#then I'll divide it into 2 million posts more or less

[beauty-and-passion]

I love the analysis you did about Filbrick. The only thing that I disagree with is "Filbrick is not a bad father, because he kicked Stan out" because I do think that part of what makes him a bad father is that he kicked Stan out, that was a cruel thing to do.

Awww, thanks for reading my analysis!

Well, your point is extremely good. And yes, kicking Stanley out wasn't a great move coming from Filbrick.

What I wanted to point out by talking about that part, was that Filbrick's decision of kicking Stanley out was the result of a sudden spur of rage, mixed with the need to protect the other son. From his point of view, Stanley just admitted "Yes, I sabotaged my brother because I want to keep him stuck with me forever". Of course kicking him out wasn't the best solution, but it was the most instinctual one: your son is hurting the other? Separate them, before more harm is done.

But please, do not misinterpret my words: by saying that Filbrick acted out of a spur of rage (because that's what he does and it's clearly said in Lost Legends), I don't mean "Filbrick is a great dad". And by pointing out the reasoning behind it, I don't mean that he's Father of the Year and all fathers should be like him.

What I wanted to do was explain the reasoning behind his actions and how, according to him (and in a non-affective way), Filbrick was doing what he thought was the best for his sons and family.

Did he do it in the wrong way? Sure. Could he have done it better? Of course. Was it cruel? Sure it was, even though he thought it was the right thing to do.

Again: understanding doesn't imply accepting. I can get the reasoning, but that doesn't mean I endorse it. However, since it's interesting and it portrays a character more multifaceted than just "evil cardboard figurine no. 11", I wanted to show this to others too, so they can also realize that wow, even a background character can be compelling and interesting with some good writing.

(And nooo, this isn't a reference to another father we just found out he exists (existed?) and no I am definitely not writing one trillion posts regarding a certain someone what makes you think that)

[sillylovingpupper]

So you guys did it again.

So, as of my writing this, Trump is the presumptive winner of the US Election. He hasn't actually won, but barring a major upset he's going to. This time, he's won the popular vote (by a lot, actually, 6 million as of my writing) so there's really not a lot to fall back on. Wow. I have to say, I'm a little less optimistic this time than the last time I wrote a post like this. The Republicans are setting up to have a (narrow) majority in Congress, too. There's a pretty good chance of a full Red government.

So, what do we do now? First and foremost: don't panic. Take a few days, breathe, maybe see how the final votes shake out (we may still get a narrow House victory), but take a few days. Trump isn't going to be president until January. Nothing terrible will happen in the next week or two if you take this chance to rest. Well, not politically. I can't speak for your personal life.

I said something similar in 2016, and I'll say it now. Trump and his people can not change the course of the country quickly. The way this country was designed explicitly prevents that. There's fewer protections now than there were, but the really big, drastic changes he wants to do require an Amendment, which relies on a 2/3rd majority in Congress. The Republicans do not have that. The Trump Republicans don't even have a majority in Congress. So as much as he wants to, he can't gut the country day one. Some of the stuff he wants to do, he can do under Emergency Powers, but not a lot of it. It's not likely that the United States has been dealt a fatal blow today.

However. He can and very likely will make things very difficult for us for the next four years. A lot of Federal Offices are setting up to be staffed by complete loons more interested in breaking things than fixing them. We'll almost certainly see abortion and transgender rights being carved away in the early days of his Presidency, and he has a lot of support for his economic plan. Also he plans to add Musk to his administration, and we know what he tends to do to companies. We'll also probably see a good amount of healthcare in general get cut, and further reduction on corporate restrictions. Trump and his allies are coming into this with a plan this time, as opposed to 2016 when I think even Trump was surprised he won. It's not going to be a big, loud, destructive thing, but there will be damage. This isn't the end, though.

Many of you reading this may feel helpless right now, that's there's not much you can do. You're disabled, you're exhausted from work, you're deep in a red state and in the closet. It's okay to not do something immediately about this.

Living is a rebellious act right now. It's important that you survive. If you have to keep your head down to do it, then do it. Many more of you may be feeling like you can't do enough. Like the only solution is an armed revolt. That may be the case. That's not something I'm really invested in being a part of, for many reasons, but it may be the case, in the worst case scenario. What's even more important, though, is that we come together. Look after each other. Trans people, immigrants, they're in the crosshairs right now, and if you can do something to make them safer, by all means, please do it. If Trump gets his way, a lot of access to education, health, and safety will be curtailed for all of us. This is the time when we pick up where the government steps off. This is the time when we look to our communities, both literally next door as well as online. A strong community trumps the government every time. That's ancient knowledge. It's why the ability for people to organize is one of the first things on the chopping block. So build a community, and be smart about it, especially if you're in a red area. Remember, too, that one of the biggest tools in the fascist toolkit is to divide us along whatever lines they can find. Don't let them. Hold tight. If the person next to you has believes in things that disgust you? As long as they're not harming other people with them, don't push them away. The more united we are, the harder it will be for fascism to grow.

71 million people voting for Trump isn't nothing. But it's less than a quarter of the population. There's still more of us. Protect yourself, protect your loved ones, and don't let anyone tell you it's over for this country. America only falls when we let it.

[crisisdotorg]

Hi thanks for sharing! It's true what you said about needing safe space for women from men, as well as giving them more opportunities. I cannot disagree with you on those points, and I thank you for bringing that up. Tbh I easily get swayed by overly simplified tiktok videos, and I didn't realize the person posting that video misunderstood and oversimplified some things.

But I guess where we disagree is that I believe trans women are welcomed in those spaces. I'm a bit disappointed and sad by the way you refer to trans women if im being honest. My reasoning for supporting trans women is:

1. gender is socially constructed, so we can do whatever the fuck we want with it, it doesn't matter. Though obviously that does not mean that our sex assigned at birth is irrelevant, like yes, being born female or male or intersex is pertinent information in certain situations such as with a doctor, even a psychologist, etc. I would say the relevance of being trans in competitive sports is a bit nuanced bc of testosterone and whatnot and I haven't really dived into researching that yet so Idk about that yet but I'll admit I'm inclined to want to find a way to include all women no matter their identity.

2. At the end of the day, we're just human. I've personally met a lot of trans women and heard a lot of their stories, and yeah, when they're perceived as women, they are just as in danger being around men as cis women are. Yes, trans women experience different things when it comes to their bodies, yes cis women have periods, can make children (though, a scientist recently successfully transplanted a uterus in a trans woman's body), but this isn't oppression olympics. Like i dont expect a trans woman to know exactly what it's like to be a cis woman, but she still deserves to be treated nicely and we still need to understand that they are in danger. Men don't care if someone is trans or not when it comes to misogyny, let's be real. They see something that looks like a woman and will be abusive. They don't think trans women are equal to them. The numbers don't lie, trans people are most likely to die when found out about being trans. It's really horrifying. I wish all women could include all women even if they don't personally understand their experiences. And my heart breaks when i see women so divided on this. We don't need to understand someone to include them.

3. People can do whatever they want with their bodies. It's not mutilation otherwise we'd start calling getting one ear pierced mutilation, all surgeries mutilation, etc. Like shit. Anyway, let people enjoy things and yes that extends to gender.

4. Truth be told, if trans women were men, then they wouldn't try to be a woman. Sorry but men live amazing lives in constract. Obviously trans women dont choose to be trans otherwise theyd wanna be cis cause that's less complicated and u get less prosecuted. Like being trans is very dangerous and scary in this world. If u were born male and could choose ur gender, you would stay male cause the world treats u better. Hence why, it's not a choice. Trans women are women and their experiences are valid :)

Ok this post is kinda long and im not even saying half of what i want, but idk if u know what i mean? Trans women arent dangerous. Idk if u ever met one irl and had a conversation with her? I have a million times (queer club at my school) and they're not the weirdos u make them out to be. Look, my dad used to hate gay men religiously like he would say really mean things about them. Then, one day my sister brought over a good friend of hers who was a gay man, and my dad talked to him, and was open minded while doing so. Suddenly, he didn't hate gay men anymore. Suddenly, he understood them a bit better. Like maybe if u tried talking to a trans woman irl? Maybe more than one? Just really hear them out? They're really just like u and me, wanting to have a safe space, wanting to be accepted. They don't deserve any of the hate they get. It's just not fair.

what she said ♡