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daimonclub · 14 days

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Memorial Day

Memorial Day Monument Memorial Day, legal holiday observed annually on the last Monday in May in the United States, in honor of the nation’s armed services personnel killed in wartime. Happy Memorial Day! Thank you to all our service men and women past and present. You are not forgotten! We’d like to say thank you to all the veterans of the United States of America. Thank you for the cost you paid so we could live in freedom and safety. Thank you that we have the freedom to pursue happiness, we have freedom of speech, we have all the freedoms other people only dream of. And sorry that some of us take these freedoms for granted. Memorial Day is about freedom given to us by the sacrifice of generations of soldiers. Wish a happy Memorial Day using some of these Memorial Day quotes. Send a message, or just say them personally. While only one day of the year is dedicated solely to honoring our veterans, Americans must never forget the sacrifices that many of our fellow countrymen have made to defend our country and protect our freedoms. This Memorial Day should remind us of the greatness that past generations of Americans achieved from Valley Forge to Vietnam, and it should inspire us with the determination to keep America great and free by keeping America safe and strong in our own time, a time of unique destiny and opportunity for our Nation.

Memorial Day Freedom does not come without a price. We may sometimes take for granted the many liberties we enjoy in America, but they have all been earned through the ultimate sacrifice paid by so many of the members of our armed forces. In the End, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends. Peace is the real and right memorial for those who have died in war. I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country. As long as our nation is the home of the brave, it remains the land of the free. Happy Memorial Day! Memorial Day, legal holiday observed annually on the last Monday in May in the United States, in honor of the nation’s armed services personnel killed in wartime. The holiday was originally called Decoration Day because it is a time for decorating graves with flowers and flags. Over time, the designation Memorial Day became far more common. In the United States, local observances to honor the war dead became widespread following the American Civil War (1861-1865), which had taken more than 600,000 lives. These local observances inspired General John Alexander Logan, the leader of a Union veterans’ group called the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR), to issue a general’s order in 1868 designating May 30 as a day for “strewing with flowers, or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion, and whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village, and hamlet churchyard in the land.” (By “the late rebellion,” Logan meant the Civil War, also known as the War of Rebellion.)

Memorial Day Article Accordingly, on May 30, 1868, several thousand people gathered to observe Decoration Day at Arlington National Cemetery, in Arlington, Virginia, across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C. The memorial ceremonies were presided over by Washington officials such as General Ulysses Grant and included a tribute by General James A. Garfield. Following the speeches, thousands of war veterans, orphans, and other participants helped decorate the more than 20,000 graves of Civil War dead in the cemetery. A number of towns in the United States claim to have originated the custom of decorating graves in memorial of the Civil War dead, including Columbus, Mississippi; Macon, Georgia; Richmond, Virginia; Boalsburg, Pennsylvania; and Carbondale, Illinois. However, in 1966 President Lyndon B. Johnson signed a proclamation that declared Waterloo, New York, the birthplace of Memorial Day. Townspeople there had begun decorating graves of soldiers, flying flags at half-mast, and organizing parades of veterans 100 years earlier, in May 1866. Waterloo has continued this tradition every year. In 1873 New York became the first state to declare a holiday on May 30. By the end of the 1800s, states throughout the nation had declared Memorial Day a holiday. After World War I (1914-1918), Memorial Day observances were changed to honor the dead in all American wars, starting with the American Revolution. The U.S. Congress declared Memorial Day a national holiday in 1971, and changed the date of observance from May 30 to the last Monday in May to give workers a three-day weekend. Memorial Day is marked by parades, speeches, and the decoration of graves. Traditionally, the president or vice president places a wreath on the Tomb of the Unknowns in Arlington National Cemetery, and small flags are placed on all the graves. Ceremonies also are held at Gettysburg National Military Park in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, and at Antietam National Battlefield in Sharpsburg, Maryland. Many people choose to visit family graves on Memorial Day.

Memorial Day Monument Many Southern states continue to honor the Confederate dead on a separate day. Confederate Memorial Day is observed on the fourth Monday in April in Alabama, the last Monday in April in Mississippi, April 26 in Georgia, May 10 in North Carolina and South Carolina, the last Monday in May in Virginia, and June 3 in Louisiana. Texas observes Confederate Heroes Day on January 19, the birthday of Confederate general Robert E. Lee. Tennessee observes Confederate Decoration Day on June 3, the birthday of Jefferson Davis, president of the Confederacy (see Confederate States of America). The Memorial Day weekend marks the beginning of summer activities, such as picnics and trips to the beach. A well-known automobile race, the Indianapolis 500, is held in Indiana every year on Memorial Day weekend. The weather is usually warm and sunny on the last Monday in May. Schools and offices are closed. Families and friends get together for picnics and baseball games. Beaches open for the summer season. Stores hold big sales. There are concerts and evening fireworks in parks. That is the fun side of the American national holiday Memorial Day. But Americans celebrate the holiday in very different ways. There is another, serious side which has more to do with how it all began: with giving thanks to soldiers who died in wars. Some towns organise parades in which war veterans, boy and girl scouts, and school bands in uniforms march to the inspiring sounds of trumpets, flutes, and drums.

Memorial Day History Patriotic citizens, especially, and those involved with the military, visit national cemeteries, where each soldier's grave. As we said before the tradition of Memorial Day began shortly after the American Civil War (1861-1865). That bloody conflict ended in victory for the Northern, 'Union' states against eleven Southern, 'Confederate' states which had tried to break away from the USA and form a separate country. A major result was that slavery, the basis for the agricultural economy of the Southern states, was abolished. In 1865, former American slaves in South Carolina created a ceremony to honour Union soldiers who had died in the war. Starting in 1868, Memorial Day was observed annually on May 30th in many parts of the US. After the First World War, Americans began to honour their countrymen who had died in all wars. In 1971, it was decided that Memorial Day should be celebrated nationwide on the last Monday in May, whatever the date, creating a three-day Memorial Day Weekend. Today many people say that change made it possible for people to have a mini-vacation. They think the government should restore the single-day holiday on May 30th. In that way, citizens wouldn't only amuse themselves and forget the soldiers who died to defend freedoms that are central to the American way of life. The vast majority of Americans agree that Memorial Day should be a time to give thanks to all men and women who died in military service. Yet many citizens, especially pacifists, now criticise what they see as the blind patriotism of some people on Memorial Day. They think that Memorial Day parades and ceremonies should not be used as propaganda for US participation in controversial wars across the world, such as in Iraq and in Afghanistan. For almost 70 years, no Memorial Day parade was held in Washington DC. It is interesting that the tradition of the parade in the US capital was revived in 2005, during the presidency of the unpopular, self-declared "war president", George W Bush.

Memorial Day USA They say that summer in the United States begins at the end of May with Memorial Day Weekend. The whole country takes a holiday on Monday and enjoys a long weekend. But what exactly is Memorial Day? It is in honour of all the veterans who died serving their country and, in the current political climate, some people find the military nature of the holiday offensive. Edwin Rutledge served in the US Navy from 1958 to 1961, but today he is a pacifist and lives in Germany, where he runs" the Munich American Peace Committee. In his own opinion there are certain societies in the States that are susceptible to the military aspect. For example, the Indians are very conscious - it's strange, they've been treated not very well in the States - but they're very proud to have served in the service. Other people have a little bit of difficulty with the idea of war, so they don't particularly like to think that way. There are certain populations in the US, for example the Oriental population, mainly the Japanese population, that has trouble celebrating Memorial Day, after some of the problems that they faced being put into camps during the Second World War. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HsQ3E5pGWwQ Here are the major U.S. holidays. In some cases, businesses, government offices, and schools will be closed, and also the International Days list. New Year’s Eve/New Year’s Day MLK Jr. Day President’s Day Valentine’s Day St. Patrick’s Day Easter/Spring Break Mother’s Day Memorial Day Father’s Day 4th of July Labor Day Halloween Thanksgiving Christmas Eve Christmas Day International Days List Read the full article

#heroes #holiday #HonorOurVets #honour #may #MemorialDay #millitary #Monday #parades #tradition #USmilitary #Veterans #war

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larrensmith · 8 months

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Georgia Republicans Remove Senator for Opposing Trump

Georgia Republican lawmakers suspended a state senator who advocated for the impeachment of District Attorney Fani Willis, who indicted former President Donald Trump. The suspension was seen as retaliation for the senator’s criticism of the GOP-controlled legislature.

The move has sparked outrage from Democrats and some Republicans, who called it an attack on democracy and freedom of speech. Critics say the suspension is an attempt to silence dissent and protect Trump from accountability.

The senator’s suspension is a reminder of the deep divisions within the Republican Party, and the lengths to which some GOP members are willing to go to protect Trump. It is also a reminder of the importance of free speech and the right to dissent.

Read More https://atlwire.com/georgia-gop-members-remove-senator-advocating-for-the-impeachment-of-district-attorney-involved-in-trumps-indictment/

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tieflingkisser · 11 months

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Some of the accused may have trespassed or destroyed property, but to charge protesters with “domestic terrorism” and a legal defense fund with money laundering is a cynical political act that bears no relation to the misdemeanors alleged. Any American committed to democracy should be interested in making sure these charges lose in both the court of law and the court of public opinion. These charges seek to silence and stop opposition to an unpopular development project. They also telegraph a message to others in the state and nationwide: We will not tolerate lawful protest in Georgia. This strategy is known as Strategic Litigation Against Public Participation (SLAPP), which is an intimidation lawsuit, typically used by private corporations against those who speak out on matters of public interest. Various state governments are increasingly deploying this tactic, too. SLAPPs don’t usually win in court, but that’s not what they’re intended to do. Instead, they set out to threaten activists and drain the financial resources of social movements. They often unfold as years-long wars of attrition, where corporations and governments with disproportionately large resources grind down the financial, emotional, and legal capacities of activists. The threat of such a suit—typically brought against individuals or groups that confront powerful people or institutions—discourages free speech and association, chilling democracy itself.

#stop copy city #georgia #brian kemp #usa #news

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kp777 · 1 year

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By Chris Walker ,

Truthout

Published April 13, 2023

From the article:

[....]

In a letter to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland, Democratic senators Raphael Warnock (Georgia), Alex Padilla (California), Chris Murphy (Connecticut) and Brian Schatz (Hawaii), along with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (New York), lodged a formal request for an investigation into whether the expulsions were a violation of Pearson’s or Jones’s civil rights.

The lawmakers requested that the DOJ examine whether Republicans’ action violated Jones’s and Pearson’s First Amendment right to free speech and assembly or statutes barring discrimination based on race. They also requested that the agency determine whether the expulsions infringed upon constituents’ 14th Amendment right to representation by legislators of their choice.

“Silencing legislators on the basis of their views or their participation in protected speech or protest is antithetical to American democracy and values,” the lawmakers wrote. “We cannot allow states to cite minor procedural violations as pretextual excuses to remove democratically-elected representatives, especially when these expulsions may have been at least partially on the basis of race. Allowing such behavior sets a dangerous — and undemocratic — precedent.”

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cyarskj1899 · 1 year

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BLACK EXCELLENCE

Black Women Who Inspired Us In 2022

These women have been at the forefront of the culture, showing us what it means to simply be great.

Candace McDuffie

PublishedSaturday 3:19PM

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Black women continue to be victorious, but 2022 was a year where we shined brighter than ever. Whether it was Sheryl Lee Ralph’s historic Emmy win or KeKe Palmer’s epic pregnancy reveal, the best cultural moments from the last 12 months were (mostly) courtesy of Black women. Here are 15 of them who showed up and out in 2022.

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Megan Thee Stallion

Megan Thee Stallion had quite the tumultuous year, but still came out on top. The star released her sophomore album, Traumazine, to critical acclaim. She also launched a website called Bad Bitches Have Bad Days Too, which provides diverse and free mental health resources. In addition, Meg hosted “Saturday Night Live” for the first time and delivered a heartfelt performance. 2022 also saw a guilty verdict in the Tory Lanez trial, where he was convicted of shooting the “Anxiety” rapper. Far too often, Black girls are forced to be stronger than they have to be. We remain in awe of Megan’s vulnerability and strength.

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Michelle Obama

Our forever FLOTUS was crowned the #1 honoree on this year’s Root 100 list. Not only did Michelle Obama share her wisdom in a Q & A with The Root, but she also imparted precious gems during her national book tour for “The Light We Carry: Overcoming in Uncertain Times.” Obama was shockingly transparent, especially when it came to discussing her marriage as well as the societal pressures she faced as America’s only Black first lady. “I wasn’t just representing myself, I was representing the United States,” she told The Root. “In the end, I feel proud of the choices I made—and the example I tried to set.”

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Ziwe

Ziwe has changed the way we consume modern day talk television. Her eponymous Showtime series boasted a slew of impressive guests including everyone from Wayne Brady to Amber Riley to Michael Che. Not only does the show also consist of skits in which Ziwe sings and dances while simultaneously addressing cultural hot topics, but she’s not afraid to tackle tough subjects like cultural appropriation, critical race theory and misogynoir. Did we mention she looks remarkable while doing it?

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Stacey Abrams

Was there anyone this year that Stacey Abramsdidn’t captivate? The Root 100 honoree–who also spoke at The Root Institute–tried her hand at becoming governor of Georgia for a second time. Although she lost to her Republican opponent, Brian Kemp, she inspired millions across America with her fiery resolve toward progressive causes including voter suppression and abortion rights.

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Waikinya Clanton

During Waikinya Clanton’s moving speech at The Root 100, she made it a point to emphasize that her work as the Director of the Southern Poverty Law Center’s Mississippi state office is personal. Her guidance during the Jackson water crisis was crucial: she made sure water and other supplies were delivered to elderly and disabled residents who couldn’t access water distribution sites. Clanton also increased efforts from Mississippi Rapid Response Coalition for residents, pointing out the crisis was a result of a racial and political divide.

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Lizzo

Lizzo won 2022 by simply minding her Black beautiful business! She hosted Saturday Night Live for the first time, won an Emmy for her reality show “Lizzo’s Watch Out for the Big Grrrls” and had white conservatives beside themselves when she twerked while playing James Madison’s historical flute at one of her concerts. Despite being the routine target of online bullying and body shaming, her success quiets the haters by speaking for itself.

8 / 17

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Meghan Markle

No one could silence Meghan Markle this year. Her cover story for The Cut surprisingly revealed her peaceful new life in California after exiting the UK. Markle’s successful podcast, “Archetypes,” examined the roles women have historically been relinquished to. In addition, Harry & Meghan–the Netflix docuseries featuring her and hubby Prince Harry–took a harrowing look at the racism deeply embedded in the British monarchy. With their new endeavor, Archewell Productions, we are certain Markle is just getting started with telling her truth.

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Gabriella Karefa-Johnson

Gabriella Karefa-Johnson, the Global Contributing Fashion Editor-at-Large for Vogue, put Kanye West in his place earlier this year during Paris fashion week. The controversial rapper, who now goes by the moniker Ye, pulled one of his most ridiculous stunts to date: he had models at one of his shows wear “White Lives Matter” shirts. He also brought out Candace Owens as a special guest. Even though it made her a target of the artist, she wrote on Instagram: “I do think if you asked Kanye, he’d say there was art, and revolution, and all of the things in that T-shirt. There isn’t.”

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Tiffany Cross

If Tiffany Cross has a brand, it would definitely be truth-telling. She bravely tackled Tucker Carlson, called out Megyn Kelly’s stupidity and advocated for diversity in media when she made a guest appearance on The Root video series “The Callout.” When news broke that MSNBC wouldn’t be renewing her popular show The Cross Connection, outrage from Black journalists was swift and powerful. As expected, Cross took the high road regarding the whole situation: “But, after more than 20 years in journalism, I will not stop. The attacks on me from other outlets and former hosts will never control my narrative.”

11 / 17

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Oriaku Njoku

Oriaku Njoku was honored this year at The Root 100 for their work to protect women’s rights as the Executive Director of The National Network of Abortion Funds. This proved vital in a year where Roe v. Wade was overturned. In 2015, Njoku co-founded ARC-Southeast, which provides funding and support for Southerners to receive safe reproductive services, including abortion. They also made the 2022 TIME100 Next list.

12 / 17

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KeKe Palmer

Mama-to-be KeKe Palmer had a reign in 2022 that just wouldn’t let up! From that daring pregnancy reveal during her Saturday Night Live hosting duties to stealing the spotlight in Jordan Peele’s Nope, all eyes were on KeKe as she reminded folks that she is definitely a force to be reckoned with in Hollywood. She was number 22 on The Root 100list for a reason: there will never be anyone like her, periodt.

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Sheryl Lee Ralph

Sheryl Lee Ralph made history this year by becoming the second Black woman to win an Emmy for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series. Her breakout role on Quinta Brunson’s ABC hit series, “Abbott Elementary,” garnered her the honor. Ralph’s victory was long overdue, as the Hollywood veteran boasts a career that spans nearly five decades. In addition, this year she also received the Honorary Order of Jamaica and TV Humanitarian Award from the Creative Coalition. Ralph will continue to be an inspiration for generations to come.

14 / 17

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Chloe X Halle

Is there anything these sisters can’t do? Chloe and Halle Bailey both have had a remarkable year. The former was not only an honoree of The Root 100, but she also accepted her award at the ceremony in person declaring the vitality of Black womanhood. Halle, on the other hand, had racists undone when the trailer for Disney’s upcoming live-action adaptation of The Little Mermaid was released. However, it was long overdue that Black girls saw themselves as Disney princesses. The director of the film, Rob Marshall, told Entertainment Weekly that Bailey was chosen for the role because she was “incredibly strong, passionate, beautiful, smart, clever.”

15 / 17

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Aisha Pinky Cole

Aisha Pinky Cole changed the face of the food industry by specializing in vegan cuisine. The Slutty Vegan–her plant-based burger empire–has amassed a cult-like following which led to a cookbook this year called “Eat Plants, B*tch.” The Root 100 honoree, who was born and raised in Baltimore by her two Jamaican immigrant parents, showed how diverse and successful Black girls can be. In fact, her viral freestyle on Sway in the Morning from earlier this year, perfectly illustrated this point.

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Karine Jean-Pierre

Karine Jean-Pierre made history earlier this year when she became the first Black person–and the openly LGBTQ person–to be named White House press secretary. Although she had racists crying that she was an affirmative action hire (as if white privilege isn’t a thing), her background speaks for itself. Before her latest stint, Jean-Pierre has served as Deputy Battleground States Director for President Obama’s 2012 re-election campaign as well as a political analyst for NBC and MSNBC.

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BUSINESS

Black-Owned Whiskey Company Uncle Nearest Just Hit $100M in Sales and Is Set to Double It In 2023

Here’s why Uncle Nearest should be the only whiskey you and your family picks up this holiday season.

Alexandra Jane

PublishedDecember 10, 2022

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Screenshot: Courtesy of subject.

Black owned whiskey brand Uncle Nearest just hit $100 million in sales this past October, and experts say that as one of the fastest growing companies on the market, it is the brand to look out for in the next year.

According to a December 6 press release, Uncle Nearest is projected to double that number by the end of 2023 with an estimated $200 million. Not only does the brand boast an impressive portfolio for its nascent five years in the industry—with products ranging in both age and character— adding to the brand’s appeal is its affordability. Bottles are priced between $49 to $149, urging consumers to stock their pantries with multiple bottles at a time.

The 323-acre distillery is located in Shelbyville, Tennessee and is family owned and operated. Founded in 2017 by the company’s current CEO Fawn Weaver, Uncle Nearest was later bolstered by Chief Business Officer Katharine Jerkens, and Nearest Green’s great-great-granddaughter (and the brand’s master blender) Victoria Eady Butler. In 2021, the family celebrated becoming the best-selling Black owned spirits brand in the United States.

“To reach this and every other milestone on our horizon, we continue to push nonstop, ” Weaver shared in the release. “Every cent we make in the future will continue to do the same. We have an entire generation of women and people of color, who represent 70 percent of our country but still feel marginalized and underrepresented, counting on us. This group continues to look to Uncle Nearest as proof that anything is possible. We will not let them down.”

But growth does not stop here. The company is committed to investing in the next generation of Black distillers. With the Black Business Booster program, the Nearest and Jack Advancement Initiative, and Uncle Nearest Ventures, Black and minority owned businesses are supported with resources, and professional mentorship opportunities.

We love to see it, and we’re certain that Uncle Nearest will be keeping holiday drinkers happy for decades to come.

French Montana's Video Shoot Turns into a Real-life Shootout

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Noah A. McGee

PublishedJanuary 6, 2023

Here's Why Kim Kardashian and North West's Latest TikTok Has People Losing It Online

North is the oldest of Kim and Kanye West's four children and frequently posts random videos to social media.

Shanelle Genai

PublishedJanuary 6, 2023

Comments (1)

Damar Hamlin Has Breathing Tube Removed, Communicates With Family, Teammates

The Buffalo Bills safety is now awake and talking with his family and teammates.

Stephanie Holland

PublishedJanuary 6, 2023

A Record Number of Discrimination Complaints Flooded the Department of Education

The U.S. Department of Education received nearly 19,000 discrimination complaints last fiscal year, setting a new…

Jessica Washington

PublishedJanuary 6, 2023

'It Hurt My Feelings': Sheryl Lee Ralph Discusses Lack of Inclusion in 2006 Dreamgirls Film

Ralph, along with fellow actresses Loretta Devine and Jennifer Holliday, originally starred in the Broadway…

Shanelle Genai

PublishedJanuary 6, 2023

Al Roker Makes Emotional Return To "Today" Show After Hospital Stint

“My heart is just bursting,” Roker said upon his return.

Candace McDuffie

PublishedJanuary 6, 2023

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Rapper Fetty Wap’s Sentencing in Drug Trafficking Case Will Have To Wait

The New Jersey rapper pled guilty to drug charges in August 2022 and will face a minimum of five years in prison.

Noah A. McGee

PublishedJanuary 6, 2023

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Wall Street Journal Demands Investigation After Reporter Is Arrested in Phoenix

So ... is reporting while Black against the law now too?

Kalyn Womack

PublishedJanuary 6, 2023

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andromedasstarship · 3 years

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in the stars - chapter 1

photo credit: @ssahotchnerr

pairing - aaron hotchner x reader

warnings - canon-typical criminal minds violence, show rating 16+ for reference. depictions of violence, stalking, murder, angst, age gap couple, drinking, brief mention of drugs.

summary - You finally meet the BAU, little progress is made in terms of the case.

a/n - early update yay! i take a lot of liberties with movies that reader has starred in, pls dont take irl movie release dates into consideration here lol. more notes at the end

blog rules

masterlist // read it on ao3 here

prologue // next chapter

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Chapter 1

Flights to California always took an extra toll on the team. Reid had explained it once, in a too long ramble, how the wind worked against the plane lengthening the flight at least an hour longer than the trip back home.

Hotch was finding it difficult to focus on the files in front of him. The first photo he opened was of victim #3, with her eyes closed and face turned to the side, even Hotch could’ve been fooled that it was you lying there dead. While the rest of the team was mulling over the facts of the case, he was debating whether or not to tell the team about your history. The Unit Chief in him knew this was important information that had the potential to hinder the case; his relationship to you was too personal and his withholding of information could even turn him into a suspect. If the roles had been reversed with another member of the team, he’d have concerns over their ability to even be on the case. For now, Hotch forced himself to tune into the conversation the rest of the team was having; promising himself he’d figure out what to do later.

“Garcia, what do we know about L/N,” Emily asked, turning ever so slightly towards the screen Garcia had just popped up on.

“I’m glad you asked my dear Emily. Y/N L/N is totally Hollywood’s It Girl right now, it’s rumored you can’t even get a meeting with her without forking over at least twenty big ones. She’s never had a bad role in her career. Personally, my favorite movie she starred in was Mamma Mia, but like I said never a bad role,” Garcia paused for a moment, the sound of her typing filling the silence, “is it inappropriate for me to ask one of you to get her signature for-”

“Garcia,” Rossi interjected, “anything else we need to know about her right now?”

“Sorry sir, I promise to be on my best professional behavior. But come on, remember when she swept the Oscars three years-”

Hotch felt himself detach from the conversation yet again, staring out the window as memories of the two of you flooded his brain.

Three Years Ago

The team had just finished a grueling case in Georgia. It was long, taking nearly two weeks to catch the unsub, in which he had managed to murder three additional couples right under their noses. Inclement weather forced them to stay another night until the storm passed, leaving them all stranded by the airport. In a turnaround way, being stuck gave them the rare opportunity to relax and bond as a team. Rather than all disappear to their own rooms for the night, they all packed into one small hotel room. Boxes of Chinese takeout were littered around the room, along with various bottles of alcohol. The Oscars were on that night and Hotch knew you’d be on the screen at some point, not wanting to miss it he proposed watching it to the team and they all happily agreed. While it was difficult with their schedules to be avid movie goers, they all were relatively familiar with the contenders for big awards such as Best Picture and Best Actor.

You were nominated for two separate awards that night, along with starring in a film nominated for Best Picture. It had been a monumental year for you, with three separate feature films hitting theaters and all becoming major successes both financially and socially. You had spent so much time jet setting for press conferences and movie tours that you rivaled Aaron in terms of suitcase living.

“Everyone shut up! They’re about to do Best Supporting Actress, oh I just know it’s going to be Y/N. Emily agree with me! We saw her in Little Women together, I cried. Oh don’t give me that look Emily, you cried too and you know it!” Penelope said enthusiastically, waving her chopsticks around. It was rare that Garcia ever came with on a case, but the location had been in a remote part of the state and they wanted to avoid being unable to reach her and her technical wizardry; a fact she was particularly grateful for, had this watch party been happening without her, she would’ve been so jealous.

To anyone else, the grin on Hotch’s face would have been easily equated to the bickering going on between his friends and the effects of the few drinks he had thrown back. It was all for you though, he had caught glimpses of you on screen throughout the night and had snuck more than one glance at his phone to see the pictures of your outfit you’d sent him yourself. When the presenters walked on stage, Hotch sat up a bit straighter, his body naturally inching closer to the edge of his seat. The screen set up so the faces of all nominees and their reactions could be seen, Hotch’s eyes glued to the box you were in.

“And the winner of Best Supporting Actress goes to…,” the first presenter started, slowly opening the envelope they held, “Y/N L/N!” The crowd roared and the camera focused in on you sitting stunned in your seat, surrounded by coworkers and friends. The team was cheering too, the liquor in their system loosening everyone up. Hotch clapping uncharacteristically loud and long even went unnoticed by the others.

“I was right, I knew it!! I should start betting on this, you know what I bet I could hack into the system-” Garcia’s voice barely even registered in Hotch’s brain as he watched you. With one hand clasped over your mouth and the other holding your dress you made your way up the stairs and to the center of the stage.

“Wow,” you started, eyes wide as you stared down at the award in your hands, slowly you looked back up into the crowd and continued, “I really mean it when I say I wasn’t expecting this. I didn’t even prepare a speech, I’m so sorry,” you paused again, the biggest smile plastered on your face as you quickly wiped a few tears threatening to fall, “thank you all so much, for supporting me and letting me do what I love. Thank you to my fellow coworkers who pushed me in this project and thank you so much to the fans who give me the strength to do this every day. Thank you! Thank you so much!” You ended, making your way back towards your seat. Hotch grinned as you flashed a wide smile to the camera following you, throwing a flirty winky that he knew was just for him.

The rest of the night went by in a blur. When you won again for Best Actress, you were barely able to contain yourself on stage, tears flowing freely down your face as you gave your thanks. The joy you felt in that moment was unlike anything you’d ever experienced in your life. At just 24, you had become the first person ever to win both awards in the same night. Hotch had actually jumped out of his seat at your second win, a motion that confused the rest of the team, but the liquor in everyone’s system forced them to ignore it; more glad than anything to see Hotch loosening up for once.

After the team finally retreated into their own rooms for the night, Hotch wasted no time in texting you, asking if you were free to talk on the phone. His excitement palpable when not even a minute later your contact came up on the screen.

“Aaron,” your excited voice came through the phone, just being able to hear you eased tension he wasn’t even aware he had been carrying, “can you believe it!”

“Congratulations, Miss Double Oscar winner.” Even after a year of being together, his voice made you giddy. “Where are you?” He asked, unable to ignore the pounding sound of music and people in the background.

“After party, top secret location Mr. Agent. I’m in the bathroom! Am I allowed to tell you I definitely see some residue of a line on the counter,” your voice was slurred and rushed, the energy of the moment combined with the liquor in your system causing your mouth to move faster than your brain, “probably not, ignore that. Where are you?”

Aaron relayed various info about closing the case and what the team had gotten up to that night. When you began telling him about your night, he couldn’t help but feel insecure. Where he told you about $8 takeout meals and rural Georgia, you were talking about some of the biggest names in Hollywood and the luxury treatment you’d been subject to all night. He forced himself to focus on your voice anyway; not wanting to take this time ‘with’ you for granted. The two of you could’ve talked for hours, had it not been for Hotch pushing you to go enjoy the celebrations.

“I’m so proud of you angel,” he said softly, voice swelling with adoration, “I’ll see you soon, I promise.”

“I love you Aaron.”

“I love you too Y/N.”

When he finally hung up, he leaned against the wall with a sigh, running his hands through his hair. Relationship wise, it had been a tough year for the two of you. With your schedule busier than you’d ever expected, it meant seeing each other in person was nearly impossible. In good conscience you refused to take him away from Jack on the rare weekends he had off. Instead you’d fly in whenever possible, the two of you spending low profile nights together in fancy hotels or his house if Jack was away with friends. It was excruciating maintaining a relationship like this, but something about the success of the night made the sacrifices feel worth it.

Present Day

“Look into her dating history, any exes that would want to hurt her?” JJ asked, her question pulling Hotch back into the present. Adjusting to the constant publicity you were subject to had been a learning curve for Hotch, the first time the tabloids ran a story of you photographed with some Hollywood Hunk his bad mood had the entire team walking on eggshells for a week.

“According to my search she hasn’t dated anyone in years, or at least not publicly. I have a theory she’s secretly dating Henry Ca-.” Hotch zoned back out before Garcia could finish, having no interest in hearing or seeing whoever the media was speculating to be involved with you this time. Willing the plane to land faster, he ignored the faint voice in the back of his head that was telling him you were free to be with whoever you wanted.

----

“If you’d follow me Miss L/N, the BAU has set up in the back conference room, they’ve been waiting for you.” Officer Reynolds said, her back to you as you followed her down the hallway. It was nearly 9am and you had spent the better half of the morning hyping yourself up to see Aaron for the first time in nearly two years. You made last second adjustments to your outfit; an outfit you definitely hadn’t spent all of last night picking out because you definitely did not want to look good for Aaron Hotchner. As Officer Reynolds moved to open the door you held your breath, thanking the years of experience in manipulating your outward expressions. When four heads turned in unison to look at you, you let out a sigh of relief. Aaron wasn’t in the room.

“This is Y/N L/N. Miss L/N, meet the BAU,” Officer Reynolds said, extending her arm outwards towards the rest of the room, “I’ll leave you guys to do introductions, if you need anything, find me,” and with that she exited the room. A blonde woman stepped forward first, extending her hand out to you. You knew who she was before she even said her name.

“My name is Jennifer Jareau, I’m the media liaison with the BAU.” She said, she gave you the same smile all the other officers had been giving you, but unlike theirs that reeked of pity, something in Jennifer’s felt authentic to you. After shaking hands with her, the rest of the room took a moment to introduce themselves. You never thought you’d meet Aaron’s team like this. Over the years, he had shown you countless photos of the team, along with hundreds of stories and tidbits concerning their lives. Even though you knew they had probably spent the entire flight to LA looking at your life, it still felt as if you had some creepy advantage over the situation.

“The rest of our team, Agents Hotchner and Morgan, are currently doing some research in the field, but until they return we’d love to brief you and ask you a few questions, is that alright?” JJ asked, stepping backwards and motioning for you to take a seat at the round table.

“Of course,” you quickly replied, moving to take a seat; internally you were laughing at the irony of her asking if it was alright, what would you do, say no? Looking up at the other three members still standing you motioned for them to sit as well, “I don’t know if you’re doing it on purpose, but I’d prefer if you all sat down too,” you paused, before adding, “kinda makes me feel like I’m back at school.” They seemed to smile at that, everyone else moving to find a seat at the table. Before the silence could turn uncomfortable, JJ spoke up again.

“Does anyone else in your life know about the murders?”

You shook your head no before replying, “my agent knows just in case I have to go underground and my security guard is aware, but besides them and the police, I haven’t told anyone.”

“Go underground?”

“Uh yea, a few years ago I had a stalker. I went ‘underground’ for about three months and the guy seemed to give up. The police have already cleared him, he hasn’t been to LA in over a year,” you explained.

“That’s good to know. We want to keep your involvement in the case completely out of the media. I can only imagine you want that too,” JJ started, angling her body towards you, “I know you’re probably more than well versed in dealing with the press, but if anyone comes up to you asking about the murders we want you to completely disengage. And of course, don’t tell anyone else about what’s going on.”

“Alright, now that that’s settled, we just have a couple questions for you,” Emily asked as she stood up, opening up a file from the table, “so what can you tell us about-”

----

The dump site wasn’t showing any promise. Situated near a highway, the field was hidden from the road, yet still accessible by car. The constant stir caused by the speeding cars meant any leftover DNA or footprints were effectively blown away.

“Our guy’s gotta be fit. The drop into the field is just steep enough he would’ve had to carry the body at least fifty feet to get it here from the road. He could’ve rolled it, but the bodies were too pristine to have been dropped on the ground like that.” Derek said, looking over at Hotch. The two of them were standing at the edge of the road, looking down at the now empty field. “Not only that, but this is a nice spot. Normally places like this so close to a highway are filled with trash, do you think he might’ve cleaned up?”

Hotch was silent as he considered this, before slowly nodding, “it’d make sense if he did. Everything we have concerning his treatment to the victims post mortem has been nothing but affectionate.”

“Do you think there could be two unsubs?” Derek asked, when Hotch looked at him with mild confusion he continued, “All the victims were strangled to death, ME report assumes it was by hand. It takes a lot of strength and persistence to kill someone by hand like that, not only that but it’s intimate, he’s staring them in the face as he kills them. The level of care displayed here seems way more than just remorse.”

Hotch took another moment to consider Derek’s proposition before shaking his head, “we’ll keep it in mind, but it’s clear whatever connection he has to L/N is personal, at least to him. These women could be failing to replicate some part of her personality and in his rage he kills them. But when they’re silent and unmoving, their likeness to L/N lets him fall back into the fantasy, hence the care.”

“We should start heading back, Reid just texted me they’re almost done with the initial briefing with L/N, and we should meet her before she takes off for the day.” Derek said, putting his phone back in his pocket before turning on his heel to head back to the car. Hotch’s shoulders tensed at the idea of seeing you, looking back at the field once more. Giving the field one last look, he felt a shiver run up his spine at the idea of finding you in a field like this. Shaking the idea out of his, he turned to join Derek in the car.

Hotch took the driver's seat, glad to be able to use the road as a needed distraction from the impending face to face. The drive was only twenty minutes, but Hotch didn’t think any time would truly be long enough to prepare himself to see you again. He found himself wondering if anything would be different from the last time he saw you. Did you still smell the same? You had always been quite adamant about your preference for scented lotion, rather than perfumes. What if you completely changed your hair? Were you worrying about seeing him as much as he was?

“You think she’s gonna be easy to work with?” Derek asked, breaking Hotch out of his mental spiral.

“What do you mean?”

“Y/N, you know, “Hollywood’s It Girl”,” Derek explained, “if she’s as in demand as Garcia said she was-”

“While we work this case Morgan, I expect you to conduct yourself appropriately,” Hotch interjected, his voice tight, “we treat Y/N the way we would anyone else, do I make myself clear?” His eyes not leaving the road at all, knuckles tight around the steering wheel.

“Crystal,” Derek responded, raising his hands up in mock surrender.

As they turned into the parking lot, Hotch scanned the parking lot before finally noticing your car parked in the back of the lot. You used to always park as far as you could, constantly complaining about how people in parking lots stressed you out and you wanted to be able to drive in and out as easy as possible. The corners of his lips turned up, ever so slightly, thinking maybe nothing had really changed for you, at least in that regard.

“You go ahead, I’m just going to send a message to Jack real quick,” Hotch lied, pulling his phone from his pocket. Derek nodded and got out of the car, quickly entering the building. Hotch put his phone down in his lap and gripped the steering wheel once more. You were one of the few people to ever wind him up this way; it had been like that from the first day he met you, as if you managed to make him melt under your gaze. Five minutes, he would give himself five minutes to pull himself together before letting the Unit Chief in him take over.

----

“I’m sorry, I just, can I take a break,” you asked, looking up at the agents who were still grilling you about facets of your life you never would’ve considered relevant, “I just need to get some air.” Without really waiting for permission, you were pushing back on your chair to stand up. Slinging on your thin jacket you exited the room, heading for the entrance of the building. The agents had been kind, but you were starting to feel a bit useless. Each time they had a new theory, you came up short in terms of material for them to actually use. They kept reassuring you that what you were able to come up with was helpful, but you weren't convinced.

You had been in and out of this office so many times, your body went into autopilot as you made your way to the entrance, not even pausing to look up as you started to push open the door. What you missed was the distinct outline of a body pulling the door open at the same time. The added force made you stumble, nearly crashing straight into the man on the other side. Brown eyes met yours and you both froze, uncertain of what to say before speaking at the same time.

“Y/N.”

“Agent.”

-----

a/n - wow wow! things are gonna start moving in the next chapter, i promise. the response to ‘in the stars’ so far has been so heartwarming. ive said it before, but this is my first fic and i cant even fathom that people are actually interested in what im writing. your support means the world! im trying to get stuff written before university starts up again, but i dont want to nix quality for faster updates so if updates slow down im sorry! comments always appreciated. leave a reply or ask if youd like to be added to the taglist! if you requested before but arent added, just ask again i mustve missed it on accident

Taglist: @mac99martin @iwaizumiee @kylorendrip @hqtchner @lieswithoutfairytales @ssahoodrathotchner @midsummernightdream @weasleylovers @evans-dejong

no permission is given to republish or upload my fics anywhere else. if you see this story not on my tumblr or ao3 it is stolen work. i do not own criminal minds or any of the characters involved

#aaron hotchner x reader #hotch x reader #hotchner x reader #aaron hotchner #criminal minds fanfiction #hotchner #in the stars #'stori writes #in the stars chapter 1

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tintinwrites · 3 years

Text

golden rings | Modern Poe Dameron x GN!Reader

A/N: I named this Poe-posal in my Docs but I figured that’s not a good title for an actual fic. No tags because I don’t want to accidentally tag someone who doesn’t celebrate and/or like Christmas!

Rating: T

Warning: Naughty words. Like one sexual reference.

Word count: 1,452, apparently!!

Summary: You and Poe go to his father’s house for Christmas where he opens a very special gift.

GIF credit: ^

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

“Your dad goes all out for Christmas, huh?”

“He does it for the neighborhood kids...or that’s what he tells me.” Poe put the car in park and leaned forward with his arms on the steering wheel to admire his father’s house; there were multicolored lights strung up along the roof and Christmas-themed clings on the window and even some blow up characters and figures. “I think he does it for himself. Nothing says Christmas in Georgia like Frosty the Snowman.”

You laughed softly, eyeing the decorations with a smile then looking at the man beside you. “I think it’s cute.”

“I think you’re cute,” he murmured as he turned to look at you, leaning in for a quick kiss.

A quick kiss became another one that was longer and deeper, one of your hands moving up to gently squeeze his arm.

He dressed up a bit for his dad with a burgundy button up shirt and you enjoyed it immensely if the way you kept touching his arms and torso was any indication.

His eyes were a bit dreamy as he pulled away and looked down at your lips. “What are your rules on fucking in your boyfriend’s childhood bedroom?”

You hummed, running your hand up his arm and his shoulder until you reached up to cup his cheek. “I don’t want to traumatize your dad and I’m willing to assume said bedroom is still decorated in baseball memorabilia picked out by fifteen year old Poe.”

“Soccer memorabilia.” He pouted like you offended him before smiling and kissing you again, unbuckling his seatbelt and shoving open the car door so he could step out.

You shook your head at him as you followed him out of the car and around to the trunk to help him unload everything you’d packed.

He handed you a stack of neatly wrapped gifts then grabbed your suitcases, rolling them up the walkway to the front door. “Hey, Dad!”

The way he pounded on the door made you roll your eyes and glare at him, elbowing him gently in the side right as the door opened to show Kes Dameron smiling widely at you both.

He thankfully didn’t seem to notice your little attack on Poe as he pulled his son into his arms, laughing joyfully.

“My boy!” He pulled back and grabbed onto Poe’s face, squishing his cheeks a bit as he looked him over. “Look at you! You need to shave.”

“You’re one to talk, Santa Claus.” Poe tugged on his father’s beard.

“I look distinguished, you look scruffy.” Kes patted his cheek before he pulled away and looked at you with a smile, opening his arms wide.

“Hi, Kes.” You set the presents down and moved into his arms, laughing softly as he squeezed you tightly.

He wrapped an arm around you and turned to lead you into the house. “Poe can get those, come on.”

You heard Poe grumble at his forced volunteering, but he was smiling as he brought the suitcases and presents inside when you glanced back at him.

Kes walked you to the couch then disappeared into the kitchen, coming back with three beers and handing one to you as he sat down next to you.

“Is Poe still enjoying being a Yankee?” He asked, opening his beer and taking a sip of it.

“He asks like I betrayed him for the North in a war,” Poe grunted as he set the suitcases aside, making his way to the Christmas tree with the pile of presents.

“I think he likes it. He doesn’t like the snow, but honestly, who actually does?”

“You two could always move down here to Georgia if you think it’d suit you.”

Poe plopped down on the other side of his dad, taking his bottle of beer with a smile and a nod of thanks. “We have jobs, Dad.”

“There are jobs here! One of my friends is hiring right now.” Though Kes took a sip of beer rather than explaining further.

“Hiring what?” Poe stared at him knowingly until the older man laughed awkwardly.

“You’d make a cute maid.”

“—I don’t know how to argue with the truth like that.”

You laughed at them as you drank a bit more of your beer then stood up. “I’m gonna go put our things away?”

“Don’t worry about mine!” Poe said quickly. “That’s my job. My room’s first door on the right down that hallway.”

You raised an eyebrow at him, but moved to kiss him before you grabbed your suitcase and made your way to the bedroom.

Poe watched you the entire way with a bit of a dopey smile, which Kes regarded with a knowing look as he leaned back into the couch cushions.

“Am I too old now to realize when my son’s in love?” His question made Poe look at him after a moment, seeming sheepish.

“I don’t think you are, Dad. Can I talk to you about something?”

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

Kes must’ve been really happy that you and Poe were visiting him; every time you looked over at him throughout dinner, he was looking at one of you or both of you with fondness in his eyes.

It was honestly starting to freak you out a little, so you suggested that you exchange gifts once you’d finished your meal.

“Now this is a stylish color!” Kes held up a blue sweater that you’d chosen for him.

“I think you’ll look very handsome.” You smiled, shoving the wrapping paper into a trash bag.

“You hear that, Poe? I think you have a little competition.”

“Gross, Dad.”

You laughed, walking over to kneel by the tree where you grabbed a little square present with Poe’s name written on it. “This one’s yours, babe.”

You reached back to let him take it then sifted through the presents to find another one for Kes.

What you didn’t see was the father and son looking at each other as Poe unwrapped the gift.

You just grabbed a present for Kes and you started to stand as you turned around, only to fall right back down with a gasp when you found Poe kneeling right behind you.

“What the hell, Po—” You stopped, eyes widening as you saw the black box he was holding.

“You know I love you, right, baby? And you can totally say no, but…” He hesitated before opening the box to show you that his mother’s ring was in it.

You just stared at him with tears quickly filling your eyes because Poe Dameron, the most amazing man that you were certain ever existed, was proposing to you.

Poe let out a laugh as he started to tear up at your emotion as well, trying to remember the speech he’d rehearsed in the mirror over and over again.

He looked down for a moment to gather himself before he lifted his head to look at you, but tears fell from his eyes anyway the moment he saw your face.

“Okay, we can’t just sit here in silence all night, you know? So, uh...I remember the day I knew I wanted to spend my life with you. The first time you stayed the night and I woke up to the fire alarm going off because you decided to make breakfast.” He smiled as you laughed, reaching up with his free hand to stroke your cheek. “I don’t want anyone else. I wanna grow old with you doing all those things we’d stay up late talking about because we wanted them so much. Will you marry me?”

“Duh!” you said immediately, wrapping your arms around his neck and kissing him deeply.

He held you against him and the two of you kissed each other again and again there on the floor, only breaking a part when you heard the familiar sound of a smartphone’s camera going off.

Kes was taking pictures of you, holding the phone far out as he attempted to see the screen with tears in his eyes. “Your mother would’ve been so proud of you.”

Poe looked a little sad at this, but he pulled back from you and grabbed the ring out of the box.

You held your hand out for him, watching as the ring didn’t quite go up all the way and laughing softly.

“We’ll get it sized.” He kissed your knuckles.

“Maybe until then I can just keep it on this.” You pulled the empty chain out from under his shirt, shaking your head at how sneaky he’d been to keep it on.

“Love you, babe.”

“Love you, Dameron.”

As the two of you kissed again, the sound of Kes’ phone taking pictures started going off.

“Dad, come on.”

#poe dameron x reader #poe dameron imagine #star wars imagine #poe dameron fic

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backdraft-bimbo · 3 years

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my personal favorite 2020 Supernatural memes:

Jacting Joices

Sam’s blurry wife

Supermegaturbohell

Jared’s party city wig

heller(reverently) Obama VS heller(derogatory) Putin

Georgia going blue, Destiel winning the elections

Dean getting “nailed” / Dean dying of tetanus

el director Sobrenatural (BDE)

Tumblr crashes/Y Yo a Ti, Cas

The Night We Met (15x20 SoTD / unprecedented barn death scene / historical Destiel anthem) song rights unlawfully transferred to Wincesters

Andrew Dabb’s Rabid Baboons

fake Italian dub villain reveal speech

VFX Coord Adam Williams’ homoerotic yet homophobic villain reveal speech

theory: Mr. Jensen Ackles himself buying the rights to Supernatural just so Dean and Cas can make out in Heaven for six episodes straight

Lamp!Cas, Tree!Cas, Moth!Dean

Jensen Ackles says words “blue” and “green” in a sentence, inciting chaos on infamous hellsite Tumblr dot com

Amara getting absorbed by her twink nephew

sporadic yet collective fandom outrage @ the CW; the CW deleting all Supernatural content off various platforms

Jackles Longcon

Misha Collins & Bill Clinton fabricated sex scandal

He/they Sam

Jensen’s chemistry with men

script reveal: “Cas pulls Dean close”, “Still beautiful, still Dean Winchester”, “Cas’ heart breaks to see Dean so broken” AKA Fandom Who Thought They’d Lost All Enthusiasm Gains Additional Bit Of Enthusiasm They Never Thought Achievable

Rancid Nutwork

unhinged Seb Roche logging onto Twitter dot com to roast the Supernatural finale (feat Dean’s rusty nail), then jumping on Instagram to do the same

Destiel going canon three, four times? I already lost count

Jensen Ackles’ Sexy Radio Silence on 15x19 and 15x20

Obama Heller status revocation

collective fandom unease at lack of Supernatural news

(Feel free to add on, I know I missed stuff y’all gotta help me out here)

#oh.... i will miss u 2020 #supernatural #sam winchester #dean winchester #destiel #castiel #deancas #mine #meme #2020 #november 5 #can i change my bday to nov 5 pls #jackles #jensen ackles #misha collins #jared padalecki

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sceneontheradio · 3 years

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SCOTUS Opens Way For Students to Sue Over University Free Speech Violations

Hot Air- That gasp heard after this ruling dropped comes from every college and university with a “free speech zone” and policies that impose heckler’s vetoes. Plaintiffs suing over restrictions on speech and religious expression on campus only need to establish “nominal damages” to gain standing, the Supreme Court ruled in an 8-1 decision, not necessarily actual damages. That opens up a vast new field of litigation that attorneys all across the country will rush to meet.

The 8-1 ruling in Uzuegbunam v Preczewski from Justice Clarence Thomas does not actually settle the case in favor of the students, but the writing is on the wall for Georgia Gwinnett College.

Normally, a plaintiff would have to establish at least some level of real damages to have standing in a lawsuit. Thomas rules here, and gets a surprising amount of consensus, that the violation of a core constitutional right is essentially enough of real damage to grant standing.

After this ruling on Uzuegbunam, it should have colleges and universities very, very worried — and might be the first real set of consequences for Academia after decades of forcing speech codes and silence on their students. Just the added risk of ending up in federal court might be enough of an incentive to force these universities and colleges to recalculate risk and reward. Let’s hope that recalculation comes quickly, and both dissent and religious expression return to campuses as fast as possible.

#free speech Stuff

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smokeybrand · 3 years

Text

Mutiny

I’m not a fan of Joe Rogen. I find a lot of what he says to be problematic as f*ck but the way he says it, is FAR more damaging. Dude pushes some wild, dangerous, nonsense under the guise of “free speech”, disingenuous “debate”, and insidiously leading questions. Rogen is the Frat Boy version of Tucker Carlson in a lot of ways and that sh*t just doesn’t appeal to me. Beta males who think too highly of themselves listen to this due and take him seriously. These are people who are not self-actualized, who’s entire personality is based on their car or their sneakers or some other superficial bullsh*t they confuse for a personality, and that’s what Rogen’s entire show is; Superficial bullsh*t. So when he pushes dumb-f*ckery like “Don’t get the shot if you’re young and healthy”, these idiots who are either teenagers or have the mentality of teenagers, f*cking listen and we have a spike in cases. Because Joe Rogen said so.

The other day, this asshole bought into that whole “White Fear” sh*t, talking about how the Straight White Male is the most persecuted demo in America and i just groaned. This is the same exact sh*t Carlson does on his show, verbatim, just slightly less racist. It’s the current strategy of what is fast becoming the American Fascist Party, Republicans. It’s hypocritical f*cking nonsense and i hate it. How the f*ck would Joe Rogen, a Straight White Male with a whole ass podcast, be silenced or censored or persecuted/ He’s a multi-millionaire with one of the most popular platforms on f*cking Spotify. How the f*ck would any White person, especially Straight White Males, get silenced in the US? The bones of this country are built to uphold a very specific form of White Supremacy. Hell, cats talk about all these rights and liberties but, in the very beginning, those rights were only extended to White Male Landowners; basically Rich White Men, and guess who the f*ck Joe Rogen is? The constitution had to be amended to include every one else which means this country was designed to be a haven for objective White Supremacy. The fact that they replaced Straight with Rich is just a misnomer used to broaden that division and you have assholes with real audiences buying into that dangerous bullsh*t, disseminating that poison to their followers. And they just drink that persecution complex kool-aid, up. It’s f*cking absurd.

The irony in all of this is the fact that the country is getting younger and browner. Statistically, by the time Gen Z’s kids come of age, we’ll outnumber White people. The margin will be slight but they’ll be the overall minority in this country and that’s why we have all of this fear-mongering and treasonous tantrums. That system the Founding Fathers built to protect their power, is falling apart. It's all a matter of time. Why do you think they're fighting so hard to keep DC and Puerto Rico from becoming actual States? I can guarantee those cats who signed the Constitution never anticipated the influx of melanated people over the years, interbreeding with their lily White sensibilities, or the homogeneity desegregation would bring to society or the way Black culture ended up shaping the entire American zeitgeist or how the Internet just blew the doors off any illusion US citizens had about our true status in the world at large. I was born in 1984. Ten years before i existed, the South was still heavily segregated. My generation, the Millennials, were the very first to be completely free from the social consequences of the Civil Rights Movement. We were far enough removed from that to just see people, not race. I was exposed to so many more cultures, religions, and people, as a kid, than my ma had been when she was young. It wasn’t like, all of a sudden, we were singing kumbaya together, but it was definitely a start, one that has only gained more and more momentum as the Generations who came after mine, started coming of age in a world whose borders are just ceremonial at this point because of the Tech age.

I met my chick and made friends across the globe in a chatroom. One of my closest friends lives in New Zealand. Another stays in Finland. My birthday twin lives in England. She’s a year older than i am and has a beautiful family. My Puerto Rican sister met her dude around the same time i met my chick. He’s from Alabama. She moved from the island to be with him and they've settled down in Georgia where they share a beautiful daughter. My best friend became so close with an Asian girl from Australia, that he adopted her as his own sister. They spoke at least twice a week for the next fifteen years, all the way up until he passed away. The world is much smaller, much clearer, than it has ever been before, and it turns out that it’s full of color. Color these Straight White Men are, apparently, terrified of. That’s got to be it. That’s got to be why they’re throwing these big ass tantrums and constantly fear-mongering about it. I don’t understand. When Brie Larson said what she said, it was the truth. There are THOUSANDS of films about White dudes you can watch. The entirety of film history is Straight White Males. What is so bad abut getting some chicks or People of Color or some LBGTQ representation in a few leads? Why can't we have strong Black performances in movies where we don't play the “magical Negro” or f*cking Slave? Why can't we have an all Asian cast when the principals aren't constantly fetishized? What is so terrible about giving a role to a Muslim that isn't linked to some ridiculous terrorist trope? Who’s really offended by this and why are they so goddamn fervent about it? Straight White Males, bud.

It’s because their grip on the reins is slipping. The power and the privilege they’ve had for so long, too long, is started to tip in the other direction. The playing field is, ever so slowly, evening out and these Straight White Males are losing their sh*t. They’ll talk about “being racist against white people” and “it's fine to interview everyone but hire cats who are qualified” with one breath but then absolutely savage voting rights directly focused on crippling the Black vote and desperately cling to the idea that 45 still deserves to be president, even though a steady stream of his criminal incompetence has been flowing out of the the White House since he’s left. The level cognitive dissonance is f*cking hilarious. It’s as bad as the GOP complaining about “cancel culture” while literally silencing Liz Cheney. Are you f*cking kidding me? I gotta sit here and listen to a very vocal minority complain about the direction of the MCU because they’ve decided to add a plethora of female and POC roles going forward into Phase Four. They keep asking “who's this for?” and it's obvious it's for everyone, not just Straight White Males. That, to them, means it's going to be bad. Just because the focus has shifted from three White dudes in leading roles, suddenly the MCU has lost it's way. It’s like, all of a sudden, just because the MCU wants to represent their audience as a whole, not just a narrow and shrinking part of it, we’re not supposed to trust in Feige anymore. Are you kidding me? The Green Knight is slated to be another massive hit for A24. The cat who wrote that film was bounced from studio to studio because he created that story specifically as a vehicle for Dev Patel and no major studio wanted to make it with him in the lead. Dev Patel is a f*cking Oscar winner and a brilliant actor but this movie, draped in surreal and beautiful imagery, driven by a visceral, bloody, focus, wasn’t going to get made because the lead this plot was specifically written for, happens to be brown. But Straight White Males are the ones being silenced? Okay, bud.

Joe Rogen is a symptom of a greater problem and it’s the problem of White Fragility. White Fragility fuels the worst of our society. It's the genesis of racism and bigotry. It drives Nationalism and is fertile ground for cults of personality which blossom into whole ass dictatorships. These motherf*ckers are in they’re feelings and will burn this country to the ground if it means they will stop getting their way. Brie Larson calls out the ridiculousness of the race bias in Hollywood? They attack. Arizona flips Blue because Indigenous people and Black folks come out to vote in droves? Voter fraud and four recounts, one months after the election has been called and Biden has already taken office. Jordan Peele says, out loud, to the entire country, that he’s not interested in telling stories with White people in the lead? Shadow banned from Hollywood. Dude was the toast of Hollywood after Get Out and Us. He said what he said and cat's been trapped behind the camera as a Producer ever since. It’s nuts because these people complaining about how hard it is to be and how unfair the current social climate is to Straight White Males, have called Twatter NPCs whiny, SJW, children, for years. Bro,you’re the same, just racist! You are the Trump to their Obama. You are the thermodynamic reaction to their Civil action. You assholes are arguing the same merit, just on the opposite ends of the spectrum so, if they’re whiny assholes, wouldn’t you have to be, too? The only difference is that the Twatter assholes have a zeal for inclusion while you Rogen Bros have a penchant for White Supremacy and, given the choice, I'd have to agree with the Blue Checkmarks in this regard.

Straight White Males have had the run of this country since before it was a country and look what they’ve done with it. Look where we are, right now, in the year of our lord, 2021. This is as far as we have come under their stewardship. It’s time for a new captain, i think. Sorry if that hard truth hurts your feelings. Now please steer us away from those very obvious rocks. I’d rather not violently crash into that reef and sink into a watery grave before we can get our hands on the wheel to right this ship, all because you assholes are in your feelings, thank you.

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route22ny · 4 years

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Essential reading, especially for those who have a warm & fuzzy concept of Dr King that doesn’t extend far past “I Have a Dream”. I’m putting the entire text in this post, and there’s an mp3 here available for download. I believe that this is one of Dr King’s most important speeches, certainly worth revisiting on a day we set aside to honor his memory. It’s also a good time to realize that what was a “dream” in 1963 is still not reality in 2020, which is a tragedy and also a challenge to us all.

Don’t let “Vietnam” fool you into thinking this speech is only about 1960s realities. If anything the US has since engaged all the more freely in military adventures against people of foreign lands, people of color whose nations don’t threaten America, only American “interests”. Headlines this very month show us this dynamic in action yet again.

***

“I come to this magnificent house of worship tonight because my conscience leaves me no other choice. I join with you in this meeting because I am in deepest agreement with the aims and work of the organization which has brought us together: Clergy and Laymen Concerned about Vietnam. The recent statement of your executive committee are the sentiments of my own heart and I found myself in full accord when I read its opening lines: ‘A time comes when silence is betrayal.' That time has come for us in relation to Vietnam.

“The truth of these words is beyond doubt but the mission to which they call us is a most difficult one. Even when pressed by the demands of inner truth, men do not easily assume the task of opposing their government's policy, especially in time of war. Nor does the human spirit move without great difficulty against all the apathy of conformist thought within one's own bosom and in the surrounding world. Moreover when the issues at hand seem as perplexed as they often do in the case of this dreadful conflict we are always on the verge of being mesmerized by uncertainty; but we must move on.

“Some of us who have already begun to break the silence of the night have found that the calling to speak is often a vocation of agony, but we must speak. We must speak with all the humility that is appropriate to our limited vision, but we must speak. And we must rejoice as well, for surely this is the first time in our nation's history that a significant number of its religious leaders have chosen to move beyond the prophesying of smooth patriotism to the high grounds of a firm dissent based upon the mandates of conscience and the reading of history. Perhaps a new spirit is rising among us. If it is, let us trace its movement well and pray that our own inner being may be sensitive to its guidance, for we are deeply in need of a new way beyond the darkness that seems so close around us.

“Over the past two years, as I have moved to break the betrayal of my own silences and to speak from the burnings of my own heart, as I have called for radical departures from the destruction of Vietnam, many persons have questioned me about the wisdom of my path. At the heart of their concerns this query has often loomed large and loud: Why are you speaking about war, Dr. King? Why are you joining the voices of dissent? Peace and civil rights don't mix, they say. Aren't you hurting the cause of your people, they ask? And when I hear them, though I often understand the source of their concern, I am nevertheless greatly saddened, for such questions mean that the inquirers have not really known me, my commitment or my calling. Indeed, their questions suggest that they do not know the world in which they live.

“In the light of such tragic misunderstandings, I deem it of signal importance to try to state clearly, and I trust concisely, why I believe that the path from Dexter Avenue Baptist Church -- the church in Montgomery, Alabama, where I began my pastorate -- leads clearly to this sanctuary tonight.

“I come to this platform tonight to make a passionate plea to my beloved nation. This speech is not addressed to Hanoi or to the National Liberation Front. It is not addressed to China or to Russia.

“Nor is it an attempt to overlook the ambiguity of the total situation and the need for a collective solution to the tragedy of Vietnam. Neither is it an attempt to make North Vietnam or the National Liberation Front paragons of virtue, nor to overlook the role they can play in a successful resolution of the problem. While they both may have justifiable reason to be suspicious of the good faith of the United States, life and history give eloquent testimony to the fact that conflicts are never resolved without trustful give and take on both sides.

“Tonight, however, I wish not to speak with Hanoi and the NLF, but rather to my fellow Americans, who, with me, bear the greatest responsibility in ending a conflict that has exacted a heavy price on both continents.

The Importance of Vietnam

“Since I am a preacher by trade, I suppose it is not surprising that I have seven major reasons for bringing Vietnam into the field of my moral vision. There is at the outset a very obvious and almost facile connection between the war in Vietnam and the struggle I, and others, have been waging in America. A few years ago there was a shining moment in that struggle. It seemed as if there was a real promise of hope for the poor -- both black and white -- through the poverty program. There were experiments, hopes, new beginnings. Then came the buildup in Vietnam and I watched the program broken and eviscerated as if it were some idle political plaything of a society gone mad on war, and I knew that America would never invest the necessary funds or energies in rehabilitation of its poor so long as adventures like Vietnam continued to draw men and skills and money like some demonic destructive suction tube. So I was increasingly compelled to see the war as an enemy of the poor and to attack it as such.

“Perhaps the more tragic recognition of reality took place when it became clear to me that the war was doing far more than devastating the hopes of the poor at home. It was sending their sons and their brothers and their husbands to fight and to die in extraordinarily high proportions relative to the rest of the population. We were taking the black young men who had been crippled by our society and sending them eight thousand miles away to guarantee liberties in Southeast Asia which they had not found in southwest Georgia and East Harlem. So we have been repeatedly faced with the cruel irony of watching Negro and white boys on TV screens as they kill and die together for a nation that has been unable to seat them together in the same schools. So we watch them in brutal solidarity burning the huts of a poor village, but we realize that they would never live on the same block in Detroit. I could not be silent in the face of such cruel manipulation of the poor.

“My third reason moves to an even deeper level of awareness, for it grows out of my experience in the ghettos of the North over the last three years -- especially the last three summers. As I have walked among the desperate, rejected and angry young men I have told them that Molotov cocktails and rifles would not solve their problems. I have tried to offer them my deepest compassion while maintaining my conviction that social change comes most meaningfully through nonviolent action. But they asked -- and rightly so -- what about Vietnam? They asked if our own nation wasn't using massive doses of violence to solve its problems, to bring about the changes it wanted. Their questions hit home, and I knew that I could never again raise my voice against the violence of the oppressed in the ghettos without having first spoken clearly to the greatest purveyor of violence in the world today -- my own government. For the sake of those boys, for the sake of this government, for the sake of hundreds of thousands trembling under our violence, I cannot be silent.

“For those who ask the question, 'Aren't you a civil rights leader?’ and thereby mean to exclude me from the movement for peace, I have this further answer. In 1957 when a group of us formed the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, we chose as our motto: To save the soul of America. We were convinced that we could not limit our vision to certain rights for black people, but instead affirmed the conviction that America would never be free or saved from itself unless the descendants of its slaves were loosed completely from the shackles they still wear. In a way we were agreeing with Langston Hughes, that black bard of Harlem, who had written earlier:

O, yes, I say it plain, America never was America to me, And yet I swear this oath-- America will be!

“Now, it should be incandescently clear that no one who has any concern for the integrity and life of America today can ignore the present war. If America's soul becomes totally poisoned, part of the autopsy must read Vietnam. It can never be saved so long as it destroys the deepest hopes of men the world over. So it is that those of us who are yet determined that America will be are led down the path of protest and dissent, working for the health of our land.

“As if the weight of such a commitment to the life and health of America were not enough, another burden of responsibility was placed upon me in 1964; and I cannot forget that the Nobel Prize for Peace was also a commission -- a commission to work harder than I had ever worked before for 'the brotherhood of man.' This is a calling that takes me beyond national allegiances, but even if it were not present I would yet have to live with the meaning of my commitment to the ministry of Jesus Christ. To me the relationship of this ministry to the making of peace is so obvious that I sometimes marvel at those who ask me why I am speaking against the war. Could it be that they do not know that the good news was meant for all men -- for Communist and capitalist, for their children and ours, for black and for white, for revolutionary and conservative? Have they forgotten that my ministry is in obedience to the one who loved his enemies so fully that he died for them? What then can I say to the 'Vietcong’ or to Castro or to Mao as a faithful minister of this one? Can I threaten them with death or must I not share with them my life?

“Finally, as I try to delineate for you and for myself the road that leads from Montgomery to this place I would have offered all that was most valid if I simply said that I must be true to my conviction that I share with all men the calling to be a son of the living God. Beyond the calling of race or nation or creed is this vocation of sonship and brotherhood, and because I believe that the Father is deeply concerned especially for his suffering and helpless and outcast children, I come tonight to speak for them.

“This I believe to be the privilege and the burden of all of us who deem ourselves bound by allegiances and loyalties which are broader and deeper than nationalism and which go beyond our nation's self-defined goals and positions. We are called to speak for the weak, for the voiceless, for victims of our nation and for those it calls enemy, for no document from human hands can make these humans any less our brothers.

Strange Liberators

“And as I ponder the madness of Vietnam and search within myself for ways to understand and respond to compassion my mind goes constantly to the people of that peninsula. I speak now not of the soldiers of each side, not of the junta in Saigon, but simply of the people who have been living under the curse of war for almost three continuous decades now. I think of them too because it is clear to me that there will be no meaningful solution there until some attempt is made to know them and hear their broken cries.

“They must see Americans as strange liberators. The Vietnamese people proclaimed their own independence in 1945 after a combined French and Japanese occupation, and before the Communist revolution in China. They were led by Ho Chi Minh. Even though they quoted the American Declaration of Independence in their own document of freedom, we refused to recognize them. Instead, we decided to support France in its reconquest of her former colony.

“Our government felt then that the Vietnamese people were not 'ready' for independence, and we again fell victim to the deadly Western arrogance that has poisoned the international atmosphere for so long. With that tragic decision we rejected a revolutionary government seeking self-determination, and a government that had been established not by China (for whom the Vietnamese have no great love) but by clearly indigenous forces that included some Communists. For the peasants this new government meant real land reform, one of the most important needs in their lives.

“For nine years following 1945 we denied the people of Vietnam the right of independence. For nine years we vigorously supported the French in their abortive effort to recolonize Vietnam.

“Before the end of the war we were meeting eighty percent of the French war costs. Even before the French were defeated at Dien Bien Phu, they began to despair of the reckless action, but we did not. We encouraged them with our huge financial and military supplies to continue the war even after they had lost the will. Soon we would be paying almost the full costs of this tragic attempt at recolonization.

“After the French were defeated it looked as if independence and land reform would come again through the Geneva agreements. But instead there came the United States, determined that Ho should not unify the temporarily divided nation, and the peasants watched again as we supported one of the most vicious modern dictators -- our chosen man, Premier Diem. The peasants watched and cringed as Diem ruthlessly routed out all opposition, supported their extortionist landlords and refused even to discuss reunification with the north. The peasants watched as all this was presided over by U.S. influence and then by increasing numbers of U.S. troops who came to help quell the insurgency that Diem's methods had aroused. When Diem was overthrown they may have been happy, but the long line of military dictatorships seemed to offer no real change -- especially in terms of their need for land and peace.

“The only change came from America as we increased our troop commitments in support of governments which were singularly corrupt, inept and without popular support. All the while the people read our leaflets and received regular promises of peace and democracy -- and land reform. Now they languish under our bombs and consider us -- not their fellow Vietnamese --the real enemy. They move sadly and apathetically as we herd them off the land of their fathers into concentration camps where minimal social needs are rarely met. They know they must move or be destroyed by our bombs. So they go -- primarily women and children and the aged.

“They watch as we poison their water, as we kill a million acres of their crops. They must weep as the bulldozers roar through their areas preparing to destroy the precious trees. They wander into the hospitals, with at least twenty casualties from American firepower for one 'Vietcong'-inflicted injury. So far we may have killed a million of them -- mostly children. They wander into the towns and see thousands of the children, homeless, without clothes, running in packs on the streets like animals. They see the children, degraded by our soldiers as they beg for food. They see the children selling their sisters to our soldiers, soliciting for their mothers.

“What do the peasants think as we ally ourselves with the landlords and as we refuse to put any action into our many words concerning land reform? What do they think as we test our latest weapons on them, just as the Germans tested out new medicine and new tortures in the concentration camps of Europe? Where are the roots of the independent Vietnam we claim to be building? Is it among these voiceless ones?

“We have destroyed their two most cherished institutions: the family and the village. We have destroyed their land and their crops. We have cooperated in the crushing of the nation's only non-Communist revolutionary political force -- the unified Buddhist church. We have supported the enemies of the peasants of Saigon. We have corrupted their women and children and killed their men. What liberators?

“Now there is little left to build on -- save bitterness. Soon the only solid physical foundations remaining will be found at our military bases and in the concrete of the concentration camps we call fortified hamlets. The peasants may well wonder if we plan to build our new Vietnam on such grounds as these? Could we blame them for such thoughts? We must speak for them and raise the questions they cannot raise. These too are our brothers.

“Perhaps the more difficult but no less necessary task is to speak for those who have been designated as our enemies. What of the National Liberation Front -- that strangely anonymous group we call VC or Communists? What must they think of us in America when they realize that we permitted the repression and cruelty of Diem which helped to bring them into being as a resistance group in the south? What do they think of our condoning the violence which led to their own taking up of arms? How can they believe in our integrity when now we speak of 'aggression from the north' as if there were nothing more essential to the war? How can they trust us when now we charge them with violence after the murderous reign of Diem and charge them with violence while we pour every new weapon of death into their land? Surely we must understand their feelings even if we do not condone their actions. Surely we must see that the men we supported pressed them to their violence. Surely we must see that our own computerized plans of destruction simply dwarf their greatest acts.

“How do they judge us when our officials know that their membership is less than twenty-five percent Communist and yet insist on giving them the blanket name? What must they be thinking when they know that we are aware of their control of major sections of Vietnam and yet we appear ready to allow national elections in which this highly organized political parallel government will have no part? They ask how we can speak of free elections when the Saigon press is censored and controlled by the military junta. And they are surely right to wonder what kind of new government we plan to help form without them -- the only party in real touch with the peasants. They question our political goals and they deny the reality of a peace settlement from which they will be excluded. Their questions are frighteningly relevant. Is our nation planning to build on political myth again and then shore it up with the power of new violence?

“Here is the true meaning and value of compassion and nonviolence when it helps us to see the enemy's point of view, to hear his questions, to know his assessment of ourselves. For from his view we may indeed see the basic weaknesses of our own condition, and if we are mature, we may learn and grow and profit from the wisdom of the brothers who are called the opposition.

“So, too, with Hanoi. In the north, where our bombs now pummel the land, and our mines endanger the waterways, we are met by a deep but understandable mistrust. To speak for them is to explain this lack of confidence in Western words, and especially their distrust of American intentions now. In Hanoi are the men who led the nation to independence against the Japanese and the French, the men who sought membership in the French commonwealth and were betrayed by the weakness of Paris and the willfulness of the colonial armies. It was they who led a second struggle against French domination at tremendous costs, and then were persuaded to give up the land they controlled between the thirteenth and seventeenth parallel as a temporary measure at Geneva. After 1954 they watched us conspire with Diem to prevent elections which would have surely brought Ho Chi Minh to power over a united Vietnam, and they realized they had been betrayed again.

“When we ask why they do not leap to negotiate, these things must be remembered. Also it must be clear that the leaders of Hanoi considered the presence of American troops in support of the Diem regime to have been the initial military breach of the Geneva agreements concerning foreign troops, and they remind us that they did not begin to send in any large number of supplies or men until American forces had moved into the tens of thousands.

“Hanoi remembers how our leaders refused to tell us the truth about the earlier North Vietnamese overtures for peace, how the president claimed that none existed when they had clearly been made. Ho Chi Minh has watched as America has spoken of peace and built up its forces, and now he has surely heard of the increasing international rumors of American plans for an invasion of the north. He knows the bombing and shelling and mining we are doing are part of traditional pre-invasion strategy. Perhaps only his sense of humor and of irony can save him when he hears the most powerful nation of the world speaking of aggression as it drops thousands of bombs on a poor weak nation more than eight thousand miles away from its shores.

“At this point I should make it clear that while I have tried in these last few minutes to give a voice to the voiceless on Vietnam and to understand the arguments of those who are called enemy, I am as deeply concerned about our troops there as anything else. For it occurs to me that what we are submitting them to in Vietnam is not simply the brutalizing process that goes on in any war where armies face each other and seek to destroy. We are adding cynicism to the process of death, for they must know after a short period there that none of the things we claim to be fighting for are really involved. Before long they must know that their government has sent them into a struggle among Vietnamese, and the more sophisticated surely realize that we are on the side of the wealthy and the secure while we create hell for the poor.

This Madness Must Cease

“Somehow this madness must cease. We must stop now. I speak as a child of God and brother to the suffering poor of Vietnam. I speak for those whose land is being laid waste, whose homes are being destroyed, whose culture is being subverted. I speak for the poor of America who are paying the double price of smashed hopes at home and death and corruption in Vietnam. I speak as a citizen of the world, for the world as it stands aghast at the path we have taken. I speak as an American to the leaders of my own nation. The great initiative in this war is ours. The initiative to stop it must be ours.

“This is the message of the great Buddhist leaders of Vietnam. Recently one of them wrote these words:

Each day the war goes on the hatred increases in the heart of the Vietnamese and in the hearts of those of humanitarian instinct. The Americans are forcing even their friends into becoming their enemies. It is curious that the Americans, who calculate so carefully on the possibilities of military victory, do not realize that in the process they are incurring deep psychological and political defeat. The image of America will never again be the image of revolution, freedom and democracy, but the image of violence and militarism.

“If we continue, there will be no doubt in my mind and in the mind of the world that we have no honorable intentions in Vietnam. It will become clear that our minimal expectation is to occupy it as an American colony and men will not refrain from thinking that our maximum hope is to goad China into a war so that we may bomb her nuclear installations. If we do not stop our war against the people of Vietnam immediately the world will be left with no other alternative than to see this as some horribly clumsy and deadly game we have decided to play.

“The world now demands a maturity of America that we may not be able to achieve. It demands that we admit that we have been wrong from the beginning of our adventure in Vietnam, that we have been detrimental to the life of the Vietnamese people. The situation is one in which we must be ready to turn sharply from our present ways.

“In order to atone for our sins and errors in Vietnam, we should take the initiative in bringing a halt to this tragic war. I would like to suggest five concrete things that our government should do immediately to begin the long and difficult process of extricating ourselves from this nightmarish conflict:

End all bombing in North and South Vietnam.

Declare a unilateral cease-fire in the hope that such action will create the atmosphere for negotiation.

Take immediate steps to prevent other battlegrounds in Southeast Asia by curtailing our military buildup in Thailand and our interference in Laos.

Realistically accept the fact that the National Liberation Front has substantial support in South Vietnam and must thereby play a role in any meaningful negotiations and in any future Vietnam government.

Set a date that we will remove all foreign troops from Vietnam in accordance with the 1954 Geneva agreement.

“Part of our ongoing commitment might well express itself in an offer to grant asylum to any Vietnamese who fears for his life under a new regime which included the Liberation Front. Then we must make what reparations we can for the damage we have done. We most provide the medical aid that is badly needed, making it available in this country if necessary.

Protesting The War

“Meanwhile we in the churches and synagogues have a continuing task while we urge our government to disengage itself from a disgraceful commitment. We must continue to raise our voices if our nation persists in its perverse ways in Vietnam. We must be prepared to match actions with words by seeking out every creative means of protest possible.

“As we counsel young men concerning military service we must clarify for them our nation's role in Vietnam and challenge them with the alternative of conscientious objection. I am pleased to say that this is the path now being chosen by more than seventy students at my own alma mater, Morehouse College, and I recommend it to all who find the American course in Vietnam a dishonorable and unjust one. Moreover I would encourage all ministers of draft age to give up their ministerial exemptions and seek status as conscientious objectors. These are the times for real choices and not false ones. We are at the moment when our lives must be placed on the line if our nation is to survive its own folly. Every man of humane convictions must decide on the protest that best suits his convictions, but we must all protest.

“There is something seductively tempting about stopping there and sending us all off on what in some circles has become a popular crusade against the war in Vietnam. I say we must enter the struggle, but I wish to go on now to say something even more disturbing. The war in Vietnam is but a symptom of a far deeper malady within the American spirit, and if we ignore this sobering reality we will find ourselves organizing clergy- and laymen-concerned committees for the next generation. They will be concerned about Guatemala and Peru. They will be concerned about Thailand and Cambodia. They will be concerned about Mozambique and South Africa. We will be marching for these and a dozen other names and attending rallies without end unless there is a significant and profound change in American life and policy. Such thoughts take us beyond Vietnam, but not beyond our calling as sons of the living God.

“In 1957 a sensitive American official overseas said that it seemed to him that our nation was on the wrong side of a world revolution. During the past ten years we have seen emerge a pattern of suppression which now has justified the presence of U.S. military 'advisers’ in Venezuela. This need to maintain social stability for our investments accounts for the counter-revolutionary action of American forces in Guatemala. It tells why American helicopters are being used against guerrillas in Colombia and why American napalm and green beret forces have already been active against rebels in Peru. It is with such activity in mind that the words of the late John F. Kennedy come back to haunt us. Five years ago he said, 'Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.’

“Increasingly, by choice or by accident, this is the role our nation has taken -- the role of those who make peaceful revolution impossible by refusing to give up the privileges and the pleasures that come from the immense profits of overseas investment.

“I am convinced that if we are to get on the right side of the world revolution, we as a nation must undergo a radical revolution of values. We must rapidly begin the shift from a "thing-oriented" society to a 'person-oriented’ society. When machines and computers, profit motives and property rights are considered more important than people, the giant triplets of racism, materialism, and militarism are incapable of being conquered.

“A true revolution of values will soon cause us to question the fairness and justice of many of our past and present policies. On the one hand we are called to play the good Samaritan on life's roadside; but that will be only an initial act. One day we must come to see that the whole Jericho road must be transformed so that men and women will not be constantly beaten and robbed as they make their journey on life's highway. True compassion is more than flinging a coin to a beggar; it is not haphazard and superficial. It comes to see that an edifice which produces beggars needs restructuring. A true revolution of values will soon look uneasily on the glaring contrast of poverty and wealth. With righteous indignation, it will look across the seas and see individual capitalists of the West investing huge sums of money in Asia, Africa and South America, only to take the profits out with no concern for the social betterment of the countries, and say: 'This is not just.' It will look at our alliance with the landed gentry of Latin America and say: 'This is not just.' The Western arrogance of feeling that it has everything to teach others and nothing to learn from them is not just. A true revolution of values will lay hands on the world order and say of war: 'This way of settling differences is not just.' This business of burning human beings with napalm, of filling our nation's homes with orphans and widows, of injecting poisonous drugs of hate into veins of people normally humane, of sending men home from dark and bloody battlefields physically handicapped and psychologically deranged, cannot be reconciled with wisdom, justice and love. A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual death.

“America, the richest and most powerful nation in the world, can well lead the way in this revolution of values. There is nothing, except a tragic death wish, to prevent us from reordering our priorities, so that the pursuit of peace will take precedence over the pursuit of war. There is nothing to keep us from molding a recalcitrant status quo with bruised hands until we have fashioned it into a brotherhood.

“This kind of positive revolution of values is our best defense against communism. War is not the answer. Communism will never be defeated by the use of atomic bombs or nuclear weapons. Let us not join those who shout war and through their misguided passions urge the United States to relinquish its participation in the United Nations. These are days which demand wise restraint and calm reasonableness. We must not call everyone a Communist or an appeaser who advocates the seating of Red China in the United Nations and who recognizes that hate and hysteria are not the final answers to the problem of these turbulent days. We must not engage in a negative anti-communism, but rather in a positive thrust for democracy, realizing that our greatest defense against communism is to take offensive action in behalf of justice. We must with positive action seek to remove those conditions of poverty, insecurity and injustice which are the fertile soil in which the seed of communism grows and develops.

The People Are Important

“These are revolutionary times. All over the globe men are revolting against old systems of exploitation and oppression and out of the wombs of a frail world new systems of justice and equality are being born. The shirtless and barefoot people of the land are rising up as never before. 'The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light.' We in the West must support these revolutions. It is a sad fact that, because of comfort, complacency, a morbid fear of communism, and our proneness to adjust to injustice, the Western nations that initiated so much of the revolutionary spirit of the modern world have now become the arch anti-revolutionaries. This has driven many to feel that only Marxism has the revolutionary spirit. Therefore, communism is a judgement against our failure to make democracy real and follow through on the revolutions we initiated. Our only hope today lies in our ability to recapture the revolutionary spirit and go out into a sometimes hostile world declaring eternal hostility to poverty, racism, and militarism. With this powerful commitment we shall boldly challenge the status quo and unjust mores and thereby speed the day when 'every valley shall be exalted, and every moutain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall be made straight and the rough places plain.'

“A genuine revolution of values means in the final analysis that our loyalties must become ecumenical rather than sectional. Every nation must now develop an overriding loyalty to mankind as a whole in order to preserve the best in their individual societies.

“This call for a world-wide fellowship that lifts neighborly concern beyond one's tribe, race, class and nation is in reality a call for an all-embracing and unconditional love for all men. This oft misunderstood and misinterpreted concept -- so readily dismissed by the Nietzsches of the world as a weak and cowardly force -- has now become an absolute necessity for the survival of man. When I speak of love I am not speaking of some sentimental and weak response. I am speaking of that force which all of the great religions have seen as the supreme unifying principle of life. Love is somehow the key that unlocks the door which leads to ultimate reality. This Hindu-Moslem-Christian-Jewish-Buddhist belief about ultimate reality is beautifully summed up in the first epistle of Saint John:

Let us love one another; for love is God and everyone that loveth is born of God and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. If we love one another God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.

“Let us hope that this spirit will become the order of the day. We can no longer afford to worship the god of hate or bow before the altar of retaliation. The oceans of history are made turbulent by the ever-rising tides of hate. History is cluttered with the wreckage of nations and individuals that pursued this self-defeating path of hate. As Arnold Toynbee says : 'Love is the ultimate force that makes for the saving choice of life and good against the damning choice of death and evil. Therefore the first hope in our inventory must be the hope that love is going to have the last word.'

“We are now faced with the fact that tomorrow is today. We are confronted with the fierce urgency of now. In this unfolding conundrum of life and history there is such a thing as being too late. Procrastination is still the thief of time. Life often leaves us standing bare, naked and dejected with a lost opportunity. The 'tide in the affairs of men' does not remain at the flood; it ebbs. We may cry out desperately for time to pause in her passage, but time is deaf to every plea and rushes on. Over the bleached bones and jumbled residue of numerous civilizations are written the pathetic words: 'Too late.' There is an invisible book of life that faithfully records our vigilance or our neglect. 'The moving finger writes, and having writ moves on...' We still have a choice today; nonviolent coexistence or violent co-annihilation.

“We must move past indecision to action. We must find new ways to speak for peace in Vietnam and justice throughout the developing world -- a world that borders on our doors. If we do not act we shall surely be dragged down the long dark and shameful corridors of time reserved for those who possess power without compassion, might without morality, and strength without sight.

“Now let us begin. Now let us rededicate ourselves to the long and bitter -- but beautiful -- struggle for a new world. This is the calling of the sons of God, and our brothers wait eagerly for our response. Shall we say the odds are too great? Shall we tell them the struggle is too hard? Will our message be that the forces of American life militate against their arrival as full men, and we send our deepest regrets? Or will there be another message, of longing, of hope, of solidarity with their yearnings, of commitment to their cause, whatever the cost? The choice is ours, and though we might prefer it otherwise we must choose in this crucial moment of human history.

“As that noble bard of yesterday, James Russell Lowell, eloquently stated:

Once to every man and nation Comes the moment to decide, In the strife of truth and falsehood, For the good or evil side; Some great cause, God's new Messiah, Off'ring each the bloom or blight, And the choice goes by forever Twixt that darkness and that light.

Though the cause of evil prosper, Yet 'tis truth alone is strong; Though her portion be the scaffold, And upon the throne be wrong: Yet that scaffold sways the future, And behind the dim unknown, Standeth God within the shadow Keeping watch above his own.

“And if we will only make the right choice, we will be able to transform this pending cosmic elegy into a creative psalm of peace. If we will make the right choice, we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our world into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. If we will but make the right choice, we will be able to speed up the day, all over America and all over the world, when 'justice will roll down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream.’"

#MLK #1960s #racism in america #militarism #imperialism

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