#free union va

[endless-ineffabilities]

and what of your love?

Aemond Targaryen x f!Reader (nsfw / 18+)

part two of the prūmia va perzys (heart on fire) series

part one: 'don't you love me?' , part three: the flames that divide , part four: the aftermath

themes: angst (obvi), smut, mention of violence/death, language, dragonrider!reader (her house is not stated)

word count: 4.6k ▪︎ masterlist

Aemond Targaryen is to be married, but his heart is not in it. In fact, he feels as if he hasn't had a heart ever since you left.

The message sits on your desk, the words all too vivid and clear, as if mocking you.

"You are cordially requested to bear witness to the union of Prince Aemond Targaryen and his future consort, Lady Alys Rivers..."

You had rushed through the words, in utter disbelief, your heart breaking all the while. Towards the end, it also stated, “His Royal Highness, King Aegon II, wishes to extend a truce, only to the Lady y/n, for the entire duration of the royal festivities, at the behest of Prince Aemond."

Oh please.

It has been over a year since you last saw him in your field, and ever since that night, you've tried your hardest to erase him from your heart. When he played a hand in the death of Lucerys, you were sure that would be the nail in the coffin of whatever love you may have had for him. Sweet, brave Luke who grew to become a brother to you. He was too young. The pain was crippling, the rage it unravelled was immeasurable.

You tell yourself, every day, every hour, that Aemond is lost. The man you once loved, the Prince who relentlessly pursued you, the lover who promised you the world - was no more.

But even you can't fool yourself.

Every time word reaches you of his latest crime, you don't feel hate. You want to only be angry, you should be. But you just can't.

He will always be your Aemond. You may condemn his actions, but you could never cut yourself free of him. He will always have a part of you, which is why you haven't taken any other lover.

But, apparently, he has.

The Lady Alys Rivers was rumoured to be beautiful, and enchanting. The perfect match for the equally alluring young prince.

Oh, seven hells. This must be a joke. Surely, he doesn't think I would actually deign to attend this union.

When you gave word to Daemon and Rhaenyra, they were sure that Aemond is merely toying with you. They knew all too well about your past affair, and seemed assured that this invitation was just a way for Aemond to get under your skin. To get you to lower your defenses.

There was no way you would cross over into enemy territory, given the heightened scale of the ongoing war.

Besides, why the fuck would you want to?

If he truly has forgotten me, if he has truly fallen for another, then I must move on. He no longer is my Aemond. He is hers.

Resolute, you take the parchment, the confirmation of what you have lost, and throw it into the hearth.

▪︎ ▪︎ ▪︎ ▪︎ ▪︎ ▪︎ ▪︎

The revelry is in full swing, and the lords and ladies of the court are jovially partaking in the week-long festivities, customary before a grand wedding of a prince of the Seven Kingdoms. Albeit now there is an atmosphere of gloom. A sense of unease due to the war is felt by most, and tonight, ale and dancing and fucking are the thoughtless remedies.

The groom, Prince Aemond, sits stoically at the High Table. His inebriated King brother sits to his left, and his bride, Lady Alys, to his right.

She keeps one hand on him, as she does every time, as if she fears that he might run away.

He has half a mind to do just that, plotting as he sips his wine. You had not showed up. You had not even given any notice of having received the invitation.

Does she know I am to be married? Does she not care?

Aemond downs his cup of wine in one long swig, to which his brother cheers, and pats him on the back.

His soon-to-be wife, glances at him chastisingly, and says, "Slowly, my love, the feast has only just begun."

My love. Aemond whips his head to her in a flash, "I told you not to call me that. Call me whatever you wish, just not that."

Lady Alys flinches at his tone, "Careful with how you address me, Aemond. I am your wife."

Aemond takes another swig after his cup has been filled, "Not yet."

"It makes no difference. I will be, soon," his consort smiles, clearly satisfied with herself, "Dance with me, husband?"

"Hmm," he tries to remain polite, although it's taking much resolve, "you go ahead. I'll remain here for now."

She plants a heavy kiss on his cheek, giggling, and joins the dance, getting lost in the crowd.

Aemond muses about his consort, how provocative and sly she is. The reason why he chose her, after the incessant nagging from his mother Alicent that he should be married, is because she's just about the least likely prospect.

Alicent immediately wanted to marry him off to some other highborn lady, someone more proper. Not the bastard daughter of House Strong, but he disagreed. He had no personal desire to be married, anyway, and is merely performing his duty. Marrying for love was clearly out of the cards, since you...

You. Aemond takes another gulp of wine.

He chose Alys on a whim, but also because she was the most amusing out of his options. She is beautiful, brazen with her words, and didn't care much for pomp and nobility. And, well, she was the one who is the most similar to you. Although, she can never hold a candle to your hold on Aemond's heart.

Aemond didn't love her, no, but he is able to tolerate her at least. He once thought that, perhaps, if you had never been in the picture, maybe Alys might have been able to steal his heart instead.

But you are. And you had.

He wonders if you still feel longing, if you also possess that incessant emptiness in your chest. If you still... love...

Fuck. I need her. He takes another drink.

"Brother," Aegon claps him on the shoulder loudly, jeering, "I've never seen you swig ale that quickly. Don't worry about losing your bachelorhood. You're the fucking Prince! You can have any bedmate you want, and your wife can't say a single thing."

There is it again. Wife. Aemond begins to think it vile. A pang of pity also befalls him for his dear sister Helaena, that she should be saddled with an imbecile of a spouse such as Aegon.

Fortunately, in a twisted way, it may even be beneficial for Helaena that her husband sleeps around, so that she may constantly not be on the receiving end of his nightly drunken stupors.

He wonders, dread and jealousy enveloping him, if you had taken anyone to wed. If he is anything like Aegon is as a husband, then war be damned. He would take Vhagar, reach wherever you and that mongrel may be, and end him.

In truth, even if your chosen consort would be the kindest lord in all of the Seven Kingdoms, Aemond would still crush him. He would burn him to the ground.

Doesn’t she care the same? Why isn’t she here now, putting a halt to this farce of a marriage?

Perhaps, she doesn’t trust me. Of course, why would she? Given what I’ve done…

“I know why your face is so sour,” his drunken brother addresses him again, “It’s because of Lady y/n’s absence, is it not? Well, she may still be present at the actual wedding ceremony.”

“You reek of ale, brother. Drinking like a fucking Braavosi sea horse, as always.” Aemond snaps back, getting tense at the subject of you being brought up.

“Why must you be so into that bitch, Aemond?,” Aegon continues his tirade, “You have a lusty wife now, and you can have a thousand whores besides.”

In an instant, Aemond slams his fist on the table and gets off his seat, drawing everyone’s attention to him. Aegon, the King, shirks away from his brother, knowing it was unwise to get on his nerve. Despite jesting with him so often, he may have forgotten that he shouldn’t have mentioned you in that way.

The Kingsguard draw close, prepared to defend their king. Ser Criston Cole rushes over to Aemond, “Stand down, my prince. Not here.”

Aemond glares at his brother, and if looks could kill…

Until he mumbles that sinister, “Hmm.” He composes himself, and raises a hand up to the guards, and to the crowd, “Carry on.”

The feast reluctantly restarts at first, but moments after, the whole exchange was forgotten.

But Aemond can no longer just sit there. If you weren’t going to come to the feast, or to the wedding, then there may be another way to get you to him.

He stands, ignoring the questioning looks coming his way, and he stalks out of the great hall.

▪︎ ▪︎ ▪︎ ▪︎ ▪︎ ▪︎ ▪︎

It has been a long evening, mostly spent in the Black Council, analysing the current trajectory of the war. Everyone was in agreement that the Greens have not made any significant measures due to the ongoing wedding festivities of one Prince Aemond.

Half of the council wanted to strike then, while they were occupied with all that pompous nonsense, while the other half favoured a temporary truce, at least until the nuptials have been finalized, for the sake of upholding and respecting Westerosi tradition.

Daemon, being Daemon, had only this to say, “Oh, who cares if my one-eyed nephew will be wed? All our eggs will be there, drowned in booze, in one basket. We should ride and just burn everything down.”

But that was the problem. Everyone would indeed be there. Even the lords and ladies, the maesters, the children, who were simply forced to side with the Greens, out of fear for their lives. Rhaenyra didn’t want any more unnecessary bloodshed, to which you agree.

You return to your chambers, exhausted, mostly due to the sore subject of Aemond’s wedding having been mentioned often. You were grateful to Rhaenyra, who was quick to change the matter of discussion, when she noticed you were growing uncomfortable.

Walking over to your table, you notice a plain black box, one that was not there when you left. You trace your fingers over it, feeling the smooth wooden exterior, and carefully lift the lid.

Your heart stops.

Gillyflower.

A cluster of fresh gillyflower lay inside, in a bright burst of red and violet. The flower that grew so wildly in that field. Yours and Aemond’s.

This used to be your tradition. If either of you wished to meet the other there, all you had to do was surreptitiously send some gillyflower. Like your own shared secret message.

Normally, there would be have been a bit of parchment, with sweet words imprinted.

My love.

My flower.

Come to me.

Each day without you is one I cannot bear.

Now, there was none. But you are sure, this can only be from Aemond.

Should I…? What if it’s a trap?

You mind races, heart beating wildly. You want nothing more than to take the risk, but what of your allegiance? Would you be betraying them? You should be concerned for your safety, but you also knew, he would never hurt you.

You need answers. You need revenge. You need Ae…

Oh, seven hells. Grabbing your sword, and putting on your cloak, you make your way out the door.

“Going somewhere?”, Daemon stands, leaning against the wall, as if expecting you to come out at any moment.

“Daemon,” you say, surprised. The cloak and the sheathed sword surely gave you away.

“It’s my nephew, isn’t it?”

“What-“

“I intercepted the messenger who brought over that box. I wondered about the contents, but then, who else could it be from?”

“Hmm,” you whisper, knowing it futile to hide anything from Daemon, “he wishes to meet me. I know not what for.”

“And you’re going.” He replies, as if stating a fact.

You nod, thinking of the right thing to say next. About how you will never betray Rhaenyra, how you only need to see him even if you’re not sure why, how you will be able to fend for yourself.

But your worries are quelled when Daemon says, “You better hurry then.”

“Daemon,” you say, not expecting him to just let this slide so easily.

“Listen, y/n, I trust you. I trust that you know what you’re doing,” he moves closer to you, “As for my nephew, he may be a bloody monster, and I may never forgive him, but I’m sure he thinks himself lucky to have someone like you to love him truly.”

You stare at him in admiration. There was a reason why Daemon drew so many people to him. He was cunning and highly dangerous, yes. But he was also intelligent and fair.

“I myself think the same way in that I have Rhaenyra to love me, as wretched as I am,” he smiles, and nudges your shoulder, “Go.”

You start to walk away, but you turn back once more, “Thank you, Daemon.”

▪︎ ▪︎ ▪︎ ▪︎ ▪︎ ▪︎ ▪︎

The field is more or less the same, although the growth of gillyflower has become more relentless, pockets of red and violet and white spread all throughout.

You dismount from your dragon, close to Vhagar, and the great and terrifying beast only grunts in recognition. You were one of the only two people whom she was comfortable around, after your many trysts spent riding with Aemond.

“Hello again, you beauty,” you call out to her, “Where is your master, hmm?”

The field itself was empty, but there was a new fixture in the distance, close to the hills. A small, stone cabin, with faint candlelight burning inside.

Steeling yourself, you make your way over, knowing that nothing can truly prepare you for what’s to come.

▪︎ ▪︎ ▪︎ ▪︎ ▪︎ ▪︎ ▪︎

“My love.”

You hear him the moment you walk inside, and you have to stop yourself from running straight into his arms. You raise your head, and finally meet his gaze.

Aemond looks rougher, more rugged. As if the war has taken its toll. All the fighting must have strained him, as his figure is still lean and lithe but more muscular.

“Aemond,” you finally say, taking a quick glance around the room. It’s a humble space, with a large bed pushed up against the wall, candles haphazardly placed around the room. You see a bunch of gillyflower on a round table, weapons hung neatly above the fireplace, as well as…

Aemond follows your eyeline, and takes the framed image from the wall.

“Do you wish to see it?” he says, but he’s already handing it to you.

Taking it in your hands, you study the image containing a likeness of you. Every detail of your face, to your neck, down to your shoulders, portrayed by an artist’s skilled hand.

You try to comprehend what the fuck exactly it is you’re looking at, and you also can’t seem to grasp how cordial Aemond is acting about everything.

As if he hadn’t played a hand in the demise of some people you truly cared for.

You slowly hand the painting back to him, the words stuck in your throat.

He hangs it back up, “Beautiful, isn’t it, my love? I had it made not too long ago. As for this place, well, I needed somewhere where I can still have you. One way or another.”

“What are you talking about?” you manage to say.

“I haven’t been able to see you in far too long, my love. Too. Long.”

“There’s a clear reason for that, Aemond,” you say firmly, growing uneasy at the unhinged look in his eye, unblinking, devouring the sight of you.

He reaches for your hands, and you instinctively flinch backwards.

“Don’t, Aemond.”

“Why not, hmm?” he circles you, pacing ever so slowly, stopping just behind you, “You came here on your own volition, pet. You wanted to come, to see me.”

“I came to talk.”

“Hmm,” he makes the low noise that he always does, and it makes you want to just capture that sound from his lips with your own. He lowers the hood of your cloak, and you just stand there, letting the situation unfold.

Aemond’s fingers brush purposefully against the back of your neck as he takes your cloak off, and leaves in it a pile by your feet.

He steps closer, and you feel his breath against your neck. Using one hand, he pulls you to his chest. You don’t want to turn around and face him, afraid you might lose control, but you also can’t find it in you to move away.

“You built this place,” you state, your voice flat.

“This is our secret place, y/n,” he whispers close to your ear, “Every corner is a tribute to you. There is your picture, your favourite flowers, the sheets are of your favourite colour, the volumes on the mantel are the stories you like the most. Through this, I have some way of being with you.”

“Aemond,” you force yourself to pull away from him, “my love.”

“You finally said it,” he smiles.

“What?” you lean against a wall.

“My love,” he says, and moves to sit on a chair opposite you, “you’ve called me by name since you arrived, until then. Even though I don’t mind the way my name rolls off of your sweet tongue.”

“Stop,” you remind yourself that you came here for answers, “why did you call me here? Aren’t you about to wed?”

“Only for the sake of my duty, to further the Targaryen line.”

“Really? Why Alys Rivers then? Why not some highborn, legitimate lady?” your voice grows cold, and Aemond smirks at your jealousy.

“Because I simply don’t care. It pisses mother off, and you as well, it seems.”

“It doesn’t matter. You’re free to wed whomever you wish, Aemond.”

“No,” he says, “I am not. Otherwise, I would have wed you a long time ago.”

“Well, your actions have forever buried that possibility,” you say too quickly, ire reflected in your words.

He flinches at your words, his lips pursing, “I only do what I have to do.”

“You didn’t have to kill Luke!” you lunge forward, your hand flying to the hilt of your sword by your waist.

Aemond notices your movement, but does nothing, “Hmm, Luke was merely a casualty in this war.”

“He was your family, Aemond. He was just a child. Why?”

He says nothing, and looks at you up and down, assessing your growing distress.

“Do you even regret it?” you ask.

A long pause passes, until he says, “I only regret that it has caused you pain.”

“Wrong answer, Aemond.” You unsheathe your sword, holding it out straight it front of you, “Fight me.”

This is the only right thing you can think of doing. The other things that have crossed your mind were completely unsavoury, unthinkable acts to do with the murderer who caused the death of your friend. You shouldn’t reach for him, you shouldn’t kiss him, you shouldn’t admire him, you shouldn’t run your fingers down his scar with reverence. Never again.

So, perhaps, you should bring him to justice.

“My love,” his tone is amused, and you grow even more frustrated.

“Get your sword.”

He stands, a sly curve on his prominent bowed lips.

My brave girl, he thinks.

“You’re so beautiful when you’re angry.”

For fuck’s sake, Aemond. No. “Your sword, Aemond.”

He backs away slowly to where his sword hangs above the fireplace, takes it, and diligently twirls it in one hand.

Your nerve starts to fail. Aemond was surely a better swordsman; he has been furiously training all his life. But, well, so have you.

Long ago, you and him even trained together. You may stand a chance.

“Your move, pet,” he says, tauntingly.

You cross the distance between the two of you, and deal the first parry, your blades connecting loudly in the air. An electric pause occurs, and Aemond smirks at you.

You dodge to the side, and lunge at him again. He easily deflects the blow.

You circle each other, and it’s unclear as to who is the predator and who is the prey.

Aemond deals a wide overhead arch, and you’re quick to block it halfway. This brings his face dangerously close to yours, and he whispers, nearly against your lips, “Surrender, my love.”

“Never,” you lunge backwards again, and Aemond twirls his sword smoothly, once, twice, and another final time.

Then, he spins in a circle, his sword a mere blur in the air, before delivering his final stroke, pushing you against the wall, the edge of his blade an inch away from your neck.

But, you were able to anticipate this, at the last second, as your sword slipped from your grasp.

“I win, pet. You’re mine.”

“Think again.” you whisper, and when he looks down, he finally notices the sharp edge of your knife poking at his ribs.

He looks at you in awe, “Well, I suppose we both have each other then, my love.”

He lunges forward, and claims your lips in a searing kiss. Wild, and passionate, as if to make up for lost time. Your respective blades remain where they are, and he muses, “Hmm, you know, we could just kill each other here. A glorious lovers’ death.”

“Aemond,” you say, out of breath from the kiss, and let your knife clatter to the floor.

He does the same with his sword, and pushes you against the wall once more, using his whole body to keep you in place.

“Tell me what you came for, my love. The truth.”

“I…” you say, deciding to let everything go, “I came for you.”

That is all he needed. And, for you, it feels freeing to allow yourself to just want Aemond. To love him. Despite what’s he has done, and how wrong this may be.

Your Aemond.

You run your fingers down the side of his face, and he shuts his eye in ecstasy. Your fingers stop at his eyepatch, asking permission, and he nods once, immediately.

His sapphire eye never fails to take your breath away. If anything, it only made him look otherworldly. Ethereal.

“Beautiful,” you whisper, and his heart swells.

He takes your face in his hand, admiration raw in his expression. Then he lifts you, wrapping your legs around his waist.

Your lips battle each other, as he strides over to the bed. He gently lowers you, and your arms naturally reach for his neck, bringing him down with you.

He chuckles deeply, flattered by your eagerness, “Patience, my love.”

“I have been patient,” you respond, as he nips at your neck, “but now I just want to take.”

“Hmm,” he muses, “I’ve missed your fire.”

“I’ve missed my dragon.”

“And,” he says, softly, pausing to kiss you, “a dragon…” another kiss, “is nothing…”, and another, “without its fire.”

“Oh, Aemond.”

He presses his forehead to yours, “I am lost without you.”

He makes swift work of untying your dress, only pausing to leave kisses down your body, until you’re left in a sheer white shift. You sit up, helping him remove his tunic, admiring every ripple of muscle, every new scar, every stretch of his glowing skin. His hair had come loose, the signature Targaryen silver like an aura surrounding him.

When he’s undressed, he takes the final piece of clothing off of you, the white shift that leaves nothing to the imagination, and throws that to the floor with the rest.

You begin a sort of dance, one that you both know so well, repeated over many sleepless nights filled with passion.

He always starts with you, lowering himself down to your heat. You almost come undone every time you see him, lips close to your entrance, before he makes the first taste. His eye gleams up at you, and then he begins.

Tongue swirling at your entrance, while his thumb masterfully plays with your folds. He keeps at it for a long moment, before he takes a second to look you right in the eye while he brings his fingers to his lips.

“Mmm,” he breathes, then he lowers his lips to your wet cunt once more.

“Aemond,” your fist bunch up at the sheets, your back arches, your toes curl.

He makes you tremble, your breath hitching at intervals.

He feels you getting close, so he licks one last strip upward, “Not yet, my love.”

“Yes, my prince.”

“Hmm, say that again,” he gets up, positioning his knees on either side of your thighs.

“My Prince Aemond,” you say, “Mine.”

“Yours,” he purrs.

He takes your lips again, an action you will never grow tired of, his fingers gripping your hair. He kisses down your cheek, your jaw, then your neck. He sucks at the flesh, marking his territory, making you press your pelvis onto his, feeling the length of his hardened shaft.

“Hmm,” he shivers, “fuck.”

You wrap your legs around his waist, urging him to position himself, and he does.

His pushes his tip to your cunt. Torturously, but only just.

“Oh, for gods’ sake,” you moan, “come inside me, Aemond.”

He laughs, “As you wish, my love.”

He stretches you wide, pushing inch by inch, and you have to grow accustomed to his size once more.

“Oh, fuck,” you moan.

“Does it hurt badly, my love?” he is quick to ask, watching your face intently.

“It’s okay,” you grip the back of his neck, “keep going.”

With one deep grunt, he fills you completely, thrusting deep.

He moans, music to your ears, and whispers your name. He rolls his hips backward, then forward again, the motion more rough this time, moving your entire body upward.

“Aemond,” you whisper, “my Aemond.”

“My love,” he looks at you in wonder, sprawled beneath him, “it’s only been you. It will only ever be you.”

You pull his face down to yours, kissing him passionately. His hips resume movement. Slow, deep thrusts at first.

Then he turns wild. He ruts into you, quicker, more frantic, the smacking sounds of flesh and sweat, and unhinged animalistic moans echoing throughout the room.

He does a surprising move, his fingers first drifting around your neck, then applying pressure, and he looks like a vengeful, hot-blooded god above you. His face hovers just inches above yours, and his grip on your neck unexpectedly excites you, the danger of Aemond only serving to make things more erotic, and reckless. Your dark prince.

You dig your nails into his wrist, returning the pressure.

“You should have married me,” he breathes, “why didn’t you run away with me?”

“Aemond,” everything throbs, the fire in your abdomen reaching its climax, from his frenzied thrusts, to his hand on your neck, to his crazed expression.

“You’re mine. They can’t have you. No one else can.” His words are punctuated with hard thrust, after hard thrust.

Almost simultaneously, gloriously, you both come apart. Aemond spasms inside you, filling you with his seed. Your hips continue to jerk against him, as you writhe uncontrollably, riding down your high.

He places one more soft kiss upon your lips, then collapses beside you.

You close your eyes in satisfaction, letting the feeling wash over you.

You feel his fingertips on your neck, and you open your eyes, finding him lying on his side, studying you.

“Was that okay?" he asks, referring to his grip on your neck.

“Mhmm,” you reassure him, turning to your side as well.

He hums in return, before smirking, “I knew you couldn’t resist.”

You laugh at his forwardness, and he looks at you lovingly.

He leans forward to kiss you, “My heart has returned.”

You feel a pang of guilt at how you left him, all that time ago, even if it may have been the right thing to do. It will never be simple between you and Aemond.

“I missed you,” you say wholeheartedly.

“And what of your love?” he says, taking your hand.

“My Aemond,” you press your forehead to his, “It will never be gone.”

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I've decided to save most of the sadness & regret for the next part, and yes, there will be a part 3. Our boy Aemond is still to be married after all. And he is still a "bloody monster" with majestic hair.

I hope I've tagged all those who asked - I'll keep yous tagged for any upcoming Aemond fic as well.

Taglist open - just comment.

PS. Alys Rivers is apparently Aemond's lover in the books, and I fear the feral jealous monster I will become if they decide to show that old hag in the upcoming seasons of HOTD. Sorry, not sorry.

[swan2swan]

Ryan Potter took to Instagram to explain why he's not returning to voice his character in the certain-studio-made animated spin-off of a dinosaur franchise distributed on a streaming platform:

And honestly, that makes sense.

My assumption is that he requested that the returning cast be paid as if it were Season 3 of the show (assuming 4 and 5 were Season 2, and that the first show wasn't contracted as a lump group). But we're all familiar by now with the legalese of "If you change the title, it's a new show, not a renewal!", and clearly Ryan didn't want to play that game.

Furthermore, obviously getting all three corporations involved in this show's production to bow to that was just too much work and too impossible a demand, so he walked.

Paul, Raini, Sean, and Kausar are all still tied enough to these roles/have free enoigh schedules that they could use this to dig in further. As for...Darren? I think that's new Kenji?...he's already doing Blue-Eye Samurai, so signing up for this project probably checks another box off of his Netflix contract. And Jenna, well...Netflix works for HER now.

But hopefully, moves like Ryan's can bring awareness to the dangers of Synthesized Speech, and further pushes in the union can lead to better pay.

And hopefully the other VAs can come to a con sometime so I can give them money for signatures!

[kemetic-dreams]

What happened to colored troops taken POW by Confederates in the Civil War?

Three-fifths of all African troops in the Union army were former slaves and those that fought in combat units did so at great risk to their lives (beyond the expected risks associated with combat). The Confederate government’s official position was that black POWs would be executed, reclaimed by their former masters or sold into slavery. Lincoln’s threats of reprisals helped minimize the impact of Confederate actions.

Details of the brutality African soldiers suffered are known, but with less specificity. We know of the multiple slaughters of surrendering or captured blacks that occurred. And, we know that armed Africans were the South’s worst nightmare as southerners were terrified that the example of these soldiers would “infect” the rest of the slave population and inspire them to take-up arms against their enslavers. In southern eyes, that alone warranted the harshest treatment for captured Africans.

What is clear is that these soldiers faced harsher and more cruel treatment at the hands of their captors than did their white counterparts. We know with clarity the physical violence that slaves suffered pre-war as well as after the war. Further, while 14% of Union prisoners died while being held as POWs and 11.8% of Confederate POWs died in northern captivity, historian Caroline Newhall notes that almost 35% of African POWs died in southern captivity. These data points converge with official Confederate statements and southern attitudes on slaves as property and provide strong evidence of the cruelty African Union soldiers faced.

Cruelty and atrocities against African Union soldiers were not random acts of war, but were legislated and directed by the Confederate Congress and Jefferson Davis himself.

In late 1862, Davis stated: “All negro slaves captured in arms be at once delivered over to the executive authorities of the respective States to which they belong.” A resolution later adopted by the Confederate Congress provided that all “negroes or mulattoes,” slave or free, taken in arms should be tried for inciting servile insurrection and be subject to the death penalty.

In a letter to General Beauregard on this issue, The Confederate Secretary of War pointed out that "Slaves in flagrant rebellion are subject to death by the laws of every slave-holding State" but that "to guard, however, against possible abuse...the order of execution should be reposed in the general commanding the special locality of the capture."

Lincoln responded to this by threatening to retaliate against Confederate prisoners whenever African soldiers were killed or enslaved.

Davis publicly denounced Lincoln’s order; but, it did have — for the most part — the desired effect, as most African prisoners were not treated with the harsh justice mandated by Confederate policy, even though the Confederacy never officially acknowledged African-Americans as P.O.W.’s. Instead, what emerged were inconsistent practices in dealing with captured African American troops, depending on the time, place and the commander into whose hands they fell. Indeed, some Confederate officers encouraged the killing of African-American soldiers rather than taking them prisoner, and the atrocities committed against surrendering African soldiers at Poison Spring, Fort Pillow and Petersburg are now well known.

If not executed, captured African soldiers often found themselves treated very differently from white prisoners. Instead of being confined to camps, many African-American prisoners were put to forced labor.

As Robert Jones, a African soldier captured at Milliken’s Bend, La., recalled, “They took me to … Rust, Tex., where they … had me at work doing every kind of work, loading steamboats, rebuilding breastworks, while I was in captivity.”

Near Fort Gilmer, Va., captured African troops were forced to work under enemy fire in the trenches. In retaliation, the Union general Benjamin F. Butler placed an equal number of Confederate P.O.W.’s on forward trenches. Within a week, the African prisoners were removed from the front lines.

The sentiment that Africans under arms aroused -- along with the ingrained hostility of many Confederate soldiers -- set the stage for wartime atrocities. The most notorious incident occurred at a small Federal outpost north of Memphis, Tennessee, where Confederate cavalrymen under Nathan Bedford Forrest attacked Fort Pillow, which was garrisoned by about 500 troops.

More than half of the soldiers were African. The superior Confederate force overwhelmed the fort's defenders; Union casualties were high. But after the Federals surrendered, Forrest's men shot and killed a number of unarmed soldiers and officers, both black and white.

In October 1864 Saltville, Virginia, Confederate soldiers executed unarmed African prisoners, even raiding a hospital on two separate occasions and murdering wounded Africans in their sickbeds.

High casualty rates in combat were also common for African American units — usually for two reasons. First, since Africans had not previously served in the military, they were inexperienced fighters. Second, feeling social pressure to prove themselves as men, they often took risks on the battlefield that their white counterparts would not.

But, despite facing intense racism and humiliating treatment from their own white colleagues in arms, Africans excelled in combat, providing an additional, critical edge in manpower to what the Union already possessed.

One Union captain explained the significance of African military participation on the attitudes of many white soldiers. "A great many [white people]," he wrote, "have the idea that the entire Negro race are vastly their inferiors. A few weeks of calm unprejudiced life here would disabuse them, I think. I have a more elevated opinion of their abilities than I ever had before. I know that many of them are vastly the superiors of those...who would condemn them to a life of brutal degradation."

Of the 180,000 African Americans who fought for the Union, 37,300 died. More than 20 African Americans were awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor, the nation's most prestigious military decoration. Fourteen of those men earned their medals at Chaffin's Farm.

[asliverofsun]

🚨ATTENTION ALL ARTISTS, WRITERS, & CREATIVES🚨 You have ‘til 10/30, 9PM PST TO LET THE COPYRIGHT OFFICE KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT AI 🤖

They want answers on all kinds of questions, like training datasets ingesting creatives' works or the copyrightability of outputs. Here’s a guide I transcribed from my Twitter on how to get started:

On the comment submission page, there is the “Notice of Inquiry” document where the Office literally gives you what questions they want answers to (p12-21) - and there’s a LOT of them. Like, 50 at least. (It’s honestly so prohibitive to the average creative, which is why I made this guide). You DON’T have to answer every single question - just pick the ones that speak to you the most or ones you understand the best! To make it easier, here’s an edited list of questions that are most relevant for creatives

You DON’T have to be based in the US to submit a comment. In fact, the Office asks for examples of how other countries approach copyright & AI (Q#4), so if you live in places like Britain, Japan, etc. that have made major moves in those areas (for better or worse), leave a comment!

Below are some important questions for actors and VAs in particular. Though voice and likeness aren’t generally protected by copyright law, the Office is interested in hearing how AI may be impacted by state laws involving right of publicity or unfair competition (Q#30, Q#31).

📝WRITING TIPS📝

The Copyright Office’s goal is to create the best policy. Be clear, be constructive, and explain the reasoning behind your position. Wherever possible, counter the other side’s arguments. One well supported comment is more influential than 1000 copy paste ones!

Provide evidence - facts, expert opinions, your personal experience. How is AI already impacting you? Your industry? How will it impact you in the future? What are some stories you've seen in the news or social media about AI?

The Office is also VERY interested in any papers or studies relevant to AI and copyright (Q #3), so feel free to include a link to this incredibly informative paper on AI’s impact on artists

Be sure to mention any relevant personal or professional experience and credentials to lend more weight to your arguments, i.e. # of years drawing, years in the industry, major projects, awards won, union membership, etc

Here are some solid comments submitted by artist Kelly McKernan and screenwriter Bill Wolkoff if you want to see some examples

OTHER TIPS (courtesy of my ADHD brain): Schedule a block of time to write your thoughts out! Coordinate a little sesh with your friends! Keep a copy of your work in a separate doc! It’s so important that we get our concerns and ideas out there 💪

YOUR COMMENTS will not only inform the Office’s own work in determining what protections creatives may receive in the face of AI, but also inform their advice to Congress on potential generative AI legislation - so make your voices heard and SPREAD THE WORD! 📢📢📢

If you want to stay informed on this issue, particularly as it concerns visual artists, I highly recommend you follow @kortizart @ZakugaMignon @stealcase @chiefluddite @JonLamArt @ravenben @human_artistry on twitter and AI ML Advocacy on Insta (I don’t know of any tumblr blogs that actively follow this issue, so please reblog/comment below if you do!)

You also may know about the Concept Artist Association’s GoFundMe to represent artist voices in government - they made some big moves in the regulatory and congressional space, and are now fundraising for year two! 🙌🙌🙌

tagging some very cool creatives I follow that I believe care about how AI impacts their craft so this post doesn't die in the tumblr void 🫡

@neil-gaiman @geneslovee @anarchistfrogposting @pimientosdulces @sabertoothwalrus @simkjrs @loish @waneella @tunabuna @writing-prompt-s @logicalbookthief @bedupolker

[chaifootsteps]

Im glad that a lot more VAs pro and indie all came out to support the pilot VAs after cast was revealed. This is no hate to the actors, some even came out to thank the og cast, something Viv never does. I saw VAs pro/indie even calling out bs on the recast being a union/a24 meddling when It was all Viv. The best argument some of the crew could make was “that’s just part of the gig” and Viv made it about herself, saying how much she loves her OCs, instead of thanking the og VAs for essentially carrying the show, engaging with the fanbase and free promoting the fuck out the pilot.

Yeah, it was a very welcome change from when it was first announced that none of them would be coming back, and it didn't feel like anyone was really on their side.

Good on everyone who spoke out to support the pilot cast, whether it was this time around or three years ago.

[notmrkillwolf666]

Dead Internet Theory and why you should start an unionize

Ok, let me start off with two things. 1# I never done this before but I fucking corpos push me to do this because of all the AI bullshit.

two# if you don't know what is The Dead Internet Theory is like I was, there 2 video are different on it but they are a still good watch on it.

since it become no sneaking suspicion that corpos are useing AI to trying to replace artist for a lower cost (which it's fucking stupid because hasbro, xbox/Microsoft, others are multi dollar company that end up showing how fucking Greedy they are,)

This will keep happing unless we put our foot down, tell this corpos that this shit is wrong/fuck off with this, and start a union to fight back this mess.

but what this have to do with the Dead Internet Theory?... well, if at some point if we can't tell who human and who AI/bot on the Internet. we have to go outside and meet in-persons to to talk to real people (or on discord or calling your friends on your phone.)

stuff like hardcover book, DVDs, music vinyl, art, dvd movies and so much more are now going to be more rare than gold. I am serious. since AI is making all these stuff that are difficulty to tell which one is made by a human or a bot, unironically we have to go back to the past and start buying these stuff when people used to me that we don't have to buy these things no more. because they will all be on the Internet to buy and get (or you can be a 7 sea pirates to get these stuff for "free" cuz fuck them corpos.)

Now?... now all I want to do is buy older/hardcover stuff since I know that was not made by a fucking AI bot but made by a human being. now all I want to is unplugged from the Internet and go live in a cabin in the woods somewhere to never be seen again.

this shit is starting to become a real life cyberpunk and I. DO. NOT. WANT. THAT.

So you should do this.

#1: meet in person to talk to people (or discord or any other way) and if that person is a VA, artist, animator, etc. start a unions and make it loud and clear that we don't want this AI shit in our creative industries. (as well if it's somehow possibly to ban AI then do it.)

two#: start to buy all the DVDs, hardcover book, DVDs movies (or VHS Movies), music vinyl, TTRPGs and board games to play with your friends.

and 3#: find hobby in real life, like gardening, swimming, sewing, and or playing older videos games like PS1 to PS3, gamecube, N64, etc.

For one more thing I need to say before I start to wonder how long before AI become self aware. All of this remind me of pandora box, the person who made ChatGPT/OpenAI open pandora box, so much happen in 2022 to 2024 when chatGPT/other AI stuff that I can't put into words of how much this fuck over the creative industries and cost so much people to lost their job because of greedy corpos who want to cut corners. everyone is scared of AI, even the person who made chatgpt for god sake.

but I have forgotten something important to the pandora box story.

"Pandora opened a jar left in her care containing sickness, death and many other unspecified evils which were then released into the world. Though she hastened to close the container, only one thing was left behind – hope."

and you what happening in the gaming industry?... Bethesda had Unionizes. which it own by Microsft/xbox. sure it does now sound much but to me, this sound like a piece of snow that is ready to go down hill into a SnowBall.

IF THERE WAS TIME TO UNIONIZE, THE TIME IS NOW!. NO IFS OR BUTS OR WHEN!.

kick start union, support real artist, VA, animator, indie movies, indie video games, and people who are making books and so much more.

MAKE IT LOUND AND CLEAR THAT WE DON'T WANT THIS AI SHIT IN OUR CREATIVE INDUSTRIES AND FIND A WAY TO BAN IT!.

thank you for reading my hate on corpos and AI, I fucking hate it here.

[madamlaydebug]

The Destruction of Black Civilization and The Origin of African Civilization by Chancellor Williams were challenged at the Prince George County high school libraries in 1993 because the two volumes were said to promote “racism against white people.” In a complaint filed with the state, the works were called “racist pornography” written “to provoke emotions and actions of racial prejudice, bias, hatred, and hostility towards citizens and students in Maryland.”

A widely read history of Africans well researched analysis details the development of civilization in Africa. Now ask yourself, what information is contained in this they really did not want you to know? And do you know it?

Challenged and Banned Books by and about African Americans

Young and Black In America by Rae Pace Alexander

1983—After the Minnesota Civil Liberties Union sued the Elk River School Board, the Board reversed its decision to restrict the title to students who have written permission from their parents. (MN)

And the Walls Came Tumbling Down by Ralph D. Abernathy

1989—Burned protest in Denver because it alleges that Martin Luther King, Jr. was involved with three women. E. Napoleon Walton, the publisher of the Denver Cosmopolitan Advertiser, stated, “[Abernathy] has his freedom of speech, and we have our freedom to burn it.” (CO)

And Still I Rise by Maya Angelou

1982—Challenged at the Northside High School in Lafayette, Louisiana. (LA)

1987—Challenged at the Longview school system in Washington because some “students could be harmed by its graphic language.” (WA)

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou

1983 – 2009—Over thirty-five challenges in twenty states since the book’s publication.

2009—Challenged in the Newman-Crows Landing School District on a required reading list presented by the Orestimba High English Department. A trustee questioned the qualifications of Orestimba staff to teach a novel depicting African American culture. (CA)

Another Country by James Baldwin

1963—Considered obscene, the book was banned from the New Orleans Public library. After a year of litigation, it was restored. (LA)

Blues for Mister Charlie by James Baldwin

1980—Challenged in Sioux Falls, South Dakota because it’s “pornographic,” and it “tears down Christian principles.” (SD).

Go Tell It on the Mountain by James Baldwin

1994—Challenged as required reading in the Hudson Falls Schools because the books has recurring themes of rape, masturbation, violence, and degrading treatment of women. (NY)

1998—Challenged as a ninth-grade summer reading option in Prince William County because the book “was rife with profanity and explicit sex.” (VA)

If Beale Street Could Talk by James Baldwin

1989—Removed from the St. Paul High School Library because the book contains obscene language and explicit descriptions of sexual activity. (OR)

Tell Me How Long the Train’s Been Gone by James Baldwin

1983—Four members of the Alabama State Textbook Committee called for its rejection because Baldwin’s work preaches “bitterness and hatred against whites.” (AL)

The Toilet by Amiri Baraka

1969—Expurgated at Eastern High School to eliminate “four-letter words or vernacular.”

Manchild in the Promised Land by Claude Brown

1974 – 1987—Challenged five times in four states. (WI, FL, LA, OH, OR)

1987—Challenged at the Parkrose High School because the content is “violent, the language offensive, and women are degraded.” The protestors also questioned its relevance, claiming that Parkrose students have no need to understand life in a black ghetto. (OR)

A Hero Ain’t Nothin But a Sandwich by Alice Childress

1976 – 1994—Challenged five times in five states. (NY, GA, TX, MD, SC)

1976—Removed from Island Trees School Union Free District High School library along with nine other titles because they were considered “immoral, anti-American, anti-Christian, or just plain filthy.” (NY)

Rainbow Jordan by Alice Childress

1986—Challenged at the Gwinnett County public schools because of “foul language and sexual references.” (GA)

1986—Banned from Spokane middle schools because the book’s storyline about a prostitute’s daughter was “too mature.” (WA)

Soul on Ice by Eldridge Cleaver

1969 -1979—Challenged five times in four states. (CA, CT, NY, WA)

1975—Challenged at the Greenwich High School library because the book is “crime provoking and anti-American as well as obscene and pornographic.” (CT)

Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison

1994—Retained in the Yakima schools after a five-month dispute over what advanced high school students should read in the classroom. Two parents raised concerns about profanity and images of violence and sexuality in the book and requested that it be removed from the reading list. (WA)

2013—North Carolina school board considers banning the book after the mother of an 11-grader complained, claiming Ellison’s work was inappropriate for 11th grade summer reading, citing both language and subject matter.

The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman by Ernest J. Gaines

2006—Challenged as an eighth-grade district-wide reading assignment in the Puyallup schools because “racial slurs and stereotyping are used throughout the book, as well as scenes of sex, rape, and implied incest.”

A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J. Gaines

2004—Removed from the college bookstore at Louisiana College, Pineville by the college president “because a love scene described in the book clashes with the school’s Christian values.” (LA)

My House by Nikki Giovanni

1992—Challenged by the Duval County public school libraries because it contains the word “nigger” and was accused of containing excessive vulgarity, racism, and sex. (FL)

A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry

1979—Responding to criticism from an anti-pornography organization, the Ogden School District restricted circulation of Hansberry’s play. (UT)

Nappy Hair by Carolivia Herron

1998—Challenged in Brooklyn because it was considered racially insensitive. (NY)

The Best Short Stories By Negro Writers an Anthology From 1899 to the Presentedited by Langston Hughes

1976—Removed from Island Trees School Union Free District High School library along with nine other titles because they were considered “immoral, anti-American, anti-Christian, or just plain filthy.” (NY)

Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston

1997—Challenged for sexual explicitness, but retained on the Stonewall Jackson High School’s academically advanced reading list in Brentsville. A parent objected to the novel’s language and sexual explicitness.

Call Me Charley by Jesse Jackson

1979—Parents of a black fourth-grade student filed suit against Grand Blanc school officials after a teacher read this title to their son’s class. The work includes a black youth “Sambo,” “nigger,” and “coon.”

The Autobiography of Malcolm X by Malcom X with Alex Haley

1993—Challenged in the Duval County Public School district because the slain Black Muslim leader advocated anti-white racism and violence. (FL)

Mirandy and Brother Wind by Patricia McKissack

1991—Challenged at the Glen Springs Elementary School in Gainesville, Florida, because of the book’s use of black dialect. (FL)

Daddy Was a Number Runner by Louise Meriweather

1977—Removed from all Oakland junior high school libraries and its use restricted in senior high schools, following a complaint about the book’s explicit depiction of ghetto life. (CA)

Beloved by Toni Morrison

1995 – 2007—Challenged seven times in six states since its publication. (FL, TX, ME, IL, ID, & KY)

2007—Challenged in the Coeur d’Alene School District. Some parents say the book along with five others should require parental permission for students to read them. (ID)

2013—Parent wants the book removed because she believes it depicts scenes of bestiality, gang rape and an infant’s gruesome murder, content she believes could be too intense for teenage readers.

The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison

1994 – 2007—Challenged eleven times in nine states since publication. (AK, PA, FL, MA, MD, NH, CA, CO, MI)

2005—Banned from the Littleton curriculum and library shelves after complaints about its explicit sex, including the rape of an eleven-year-old girl by her father. (CO)

2013– The board of education president in Ohio is criticizing the inclusion of the book on the Common Core Standard’s recommended reading list for 11th-graders, labeling the controversial work “pornographic,” and wishes to ban it from the classroom.

Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison

1993 – 2009—Challenged in five states due to its sexually explicitly language. (OH, GA, FL, MD, MI)

1998—Removed from the St. Mary’s County Schools’ approved text list by the school superintendent overruling a faculty committee recommendation. Complaints referred to the novel as “filth,” “trash,” and “repulsive.” (MD)

Sula by Toni Morrison

2000—Challenged on the Poolesville High School reading list because of the book’s sexual content and language. On October 5, 2000, Montgomery County Circuit Court Judge Paul McGuckian dismissed the bid to band the work from the curriculum. The school, however, decided to remove the book from the summer reading list. (MD)

Learning Tree by Gordon Parks

1976 – 2006—Challenged seven times in seven states since publication. (WY, MD, RI, WA, FL, MN, AL)

2006—Challenged on the summer reading list at LeFlore High School in Mobile becdause the author frequently used inappropriate words, such as “nigga,” “bitch,” “bastard,” and “ass.” (AL)

The Black Poets edited by Randall Dudley

1982—Banned for use in English classrooms at the Tinley Park High School because the book “extols murder, rape, theft, incest, sodomy, and other acts.” (IL)

Tar Beach by Faith Ringgold

1994—Challenged in the Spokane elementary school libraries because it stereotypes African Americans as eating fried chicken and watermelon and drinking beer at family picnics. The book is based on the memories of its author’s family rooftop picnics in 1930’s Harlem. The book won the 1992 Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award for its portrayal of minorities. (WA)

Push by Sapphire

2005—Challenged, but retained at Fayetteville High School despite a parent’s complaint that it was sexually explicit. The complainant also submitted a list of more than fifty books, citing the books as too sexually explicit and promoting homosexuality. (AL)

The Friendship by Mildred Taylor

1997—Challenged, but retained in the Prince George’s County school system after a parent claimed that book has “no redeeming value.” (MD)

The Land by Mildred Taylor

2008—Removed from the Turner Elementary School media center shelves in New Tampa as age inappropriate. A parent challenged the book because the novel contains a racial epithet. The book was a 2002 Coretta Scott King Author Award recipient. (FL)

Mississippi Bridge by Mildred Taylor

2001—Challenged by retained at the Donahoe Elementary School library in Sandston despite objections of its “negative content and [that] it’s riddled with prejudice.” The novel by the Newberry Medal-winning author tells the story of a young black man who tries to save white passengers in a bus accident, despite being ordered earlier to give up his seat to “white folks.” (VA)

Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred Taylor

1993 – 2004—Challenged four times in four states. (LA, CA, AL, FL).

Bloods: Black Veterans of the Vietnam War: An Oral History by Terry Wallace

1987—Banned from the West Hernando Middle School library in Spring Hill because of “harsh language and presents a moral danger to students.” The librarian filled a grievance and the book was returned to the shelves following a ruling by the American Arbitration Association. Forty minutes after the book was returned, the book was removed again, pending a review by an advisory committee. (FL)

Down These Mean Streets by Thomas Piri

1976—Removed from the Island Trees Union Free School District High School library along with nine other titles because they were considered “immoral, anti-American, anti-Christian, or just plain filthy.” Returned to the library after the U.S. Supreme Court ruling on June 25, 1982 in Board of Education, Island Trees Union Free School District No. 26 et. al. v. Pico et. al., 457 U.S. 853 (1982). (NY)

The Color Purple by Alice Walker

1984 – 2008—Challenged eighteen times since publication. (CA, VA, MI, TN, WY, NC, PA, CT, FL, OR, TX, WV, OH)

1985—Rejected for purchase by Hayward school trustees because of “rough language” and “explicit sex scenes”. (CA)

The Temple of My Familiar by Alice Walker

1997—Removed from the Jackson County school libraries along with sixteen other titles. (WV)

Jubilee by Margaret Walker

1977—Challenged in the Greenville County school libraries by the Titan of the Fourth Province of the Knights of the Klu Klux Klan because the novel produces “racial strife and hatred.” (SC)

The Destruction of Black Civilization and The Origin of African Civilization by Chancellor Williams

1993—Challenged at the Prince George County high school libraries because the two volumes promote “racism against white people.” In a complaint filed with the state, the works were called “racist pornography” written “to provoke emotions and actions of racial prejudice, bias, hatred, and hostility towards citizens and students in Maryland.” (MD)

Black Boy by Richard Wright

1972 – 2007—Challenged nine times in seven states since publication. (MI, LA, TN, NY, NE, TX, FL)

1987—Challenged in the Lincoln school libraries because of the novel’s “corruptive, obscene nature.” (NE)

Native Son by Richard Wright

1981—Challenged in North Adam’s due to the book’s “violence, sex, and profanity.” (MA)

1988—Challenged in the Hamilton High School curriculum in Fort Wayne because of the novel’s graphic language and sexual content. (IN)

[itsbansheebitch]

My Endorsement for Iowa Candidates (Congress/Reps)

I'm using the trending tag to promote the November election and my personally endorsed candidates for Congress. Iowa has 4 Districts, each of which has one Representative. These are the candidates I endorse:

Christina Bohannan (1st District)

Has worked as a law professor

Pro-Choice

Pro-Union

Her website:

Sarah Corkery (2nd District)

A small business owner & 2x cancer survivor

Pro-Choice

Pro-Queer rights

Supported the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2021

Her Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/corkeryforcongress/

Lanon Baccam (3rd District)

A US combat veteran

Has been endorsed by the Human Rights Campaign, Planned Parenthood, The National Committee to Preserve Social Security & Medicare, and more

His Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/lanon.baccam/

Ryan Melton (4th District)

Universal Healthcare

Accessible Childcare

Higher pay for teachers

Mental Health & Addiction Services

A living wage

Pro-Union

Accessible Voting

Addressing gaps in VA care

Sustainability in Agriculture

Addressing racism & queerphobia (specifically in policing, prisons, workplaces, and housing)

Ending private prisons

Common sense gun control

Climate Change

Updating ventilation systems in schools

Providing people with masks

Has supported Palestine online

has called out Project 2025 online

His website:

Don't take your rights for granted. If you are able to, you NEED to vote. I did half the work for you, now you make sure you can get out there in November.

REMEMBER to register to vote, you can do it online, even.

REMEMBER to bring a government-issued ID (like a driver's license)

Feel free to add to this list with different states & government positions.

[hatboyproject]

Opening Dialogue With NAVA: Hopes For the Future

Last night, I sent a carefully considered e-mail to an outreach group that deals with professional voice actors and AI voice technology. In this e-mail, I outlined some points about myself, my use case, fanwork creators, broad intentions behind our non-commercial use of the technology, and a little about the modding communities I'm familiar with. My intent is to open something of a longer conversation between fanwork creators and professional voice actors on the basis of better mutual understanding. Of course, it's impossible for one person to adequately represent everyone, but with my body of relevant work and knowledge of the scene, it was generally agreed upon amongst our community that I ought to be the face of this discussion. It is one that needs to be had, especially as attitudes involving this technology are evolving. In some cases, escalating.

I included a link to my video that I made back in February, as well as a PDF detailing some more in-depth versions of points I originally outlined in the first point of contact. In an ideal world, I'd love to come to some kind of understanding and work together to create an official solution of some sort. There are a number of things that occur as potential avenues, but none of them are possible without degrees of mutual effort - a big ask, to help out a group of artists without financial resources. However, modders already do what we do for free. On our side, I can't say I anticipate a lack of people who'd be willing to serve as a voluntary panel screening project briefs or something similar - but this is only an idea meant as a point for thought. Realistically, I am hoping simply for more VAs to be aware of our perspectives as fanwork creators, and not to see us as unilaterally threatening. I am hoping the value of what we create can be considered, if not accepted. Realistically, I am hoping for VAs who are confronted with individual projects using this technology to be judicious with regards to asking them to be removed. To be clear, I believe a VA has the right to ask for a project to be removed; I simply am hoping for the weight of such a request to be known, and the only way that is possible is by having someone listen to us. This morning, I received an acknowledgement of my message and that it would be read through and presented to the group. So, things are in motion, now. Naturally, I'm bricking it; I have now presented myself, my achievements, my work, my ethos, and my video to a group of people I greatly respect, and who are likely naturally inclined somewhat against me. I really do feel like "Who am I to be putting this across to these people? I'm just some weirdo artist from Canada living in the UK with her cat. I'm not famous or important." But I can't let myself think that way. If I give in to my natural tendency to minimise myself with this, no one will make this case for me, and I believe projects like my own deserve to exist. I've had other fanwork creators contact me with their own use cases for this technology and they're all like mine. Earnest, hopeful, done out of love, and I want this to be known about. I also detailed the time the community tried to club together and hire a SAG-AFTRA affiliated actor, and couldn't even get to the stage of discussing a contract to find out what they'd need to pay. The process simply isn't cut out for people who don't work in that industry, and that's fine and fair enough, but it does put an obstacle in the way we as fanartists can't realistically pass. PS though, unions are great and I support them - it's only that as a budgetless fanwork creator, it's something people in my situation aren't able to navigate.

[stringyworm]

YOOOOO BIG TWST NEWS

i was just at the ax twst panel with the vas for riddle deuce and ace and they announced new stuff happening

3rd spell slot??!!?!?

200 guaranteed feutired summon ;-; me crying eith my 200 pull ssr groom idia

Weekly mission clear now has a limited 24 hour bonus to purchas a pack from the shop. I just hope it doesnt cost the same amount of gems you get from clearing the missions TAT also exclusive to na servers.

Also finally 30 lp limit dude. This means itll now take 7hrs 30 mins to fill whoch means i finally can do work without worying about lp lol. I play lessons during work ik its an addiction

Im nit thay excited about guest rooms tbh i only use it to level my support card :/

ALSO THATS NOT ALL

Theyre expanding servers to australia phillipines simgapore i might have missed some so if you were fell free to add on.

Also possible full heartslyabul cast at ax next year. Maybe.

It was so much fun and i met a new friend there who cosplayed riddle. Deuces va is absolutley adorable but what else can you expect from number one babe in the game

Also i went to the twst cosplay fan even. It was organized by a cosplayer on insta i dont have their at rn but theyre so good theyve done multiple twst cosplays and gave out gacha pulls at the meet up. They were dresed in kalim union bday putfit and looks very good thank you so much for organizing that.

I might post photos i took ar ax later n e wayz peace -w-)v

[ibyte13]

I keep seeing posts about how awful biden is and that we shouldn't vote for him blah blah blah. The problem with this is that there is a misunderstanding happening on how our political system is currently functioning and whatpart of its life span we are in. I went off in the tags of a post earlier and i apologize for that I'm just gonna make an actual post about it now.

Right now we are at a tipping point in old politics vs new politics. Old politics being that the majority of important shit that matters is happening behidn the scenes. You don't get to see that as the general public for a number of reasons. The things going on are delicate political maneuvering, anyone whose played a political intrigue game knows this. It's a lot like a game of chess except the pieces you are playing with are also other players and you are also a piece on their board. This makes control of information very very important, so keeping it out of the public eye is tantamount to success. These are the rules biden is playing by. The man is an old school politician and he's very good at it. He's a repair man, not a hero.

What trump is doing is playing new politics rules where he's essentially shattering the screen that hides all the pieces and moves that are happening from the public eye and dragging them into the light. People are reactionary. The public as a whole are awful at playing chess and cannot see even three moves down the line from where they are now. So when someone playing by old rules, who speaks vaguely in order to try and placate the masses without revealing their hand is faced with someone who plays with half a deck up their sleeve and their hand face up on the table, now the ones holding their hands close look suspicious, even though you can see the other guys sleeve has a distinct card shaped lump in it and he is not subtle about pulling cards out.

New school politics is the equivalent of a high school popularity contest. "He said this and she said that, then this person did this and can you even imagine the audacity they had to even thi k of saying such a thing" that's new politics. It's an excellent manipulation tactic in the age of social media where the distraction is the key. "Here look at this flashy thing of a politician not being in the know about queer people" or some such while the same person who said that is actively making it so that queer people can't marry or what have you. This is just an example.

So back to Biden v Trump. Biden is old school. Trump is new school. The fact that they are both old dudes matters not. The thing about both is that they are just people and people are not perfect. Biden is not condemning Israel's actions in Gaza which is fucking terrible and worse is bending over backwards to give supplies to israel in fact which is double fucking terrible. We will face the consequences for this. Problem, he's operating under the fact that we have a treaty (i think don't quote me on this and in fact feel free to correct me here) with israel. We are their allies and as their allies we cannot just condemn them outright. Not by old politic rules. But new politic rules are making it a necessity and using it as a manipulation point. What Biden is doing is about a hundred other things that will not make news but ultimately improve our lives here in the states, for example he's working to make marijuana a schedule 3 drug instead of schedule 1 meaning it'd be federally legal for recreational use much in the same way ibprofen or aspirin is from my understanding. No more piss tests, veterans would be able to use it if they're reciving VA medical care etc. Not making headlines. The rail workers strike, Biden forced a stop gap resolution to save infrastructure and critical economic functions, then kept working to get the union members everything they wanted. Again, no headlines about that second part. Airplans are being required to be more disability friendly and required to have bathrooms large enough for an on board wheel chair if need be. Again not making headlines, and these are just the things I've had to dig for recently.

Trump did nothing like that. He made capitol hill the laughing stock of the modern world for all four years he was in office and tried to stage a coup on live television. There is a maifesto circulating called Project 2025 and if you haven't heard of it go look it up. It's 90 almost 100 pages detailing what will happen should trump or another republican be elected president in this coming election cycle. The long story short is that if that happens, we will not have another election and US democracy as we know it will die.

Now rag on Biden all you want, critcize him, let it be known that you are not happy with how he has handled Israel and Gaza. But don't pretend for a second that Trump would handle it any better or any republican for that matter. They'd've handled it worse most likely plus a whole lot of other shit to boot.

Another tidbit you might have pop up into your mind: but ibyte! There's more than just Trump and Biden to vote for! And to that I say yes, there is, but let me let you in on a secret about American politics: if you do not vote for Biden, you are voting for Trump even if you are voting for a canidate that is arguably better than Biden and here's why. The democratic convention and democratic party have thrown their weight behind Biden as the incumbent President so any third candidate already won't have the backing of one of the two major parties. The republicans are throwing their weight behind Trump or someone slightly left of trump (i haven't had a chance to keep up with that the past month or so). Problem is that the democrats and republicans tend to be so.e of the most right leaning parties in this country, so people who hate democrats and will not vote for them sure as shit ain't gonna vote for someone more left of democrats which is where a majority of the small but better candidates lie on the spectrum, they're gonna vote for Trump or whatever Trump replacement republicans have on deck. Thus is you vote for someone more left than Biden, all you are doing is taking vltes away from Biden because everyone more right wasn't gonna vote for anyone but a republican anyway. This is why it's important that you vote for Biden.

This election period is not about Biden vs Trump: round 2. This election is about Democracy vs Dictatorship. A friend of mine likes to say that history doesn't repeat itself, but it sure as hell rhymes. We are quite literally watching a rerun of the events leading to World War II right on schedule. The US will become the fourth Reich if we do not take this election seriously and the facist corners of this country know it and are doing everything in their power to be loud about how badly biden is fucking up the israel gaza tragedy.

Yes be critical, but do not pretend for a minute that Biden and Trump are equivalent choices.

[humanhost]

HUMAN HOST IN PUBLIC: The First Two Decades Part 2 - a Realicide show at an abandoned apartment house in Cincinnati, Ohio; Autumn 2004

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

People who live in or near the midwestern city of Cincinnati possess an odd mix of cultural influences. Smashed up against the border of Kentucky bluegrass to the south, the Appalachian foothills directly to the east, and the agricultural bread basket of Indiana to the west, the citizens of this Ohio River beacon have all been defined by contentious issues of identity. The southern influences seem to bubble up stronger here than in any other city in Ohio, even though for the most part the state has always been squarely neutral or unapologetically alligned with the Union when it came to political divides left over from the American civil war.

One of the more harmless southern culture elements in Cinci is the southern accent. Many Cinci residents speak with a drawl more akin to that of their neighbors in West Va. and Kentucky. With this accent,  words, sometimes even single letters, can sound as if they have two or three extra syllables.

At Human Host’s first Cincinnati show, before the music began, we overheard a kid in the audience off in a corner talking with some of her friends. Her voice had a thick southern drawl. She was talking about how that day was her birthday and someone had gotten her “EGGS” as a present. This inspired laughs and a’lot of confusion. I stopped whatever I was doing and replied, ”Eggs??? Really? That’s a strange birthday present. I mean, there’s nothing wrong with that, but...” She laughed and replied, ”No, no, no. Not eggs, i got ‘E’, as in ecst*sy” (aka the wild party drug so popular at raves and other EDM-type music fests). Her southern accent was so prominent that out of the corner of my ear the letter “E” seemed to sound more like “Ehhh” or “Ayy”. Since there is no such noun as “Ehh”, my imagination quickly transformed “Ehh” into “eggs”.

It was just a mistake, but in a weird way it was also a poetic allusion of things to come; eggs and ecstasy were ultimately the two things that symbolized the energy that went on to illuminate Human Host’s first Cinci show.

~

Before Human Host ever played Cincinnati, Rick Weaver’s other band New Flesh had made a splash in the town a few months-to-a year prior to HH’s debut there. Rick had turned the Host crew on to the records, flyers, zines, and web content created by Cinci multi-media collective Realicide; the collective’s teenage co-founder Robert Inhuman (who today is known as Robert Imhuman) was the promoter who booked New Flesh and he also had a great interest Rick’s other early 2000′s projects (mainly, Organ Donors, Flowers In The Attic, and eventually Human Host).

Anti-authoritarian/anti-imperialist provocation was and remains to be Realicide’s main raison d’etre, but these kids weren’t by-the-numbers punks. They refused to accept any strict convention involving punk tradition, especially when it came to hierarchies and aesthetic parameters. Much like Human Host, Realicide is concerned with creating a medium as expansive as their message. The group’s influence has extended far beyond the noise scene that initially embraced them. Today Realicide provides a free mobile sound system for local political demonstrations, they set up DIY film screenings with their offshoot group Gonx, and the Realicide artists have even gained a foothold in the global experimental punk scene by touring internationally. The Realicide record label releases material from like-minded overseas artists, and has secured worldwide distro for the releases of the many Ohio-based Realicide stalwarts.

Even though political elements have always been only a tiny piece of the chaotic puzzle that is Human Host’s inspiration, Realicide’s methods weren’t wildly different than ours. Their distinctly 21st century-style multi-media weirdness was drenched in classick crust punk presentation; just like us they refused to embrace the future, nor did they worship the present or the past. Just like us, this was a crew interested in altering their reality through creative work in as many different and positive ways as they possibly could. Come hell or high water, Realicide and their allies were going to save the world in their own weird way and we wanted to help them do it.

As we started booking our second tour in the fall of 2004, Rick Weaver convinced Robert and the Realicide crew to help book a Cinci stop for us. Memories about the tour date’s venue and exactly how the Realicide crew secured it are unclear; Rick Weaver seems to think this show may have originally been booked at a cafe or coffee shop. If that was the case, a last minute re-scheduling was probably neccessary after the original venue randomly cancelled on Robert. Touring around the U.S. playing experimental pop music was still a relatively new thing, especially when it came to the domestic DIY basement show scene circa the early 2000′s, a time that was essentially still culturally smothered by lingering trends of the 1990′s. Consequently, last minute cancellations were common for non-genre artists (aka artists who weren’t easily marketable) in this period.

But Realicide was acutely aware that problems like this were always possible. On a dime, the kids were able to find a back-up venue by utilizing the basement or laundry room of an apartment building one of their friends was sort-of living in. The place was a big old 5 story house on a hill with a basement and an attic. It had been converted into a apartment complex sometime in the 1940′s or 50′s, maybe earlier. By the early 2000′s the building was either abandoned, or its residents were about to be evicted. It felt very awkward hangin in there when the other acts (Realicide and poet/spoken word artist Jim Swill) were not playing. It often felt kind of like we were all tresspassing in there. We had to go upstairs to an apartment to use a bathroom and the place had almost no furniture, and many of the other apartments’ doors were wide open revealing spaces just as desolate as the one where the “public” restroom was. It was clear that - whatever was going on with the building - no one was supposed to be in there.

Adding to the eerie abandoned atmosphere was the fact that the night of the show was cloaked in a dense fog much more akin to that of coastal New England than any midwestern place. It was as if we brought a little piece of “The Evil East” along with us.

By late 2004 HH had been trying out many different line-ups and forms of live performance at gigs, but we were somewhat stuck in a rut by forcing ourselves to do something different at every single show (mostly as a means of adding a dynamic confusion texture to the work). One show we’d be an acid punk band with guitars and primal drums; the next we’d be doing improv drone music; the next we’d be playing quiet experimental folk using toy instruments; and the next we’d be stomping around crooning the paganistic electro-crunk that eventually earned us the 2005 “Best Live Act” award from the Baltimore City Paper (at that time we were one of the few non-genre groups ever to achieve that distinction).  

Since we knew that Robert and his friends were more than enthusiastic about stretching the parameters of performance and presentation, it seemed like the autumn 2004 Cinci event needed to be extra special. Back in the early 2000′s our sets were often meticulously planned, especially sets that we did on tour. Shortly before we hit the road in October ‘04, I came up with the idea of taking a big chance in Cinci and trying out a set that incorporated nearly all of the various shades of Human Host into one mega-diverse half-hour production. Even if the idea fell flat, even if we totally screwed up, we knew that the Realicide kids would at the very least respect us for honestly trying to do something ambitious.

As it turned out, the risky/schizoid set idea paid off. Even the screw-ups ended up making the set incredibly powerful and special. Our demonic crunk tunes would end and we’d collapse on to the floor only to start improvising drones created with tape machines, microphones, and processed live toy drum sounds that lasted only for a minute at a time. As each drone segement unfolded we’d kill the lights using a floor switch connected to the harsh work lights we used to light up most of our 2000′s gigs. When the painful white lights blasted back on we blasted back into our crunkenstein alter egos, howling out our vocals in operatic/troubadour style as we carreened around the room, possessed by music and the ethereal madness of creation on the fly.

Sometimes when we’d kick off the lights we’d forget where the switch was and there’d be a few seconds of maniacal laughter and confusing/out-of-breath discussion accompanying the opening of each crunk beat as we fumbled around attempting to find the “on” switch again. Instead of causing a hiccup in the action, these spontaneous introduction skits only made the performance and the subsequent flood of brutal light a thousand times more intense. Though the dance moves may consequently have been extra sloppy, the overall effect of this set was more energetic and rewarding for both artist and audience than anything we’d done before.

The lyrics and prose of Human Host often detail the symbiotic relationships of vulnerability and chaotic energy, reality and fantasy, intoxication and sobriety, stupidity and intelligence, the old and the new, the weird and the normal, Earth and outer space. As this set concluded I really felt we had covered all of these bases and probably about a billion previously unknown others. That feeling was beyond exhilirating; in the space of a few minutes our entire world had undergone a radical/irrevocable change for the better. While the spring 2003 Human Host show at St. Thomas Church in Towson* was where we were spiritually born, Human Host’s Autumn 2004 Cincinnati show was where our spirit came of age; the *egg* of Human Host had hatched in an outburst of interdimensional multi-media *ecstasy*.

  - Mike Apichella, co-founder of Human Host

~

photo credit: two shots taken by Scott Russell at a Human Host tour date that occurred at Nowarehouse in Cincinnati, Ohio circa Autumn 2008; unfortunately there are no known photos of the first HH Cinci show circa 2004.

* https://humanhost.tumblr.com/post/704049932941803520/human-host-in-public-the-first-two-decades-part

[ebelal56-blog]

Step by Step Guide to Getting a Home Mortgage

Applying for and obtaining a home mortgage involves several steps. Here's a step-by-step guide: 1. Check Your Credit Score Why: Lenders use your credit score to determine your mortgage eligibility and interest rate. How: You can check your credit score for free using services like Credit Karma or directly from the credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, TransUnion). 2. Determine Your Budget Why: It helps you understand how much you can afford to borrow for a home. How: Use a mortgage affordability calculator to estimate your maximum loan amount based on your income, debts, and down payment. 3. Save for a Down Payment Why: The higher your down payment, the better your loan terms may be. How: Aim for 20% of the home price to avoid private mortgage insurance (PMI). Some loans require less (e.g., FHA loans may only need 3.5%). 4. Get Pre-Approved for a Mortgage Why: Pre-approval gives you a better idea of how much you can borrow and shows sellers you're serious. How: Contact a lender or mortgage broker. They will ask for financial documents (e.g., tax returns, pay stubs, credit history) to verify your eligibility. 5. Shop for a Mortgage Why: Different lenders offer different rates and terms. How: Compare rates from banks, credit unions, and online lenders. Focus on the interest rate, loan term, and any associated fees (e.g., origination fees). 6. Choose the Right Mortgage Type Why: There are various types of mortgages, such as fixed-rate, adjustable-rate, FHA, VA, and USDA loans. How: Discuss with your lender the best option based on your financial situation. A fixed-rate mortgage offers stable payments, while adjustable-rate mortgages may offer lower initial rates but can change over time. 7. Submit a Mortgage Application Why: This is the formal process to apply for a loan. How: After choosing a lender, you’ll submit a formal application. Provide necessary documents (e.g., proof of income, tax returns, asset statements). 8. Underwriting Process Why: Lenders need to assess the risk of lending you money. How: The lender’s underwriter will evaluate your application, verify your financial information, and appraise the home. This can take a few days to several weeks. 9. Loan Approval Why: If approved, you’ll receive a loan estimate outlining the loan details. How: Review the loan offer, including interest rate, monthly payments, and fees. Ask questions if anything is unclear. 10. Closing Why: This is the final step where ownership of the home is transferred to you. How: You’ll sign final loan documents and pay closing costs (e.g., down payment, loan fees, taxes). Closing costs typically range from 2% to 5% of the loan amount.

[mirandamckenni1]

Free Bird (Official Video) - Mia x Ally After our covers of this song recieved over 50 million combined views we knew we had to make a full version! Come see us play it live on tour this fall! Credits: Video: David 'speve' Kayne Track and mix: Ricky Jab Electric violin: @MiaAsano Bagpipes and whistle: @PiperAlly Tour dates: miaxally.com 10.25 - Albany, NY - The Egg 10.26 - NYC, NY - Gramercy Theatre VIP 10.29 - Hopewell, VA - Beacon Theatre 10.30 - Asheville, NC - Grey Eagle Tavern 10.31 - Charleston, SC - Music Farm 11.2 - Jacksonville, FL - Jack Rabbits 11.5 - New Orleans, LA - House of Blues 11.7 - San Antonio, TX - Sam’s Burger Joint 11.8 - Dallas, TX - Deep Ellum Art Co. 11.9 - Oklahoma City, OK - Beer City Music Hall 11.10 - Kansas City, MO - Voodoo Lounge 11.12 - St. Louis, MO - Delmar Hall 11.14 - Louisville, KY - Headliner’s Music Hall 11.15 - Knoxville, TN - Bijou Theatre 11.16 - Cincinnati, OH - Ludlow Garage 11.17 - Nashville, TN - Eastside Bowl 11.18 - Atlanta, GA - City Winery 11.20 - Washington, DC - Union Stage 11.21 - Philadelphia, PA - Ardmore Music Hall 11.22 - Amherst, MA - The Drake via YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEuAo7b1zI4

[ramrodd]

Bible Prophecy #The 8: The Job Description of the Messiah--Has Anyone Ev...

COMMENTARY:

Jimmy, my problem with your academic career is that your focus on that David Koresh prophecy/eschatology bullshit is teaching people to use the Hebrew Bible and Revelation like a Ouija board, but without the safeguards of the Kabbalah and the Holy Spirit. What I cannot entirely decide whether you are doing this on purpose or you are so intent on avoiding military service has totally perverted your judgement. Given your concern for the genocide in the Gaza, you should be   sensitive to the appearance of Biblical prophecy regarding Abdullah II and Jimmy Carter warning of the price for a generation of Netanyahu's bad faith in regards to the Oslo Accords and the terrorism of the Likud, This is where the Post Modern Historic Deconstruction fails as a reliable method of social navigation, You Jesus Seminar debunkers and Pro-Life solo scriptura are different sides of the same  Pro-Life Calvinism coin This is where a personal exercise of the Philosophy in your Ph, D actually be employed in your alleged agenda free scholarship.,  Yo adopted the method of the anti-war/civil rights liberal coalition versus the white supremacist pro-war conservatives, especially the Young Americans for Freedom, This was an on-campus Hitler Youth program to protect white privile in the manner of William F. Buckley at the Cambridge Union in 1965, I went to Vietnam on the basis of James Baldwin's proposition baed on what has become Critical Race Theory and the white and woke Biden voter. You were working for the Resistance between 68 and 79, As a combat crazed Vientam vet, I identify entirely with Phaedrus in Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, What her ran into at the University of Chicago is exactly what I ran into when I got back from Vietnam and tried toget a life. The economics of the University of Chicago is the Fresh Water white supremacist economics defined in George Gilder's Wealth and Poverty, the manifesto for Suplply Side economics of Movement Conservatives who came to town with Rea gan. Oishi boards are dangerous, Bell, Book and Candle, And a black cat, for good luck. What you are in contact with is the experience John the Baptizer endured to produce Revelation, I'v had enough experience with it to not to have anything to do with it. Scientology uses a similar technology to go "Clear". And that's how you have been teaching people to read the Bible. The Shema of Moses is incomplete, epistemologically, It is a thre-legged stool, missing an element with heart, soul and strength, This is theologically wobbly, Jesus adds Platon with His version of heart, soul, mind and strength, This is the core value of Pauline Theology,  It is 4 Square with the Earth, like the Shinning City on the Hill of Revelation with 12 gates, Washington DC is surveyed, 4 Square to the Earth, on the diagonal of the Rose Compass. It has to do with the Mason Lodge #22 in Alexandria VA, In the ontology of the Bible, Jesus is the only one of the 7 elements with a Pucker Factor. This Pucker Factor is what connects Jesus to Kant's Categorical Imperative and cognitive theory, You've gone as far as you can with David Koresh, Renounce your endorsement of the Marxist axiom that harmonization is the enemy of the Truth. Harmonization and Truth are one,

[novumtimes]

In Belgium too the EU elections will be overshadowed by national politics

This article is reserved for our subscribers For its European Parliament election this year, Belgium has chosen to extend the franchise to young people over 16. Alas, the innovation has created an imbroglio (perhaps it is time to replace the country’s motto “Strength from union” with “Why make things simple when you can make them complicated?”). The law allows 16-17 year-olds to vote in the election but does not make it compulsory: prospective young voters will need to register. This anomaly was spotted by Belgium’s constitutional court. In March it ruled that the government may not distinguish underage voters from adult ones, for whom voting is compulsory in Belgium. The de-facto situation is now one of “compulsory optional” voting. The 16-17 year-olds (3% of the electorate) are asked to vote, but the (Flemish liberal) justice minister Paul Van Tigchelt has indicated that skivers will not be prosecuted or fined – unlike their elders. Bizarre as it is, the case has not caused much of a stir. Even as Belgium holds the presidency of the EU Council, the European parliament election is stirring no great passions. Partly that is because, as in 2014 and 2019, the voting will happen in tandem with national and regional elections. The former will renew Belgium’s federal parliament; the latter will serve to elect the members of the Flemish, Walloon and Brussels regional parliaments, as well as that of the small German-speaking community in the east of the country and, indirectly, the senate and the French-speaking community’s parliament. Far-right landslide expected in Flanders The issues at stake in the federal and regional elections are easier to grasp than those in the EU elections, and are clearly considered more important. In fact, some are expecting a political tsunami on 9 June. In Flanders (Belgium’s Dutch-speaking region), the far-right separatist Vlaams Belang party is credited with over 25% of the vote in polls. If it achieves a breakthrough at federal level as well as in Flanders and in Brussels, Belgium could become ungovernable. Receive the best of European journalism straight to your inbox every Thursday At the very least it would be extremely complicated to form a national government, especially if the mainstream nationalist N-VA are dethroned from first place in Flanders and join forces with the Belang to form a regional government, which would make them “tainted” for the French-speaking parties at federal level (in Belgium, the levels of power are not watertight). To complicate matters, on the French-speaking side, the radical-left Parti du Travail de Belgique (PTB) is expected to come close to 15%. The equation could prove impossible to solve, both arithmetically and politically. Subscribe to continue reading this article. Independent ad-free journalism comes at a cost. We need your support. Already a subscriber? Sign in here. Source link via The Novum Times