#unfortunately the most truest statement i’ve ever heard

[gregmarriage]

did u know when I type my tag for you (🦌) tumblr always suggests that it should be “🦌naked” which I did not realize until literally right this minute is supposed to be “buck naked”?

this website will find absolutely any way to be relentlessly horny lmfao

-xoxo 🪻

not gonna make a joke, not gonna make a joke

[ofaretuza]

‘Robert Frost‘ Quotes; sentence starters  Accepting ⛧  @suhmuse  said “Freedom lies in being bold.” from c i r i 

In the wake of the vehement statement, the sorceress remained silent, her expression unchanged. Though she appeared almost indifferent, the intensity in her eyes betrayed the truth—she was fully focused on her charge, dissecting not just the words uttered, but every individual nuance of the girl’s composure, from the fierceness that sparked in those large green eyes to the ferocity of the scowl that had flickered across her face.

Feral little witcher-girl, full of such indomitable spirit. How ironic that you are ruled by your emotions. Just like me. Just like him—though he’d deny those very emotions exist with his last breath. Had things worked out differently between us...

No. I mustn’t think it. Mustn’t imagine what might have been—the pain is too great. Focus on the task at hand, not on mistakes made in the past that cannot be changed!

Mentally shoving aside the wave of sorrow before it could take root and drown her, she narrowed her eyes, concentrating on the girl and the statement presented, which was satisfactory on the surface, yet woefully incomplete.

A dark brow arched upward in contemplation, the silence between them dragging out as she returned to pondering the meaning of all the tiny little hints Ciri had unconsciously displayed.  She would wager that the spark in the girl’s eyes was excitement—she’d most likely been thinking of boldness in the most obvious form. The sort of boldness demonstrated by Geralt and the other Witchers—dauntless and daring, displaying far too much valorous courage and far too little common sense. Following that train of thought to the next, she could surmised that given Ciri’s preoccupation with becoming a witcher, she no doubt imagined that freedom somehow translated and corresponded to a life spent on the road slaying monsters.

A soft sound escaped her—one comprised of frustration and a heavy dose of irritation, though neither pertained to nor were directed at the young girl beside her; no, there was another target entirely, though she certainly couldn’t point that out to her charge. They belonged solely to the man who’d asked her to help Ciri master her abilities—to teach her about magic and the control thereof, nothing more. Without a doubt, he would not take kindly to her overstepping the bounds of that agreement... however, she’d promised the girl sincerity in  all things—and she had not thought to limit that promise to subjects of a strictly magical nature.

Oh he’s placed me in a wretched position—do I hold my tongue so as to not contradict what they might’ve taught her, or do I speak freely, and in doing so be true to myself and the promise I made her?

Her jaw tensed—it was the only outwards sign of the turmoil that was taking place in her mind.

“Correct, yet incorrect at the same time, my ugly one,” she said finally. “And before you bristle and hiss like an angry kitten, yes, those two terms can most certainly apply to the same thing.  Your tone was enthusiastic and full of conviction... your eyes aflame with the same, even as you postured and attempted what I can only presume is your version of the White Wolf’s vicious snarl. Each of those things indicates that you were not speaking from a place of logic and reason, but rather allowing your emotions and feelings to gain the upper hand... which is rather amusing since I assume you were answering with thoughts of becoming a witcher filling your head... and they all  claim  to be void,  totally emotionless creatures.”

Her tone inadvertently shifted, sounding jaded and bitter towards the end; she frowned—unfortunately, there was no undoing what was done, she could only hope that the girl hadn’t caught the slip.

“Thinking like a witcher isn’t a bad thing, in and of itself—provided you keep in mind that society will never consider you as such at first glance. When they look at you, they will not see a witcher... they will see a girl, and as far as they are concerned, girls aren’t allowed to be bold or free.  We have discussed this topic before, albeit briefly... now it seems we must revisit it, expounding on the issue. You must never forget that the fairer sex are always at a disadvantage when it comes to society as a whole. Men hold themselves above us, seeing us as nothing more than chattel—as such, our thoughts and opinions don’t matter, simply because we are women. To most of them women have no purpose in life other than satisfying their needs when it comes to pleasure or bearing a brood of sons to prove their virility.”

She paused for a moment, lips twitching at the fiery spark of anger that appeared in the girl’s eye—knowing instinctively what she was thinking and responding before the objection could be voiced.

“I said  ­most  of them—not all. It’s quite obvious that Geralt and the others have evolved beyond such idiotic, archaic notions—the fact they trained you in the witchery ways proves it.” She reached over, smoothing an unruly strand of hair behind the girl’s ear—making a mental note to take care of it with her scissors when they returned to their room. “Unfortunately, you can’t hide away in the Keep forever, Ciri... as lovely as that thought might be.”

Once again, her tone betrayed her, the wistful, dreamy quality exposing secrets not meant to be told. Memories swarmed her—recollections of Kaer Morhen, and the days and nights she’d spent at his side; for a dozen heartbeats, she could not speak, then she cleared her throat, irritated with herself for the momentary lapse of control.

“The one you have placed on a pedestal  has given you one example of boldness, now it is up to me to give you another that is far more important... one that will help you not just as a witcher, but as a woman who is driven by emotion.   Society will penalize you for that as well, you see—men will use it against you. Rather than debate your comments, they will dismiss them, using any emotion you might display against you—labeling you an illogical female, incapable of seeing reason. Which is why you must learn to master those emotions and hide them away deep inside where the world cannot see them.” Her lips twisted wryly. “I am sure you have heard whispers about my coldness... my icy nature—I know what is said about me, Ciri. It suits my purpose. When I speak, people listen. When I offer advice, they contemplate what I’ve said. And when I am displeased, they are contrite, for everyone knows that the cold iciness of winter is far more dangerous than the warmth of summer.“

She was surprised to find that she’d begun stroking Ciri’s hair as she spoke; the gesture was the exact sort of indulgence she rarely allowed herself to partake in at all—limiting the brief instances to when she helped the girl with her grooming. She’d forbidden herself anything more—it was a dangerous thing to do. She couldn’t allow herself to become attached in the slightest, for if she did, it would hurt far too much when their time together came to an end.

She’s his... not mine—no matter how much I wish it otherwise. He will reclaim her, and when he does, I will have to let her go.

That’s all there is to it.

“And thus, we come to the sort of boldness that involves heart, mind and spirit, my feral little witcher-girl. It is not marked by a lack of restraint or a lack of control. Nor is it steered by untamed emotions that will make you careless, or by a rebellious, recusant attitude.” The sorceress pulled away, standing up and making a show of smoothing the wrinkles from her skirt; her icy mask was affixed firmly in place—betraying not a hint of the dismay she felt at the loss of that small, warm body cuddled up against her side.

“Boldness in its truest sense is comprised of purpose driven, intentional behavior and strong conviction. It requires aligning your heart and mind to the truth that you feel at your innermost core and embracing it fully, Ciri. It means having a purpose—one so clear and bright that you would never relinquish it; something you believe in so strongly that you would rather die than abandon it. That feeling of complete certainty... when you embrace it, and act on it, you are truly bold, and when you have that sort of boldness, you will always have the sort of freedom that no man can ever take away from you... because it is rooted in your soul.”

With that, the sorceress turned away—a silent indication that their lesson was done. However, the truth was that she’d turned away to hide her expression from her charge—afraid that the surge of emotion she felt in that moment would reflect across her face.

Oh, my White Wolf... I envy you your true purpose.

Would that I could take your Surprise for my own, I would keep her by my side forever and never let her go.

[whateverisbeautiful]

Reveling in Richonne

#148: The Defender (9x07-9x12)

So before 9x14, there were more little notable tidbits here and there. Michonne had to defend her stance a lot and go through it. And even though she didn’t seem to have a whole lot of people behind her, I was on her side completely. I could see her perspective loud and clear so you know...

As for 9x07, I like that Siddiq seems to be one of Michonne’s closest confidants because he’s a really good person and because Carl’s the one who brought him to her. Grimes looking out for each other even after they depart. 

Michonne has a moment in 9x07 where she tells Yumiko, “I know what it’s like. To worry about your family. To carry the burden of protecting them. To feel guilt when they suffer.” Everything Michonne is doing and has done is for her family, and not just her immediate family but for the larger community family they’ve built. She wants to do what’s best for all of them. 

Yumiko says they’ll all be fine. And Michonne says, “Because you have to be. I would know.” And she reassures them they’ll find a home. That’s also something Michonne would know since she went from being a lone wolf type to truly finding her home and the family she was meant for.  

We also learn that Maggie left without even saying anything to Michonne which is tough and strange. For some reason the two had a falling out that doesn’t ever quite get explicitly addressed . 

Michonne tells Siddiq she kept her promise to Judith by getting that new group to Hilltop and so now she’s going to go home. And it’s sweet how all of this really was because she heard Judith out and wanted to honor her daughter’s wish. 

Siddiq asks what about her promise to Carl and she says it’s not that simple. And it’s true, after everything she’s been through sometimes the rules change. Just like if Carl or Rick would’ve gone through that Jocelyn stuff they would’ve adjusted too.

Y’all, I don’t even want to address the uncalled for hostility Michonne’s met with when she pulls up to Hilltops gates in 9x08. 🙄 But I will say that Tara needed to turn that attitude all the way down cuz she had me watching like... 

Michonne and Carol have a little exchange and get to talk about the kids which is nice. I’m glad someone acknowledged Michonne as a mother and not just the Head of Security like we’d been seeing. And it makes sense that Carol would be the one to do that. 

I’ve alway wanted Carol and Michonne to have more scenes together since they’re both strong women who have gone through a lot of the same things. So I appreciate that in this moment they at least acknowledge the similarities in their journeys when Carol says, “You and me, we both lost children and we kept going.” 

It’s deep cuz losing a child is the toughest thing to go through and they two of them have seen it happen many times and been personally affected from it. And yet years later these two are still standing cuz they have an immense strength within them. 

(Side note: So the wigs…can we talk about it for a sec? 😬  For Michonne’s wig, I get the idea and I like the idea. But all I gotta say is they are lucky Danai can pull off anything cuz the execution of this wig was not always on point to say the least. Like the taping of the edges to start. 🤦🏽‍♀️ They are in Atlanta! Black hair capital. To have a wig like that...they could have done better. I’m just saying. But again, Danai makes it work cuz she just got it like that.👌 And for Carol’s wig, again the idea and the significance of the longer hair isn’t bad, but still that execution was not the move.🏽)

Later in this episode, Michonne says how she knows she didn’t make easy choices but, “at least they’re alive so they can hate me for it.” I’m still unclear as to what would make the others behave this way towards Michonne. 

Even if she did cut places off, no one ever stopped and said hey I know Michonne used to have the most sound head on her shoulders of us all so maybe if she’s making a drastic decision there’s a valid reason for it. 

People seem to know what Michonne went through, or at least the gist, but still gave no understanding. Michonne’s mantra now is that there’s a whole lot of broken world between the communities so they’ve gotta focus on taking care of their own. And yes would it be nice if they could all just be united? Definitely. That’s what she’d really want. But also right now Michonne’s at a point where she has to do what she has to do for her family, the same way Rick did. 

Rick straight up kicked Carol out of their community in season four to protect his own, so drastic measures have been taken before for the sake of protecting your family.

Michonne really does feel like she’s looking out for the best interests of everyone if they stop traveling so much cuz it would keep everybody a bit safer. Not just Alexandria, everybody. When she tells Siddiq at least their alive to hate me it’s because she genuinely sees her decisions as having kept everybody alive. She didn’t cut things off to punish, dismiss, or divide. It was to protect and save.

So next, it’s interesting cuz my favorite part of 9x09 was in the “previously on” part lol. 

Michonne’s voiceover does a briefing on the past and mentions everything that went down. And she says “We lost friends we loved…my true love.” And y’all, that alone took me out. 😭🙌🏽

I really loved hearing Michonne refer to Rick as her true love, even if it wasn’t within the show. Rick is her true love. It’s just the gospel truth. 💯

And then she says, “But even now, six years later, his hopes for the future live on.” And it’s so sweet cuz she says that over clips of Judith and RJ. They’re Richonne’s legacy. 😊👌🏽

So listen, during 9x09 Negan got out of his cell and if the goal is to redeem him, then having him immediately go into Michonne’s home at night and walk right into Judith’s room ain’t a great start. That’s so creepy and violating. 😖

But I do adore the precious  drawing Judith has above her bed. It’s Rick, Michonne, Carl, RJ, and Judith. The royal family. And it says the truest statement ever on the top, “My family is always with me.” Amen, Judith. 😊🙌🏽

As Negan’s about to hop the gate, Judith stops him with a gun cuz she’s about that life. (Although whoever was supposed to be watching her, while Michonne was away, was def slacking.) 

Then Negan and Judith have this whole little exchange and Judith is quite fearless. 

Negan tells Judith, “You know when your mom and dad - when they locked me up, they told me that I was gonna be good for something.” And I just appreciate hearing Rick and Michonne be referred to as “mom and dad”. 

And I like that he acknowledges the wonderland that Alexandria’s become. Despite Judith’s knack for making her own decisions she does at least know who’s boss when she tells him, “Rules are rules. My mom decides not me.” Which is nice to hear, even if she does let him go afterwards.

Michonne and Daryl also have their first convo post time jump and it’s nice to see them together.

(Side note: I knew they wouldn’t address it or show it but I was very curious as to how the conversation would go when Daryl explains to Michonne why Rick was even in that bridge situation in the first place. Cuz if it was up to Rick…he would’ve been at home with her that day. But Daryl, Maggie, and a fake friend horse unfortunately had other plans.😒)

Michonne tells Daryl that Judith found the new people and vouched for them so she does too and Daryl’s with it. In regards to Paul dying and them bringing him back to Hilltop for closure, Michonne then says, “It’s gonna mean a lot to them. Bringing him back. Burying him.”  You know this speaks to her because she didn’t get that closure with getting to bury Rick.😔

Daryl knows too and sincerely says, “Sorry I couldn’t do that for you.” I appreciate him saying for her specifically, cuz of course he wanted to find Rick for him and everyone else too but he knows that it would have especially meant a lot to Michonne, cuz in losing Rick she lost her soul mate. 

And Michonne looks at him and says, “I’m sorry I couldn’t do that for both of us.” Cuz it’s true these two are the closest people to Rick. It’s his wife and brother and so it is sweet to see them have this moment of understanding more than anyone, what not finding Rick has felt like. 

It’s nice that now Rick has a wife and best friend who still feel the weight of his loss six years later and keep his memory alive. 

Michonne also thanks Daryl for trying to find Rick and “for after” cuz those two went through it big time in between this time jump. 

When they’re confronted by Whisperers at the bridge, I love the shot of Michonne walking with two walkers behind her like her OG days in season three. 

But what’s cooler is that, while the image is reflective of the past, this isn’t the same s3 Michonne. This Michonne has a whole family now and doesn’t just get her strength from the dead, she lives for the living. And slays for the living too.👌🏽

I’m glad Aaron is a real one for at least starting to understand where Michonne is coming from with why she feels these communities need to stay in their own lanes. There’s some sadistic people out there, with Alpha being top of the list, and they know that now.

I’m also here for Judith being a woman of her word. She said she’d shoot next time she sees Negan and that’s what she does. On site.👏🏽

Next time we see Michonne is in 9x12 and she’s confronting these deceptive Alexandrians about the radio stuff. She has to give them a dose of reality when she lets them know this sneaky stuff not only could get people killed, it already is getting people killed. 

She tells them that putting themselves out there when they don’t have to is dangerous but Father G feels like cutting themselves off from their friends is dangerous too. 

Aaron steps up and defends Michonne’s point of view because there are literally masked enemies out there now that confirm exactly what Michonne has been saying. 

And Aaron speaks nothing but facts when he says, “We put Michonne in charge of security for a reason. Her judgement has saved us time and time again.” Thank you Aaron for that dose of solid truth. Louder for the people in the back. Michonne’s judgement stay saving lives. 👌

🏽Siddiq brings up the fair and that Michonne turned it down which upsets the people. But, after seeing how the fair went down, I’ll be honest, the petty in me was like…do 👏🏽y’all 👏 🏽see now 👏🏽that 👏🏽Michonne’s 👏🏽insctinct👏🏽 is 👏🏽always👏🏽 right!? 

They’re lucky she’s not the “told you so” type because she knew the fair could be dangerous and leave them all vulnerable and well, exactly that happened. Yes Michonne is leading with an iron fist and I’m not saying she’s perfect, but they gotta at least understand that sis has a point. A lot of valid points, if you ask me. 

It’s good Michonne is so levelheaded and mature too because a lesser person might’ve been like; you Alexandrians better listen to me...

In Michonne’s first exchange with Negan since the time jump, she shows up to his cell and wants answers as to how he got out and why he came back and what he was planning. 

Negan really is still trying to talk all big like he’s in control and tells her how he was in her house and could’ve killed her and a lot of people but Michonne calls him right out and knows he came back cuz he knew there was nothing out there for him. It’s a read. 💯 This whole scene is a read from Michonne and I’m here for it. 😌

Negan again gets too personal when he tells her, “You’re keeping me in here to remind everyone how merciful the great Rick Grimes was.” Keep that name out your mouth, Negan. 😤 

And then Negan really tries to offer to be some kind of sounding board for her which is low key insane lol. 

I was a little shook that he’d even think Michonne would even consider an offer like that. Sounding board!? Ain’t nothing sound about that man. Being in that cell so long clearly has him not thinking straight. 

When he refers to Michonne as the leader, she says she’s not but both Negan and I were like come on girl, you’s the leader. 😂

He mentions he knows she wrote up some constitution, and it was cuter when Rick referred to it as that. Just saying. And then Michonne sees Judith by the window and is surprised and I was like yes girl, your daughter is buddy-buddy with Negan and we need to nip that in the bud asap.

Michonne then confronts Judith at home. But first she watches as Rick and Michonne’s peaceful prince, RJ, sleeps. Precious. ☺️

Literally everytime they show RJ I just feel like we’ve won the best award. Whenever he’s on screen I’m just like...

Michonne asks why Judith was spying on her and Judith says she wasn’t, she went there to see Negan. Michonne is surprised to learn she’s been talking to him and so she asks why. Judith says she feels sorry for him and Michonne is adamant when she says, “He is not your friend, sweetheart.” It’s the truth.

And then Judith has the tween response of, “Well obviously.” Michonne asks, “So if he’s not your friend then why are you talking to him?” and Judith says, “He listens to me. Not everybody does.”

It’s interesting cuz so much of what a parent does can go unnoticed. Michonne listened to Judith with Connie and Co and personally escorted them to Hilltop to keep her promise to Judith. But sometimes when you’re a kid you don’t see that.

This moment between Michonne and Judith reminds me a bit of Rick and Carl’s exchanges in the past. And in both situations, even when they don’t see eye-to-eye, the love and care they have for each other is always so evident. It’s why they so fiercely protect each other. 

Michonne tells her, “I don’t want you to ever go near him again.” And Judith asks why not so Michonne explains, “There’s a reason that he’s in a cage, Judith. He is a monster.” And I was like...

And then Judith gets passionate when she says, “No he’s not. He’s a human being.” Girl, if you were in that lineup you’d feel different. 😬 Pretty sure that’s a direct quote from Michonne’s mind. 😂 

Michonne clarifies saying, “But he has done monstrous things.  He’s killed people. People I cared about. People your dad cared about. And if we ever let him out it would start all over again.”

Judith counters with, “But mom, he did get out. He’s not like that anymore.” And Michonne says, “I get why you want to believe that. But people don’t really change.” 

And then Judith responds with the deep statement, “You did.” This really resonates with Michonne. And I think this moment resonates with her for a lot of reasons. 

Michonne has changed and evolved a lot over the seasons. Especially from a lone wolf to a valued family member. She also changed leadership styles after going through trauma. So she knows Judith has a point that she changed. And I think it hits her that Judith has noticed these changes within her. 

You can tell it stirs up a lot in her so she pauses and tells Judith to go to her room. And Judith again has the tween response of, “Why?” and Michonne is just honest and says, “Cuz I need a minute.” It’s the healthiest approach to be honest like that and take some time to process all this. 

Again, it’s tough cuz Michonne is expected to balance so much. She’s expected to be hands on as both the Head of Security/Leader and as a mother of two. It makes it difficult to have moments to breathe. So as weighted as she clearly feels in this moment, I’m glad she at least takes a moment to herself to process. 

Michonne has a good heart and a balanced character, so she’s open to hearing people out. And we see that when she has a sweet moment with Aaron where she thanks him and Aaron again reiterates his understanding of where she’s coming from. 

Because she’s willing to be a team player, she tells Aaron that she won’t veto the councils desire to go to the fair. She admits she thinks it’s a terrible idea (and she’s right) but she also cares to value their rights, plus it’s for the Kingdom, which she cares for. 

Aaron says he hopes they don’t regret this and Michonne agrees and unfortunately they all will. 

But at least this moment shows that Michonne is willing to do what the best leaders do which is take a step back every now and then and let people lead themselves. 

As people pack up for the fair they stay on this shot of Michonne alone and sitting very contemplatively. And it’s tough seeing how much she has to endure alone when normally Rick would be right by her side. 

It’s also tough cuz Michonne’s gut feelings are so right so often, so it can’t be easy to know that her people are willingly putting themselves at risk for something she knows will be a mess. But they lived and they learned…well most of them. 🙃

And that’s everything that goes down with Michonne and her family in the events leading up to the meaty Michonne episode we get in 9x14. It’s a tough one but also really significant so you know I’ll break it down. 👌🏽😭

gifs source: @michonnegrimes

[operawindow9-blog]

Will Packer's New Series Prompts Atlanta Police To Re-examine Murders Of 22 Black Children

With his latest docu-series, “The Atlanta Child Murders,” film producer Will Packer is calling our attention to the cases of more than two dozen black children who were killed decades ago.

The three-part series, which premiered on Investigation Discovery on Saturday, re-examines the murders of 29 black youth, mostly children and a few adults, between 1979 and 1981. Children were abducted and later found dead, in many cases strangled. Black parents and community leaders condemned the city for not treating the matter with urgency.

In what many suspected to be an effort to calm hysteria and racial tension, authorities identified Wayne Williams as the main suspect and linked him to many of the homicides. He was convicted of killing two adults, but was never tried for the children’s cases. Twenty-two of the deaths are now considered cold cases, and the families of at least 22 murdered children have yet to receive justice. Packer, known for producing “Girls Trip,” “Think Like A Man” and “Stomp The Yard,” among other films, wants to help change that.

“If we don’t, as a country, and if the people who’re in power and have the influence, don’t make the decision to put the resources behind protecting those that are most vulnerable, then something like this can happen again,” Packer told HuffPost.

On Thursday, Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms and police Chief Erica Shields announced that the cases are being re-examined and that “technological advances in testing DNA evidence will be the main focus,” according to a press release.

“It would certainly be in order for us to look once again at evidence that the city of Atlanta has in its possession... and to determine once and for all if there’s additional evidence that may be tested that may give some peace ― to the extent that peace can be had in a situation like this ― to the victims’ families,” Bottoms said in a statement. “To let them know that we have done all that we can do... to make sure their memories are not forgotten, and in the truest sense of the word to let the world know that black lives do matter.” She also thanked Packer for bringing the murders back to light.

The filmmaker talked to HuffPost about helping these families find justice, how America views black children and how this could happen again if we don’t start protecting the most vulnerable.

For a lot of us who’ve been following your work, it’s definitely something different. Why is this project important for you?

It is different. It’s a little bit of a departure, but at the end of the day I’m a storyteller. I’m a filmmaker, I’m a constant producer, and so I want to put my weight of my name and my brand behind projects that I consider important. And sometimes, it’s about entertainment, it’s about coming to the theater to escape the real world and have a laugh. Other times, it’s about telling the story you may not know, or you may know and don’t know the details, and it may be about giving voice to folks who haven’t had a voice, an opportunity to tell their story on a national platform. That’s what this is. It’s about those family members of the victims who haven’t had an opportunity to tell their stories on a national platform.

This case was a bit before my time, and I’m just so baffled that I hadn’t heard of it until finding out that you were involved in this docu-series. Can you talk about how you got involved with this project?

I grew up in the South, I was aware. I didn’t know all the details that I know now. But I did know that it happened. I grew up in a time where, especially growing up in the South, where I was raised, your parents told you, “Come straight home from school and don’t let the streetlights catch you, and obey your parents. Do what you’re told, and always let somebody know where you are, or else you could get killed like those kids in Atlanta.” That was a cautionary tale for my generation.

And so what happened was, I had a relationship with another production company who produces for Investigation Discovery and does crime-type docs, and they asked if I would be interested in doing something on the Atlanta child murders. I said, “Absolutely.” I said, “It’s something I’m very interested in. It’s something that is a story that... not enough people know, and this was an American tragedy.” A lot of people just don’t even know it happened.

I reached out to Investigation Discovery, along with Jupiter [Entertainment], and we put a team together and Investigation Discovery said I could do it. Originally, it was gonna be just a one-part thing, and it ended up being a three-part doc series. So, I’m proud to be involved.

Yeah, definitely. And I agree with you, as far as it being a national emergency and tragedy. We’ve seen, during that time and in recent years, with the stories of missing black and brown kids, or black and brown kids who have been tragically murdered or taken away from us, those stories don’t always make national news. They don’t always get the proper attention from local authorities that they deserve. In working on this docu-series, what were some of the red flags that you saw in the way that it was handled then that you kind of see still persisting today?

That’s a good question. And you know what? It’s the same as it was then, and then it is now. People who are the least among us, the most vulnerable, the poor. The disenfranchised, the marginalized. Their lives are not valued the same way as those who have wealth, who have means, who have power, who have influence. That’s it. Period. And that is why this was allowed to happen and went on as long as it did in Atlanta, back almost 40 years ago, now. If we’re not careful, something like this could still happen today, because we do not value lives of those who are the most vulnerable, who need our protection the most. We don’t value their lives in the same way.

Yeah. At all. How was it working with the parents and the family members of these children who were taken?

A lot of these family members don’t have closure. There’s a perception out there that... one person who’s in jail, Wayne Williams, was tried and convicted of the murders of these kids, and that’s just not true. That’s a misperception. These cases were closed after Wayne Williams was convicted of murdering two adult men. They closed all the other cases because it was a matter of convenience. The city, and frankly the country, at that time, needed it to go away. And the murders stopped when Wayne Williams got arrested. So the combination of that meant that you have families that never got a chance to watch someone be held accountable via the American criminal justice system. They never got to say, “OK, justice was served... and this person was convicted.” They never got that, and I’ve learned that that is an important part of closure, for many victims.

How does the docu-series approach him being named as the primary suspect?

The doc doesn’t draw conclusions. It allows the viewer to draw their own conclusion, it just lays out the evidence... The doc does a really good, methodical job of painting the picture of what happened, of how it happened, and the results from what was going on during that time. It doesn’t speak to Wayne Williams’ guilt or innocence, but it does beg the question: Is it possible that one person was responsible for all these killings during that time? And I think that’s an important question you gotta ask. I really do. And whether he was or not, the fact that he never sat trial for other murders, I think, is a travesty. I don’t think that’s justice being served for those families.

It’s not a “Wayne Williams’ guilt or innocence” doc. It’s really a doc about these kids and about those families and about those affected. It’s also about a time in our country’s history. But ultimately, yeah. We do present the evidence so that you can watch it and draw your own conclusion about whether or not you think this was one single person doing this.

Was there anything surprising for you, or anything that you learned in the process of working on this?

I was actually surprised at how many people, black and white, do not know about this... If you’re under the age of 40, this is something that maybe you kinda, sorta heard about, but you don’t really know what happened. What this was. And, in my opinion, it’s one of the greatest tragedies that this country has ever witnessed. So, for people to not know about it, that is the thing that was most surprising for me. But hopefully, this’ll be able to shed some light.

What do you think this case, and the way that it was handled, says about how this country views black children?

That the value of black lives, poor lives, marginalized lives, brown, black, immigrant, it’s not the same. They’re devalued. This is not a country that values all lives the same, unfortunately. Still does not, to this day. And if we’re not careful, something like this could happen again. It may not happen on the same scale, but even one life... Even one life of the most vulnerable among us being lost, when it could have been prevented, is a travesty.

And if we don’t, as a country, and if the people who’re in power and have the influence, don’t make the decision to put the resources behind protecting those that are most vulnerable, then something like this can happen again.

I want to zoom in on Atlanta really quickly, because it is a city known for its rich culture, known for having such a vast and diverse black population. What effect do you think this case and these murders had on the city of Atlanta?

It’s a stain still on the city, to this day. It’s a secret, it’s something that’s not widely talked about, but if you’re above a certain age in Atlanta, you know that this happened. I think that it affected the way that the police departments, the GBI, Georgia Bureau of Investigations, handled cases going forward. I think that Atlanta was slow to recognize that this was an epidemic that was happening, that there was a pattern amongst these killings. I don’t think that will happen again. And I think that, as a city, Atlanta realized that it did not do justice to the victims by making this a national issue early on. By the time this got to national news, the killings were in the teens. That’s far too many lives to have lost... There were... mistakes made on the political level, on the law enforcement level, on the community level that I would hope would not happen again in the same way.

What do you hope that people take from this docu-series? Whether they knew about these murders, these cases, or whether they didn’t. What do you hope that they walk away from this docu-series knowing?

I hope they realize that... first of all, that it happened. Second of all, that it can happen. It could happen, and it can happen now if we don’t put value on the lives of those that... don’t have a voice, that are the marginalized and disenfranchised. If we’re not careful, something like this could happen again, whether it’s black children in Atlanta or immigrants at the border. We have to say that those who are the least among us, from a traditional hierarchy, socioeconomic standpoint, those that have [less than] are just as important as somebody who comes from wealth, who may be blond-haired, blue eyes, and have a particular family name. We gotta start doing that, as a country. That’s what I hope ― people will watch this and realize, “Wow, this tragedy happened. If just one of those lives could have been saved, then a horrible mistake was made. Let’s not do that again.”

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Source: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/will-packer-atlanta-child-murders_n_5c950a30e4b01ebeef0ea6b3