#louis messy user
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𓏸 𓈒𓄹 𓇬 ˖ ࣪ louis tomlinson pack.
like/reblog if you save/use. please, don’t repost.
#louis tomlinson#louis icon#louis header#louis twitter#louis messy moodboard#louis messy layouts#louis messy users#louis messy packs#louis messy icons#louis messy header#louis messy user#louis messy headers#louis tomlinson messy icons#louis tomlinson icons#louis tomlinson user#louis tomlinson manip#louis tomlinson users#louis tomlinson messy headers#louis tomlinson headers#louis tomlinson merch#louis tomlinson messy moodboard#louis tomlinson messy users#louis icons#louis tweets#louis william tomlinson#icon layout#twitter pack#louies#dn4#solo louis
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louaylor layouts
like or reblog if u save please
louis and taylor
#louis tomilson#louis headers#louis layouts#louis tommo#louis packs#taylor swift#louis tomlinson icons#taylor swift icons#louis tomlinson users#messy headers#icons#headers#twitter layouts#louis 1d#louis tomlison headers#louis tomlinson layouts#speak now taylor’s version#1989 taylor's version#taylor swift headers#taylor swift layout#taylor swift twitter icons#taylor swift messy moodboard#taylor swift merch#taylor swift 1989 era
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🪩 sue!
#harry styles#harry styles icons#harry styles layouts#harry styles messy icons#harry styles users#harry styles headers#harry styles headcanon#harryshouse#harry icons#harry styles fluff#harry styles fan art#harry fanfiction#harry fetus#harry fashion#harry fanart#taylor swift icons#louis tomlison icons#site girls icons#cutecore#corean girls#harry core#moodboard coquette#coquette core#fashion model#fairry#fairy cottage#icons twitter#typography#soft icons#halsey icons
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★ FAITH IN THE FUTURE USERS ★
• chqcago
• altistime
• headlwne
• angflys
• fcetmusic
fav/reblog if u save or use ♥︎ dont repost it
#louis tomlinson#faith in the future#louis tomlinson icons#louis tomlinson users#louis tomlinson headers#louis tomlinson layouts#louis tomlinson packs#louis tomlinson wallpapers#louis tomlinson moodboard#grunge users#messy users#random users#short users#dark users#kpop users#indie users#core users#goth users#edgy users#anime users#cyber users#aesthetic users#y2k icons#twitter users#instagram users#long users#soft users#messy bios#random icons#tiktok users
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༺ ༻
𝐿𝑂𝑈𝐼𝑆 𝑇𝑂𝑀𝐿𝐼𝑁𝑆𝑂𝑁.
#louis tomlinson#louis moodboard#louis tomlinson bios#louis#tomlinson#louis update#louis tomlinson moodboard#louist91#louis tomlinson users#louis tommo#bios louis tomlinson#louis and harry#louis icons#louis tomlinson messy#louis tomlinson icons#harry styles#harry edward styles#harry's house#dark bios#simbolos dark#louis william tomlinson#louis tour#faith in the future#fitf#all of those voices#louis tomlinson layouts#louis tomlinson world tour#larrystylinson#one direction#aesthetic moodboard
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louis tomlinson users
⚡️ louisttomlinson ⚡️ louistommy
⚡️ tommylouis ⚡️ lou28toms
⚡️ def3nc3less ⚡️ 28walls91
⚡️ louiesxlouis ⚡️ tommo91ouis
⚡️ fearlesslou ⚡️ dncstrtommo
⚡️ bravestlouis ⚡️ onlythelou
⚡️ louieangel91 ⚡️ tommosbrave
⚡️ louiesouls28 ⚡️ explctommo
⚡️ gottabelou91 ⚡️ solouistoml28
© V O G H E ≛ like or reblog if you save/use
#twitter layouts#twitter layout#twitter packs#random users#twitter usernames#twitter users#random icons#kpop layouts#random usernames#twitter user#tumblr users#users twitter#louis tomilson#louis tomlinson#louis tomlinson users#user louis tomlinson#soft locs#messy locs#cute locs#long locs#messy users#users tumblr#one direction
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louis tomlinson+taylor Swift
louiswiftlegnd
ifswiftlouis
lifeswiftlouis
wantswiftlouis
ilyswiftlouis
swiftlouisart
tswiftomlinsons
antiherolouis
lavendrlouist91
folklorelouisr
lovertomlinsoxn
eu faço divulgação de produtos da shopee, caso vocês se interessem vou deixar o link aqui embaixo
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I promote shopee's products, in case you are interested I will leave the link below
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E se caso você tiver interesse em ter R$ 10,00 reais de desconto nas suas compras da shein é só usar meu código de referência BR08005Y (vá no seu perfil e clique em minha indicação)
🚨 O código é para compras acima de 200 reais.
Using my referral code at shein: BR08005Y (go to your profile and click on my referral) you get a $10 discount on purchases over $200.
#taylor swift users#users taylor swift#taylor swift packs#taylor swift layout#taylor swift moodboard#the eras tour#swifties#lavender haze#tswiftedit#moodboard taylor swift#midnights aesthetic#taylor swift icons#louis tomlinson icons#louis tomlinson users#louis tomlinson packs#louis tomlinson layout#louis tomlinson moodboard#messy moodboard#users#user#random users#soft users#grey moodboard#red moodboard#black moodboard#edgy moodboard#packs#layouts#icons#headers
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For all that larries and co claim to “see through management and PR,” they absolutely fell for and are protective of PR images of the 1D guys and their talents/roles.
This is a really excellent point. I have been racking my brains to see why people like Letdown, the Gooner, etc viscerally hate Harry so much, and it's this, isn't it? At least partly. From the very beginning he was advertised as 'hot and dangerous' and they have taken the dangerous bit to heart, while rejecting the hot part as he's aged away from being a teenager they could safely fantasise about.
They really are just very, very stunted teenagers, psychologically. The Harry they have in their hearts is devious, ruthless, cruel, disloyal, lazy, a cheater, a user. And yet literally nobody in the world he works in, who works with him or has met him, ever says anything other than, he's lovely, smart, cultured, talented, hard-working, supportive, generous. We are up to hundreds of testimonies now about this very private person who rarely speaks and certainly isn't blowing his own trumpet. (I'm on the fence about relationships, he even said himself he was a bit messy, but no way am I believing the tabloids on any of this, so I label it 'unknowable'.)
The worst thing I ever read about him professionally was that he or his team were really good at quietly moving on if someone doesn't fit, or if their work doesn't fit with the plan. The article said that it was all done very nicely but you knew you were being sidelined. Which if you don't have a teenage brain, is a good outcome when you are freelancing: no aggro, no rancour, you'll get paid but it's not a good fit and nobody's making a big deal out of it. It's mature. And quite common.
It reminded me so much of the end of One Direction. It's clear Harry was unhappy and moving on. But did he do anything actually unpleasant, back-stabbing, disloyal? Is it stabbing your 'friends' in the back if you don't renew a contract when the original one is up? Is it disloyal if the alternative is you thwarting your own creative possibilities for another year, two years, just to keep one person happy (Louis)? I think he managed a difficult situation with good grace, took himself out of it, moved on, and if that was him sidelining the others then frankly, so be it. Everything he's done seems so mature in comparison to how those women with a mental age of 14 see it.
The main reason Letdown and Nothing hate Harry is because they are Directioners and Harry refuses to come back to the band.
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Here are some amazing bottom Louis fics that were posted or completed during the month of May. We really hope you enjoy this list. Happy reading!
1) Seven, Seven | Explicit | 1877 words
“Hello, baby girl,” Harry says as soon as the nurse places the bundle of joy into his arms. “We’ve been dying to meet you.”
2) A Sunny Afternoon | Explicit | 2002 words
Harry gets together with friends to celebrate life and uses the occasion to announce that he officially has an album finished.
or the celebration of Harry's House before it became what it is now.
3) Five Zero Five | Explicit | 2502 words
Note: This fic is locked and can only be read by AO3 users.
“So,” says Harry, and his fingers trail on Louis’ jaw, over his exposed neck. “I heard your cover tonight. Arctic Monkeys, really nice.” His fingers linger on Louis’ neck, stroke the Adam’s apple.
4) James Corden’s Lap Better Than Mine? | Mature | 3133 words
James takes Louis onto his lap, and Harry is furious. He cannot wait to get home and punish his kitten and show him Louis his.
5) Where The Water Touches The Sun | Explicit | 3400 words
Prompt #63: L&H in an established relationship where Louis is 5 months pregnant and the pheromones have made him horny as hell, it gets even worse when he wakes up and walks into his kitchen and sees his sexy husband fixing her sink with his shirt off. Maybe he has a fetish for men fixing things. Hot and kinky smut please. Harry calling lou a sexy milf while doing it and obviously the pregnancy kink stuff with h telling l about wanting to keep him full of his babies.
6) Student Teacher | Mature | 3901 words
Request: Louis is... 19 ish and Harry is 24 ish and umm So! Harry was like a student aid for one of Louis's classes in his Senior year of high school and Louis's friends always secretly teased him abt his crush on Harry. it wasn't that good of a secret bc Harry found out about it, he was 23 at the time and found it really funny. Anyways it's a couple of years later and Louis is a freshman in college and runs into Harry at a park while chasing his dog... coco, whos one of those white crusty alleyway dogs. (I love them.) Harry just hears a voice yelling and sees a dog running so he like catches the dog Louis catches up to Harry and he's all like. "omg." Harry looks Louis up and down and he's like "Oh you haven't grown." Louis pouts and then Harry ends up asking him out Louis gets scared and says no, but Harry gets his number anyways and they hang out at Harry's house (haha) as "friends" but they end up fucking on Harry's kitchen island instead of finishing decorating the cupcakes for Harry's goddaughter's bake sale fundraiser?
7) Ahora | Explicit | 4684 words
Note: The main pairing is Louis/Taylor Swift
Dom Taylor is tired and stressed after one of her shows at the Eras tour. Soft, sub Louis is waiting for her backstage. Rough sex ensues.
8) The Changing Season In A Messy World | Not Rated |8649 words
Prompt #35: H&L alpha son starting to get the teenage moody alpha hormones. One day he release all his anger on his sweet mother when he tried to talk to his son & harry don't really appreciate that. "He might be your mom, but he is my wife first & nobody talks to my wife like that"
9) Hide And Seek | Not Rated | 9808 words
Louis is 14 years old when his father dies and he's 19 when he meets General Styles.
10) Roommates | Mature| 13202 words
"I'm so happy I could kiss you! Thank you so much." Louis smiled up at Harry, who looked back with a daring smirk.
"Then why don't you?"
Louis blushed at that comment and leaned up pressing a gentle kiss to Harry's lips, it was soft and sweet. Something Harry hadn't experienced before.
"Happy?" Louis asked and giggled.
"Very." He answered.
11) Captain Cupid | Not Rated | 15331 words
“Right,” Niall started, finally getting the opportunity to unleash his horrible plan. “Well, as you both know, I’m an excellent matchmaker. A human Cupid.The best of the best at finding one's mate. And I’ve decided it’s time to make money doing it.”
“Oh, God no,” Louis groaned, picking up his empty plate and placing it in the sink. He needed to escape as quickly as possible.
Or the one where Niall enlists his friends to help start a speed dating side hustle. Things don't go as planned... or maybe they do?
12) After Hours | Explicit | 16707 words
Note: The main pairing is Louis/Pedro Pascal.
Louis Tomlinson is many things. A dancer, a barista, a one time con man. He's rarely experienced a good romantic relationship with a man but that's all about to change when he starts working at a nightclub in Texas.
13) The Mess We Created | Explicit | 21099 words
An innocent one night stand changed into something more than that.
14) Help Me, Help You Find Love | Explicit | 23781 words
“I help people hook up, not fall in love Styles”
“Think you can make an exception for me, Tomlinson?”
The one where they all attend a university for supernaturals and Werewolf Frat president and resident heartthrob Harry approaches on campus matchmaker Louis to help him find love.
15) Until The Pearls Get Lost | Explicit | 25519 words
London, 1933. Harry Styles, alpha, elusive bachelor and happy third wheel to his coupled friends, receives a visit from one Liam Payne, begging for his help.
Liam’s childhood friend Louis is about to become the talk of the city; left at the altar because the mating bond was rejected, Louis will spend the rest of his life in an institution unless Liam can find someone to take him in and care for him as he recovers. Most omegas with failed bonds are never the same again.
With rumours swirling around about the reason for the rejected bond, Harry gives in to Liam’s pleas. He hasn’t the slightest idea how that decision will shape the rest of his life.
16) Fetish For My Love | Explicit | 27388 words
Louis has too many worries to even think about a moment of peace in the days that now exhaust him and become a complete rush for him. Fortunately, Harry doesn't take long to take care of the matter as he knows that he has wanted it so much, finding the solution in a particular sheet full of colored stickers.
17) And When It Rains, You're Shining Down For Me | Explicit | 37081 words
“This is Harry, he’ll be your patient,” Liam gestured politely.
Harry froze when Louis’ eyes met his own once more. He felt himself getting lost in those eyes, so much so that he didn’t notice Niall and Liam leaving the room quietly but the sound of the door shutting behind them brought him out of the trance.
“Hello, I’m Louis,” the omega said, extending his hand for Harry to shake. The alpha could still sense some nervousness in his stance but decided to ignore it.
“‘’m Harry.”
Or the one where Harry is a grumpy boxer who gets injured and Louis is the lovely physiotherapist hired to help him, but getting pregnant wasn’t exactly in his recovery plan.
18) Hold Me How the Deep Night Has | Explicit | 48018 words
Louis Tomlinson needs a change. Stuck in a cycle of going to the job he hates, spending time with his friends, and avoiding the one man he hates most in this world, Louis' in desperate need of something new. So when he discovers an abandoned notebook on the way to work, the decision is easy to take it for himself and begin a journal amidst the empty pages. What can't be expected are the words that appear overnight directly beside his own, written on the same day 400 years in the past. What are the consequences of a magical connection between two men of different centuries? And who, among it all, is the mysterious E who only exists on the other side of Louis' journal?
19) Letters | Explicit | 58346 words
Louis lost his Alpha and mate in a deadly accident a year ago. Since then he has been writing letters to better deal with the grief and loss. But suddenly he gets answers from Harry Styles, an Alpha who himself is looking for meaning in life besides his career.
20) Oh, To Be Vulnerable | Mature | 63429 words
Disgruntled nurse Harry is, what some would call, a bit of a loner. Aside from work, he spends most of his time alone, either taking trips to the Boston library or going for walks around Quincy Market, or wallowing in his own sadness. He doesn’t seem to mind too much though. He takes his job seriously, and he likes it enough that he shows up every day, so what could be worth threatening his peace that he has worked so hard to create?
Louis, an overly-chipper and easily excitable orthodontics resident, can’t help but instantly fall for the boy in the photo that Niall shows him. With his education soon coming to a close, he is ready to get back into the dating game, and what a wonderful sight to begin with. The relationship between Harry and Louis has all the highs and lows that typical relationships do, but will Harry learn to trust Louis enough to let him in? And will Louis be able to manage his life turning every which way while also figuring out Harry?
21) LOUIS. | Explicit | 72202 words
“Oh, by the way Harry Styles, my name is Louis, Louis Tomlinson!” And with one last bright smile towards Harry, Louis was gone and out of his sight.
You’re who I've been searching for my whole life.
It's You.
22) You're Umami Baby | Mature | 87427 words
Umami: The essence of deliciousness.
Harry is a chef who never experienced umami until he meets his new dishwasher, Louis.
Check out our other fic rec lists by category here and by title here.
You can find other monthly roundup fic rec lists here.
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Louis Birthday Tag Game 🎉
thank you @faithinlouisfuture for tagging me 😽😽😽🫶🏼 mwuah!
when did you become a louie?
i don't exactly know when bc i remember for the longest time denying to stan louis (or anyone for that matter) 😭 but late feb (completely missed the defenceless project bc i didn't have twitter then lol) to april of 2021 i think... february being like, oh this guy from one direction is neat i really like his music and april being, wow i have fallen in hell in love with louis tomlinson he is the only man ever
your earliest fandom memory?
WELL, on tumblr, i remember long hair louis with a guitar walking through an airport trended. immediately after he posted the rockstar pic (april 10) of him on instagram 🙏🏽 AND THEN, as a twitter user... this is so cursed but #iheartawards #louies #bestfanarmy 2021 😭 i think i once told myself i'd only keep up with louis on tumblr but not on twitter,, but because i already made a twitter account in april (solely for voting), it just stuck and thus, after iheart voting ended, my stan twitter account was born lol
your favourite song (one off walls, one off fitf)?
i tend to pick two favorites so for walls it's fearless and only the brave and for fitf, all this time and lucky again
your favourite music video?
walls <3 and miss you when im feeling silly hehe
favourite gig?
ltwt manila 2022 😔😔😔😔😔😔🫶🏼 it meant the world to me 😭 louis was so happy and the crowd energy was so good. i don't know if anyone went live for my show but believe me when i say it was loudddd sksks louis was chatty and smiley and interactive and of course so so pretty. vocals were on point i could actually cry recalling the memories of him singing but Ugh it was 😔🫶🏼 those couple of hours were one of the best times of my life for real not even joking
favourite louis hair?
i love when louis' hair is on the longer side, live from london, walls hair or fitf but a bit longer, actual long hair louis Unstyled (now imagine how he'd look if it were styled), afhf hair of course like his hair in the documentary with him sitting and talking wearing his favorite black sabbath shirt And his hair wearing the iconic first ever 28op shirt. basically! long hair OR fluffy and messy <3
favourite louis interview?
the zach sang interviews and his interviews with olivia jones for total access
suit louis or tank top louis?
tank top 😋 but only by a tiny bit difference, he looks good in both!
favourite louis tattoo?
28! and the rogue + spiderweb is sick like the placement is v cool i think... tiny smiley on his thigh and duh the x smiley face too on his arm
favourite louis bodypart? (c'mon we all have one!)
big heart big brain big ass, the holy trinity. and actually also his hands,, and waist.... and. thighs yum...... and. ok im stopping here
thanks again for tagging me <3
#tagged#tag games#tag game#i forgor#sorry a bit late !#i think i almost didnt stan louis bc of him nft posting in march being unmasked in mexico and just generally being put off with celebrities#my first real content of him was full time meals and ot was a charity thing so i was like ok hes cute im sticking around for a bit longer#but by late july i thought i was over it bc.... he'd only been tweeting ab football at that time lmfao 😭😭😭😭#i thought that was my chance to become a normal fan and delete my stan twt or this tumblr or something#but afhf rolled around............ actually life changing#at that time it was the most fun ive ever had in the louie fandom... it's like. oh yeah. this is Really why i love him. it's the music!!!!!#excited for all the projects he has lined up <3#yk im still so sad and bitter about asia tour. i think i set my expectations too high so ive since recalibrated them. im ok now 👍🏼#he should do better though 😁 hehe ok that's it idk why i said all that
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𓏸 𓈒𓄹 𓇬 ˖ ࣪ users louis tomlinson
- doncasext
- dncsext
- dn4cst
- 28dncst
- loutboss
- dncstporn
- louitfrlss
- dfcnless
- oddssex
- loubssed
- dn4ffit
#louis twitter#louis william tomlinson#louis tommo#louis tomlinson#louis tweets#louis icon#louis icons#louis headers#louis tomlinson icons#louis update#louis users#louis user#louis tomlinson user#louis tomlinson users#louis header#louis messy user#louis messy users#louis messy icons#louis messy header#louis messy moodboard#louis moodboard#louis tomlinson messy icons#louis tomlinson messy headers#louis tomlinson messy users#doncaster#dn4#louies#louis stan#solo louis#louis tomlinson headers
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And what hurts you is gonna pass, and you'll have learnt from it when it comes back…
#louis tomilson#louis headers#louis layouts#louis tommo#louis packs#taylor swift#twitter layouts#messy headers#louis tomlinson icons#louis tomlinson users#taylor swift layouts#taylor swift layout#taylor swift twitter icons#taylor swift moodboard
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Miss Americana and The Heartbreak Prince
#harrystyles#taylor swit#speak now tv#taylor swift icons#harrystylesicons#harrystylesheaders#girls icons#louistomlinsonheaders#speak now taylor’s version#taylor swift moodboard#harrystylesmoodboard#harry styles users#taylor swift users#taylor swift headers#taylor lautner#halseyicons#halseymoodboard#halseyheaders#louis tomilson#louis tomlinson messy icons#louis tomlison icons#corean girls#ballerina#ballet#halsey#hair styles#yk2 icons#blackpink#blackpink icons#kpop layouts
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★ FASHION USERS ★
• pradavr
• vuritton
• guccifv
• diorgrf
• blciagas
fav/reblog if u save or use ♥︎ dont repost it
#random users#prada users#louis vouitton#prada#gucci users#gucci#dior#dior users#balenciaga#grunge users#messy users#short users#dark users#kpop users#indie users#twitter users#instagram users#coquette users#cottage users#edgy users#cyber users#goth users#random icons#site model icons#anime users#kpop icons#bts icons#aesthetic users#messy moodboard#ulzzang icons
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Neutralised Bios: D.J (1994)
Ichabod's Lawyer Dove Lewis 'D.J'
Ichabod's Lawyer for Mortimer & Co. Mortuary Services Dove 'D.J' Lewis.
"If it gets me away from Ichabod, I'll take it."
Name
Full Legal Name: Dove January Lewis Esq.
First Name: Dove
Meaning: From the English word for the variety of bird, seen as a symbol of peace
Pronunciation: DUV
Origin: English
Middle Name: January
Meaning: From the name of the month, which was named for the Roman god 'Janus', which means 'Archway' in Latin.
Pronunciation: JAN-yoo-ehr-ee
Origin: English
Surname: Lewis
Meaning: Derived from the given name 'Lewis', the Medieval English form of 'Louis', the French form of 'Ludovicus', the Latinized form of 'Ludwig', from the Germanic name 'Hludwig' meaning 'Famous in battle', composed of the elements 'Hlut' 'Famous, Loud' and 'Wig' 'War, Battle'.
Pronunciation: LOO-is
Origin: English
Titles: Miss, Esquire
Goes By: D.J, Miss Lewis
Characteristics
Age: 42
Gender: Female. She/Her Pronouns
Race: Human
Nationality: American Citizen. Born in America
Ethnicity: African-American
Birth Date: 9th March 1952
Sexuality: Straight
Religion: Christian
Native Language: English
Known Languages: English, American Sign Language, Latin
Relationship Status: Single, Divorced
Astrological Sign: Pisces
Played By: Alfre Woodard
Appearance
Height: 5'3" / 160 cm
Eye Colour: Brown
Hair Colour: Black
Hair Dye: Various shades of Brown and Red
Body Hair: N/A
Facial Hair: N/A
Tattoos: (As of Jan 1994) None
Piercings: Ear Lobes (Both)
Scars: None
Health and Fitness
Allergies: None
Alcoholic, Smoker, Drug User: Social Drinker
Illnesses/Disorders: None Diagnosed
Medications: None
Any Specific Diet: None
Relationships
Affiliated Groups: Mortimer & Co. Mortuary Services
Friends: Andi, Esmé, Mona, Peyton, Zoey
Significant Other: Arnold Laney (45, Ex-Husband)
Parents: Dennis Lewis (65, Father), Ophelia Lewis (67, Mother, Née Aloia)
Parents-In-Law: None
Siblings: Orson Lewis (38, Brother)
Siblings-In-Law: Giselle Lewis (40, Orson's Wife, Née Kingston)
Nieces & Nephews: Ursula Lewis (18, Niece)
Children: Jewel Lewis-Laney (12, Daughter)
Extras
Level of Education: Law Degree
Occupation: Lawyer
Employer: Mortimer & Co. Mortuary Services
Biography: Miss Dove J. Lewis, the former wife of Corporal Arnold Laney of the US Army, had a rough upbringing, travelling with her parents from place to place and never truly knowing a 'home'. D.J discovered she could make a home, earning her diploma and going into the legal sector before joining the facility staff and becoming an in-house lawyer for Mr Mortimer to secure both funding and a legal guarantee that any overflow would be sent to one specific private hospital for safekeeping until the facility were able to take on their cadavers. D.J prefers not to talk about her life outside of work, keeping a messy divorce and a nasty custody battle under wraps and never bringing up and never bringing up anything she deems 'off topic' for the office.
#original character#original characters#original writing#original series#Neutralised#D.J#d.j#Dove Lewis#dove lewis#Dove January Lewis#dove january lewis
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Freedom Under Fire: The Dangers of Censorship in America
Free speech is a cornerstone of American democracy. The First Amendment guarantees citizens the right to express themselves without government interference. However, in recent years there have been growing calls to limit speech deemed harmful or offensive. While well-intentioned, restricting free expression could have disastrous consequences for our society.
Social media platforms have begun aggressively policing content, banning users for ill-defined violations of terms of service. There are increasing demands for hate speech laws that criminalize unpopular rhetoric. On college campuses, students shout down speakers they disagree with and advocate policies that tightly control expression. Meanwhile, many public figures face intimidation and boycotts for expressing controversial opinions.
These censorship efforts may arise from understandable impulses. Hateful language can be deeply painful, especially for marginalized groups. There are valid concerns about the spread of misinformation and extremism online. However, restricting speech is a blunt instrument that gives more power to institutions we may not fully trust. Once we open the door to censorship, it can be difficult to close it again.
History shows that limiting free speech often backfires. Suppressed ideas don't disappear, they go underground. Censorship breeds mistrust and factions, cutting off channels for honest dialogue and debate. It also disproportionately impacts minority viewpoints and underrepresented communities. For instance, LGBTQ rights and racial justice activists were frequently silenced in the past under so-called "public decency" laws.
The Supreme Court has upheld reasonable restrictions on speech that directly incites imminent lawless action, like yelling "fire" in a crowded theater. But broad limits on expression seldom pass legal muster. More importantly, they aren't the right tool to create a just society.
Instead, the best way to overcome hate and misinformation is through open and thoughtful discussion. As Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis said, "If there be time to expose through discussion the falsehood and fallacies, to avert the evil by the processes of education, the remedy to be applied is more speech, not enforced silence."
Rather than censoring social media sites, we should teach digital literacy and empathy from an early age. Instead of no-platforming campus speakers, students should engage them with tough questions. Leaders should set an example by responding thoughtfully to controversial speech, not seeking to punish it. Protecting free expression allows us to debate pressing issues fully and transparently.
Suppressing speech also makes martyrs of extremists, fueling resentment and conspiracies. It's preferable to defeat bad ideas with compelling counterarguments. When dangerous views are aired publicly, their flaws are exposed. For instance, televised debates with Holocaust deniers often end up spreading historical facts to larger audiences.
Of course, preserving free speech protections doesn't mean we cannot hold people accountable for deception or malice. Defamation and fraud are still punishable under the law. And private citizens or companies can choose not to provide platforms for certain content they deem inappropriate. But the government itself should not have broad authority to censor legal speech.
Americans have resisted authoritarian crackdowns on speech throughout our history, from the Alien & Sedition Acts to McCarthyism. As the ACLU wrote in response to Charlottesville, "preventing the government from controlling speech is absolutely necessary to the promotion of equality." We cannot maintain a pluralistic democracy while granting officials unchecked power over public discourse.
In challenging times, we must hold firmly to the values that make our society freer, more humane and more just. For all of its messiness, a marketplace of ideas open to all remain our best chance at progress. Only by trusting citizens to weigh facts and arguments can we build common ground. As the Supreme Court put it, "The First Amendment confirms the freedom to think for ourselves."
In an era of disinformation and tribalism, critical thinking and empathy are more vital than ever. Censorship will not achieve these ends. It treats society's adults like children, instead of equipping citizens with the tools to make responsible choices. Americans should be trusted to consider a wide range of perspectives, rejecting dangerous ideologies through ethical self-government.
The road ahead will not be easy or comfortable. But the alternatives - an internet controlled by unaccountable corporations, intellectual discourse policed by the state, dissidents afraid to speak their minds - are far worse. Our rights to question, to explore, to advocate are worth defending, especially when the most fundamental principles hang in the balance. Though free speech can be messy, it remains our best hope of preserving a government by and for the people.
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