#i use forums too (not a poster but often specific forums or independent blogs are the only place with good info) esp for coding or crafting

[cardinal-court]

I don't know what other gen z think but personally i fucking wish other sites had ui like ao3. its so much more comprehensible. although to be fair this is the only social media i use so perhaps my website abilities are not generation standard.

I mean graphic design wise I would make some changes, but i would also make changes to just about every site i've been on so that means nothing.

we need ao3 back up for this person’s grandma specifically

[readingismyname]

Saying No to Cancel Culture

Joan Rivers once said, “Life goes by fast.  Enjoy it.  Calm down.  It’s all funny.  Next.  Everyone gets upset about the wrong things.”  

Well, Ms. Rivers was right, but in 2019 everything seems to be at a fever pitch.  Wildfires are raging in California again, Trump impeachment proceedings are underway, there is a “manufactured crisis” at the southern border, and both parties remain fractured among varying factions with separate political interests.  Despite efforts to improve race relations in the U.S., tensions still exist-not to mention the trade war with China, increased threats of nuclear war with Iran, the opioid epidemic, and the continued rise of ISIS.  In the midst of this the political climate in the United States has become increasingly polarized.  

Enter “cancel culture.”  (“Cancelling” is a form of cultural boycotting of celebrities that are deemed too problematic or controversial.)  Though proponents of it say that it is an effective way for marginalized communities like African Americans and LGBTQ individuals to find their voice, it is problematic for several reasons: often times people are destroyed and/or have their careers ended simply for speaking their mind.  Furthermore, cancel culture cherry picks past comments or behaviors that were deemed homophobic or otherwise insensitive and uses those things to bully people into silence.  Cancel culture is happening all over-from the destruction of the careers of celebrities like Roseanne Barr, Kevin Spacey, and Louis C.K., to the takedown of confederate monuments across the southeastern United States.  It is happening, and it is a major problem.  

Now, I do want to raise one question: do we really want to erase history?  No person or nation is perfect.  If we completely delete any evidence of our sins, we are doing ourselves and our posterity a disservice.  Rather than forgetting the past, we should learn from it.  We cannot become a better nation...we cannot become better people...if we do not know where we came from and how we arrived at this moment in history.  There is the saying, “Those who do not know history are doomed to repeat it.”  So let’s not repeat it.

At the individual level, if we punish people for their perceived past wrongs, what are we really accomplishing?  Is destroying their voice really the best way to claim our own?  

Well, I don’t practice cancel culture.  I don’t believe in it.  I believe there are other more productive ways to give everyone an equal voice that do not involve the silencing of other voices.  I believe that, in order to have a truly democratic society-a society where every person has a say-it is necessary to champion freedom of speech.  Social coercion as expressed through cancel culture has no place in a society that values freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of the press, and freedom to protest the government.  

Moreover, there is a tendency toward the Orwellian philosophies of groupthink and thoughtcrime.  What is leading the charge toward groupthink?  I believe the answer lies in who we surround ourselves with and where we look for news.  I believe that identity politics also has something to do with it.  I believe that too often we surround ourselves with people who think like us and who confirm our own biases, and in doing so we become suspicious of people of other perspectives.  In other words, we think other people are wrong for their beliefs if they do not fit ours.  However, this is what leads to an ever more fractured society.  Is this the kind of world we want?

I certainly do not want to live in a world where freedom of speech is limited.  

This is one of the reasons why I chose to write this blog: because I believe it is important to listen to other perspectives and to share my own perspective.  My own voice needs to be heard, and I want to give others a platform to share their voice in a civil, nonthreatening forum.  So, therefore I want this blog to be a community.  I want to offer readers a refreshing space where they can speak freely and not be attacked.  

For clarification, this blog will be focused on current events and foreign policy.  I will post at least once a week with a clear topic.  Given that I am an independent thinker and do not subscribe to one party over the other, I will generally take a position that is fairly neutral.  (If you are looking for a biased blog, this is not the one for you.)

Before I conclude this introduction, I would like to thank those who have chosen to embark on this journey with me-because, yes, it is a journey!  I would also like to share with you some of my story and why I have chosen to write this blog.  First, I am a 32-year-old woman with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science.  I have served as an intern for former North Carolina congressman Robert Pittenger in both his district office and on his congressional campaign.  I know a lot about different issue areas, having worked in politics and studied global and domestic politics in college, but foreign policy (specifically Middle Eastern politics and counterterrorism efforts) has always been of greatest interest to me; I was 14 years old when the attacks of September 11th, 2001, happened, and I watched thousands of people die.  I grew up in the post-9/11 world not knowing where the next threat would come from, and after realizing my passion for politics and learning about what led to 9/11, I wanted to do something to ensure the safety of all Americans and to prevent another 9/11.  So I hatched an idea a couple of years ago to start a blog, though my thoughts about the focus and content of it did not crystallize until now.  I searched my mind and the internet for ideas, but nothing seemed right.  But recently it all just...clicked.  

So here we go...

[mushstudies]

Hey!! So, I'm going into sixth form in September, and it's fair to say that I have no idea what to expect - not in the way that I don't know the school, bc I'm staying in the same one that I've been in since y7, but in terms of workload, experiences and general sixth form-ness. What you would say to a year 12 now that you've gone through it (AS Level)? What tips and advice, both study-related and in general, would you give? Thank you so much! P.S. I'm in love with your blog!

Hey! I’m sorry that this has taken so long for me to reply to!

I’m not sure if you’ve seen this post but it’s a pretty good starting point for the questions you’ve asked!

On a more specific level, a big thing that a lot of A-Levellers wish they had done earlier is learn how to learn. Figuring out the way you learn best before starting sixth form/college can put you at a huge advantage later in the year! On the same sort of topic, try using sites such as thestudentroom and other student-forums (I can’t actually think of any more, but Google is your best friend here) to find out what methods people are using for your specific subjects. Often, what works for one subject won’t learn for another, so it’s good to see what other students have done to study!

I say this to every person ever, but seriously, do not underestimate the importance of independent study time. At my college, our lessons are in 2-3 hour blocks, but I know most sixth forms have hour-long lessons with hour-long gaps, and I know a lot of people who don’t get anything done in those gaps because ‘it’s too little time’, and that’s ultimately where they fall. Even if it’s just writing notes, just going over flashcards, anything done often enough can help you hugely!

I can’t think of many things that are specifically study-related, but (and, again, I say this everywhere but I’m not sorry), please please please please look after yourself. It sounds so basic but I know so many people who - particularly in exam season, stopped watching movies with their family, stopped meeting friends entirely, started having 4-hour study sessions without breaks, and it’s honestly so so so unhealthy for you. I understand how important A Levels are to a lot of people, but I really struggle to see the worth in an A* at the end of two years if you’ve spent the entire time ignoring life. And, similarly, although grades play a role, employers and universities want to see that you have a life! They want to see that you’re a people person! And that you can do things! And somebody with top grades but no life at all is going to really struggle in that department.

Aaaand another quick thing I thought of whilst writing that is to get involved! Whether you’re applying to university or going straight to work when you finish sixth form, your personal statement is a 4000-character space that needs filling, and actually getting out and doing stuff is going to make your life so much easier when it comes to writing it. The past few years, I’ve been involved in volunteer work, hour-long work visits with college, watching college presentations from employers, and workshops, and I can honestly say I’m having a much easier time writing my personal statement than a lot of my friends who didn’t bother to get involved (a lot of them are rushing to get 298527 things done this summer just to have something to write about). So look out for posters! Ask local employers/charities for temporary volunteer work! And if there’s nothing around, go ahead and suggest workshops and presentations to your head of learning or whatever! Because it will help you! So! Damn! Much!

That was more long-winded than I expected, but I really hope that helped!!