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andimlonely · 5 years ago

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BNHA | DanganronpaAU! hc’s

I’ve been so excited to share this because I’ve really gotten immersed into this idea! If you’re unfamiliar with Danganronpa, it’s a thriller/mystery video game that I highly recommend! Anyway, these are just general (kinda lengthy) headcanons for some of the characters; feel free to request a part 2! Potential Spoilers for Danganronpa 1 and 2!

Izuku Midoriya - very analytical and observant, definitely like a more caring and smarter version of Makoto (not that he isn’t smart). Really appalled by the first death and the thought that one of his classmates was responsible. Because he’s so friendly and good-natured, would probably be targeted early on. Or because he seems so harmless, he’d fly under the radar until everyone realizes how smart and observant he is. However, I think he’s intelligent enough to catch on to sketchy behavior, and while he wants to see the good in everyone, has pretty good instincts that help him not be too trusting. Of course keeps a notebook where he records observations and the events of the day, which is both helpful and risky.

Ochako Uraraka - very friendly and willing to work with the others. Supports the cooperative plan and tries to get a good understanding of people she finds suspicious. Very resourceful and good at thinking up unconventional plans or possibilities that, even when wrong, help further the case. Appears to be an easy target, because of her stature and demeanor, but she has taken some martial arts classes so she is not defenseless. Along with Mina, she’s the moral support for the group and is almost always willing to try and comfort people unless she’s very wary of them.

Momo Yaoyorozu - absolutely a much less stoic Kyoko. She and Deku would definitely carry the trials the most. While she’s kind, she’s not as trusting as he is and not as convinced in the “work together” mindset, but still does her best to rally support for it. Takes many measures to protect herself and keep distance from the others. Is not used to being around people of much different social classes, so is vulnerable in this way because she doesn’t know what mannerisms might be common and which ones aren’t.

Minoru Mineta - a coward and not very smart in the conventional sense. But, he has a knack for sneaking around unnoticed, particularly for his unsavory purposes, and thus picks up a lot of blackmail ammunition. He tries to get on the girls’ good side and put on the “nice guy” persona. He also is quick to throw others under the bus when he feels he needs to, and even provoke people who seem like likely suspects of a crime so that they seem to be the guilty ones.

Shouto Todoroki - very closed off and not trusting of anyone. He doesn’t necessarily think everyone’s conspiring against him, but he’s not willing to risk closeness with others and is not sold on Izuku’s proposition that everyone work together and not worry (“we’re all good people, there’s nothing to worry about, let’s just stick together and we’ll be fine”, etc). He can see he’s well-meaning but finds everyone with that mindset naive. He is more like Kyoko in the sense of being secretive and a lone wolf in investigations.

Fumikage Tokoyami - another loner who might seem suspicious from time to time. Tries to just keep his distance, but does take measures to ensure his safety. He is pretty selfless, and if he feels it necessary, will put himself in vulnerable positions for the good of the others once he warms up to them more. Think Gundham from DR2, but way less grandiose. Will take note of people’s behavior patterns and risk going through their stuff only if he’s pretty positive he won’t be caught. Because he’s not as optimistic as Deku, who doesn’t want to fully believe his classmates would commit heinous crimes, will also help to come to conclusions in trials.

Denki Kaminari - he isn’t the smartest, but his technological know how will come in handy - very similar to Kazuichi. Is not generally the most brave of the bunch, but when it comes down to it you can count on him. With people he trusts, he’ll do all he can to help. He will confront people when he’s feeling especially brave if it seems like they’re being sketchy or causing problems. A loyal ally.

Toga Himiko - is not very afraid of dying but doesn’t want to be away from Deku and wants to stick around because the killing game thrills her, so she does her best to survive. Isn’t the brightest, but because she’s not squeamish, is the best for examining bodies - and is scarily knowledgeable about medical and anatomical information. Is friendly with the others (overly with some) but doesn’t let her guard down. Willing to be an accomplice or form an alliance of some sort with people she sees most fit.

Katsuki Bakugou - very very annoyed by the situation. Kinda like Akane from DR2, where he will try to fight Monokuma. He could be made an example of like someone was from DR, or, since he’s pretty intelligent and very intent on surviving, he’ll decide against actually attacking the sadistic bear. Is also a loner in investigations and has too much pride to outright ask other people what they found out, so he just eavesdrops every now and then when stumped. Is athletic so obviously not an easy target, but he is easily provoked and that could lead to different kinds of trouble for him. Always calls people out when he feels they’re lying or up to something.

Mina Ashido - Mina’s main strength is her personable demeanor. She’s very likeable, and she takes it upon herself to dissolve tension or try and raise morale when things are getting bleak. Maybe a little too trusting, but not with everyone. She also gossips quite a bit, and because she’s likeable, it’s likely she could get more personal information from people that trust her. But while she talks a lot about others, she doesn’t necessarily share as much about herself.

Dabi - a shady delinquent who people are obviously wary of, some more than others. He finds the killing game kind of amusing and survives largely because the others are intimidated by him, but he’s also kinda clever. Likes to tamper with evidence and play devil’s advocate/misdirect just for fun. Would most likely kill someone. Is quite secretive and good at lying.

#bnha #dr #dr2 #dr!au #danganronpa #bnha headcanons #danganronpa!au #bnha imagines #headcanons

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galaxyklunk-blog · 7 years ago

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unst242group2 · 4 years ago

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Interview Transcript

Laura: [00:00:00]

[00:00:00] [00:00:00] So the first question we have is what made you start Taking Ownership PDX?

[00:00:08] Randal: [00:00:08] Um, well, um, I had a lot of people asking me how they could be stronger allies or accomplices for the, for marginalized communities and particularly the Black community. Because I, um, I have built quite a platform through hip hop.

[00:00:24] I'm a hip hop artist, uh, playing a six piece funk hip hop band called Speaker Minds. And I've, um, I do solo music with a DJ and I've been doing that for my entire adult life. So, and my music often talks about social justice and injustices, citizen, community outreach, and uplifting, things like that. So, and I've done a lot of philanthropy work in my, in my day, a lot of culturally specific, um, jobs where I've been like a mentor for Black and Brown youth on probation.

[00:00:53] Uh, I worked as a student advocate, um, for low income [00:01:00] young adults work heavy, you know, just a little, a lot of those communities. So, um, people, you know, got to know me as that. And so they reached out and, um, I also go to PSU right now. So I'm finishing my bachelor's in Black Studies and Social Science. And, um, so I've learned a lot about, you know, a lot of the oppressive, exclusionary ways of, of Oregon and the, you know, the nation.

[00:01:26] Um, and so I thought it would be a good idea. You know, when people ask me how they can help, I said, look, you gotta share your resources. Especially if you come from privilege, um, and you have benefited from exclusionary practices, uh, you know, so share your, share your wealth and let's, um, and then the idea that to repair homes came from the fact that, you know, I grew up in Portland, I'm a native, I grew up in Northeast Portland, so I watched the neighborhoods change.

[00:01:53] Um, and now that I have an idea of why that's happened, I realized, you know, a way that we could really help is [00:02:00] by, um, getting some of these repairs done. For the homeowners that still have survived gentrification, um, and, uh, that will keep the city off their back. Um, and, um, because a lot of the ways displacement happens is, uh, white people move into these neighborhoods and then they start complaining about Black people's houses, not looking, uh, adequate enough for their standards.

[00:02:25] And then, uh, the city comes out and puts liens on their homes and stuff. So this is a good way to combat gentrification in that way.

[00:02:34] Laura: [00:02:34] Amazing. Um, uh, we noticed that Taking Ownership PDX has a lot of support from other organizations and you also have a lot of volunteers and donors. Um, was that surprising to you?

[00:02:49] Like how did that happen so quickly?

[00:02:52] Randal: [00:02:52] Uh, so surprising. Yeah, I had no idea it was going to take off like it did. Um, I, I, you know, I, I thought it was gonna. [00:03:00] Just be like maybe a couple of homes, you know? Well, when I started there, I was very naive. Cause I don't, I'm not from the housing world. I, you know, I was a renter at the time.

[00:03:08] Um, You know, I don't, I didn't know the capacity. I thought we would just get a bunch of volunteers together and find some materials and start swinging hammers at homes and trying to, um, try to make them look better. But, uh, there's a lot more to it than that. And a lot of people were like, "well, you know, I don't really want to like come out and help, especially with the pandemic. Um, but here's some money to put towards it," and it just took off, you know, uh, after the first house. We were able to do quite a bit of repairs and then another house came in and then just, you know, words got out and then the news started getting a hold of it. So I did a bunch of news interviews and then that was when it really took off.

[00:03:48] Um, but yeah, because I, you know, I, I was not expecting this kind of response at all. Uh, I think people liked that I started at guerrilla style because I wasn't like waiting to get through all the red [00:04:00] tape, you know, I've been on enough committees and been in enough groups that I know. That red tape can take years to get through.

[00:04:06] So I was like, you know, send me your money and I'll, I'll put it towards the house and, you know, I'll deal with Uncle Sam later. Um, but yeah, I, would've never imagined, um, how big this got and how fast and it's still going strong.

[00:04:22] La'don: [00:04:22] Well, um, I have a question about that. So if someone wanted to be a part of that and volunteer, how would they go about that?

[00:04:29] Randal: [00:04:29] So right now, we're not really encouraging volunteers unless you're licensed, bonded and insured. We got over 400 volunteers signed up and we don't have enough work for that, especially in the winter. Um, You know, we, we, if you want it to, you could go to our website and there's a volunteer section, uh, taking ownership, pdx.org.

[00:04:48] Uh, but we're not encouraging that unless you are skilled in a trade and licensed, bonded, and insured. Um, so we can actually like do, um, [00:05:00] quality and insured work on these homes.

[00:05:02] La'don: [00:05:02] Thanks.

[00:05:04] Laura: [00:05:04] Okay. So the next set of questions is more specific to your thoughts on gentrification. So, um, who has a stake in preventing gentrification? Who can do that?

[00:05:19] Randal: [00:05:19] Um, the state, the city, the nation, the, the feds, uh, anybody that can make policies, you know, um, to, to stop this thing. Make policies that provide reparations. And I mean, I strongly believe reparations are needed for, uh, particularly the black community, but other communities as well, you know, natives need better reparations too.

[00:05:40] Um, but you know, the way, if you have any idea of how horrible this country has been. To, to, uh, nonwhite people, uh, particularly black people and the natives. Um, you would understand that the, that there is some sort of equity in the form of [00:06:00] monetary, um, gifts or whatever, that needed to be given. I mean, think about Oregon.

[00:06:06] They were, when they found Oregon, they were just buying up. Like they're just giving 300 to 600 acres of land to, to white men, just, you know, and black people couldn't even live here. So, um, with that understanding, I mean, they think that they have to like give you the, it has to, it has to be through equitable practices.

[00:06:25] They have to like, um, put in policies for developers that they have to give the developers the same rules that residential people have. So developers can come into neighborhoods and buy up houses and tear them down and build up some, you know, some, uh, garbage 30 unit building without asking the community what they want.

[00:06:48] Um, well, let's say if you're, if you're a homeowner, a residential homeowner and you want to just build a garage or something, you gotta ask all your neighbors what they think, what color, you know? So it's [00:07:00] not fair that these developers just because they have multi-millions and they, you know, can house more people, um, can come in here with their own set of rules and it actually impacts the whole, the rest of the neighborhood because utilities go up, property taxes go up.

[00:07:16] Um, and you know, you bring a whole different demographic into these neighborhoods. Uh, that's another thing is, you know, um, where I live, I just bought a house in Albina. It's mostly white people around here. This is a historically black neighborhood. Um, they'd lost all that culture. I think there has to be some policy in place that, that keeps the culture, uh, in the neighborhoods to, um, give the neighborhood of the voice.

[00:07:42] Yeah. But they definitely have to, um, do something reparation-like, and maybe that's providing property or, you know, monetary gifts or something.

[00:07:55] Annie: [00:07:55] So I do have a question about that. Um, do you think that legislative change is going to [00:08:00] be the most effective here in dealing with gentrification, or is it going to be more on like an individual level that we're going to see the most change?

[00:08:07] Randal: [00:08:07] I mean, I think most change starts from the bottom and like it does, you know, I don't know anything, any kind of change like that um, on a legislative level, I feel like always has to start with some individuals getting together and, you know, making some noise and then they're like, "Oh, okay, fine. It just looks like they're not going to shut up about it."

[00:08:31] So now we're going to start, you know, when you even think about like marijuana passing, you know, uh, you know, any, anything we've really got to make some noise unless it's benefiting the corporations. If it started, if it benefits everyday people on an individual level, we have to make noise and then they'll consider passing some stuff.

[00:08:55] Laura: [00:08:55] Um, the next question is, do you think enough [00:09:00] people know or even care about the gentrification that has been happening?

[00:09:07]Randal: [00:09:07] , I don't think enough people really understand the capacity of what gentrification is. You know what it's done, how severe it's been. Um, I think people, yeah, I think people just think like, cause you, when you grew up in capitalism, you just think that's just the way it is. Like, they want to take your house, they'll take your house.

[00:09:29] You know, they want to do that. You just got to work harder. You just got to pull yourself up by your bootstrap to keep your house. They don't understand the policies and just like the nuanced ways in which they operate to, to, you know, take their homes. And, um, if you're one of the people benefiting from gentrification, You're usually one of the people that has the most resources and the most power to enact the change.

[00:09:56] That's why we always tell white people, y'all got to talk to each other. Y'all got to be [00:10:00] the ones out here, um, really, you know, making that change, um, because this is your, this is a system that was built by y'all, so y'all gotta dismantle it, you know, it can't just be us. So. I think it's hard for white people who benefit from it because they're content and they think, all right, I just bought this house, but you know, I'll put a Black Lives Matter sign in my yard and they think that's enough, you know?

[00:10:26] So they don't, you know, I, so just for instance, some serious, uh, accomplice ally work that just happened is I bought this house from a white lady. She sold it to me for what was, what was left on the mortgage, because she didn't want to make any money off it. And she wanted to put a black family back in the Albina neighborhood.

[00:10:49] So like, that's that radical philanthropy work that I think needs to happen that I don't think a lot of people are going to do. This woman's like on some other shit. [00:11:00] So, which I'm thankful for. Um, and, but yeah, I don't think that there's not going to be a lot of people that are going to do that. And she didn't put herself out cause she's wealthy and she's a, she's a successful business owner and owns multiple properties.

[00:11:14] I don't know if I can say enough people care to make the actual radical, um, decisions and actions that it will take to, to reverse gentrification. And gentrification is already done. Like there's no, there's no like black community in Portland anymore. It's gone, you know, I mean, I guess you could say it's in the numbers, but that's not really, you know, that's not really it, so it has to be reversed at this point.

[00:11:53] Laura: [00:11:53] How important do you think aging in places, you know, like being able to, um, [00:12:00] to stay in someone's home regardless of their age or their income? How much of an importance do you see in that?

[00:12:09] Randal: [00:12:09] I think, you know, it's like, uh, I think it's like one of the most important things as far as what humans need is, you know, shelter and, uh, as somebody who, um, is a brand new homeowner - I just bought this house two months ago - um, I was a renter all before that. With two, I became a father at night, 10 years old of two, and I've lived in maybe 12 places since they were born. We're renting apartments, living in garages, whatever I could find and, you know, um, and it's miserable and it's, uh, not knowing, you know, having to move.

[00:12:46] First of all, moving sucks. You know, we all know that. Um, but yeah, you know, bouncing my kids around from place to place and, um, you know, just to be able to stay and [00:13:00] to be able to pay into your property and then actually get towards paying off your property is huge. You know, like an actual mortgage is amazing.

[00:13:09] Uh, when you're renting, you're just giving your money away all the time. Um, But yeah. I mean, especially when you get older and, uh, it looked the cost of living going up, you know, it's harder to find other places to live. Um, so yeah, it's important. And then familiarity in communities is I think so important to, to, uh, people. And so, yeah, I think it's just in so many, so many aspects of it is important.

[00:13:38] Laura: [00:13:38] And I have one last question. Uh, do you have any advice on how to spread awareness on, uh, the ramifications of gentrification for people who don't have much of a platform or just, you know, every day trying to spread awareness?

[00:13:57] Randal: [00:13:57] Um, I also want to say the importance of [00:14:00] aging in place is also to be able to pass down your property to the next generation. So I think that's actually really huge. Ways to raise awareness. I mean, do your research, one, you know, uh, I think that's important.

[00:14:14] There's a great class - I'm actually in my capstone class right now. Um, it's racial equity in Oregon. I'm learning a lot about gentrification and just the origin of all that in that class. I, so I recommend y'all take it. I don't know, take that class if you want, but it's a good one. Well, yeah. Do your, do your, uh, research on, on, um, Portland or even, you know, other cities too, but I mean, Portland has its own unique or Oregon has its own unique story.

[00:14:40] And I mean, my way of raising awareness is social media. That's how this whole thing started. If I didn't have a platform on social media, there's no way I would've got the word out so fast, um, And provide resources. Um, yeah, I think that's, that's the way to go these days [00:15:00] is social media. Yeah. And action. Don't just talk about it. Do about it.

[00:15:11]Laura: [00:15:11] Well, thank you so much, Randall.

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connorsaturday · 7 years ago

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I Swear I’m Not Some Kind of “Wizard of Oz” Fanatic

[September 25th, 2017]

There are certain moments in my life when I feel like a detective. Yes, as dorky and childish as it sounds, there are times where one of my many inner pipe dreams overrides my conscious objectivity and critical thinking, and I begin sleuthing a case from the ground up. The only thing is that I usually operate on a hunch not based on actual concrete evidence, rather someone probably said something to me, and one thing led to another and then I’m collecting “eye-witness” accounts on something that never happened. The reason I bring this up is because of the feeling I get from doing it: the feeling of discovering a major conspiracy, finding the pieces of the puzzle and putting it together to expose what will inevitably be a multi-million-dollar drug ring run out of my boss’s basement… or something along those lines. The feeling of exploring a new conspiracy is like the feeling of a general revelation, like when a child puts on glasses for the first time and discovers that the leaves aren’t supposed to be blurry. That is the feeling I got reading the original article, Accomplices Not Allies: Abolishing the Ally Industrial Complex. While my amateur detective work may be funny and lighthearted, the fact that the feeling I got from this article was the same I get from a conspiracy, a theory that is usually unfounded and not credible, is frighteningly serious.

I often tell people that because I respect honesty so highly, I do not get mad at hypocrites so long as they acknowledge that they are hypocrite. This was true up until about ten minutes ago when I introspectively looked at myself, my life, and my actions. I had just read three articles all talking about how America is absolutely entrenched with these white liberal fakes that preach and advocate for equality, but are simply cowards who either prey on the oppressed out of ignorance, selfishness, or both, and I stopped. And I thought, “Where do I fit into this?” I realized that I, Connor Satterlee, the same person who was praised by his parents, friends, and colleagues for his insightful reflection on Colin Kaepernick, am a hypocrite. I am partially corrupted. I preach for racial equality, and sit during the national anthem, but who am I doing that for? The oppressed, or my self-image? When’s the last time I actually did something to further the progress of the racial agenda that was risky, scary, or even dangerous? When is the last time I actually did anything besides participate in the same bullshit conversation and discussion that I ALWAYS do?

I may not be as ignorant or selfish as some – at least I’d like to think I’m not – but can I truly know? I insert myself into minority environments, and try to educate myself on cultures unfamiliar to me, but have I tried to enact any real change? Even as I write this reflection, I feel such guilt and shame in myself as I realize just how little I’ve done in terms of being an accomplice, and just how many times I’ve been the liberal American standing in Starbucks watching the execution of another African-American feeling disappointed in our country. But what grandiose plan do I hatch up to enact change? Oh, I’ll just sit during the national anthem. That’ll bring Eric Garner back. That’ll stop the government-mandated murders of minorities by the radical military force we call “police”.

I believe now that the reason I got the feeling of a conspiracy from reading this article was not because I genuinely believed that this notion of the Ally Industrial Complex is a conspiracy; this concept is very much real and alive in our society. I believe the reason I had that feeling is because the conspiracy lies not in the article itself, but rather in me. Up to this point I believed – or made myself believe – that I was doing enough to fight this war, that I was an accomplice. But in the end, this conspiracy (unlike all the others in my detective career) was real, and the perp that I busted? It was myself.

The silver lining of my philosophical/psychological crisis is that I believe that my trajectory is towards the right direction. While I have discovered that I am further back from where I had thought I was in terms of social activism, I believe that I am not starting there and regressing, rather I am starting from a place of blindness and naïve cognition and moving towards where I should be, as a full-fledged, non-badge-wearing, consequence-taking accomplice. I only hope that my revelation and realization of my status in the racial war against the institution of America will impact me the way I want it to, yet also impact those who are in the same boat as me. Because we are in a boat, after all; how else would we avoid being melted by the water that surrounds us witches? We’re safe in the boat; we don’t actually know if we’re witches, because we’ve never touched the water… but there’s a storm coming, and we’ve got nowhere to run to, no house to hide in, no blood to put over our doors. The shit has hit the fan before; it hits the fan nearly every week now. But there is no amount of allyship that will protect us when the shit hits the fan so hard that the fan falls of the counter and breaks.

So, as you and I sit in this boat, awaiting - perhaps even fearing - the impending storm, I begin to wonder If I actually am a witch. I mean, if the storm is coming, I guess I’ll find out soon anyway. The thing is, witches aren’t just determined by whether or not the water hurts them. Witches are mean. Witches are selfish. Witches hurt others, without remorse, to further their own goals and agendas. Witches believed that African-Americans were 3/5 of a person. Witches believed that schools could be “separate, but equal”. Witches marched in Charlottesville promoting white supremacy to such a violent extent that the governor of Virginia had to declare a state of emergency and summon the National Guard. So am I a witch? Or am I just someone who needs to respond to the call of duty set by our lord long ago: to treat others how you would like to be treated. As I draw to a close, there is only one question that resounds within my mind:

Will the water melt me, or will I let the storm hit me in me in full force?

---

Works Cited:

Admin at Indigenous Action Media ([email protected]). (2014, May 4). Accomplices Not Allies: Abolishing the Ally Industrial Complex. Retrieved from http://www.indigenousaction.org/accomplices-not-allies-abolishing-the-ally-industrial-complex/

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ihatepeacocks · 8 years ago

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Trump‘s Masterful Manipulation of the Media is just getting started.

A Rant from ihatepeacocks’ Operative X on President Trump’s attacks on “Fake News” & how they have put legitimate news outlets on the defensive, just the way Trump wants it. Follow Operative X on Twitter for more rants and political commentary. Feb. 24, 2017

I know Trump’s attacks on the media are old news given the biblical flood of bullshit out of DC every few seconds. But it’s something I keep coming back to. These attacks are pathological.

He is at once denying the entire media’s credibility while at the same time trying to overwhelm and shape it through brute force in volume and bullying – both to influence and to distract. He insults the old regime, and at large, they take it hook, line and sinker…self-reflecting, deflecting, and analyzing - completely on defense; just where Trump wants them.

Do our media titans not understand they’re being played? Or worse, know it as semi-willing accomplices in spreading his messages (“well, he’s the President!”) in a war of words and ratings?

Distrust of media is pervasive; many, well beyond Trump, see the news media specifically as self-serving. The evolution of non-traditional reporting has created a strain on an industry built on trust. But that’s a lot to unpack – the Media? Which part – which specific medium or combo - online amateurs, independents, TV, radio, alt-news, niche sites, local, national, individual personalities? Each seems to have something to sell, or only exists to sell. Like anything else in a market-driven consumerist world – it’s a meat market, any way you slice it. Ad revenue can create conflicts of interest, as can partnerships, mergers, and so forth – each creating cracks in credibility and objective reporting.

Trump easily exploits weaknesses – which in his manipulation of the media, becomes an easy enterprise in an era of information overload. Rumor becomes fact. Whack jobs are given air time to legitimize rumors. Time, like shock value- rather than accuracy, seems to be the strongest driver for ratings.

However, we weren’t all born yesterday; common sense dictates not to trust everything we see reported on CNN, NBC, ABC, NPR, or Fox, or Breitbart, or via alien transmissions to our tinfoil hats, etc. But on the other hand, do you have a better source? To Trump, only he can be the source; his team targets dissenting opinion and methodically plans out a vicious response - trying to delegitimize his enemies as the endgame - while simultaneously seeking out those who could be allies. He tracks the news media like Russian Mobsters track everyone who owes them money.

His attacks are shocking, and devious. He needs the media and knows it must exist without prior restraint or censorship. Even Trump can’t shut the media down. But he can shut some out. So he attacks certain targets, then they refute, then he slips in more of his narrative, then he attacks – then they report on his narrative, defend themselves, add more narrative…rinse, repeat. The manipulative cycle is in full swing. And Trump has proven a master of the bully pulpit. This has all the potential for an epic dystopian consequence.

Trump’s vindictiveness is legendary. He’s forcing lines to be drawn, named “the media” an enemy (of him, the State?), and then divides them in order to conquer. To the media, access is lifeblood and he has taken the first steps to limit that access:

( Source: NPR ) It begins with de-legitimizing your enemy – fake news! -while legitimizing yourself to fill the vacuum. Next, Trump will follow up by handpicking advocates to convey him in positive terms. In time, those advocates become his mouthpieces – they know the consequences of dissent. Trump then rewards them with more at the expense of the outsiders…who eventually tuck tail as resistance has a real cost – viewers, and ads. If you can’t beat him, then just get access. Acquiesce. Accommodate. And then ask forgiveness. Fall in line. Survive. On a quick enough timeline, dissent from the outside doesn’t pay the bills.

We’ll soon have a legally free press manipulated into being at Trump’s mercy. It’ll spread whatever message his propaganda machine deems fit.

Sounds a little extreme, right- hyperbole, a bit slippery slope, right? This will never happen…right? Just like his nomination. Just like his actually being elected. This very same media he has such a hard-on vendetta against was wrong. Now they chomp at the bit on his every word- because they’re still underestimating him.

So how legitimate can the media be? Ask Trump’s supporters. They know who to believe.

Follow Operative X on Twitter for more rants, political commentary and insight into yacht rock.

#trump #media #news #war on media #president trump #operative x #editorial #op x rants #operative xray #fake news #politics #trumps america #ihatepeacocks #trump fake news #white house #sean spicer #cnn #npr

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unst242group2 · 4 years ago

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(1/8) “I had a lot of people asking me how they could be stronger allies or accomplices for the marginalized communities and particularly the black community, because I have built quite a platform through hip hop. I’m a hip hop artist, I play in a six piece funk hip hop band called Speaker Minds, and I do solo music with a DJ, and I’ve been doing that for my entire adult life. My music often talks about social justice and injustices, citizens, community outreach, and uplifting, things like that. I’ve done a lot of philanthropy work in my day, a lot of culturally specific jobs where I’ve been like a mentor for black and brown youth on probation. I worked as a student advocate for low income young adults, just with a lot of those communities. So people got to know me as that. And so they reached out and I also go to PSU right now. I’m finishing my bachelor’s in Black Studies and Social Science. I’ve learned a lot about a lot of the oppressive, exclusionary ways of Oregon and the nation. So I thought it would be a good idea. When people ask me how they can help, I said, ‘look, you gotta share your resources. Especially if you come from privilege and you have benefited from exclusionary practices, so share your wealth��. Then the idea to repair homes came from the fact that I grew up in Portland, I'm a native, I grew up in Northeast Portland, so I watched the neighborhoods change. Now that I have an idea of why that's happened, I realized, a way that we could really help is by getting some of these repairs done, for the homeowners that still have survived gentrification. That will keep the city off their back. Because a lot of the ways displacement happens is white people move into these neighborhoods and then they start complaining about Black people's houses, not looking adequate enough for their standards. And then the city comes out and puts lines on their homes and stuff. So this is a good way to combat gentrification in that way.”

(2/8) “I had no idea it was going to take off like it did. I thought it was gonna just be maybe a couple of homes. Well, when I started there, I was very naive. Cause I'm not from the housing world. I was a renter at the time. I didn't know the capacity. I thought we would just get a bunch of volunteers together and find some materials and start swinging hammers at homes and try to make them look better. But there's a lot more to it than that. And a lot of people were like, ‘well, , I don't really want to come out and help, especially with the pandemic, but here's some money to put towards it’, and it just took off after the first house. We were able to do quite a bit of repairs and then another house came in and then just words got out and then the news started getting a hold of it. I did a bunch of news interviews and then that was when it really took off. I was not expecting this kind of response at all. I think people liked that I started it guerrilla style because I wasn't waiting to get through all the red tape. I've been on enough committees and been in enough groups that I know that red tape can take years to get through. So I was like, send me your money and I'll put it towards the house and I'll deal with Uncle Sam later. I would've never imagined how big this got and how fast and it's still going strong.”

(3/8) “Right now, we're not really encouraging volunteers unless you're licensed, bonded and insured. We got over 400 volunteers signed up and we don’t have enough work for that, especially in the winter. If you want it to, you could go to our website and there's a volunteer section, takingownershippdx.org, but we're not encouraging that unless you are skilled in a trade and licensed, bonded, and insured. So we can actually do quality and insured work on these homes.”

(4/8) “The state, the city, the nation, the, the feds, anybody that can make policies to stop this thing. Make policies that provide reparations. And I mean, I strongly believe reparations are needed for particularly the black community, but other communities as well, natives need better reparations too. If you have any idea of how horrible this country has been to nonwhite people, particularly black people and the natives, you would understand that there is some sort of equity in the form of monetary gifts that needed to be given. I mean, think about Oregon. They were, when they found Oregon, they were just buying up. They're just giving 300 to 600 acres of land to white men, and black people couldn't even live here. With that understanding, they think that it has to be through equitable practices. They have to put in policies for developers that they have to give the developers the same rules that residential people have. So developers can come into neighborhoods and buy up houses and tear them down and build up some garbage 30 unit building without asking the community what they want. Let's say if you're a homeowner, a residential homeowner and you want to just build a garage or something, you gotta ask all your neighbors what they think, what color. It's not fair that these developers just because they have multi-millions and they can house more people, can come in here with their own set of rules and it actually impacts the whole, the rest of the neighborhood because utilities go up, property taxes go up. You bring a whole different demographic into these neighborhoods. That's another thing where I live. I just bought a house in Albina. It's mostly white people around here. This is a historically black neighborhood. They'd lost all that culture. I think there has to be some policy in place that keeps the culture in the neighborhoods to give the neighborhood a voice. They definitely have to do something reparation-like, and maybe that's providing property or monetary gifts.”

(5/8) “I think most change starts from the bottom and it does, I don't know anything, any kind of change like that on a legislative level, I feel always has to start with some individuals getting together and making some noise and then they're like,’Oh, okay, fine. It just looks like they're not going to shut up about it’. So now we're going to start. When you even think about marijuana passing, anything, we've really got to make some noise unless it's benefiting the corporations. If it benefits everyday people on an individual level, we have to make noise and then they'll consider passing some stuff.”

(6/8) “I don't think enough people really understand the capacity of what gentrification is. What it's done, how severe it's been. When you grew up in capitalism, you just think that's just the way it is. They want to take your house, they'll take your house. They want to do that. You just got to work harder. You just got to pull yourself up by your bootstrap to keep your house. They don't understand the policies and just like the nuanced ways in which they operate to take their homes. And if you're one of the people benefiting from gentrification, you're usually one of the people that has the most resources and the most power to enact the change. That's why we always tell white people, y'all got to talk to each other. Y'all got to be the ones out here really making that change, because this is a system that was built by y'all, so y'all gotta dismantle it. It can't just be us. I think it's hard for white people who benefit from it because they're content and they think, all right, I just bought this house, but, I'll put a Black Lives Matter sign in my yard’ and they think that's enough? Just for instance, some serious accomplice ally work that just happened is I bought this house from a white lady. She sold it to me for what was left on the mortgage, because she didn't want to make any money off it. And she wanted to put a black family back in the Albina neighborhood. That's that radical philanthropy work that I think needs to happen that I don't think a lot of people are going to do. This woman's on some other shit, which I'm thankful for. I don't think that there's not going to be a lot of people that are going to do that. And she didn't put herself out cause she's wealthy and she's a successful business owner and owns multiple properties. I don't know if I can say enough people care to make the actual radical decisions and actions that it will take to reverse gentrification. And gentrification is already done. There's no black community in Portland anymore. It's gone. I guess you could say it's in the numbers, but that's not really it, so it has to be reversed at this point.”

(7/8) “I think it's one of the most important things as far as what humans need is, shelter, and as somebody who is a brand new homeowner - I just bought this house two months ago - I was a renter all before that. With two, I became a father at nineteen years old of two, and I've lived in maybe 12 places since they were born. We're renting apartments, living in garages, whatever I could find and, it's miserable and it's not knowing, having to move. First of all, moving sucks. We all know that. Bouncing my kids around from place to place just to be able to stay. And to be able to pay into your property and then actually get towards paying off your property is huge. An actual mortgage is amazing. When you're renting, you're just giving your money away all the time. Especially when you get older and the cost of living going up, it's harder to find other places to live. It's important. And then familiarity in communities is I think so important to people. I think it's just so many aspects of it is important.”

(8/8) “I also want to say the importance of aging in place is also to be able to pass down your property to the next generation. I think that's actually really huge. Ways to raise awareness, do your research. I think that's important. There's a great class - I'm actually in my capstone class right now, it's racial equity in Oregon. I'm learning a lot about gentrification and just the origin of all that in that class. I recommend y'all take it. Take that class if you want, but it's a good one. Do your research on Portland or even other cities too, but I mean, Oregon has its own unique story. My way of raising awareness is social media. That's how this whole thing started. If I didn't have a platform on social media, there's no way I would've got the word out so fast. And provide resources. I think that's the way to go these days, is social media. And action. Don't just talk about it. Be about it.”

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