#the us has just been censored on our first amendment | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

mariacallous · 14 days ago

Text

With just under two weeks left until former president Donald Trump becomes President Donald Trump, Meta has announced that the company will be fully moving its trust and safety teams—the people responsible for enforcing policies around hate speech and disinformation—to Texas. (It will also be rolling back its fact-checking program.) The decision, said CEO Mark Zuckerberg in a post on Threads, “will help remove the concern that biased employees are overly censoring content.”

Zuckerberg didn’t explain why people who live in Texas would be less prone to bias than those who live in California, but that was perhaps besides the point. This was just the latest in a series of moves—including elevating former Republican operative Joel Kaplan to chief global affairs officer and adding combat-sports promoter Dana White to Meta’s board—that seem to indicate the company is vying to get into the good graces of the new administration. In response, President-elect Trump praised the announcement. “Honestly, I think they’ve come a long way—Meta, Facebook, I think they’ve come a long way,” he said, noting that the change was “probably” made in response to his threats against Zuckerberg.

But the move to Texas may have more advantages than just political posturing. Texas is one of two states—the other is Florida—with a law essentially forbidding moderation of a great deal of content on social media platforms. It also has a regulatory system that’s exceptionally friendly to companies. And, as usual, X owner and centibillionaire Elon Musk has led the way.

In September, Musk officially moved X’s headquarters from San Francisco to Texas, where his other companies, Starlink and the Boring Company, are also based. At the time, Musk cited California’s gender identity law as the reason for the move. (Meta’s new policy changes now appear to allow users to assert that gay and trans people have mental illnesses.)

“They're obviously following Elon Musk's lead,” says Nicole Gill, executive director of Accountable Tech. “Just by the signal [sent by] moving their base of operations from what is perceived to be a liberally biased state—it's not—to what’s perceived to be a Republican or conservative-coded state.”

In 2021, following the January 6 insurrection at the US Capitol, the state passed a law that banned social media companies from removing or moderating content based on the user’s political views. State officials could then mandate that platforms keep certain content up in the name of free speech.

Lawsuits challenging the legislation and Florida’s similar law made it to the Supreme Court in 2024, in Moody v. Netchoice. The case has since been returned back to the lower courts, where an appellate court previously ruled that social media companies don’t have the right to censor speech under the First Amendment. But Nora Benavidez, senior counsel at the free speech nonprofit Free Press, says that this environment could be favorable for companies as they roll back content moderation, and could form the legal basis of a challenge similar to Netchoice.

“Executives are doing everything they can to create an environment conducive for actions they want to take, absent review or accountability from actors like our courts or legislators or others,” she says.

Since taking over X, formerly Twitter, Musk has become one of Trump’s most important allies, backing his campaign financially and lending the full weight of his own platform to promoting Trump’s talking points during the campaign. He has since sat in on meetings with foreign leaders with the president-elect, and weighed in on staffing choices for the new administration. Other tech leaders have taken note, cozying up to Trump and donating to his inauguration fund. But even before the election, other tech companies were following X’s lead in rolling back policies and protections that had previously been in place.

For his part, David Greene, senior staff attorney at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, says that Meta and other social platforms would likely have to comply with state laws regardless of location. And relocating staff to Texas doesn’t mean all its supposed moderation problems will be fixed. Bias, he says, can cut both ways.

“Misinformation is really one of many, many, many issues that social media platforms have to deal with,” he says. “Having a moderation team in Texas might raise concerns about bias as well. For example, Texas has laws on the books that make the publication of certain information about the availability of abortion services illegal.”

But Benavidez says Texas’ social media law may not be the state’s only appeal. “Once a company is either headquartered or is doing significant business in a state, that allows them to use that state for jurisdiction in whatever future filings they have,” she says.

In 2023, X filed a lawsuit in Texas against the nonprofit watchdog Media Matters for America, alleging that the group had disparaged the company by pointing out that hate speech and disinformation on the platform ran next to ads. At the time, Texas attorney general Ken Paxton also announced his office was opening an investigation into the organization. A federal judge in Texas refused to throw out the case in August 2024. X has since changed its terms of service so that any lawsuits against the company must be brought in Texas. Federal ones must be brought in the Northern District of Texas, widely viewed as friendly to Musk’s interests. (The judge in the Media Matters case, for example, reportedly bought and sold stock in Musk’s Tesla company earlier in the year, before the suit was brought.)

Meta’s terms of service, unlike its community guidelines, so far remain the same, mandating disputes be settled either in the Northern District of California or, at the state level, in San Mateo County. But that could change.

“The legislative environment, the judicial environment, the gubernatorial environment in Texas is incredibly favorable to executives like Musk, and now Zuckerberg,” says Benavidez.

Gill posits that the regulatory environment in Texas may resemble what companies believe the national regulatory environment will come to look like under a new Trump administration.

“I think that they are looking ahead and seeing an environment that is going to be dominated by a conservative-leaning and kind of extremist administration,” she says. “So they are moving to places where that’s the norm so they can pre-comply.”

Gill also notes that Meta is facing an antitrust lawsuit from the Federal Trade Commission, which a friendly administration could see fit to toss. “By preemptively making these changes that they hope will appease the administration, they may be hoping for a friendly decision in return,” she says.

Meta did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

4 notes · View notes

heartevent · 10 months ago

Text

"Unless you want the GOP to be in control of the entire rest of your life, your children's lives, and your children's children's lives, you have no choice but to vote Democrat!" This has been said for decades at this point, and it has been proven time and time again that voting democrat does nothing for the american people. No matter what, our lives will continue to be controlled until our every waking moment has to exist soley to create capital, unless we dismantle the system. We all saw the speed the tiktok censorship bill was passed, and that happened under a democratic President with a woman VP. Police presence has increased tenfold in several cities all across the nation, under a democratic president. 30,000 people have been slaughtered by our fucking Blue President. Tell me, in what world am I living where I have to "vote for the lesser evil" with my hands tied behind my back. Because it's no world I, and the rest of this nation, want to live in. Only we, the average american citizen, can change our future. We don't have to live this way, and voting is NOT our only option into changing our lives. Quite frankly, it's disturbing and horrific that the democrats only real push for getting votes is "If you don't vote for us, The Real Bad Guys will win! Make sure to vote blue, or else!". At this point, all politicians see us as are consumers, faceless beings to fund their sick desires for colonialism and authoritarianism, wrapped up in pretty red white and blue "freedom" packaging. "If you want to keep your first amendment rights, you have to vote blue." We are already being censored at an astronomical speed under a blue executive branch. We are already losing it. The democrats won't keep their promises, they will take our freedom away just as fast as the GOP, but because they advertise themselves as the "progressive, socially aware" party, they will get away with it. The fucking Nazi party was officially called the "National Socialist German Worker's Party" and everyone with a fucking brain in their head KNOWS that they were fascist and authoritarian. What makes you fucking think the democrats aren't trying to use the same intentional mislabeling to convince the average citizen that they are the good guys? That they are the ones who should be in power? The GOP and Democrats want the exact same thing, but the dems just phrase it differently. Not a single politician cares if you and I live or die, as long as we can give them the power they crave. We must think beyond the American power structure. We must think beyond the clutch of capitalism. There is a world that exists without the American empire, and we can get to it. Our way of living does not have to be forever and always, we can make the change as a collective. We can live without this ultimatum, without this chain tied to our wrists, and it's going to require much more than voting. We could all be free. It doesn't have to be this way

2 notes · View notes

religion-is-a-mental-illness · 2 years ago

Text

By: Steven Pinker and Bertha Madras

Published: Apr 12, 2023

The new Council on Academic Freedom at Harvard is devoted to free inquiry, intellectual diversity, and civil discourse. Leaders are diverse in politics, demographics, disciplines, and opinions but united in their concern for academic freedom.

Confidence in American higher education is sinking faster than for any other institution, with barely half of Americans believing it has a positive effect on the country.

No small part in this disenchantment is the impression that universities are repressing differences of opinion, like the inquisitions and purges of centuries past. It has been stoked by viral videos of professors being mobbed, cursed, heckled into silence, and sometimes assaulted, and it is vindicated by some alarming numbers. According to the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, between 2014 and 2022 there were 877 attempts to punish scholars for expression that is, or in public contexts would be, protected by the First Amendment. Sixty percent resulted in actual sanctions, including 114 incidents of censorship and 156 firings (44 of them tenured professors) — more than during the McCarthy era. Worse, for every scholar who is punished, many more self-censor, knowing they could be next. It’s no better for the students, a majority of whom say that the campus climate prevents them from saying things they believe.

The embattled ideal of academic freedom is not just a matter of the individual rights of professors and students. It’s baked into the mission of a university, which is to seek and share the truth — veritas, as our university, Harvard, boasts on its seal.

The reason that a truth-seeking institution must sanctify free expression is straightforward. No one is infallible or omniscient. Mortal humans begin in ignorance of everything and are saddled with cognitive biases that make the search for knowledge arduous. These include overconfidence in their own rectitude, a preference for confirmatory over disconfirmatory evidence, and a drive to prove that their own alliance is smarter and nobler than their rivals. The only way that our species has managed to learn and progress is by a process of conjecture and refutation: Some people venture ideas, others probe whether they are sound, and in the long run the better ideas prevail.

Any community that disables this cycle by repressing disagreement is doomed to chain itself to error, as we are reminded by the many historical episodes in which authorities enforced dogmas that turned out to be flat wrong. An academic establishment that stifles debate betrays the privileges that the nation grants it and is bound to provide erroneous guidance on vital issues like pandemics, violence, gender, and inequality. Even when the academic consensus is almost certainly correct, as with vaccines and climate change, skeptics can understandably ask, “Why should we trust the consensus, if it comes out of a clique that brooks no dissent?”

There are many reasons to think that repression of academic freedom is systemic and must be actively resisted. To start with, the very concept of freedom of expression is anything but intuitively obvious. What is intuitively obvious is that the people who disagree with us are spreading dangerous falsehoods and must be silenced for the greater good. (Of course the other guys believe the same thing, with the sides switched.)

The counter-intuitiveness of academic freedom is easily reinforced by several campus dynamics. The intellectual commons is vulnerable to the collective action problem of concentrated benefits and diffuse costs: A cadre of activists may find meaning and purpose in their cause and be willing to stop at nothing to prosecute it, while a larger number may disagree but feel they have other things to do with their time than push back. The activists command an expanding arsenal of asymmetric warfare, including the ability to disrupt events, the power to muster physical or electronic mobs on social media, and a willingness to smear their targets with crippling accusations of racism, sexism, or transphobia in a society that rightly abhors them. An exploding bureaucracy for policing harassment and discrimination has professional interests that are not necessarily aligned with the production and transmission of knowledge. Department chairs, deans, and presidents strive to minimize bad publicity and may proffer whatever statement they hope will make the trouble go away. Meanwhile, the shrinking political diversity of faculty threatens to lock in the regime for generations to come.

One kind of resistance will surely make thing worse: attempts by politicians to counter left-wing muscle with right-wing muscle by stipulating the content of education through legislation or by installing cronies in hostile takeovers of boards of trustees. The coin of the realm in academia ought to be persuasion and debate, and the natural protagonists ought to be the faculty. They can hold universities accountable to the commitments to academic freedom that are already enshrined in faculty policies, handbooks, and in the case of public universities, the First Amendment.

In this spirit, we have joined with 50 colleagues to create a new Council on Academic Freedom at Harvard. It’s not about us. For many years we have each expressed strong and often unorthodox opinions with complete freedom and with the support, indeed warm encouragement, of our colleagues, deans, and presidents. Yet we know that not all is well for more vulnerable colleagues and students. Harvard ranks 170th out of 203 colleges in FIRE’s Free Speech Rankings, and we know of cases of disinvitation, sanctioning, harassment, public shaming, and threats of firing and boycotts for the expression of disfavored opinions. More than half of our students say they are uncomfortable expressing views on controversial issues in class.

The Council is a faculty-led organization that is devoted to free inquiry, intellectual diversity, and civil discourse. We are diverse in politics, demographics, disciplines, and opinions but united in our concern that academic freedom needs a defense team. Our touchstone is the “Free Speech Guidelines” adopted by the Faculty of Arts and Sciences in 1990, which declares, “Free speech is uniquely important to the University because we are a community committed to reason and rational discourse. Free interchange of ideas is vital for our primary function of discovering and disseminating ideas through research, teaching, and learning.”

Naturally, since we are professors, we plan to sponsor workshops, lectures, and courses on the topic of academic freedom. We also intend to inform new faculty about Harvard’s commitments to free speech and the resources available to them when it is threatened. We will encourage the adoption and enforcement of policies that protect academic freedom. When an individual is threatened or slandered for a scholarly opinion, which can be emotionally devastating, we will lend our personal and professional support. When activists are shouting into an administrator’s ear, we will speak calmly but vigorously into the other one, which will require them to take the reasoned rather than the easy way out. And we will support parallel efforts led by undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral students.

Harvard is just one university, but it is the nation’s oldest and most famous, and for better or worse, the outside world takes note of what happens here. We hope the effects will spread outside our formerly ivy-covered walls and encourage faculty and students elsewhere to rise up. Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty, and if we don’t defend academic freedom, we should not be surprised when politicians try to do it for us or a disgusted citizenry writes us off.

Steven Pinker is Johnstone Professor in the Department of Psychology at Harvard. Bertha Madras is Professor of Psychobiology at Harvard Medical School and director of the Laboratory of Addiction Neurobiology at McLean Hospital.

Hopefully this strategy will be adopted at other institutions before academia collapses into irrelevancy. The challenge they will have is standing up to the giant administrative bureaucracy which holds the most power in the institution.

#Steven Pinker #Bertha Madras #academic freedom #academic integrity #Harvard University #freedom of speech #free speech #higher education #Council on Academic Freedom #religion is a mental illness

14 notes · View notes

scottguy · 9 months ago

Photo

So many boomers think Reagan was a "great president" when he was the man who started our slide into the hell that has become the American poor and its lower middle class. (But a playground for the wealthy!)

Everything was good for middle class and poor Americans in the 40s, 50s, & 60s, *because of* GOVERNMENT and high taxes & limits on the wealthy and corporations.

But along came Reagan, who explained to us that "government" was really our problem.

The only people who feel that "government" is a problem are the wealthy and corporations they own who find that reasonable regulations (to save lives) are a nuisance because they *slightly reduce* profits.

Reagan's little joke was saying that the scariest words in the English language are, "I'm with the government and I'm here to help."

Which is really truly fucking absurd. Seriously? How does that threaten you SO badly?

Government is just people hired to help other people. Conservatives, because of 40 years of right-wing propaganda, act like "the government" is some kind of alien beings with evil intent. We would live in a jungle if it was not for human government. No one would be safe. There would be chaos.

Government, like any other human organization, isn't perfect, but *unlike* corporate America, government's only function is to help people and not, like corporations, to screw over human beings for maximum profit.

Corporations *often* choose to let workers or consumers die or get very sick because it's more profitable than addressing the problem ethically and with human decency.

The gains of middle class had made in the 40s, 50s, & 60s were all taken for granted so much that Americans assumed they would continue regardless of the administration in charge.

Hah!

People kept voting Republican and getting screwed *every single time* because Republicans have a decades long history of crashing the economy due to their ridiculous fiscal policies that favor the rich. ( It's been pointed out that Republican led states have far worse economies than any Democrat led states. If Republican policies were so amazing, wouldn't the red states be thriving right now in 2024?)

So Republicans fuck up the American economy...

and later vote in Democrats to bail the American economy out.

And then when things get good, eight years later, people think, "Let's vote for the Republicans again!! We haven't had them in a while. They can do a better job!! Just listen to them complain about the fiscal irresponsibility of the Democrats." Who cares if they've made tax cuts for the rich that they've never paid for in the budget. They say they're fiscally responsible, and that's good enough for me, in spite of all evidence to the contrary!

American utterly forget how badly things went under the previous Republican administration. Americans believe the lies of Republicans. These are the same lies people told you 40 years ago that trickle - down economics would make us all rich.

Has that happened yet?

Of course not! Because it was all a giant great-sounding lie!

Republicans have learned to criticize Democrats constantly and thus imply that they will do better.

But we've seen the sheer hypocrisy and transparency of those Republican lies now in a BIG WAY! They claim to be more ethical and more fiscally conservative and yet they support criminal Trump and give away any budget cut savings (always from programs for the poor and the middle class) to wealthy people.

Republicans don't care about freedom. They took away a woman's right to an abortion. They want to take away your birth control now. They want to ban books and censor and go against the First Amendment. They want to censor the very "free speech" they claim to champion.

Worst republicans claim to be "patriots" yet they STILL support those they encouraged to attack our our US capitol building violently with intent to murder their fellow Americans. All just because they couldn't handle their crap candidate losing the vote for president.

Republicans don't care if children starve or are injured working as child labor to increase corporate profits.

Voters can be so stupid with their "throw the bums out" policy every four to eight years because everything isn't perfect yet. Changing parties is assumed to always be automaticly good.

That political knee-jerk reaction needs serious rethinking because we vote back in people who take us the wrong direction. Republicans, not only don't make things better. They actively make things worse.

Change for the sake of change is not the answer. Look at the track record of the party you're voting for. If they didn't do good things for you in the past, why on earth would the next time be any better? Of course, they'll promise to do better because they want your vote. Politicians have been known to lie frequently.

Republicans have shown us who they truly are. They are the servants of the billionaire and oligarch class. They will throw average and poor Americans under the bus any time it's convenient to the rich. Republicans have absolutely no concerns about ethics, decency or even suppressing violence.

This is the United States in 2024. This is where the "Reagan Revolution" has left us 40 years later.

We now have one party who are nothing but human monsters. They don't even pretend to care about average Americans. They are so confident that their propaganda pumping Fox and other networks will cover for them with copious lies every evening on the TV.

Their actions prove that Republicans want to TAKE all of your freedoms. ( Except for guns since they don't care how many innocent Americans and children are slaughtered by AR15s) Americans DON'T have the inherent natural human right of safety from harm so others can have the the so-called 'freedom' to play with deadly weapons as a hobby.

How can one party, just one group of people be so backwards?

It's simple. Republicans are all just slaves to the greed & power of their oligarch masters.

Those oligarchs Republicans serve so slavishly alsobhave their private twisted religious beliefs. With their billions of dollars, they have the POWER to shove their private ridiculous religious ideas all the way down your throat. Just because they can afford to do it!

If we'd contined to tax the wealthy like we had in the past, there would be no billionaires. No one would have the kind of money and power, that, right now, too many rich, white, old billionaire men have. They have the means and the nerve to try to force their stupid religious ideas and even fascism on you.

So thanks, Ronnie, and all you asshole Republicans, for bringing our country to the brink of fascism (possibly christofascism) in the name of greed.

You Republicans all fucking suck.

#ronald reagan was a monster #government is a good thing #Republicans hate Americans #Republicans are the lapdogs of oligarchs #Republicans suck

4K notes · View notes

hremail24 · 3 days ago

Text

oh btw before free speech gets taken away, because they're already threatening it, trump is a cowardly fascist sack of shit who will only be remembered in history as a cowardly fascist sack of shit, elon musk is a loser manbaby who'd rather be openly the stupidest man on earth than actually do anything to make him worth the titles he's trying to buy from the public, mark zuckerberg is a pathetic crybaby who lobbied to accelerate fascism because he couldn't handle the consequences of turning NOT ONE social media but TWO into the most toxic bot-populated pro-fascist places on earth that no human would rightfully want to use, jeff bezos is a stain on the earth just as them funneling his money into the government to further promote this fascist oligarchy they themselves have created. not one of these motherfuckers are going up when they die.

we joke about tiktok but i spent the last few days of the app's life saving people's videos about the situation, the comparisons to hitler in 1933 doing the same exact shit to the press (banning it for making him look bad, then promising to save it!... under the pretense it only push HIS PROPOGANDA), the ones whose livelihoods have been destroyed after switching full-time to tiktok content creation, the ones who plan on organizing and ACTING after the app goes down. there's a theory going around that the app has already been sold and they're waiting until trump's sworn in to fully put it in place- which i think makes sense considering the wording used in the app's notices upon opening them, the way the CEO was reposting MAGA videos before the app went down, the way it's assured the ban will only be 'temporary.' IF tiktok comes back, it will not be the fucking same. AND DO NOT THANK ***ANYONE*** FOR BRINGING IT BACK. every single fucking person we're mad at right now for banning it, the same ones promising they'll bring it back, ARE THE SAME ONES WHO INITIALLY CALLED FOR ITS BAN. FROM DAY FUCKING ONE.

this is not a silly one-time thing, this is a country run by people who cannot handle the criticism the literal first amendment was put in place TO ALLOW US TO SAFELY DISPENSE to the point they BAN OUR MEDIA that doesn't already heavily censor what we can share. this is a warning. this is the start of something HUGE. i've already seen lives before the app went down of people marching over this, but i genuinely think we're on the cusp of something HUGE. this isn't something to ignore or not think about. the implications of the priority to push banning A SINGAPOREAN APP over ANY of our country's actual issues, the preparation for multiple major cities like chicago & LA to undergo ICE raids, the promise of jailing reporters and journalists who don't comply with making trump and friends look good, THE FACT ELON IS TRYING TO PURCHASE PRESIDENCY JUST TO COPE WITH THE FACT HE IS A GENUINELY UNLIKEABLE PERSON... none of the implications are good!!

#talking #i'd apologize for doomposting but tbh we are genuinely considering leaving the country it is getting So Fucking Bad

1 note · View note

bllsbailey · 6 days ago

Text

Delusional, Bitter Biden Gives One Last Interview to Sycophantic MSNBC—Pathetically Blasts 'Red States'

Joe Biden just can’t seem to let go.

Although his presidency and his legacy have been thoroughly repudiated—whether it be through the polls, which show he’s one of the lowest-rates presidents of all time, or at the ballot box where his hand-picked successor Kamala Harris was brutalized in the November elections—his tenure has been thoroughly tainted by an astounding record of failure. Inflation has killed the dreams of regular folks as just paying for groceries has become a traumatic experience; young people have no hope of buying a home or living the American Dream—considering the crushing interest rates and noxious cost of living. Meanwhile, wars rage on the international stage.

There is almost nothing good that he leaves his successor, Donald Trump.

Yet he continues in his final days to flail away at convincing us that somehow his presidency was a success.

On Thursday night, he appeared with one of the most vacuous hosts in the history of cable news, MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell, to continue to try to burnish his disastrous legacy. This after the lame-duck commander-in-chief delivered one of the darkest, most depressing farewell speeches in the history of our Great Experiment.

Failure, personified: WATCH: Biden Gives Train Wreck Farewell Speech, Goes Ron Burgundy Again and Rants Aimlessly

In this segment, he waxes philosophical about his endless career in politics:

For Biden, he was relatively cogent; to be honest (not trying to be mean here, just telling the truth), I could barely understand him in his Oval Office farewell speech—his slurring was that bad. But on MSNBC, at least, his words were mostly clear. When asked, predictably, about the "fragility of Democracy," he tried to wax poetic:

“That sounds corny. But I mean, I really, really am concerned, because you’ve heard me say it 100 times, I really think we’re in an inflection point in history here. Where unrelated to any particular leader.”

The problem here is that it’s actually Joe Biden who’s been chipping away at all those elements. He’s done everything in his power to undermine a key branch of government, the Supreme Court, and he’s been open about his desire to crack down on free speech—a key factor in our Democracy, codified in the First Amendment. He’s weaponized the judicial system, turning the powers of the state on his political rivals and forcing social media companies to bend the knee and censor regular Americans.

Oh, and I love how O'Donnell admits that Joe's handlers shoved him and the rest of the reporters out of the room; he says it with admiration as if silencing the press is a noble effort. He's right up there with Jim Acosta in the "No Shame" Hall of Fame.

He leaves in disgrace, and no amount of googly eyes from the shameless Lawrence O’Donnell or Joe’s ponderous reflections can change that. Biden’s sad, pathetic farewell address from the Oval Office will go down in history as one of the worst ever, and this meandering, pointless interview will only add to that shameful legacy.

Oh, and of course, he blasts red states—completely ignoring actual facts:

Goodbye, Joe Biden. Please, let the door hit you on the way out.

0 notes

arcticdementor · 9 months ago

Text

Leveraging Fox News and other mainstream media outlets, Rufo and his supporters sought to manufacture hysteria around the inclusion of critical race theory in schools and workplaces. After a 2020 appearance on Fox News where Rufo misrepresented the nature of federal trainings on oppression, white privilege, and intersectionality as indoctrination of critical race theory in our public spaces, Rufo convinced former President Trump to end federal DEI training. Rufo’s goal was to limit discourse, instruction, and research that refuted the false assertion that racism is not real in America – and he succeeded. Just three weeks later, Trump issued Executive Order 13950, which banned federal trainings on systemic racism and sexism. This Executive Order served as the template for most of the educational gag orders, or bills introduced to limit instruction on systemic sexism and racism in 40 states, 20 of which are now law. The ACLU has consistently opposed efforts to censor classroom instruction on racism and sexism, including in Florida where some of the most egregious attacks on DEI, critical race theory and inclusive education have been mounted. Following the far right’s “anti-wokeism” playbook, in April 2022, Florida Governor Ron Desantis signed the Stop W.O.K.E. Act, which seeks to ban training or instruction on systemic racism and sexism in workplaces, K-12 schools, and higher education. The ACLU, the ACLU of Florida and our co-counsel challenged the law, claiming it violates the First and Fourteenth Amendments by imposing viewpoint-based restrictions on instructors and students in higher education, and fails to state explicitly and definitely what conduct is punishable. A federal judge has blocked it from being enforced in public universities across the state.

…

Led by the same far-right leaders, including Rufo and various think-tanks, these anti-DEI efforts utilize the same methods as the attack on critical race theory. They represent yet another attempt to re-whitewash America’s history of racial subjugation, and to reverse efforts to pursue racial justice—or any progress at all. Anti-DEI rhetoric has been used to invalidate immunological research supporting the COVID-19 vaccine, conclusions by economists on mass migration, and even the January 6 insurrection. But these false claims are not what DEI is about. By definition equity means levelling the playing field so qualified people from underrepresented backgrounds have a fair chance to succeed. We cannot let a loud fringe movement convince us otherwise. In its attacks on DEI, the far right undermines not only racial justice efforts, but also violates our right to free speech and free association. Today, the ACLU is determined to push back on anti-DEI efforts just as we fought efforts to censor instruction on systemic racism and sexism from schools.

(@mitigatedchaos)

#aclu #leah watson #why crt bans are pointless #they're not going to work

1 note · View note

firespirited · 10 months ago

Text

I'm honestly not surprised. It's the patriot act surveillance part 2: they collect every phone call, emails and post you didn't even send regardless of whether you're in a five eyes country (it's just that five eyes get access to that data to look for political dissidents).

And now that they collect it all for their eyes,

they also want to control what goes out to your eyes.

TikTok is now required to be bought by a US corporation that lets the government and local police tap the server farms not only to surveil the dissidents, but to shut them off, easily get their information, possibly hijack the account for cointel if they're smart (they're not that smart).

----------------------

also I have to add that it's been 25 years of having to deal with American "free speech" breaking our broadcast laws and polluting our politics.

To explain the metaphor: swap out holocaust denial for child rape apologists: imagine the social media platforms' country of origin has an age of consent of 14 (well, the USA do have child marriage) and that your country keeps having to beg the platforms to roll out a special feature for your countries where the CSAM posts are censored with a piece of text that says 'illegal in your country' but you can simply change your country of origin in the interface and get all the posts uncensored.

That's pre-Musk Twitter and Facebook since forever: the hate speech fire-hose was barely filtered, we could barely keep up with fining our own far right politicians for each instance of illegal incitation to hatred; getting them actually banned when they hadn't broken the American first amendment required jumping through legal hoops.

Then during the pandemic, social media users were out and about getting people killed while claiming they had "rights" under the law (USA law) that did not apply to that country, let alone that epidemic crisis level. Then they rioted when they found out the local law was different.

Never want to hear about muh CCP censorship/Great Firewall of China ever again lol

#tiktok #american ''free speech'' is a plague to countries that have hate speech - misinformation - defamation and stalking laws #this goes out to all the friends on a watch list for speaking arabic or sending money to anywhere the US doesn't like right now

6K notes · View notes

aviewfromthecheapseats · 1 year ago

Text

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.

0 notes

pashterlengkap · 2 years ago

Text

A university president canceled a drag show & compared it to blackface. Now students are suing.

The president of a Texas university faces a federal lawsuit after he canceled a campus drag show scheduled for March 31. Last week, West Texas A&M University president Walter Wendler sent a letter to students, faculty, and staff announcing that student LGBTQ+ group Spectrum WT’s upcoming event benefitting the Trevor Project had been canceled. In the letter, Wendler characterized drag as “derisive, divisive and demoralizing misogyny” and compared it to blackface. --- Related Stories Undercover cops found nothing lewd at a drag show but DeSantis is trying to punish the venue anyway The agents reported no “lewd acts.” The state filed a complaint anyway. --- On Friday, the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of Spectrum WT seeking an injunction forcing the university to allow the event on campus, Law and Crime reports. The suit claims that Wendler admitted to censoring the show and that doing so violates the Constitution. “No amount of fancy rhetorical footwork or legal wordsmithing eludes the fact that drag shows denigrate and demean women—noble goals notwithstanding,” Wendler wrote in his letter. “A harmless drag show? Not possible. I will not appear to condone the diminishment of any group at the expense of impertinent gestures toward another group for any reason, even when the law of the land appears to require it.” BREAKING: FIRE just sued West Texas A&M University President Walter Wendler for violating college students’ First Amendment right to hold a charity drag show on campus. https://t.co/msuGKvrLbC pic.twitter.com/nlXu98QmXt— FIRE (@TheFIREorg) March 24, 2023 “That ‘law of the land’ is the First Amendment to the United States Constitution,” the lawsuit states. “And our Constitution prohibits public officials, including public university presidents, from silencing Americans because a public official dislikes certain points of view.” In a March 24 statement, FIRE noted that Wendler has not only violated the First Amendment but also a campus free speech law signed by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) in 2020. That law explicitly states that “The university may not take action against a student organization or deny the organization any benefit generally available to other student organizations at the university on the basis of a political, religious, philosophical, ideological, or academic viewpoint expressed by the organization or of any expressive activities of the organization.” “College presidents can’t silence students simply because they disagree with their expression,” FIRE’s attorney Adam Steinbaugh said in a March 24 statement. “The First Amendment protects student speech, whether it’s gathering on campus to study the Bible, hosting an acid-tongued political speaker, or putting on a charity drag show.” “President Wendler has made it clear to us that he knows what his legal obligations are, but he chose to ignore them, and we are thankful to FIRE for taking up our case to protect our First Amendment rights,” Spectrum WT president Bear Bright said. “Hopefully, this lawsuit will not just help us the LGBTQ+ students here at WTAMU protect our rights, but also help protect students’ rights across the U.S.” FIRE attorney Conor Fitzpatrick called Wendler’s action “textbook viewpoint discrimination.” “Wendler’s personal opinion on drag shows does not override the Constitution,” Fitzpatrick said. “The show must go on.” http://dlvr.it/SlbbKy

0 notes

spiritmander13 · 6 months ago

Text

I've heard of two laws that passed recently:

A law in Florida that makes it so that anyone under 14 cannot access social media (could go into affect in January 2025 and is currently being challenged, last time I checked).

And a law in Kansas that requires ID verification for any site with LGBTQ+ content (should've gone into affect July 1st but hasn't, last time I checked). The scary part about the Kansas law is that I live in a state that borders Kansas, so the censorship laws in my state may be influenced by its neighbors, but then again they can also just make it up on the whim.

There was also the time where Utah banned 18+ content- which is to be expected; this is the state known for Mormonism- but has since been lifted because it violated the First Amendment (last time I checked, you're free to correct me).

Those are not the only internet censorship laws circulating within the 50 states; states like California and Texas have also been thinking bout implementing laws like this, among other states.

Is KOSA the only law that's going to censor the internet? No, there's still hundreds of laws within the states that'll do the same, whether or not KOSA were to pass into law, and we've learned this with Florida and Kansas recently. The worst part about all of this is that there are actual law proposals with less support that actually HELP the internet; I've heard of one that might track alleged MAPs yet it has little support (one of the biggest supporters being the Organization of Transformative Works, the people behind Archive Of Our Own; KOSA will not be affecting AO3 if it were to pass, since AO3's a non-profit website and runs on donations).

The article is very interesting, as these laws about uploading stuff like your ID or credit/debit cards to the internet are as old as the late 1990's. Yeah, when the Y2K bug was gaining traction and worry. Goes to show that this isn't new stuff and that it has been happening since before the third millennium began, and now since the internet has pretty much became a mandatory thing, being used in schools and public places more than ever, laws like KOSA are going to harm pretty much most of the population... of the globe.

Yes, America is the 3rd most populated country in the world, behind the competing titans of India and China. But it holds pretty much most of the market share and wealth of the world, INCLUDING the internet. Of course, its allies also hold the market with the US, but that's not to say they hold all of the market; various countries neutral towards or even enemies to the US have also held onto the internet over the course of its history. Most of the popular websites, like... Tumblr, were formed within the 50 states, so if laws like KOSA were to pass, it could mean the 5.44 BILLION internet users globally (as of April 2024) could very much be affected by these bills, not just the American population.

In short; this has been happening since the Internet started gaining traction in the late 1990's, hell even earlier than that, and it won't stop for as long as the internet is relevant. Even then, we should be raising all flags towards these laws so that they don't pass. It doesn't matter how many times governments try to implement these censorship laws to the Internet; if we come together and raise our voices enough, they won't pass, so let's keep doing that. This isn't a perfect world; if KOSA doesn't pass this year or the next, that doesn't mean there won't be any more of these laws. Hell, it may come back in 2028 or even later down the road, and don't even get me started on what was going on in Russia at the start of this year. So we must keep fighting, no matter how tiring it gets.

Just got the news: NGL has become the first app barred from minors by the FTC. While I do not use the app, I should say:

THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT, KOSA!

19 notes · View notes

silkling · 4 years ago

Text

Of Newfound Knowledge and Truths of a Yesteryear

Of Moments in Life AU

———————————————————————————————————

Heatwave stood on his small training platform, punching the wooden dummy and trying to ignore the rage bubbling in the back of his processor. That morning, he’d read some of the data-pads that High Tide and Optimus had left, the ones Blades had read when Dreadwing first crashed on the island. What he’d learned had made him angry, and he didn’t understand how his teammate hadn’t been angry, too.

The Decepticons…the pads had a lot of information on what the ‘Cons had done throughout the War. The information had definitely been censored and sanitized, probably intentionally so his team wouldn’t be exposed to the full horrors of the War through the data pads, but it had still been enough for Heatwave to understand.

Dreadwing had said that the Decepticons started as a social revolution. But they were certainty far from that, now. The Rescue Force, Praxus, Iacon…they’d destroyed everything that had stood in their way, not caring if those they crushed were even involved in the War or not. It made him angry, his rescue protocols screaming with rage and loss in his processor.

As the conflicting emotions peaked, he heard the sound of pedes behind him and turned to see Dreadwing. Heatwave stepped away from the training post, the platform lowering to the ground as he crossed his arms and frowned. He liked the former Deception. He hadn’t spent as much time with him as the rest of his time, but he big bot was never violent or mean. He was a little blunt, and seemed to be a bit overly aggressive in his solutions for Heatwave’s peace-orientated processor, but he wasn’t a bad bot. At least, he didn’t appear to be.

Dreadwing seemed to notice his internal distress, because the larger bot pinned him with a considering and slightly concerned look. “You seem troubled, little one.” he rumbled.

“I’m not little.” Heatwave answered on reflex, mildly indignant. He didn’t understand why the Seeker referred to him and his teammates like that. Well, he supposed he did. They were all little, compared to him. “And…I guess I am.” He looked up at Dreadwing, a hard frown twisting his features.

“So I see.” Dreadwing, for his part, now looked ever so slightly amused. “And what is it what is causing you such distress?”

Heatwave made a frustrated noise, his vocalizer clicking in a sort of nonsense babble as he tried to think of how to explain. “I just–I don’t understand. How could they have done…everything they did?”

“What are you talking about?” Dreadwing asked, confused.

“I read the data lads Optimus and High Tide left! I learned about some of the things the Decepticons did!” he snapped, frustration and anger bleeding into his tone in place of previous confusion. Just the thought of what he’d learned was enough to make his spark sing with rage.

“Ah, now I understand.” The Seeker stated, his gaze becoming solemn and understanding. “And what did you learn, Heatwave?”

“You know what!”

“I do not. Your data pads are Autobot records, youngling. While I have no doubt there is truth there, I am also quite sure that much of that information is highly biased or just pure conjecture.”

The fire truck scowled. “Oh? So the Decepticons didn’t destroy Praxus, which was supposed to be a Neutral city?”

Dreadwing paused. “They did. It was before I joined, but they did.”

“And you’ve probably done a lot too, haven’t you?” He demanded. “Killed a lot of innocent bots, destroyed a lot of lives?” he was angry and hurting and he didn’t understand how Dreadwing could have joined a cause that was so horrible unless he was, as the human say, cut from the same cloth. But he couldn’t be, everything Heatwave had seen from the Seeker since his crash on the island directly conflicted with what the youngling had learned of the Decepticons. It just made him confused and left his spark aching.

The Seeker in question was silent, observing for a moment before he dipped his head. “I have. I have done many, many terrible things. I never killed sparklings or younglings, but I have killed countless Autobot soldiers and slain more than a few Neutral civilians on Megatron’s command.” He said softly. “I have aided in the stripping and destruction of planets, and I have directly contributed to the death of our homeworld. I do not deny any of this. I am not trying to escape my past, Heatwave, or to deny the crimes and atrocities I have committed.”

“Then why did you do them? Why are you here? Why should we let you stay if you’ve done all of that?” He didn’t actually want Dreadwing to leave, and the knew the others would want him to either. But he had just admitted to having committed horrible acts. Heatwave didn’t know what to think.

If the harsh questions bothered him, Dreadwing didn’t show it. “I did what I did because, at the time, I believed I was in the right. You know how Cybertron was in the Golden Age. You know of the emurata, of Functionism, of the caste system and how it was structured. Don’t tell me you don’t.” he said. “I rose from a system that sought to oppress me, and I turned to the only option I saw at the time. The Decepticons. It was wrong, and I have come to realize that.” He paused, tilting his head slightly. “I am here because I have little elsewhere I can go, and because I find myself growing fond of this place. I am here because Primus has granted me a second chance, an opportunity to do better and to be better, and I intend to take it.” Dreadwing took an extra moment to consider the last question. “You likely should not.” he answered. “I cannot change what I have done, all I can do it try to make amends and hope to find redemption one day.” He met the youngling’s gaze evenly. “But I would like to stay, if you would allow me the chance to pursue something better here.”

Heatwave held his gaze, then sagged and looked away. “Fine. I don’t even want you to leave anyway.” he sounded tired. “I won’t make you go. I don’t think I could. The others like you, and so do I. It’d just do more harm than good to everyone involved if I made you leave now.” he glanced up. “Just…tell me why. Why did the Decepticons do all of that? I don’t understand.” he sounded frustrated and helpless.

Dreadwing softened, his wings dipping down just slightly as his frame relaxed. “The Decepticons did not rise from nothing, little one.” he rumbled.

“What do you mean? The data pads said Megatron came out of nowhere and built them up before anyone realized what was going on.” He said, his anger abating in face of his even more confusion.

Dreadwing scoffed. “I am certain that many Autobot’s believe that.” his lips curled faintly, displeased. “That is, however, as far from the truth as you can get.”

“Then why would Autobot data pads contain that information as if it were fact?” he demanded, crossing his arms.

The Seeker hummed, tilting his head. “Perhaps, if you wish to have this discussion in its entirety, it would be best to sit somewhere?”

Heatwave paused, then nodded. “Lounge.” he said gruffly, leading the way. Once there, he dragged over a beanbag chair and settled into it comfortably, leaving the couch to the former Decepticon.

“To begin, I must ask how much you know about the Autobots and Decepticons as a whole, as well as how much you know and understand the political and social climate of the Golden Age.” Dreadwing stated.

Heatwave frowned. “I know what you told us when you first arrived.” he said, tilting his head. “I also know that the Autobot’s end goal is the restoration of Cybertron and the revival of our race. I know the Decepticons want to take control and lead Cybertron by force, and that their end goal is to put ‘Cons in charge and remove lots of freedom from bots under their rule.” he said. He crossed his arms, staring at a point on the floor as he tried to think. “I know that the Senate used to rule Cybertron during the Golden Age, and that they weren’t very fair and a lot of bots suffered, and that some of their regulations and punishments were extreme.” he tilted his head. “I know the caste system made the bots in the lower castes struggle a lot.” he seemed almost ashamed at this point. “I….I never paid the most attention to that, though. I was in the upper-middle caste, and my Function was something I already wanted to do.”

“Rescue work.” Dreadwing guessed.

The firetruck nodded. “Yeah.” he admitted.

“Then you know much of the very basics, though your knowledge lacks in the complexity and finer details of the full scope of the situation.” he rumbled. “You are correct. The Autobots fight for a restored Cybertron. But your knowledge of the Decepticons is…not entirely accurate.”

Heatwave’s engine growled with displeasure as he just grew more helplessly confused. “What?”

“The Decepticons do seek control, and they do seek to rule over Cybertron. That is true. It is also true that their goal is to see to the destruction of the Autobots. But it wasn’t always so.”

“Yeah, you mentioned they started as a social revolution.” Heatwave said, starting to calm down once he realized he’d be getting his answers, and without all the vagueness that came from Optimus whenever he tried to ask the Prime about the War.

“They did. But Megatron not rise from nothing, as the Autobots are so fond of believing. He rose from foundations that were already very deeply rooted. Functionism was a plague and the caste system was a rot that had sunk deep into the very core of our world.” he said, voice soft and somber. “It was a rot that infected only the oppressed and the beaten; it affected the lower castes and the undesirables, and those who lived comfortably in the higher castes did not feel the affects of it.”

“Undesirables?” Heatwave echoed, confused.

“Bots who did not fit into the world the Senate wished to portray. They wanted a Cybertron where every bot had a singular Function and operated according to that Function and ONLY according to that Function. They wanted a world where all those who were not of the Senate were subservient to them and obeyed them without question. They wanted a world that operated under the beliefs and celebrations and social structure they approved of. Those who did not fit into that world, and who could not fit into that world, were deemed undesirable.” He cast the youngling a meaningful look. “For the Senate, that included flight-frames. It is why they were so eager to see the spread of anti-flyer sentiments, to confine flyers, whether they were Seekers or not, to a single city. Flight-frames have a different base coding to ground-frames, and the Senate were all ground-frames. In their optics, flight-frames were a danger to their rule because flyers, by the nature of our frames, do not fit seamlessly into a Functionist society.” he paused. “It certainly did not help that the social structure, belief system, and cultural behavior of flight-frames was radically different to that of ground-frames, and that it was radically different to what the Senate was trying to enforce.”

Heatwave was silent for a long moment, considering what he was told. “But…you said the caste system was a rot. What did you mean?”

Dreadwing hummed, his fingers tapping a pattern on the couch; it was a very human gesture, one he had picked up from the Burnses without even realizing it. He had to word this carefully. Not because he wanted to manipulate the younger bot, but because it was a complex situation and a rather unpleasant one. “You said we’re were of the upper-middle caste.” he said carefully. “And that fits with your frame type and your Function. But have you never thought about the types of bots that fill each level of the caste system?” he asked.

Heatwave furrowed his optical ridges, shaking his helm. “No…” he said slowly. “I know…I know artists were considered among the lowest tier of the high castes. I know scientists and medics were high caste, and that the only bots above them were politicians.” he said.

Dreadwing smiled faintly. The young bot was starting to understand on his own. “Indeed. But those bots only made up a minority of Cybertron’s population. What of the others? What of the common laborers?”

“You mean, like, cleaners and construction bots? You’re right, they were more common than scientists, medics, or artists.” he said. “Like Boulder. He was originally a construction bot.”

He nodded. “They were indeed more common. But what caste did the Senate assign to them?”

“The…the lower caste.” Understanding was starting to bloom in Heatwave’s optics. “The lowest caste, for most of the laborer frames.” he realized. “That means…Boulder was from the lower castes.”

Dreadwing hummed agreement. “He was. If you wish to know more, then you shall have to ask him yourself. It is not my place to tell you what he experienced.” He sighed heavily. “But I will tell you that the lower castes, the bots who made up the majority of our people, did not often lead pleasant lives. They received little pay for their work, could not often afford decent fuel, if they could afford any fuel, and most of their pay would have to go to maintaining their living space. It oft left them overtired, overworked, and very, very hungry. It did not help that many of them had dangerous Functions, dangerous jobs, and after paying for their living quarters and fuel, they did not have the shanix for medical care. It meant the lower castes were forced to choose between their need for fuel and their health.”

Heatwave swallowed, his optics blown wide. “Oh.” he whispered. “But…why didn’t they do anything?”

Dreadwing looked almost melancholic at his question. “Most of the lower castes simply did not have the time or energy to fight against it. They were too tired, too hungry, to injured or sick, and were forced to focus purely on their own survival.” he stated. “And those few that did try to speak up…” he trailed off. “The Senate was not kind to dissenters, little one. If they did not use empurata on those who protested their systems, they used other means of punishment and silencing.” his tone was grim.

Heatwave chose not to ask what those “other means” were. He had a feeling he didn’t want to know. “It…it was really that bad?”

The Seeker bowed his helm. “Ask Boulder or Blades. They would know the best of your teammates.” Though, he had his suspicions about the means of Chase’s creation, and if he was right then the police bot might also know how bad the Senate could be.

“Boulder, I get. But why Blades?”

“The little flyer once told me that one of his brothers was a flight-frame. He would not have experienced the cruelty directly, as he was a ground-frame on Cybertron, but he would doubtless have experienced or seen it through his brother.”

“Oh.” Heatwave was starting to get the feeling that he didn’t know as much about his team as he thought he did. He really needed to fix that. “I guess I understand why the Decepticons rose to quickly then, if things were really that bad for so long.”

“Indeed.” Dreadwing agreed. “But there is one more thing you must understand.”

“Which is?” Heatwave was feeling a little sick to his tanks. He hadn’t been aware the situation on Cybertron had been so bad, but then again, he’d lived a good life. He’d had all the fuel he needed, he never worried about his health or safety, his living situation was pretty much always assured, and he actually enjoyed working according to his Function. He wouldn’t have experienced the rot Dreadwing mentioned, so it only made sense he wasn’t entirely aware of it. That didn’t get rid of the guilt, though.

“The Decepticons are made up almost entirely of flight-frames and those of lower castes. There are certainly some of those among Autobot forces, but the grand majority of them are Decepticon.” Dreadwing pinned Heatwave under a severe look. “What does that tell you, little one?”

“It tells me that the Autobots are mostly ground-frames and bots from the middle and upper castes.” he answered, suddenly understanding the War in a whole new light. It certainly didn’t excuse what the Decepticons had done, but now this…this made it a lot easier to understand.

“Indeed.” he agreed. “The Decepticons originally rose on the backs of bots who were beaten down and had little else to lose, bots whose only crime was to want a better life.” he said. “When the Senate, and later the original Autobots before Optimus Prime, attempted to beat them back down to their “proper place”, they fought back for the freedom that should have always been theirs.” His gaze went distant, as if remembering something from long ago. “The Decepticons were originally a freedom movement, little one. It was only as time wore on and the spilled energon between the factions soured that they lost their way and forget their original mission.”

“And now?”

“Now, because so many Autobots are ground-frame or originated from the higher castes, they do not understand why their enemy continue to fight. Certainly, many Decepticons fight because they wish to destroy the Autobots, but there are many, many more who only fight because they fear that an Autobot victory means a return to the ways of the Golden Age. It is something that Prime and his bots simply do not, and perhaps never will, understand.”

“So most of the Autobots…they weren’t bots who were hurt by the Senate.”

“No.” Dreadwing agreed. “Prime’s team on Earth is a good example. Prime himself is formerly of the lower-high caste, as he was a former Archivist. His scout was upper-middle caste, and while he was too young to receive his Function at the start of the War he would very easily have made a successful racer. The femme-bot was an Enforcer, also considered upper-middle caste. And of course, the medic. Ratchet was famed, even before the War.” The Seeker smiled sardonically. “He was quite firmly in the highest castes. All of them operated according to their Function, and all of them were content with it.” He tilted his head. “The only bot on Prime’s own team who does not fit that mold is his Wrecker, who was once a construction bot. He is the only one who might truly understand.”

Heatwave nodded, looking own at his lap. “I think I get it now. This war…it’s not going to end until the Autobots understand that stuff, is it? Because they won’t understand why most of the Decepticons keep fighting, why they started fighting in the first place.” he said, looking up to meet red optics.

“Yes. You’re very intelligent, little one. You learn fast.” Dreadwing slumped slightly, releasing a heavy vent. “You are correct. So long as the Autobots do not understand, then the Decepticons, at least those who only fight out of a fear of a return to the old ways, will never stop what they are doing.”

“You really know a lot about this stuff.”

“I am a Seeker, Heatwave. I experienced much of the Senate’s cruelty directly, as did most of my frame-kin.”

The Rescue Bot nodded, subdued. Now he understood. A part of him wished he didn’t, but he was glad he did. He sighed, meeting Dreadwing’s gaze again. “I think I owe you an apology, then. I judged you based on incomplete information.”

Dreadwing bowed his helm. “Thank you, little one. As I said, I certainly committed horrible acts, and I can never undo what I have done, but now I only make to make amends as I move forward.”

Heatwave nodded, smirking and straightening up. “I think you can. And lucky for you, we’re here to help.” he said.

Dreadwing blinked, before he chuckled, his wings lifting as the mood brightened. “So you are. Thank you, youngling.”

“We’re Rescue Bots.” Heatwave grinned. “Helping others is what we do.”

“So it is.” He agreed, looking amused. “And perhaps, I can also help you?”

He blinked, taken aback. “Me? How?”

“I have noticed you practicing with your sparring post. Your form is acceptable, and I am aware that the Rescue Force trained its Teams to have combat abilities, but I can help you improve. Your current skills will help you fight if a rescue mission were to go wrong, but if you wish, then I can help expand and improve your combat capability even beyond that.”

Heatwave blinked. “You’ll teach me how to fight.” he stated.

“I would be glad to, if you wish to learn. There may come a day when you must fight a true enemy, and if that day comes then greater combat skill may be helpful.” Dreadwing pointed out.

Heatwave narrowed his optics, considering the unsaid implications of that statement. “…you think the War might come to us.”

“Perhaps.” he said grimly. “I pray that it does not, but in the event it does I think it is better that you are prepared to fight against an enemy who truly wishes to see your spark go out.”

He nodded, gaze firming. The others would need lessons too, in that case. The Rescue Force did teach them all basic combat, in the event that they needed to fight off anything that might be threatening whoever or whatever they were rescuing, but their combat training had been pretty basic. If Dreadwing was right, and there was a possibility of Sigma-17 one day facing an opponent that wanted them dead, then they’d need to shape up. He stood, hands curling into fists as his shoulders lifted and determination burned in his spark. He stared the Seeker in the optics.

“Let’s do it.”

Dreadwing stood, a faint smile curling at his lips, and clapped a hand on the youngling’s shoulder. “I look forward to it.” he said, a hint of pride in his tone. Heatwave was so very young, but already he was shaping up to be a fine mech, a fine leader.

Heatwave himself only grinned, blue optics bright. “So do I.”

He’d learned a lot today. Not all of it had been pleasant, and a distinctly unpleasant feeling still curled in his tanks, but he was glad to learn what he had. The past was dark and violent, he’d come to realize. Cybertron’s history was steeped in shadows and darkness and Heatwave was certain that he still didn’t know everything, that Dreadwing had certainly omitted many of the worst of the details. Given all that, he really couldn’t find it in himself to be surprised that the War had happened.

Now though, wasn’t the time to focus on the past. Not Cybertron’s past, and not on Dreadwing’s past either. He tilted his helm up to turn his grin on the larger bot, leaning his weight into the hand on his shoulder and enjoying the small physical contact. Yes, he decided. Dreadwing’s past didn’t matter, not here. All that mattered was what was to come, and Heatwave was determined to meet whatever the future held for them head on.

For himself, and for his newfound family — all of them, even its newest addition.

———————————————————————————————————

Here it is, folks! The next installment in “of moments in life”! This one goes a little deeper into Pre-War Cybertron’s social/political climate. Heatwave got a massive reality check. He was sorta privileged, by the standards of the Golden Age, and he’s being forced to realize what that meant and what it blinded him to. Poor youngling, his entire worldview just got rocked.

As for Dreadwing, he now has another son! The next installment will be tHe Blades and Dreadwing one. It’s gonna be sad. They’re gonna talk about their brothers. That’s all I’ll say! I have prompts fo write for before I can get to it, so it’ll be a bit, but stay tuned, it’ll come out! Anyway, hope y’all liked it! Let me know your thoughts!

Until next time, folks!

79 notes · View notes

ingek73 · 4 years ago

Text

Juneteenth

STORY by Team at Archewell

Jun. 16, 2021

YOUNG POETS OF GET LIT SHARE POWERFUL WORDS TO COMMEMORATE THE DAY

In honor of Juneteenth, we, at Archewell, connected with our friends at Get Lit and asked them to share poetry to honor this important day. We hope their poignant words allow you to reflect on the significance of this newly declared federal holiday in the United States and its impact across this country and around the world.

AND HOLD, AND HOLD

CORTUNAY MINOR AND TAMIA JACKSON

youtube

WHY THEY WROTE THIS POEM:

“When I wrote this poem, just a few weeks before June 15th, Juneteenth wasn’t yet a federal or national holiday. It wasn’t something I’d given much thought to, but when I had recognized that fact, it wasn’t information, it was confirmation. At first, I was upset about it. My immediate thoughts were along the lines of, ‘Where are our fireworks? Where’s our three-day weekend?’ But in reflection, I realized that this was demonstrating continued deference to a supposedly superior entity. Juneteenth isn’t the ‘Black Independence Day,’ it’s the only Independence Day. To have that nationally recognized feels amazing. But whether or not the date is printed in every calendar does not validate this holiday. We do.”

WHY SHE ANIMATED THIS PIECE:

“This poem, especially for Juneteenth, really inspired me. The color palette expresses the somber yet hopeful emotions that happen when black freedom is discussed, and what it means to be a Black individual in America. This poem as well as the visuals really emphasizes the impact that Black people have by simply existing, and the importance of our breath. We know that as long as we’re still breathing there can and will be change, and ultimately full freedom.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Cortunay Minor (she/they) is a performing artist who specializes in Stage Acting and Spoken Word Poetry. They are currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Theater from the UCLA School of Theater, Film, and Television. The theme and goal that Minor tries to hold in the heart of their artistry is liberation, be that emotional, intellectual, or otherwise. Expression and education are two of the most fruitful paths Minor has found that achieve that liberation, and she is immensely grateful to be able to participate in a craft that allows their simultaneous occurrence.

ABOUT THE ANIMATOR:

Tamia Jackson (animator) is a rising senior at the Rhode Island School of Design, receiving her BFA in Film/Animation/Video with a minor in Literary Arts and Studies. She has always been passionate in art, animation, and storytelling. She loves bringing stories of lesser voices, such as BIPOC, low income, female, etc., into a visual and cared-for light. Though not all of her stories or animations revolve around such identities, it is important that she shows diversity so that many people can relate and find comfort in the characters or art piece. Not only does Jackson enjoy spreading her own voice, but she also loves bringing others’ stories to life.

AND HOLD, AND HOLD

‘Holiday’ meaning ‘Holy Day’ meaning:

every second is sacred/every hour hibernates

within the spirit, huddled beneath the bosom.

To breathe is to commemorate:

inhale – exhale – cradle the thought – hold – and repeat.

When daybreak demotes breath to subconscious action,

the diaphragm still submits in reverence, still remembers that

This is Divine. This

is where jubilation begins:

in the suspension of

breathe in – breathe out – take maybe – and

forever hold the moment,

where the deferred dream stopped shriveling,

wavered in anticipation, remembered that expansion

can be soft,

recognized that it didn’t want soft

expansion.

Bodies were policied out of possession, but

the Black individual liberated their own being,

hollered themself out of state-sanctioned silence.

Words ignite, but presence sustains; this intake/expel maintains us

here

the dream explodes. The spirit absorbs the remnants and outpours,

‘holiday’ meaning ‘Holy Day’ meaning:

I hold this day as sovereign. Meaning:

I hope this day knows its home is in these lungs,

is in this breath, is in the repetition of:

inspire – expire – immortalize the memory – and hold – and hold – and release

POPLAR TREES

CYRUS ROBERTS

youtube

WHY HE WROTE AND DIRECTED THIS POEM:

“It’s easy to say “slavery was an atrocity and we need to do better” but it’s much more difficult to say “slave masters ripped babies from their mothers and used them as crocodile bait for sport.” In the average American lexicon, phrases like ‘Never Forget’ are commonplace but are rarely attributed to periods of fundamental, ongoing violence of a racial nature for the simple fact that our pain makes the people who benefitted from that pain uncomfortable. For me Juneteenth is a day of mourning; the Confederate holidays still celebrated today seem like a gruesome counterbalance. So this is my eulogy to both the country and my own being that could have been.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Cyrus Roberts (he/him) writes, acts, and directs across poetry, theater, and film. While his work has been commissioned by organizations like Toms Shoes, Adidas, and March For Our Lives, he also enjoys working on cool independent projects, whether he’s self-publishing poetry compilations, creating movies with friends, or acting in his own plays. Roberts is currently a senior in UC Santa Barbara’s BFA Acting program. Look for him in the upcoming film Summertime, directed by Carlos Lopez Estrada. His assistant director on the project was Mattie Kranz.

POPLAR TREES

Before you there was me. But before me there was (Nina Simone audio: “black bodies swinging”). And that was the gentler time period. Everything base within you, reflected in your actions. Please don’t censor me when I mention how you wrangled our teeth from our mouths and used them to seduce your own illnesses into submission. Or how you took an interest in the skin that had a monopoly on sunlight and then took what you wanted underneath the moon. Or how you used our babies as crocodile bait and our skin as shoe leather. Look right into the eyes of our demise and try to say those times are past, that I’m being rash, that I’m being bad and so full of woe and I should be glad I’m writing this on my MacBook Pro. Yeah? Who am I to complain about slavery? Because it ended, right? On June 19, 1865, Union Army general Gordon Granger made his way to Texas and proclaimed slavery’s supposed fall and us colored folk supposed to have a ball? I mean it was two and a half years after Lincoln already announced it, but we needed a white man to tell other white men what another white man already said. I mean that is until that white man found himself dead and Reconstruction found itself at a head and chain gangs, sharecropping, Jim Crow, private prison options, perc popping, bodies dropping, cops still stopping, guns cocking to ensure that (Nina Simone audio: “black bodies swinging”). Every 19th of June we celebrate the end of chattel slavery and every 20th we’re back to fighting its descendants. Private prisons / a cop’s knee is a modern lynching / it ain’t my decision to get busy dyin’ or busy living / I paid attention, to all the digitized depictions / all the people packing up pensions while we’re backed up by the system. Put your back into the system, this is wack how mother’s missing their babies kisses and I’m supposed to be celebrating? I’m sorry. Will you forgive me, I’m jaded. My grandmother looks at me and says confidently that I made it. That she can’t possibly imagine the life that I’m living, I owe a debt to her generation, and I hope that I pay it. I just get so angry, hazy laughter at the thought of thoughts and prayers ending enslavement. So after you hear me, I’ll forgive you if you’re jaded. But you still need to know the history to have an appreciation. It’s no mystery why it’s a mystery present in our education, presently the gatekeepers keep us from it and it’s heinous. On Juneteenth, Americans across the nation eat red foods in honor of the blood spilled before and during emancipation, we celebrate the secondary, pushed-to-the-side independence day, but you don’t have to know our proclamations of jubilation for us to be heard. We will be heard in our voices screaming thanks that we are not treated as herd. We dance and we sing hymns of freedom. Freedom: absence of subjection to foreign domination or despotic government. Are my brothers and sisters in jail cells free? When there’s a glaring loophole in the 13th amendment smiling from cheek to cheek I’d imagine there’d be some incentive to ensure our purity is never free. And how can I be free when I can’t sleep because my dreams keep whispering I can’t breathe. Regardless of that fact, progress is still being made. But I fear progress is just an exchange of chains for other chains. Same way they changed our names for other names, I rest a bouquet on the graves of enslaved, singing regardless this day. In the hopes that I never again have to see (Nina Simone audio: “black bodies swinging”).

UNTITLED

SIERRA LEONE ANDERSON

youtube

WHY SHE WROTE THIS POEM:

“When writing this poem, I really made an effort to think back to my ancestors. What was their impact? Who did they inspire? How did they carve the path for the road I now choose to take? This poem is about legacy. I am calling back to the ancestors before me to give me the strength and courage to be the ancestor I want to be to future generations.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Sierra Leone Anderson (poet) is a youth activist and professional spoken word artist from Los Angeles. Rooted in liberatory joy and armed with ancestral truth, Sierra Leone aims to bring light to the power of language, empowering Los Angeles youth of color to recognize the quantifiable influence of their voice. She has placed both second and first in Get Lit’s annual middle and high school Classic Slam respectively, co-wrote an article for the political column of USA Today, and has shared space with several influential changemakers including Dr. Melina Abdullah (co-founder of BLM-LA) and Cecily Myart-Cruz (president of UTLA). Her other organizing work includes collaborating with Students Deserve LA to make Black Lives Matter in and beyond schools. She is currently a ninth grade student at Girls Academic Leadership Academy and an avid lover of trashy teenage dramedies.

Her director and editor is Lukas Lane, an award-winning filmmaker and founding member of Literary Riot (started in his junior year of high school), and he is currently attending UC Berkeley.

UNTITLED

Every generation, the world gives birth to a new fleet of freedom fighters.

I am one of them.

I stand on the shoulders of tired women.

I dance in the footsteps of Pan-African poets, liberation fighters, and Black writers

who grew fires from a pit hungrier than a stomach. They call my name and I call theirs.

Malcolm X. Phyllis Wheatley. Maya Angelou. Sojourner Truth. Audre Lorde. Ida B. Wells.

Your resilience rivers through me. You are my founding fathers. The blueprint to a world we need to be brave enough to see, to seek.

Let us imagine a world in which we know each other’s palms

and never the fist. Not unless needed. Not unless united together.

Let us be the drum and not the war.

Let us know each other’s names and not the languages we cry in.

Let us be, let all us be more than a slave’s wildest dream

Let us beam past blueprints and what-ifs and start becoming the now we want to see, the now we want to be

Trees growing so far past the Earth, Allah would mistake our bodies for angels.

When I die, I want to ripple through lifetimes. I want my name to graffiti the mouths of the next 10 generations.

I don’t want to be forgotten. Or remembered for the way my feet wouldn’t stop running.

I wanna grow roots in this soil, in this American skin. Join the forest of my ancestors. Let my grandkids climb up my branches and tell stories of school.

And before the first pulse of morning, I want them to drip from their homes and gather at my roots.

I want to tell them my name before I forget it.

I want to tell them that morning is coming. And will always come. And will never wait for when you are ready.

I want to tell them that there is a point far beyond this tree, this forest, this temporary point in time, their bodies, their fears, their fathers, their memories. Where the sun is eternal and smiling. Where freedom rings and is never silent, never out of reach. It is called horizon. And it is right there.

#juneteenth #archewell #sierra leone anderson #cyrus roberts #cortunay minor #tamia jackson #get lit #poetry #poets #Youtube

31 notes · View notes

pugzman3 · 4 years ago

Note

My level of thinking may differ in some respects. I watched every minute of the Chauvin trial. He was kneeling on George Floyds neck. In videos it was apparent that that was happening. On the subject of 1st amendment rights in the private sector you are wrong. The Framer's of the Constitution would not have imagined our current situation but, it does say the there is a difference between Private and Government as far as 1st amendment rights. An employer or a private platform does not have to abide by the 1st amendment. The Government sector however does. A little research tells one this and in my case, a friend who is a lawyer. " The First Amendment does not limit private employers. The Bill of Rights and the First Amendment limit only Government Actors. This means that private employers can restrict speech in the workplace without running afoul of the First Amendment" The same goes for Private platforms such as Twitter and Facebook. One example of Trump's lies is that he told the public that this virus wasn't as bad as it was early on. The taped interview for Woodward's book has him stating otherwise. Taped interview!

So I am guessing that you are the same person that keeps sending the anonymous ASKs because you are actually speaking and not being childish like the other attention seekers, and again, I greatly appreciate the maturity. So here is the deal, if you want to have a conversation, let's go. I would say DM me here...but tumblr has disabled my ability to send and read DM's, which by your logic they have the "right" right to do. Freedom of speech for some, not so much the others. So, my IG is pugzmantothethird, I can chat there, unless you are going to come with some third grade media blinded argument. If that is the case I have some suggestions for you, so stay tuned.

since you want to bring up chauvin again and the trial you watched, then I guess you saw the police chief admit that the knee was on the neck the whole time. I guess you saw the witness plead the fifth because he knew his answers would be danming for the prosecution. Or maybe hulu blocked that info, I don't know. Regardless here is the deal. if you think that was a "case" of "police brutality", you are wasting my (and your) time. Floyd was going to die that day. That was the plan. It was a FF organized and executed to trigger anger and division among the masses, bring in more socialistic controls, discredit cops and encourage the defunding of police across the country, and millions fell for it. Both Pelosi and his GF called him a sacrifice. Don't believe in FF's or that the gov is ran by luciferians that would do something like that? check this out, from April 19th to the beginning of may is a big season of worship in their calander that calls for sacrifices. What did we see almost every day during those days? and what have we NOT seen since the beginning of May?

the trump lie, man I thought you might come with something better than that but ok. on the surface, again, I will assume you have never served or worked in a manner where you had to keep a secret or play down something to keep people calm, I have. you saw what people did with toilet paper right? on the surface again, you fell for the media doing any and everything they can to try and discredit him, and cover the fact that time after time they get proven as failures as journalists. Go learn about Operation Mockingbird and know that yes, it is still happening. The media is slowly being exposed as propagandists for the deep state, and they know it.

The 1st A, I think we were somewhat saying the same thing, except for private businesses. I said that we are protected under it and officials are to protect those rights. yes, like you said, it protects us from the gov, which to me I was implying that from "everyone" i meant especially from the gov. But again, you are looking at the surface argument that is being presented by the media, and you showed that when you said trump was "whining" about being censored, and you try to say "Founding fathers couldn't have foreseen that". quick smackdown on that, pretty sure the majority of business back in 1776 were privately owned business so yeah they had something to site in on. But that is third grade shit. The bigger picture is that the traps have been set for big tech and they are in the teeth now. You think it was just about "censorship" when their plan was much bigger. Go study Joseph Goebbels and his tactics as Minister of Propaganda under Hitler. Open your eyes and you will see the exact same game being played right now. This is what they do not want you to see, and this is why the media is trying to run distraction. They want you small minded and short sighted because they want you to believe they are on "your side" right now. But it will not stop there and in the end, no one will be safe.

As for the suggestions, if you want to talk, I am up for it. But come out from behind the anonymous because I sure as hell am not going to report you or whatever you are afraid of. Worst case scenario, we disagree and go about our business. Best case scenario, you get freed from the matrix. But before you come with that surface bs argument, maybe just sit back quiet for a bit, open your eyes, forget EVERYTHING you thought was real, drop your biases, and watch. Some one brought you to this Great awakening fOr a reason my frienD.

19 notes · View notes