#currently helping my sister harass the school and district

[skullz-chamber]

Last night I was about to sleep early and my sister called me bc Isaac ( my youngest nephew who is 8, autistic, has ADHD, a speech impediment and ODD ) got a concussion at school bc his teacher threw him. She claims she lightly jerked her arm from him and he fell but mans was speaking straight jibberish for 30 mins, couldn't walk properly and couldn't eat. I'm like.. girl I'm one deranged mf and even I've never thrown Isaac.. you're literally not fit to be around children and that's coming from someone who is property of the state.

[swifteforeverandalways]

Partners in Crime Chapter Seven

Notes: Brigham Sinclair and Detective Lovato are both from CSI: NY (I have been on a huge CSI NY binge as of late). Syndel Okaia is an OC and Detective Morse....well....y’all gotta guess that one ;)

Tag Squad: @riottstheory @thirst-n-bullshit

A few days later, the two Austins, Raul, and Jake were called to a meeting with Stephanie and Hunter. Raul and Jake, both armed to the teeth, escorted the two Austins to the McMahon Family Corporation Headquarters. The four stepped into the office to see that there were more than just Stephanie and Hunter in there. With them was an African American man dressed in a suit.

“Who is he?” Jake asked, placing a hand on his concealed gun.

“Jake, Raul, this is Brigham Sinclair, he’s the NYPD Chief of Detectives,” Hunter said.

“Not that I’m really here willingly,” Sinclair muttered. Stephanie shot him a look. 

“Why is he here?” Austin T asked. Stephanie sighed.

“Sinclair owes our family for helping him out a number of years ago when some...allegations about him harassing a clerk of his. He hired a woman named Ann Steele to ‘fix’ it and she did, by asking us to make her quiet. We did,” She explained. 

“Did you guys kill the clerk or whatever?” Austin F asked. 

“No, we just threatened her,” Hunter said calmly. Austin F blinked at Sinclair cleared his throat.

“What am I doing here anyways?” He asked. 

“The people who have been killed with the symbol of an A and a W, they’ve been killed by the Elite. We are going to…..deal with some of their members, and we need you to have your detectives look the other way,” Hunter said. Sinclair looked unhappy but nodded.

“Fine, whatever. Can I go now?” He asked.

“You may,” Stephanie said. Sinclair got up, leaving. Once he was out of the room, Jake and Raul turned to their bosses. 

“What if he doesn’t have his detectives look away?” Jake asked. 

“We have a second plan,” Hunter said.

“Who is this second plan?” Austin T asked skeptically. There was a knock at the door and Stephanie smiled.

“Come in,” she called. The door opened and an older woman, maybe mid or late 40s, walked in. She had white hair, though there was a stripe of dark grey right down the middle. The woman held herself with an air of regality, and was dressed in a royal purple pant suit. 

“Who the hell are you?” Austin F asked, narrowing her eyes in suspicion. 

“This is Syndel Okaia, she works for the New York District Attorney’s office and is a friend of our family,” Stephanie said. 

“Why is she here?” Austin T asked, looking unsure. Syndel looked at her, the expression on the Asian woman kindly.

“My family and I will keep the police off of your backs,” she said, “I’m a prosecutor. My husband, Kenshi, is the captain of the Brooklyn Special Victims Unit. Our daughter, Jade, is a detective with him while our son, Takeda, is currently in law school. In addition, our daughter-in-law is part of the NYPD’s Crime Scene Unit, so she is hands on with the crime scenes and evidence. The four of us will keep suspicion from all of you.”

“Why? Why would you do this for us?” Austin T asked, frowning. 

“Because Stephanie and Hunter are friends of my family. They trust you, or at least have faith in you, so my family will help you,” Syndel said, “While my family and I may share names with Mortal Kombat characters, we are not like them.”

“Did Syndel just make a Mortal Kombat joke?” Stephanie said with a laugh. Syndel gave her a glare, though her expression was amused.

“You know how my family and I feel about the….retcon from MK11.”

“Yes,” Stephanie smiled, “We all know.” Syndel chuckled and looked back at the two Austins. 

“Any more questions?” She asked. The two shook their heads and Syndel nodded.

“I will see you later,” she looked at Stephanie and Hunter, who both nodded. The white haired prosecutor headed out. Once the door was shut once more, Stephanie and Hunter looked at the two Austins.

“Now,” Hunter said, “How have you two been settling?”

“Pretty good,” Austin F said.

“Jake and Raul said you two kind of keep to yourselves?” Stephanie said gently. 

“It’s not that we don’t trust you, it’s just that we only truly trust each other,” Austin T said. 

“Why is that?” Stephanie asked softly. 

“I guess…I guess it’s because of our past,” Austin F said with a sigh. 

“What about your past?” Hunter asked. Austin T and Austin F exchanged a look before the two sighed. 

“So I was raised originally by my grandparents as my mom was into drugs and stuff, never even knew my dad. But my grandparents were on the older end. When I was six, there was an accident and my grandpa was injured badly. Because of that, I was put into foster care,” Austin F said. 

“Mine is similar,” Austin T said, “I never knew my parents, though. Apparently they were both into drugs and shit, I had been a ward of the state since I was a baby. I met the other Austin when I was four.”

“We were in the same foster home, even if it wasn’t a great one. We became close, really close. Siblings, pretty much. When I ran away when I was sixteen, he followed,” Austin F said. Stephanie and Hunter nodded.

“I…that’s a hell of a story,” Hunter said. Austin T nodded while Austin F just looked down at her shoes.

“Do you have anything else for them?” Raul asked, a protective look crossing over his face. Stephanie and Hunter exchanged a look before nodding. 

“No, we are good for now,” Hunter said. Jake and Raul nodded before ushering the two Austins out. 

Austin T reached over and squeezed Austin F’s hand, smiling at his sister. Austin F smiled back instinctively. Despite everything, the two were always going to be there for each other.

When the four arrived back at their apartment, they found two people waiting outside the door. One was a tall, blonde woman while the other was a shorter woman with dark hair and darker skin. 

“Hello, may we help you?” Jake stepped up in front of the others. 

“I’m Detective Morse, this is Detective Lovato, we’re with the NYPD,” the blonde woman said, “We would like to talk to Austin Flynn and Austin Theory about the murder of Robert Stone.” The two Austins stiffened at that, knowing that it was their black market seller who was murdered by the Elite.

[allthecanadianpolitics]

The family of a high school student has filed a $1-million lawsuit against the York Region District School Board (YRDSB), alleging that administrators failed to act on ongoing racial harassment and physical attacks against their child.

The lawsuit alleges the school board was notified of the incidents and threats on "many occasions" over the course of the current school year, but administrators never took appropriate action.

The sustained harassment ultimately led to multiple physical altercations that left the targeted student with severe physical injuries, including a concussion, and psychological trauma, the lawsuit also says.

"I don't think [the board] took it seriously at all," said Jacqueline Howell, the mother of the student.

Inside her sister's home in nearby Stouffville, Howell wiped away tears while recounting her youngest son's traumatic first year in high school.

"Myself and my son felt helpless," she said. "They didn't help me at all."

Continue Reading.

Tagging: @onpoli @torontopoli @ontarionewsnow

[blackresearchcentral]

The Black Panther Party's Black Community Survival Conferences

Sickle Cell Anemia Testing (Photo by Bob Fitch)

The Black Panther Party for Self-Defense was a revolutionary black nationalist organization founded in 1966. 

In 1972, the Black Panther Party held three conferences for the black community in Oakland, California.

These "survival conferences" were organized with the goal of promoting the development of grassroots institutions to help an under-served population meet their own needs outside the municipal, state or federal systems.

During the first event from March 29-31, the Panthers conducted a voter registration drive, led drills for “panther cubs”, tested people for sickle cell anemia, and had free grocery distributions for thousands in attendance.

Free Grocery Distribution at the first survival coference (Photo by Bob Fitch)

The next conference on May 13, 1972 championed the support of a new local political platform - with co-founder and chairman Bobby Seale for mayor of Oakland and fellow member Elaine Brown for Sixth District city council seat, who ran their campaigns on a "Community Survival Ticket".

Black Panther Party Newspaper, May 12, 1973 - Vol IX No. 30 (Source: It’s About Time BPP Archive)

(Source: It’s About Time BPP Archive)

Top: Bobby Seale and Elaine Brown on the campaign trail, 1972 

Bottom: Sickle cell anemia testing during Bobby Seale’s campaign for mayor of Oakland, California, 1972

(Photos by Steven Shames)

When the curtains were drawn open at the second conference, 1,500 bags of groceries were revealed all laid out on the stage. These were distributed by the Black Panther Party during this Black Community Survival Conference at the Henry J. Kaiser Convention Center (also known as the Oakland Auditorium). (Source: East Bay Times)

“Let it shine, let it shine! Let the power of the people shine!” (”Elaine Brown - Councilwoman”, “Bobby for Mayor”, “Re-elect Ron Dellums”, and “Shirley Chisholm for President” can also be seen here)

“I’ve lived through some hard times here in the ‘land of plenty’, with the U.S. government talking about a sale for this and a charge for that, while we the people starve!” (“Bobby Seale for Mayor of Oakland, “Endorsed by the People”, “Vote for Survival”)

“Last night I dreamt all my friends came over to see my new room and play in my yard. But I sleep in the kitchen with my sisters and thee are rats in the lot out back.” (The ad in the back says “Large Luxury Homes With A View - the three and four-bedroom houses with ? and family rooms range from $75,000 to $?”. The poster the boy holds reads “People’s Free Co-operative Housing Now!”, “Bobby Seale for Mayor of Oakland” “Elaine Brown for Councilwoman.”)

Flyers for Bobby Seale and Elaine Brown's political campaigns by Emory Douglas (via Its About Time BPP Archive)  

You can see some primary documents relating to the campaigns here and here.

The final conference would be held on June 24, 1972 at De Fremery Park, which was known to the Panthers and locals as "Lil Bobby Hutton" Park in honor of their first official member Bobby Hutton.

Two women with free bags of food at the People’s Free Food Program, Palo Alto, California, 1972 (Photo by Steven Shames)

You can see how people felt about these services. This is from  (Source: Billy X. Jennings/It’s About Time BPP Archive)

Although a single project on this scale was never done before, serving the community was nothing new for the Panthers.

Members of the Black Panther Party stand behind tables and distribute free hot dogs to the public in New Haven, Connecticut in the late 1960s (Photo by  David Fenton/Getty Images via HuffPost)

This was just one of many proactive community initiatives of the organization. Party members continued to serve in other capacities such as police patrols, providing free clothing and shoes to people in need, providing free and relevant education at their elementary school (Oakland Community School, formerly the Intercommunal Youth Institute), providing free breakfast for children, providing transportation by bus for people to visit incarcerated friends and family, providing escorts for senior citizens to their medical appointments, providing an emergency ambulance service, establishing free health clinics (dental, blood testing, etc), establishing legal clinics, and much more.

Free clothing distribution in New Haven, Connecticut, 1969

Leonard Colar helping a woman with her shopping as part of the Black Panthers’ Senior Escort Program, 1973

Black Panther children in a classroom at the Intercommunal Youth Institute, the Black Panther school, Oakland, California, 1971

(Photos by Steven Shames)

The Black Panthers began their breakfast program  at St. Augustine's Church in January 1969, feeding poor and inner-city children. By the end of the year, their local project took on 10,000 children all over the country. They were soon serving full meals to 20,000 children on a daily basis.

“It is my belief that we black people need gas and electricity on cold and dark days; doctors and medicine in times of sickness; breakfast, lunch, and dinner in times of hunger.” (Revolutionary Art by Emory Douglas via Its About Time BPP Archive)  

The program was so effective that Jesse Andrews, California state treasurer, went so far as to say the Panthers were feeding more children than the United States Government.

J. Edgar Hoover in the Oval Office at the White House on July 24, 1967 (Photo by Yoichi R. Okamoto via LBJ Presidential Library/University of Texas at Austin)

In 1969, FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover, who sought to dismantle the organization through a massive counterintelligence operation, boomed his frustrations outright:

“The BCP (Breakfast for Children Program) promotes at least tacit support for the Black Panther Party among naive individuals and, what is more distressing, it provides the BPP with a ready audience composed of highly impressionable youths. Consequently, the BCP represents the best and most influential activity going for the BPP and, as such, is potentially the greatest threat to efforts by authorities to neutralize the BPP and destroy what it stands for. “

Black Panther Party Newspaper, Vol XII No. 25 - 1/15/75 (Source: It’s About Time BPP Archive)

Police in Oakland, San Francisco, Baltimore, and Chicago spread lies to manipulate public opinion, conducted raids, harassed participants and children, and outright destroyed food and packaging in attempts to disrupt the party’s progress.

The media had their own take on Panther activities as well running articles with mixed perspectives on what the breakfast program meant for the Panthers and the communities they served. 

Lionel Wilson speaks before the Oakland Chamber of Commerce in 1977 (Photo Credit:  Oakland Public Library)

As a result of the voter registration drive of 1972, thousands of black voters were registered. When Bobby Seale ran for mayor the next year after his release from prison (time served for his radical protests of the 1968 Democratic National Convention), he came in second to the incumbent mayor John Reading out of a total of nine candidates. In 1977, Lionel Wilson was elected the first black mayor of Oakland, California - thanks in part to the work of the Black Panthers.

Long after the activism of the Black Panther Party ended with the dismantling of the group in 1982, their services continued in other forms.

Inspired by the actions of the Black Panthers, the United States Department of Agriculture revisited and permanently implemented the School Breakfast Program for children in 1975, which had begun as a two-year pilot program the same year the Black Panther Party was established. It currently feeds over 13 million students across the nation every day.

A Black Panther Party member speaking to children at breakfast (Photo by Steven Shames)

In addition to this, more than half (53%) of the infants born in the U.S. participate in the USDA's Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), which was another Black Panther initiative.

You can learn more about these social programs here and here.

The survival programs of the Black Panther Party are also detailed from their own perspective and through primary resources here.

Promotion featured in a Bay Sunday news broadcast (CBS5 KPIX-TV) on the legacy of the Black Panther Party as seen in the video below

Even the Black Panther’s Sickle Cell Anemia Program was not immune to sabotage attempts by U.S. intelligence agencies. Here is the cover of their paper’s May 7, 1972 issue.  (Source: It’s About Time BPP Archive)

Black Panther Party alumnae carried on the mission of the Black Panthers in their own ways, especially in regards to health.  

Ericka Huggins joined by her Black Panther friend and husband John Huggins at a “Free Huey” rally (John Huggins was gunned down by a member of the black nationalist US Organization at UCLA in 1969, part of a strategic operation by the FBI)

Ericka Huggins initially joined the Black Panther Party after seeing a photograph of Huey Newton on a hospital gurney bleeding profusely from a gunshot wound to the stomach as an Oakland police officer stood over him laughing.

The catalyst then for her interest was an emotional concern related to health.

A newspaper account of the story by the Associated Press...the media’s perspective

In his book Revolutionary Suicide, Huey describes how police officers handcuffed him to a trolley and beat him after he had been critically wounded in a shootout with police. When he spat blood on them, they covered his face with a towel, and beat him some more. Huey wrote that a young man, Dr. Finch, committed suicide after Huey's first trial.

In later years, former members Angela Davis and Jonina Abron became involved in the National Black Women’s Health Project.

Seated with her fellow colleagues in 1989, Abron stated in an interview:

“You know, one of the points in the Black Panther Party’s program was ‘We demand decent healthcare for black people and I see my own involvement in the Black women’s health project as, you know, part of that continuum. I’m still, you know, in my own way trying to work on that particular part of the problem.”

The point she referenced was introduced on March 29, 1972 by Huey Newton to the official cannon of the Ten Point Program as a revised point number 6 - no doubt a result of the burgeoning health politics evident in the planning of the first survival conference. This demand for “COMPLETELY FREE HEALTH CARE FOR ALL BLACK AND OPPRESSED PEOPLE” read in full:

“We believe that the government must provide, free of charge , for the people, health facilities which will not only treat our illnesses, most of which have come about as a result of our oppression, but which will also develop preventative medical programs to guarantee our future survival. We believe that mass health education and research programs must be developed to give Black and oppressed people access to advanced scientific and medical information, so we may provide ourselves with proper medical attention and care.”

Clearly, the Black Panther Party was at times rife with controversy but they are still known for the positive impact they made on the communities they served.

Read more about the party's contributions to healthcare in the book Body and Soul: The Black Panther Party and the Fight Against Medical Discrimination.

(Source: It’s About Time BPP Archive)

The Black Community Survival Conferences were not limited to the location of the Black Panther’s center of influence in California. There is evidence that survival conferences were held in other cities across the United States as these flyers for programs in Houston, Texas and in Detroit, Michigan confirm.

So...how do black communities across the nation survive in the conditions of the 21st Century? What lessons can we apply to our current struggles across the globe? Like the Panthers did in their time, we, too must answer these questions for ourselves.

‘I Gerald Ford am the 38th Puppet of the United States.’

‘They tell me there ain’t no jobs - what’s a person to do in order to survive?’, “For Temporary Work Lineup Here” (”Bobby Seale for Mayor of Oakland”)

“Food Conspiracy - [ME. conspiren; L. conspirare, to breathe together, agree in thought, unite] 1. any substance taken into and assimilated by a plant or animal to keep it alive and enable it to grow. 2. a plan agreed upon, the group taking part in such a plan; hence, 3. when high prices threaten the community, the poor unite, cut costs, in order to survive.” (’Things ain’t good until we the people get together for survival.’)

Revolutionary Art by Emory Douglas (via Its About Time BPP Archive)  

A clipping from the Black Panther Party’s newspaper (Credit to BPP Archivist Billy X. Jennings)

As Bobby Seale once stated...

“If there are no concrete programs to pull the people together...,to unify them, then we are doing nothing.”

After all is said and done in the course of our history, with many of the same persistent challenges facing us today, one question remains...

[sareesinthewind]

Photo 1: My Ammama's house Photo 2: My home during the 2 richest months of my life Photo 3: The TRO office on the A9 Road, Killinochchi (2005) Photo 4: 2 Grave "stones" of Tsunami victims erected at a mass burial site Photo 5: 69 children, all under the age of 12 perished at this Children's Home in Mullaittivu. There were remnants of feeding bottles, toys, shoes and books strewn around. SHIRANEE ************ 19 February 2005

Hi all  When I arrived at the TRO office in Colombo and asked if I could hitch a ride to the Vanni I didn't know they were looking for a translator for 2 French ladies who had arrived with relief items that they wanted to distribute at the camps (known as welfare centres).  That is how I met Sandrine and Catherine Chopin (S&C) and had 4 memorable days on the road with the sisters. The trip up to Vanni was smooth (left Colombo at 2am) until we reached the Army checkpoint at Omanthai at 9am. We followed the heavily laden truck (with relief items), by van.   The SL Army insisted on unloading the truck to check if we were carrying any banned items  (like guns!).  They detained us in the hot sun for 3 hrs while they unloaded, checked then reloaded and demanded Rs.1800 for their trouble !! Sandrine was not going to part with the money without a struggle. She asked to be taken to the highest ranking army officer who was rude and relentless while the junior officers were very apologetic saying they were only carrying out orders. We had no choice but to pay the 1800 rupees and get out of there before they thought of other ways of harassing us.  While they checked our personal baggage 2 female army officers helped themselves (or thought they did) to 2 of the trauma bears that I had brought.   When they finished with my bags, I pretended I didn't understand any Sinhala, grabbed the bears from them and put them back in my bag and zipped up very quickly.  They made rude comments about the Tsunami victims being 'lucky' because they received stuff like the bears !!!!   My limited knowledge of Sinhala prevented me - I was so tempted to say something which would have been a very foolish move under the circumstances.   Arrived at Killinochi (TRO Headoffice) at 3pm, very tired, hungry and longing for a shower but had to go into meetings with the TRO guys who would help us with logistics/direction re distribution.  I was on a PC translating and typing lists, 15 minutes after arriving in our homeland - felt very useful and glad to be so.  All records are maintained in Tamil so any information needed, has to be translated, which is where I become useful. 95% population speak only Tamil. The 20 year civil war preceding the Tsunami has impeded the education of the younger generation. They had no opportunity of learning English (or anything else for that matter).    Coming back to S&C,  we got the necessary information and with a guide provided by the TRO we left Killinochi for the Mullaitivu area to distribute relief items - this we did for 3 days, returning only to sleep at 11.30 pm each day. Mullaitivu is about 1-2 hrs by (pot-holed, mostly dirt) road.  We visited several welfare centres, all run by TRO.   We met victims still in schools (Phase 1), in tents (Phase2) and saw individual homes still under construction (Phase 3) where they will eventually be resettled.  Life in the tents is unbearable in the 40 degree heat - very sad. They sit in groups under the shade of trees during day and go into the tent only at night. They have no choice.  I managed to distribute the stuff I brought - Karen, the kids loved the trauma bears.  They have nothing to call their own and hugged them tight.  The stuff that Sue and Kate gave too were gratefully received - very useful.  S&C brought stuff that were suitable for infants - we had made up baby kits with about 12 items in each kit before we left Killi.  The smaller camps were easy but there was a rush for stuff in one camp that we reached only at 6.30pm.  We had to use the headlights of the van to distribute the packages as there was no electricity - this was a bit scary as we were losing control of the situation - people mobbed us and were visibly disturbed that they had not each received something.  Those who didn't get anything were complaining to me as I was the only Tamil  in the 'team'.  Very sad I wish we could give them all something - they had lost absolutely everything - some even had their clothes washed away and found themselves naked when the water receded.  TRO is doing a marvellous job with the limited resources.  We had lunch at one of the camps y'day and the inmates were thrilled that we shared their lunch. It is not an experience I can even begin to describe.  I had the opportunity of talking to many of the victims.  A lady who was surprisingly cheerful said she had lost 15 relatives including 3 siblings and 3 grandchildren. I asked her how she coped with her grief - she said being amongst others like her helped her cope. She pointed to the rest of the refugees and said that they were all in the same plight.  There was a very young father who blinked away tears as he related his story. He had returned from Dubai when he heard of the Tsunami only to find his wife and all 3 kids had perished.  He is not sure if he wants to go back to Dubai to continue his job as a truck driver there.  He says he has no one to earn for.  There was a lone young woman sitting under a tree - I sat with her for about 10 mins but could not get a word out of her - she sat with her head lowered and was not even aware of my presence.  The others told me she had lost her youngest who was born 2 months after her husband's death (natural causes) - this child had been special.  She had 2 other young kids who hung around. She ignored them.  The other inmates are caring for those kids.  Several such stories.  It was the fisherfolk who were most affected in the Mullaitivu district. The fishermen, now living in temporary shelters are proud breadwinners and are not happy to live on handouts. They want to get back to sea as soon as possible. I think that is the best 'relief' we can offer them.  I have now made contact with Prof. Soosaiananthan who has taken time off from his job at the Jaffna University (lecturer in Fisheries and Aquaculture) to help restart the fisheries industry in the Mullaitivu area.    I start work with Prof. Soosai's team today working on the "Back to Sea" project and will be based at the TRO office in Killinochi.  The "team" consists all of 3 members including  yours truly!! We have an office set aside for us with 2 PCs.    I will be translating reports and other data which we will send to people overseas who are interested in helping.  Everything happens at snail pace here - so don't expect updates from me too often!!!   S&C returned to Colombo this morning and I miss them - we had a wonderful time together with our young muslim driver, Innam and Jeevan the TRO guide - everyone worked so well together.  I am beginning phase 2 of my work here (!!) today.  Very rewarding time so far and am already sad that almost a week of my 8 weeks here is coming to an end. I will write whenever I find time. I am going to try and attach some photos and hope it gets through to you.  Sadeesh the IT guy here tells me hotmail will only carry one photo at a time - will therefore send you separate emails with photos - please bear with me !!  Shiranee  ************ 13 March 2005  Hi everyone  This is another update in case you are interested.  I am continuing to enjoy my stay here and find the work very rewarding.   I live in a small house built by the TRO for volunteers.  There are 5 such houses in one compound but not all are occupied all the time.  At the moment there is a couple (retired engineer and wife from UK), 2 young engineers and myself occupying 3 houses.  All meals are delivered from a communal kitchen in an adjoining compound.  It is quite normal to hear rustling sounds in the house. I am too scared to investigate so I get under my mosquito net (for safety!!) and read by torch light.  I am quite often in bed by 8pm.  I can ask the watchman (of the compound) to have a look but don't want to - this is all part and parcel of life here. I suspect frogs have decided to keep me company. Plenty of wildlife around. The UNICEF rep here (American lady) was bitten by a snake and was airlifted to Colombo after 3 days at the Killinochchi hospital.  I ride a bike to work and back and arrive at the office huffing and puffing much to the amusement of the TRO staff.  I am so unfit. At the moment I walk to work (45mins each way) because I have a flat tyre which needs fixing.   The sun is scorching hot by 7am.  Believe it or not, I have now acquired a tan !!!   I work in the office 6 days and teach English on Sundays (after attending CSI church at 7.30am) at one of the orphanages close by which cares for 520 girls and a few boys under 5.  I can't bear to go the baby section because it is so pathetic. The kids are very well cared for, well fed and kept clean but there is still that sadness in their eyes.  I try and make the lessons as fun as possible - games, actions, colouring etc    The Year 9's were only interested in the story I read and explained to them in Tamil.  There is a 21 yr old in the office (Akila) who grew up in the same orphanage.  She is keen to learn English but all she wants to do everyday is read the Cinderella story - I try to distract her and teach her other things but later wondered if that story is her dream too and whether that is why she wants to read that story over and over again. She is gradually beginning to trust me and now tells me her story - very sad.  She has a little sister in the same orphanage and a brother in an adjoining boys home.  Her sister is currently down with mumps along with 34 other kids and has been quarantined. Akila told me her sister was tiny for her age (I am yet to meet the sister) because she had only been fed water for the first few weeks of her life.  Children as little as 7 draw water from the well, hand wash  their own clothes and attend to all their needs themselves - they are so much more independent and capable than our children growing up in luxury in Australia.  Another girl (Year 9) told me that she owned a cow called 'Letchumie". She does not speak of her parents or siblings (probably dead, not sure) but keeps telling me she misses her cow and wonders where it is today.  Like the Tsunami victims I spoke to, I think these girls take comfort in the fact that everyone around them is in the same plight.  Some who have one parent or relatives (who are interested enough) go home during the holidays but the others stay all through the year. One girl even told me that she misses the orphanage when she goes home and feels 'out of place' when she is with her family who she sees only once a year - probably true.  My work is quite varied and I am happy to do whatever is useful which is mostly the use of my language skills.  For example, I attended the sports meet of a preschool run by the TRO where they teach kids 3-6 years in ENGLISH. The people here are aware of their lack of English skills and make it a priority to learn the language. Anyway, at the sports meet, I was asked to make the announcements in English (I was only there as a guest).  The guy making the announcements in Tamil was so professional and here I was spluttering my way through colloquial English - lucky not many understood me!!  I am often called into meetings to translate - sometimes challenging and exhausting because I have to be very careful to understand the issues before I translate and get the right message across.    I went to Colombo for a day to get my visa renewed (we are only given 30 days on arrival). I managed to get a lift in an air-conditioned NGO 4 wheel drive - sheer luxury.  Returned in a TRO vehicle driven by a young maniac with a death wish!!  I had to keep my eyes peeled all the way back. We left Colombo at 2am to avoid the sun and also to make sure we arrived at the army checkpoint early. The driver said "akka, keep talking to me, I am feeling sleepy"!!  So I had this deep and meaningful conversation which went on for 8 hrs. Thank God we arrived safely - wont be travelling with that guy again. I have approx 4 more weeks here and panic when I realise that my days here are numbered. Will write again whenever I find the time. Shiranee ************ 4 April 2005 Hi all It is with much sadness that I have begun saying goodbye to the wonderful people I have met during my stay here in Vanni.  It is so true that time flies when you are having a good time.  This is my final update before I return home in a week.  People  have been very warm and gracious in sharing their stories with me.  Every person I met had a story – they had lost at least one (usually more) family member either in the war or as a result of the Tsunami.  Displacement has thrust them into poverty.  It is interesting how they’d go to the trouble of explaining how well off they were before the war/Tsunami. All the Tsunami victims have now been moved into temporary shelters by the TRO which is a very basic structure – one room and veranda, communal baths/toilets. The shelters are built only 7 mtrs apart from each other – no privacy at all.  They cook outside on an open fire.  The children in these compounds seem reasonably happy but some have not gone back to school yet.  This is probably because they are left with one parent (or none) and have no guidance and support to get them back to school.  Several school buildings were destroyed by the wave.  Some of the students gather under trees  in the school compound for lessons.  I have enjoyed sitting cross legged on a mat and chatting with these newly resettled families.  Most are happy with the assistance they have received but TRO is not without its share of disgruntled beneficiaries.  They are unhappy that they have not been given boats and fishing equipment yet – they are not able to comprehend the mammoth task that TRO is faced with.  I had to explain to them that TRO itself relied on donations from the Tamil diaspora and had very little money to work with.  Some were also annoyed with people like me (incl. myself!) who come, chat to them and go away leaving them ‘empty handed’.  I hope they understood when I said that my aim was to go back and publicise their plight and get more donations so TRO could do more for them.  I could easily have caused a riot if I started handing out money.  It is very clear that people are emotionally disturbed and the men in particular seem  lost and helpless.  Some are not coping well with their ‘altered’ social status and stress that they owned big houses with their own generators, couple of boats, trucks etc before the Tsunami.  Tamil funeral customs are fairly elaborate and there is a lot of trauma relating to people not having been able to perform the burial/cremation rites for their loved ones who died in the Tsunami. In a sort of compensating gesture there were several memorial functions held on the 90th day of the Tsunami, couple of which I attended.  At one such service I met a 45 yr old lady who was terminally ill.  She said she lost her husband and all 3 kids in the disaster – she cannot understand why she was spared and attributes it to ‘karma’.  At one of the shelters I met a man who kept thrusting this photo of his family (all perished) at me repeating “thanichu ponan” (I am left alone).  He had scribbled the names of his family on the door of his shelter. In the adjoining shelter there was a young widow with 3 kids with sad vacant eyes.  I have lots of photos but there have been occasions when I have felt it inappropriate to take photos.  I have given up trying to make sense of these people’s misery.  It has been an emotionally draining experience but very enriching at the same time.  Sumathi is a student teacher at the English College run by the TRO.  I always spoke English when conversing with Sumathi so she’d get some practice.  Whenever she reverted to Tamil I would keep speaking English until one day, exasperated she said “Akka, can we speak Tamil because I want to ‘talk’ to you” .  She then poured out her story.  She had lost two brothers in the war and her family had been displaced several times.  Her older sister fell in love with a LTTE soldier and married him which threw her parents into further despair.  Sumathi said she tries to remember the times when her mother was happy (before the death of her brothers). She seems desperate for her parent’s happiness. Interestingly, she didn’t refer to her own grief.  I have been visiting a few of the Nutritional Centres run by the TRO.  These are places set up in remote villages where malnourished mothers and babies are cared for until the baby reaches an acceptable weight.  A mobile doctor visits the centres weekly.  The dormitories that house  the  mothers and children are mud huts with thatched roofs which often collapse during the monsoon season.  There is a chart of recommended nutritional meals displayed on the wall but they often can’t afford to follow that chart.   TRO allocates only  Rs. 25,000 (A$320) per month to each centre for food.  This is far from adequate and the kids often go without basic necessities such as milk.  With donations from family in Sydney I have arranged to buy 2 cows each for 2 of the centres and 200 chickens for another and also paid for the construction of a hen house.  This will now provide enough milk and eggs for the centres and any excess will be sold. The needs are endless.  These centres are also refuges for abused women. I met a  14 yr old mother who has been abandoned by her parents for bringing shame on the family by becoming pregnant out of wedlock!  The man who promised to marry her had absconded.  The centres provide training  (cottage industries) for these mothers who are often illerate, so they will have a skill and are able to earn a living when they leave.   This email is going out to friends and family in over 9 countries. Some of you have worked tirelessly for TRO over the past 20 years.  Having lived and worked amongst these people I can tell you without a doubt that your efforts are not in vain.  You’d never find a more dedicated bunch of people such as those working for TRO.  They work long days and have a ‘makkalukaha” (‘for the people’) attitude in everything they do.   On a lighter note…… Sleeping-in, is not a choice we have in this part of the world – the  cock-a-doodle-doo usually starts around 4.30 and goes on until 6am when the last lazy rooster decides to join in!  I am usually up and out of bed by 5.30am with absolutely nothing to do until I leave for work at 8am.  I lie in the hammock under the mango tree until the sun is up and scorching, around 7am.  One of our neighbours must have managed to buy some batteries for his radio – he thinks nothing of sharing his choice of Tamil music with the entire neighbourhood from about 5am and then again late into the night.  He plays the music so loud that it is really horrible and  distorted.    I ride about 2km to work along a dirt road bordered by beautiful paddy fields on one side.  The fields were dry and brown when I arrived in Feb but are now being ploughed and prepared for ‘Siru Poham” (low season) cultivation.  It is sad to see young boys who should be at school working in the fields. For farmers who cant afford to pay for  labour this is the next best thing – to have their children help in the field.  Very young girls bring cooked food to the field for their fathers and brothers at lunchtime.   I am going to miss everyone here so much particularly the 3 young boys in our compound who insist on doing a ‘full service’ on my bike each morning!!  All I need is to have the rear tyre inflated a little.  They love tinkering with bikes and I seem to have provided them with the perfect toy.    Kate is another Aussie volunteer sharing the house with me.  She arrived 3 weeks ago and plans on staying for 6 months teaching English.  We both have a session of debriefing at the end of each day which is great.  I have been translating for Kate both in the neighbourhood and at the orphanage where we teach together on Sundays.  She is now hurriedly writing down Tamil phrases that she can use after I am gone. Its been a lot of fun and I will miss Kate too.  This incredible experience would not have been possible if not for the support and encouragement of my immediate and extended family.  My employers, Blake Dawson Waldron were generous in allowing me 5 weeks additional leave as part of their Tsunami relief effort. I was therefore able to save some of my leave and hope to come back again, may be late next year. See (some of) you soon. Love Shiranee

[sonderrow-moved]

LIKE for a preestablished relationship/plotting line with Archer… BUT have at least one category in mind before I hop in your IMs! LINK TO JAEL’S: TBA

Update from this post! I entirely get the urge of wanting to roleplay, expand our muses together, and this is my personal starting pack for Archer! I take good time to redo this post according to thecurrent timeline which changed drastically since the beginning of this blog. If you’re hooked to one category but don’t think your muse can fit still HMU about it and I’ll see how we can work that out! So here are roughly the categories for inspiration your muse could fit in!

BUSINESS PEERS. Archer’s professional and very efficient work ethic made him notorious in unspoken matters as someone who will get things done with no needs of public recognition… which would lead to inner, private and ultimately more treasured recognition. He used to have clients, partners and met a lot of others at parties he went frequently to, mostly charity parties often disguised as business ones. Those partners may have known his father, maybe his grandfather, or maybe they’re fresh right out the bat, maybe the Kessler company sought them, maybe your muse’s company sought them and you stumbled upon him. Mind you that Archer has made the scandalous decision to sell the majority of his actions towards the company and doesn’t get more involved than necessary with its activities. This profile fits to every muse high enough in the business ranks to meet Archer; at least chief of a team in a department. It’s all about title. Do be reminded that the Kessler company is known to have an illegal and scandalous history as of NOW and that a lawful good muse would probably not want to be associated with it, or any muse wanting to go legal.

LEGAL WORKERS. With the horribly enormous pile of cases Archer’s been involved with, he needs a lawyer cabinet to back him and his business. Multiple ones. Maybe it is a genuinely crooked one, or a blindly optimistic one who believes his claims of innocence and being against the world, maybe the whole cabinet is broken and as a newly employed lawyer you are still too innocent until you notice. Law enforcers and government representatives knows how much Archer is guilty (or not), making him infamous in their ranks as one of those irritating cases where the system doesn’t seem to work. For muses working in the justice system, on any side, from judge to prison guard.

“FRIENDS”. Archer lost all of his friends when he was accused and imprisoned. He would have done the same thing; every one who was still linked by friendship to him risked everything. You’re one of those, because you’re not an idiot… or maybe you are and you did lose everything to keep your integrity. Or maybe you really were too stupid and loyal and believed Archer did nothing. This applies to particular muses who can fit in a scenario like this. Although for the sake of social standing Archer could “befriend” quite some people, he had a particular preference towards artists and introverted yet talented minds who had lots of potential, wanting to make them grow.

CRIMINALS. Con artists, mafiosos, yakuzas, drug dealers, maybe assassins, thieves, hackers, corrupted law enforcement agents, rich guys with illegal fetishes… Archer has dealt at least with all of them at least once. As a “cleaner” before he finally sat down on the CEO chair, Archer was the one who by circumstances became known for his professionalism, cool head and ability to erase any evidence from even the most alarming and need-to-be-quickly-done situation. Even a killer who does so as a hobby or for personal gain would eventually be caught as he goes on, unless he can take a contract or too, and have him give a helping hand in exchange for secrecy.  This applies to muses with at least a medium-ranked profile in the underground (so no simple alley drug dealer unless plotted).

ENTERTAINERS & SEX WORKERS. Given how Archer sees sex as being an extremely powerful tool, he often got around the latter, choosing carefully which escort he’ll personally put at his services. Archer kept the best ones at hand, to please contacts and clients. He respects them for their work, but he wanted professionalism from you and not cry if you got almost cut in half after a night. Although he stepped down from his CEO position, Archer was pushed into his sire’s hotel line, which secretly dealt with human trafficking and prostitution. With his experience, he slowly is coming back and is moving all his contacts over there, wanting to change his approach. Despite the need of running a very real business, he cannot ignore the amount of work his sire’s illegal business brings. This profile fills every muse working in the sex business outside camshows and movies. They don’t have to be the ones close to Archer.

VICTIM(S). Archer is a very high-rated criminal. Although he has only been found guilty of extortion, corruption, blackmailing, piracy and other business-linked crimes, he was accused but not found guilty of sequestration, serial murder, serial rape, torture, committing indignity to a body, publishing obscene material, harassment, insert lots of other legal terms surrounding this. Accusations which have been highly mediatized given how high profile he was at the time, him being used as a scapegoat and the scandal only worsened when it was said it was both on minors and adults. I won’t get too much on what the truth is, but if you’d like your muse to be victim of Archer’s real crime(s), do hit me up I’ll be very selective on this given it’s important to his background story. This profile would fit highly disturbed muse, hobos, prostitutes, people living in very poor districts, pretty much people who have the perfect victim profile. OR it can also be other businessmen, common people, those who would have their life ruined indirectly or directly any organization Archer was or is involved with, the most common being as putting you in debt with the mafia knocking at your door to kill you, break your legs or torture someone you love until you give them what they want.

NEAR THE VICTIM(S). There are suspicions your friend/lover/brother/whatever was done wrong because of Archer. Maybe you’re the one who pressed charges. Maybe it’s not you, but in some way you were involved indirectly in the scandal and it did something to you and you have your own opinion on it. Maybe you seek where Archer is to kill him, maybe just talk to him and understand… something.This profile fits a muse who has lost someone close to them in suspicious circumstances. 

PARTNER IN CRIME. You were there and you liked every bit of it probably (or if not you’re surely dead). VERY SELECTIVE. This profile fits muse with probable sociopathic and/or psychopathic tendencies who knows their way across the most fucked-up places of the underworld.

OBSESSION. High profile criminals with atrocious records are known to, sadly, have, yes,fans. Your muse believes that Archer did most of what he was accused for, choose to your discretion. Maybe they wanted to visit him, maybe they sent him gifts and mails, maybe they were already almost obsessed with him BEFORE he was accused given his bit of a disturbed but extremely charismatic and successful behavior and just FELL more as he was sequestrated. This profile fits muse going to the simple nerd with morbid curiosity to the very intense stalker.

MATCHMAKING. Since his teens, Archer has met multiple people for a potential marriage; the woman in question and the relatives that accompany her. And… when bored, his sister has the nasty habit of wanting to play matchmaker with him; Archer may not be the best person, but he’d hate to not make up to someone his hell of a relative tricked. Self explanatory. Archer’s sister, Eve (Everleigh), is owner of two modern galleries, so single people susceptible to befriend her could fall into that trap.

SCHOOL FACES. Archer cut next to every tie which couldn’t help in business after he graduated from university. It was brutal and without much warning although given how he was drawn to his duty, nobody was surprised. Archer got schooled at home as a child after becoming a depressed before going to a rich high-end private school. Afterwards, he became a star tennis player and the moral support of the team. He was also the president of a literature club where he was able to bond a bit with nerds and was known to tutors younger kids he believed had potential to help his reputation or parents who had power to help his family. Archer was mostly loved by everyone, but still bullied the weak or didn’t hesitate to stomp on other to raise himself higher. Victims of his young impulses, partner or rival in the tennis court, maybe the librarian, maybe a classmate, maybe someone from another school who always saw him and wanted to know him. This profile fits muses that Archer would not talk to unless he knew them from the past. Mostly younger muses that leads a life that has nothing to do with his work. RP can be during his younger years or simply skipped to the main verse.

MEALS. As a vampire, Archer consolidated his hypnotic powers and feeding, starting to leave some preys alive, but dazed and forgetful at times. On top of the numbness and blinding aphrodisiac the poison in his biting provides, he is able to leave the impression like their meeting was a dream; victims will remember vaguely his face, voice or other depending on characters, but not remember the feeding. However, willing and loyal ones may even befriend Archer, who finds consenting people much easier to deal with than laying bodies and sudden disappearances. This profile fits grey morale muses, ones who loves the supernatural, masochists, etc. who’d trade their blood and silence in exchange of being around a vampire. Archer only feeds on females if they ask directly for it or if there is nothing else, highly preferring to feed on males, which is linked to his sexual preferences.

RED LIGHT DISTRICT. Archer has become a prominent figure of the red light district; as the one guy who owned everything (which is not true, but blown out of proportions). Due to the forceful, ruthless and undeniably lustful reputation his sire has, being the envoy puts him in a powerful position where the line between him and the one who turned him might blur to others, as if they were the same person. Anything new in the district goes through him and pros and cons are weighted for healthy competition. Outside the hotels and their affiliated businesses, Archer personally owns two bars; one is lounge gay bar and the other one of the same style, only for the supernaturals of every shape and form, with products to cater their needs. Both are actually places made to cater to his difficult and high maintenance taste; if you cannot find it, do it yourself. Those bars include their own staff, which he selects himself to make sure nobody he would find inappropriate works under his image. As for the hotel line itself, it includes its own staff, administration, underground administration and staff, restaurant staff and entertainment staff for diverse shows and parties thrown. This profile fits any muse which would frequent the red light district, from newcomers to others looking for a job, frequent visitors and owners of businesses. From the woman who runs an escort club with a heart of steel to the bartender who just wants to pay his education fees to the security guard who has nightmare about the noises he hears behind closed doors.

HITMEN. You were paid to fuck with him, but thing is it’s pretty complicated. This profile is picky since obviously the attempt is going to fail and you cannot always RP back and forth attempts. This would be nearly a comical bond with a need to plot a resolution depending on your muse!

SUBMISSIVES. Archer’s history as a dom was… infamous. Long story short, he was known to be good, but dangerous. With a more stable mind he wouldn’t mind going back to one of his favorite hobbies. The deal is simple; he owns the person obviously, no penetration sex, no deep kissing, no romance (which doesn’t mean no affection or love) and not to start screaming about it on the streets. Although he wouldn’t mind so much now to play by the rules, if allowed Archer will become ruthless, enjoying giving permanent marks on others and inflict gradually harsher punishments or rewards. This profile fits, well, masochists and submissives people, from any form and shape really (a victim is a victim) who are willing to give their body for a mutual game, be they be paying Archer or not. Very selective… because Archer is difficult. The way he treats your muse can be from pretty sweet to downward harsh… entirely depends on what degree he finds your muse attractive. Beware scars and broken parts. Sessions can last from one evening to a whole weekend.

MISC.I’ll add more when I think of them! DO THROW ME YOUR IDEAS LET’S GO.

Like with any interaction, relationships are officially in the singleverse timeline if it is roleplayed to a minimum extensively. Looking forwards to write with you!

[homeschoolbase]

Bridging from Homeschooling to College

Bridging from Homeschooling to College

Hello,

This is my first ever post on this account, so here goes.

I am in the tenth grade, and I am now currently enrolled in a pretty decent online charter. To make a very long story short, I was dealing with some serious bullying and harassment at my district school- and on top of that, I needed to get a pretty big surgery this current school year. With all of those obstacles, I decided it would be in my own best interest as a 16-year-old to preserve my perfect grades as much as I could before the environment got to them. Alas, for the second time in my life, I joined an online public charter that has only ever gave me positives; making me independent, maintaining a schedule, remaining motivated, ect. I however am developing some worry though, and I am not sure where to really look for help because everyone seems too busy for me right now.

Before I get into my worry, I will try my best to lay out my situation. I am enrolled in several honors courses and programs. I compete on my local forensics team and I work under my mother at her business. I maintain a weighted 4.16 average at my current school and had a 4.13 at my previous school (bio killed me, but all I cared about was doing well). I do great on my standardized tests - which is so profound as I have also dealt with plenty of learning disabilities on my education journey, and I never give up. This all sounds great right? Well, I don't really know if being in an online school will stunt my ability to go the college programs I aim for, I am afraid that if my transcript says "______ Cyber Charter School" that I will just be completely written off, and that I was I come to this community hoping someone, like a parent has any assuring typed words they can send my way.

I believe some of these worries are rooted from the fact my sister had a pretty normal and smooth education system experience. She currently holds a doctorate in organic chemistry and always glided through the system - with her hard work of course (she is almost 30 now). Now, I want to be successful too, I know I can acquire scholarship money, and I have a really supportive mother an sister to help me figure things out financially, but I don't know cyber schooling will make it harder for me to get accepted as my grades might be too "questionable" because I get that from strangers a lot since they do not know I live and breathe my schooling. It also would be important to note I really want to be a teacher. It might sound weird since I am cyber schooled but I have been exposed plenty to bricks-and-mortar, I still even attend school board meetings. I want to, at some point, get a reading specialist certificate, ever if I need to further my plans to working towards a Master's degree. That idea has plenty motive, which I will not get into right now. In short though, I would like to help kids in the way others help me become the student I am.

So, if any Redditors of this community read my post, could you please spare me a couple of minutes and tell me if I am out of my mind or not? Should I change my really passionate plan that I have been developing for months? Am I out of my mind for wanting to be a teacher even though I have been thriving in cyber school?

I should also note one of my debate coaches is a credited reading specialist. Should I try and get more involved and see what she thinks? -she does not have much time for me though

Thank you so much if you read this for me... I am sending positive energy your way.

[group1thoughts-blog]

America Needs Feminism

Women make up 50% of the population on Earth. We’re strong, smart, and capable of many things. Marie Curie was a scientist who made the very important discovery of Radium in the early 1900’s. This major discovery paved the way for medical devices like x-ray machines. While this was monumental, the barriers to Madame Curie were even greater. Women didn’t have jobs outside of the home. Their jobs were to take care of their husbands and children. They were denied access to voting, jobs, and even their most basic human rights. Marie Curie is an excellent example of why we need feminism. This isn’t about demeaning men, it’s about being equal as a man. Even though it’s 2017, we’ve come so close but we keep getting pushed back. Let’s take a look into why we need feminism in the 21st century.

It’s a man’s world. As much as we like to make this joke in movies and TV it’s the truth in reality. While women are able to vote, work, and make other decisions based on what they believe it, we’re still being pushed around. Many women of color are restricted by voting due to gerrymandering and ID laws. Women may work hard, but our pay is still less compared to our male counterpart. It may seem like women have control over their own being, but this is far from the truth. Politically, the United States government is led by the male majority. (105 women in Congress, 21 women in Senate, 84 women in House of Representatives, and 5 delegates for American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, District of Columbia, and the Virgin Islands.) These numbers count for a small amount of each Chamber being served. This lack of women in each Chamber leads to a small portion of decisions regarding women’s health in the control of men.

 Our healthcare has always been under scrutiny. Under Obama the United States passed the Affordable Care Act. It was a big step for universal healthcare for all in America. While it may not have been the best to begin with, it was a way for us to start. It’s estimated that 20 million people had signed up for healthcare with the Affordable Care Act. The ACA was a trailblazer for health care for many who couldn’t obtain it. It allowed children to stay on their parent’s plans until they were 26, and made insurance companies cover people with pre-existing conditions. Another health care perk from  the ACA was that  women were granted free birth control. A staple for many women across the country let alone the globe. This doesn’t just prevent unwanted pregnancy it’s an actual medication for millions of women facing issues related to their bodies. It’s frowned upon by some religions to even use contraceptives leading to the debate on whether your provider has the right to refuse birth control coverage. It’s a war, and it’s getting ugly. This issue had died down for a bit, but now with a new administration in town it’s back on the table. The Supreme Court never reached a decision on where employers should stand. There are 9 Supreme Court Justices, and out of them 3 are women. So here we have 6 men making that decision on what an employer can do when it comes to allowing birth control. That hardly seems like it would be fair. A man should not dictate what a woman can and cannot do with herself. If a woman needs birth control, then she should have access to it without any issues. Keeping it free will help women from not only unwanted pregnancies, but to help keep major diseases from becoming worse. An example would be Endometriosis. A disease that I unfortunately suffer from. I know firsthand the horror of having this and the constant pain it causes me. The treatment for Endometriosis is birth control. I’m not using it to be promiscuous, I’m simply using it so I can be a functioning adult. Without it I’ve had to endure horrible days and nights of pain where I can’t move, can’t eat, and can’t sleep. I depend on birth control for the rest of my life. Men cannot have Endometriosis, nor can they get pregnant, so why must a group of men make this decision for women?

It’s more than just the birth control debate. It’s our lives at stake here. Women are sexualized to no end. Movies, music, and TV have become worse over the years. Our bodies are under constant scrutiny. Kim Kardashian was made famous for her sex tape. A sex tape. She’s worth millions of dollars, but she’s constantly being picked on by the male, and female, population for what she looks like or what she talks about. No one stops and thinks about who she is as a person. It all comes back to her sex tape from over ten years ago. She’s a mother, a sister, an aunt, and a friend. People are criticizing her for her every little move. We have to stop and think about how we treat men. James Deen is one of the leading male adult film stars in the business. He’s got the looks, and he’s got the stamina to be an adult film star. He’s cool, he’s hot, he’s trendy, and no one bats an eye if he does something wrong. In fact, in recent years Deen has been accused of raping women and degrading them along with being physically, mentally, and emotionally abusive. Not just to one women but multiple; women he’s been in long term relationships with, and women on set. This came out in later 2015, and it’s now coming close to two years later. No one talks about it. There was to be a documentary regarding the allegations, but Deen allegedly took the signed release forms for the documentary. It was set to premiere on Showtime in July 2016 with an update regarding more allegations. The documentary is currently in limbo due to a lawsuit involving Deen. People are so quick to assume that these women are lying about these allegations. They are just looking for easy money. Like Kim Kardashian, which many people she married Kanye West simply due to his wealth. Women are constantly second guessed for what they say and do. Kardashian could come out and say she was sexually abused by a man, but many would say she deserved it. Why? Because it’s Kim Kardashian and she made a sex tape once so she is automatically lumped into the category of being “slutty”.

This behavior isn’t just limited to celebrities. Even on a local level we’re constantly blaming the victim for what’s happened to them. In the documentary “Audrie and Daisy” we see two teenage girls that are in high school in different parts of the United States. Both girls we’re raped at parties, with pictures of them being distributed around their school. The girls we’re labeled as “sluts” and harassed continuously. Due to the harsh treatment by her classmates Audrie Pott committed suicide by hanging. She was 15 years old. The juveniles in Audrie’s case were charged and sent to juvenile hall for their actions. But Audrie would not be able to return to life and live. The behavior conducted by the boys we’re the direct reason that Audrie Pott is not alive anymore. Simply because she was drunk and she wanted it, right? Daisy Coleman was 14 years old when she was sexually assaulted at a party with her 13-year-old friend Paige. Daisy was sexually assaulted by her older brother’s 17-year-old friend at the party while being unconscious after consuming too much alcohol. People stood by and watched, some filmed the event. When it was over, they took Daisy and Paige back to Daisy’s house. Paige made it inside, but Daisy was still passed out from all the alcohol consumption. She laid in the cold wet lawn until morning when her mother found her. Due to the town being close nit, and the 17-year-old being a star athlete, students and adults we’re quick to say that the girls we’re lying. The video of the sexual assault we’re never turned into the police as they believed they had been deleted. Daisy left school after continuous harassment at school and over social media. Her mother lost her job, and their house was set on fire. The accused student pleaded guilty to a less counter of misdemeanor count of child endangerment. It’s believed that his grandfather, a former state representative, was the reason for the lack of reasonable punishment. He received two years of probation with a delayed sentence of four months if he violated his probation terms. Daisy and her family moved shortly after their house was set on fire. She now travels around the country to help educate others about the dangers of sexual assault and cyber bullying.

With the stories of sexual assault, along with the health care debate, we need feminism to help put women first. A woman's ability to make her own decisions without the judgment of a man is important for the world. We’re humans, we bleed like men do, and we can work just as hard as men. Our voices are strong, and we’re more than just a sexual object to keep men happy. We deserve better than what we’ve been given.

Ashley Tacey