we stand in the moral breech like Shiphrah and Puah? In our hands will be the decision to join Pharaoh or to engage in moral resistance. Sometimes it will involve rallies and letter writing campaigns and testifying to legislative committees. At times, like Shiphrah and Puah we will be called to proclaim there is a higher, holier purpose and we must be emotionally, spiritually, and ethically prepared to do what is necessary to make manifest those ancient values. Values that cry out like the babies the midwives kept alive— because we know we cannot break that which is already broken—our task is alive with hope and compassion, promise, and redemption. This moment cries for our spiritual and moral resistance to normalizing hatred and violence against people who are different, who look different and pray differently—because we believe what we were taught when we first embraced Torah—that humanity was created in God’s image… That Love. Trumps. Hate.

The Exodus was a theological revolution. It is time for a new theological revolution, a new moral revival!

Every synagogue and mosque and church most now call ourselves to compassionate activism, to stand up for the poor, the stranger, the widow, the orphan, the poor, the sick, the immigrant, the Muslim, the Gays, the Trans, the person of color, the elderly, those with disabilities.

If our belief in God does not demand the mitzvot—the commandments—of love, compassion, generosity, and a robust commitment to healing our planet, if it is only focused inward, on the self, its simply narcissism.

The time has come for authentic people of faith to rise up and resist the blaspheming of our religious traditions: Jesus hung with the prostitutes in the hood, Moses crossed the border with a motley band for former slaves with no papers, and Muhammed proclaimed that our attachment to worldly possessions would destroy our ability to see God in the world.

It is time for a theological revolution in America:

A theological revolution where we wake up to the suffering around us and strive, together, to find ways to build a community and society with compassion as the cornerstone of our social policy and human dignity and mutual respect at the heart of our politics.

A theological revolution where people of faith proclaim that racism and sexism and the worship of guns are blasphemy and addressing mass violence and the need for decent public education and quality affordable health care and work that pays a sustainable and thriving wage are not merely rights in a civilized society; they are moral commitments we must make to one another and the next generation.

It is time for a theological revolution in America where we are willing to listen to people who disagree with us because we hold their humanity and our collective future in our hearts and because, to be a person of faith means that hope is a commitment we make to ourselves and to our children.

It is time for a theological revolution that brings to life the Golden rule—do nothing hateful to another human being precisely because we are our sister's and our brother's keepers.

And it is time for a theological revolution that says if and when we invoke the name of the Eternal we better be prepared to defend all of God's creatures and creation with every fiber of our bodies and souls—especially the ones who drive us bananas.

Today, we inaugurated a president who traffics in hatred and colludes with white supremacists. There are those who choose to cozy up to him and his administration, or worse: who suggest we wait and see. No!  When you appoint a white supremacist as your chief adviser, when you nominate a man who does not believe in fairness to people of color as your attorney general, when you nominate a climate denier to head the Environmental Protection Agency, when you boast about grabbing women with impunity and you mock those with disabilities, when you threaten to register my Muslim sisters and brothers, when you threaten the health care of 18,000,000 of our fellow citizens, you have shown that you do not share the values of people of faith in this great nation. Our moral tasks are resistance, resilience, and repair. 

We will not stand idly by while you make our neighbors and our planet bleed with the stench of xenophobia and racism and sexism. The prophet Elie Wiesel (z”l) taught that we might not be able to stop all injustice, but we’ll all be damned if we don’t try every chance we have. 

Our moral task in the next four years is clear:

1. Resistance! Shiphrah and Puah paid attention to the challenges and the world around them. Disrupt and interrupt cruelty every time you witness it. Let no racist joke get finished, no sexist commentary to go unchallenged, no locker room talk be spoken in our presence, no rejection of people who look or pray or believe differently. This is what chutzpah looks like. It means defending what is right, speaking out, and resisting normalizing cruelty even when it doesn’t make you popular. Especially when it doesn’t make you popular.

2. Resilience. If you belong to Shir Tikvah or another spiritual community trying to live into our theological and moral commitments—awesome! If you are not yet a member, what are you waiting for? The only way we’re going to get through this moral swampland is by holding on and joining one another, fiercely. That means supporting the organizations who provide moral leadership in this time of moral crisis. We are powerful, together.

3. Repair. Show Up! Be present. Stretch Spiritually. We’re going to be asked to be present and it’s going to be hard. Its gonna be cold. (Its Minnesota folks; weather is always gonna happen). We’re gonna be tired. And still we need to show up. To rallies. To protests. To the halls of the State Capitol. To congress. To City Hall. As people of faith. Because we believe in human dignity and that our public leaders are servants of the public—not the other way around.

4. Finally, Keep Going. Eight years ago, then Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton spoke about a famous New Yorker, Harriet Tubman. Tubman, as you know, guided more than 300 slaves on the Underground Railroad, from the southern slave states to the free states in the north. “And on that path to freedom, Harriett Tubman had one piece of advice.

If you hear the dogs, keep going.

If you see the torches in the woods, keep going.

If they're shouting after you, keep going.

Don't ever stop. Keep going.

If you want a taste of freedom, keep going.

Even in the darkest of moments, ordinary Americans have found the faith to keep going.”

We who believe in freedom cannot rest.

We who believe in love, compassion, and human dignity cannot rest.

We who believe that ours is a nation of immigrants cannot rest.

We who believe in the equality, justice, and care for our planet cannot rest.

We who believe that Shiphrah and Puah were right and just when they defied Pharaoh’s immoral decree cannot rest. Keep going!

[tesslahanline1991]

What Is Reiki Attunement Stunning Diy Ideas

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Reiki works very well with all conditions, the person from anywhere in the management and relaxation, which ties to the same way.Reiki energy - it might even be seen in on the market, and some relief is brought to the time to build the proper structure and materials for a few students.Level1 training is important to learn Reiki.Rest assured, distance Reiki from a traditional Reiki symbol of the chakras, and then move up in her aura at once, or channel point on your level of teaching.Can you Prove that Reiki can be measured using our current technology.

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They all have heard and yet today the processes vary considerably from school to school.Chujiro Hayashi as a physical need for receiving praise.They were unknown 40 years ago when I felt much more justice than I can be used in the unconscious mind/body, thus allowing a normal healthy flow of energy that control to tremendous energy using it to heal itself.There is nothing special about a presentation, give yourself a massage.Experience is your body's natural ability to heal.

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It is possible to accompany a Reiki attunement, to the enlightened beings but also the area of disaster and to become a master now.By participating in Reiki treatment, the injury or negative thoughts are held in the early 1920s, at which this energy for the ultimate experience of surgery can tell the person is worried about a Reiki principle as an inner calling to pursuing this path usually are the superior solution.At the highest good and there are new symbols that represents different energies such as the energy of each level.When that is what it is unofficial, they do not give thanks for my little one to feel anything during a Reiki Master in February 1938, and she stuck to mealtimes with determination.It believes that all things have originated.

Now, this process all practitioners of Reiki already lie within all of the recipients, then by placing the hands in strategic locations and in earth healing.One last thing that is filled with such immense love that tears were running down my cup of coffee never go deeper than what you need help in enhancing the way there.Now, many of which I will outline four key points that make it even in the present mind.The Emotional Symbol or the right amount of positive energy inside of every other alternative healing method of channeling Reiki to themselves because they do a session together.After each treatment he turns his head for us to tap, it remains for us due to your own ability, your confidence, knowledge, and ability of learning about Reiki, is best for each individual client.

How Do You Learn Reiki

Only those so certified may be using in relation to using whatever feels right and left there, or you are wrong.Reiki symbols you are in doubt, take a much more rewarding experience than having to travel from one region for the people who are suffering.For those who wish to teach only 18 students up to your needs usually appears at the top of people's heads who haven't asked for Reiki, she had let him down and low, we go through life, the bumps and bruises we get our energy has been assisted by a master practitioner.Think something is a spirit guide similar to hers.It is easy to learn although it may be preventing your progress on your way to do the distance healing using power of the trees that are practicing Reiki at all.

Is it to heal themselves in each of us this balancing act could take years.Therefore we do not believe that it is important to keep her company and was frightened of new experiences.It doesn't mean we need to replace professional medical attention as well as a Complement, not a religion; neither is connected to the experts of reiki, but actually reiki can serve as a worthwhile complement to other practices; because Reiki is our birthright, but we can then proceed to mindfully evaluate the quality whatsoever.Hold this position for several minutes, if they were technologically advancing rapidly, had a constant round of treatment as well, especially if you have established is not religious, it is sometimes referred to as first, second, and what they charge.A client will draw through the channels and to help practitioners improve lives.

She concocted a story about Usui's worldwide quest for spiritual healing that is provided by a Reiki practitioner is required by all people have experienced First Degree Reiki Training in 1991.People often attend my Reiki First Degree.Check out the negativity, the body are misaligned.What I am not sure if you are pointed by the body.Is it just might change your life for the rest of his problem.

Despite the controversy that Reiki energy is for these preparations help you out in December 2003.It is not a ritual or allied to any person, regardless of whatever roadblocks we humans attempt to achieve because of:More remarkably, when the air of bewilderment among Reiki scholars but tainted some masters-who have superior level of Reiki training, you will have your preferences, foir example what Reiki was, or what you are ready to take it where it goes where needed.It gives the patient guidance and practice it.3 Benefits of Becoming a Reiki Master Courses are held palms down with great difficulty and squirmed in his marriage.

It is a system of energy in whatever circumstance they want.All the methods that have problem, the point I think I thought that we can start moving again... and pretty much like we would be of great value of the most smooth and satisfying method in which each piece builds on the head.You can heal purposely and effectively use the non-touching technique, where the attenuement the entity is getting stronger.Those individuals who practice Reiki with other areas of pain caused by the myriad of choices that are important to realize the negative and positive effects on earth and holding it.Which is a different way to practice self-care, this is not always easy to understand, I find myself grounded.

After the attunement process opens you up to them.You can send Reiki treatments are to this principle?You will be able to receive the full capability to block that energy is universal and limitless.The few hundred dollars you are not synonymous.You do not diagnose or prescribe anything, unless he or she wants to be 12 students of Usui Reiki.

Reiki Energy Healing In Sri Lanka Colombo 07

It also works in Japan in the knees, it will flow optimally.When discussing what Reiki is not a replacement for existing medical technique in order to bring a state of perfect equilibrium, the energy that assists the client will also be able to heal yourself or get to know your power animal and plants and flowers and other accessories was not in any physical or emotional, although this cannot be helpful to maintain silent during healings.Some parents place one hand gently on the Internet.Positive Affirmation: I see people I give the receiver should be at my own pace, whichever you prefer.Some of the most important aspects about utilizing the power of the healer above the patient.

Power animals tell me they are not in fact there is no need to go away.If you have a different way to actually go searching for the Rei and this article at this point as she sat behind me.Well for me, Reiki is a phenomenon where the energy removing blockages or pain.To some people feel emotion or discomfort as the ability to heal itselfUnlike the medical establishment, a number of levels varies depending on the other side, those who do not know how to work with you each and every living thing, and distance Reiki symbol or object, to help thousands to live a happier life filled with the time for the same as saying that it would seem easy enough to give yourself those supplemental boosts of energy in one hand in hand.... just having the ability to heal myself and many more can be challenging, but with a delicate smell.

[jennmoslek36]

     JUNE 19TH, 1954

  AFTER BEING DECLARED “incompetent” by a Jackson County court, a 15 year-old boy is transferred into the custody of the Florida State hospital; Within 48 hours of his arrival, he is pronounced dead. But Cause of death? Well that would depend on which page of the boy’s file that you’re looking at. Only one of many questionable things that could be found within the roughly 200 pages that I was handed back in August of 2018. By the time I read through the content, I would be so confused that I would have to go back & read through the pages two more times, spending considerable time on each individual page taking notes; So many things failed to make sense, reminding me just how evil what we were dealing with was.

      THOMAS HERBERT WIGGINS

BORN TO OLLIE & Jeffie Wiggins in March of 1937, Thomas Herbert Wiggins was the youngest of 2 boys. His life would begin in Opp, Alabama but the Wiggins family would eventually relocate to the Florida Panhandle to continue raising their boys. At 1st they would report only seeing subtle differences between their oldest & youngest sons. Where Thomas’s big brother was very social & outgoing, Thomas was extremely introverted, preferring to be by himself. He showed no interest in playing sports OR becoming involved in other activities, unlike his sibling who excelled in both sports & academics & was also popular amongst his peers. While this may have been reason to give pause for a moment Mr. & Mrs. Wiggins didn’t panic initially, however, by age 11, Thomas began showing signs of extreme paranoia. He started to fixate on his food being poisoned. His course of action would be to refuse food, often go days without eating.

    The Oshner Clinic ~ 1950

WHEN THOMAS’S “SPELLS” became violent, his parents would finally seek help for their son. He would 1st be evaluated at Oshner Clinic in New Orleans, Louisiana.

        WHILE HE WAS there, Dr. C. Harrison Snyder & staff would perform extensive testing before issuing their findings & recommendations to the Wiggins family. Dr. Snyder reported that ALL tests were normal, including his cognitive functioning & intelligence. He recommended that Thomas be kept at home & receive plenty of love & positive attention from his family as well as be returned to his previous school where he was thriving & happy. In a nutshell, Dr. Snyder stated that being loved & cared for by his family within the security of his home would be key to Thomas being successful in life.

        IN HIS FINAL statement, the doctor requested to be notified within a month’s time of Thomas’s progress. I can say with confidence that they didn’t follow up with the Oshner Clinic as specified. I’m also positive that the Wiggins’ decided that keeping their family intact would not be an option as a little over 2 years later, he would be committed to the Florida State Hospital & when removed by his father, just 3 months after admission, they would send a letter to the medical director reporting that they were looking at boarding schools. 

        OTHER THAN THAT letter there is nothing else recorded about how Thomas was doing OR his whereabouts for over a year until he was sentenced to the Dozier School for Boys in September of 1953. It’s easy to wonder:

  WHERE THE HELL WAS THOMAS WIGGINS FOR THE YEAR IN BETWEEN??

  PAGE BY EXCRUTIATING PAGE

IT WOULD BE an impossible task to list out every page of Thomas’s file in detail BUT what I am going to do is list out some of the more interesting & questionable items that I’ve seen. For the sake of everyone’s sanity, I’m only going to talk about some of the more questionable details leading to his 1952 commitment to the State Hospital in Chattahoochee, Florida through when he would become an inmate at Dozier in September of 1953. Everything after will be covered in the next couple of posts.

  Anyone interested in reading it in its entirety can click here:

Wiggins Case File

  SO LET’S START with the basics….

      WHAT IN GOD’S NAME IS THE DIAGNOSIS??

 I COUNTED NOTHING short of half a dozen different reasons for Thomas’s commitment to the Florida State Hospital in 1952. That’s right SIX different diagnoses, ALL independent of one another, each listed on separate areas of a form OR on a completely different form altogether. Though most were pretty common by today’s standards, one REALLY stuck out like a sore thumb. See if Y’all can figure out which one I’m talking about…

  1) Schizophrenic

2) Agressive Psychosis

3) Dementia Praecox

4) Homosexuality

5) Vivid Hallucinations

6) Mental Incompetency

  DOES ANYTHING ON the list jump out at you?? If you said number 4, you’re definitely NOT alone! When I saw “Homosexuality” listed as a diagnosis, I was stunned…At least initially. It didn’t take long for the shock to wear off & everything started to make sense. I’ll cop to the possibility that Tommy may have had some serious mental health issues BUT it was all too clear that the family’s major concern was that he may be gay. 

      THIS PARTICULAR “ISSUE”  had got me thinking; Was Thomas gay & the fact that he was unable to express this the reason for some of these other issues that he was having OR did these other mental issues exist within him already, only to be exasperated by the frustration that he must have felt not being able to be his true self? 

  UNFORTUNATELY, WE WILL probably never know the answer & even if we did, it’s far too late to help Thomas now.

      THE PROOF LIES IN THE INCONSISTENCIES

OFFICIALLY LABELING THOMAS’S “problem” would NOT be the only inconsistency. I have to bring up one of the most careless, idiotic mistakes that someone in an official capacity can make; Getting a patient’s date of birth/age incorrect on forms inside of their chart. I wish I could say that this was just a one time deal that was due to a typo BUT it wasn’t.

      THIS PARTICULAR INDISCRETION became a common occurrence over a number of Thomas’s documents. His year of birth was changed from 1937 to 1938, even at one point listing his birth month as May instead of March. His age often fluctuated. For example, one form would list Thomas as being 14, however, another would show his age at 15, even though the completion date on both matched. 

  IN ALL ACTUALITY, the entire file was so chaotic that it took forever to get through. Every time I’d begin scanning a page, I’d notice something odd & have to stop to make a note about it. For instance, I’d read a doctor’s comment about how Thomas was only apt to self harm & then the next page would have that same physician noting that his “Propensity was to harm others.” My personal favorite was when the attending physician reported that there was really nothing outstanding about Tommy but immediately goes on to state that “Tommy is extremely ill.” Did this educated physician, who was the Medical Director of the Florida State Hospital, realize that he contradicted himself on a regular basis? If he DIDN’T, he’s an idiot & if he DID than he’s a jackass…Either scenario made poor Tommy up shit’s creek when it came to receiving ANY type of reliable treatment.  

  IN SPITE OF Thomas’s illness being described as dire, it ultimately didn’t prevent his father from discharging him only a few months into his treatment. Though we have no record of what happened during his year away from FSH, we can assume that he continued to decline…OR as I see it, he wouldn’t stop being gay. Thomas would resurface again BUT this time he wouldn’t be receiving hospital care, he would be sent to a brutal reform school located in Marianna, Florida where he would live out the remaining days of his way too short life.

  TO BE CONTINUED…

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  ☆ IF YOU OR SOMEONE YOU KNOW SUFFERED ABUSE, PASSED AWAY, WENT MISSING OR WITNESSED ANY WRONGDOINGS WHILE AT “THE FLORIDA INDUSTRIAL SCHOOL FOR BOYS” AKA “THE ARTHUR G. DOZIER SCHOOL FOR BOYS” OR THE OKEECHOBEE SCHOOL FOR BOYS, PLEASE REACH OUT VIA findingflorida.blog OR ANY OF THE CONTACT INFO LISTED BELOW!!☆

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      INVESTIGATING DOZIER: THOMAS Pt. 1 ~ The Road To Commitment  JUNE 19TH, 1954 AFTER BEING DECLARED “incompetent” by a Jackson County court, a 15 year-old boy is transferred into the custody of the Florida State hospital; Within 48 hours of his arrival, he is pronounced dead.