#my own community would be more concerned with how my family referred to me in death than with the fact that i was killed

[transmascissues]

i absolutely cannot believe people are trying to start discourse about whether nex benedict was actually nonbinary / whether it was okay for him to describe himself as nonbinary to some people if he didn’t actually identify that way as if he isn’t literally DEAD because he was KILLED. this is a MURDERED CHILD and these monsters are so busy getting mad at the possibility that he might have been a trans boy who described himself as nonbinary to his family because that was easier for them to take that they’re turning a CHILD who was MURDERED into fucking discourse. even when we die at the hands of cis people’s violence, our own community finds a way to make us the villains of the story.

and all of this bullshit on top of the ways that cis people are already trying to say our grief over his death is unjustified. all of this on top of people claiming he wasn’t murdered and speculating on other causes of death (i literally saw someone say he “clearly went home and took the coward’s way out” and i have never been more disgusted) or claiming that he started the fight as if any action on his part could’ve been enough to justify his death. i am haunted by the sound of his father screaming that his child was not filth because that is what people have been saying about this poor kid, that’s how cruelly his memory is being treated, and even the trans community can’t get it’s shit together enough to look past the stupid discourse and see the tragedy in front of us. did you all forget that it was supposed to be up to us to grieve him in the way he deserves when the rest of the world fails to care if people like him live or die? did you all forget that this child was our sibling, the future of our community, a life that we should have had the chance to know and treasure while he was still here but that we now have a responsibility to hold close to our hearts in his absence? nex’s life was precious and it was ended far too soon and if you truly believe that anything is more important than mourning his life and fighting for a world where no more trans people have to meet such an awful fate, you’re a traitor to this community and you do not deserve the place you occupy within it.

i’m so tired. i can’t even imagine how tired his family must be, to see the public treat the child they’re grieving so horribly, to see the world fail their baby again. leave him alone. he was already robbed of peace in life; the least you can do is let him finally have it in death.

[maevearcher]

…okay, so let’s wrap this thing up with part three (part one here and part two here).

So, after they are left to investigate Kira on their own, with no support from the police….which is sort of traumatic, or at least wounding towards L, although he does  such a great job of pushing aside any unwanted or unproductive emotion…. Only little bits escape here and there, little words he lets pass…little expressions he can’t hide…“I’m human – that’s not allowed?” he asks Light during their fight…and that sort of hurt. I mean…people really expect him to either not have emotions, or to always have a scheme going, like, oh, he showed he liked the guy because he wanted to test him for this and that….No. L is simply human, and barely a young adult in the story, bound to have emotional reactions here and there, and it’s so unfair to him to deny him that. People expect him to have perfect control over his decisions, actions and emotions, while forgetting that his prefrontal cortex has barely even matured! Genius be damned, I’m talking pure biology here.

And, since I’m talking about biology, I’ve really come to resent the “all sweets and nothing but sweets” diet theory, as well as the “not sleeping for a week straight” theory. The latter is simply not possible, biologically, and he wouldn’t impair his cognitive skills, let alone his life, like that… And the former… Well, let me ask you this: What does Mogi eat? Everyone would say – what kind of question is that, regular food, of course. Let me ask you – how do you know? have you ever seen him eat anything? Then, by the logic of believing only what is shown, Mogi should be functioning on air, to the point of starvation, right?....Wrong, surely. Then why not apply the same logic to L, since it’s equally biologically impossible to live a healthy life, let alone survive, on sweets alone. How do we know he doesn’t eat normal nutritious food? because we never see him in such a situation?....well….

Talking about Mogi. Such an underrated character, who largely stays out of sight and unnoticed….Not by L. Never by L.  L trusts him to investigate the Kitamura family under the moniker of L, Mogi is responsible with keeping an eye on Light and his…romantic life…and lastly, at the beginning of the Yotsuba arc, as a revigorated L decides to fully investigate Yotsuba, it falls on Mogi to gather information about all the over 300.000 employees, much to Light’s astonishment. And the quiet, unassuming Mogi earns these praises from L: “Thank you for doing the unglamorous work, Mogi-san.” and “Mogi-san has always been surprisingly efficient.” Now, are these the words of a self-centered, cold-hearted jerk? I think not.

…I do believe this Kira case has changed L. Sure, there is the passage of time in the process of personality growth and self-discovery, which in itself is crucial at his age. But, he has crossed a line in his life here, namely the willingness to communicate in person. As he decides to call Aiber and Wedy, Watari is shocked that L would allow them to see him…but L asserts his trust in them, which is, and has always been,  in fact his concern, not some….shyness or social awkwardness. Which results more clearly from what he says to Watari: “…it would be complicated to have to contact them through you. I wouldn’t be able to explain my thoughts as well.” So, what he’s saying is, basically, that he finds it easier to communicate clearly face to face than through the synthetized voice coming from a laptop speaker. Wow. And  no, he doesn’t mean that he wouldn’t be able to infer nonverbal clues about them…he’s clear in his words, “I wouldn’t be able to explain my thoughts”, he’s referring to self-communication here.  

As for him working with criminals….I couldn’t care less, I’m not batting an eyelash. Even normal, regular police officers do that, so why should he be more catholic than the Pope, so to say?....

And then there’s the stunt that Matsuda pulls with Yotsuba and  practically ruins the carefully concocted plan that L had created, involving Aiber and Wedy.  To be honest…..I would have been way harsher on Matsuda, He was gentle and kind, going only as far as “Stupid Matsuda….” What happens next is nothing short of comedic genius once again, L being able to improvise just like that, on the spot, the most daring and reckless, yet the most efficient plan to rescue the poor praise-starved idiot out of that situation, summarized in one of the best lines out there, “…You must die before you’re killed.” I dare say that no one past 30 years old could have come up with such a stunt though, culminating with L and Light playing the paramedics, role which L childishly, but hilariously, resents, reiterating Matsuda’s responsibility for what he perceives as not as much as loss of comfort, but almost humiliation: “I know we’re short-handed but….for me to have to play a role like this…. Stupid Matsuda…”

He eventually forgives him, and even reframes his thinking as to see the positive outcome of the situation, but his way of phrasing things (“Anyway, thanks to Matsuda-san’s screw up…”) reveals a more rigid pattern of thinking than Light’s, who has a borderline pathological ability for cognitive reframing things to fit his outlook. Matsuda is very ‘wannabe-knight-in-shining-armor” naïve but good natured, and I see L acting as relaxed as he can get around him, dropping insults in all honesty, knowing Matsuda won’t get upset or anything….ass seen later, where Matsuda is very proud of having uncovered the secret Yotsuba meeting “with my heroics”, he says, which earns him a relaxed and elder-brotherly “With your stupidity….” from L.

It’s interesting how, after Matsuda’s “demise”, L doesn’t just assign Aiber as Misa’s new manager, like he eventually does with Mogi. That’s a whole different relationship dynamics that he establishes with Aiber….L acknowledges Aiber’s relative independence and agency, and he respects that about him. This respect for autonomy and decisiveness is also relevant in perhaps the harshest line I heard from him throughout the book, when, referring to how Yotsuba Kira operates by assembling a group to make the decisions, L characterizes this Kira as “a stupid coward who can’t do anything on his own”. Wow. Harsh.

As for Aiber…. I sense a very deep trust and connection between L and him. L takes suggestions from him, tolerates certain initiative that Aiber takes the liberty to have (which in itself is a big deal), praises him openly (“You sure work fast, Aiber.”), and is very concerned about his safety as Aiber reveals his intentions to meet with the Yotsuba group in person. I don’t really see L having that sort of a balanced relationship with anyone else. Aiber is even allowed to have his own letter, in the same font that L himself uses – equal only to Watari in this position in L’s emotional landscape.

As Light gets more involved in the Yotsuba investigation, he earns more and more praises from L, to the point of being asked to take over the L moniker if L dies. The admiration for Light’s abilities is real, since we see it in L’s inner monologue, but the offer is far from being genuine – the admiration stops at intelectual abilities, the moral assessment remains unchanged, namely, that Light has the moral ability  to be Kira. I think what’s happening here is also a case of “natural genius vs. developed genius”. What I mean is, L is somewhat…lazy. He is used to being the best, he is used to having no rival. I also notice a bit of “let’s do this and see what happens” attitude in his approach, even if it is a calculated one, and even if he is able to predict the likely outcome. In contrast, Light is a highly meticulous planner, his actions are well thought out and carefully constructed, actively scheming to achieve the maximum possibile. L seems rash, reckless and lazy in contrast sometimes. (P vs J in MBTI theory).

Thus, L throws another seemingly outrageous, dargerous and rash  move, namely involving Misa, while claiming he is desperate and out of time. I love it how he mixes lies and truth, and how he sneaks in truths, but they are taken for lies because he usually messes with people… I wonder how many truths he says in this way, knowing he’d be safe because he won’t be believed anyway…. But, good grief, is he a master of sarcasm or what?...

The way he acts towards Misa when they are preparing her for the role she is to play in front of the Yotsuba leaders is perhaps one of the most relaxed I’ve ever seen him. Yelling at her through a paper cone, threatening to kick her with said papers…..he’s almost acting boyish, playful.  How coincidental that he’s allowing himself to breathe for a second  when/because/since Aiber is in the room and involved in the plan?....It’s intriguing, at least, and it really makes me want to know more about their history, about the mishaps they were involved in, about the events that forged what seems to be a rather strong bond.

This bond is not something  L shares with Wedy though, even if he trusts her too, to a level. He is much more commanding and un-explanatory towards her, as he instructs her to recover the shredded documents from the paper shredder, he directs her to plant devices in Higuchi’s cars, deaf to her objections. He expects her to do as he instructs, period. No place for discussions, as in Aiber’s case. 

Also, even when Rem’s intervention leads to Misa divulging to L and Light that Higuchi is the 3rd Kira, L holds on to his instincts and doesn’t stray for one second from his convection that Light is/was the first Kira, the one he actually waged war against. He almost sees the other Kiras as….instruments, information sources to aid him in catching the Source, the Original Kira, once and for all, and this involves learning  precisely what the method of killing is. It would be…incomplete without that.

It's also endearing and breaks my heart open with admiration how he values the truth more than his own life. When he is forced to take into consideration that there could be a supernatural being transferring the power of Kira from one person to another as it so chooses, his only options are “We’d have been killed long ago or we’d just be made fools of forever.” To that he concludes sharply with “Such a being cannot exist.” Why? Because L simply cannot bear to conceive that.

I also love it about him how he knows when what he’s asking  is extreme. And he’s honoring the right of choice when push comes to shove, thus showing real respect and understanding for the people who prove and have proven to be on his side and to share his… convictions, his underlying sense of idealism (even if he’d argue with me here). When it first becomes clear that Higuchi has Kira’s power, the first thing L asks is “Would you call this a triumph, Matsuda-san?”, knowing all too well that Matsuda has the same chivalrous streak that won’t rest until the absolute truth is revealed, namely, the method of killing. It’s also Matsuda that L calls upon to act as bait for Higuchi…but this time L knows he’s asking for what could be the ultimate sacrifice, therefore he’s giving Matsuda time to consider his decision. Even if he knows what the latter will choose, L needs him to be sure. L is not exonerating himself of the responsibility, he’s not washing his hands clean of Matsuda’s blood – what he’s doing is honoring Matsuda by reinforcing his worth, a worth that has constantly been denied throughout the story. It’s an act of respect and appreciation.

And then…here comes the greatest leap of thinking in L’s entire life, the moment when, upon hearing Higuchi talking to Rem in the car, he advances the idea that this Rem person is perhaps a Shinigami. What a difference from his initial reaction, huh. That goes to show how mentally strong he really is. He doesn’t flip this time, nor when he actually sees Rem, because he had time to integrate the idea, the concept, into the framework of thought he operates with. That’s why he freaked out at first, because it contradicted his worldview, it went against the logic he based his entire mentality on.

But why did his team act much in reverse, not being scared at first, but panicking now? Perhaps the issue is that the rest of them aren’t used to operating on no assumptions whatsoever, they have these preconceived patterns of thought that they aren’t usually questioning. Taking into account how they’re Japanese as well, whereas L is not.  It’s…much like in our Christian culture, we don’t freak out when we hear things like “guardian angel” or “may the angels watch over you”….but if we actually saw an angel, we’d most likely need a prolonged stay in a psychiatric ward. This is the mentality of the task force. Whereas L is most likely atheist-agnostic and it turns his whole thought process upside down to admit the existence of the supernatural – but once he doesn admit it, it simply becomes a factor to compute.

And then, yeah, sure “L doesn’t care about human lives, he just wants to win”….suuuure. That’s why, when Higuchi makes the eye deal with Rem, that’s why he immediately warns all police officers to stay away and to let him handle the capture, even after one of them was just killed – because he doesn’t care about human lives… Right. That’s why he goes after Higuchi himself, clearly risking his own life again, as he tells a chained up Misa “If we don’t return, someone should come and free you in  24 hours.” Because he’s an egotistical prick who only cares about winning his puzzle. Mhm. Sure. Then, honestly, it’s a form of egotism I wish more people had…..

(Not to mention he’s hot as hell, flying that helicopter, I’m sorry, but I just had to, I’m only human, and I love him, I’m sure I can be forgiven for a little gushing… and I don’t think he’d mind terribly haha, he’s only human as well)

His control slips once again, when they arrest Higuchi and he tells them that the notebook is the murder weapon. The boy, the man, the human inside of the L projection stutters before such a discovery, such a possibility….”Y-Yagami-san…please check to see if such a thing is in the car” (italics mine). He can’t help but be a little overwhelmed with 100 emotions….excitement, fear, curiosity….His inner monologue after touching the notebook is a whirlwind of pieces falling together to reveal the still empty spaces between them….and the line he gives to Light as the latter regains his memories is nothing short of magistral in the multitude of meanings it conveys….”Anyone would be surprised by a monster like that….” L didn’t refer to the Shinigami as monsters. What he’s seeing here is Light regaining his full monstrosity….

But even L cannot comprehend, in his (don’t argue with me, L, you know it’s true) idealism, how much of a monster Light really is. He judges Light based on his own moral code (“He wouldn’t do something as stupid as using it while I’m sitting next to him”)

As Light regains full memories of being Kira, L effortlessly kills and buries all doubt and all that looked like intellectual admiration towards the former, and is back into furious thinking mode, connecting threads and unraveling mysteries that are beyond the realm of logic…yet, he tries. He has accepted it all, to the point of using an honorific for Rem as well, he grants her person-status.

In the end, it’s misguided love that he can’t fight against. Misa’s love-obsession for Light….Rem’s pure love for Misa…this is something he has no knowledge of, or experience with. He can hardly include that in his calculations, the same as the almost demonical way in which Light manipulates and uses all that is good and pure. These are extremes of the human psyche that L  struggles to acknowledge and to touch. He’s always thinking “…a normal human mind wouldn’t….”, well, he’s not dealing with normal human minds here…

It is interesting how Rem, not having any previous knowledge of L, remarks how “Ryuzaki has the same kind of mind as Light Yagami….they think on the same level…”, thus walking backwards on the same road as us, the readers, and even the Task Force, who have observed in multiple occasions how Light is able to operate on the same intellectual level as L.  I can see Rem admiring L to a considerable degree, if the latter wasn’t a threat to Misa….

….and this is how a heart breaks. First, by seeing him futilely reach for the monitor as if he could hold on to his only permanent trusted companion…his dear Watari. Then, by witnessing the murderous vengeful look in his eyes that he masks his pain behind…. His understanding that it was indeed the Shiniga-

……and this is where it ends. We have arrived at the end of the world. This is not an analysis, my love, this is me being with you every step of the way.

……and beyond. Because, see, I know you faked your death so as to get Light to lower his guard. I know Watari is alive too, for your sake. I know you’re watching and instructing as Near goes on to bring Light to his knees. But shh, I won’t tell anyone.

...finally done, @pennyblossom-meta :)

[starberrywander]

This might be a controversial opinion but I think most of my fellow progressives need to hear this:

You NEED to stop attacking conservatives, because all of your hostility only feeds into their “The left is full of prideful/hypocritical/irrational/etc assholes” rhetoric and is a major tool used by far-right propagandists to manipulate good people into hateful and dangerous ideas. Your hostility is contributing to far-right radicalization just as much, if not more, than the content put out by hate campaigns and extremists. 

I have seen it plenty of times both in my own life and online. Conservatives frequently talk about how hostile “the left” behaves and it forms a basis for a lot of their unsavory ideals. 

As someone who lives in a very conservative region of one of the most red states in the US, most of the people I know in person are conservative or at least conservative-leaning, especially in my family. But, you would be surprised just how many of them express agreement with progressive ideals either without realizing or while refusing to better understand them simply because they see progressives as hostile and unwelcoming. Like, I have no doubt in my mind that many of these people would happily and enthusiastically join even some of the most progressive social movements if they hadn’t had such a horrible impression of progressives painted to them. Many have experiences with being attacked, harassed, and called names for trying to express their concerns and opinions in progressive spaces. Many more have also seen that same scenario play out many times to other people who they respect or care for. If you don’t believe me, let me give you a prominent example from my life:

My grandmother is very conservative. Like, watches (or at least used to watch) fox news on a regular basis and refers to herself as “Super MAGA.” However, despite very explicitly aligning herself with the right-leaning conservative crowd and often making comments (mostly out of ignorance not maliciousness, I’ve learned) that would probably set a good number of y’all into rage mode, when individual issues are discussed in good faith she often takes a more progressive position. Of course there are exceptions, especially because she has been exposing herself to a lot of right-wing propaganda and definitely has been influenced by some hate campaigns, but she certainly doesn’t fit the stereotype and would absolutely be aligning herself with the left in a different situation. She is very supportive of LGBT people and, though she is a bit skeptical of things like gender reassignment surgery because of the things she gets told on facebook, she isn’t hateful toward trans people like many would probably assume. In fact all it took was a simple, calm explanation of my perspective for her to easily accept nonbinary identities (including, I think, neopronouns and xenogenders, though I haven’t heard anything from her specifically on those topics). She has even expressed that sentiment to other family members since then and I think it was well received.

Of course, there are certainly people who are too stubborn and prejudiced to even consider changing their mind, but they are a minority. Many of these people that get clocked as “bigots” are actually very kind-hearted people who were only ever able to have their genuine concerns heard or validated by people on the conservative right. They are the way they are because they were harassed or made to feel unwelcome in progressive spaces so they looked elsewhere for support and community. 

If you need more examples, here is just one of the many videos of people expressing this type of experience (this is also the video that made me realize that I should probably make a post to express this): 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3r01BruBok 

My point is that we need to be more compassionate. I don’t mean this in a moral purity way, you are absolutely justified in being upset at the types of prejudice and misinformation being spread around. I mean it in the way that your hostile and angry actions are only making the situation worse and you need to find a better outlet if we want to make progress toward convincing people to side with more progressive positions and stop voting in the kinds of people who are gonna push these discriminatory policies we’ve been seeing.

As much as we want to believe that we are rational and that enough statistics will change someone’s mind if they just listened, that is not the case. Humans are emotional beings. As much as we see ourselves as objective, we think emotionally. Even if we don’t realize it. If you attack people, even passive aggressively, you make them shut down. They stop listening. Because we are much more likely to listen to and care about the words of people who we have a positive impression of. People remember emotions far more than any words, and it doesn’t matter how correct you are or how much proof you have, if you come at people with hostility and anger that attack and the emotions associated with it are the only things that are going to stick. They aren’t going to remember your statistics. They aren’t going to remember your facts. They’re going to remember how you harassed them and called them names. They’re going to remember how you demanded they adopt your beliefs without listening to theirs.

I don’t care how much you wanna scream, its not going to help anything. All people will remember is how you made them feel. We only care about statistics and facts when we care about the subject, because that’s just how humans are. You may find some exceptions, but they are few and far between and you shouldn’t rely on their existence. You need to be kind. You need to be compassionate. 

If you need to say something to vent say it privately. Write it down then make a wish and delete it like you’re blowing out the candles on a birthday cake. Keep a journal of all your rants and frustrations. Just keep them out of public spaces, for fucks sake. They are not helpful. You can edit them to be kinder, but please stop with the hostile posts. You are making it worse and the only benefit it serves is an ego boost from “dunking on the dummy conservatives.” You don’t need to say everything that comes to your mind. I know I’ve done this before too so I can sympathize but its really time we all start being more intentional with the ways we react to people.

Stop calling people names. Stop accusing people of things (even if they are. It achieves nothing.) Stop telling people to shut up. If they something particularly nasty just report and block them. If its real life just try to go somewhere else or ask them to stop or something. Like, you can absolutely attempt to explain why there is an issue with it, why you are uncomfortable with it, and why you will not accept it. But for goodness sake please do it respectfully. Even if you don’t think the person deserves respect, being hostile only makes things worse. Find a different way to express your anger. 

Yes, there will be people who won’t listen. Yes, there will still be people who paint you as irrational for being concerned or for caring about certain issues (that’s gaslighting, don’t let it get to you. Call it out if you need to.) You can’t change that. You can’t force people to change their minds. What you can do is control yourself and practice some patience. 

It is extremely important that we promote acceptance and fight against far right extremist radicalization. Especially now, when people are getting more extreme in their views and feeling emboldened to discriminate more openly. We need to get more people away from the conservative rabbit hole and we cannot do that if your immediate reaction is to attack them for disagreeing with you. People are the products of their experiences and their communities. People join communities that make them feel accepted and validated. If you harass people, its just going to make them want to join the other “enemy” community who will show them sympathy for the hurt you caused. I don’t care how much you don’t think they deserve it. I don’t care how much you feel justified. I don’t care how nasty they are being. You need to treat people with respect and compassion if you want them to agree with you on any level.

 I will probably be talking about this more in the future so I’m gonna make a hashtag to keep it all in the same place. 

“Progressives please chill and find a more productive approach for fucks sake”

#ppcafampaffs

[gentlemanbutch]

Florida's genocidal legislation against transgender people: a basic guide on what's happening

Preface

Queer people in Florida -- ESPECIALLY trans people of all ages -- are in trouble and it's largely going unreported. State senators and representatives openly called the trans community demons, imps, predators, and called for the erasure of the LGBTQ community this legislative session. Media outlets are largely not reporting on this/mainly focusing on pride events being canceled, and while that’s obviously terrible, that’s a tiny fraction of the problem.

I wrote this to help spread the word because my friends, family, community, and I are being affected. They are trying to kill us and all I can do is keep screaming and hope that someone hears me.

Please note, this focuses on Florida's anti-LGBTQ laws. Bills targeting immigrants, BIPOC folks, education, how history can be taught in schools, and more were passed this session as well. The NAACP, the League of United Latin American Citizens, Equality Florida, and the Florida Immigrant Coalition have all released travel advisories warning Black, Hispanic, queer people, and immigrants from traveling to the state. I reference some of these laws in this post but don't go in depth on most of them; I'll put some sources at the bottom if you'd like to do further reading.

As of May 22, 2023, here is what's happening in Florida:

Health care

SB 254 (gender affirming care ban)

Gender affirming health care has been dramatically limited/essentially banned for transgender people of ALL ages. This law, SB 254, went into effect immediately upon signing (May 17, 2023).

Youth care was already banned by ruling of the Board of Medicine in February; SB 254 puts it into law. Trans kids who were receiving care prior to the ban have been grandfathered in and can continue their care; no new minors can receive care (puberty blockers, HRT, surgery, etc.).

Physicians and health care workers could be charged with a first-degree misdemeanor for providing gender-affirming care to children not grandfathered in.

Adults who were on HRT/are looking to be put on HRT must get their prescription in person from an MD or DO. (About 80% of trans people in FL were getting care from nurse practitioners/telehealth.)

Adults also must sign an informed consent document created by the Florida Board of Medicine before they can receive care. That document does not yet exist. Some providers are theorizing it may never exist. Another concern is that it could be used to create a state registry of trans people.

As of now, places like Planned Parenthood have had to pause gender affirming care because there is no informed consent document. Pharmacies are (inconsistently) declining refill requests for HRT.

SB 1580 (right to discriminate)

While this bill does not directly reference trans people (that I know of), the “Protections of Medical Conscience Act” — which is colloquially being referred to as the “Let Them Die Act” — allows health care providers or payors to deny service on the basis of “a conscience-based objection.” This includes any ethical, moral, or religious beliefs, and the bill provides no definition for what constitutes a moral or ethical belief.

This bill puts trans, queer, BIPOC, disabled, and otherwise marginalized people at risk of being medically neglected or otherwise discriminated against without repercussions.

Access to public life

HB 1521 (bathrooms)

With the signing of HB 1521, as of July 1, 2023, trans people will be required to use the bathroom that correlates with their sex assigned at birth in certain public areas. These include buildings owned/leased by governmental entities, schools, universities, private colleges, hospitals owned by universities, some sports arenas, convention centers, city parks, beaches, airports, and more.

If a trans person is in a bathroom with a cis person and the cis person complains, an employee can tell the trans person to leave. Refusing to do so would bring a trespassing charge against the trans person. This can carry a sentence of up to a year in jail.

Gender markers/updated birth certificates will not protect trans people from this law. The law says that sex is determined as “indicated by the person’s sex chromosomes, naturally occurring sex hormones, and internal and external genitalia present at birth.”

SB 1438 (drag ban)

This law went into effect immediately upon being signed. It's written vaguely but bans kids and teens from attending certain performances in private venues, such as drag shows (including family-friendly ones).

Additionally, it bans cities, counties and other governments from issuing permits for events that feature drag performers. If this aspect of the law is violated, the organizer of the event would face a first-degree misdemeanor.

The law defines "adult live performances" -- which minors cannot attend -- as a show, exhibition or other presentation that "depicts or simulates nudity, sexual conduct, sexual excitement, (or) specific sexual activities," which include exposing breasts or genitals, "lewd conduct, or the lewd exposure of prosthetic or imitation genitals or breasts" when it's offensive to "prevailing standards" and is "without serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value for the age of the child present."

As a slight side note -- it was during a discussion for this bill's companion House bill that Florida Rep. Randy Fine, a Jewish man who also helped pass a bill against anti-Semitism, characterized queer people as predators and called for the erasure of the LGBTQ community: "If it means erasing a community because you have to target children, then damn right we oughta do it. I just don’t think you have to inherently say 'cause you’re lesbian or gay you have to target children.' I find that statement to be offensive to them."

As of May 22, Treasure Coast Pride, Tampa Pride, and St. Cloud Pride canceled their events/parts of their events as a precaution because of this bill.

Education and families

SB 254 (cont.)

SB 254 allows the state to remove a child from a parent if the child is receiving gender affirming care/if the child is “at risk” of receiving care, or if the parent is trans/suspected of being trans. PLEASE NOTE I am not a parent and I am a little less familiar with this aspect of the law. I believe this only applies in custody cases. Tiktok user @/frogexecutive has been posting a lot about this because they just fled Florida; their page has more info.

HB 1069 (education)

House Bill 1069 expanded the “Don’t Say Gay” bill through 8th grade. It also bans schools from using students’ or teachers’ preferred names or pronouns. It goes into effect on July 1, 2023. Separately, the Board of Education voted to ban the teaching of anything related to gender/sexuality through 12th grade, but that wasn't signed into law. I'm not sure if/how that will be enforced.

*Note: SB 266, Florida's STOP Woke Act, and other bills prohibit public colleges/universities from using funds for diversity and equity programs, impact what can/can't be taught in classrooms, and limit teachings on queerness, race, history, etc. I'm not going in-depth on these bills but if you're interested in education in Florida, those two laws especially are ones to look into.

Further reading

I pulled much of my information from some of these sites (as well as the actual text of the laws). I'm also listing sites with more information on the other laws put in place this session. Please reblog with more sources for info, resources for queer people, etc!

Erin in the Morning (trans reporter)

Alejandra Caraballo (trans instructor/reports on social media)

Report: Trans adults left without care

Don't Say Gay expansion

Equality Florida travel ban + news

Florida teacher being investigated for showing Disney movie with gay character

How anti-trans laws are threatening Florida clinics

Florida anti-immigrant law prompts travel advisory

Diversity and equity ban

NAACP issues travel advisory for Florida

Again, please reblog with more resources, and please feel free to add additional information or correct any errors. And please, please share this. We are fighting for our lives here in Florida.

One final note: Please do not comment telling people to move or making jokes about abandoning Florida/cutting it off/hoping it sinks into the sea. It is full of people who cannot leave. Your glee at the idea of abandoning Florida just hurts those of us who voted against this fascist monster and ended up having to live under his thumb anyway.

[stitchlingbelle]

Watching Halo, Episode 7

I have no doubt the diehards rioted over this episode, which turned out to be centered entirely on Kwan (and Soren), who the youtube comments inform me is terrible. Why, I’m not sure, but here we are.

We open with a flashback to the Madrigal resistance, and I was surprised how happy I was to see them all. We only got one scene with them in the pilot, but they pull off the loving community vibe so well that it’s easy to fall in love with them. It was nice to have them back, even as ghosts, and even with pre-heroic Kwan having a teenage moment with her dad. Back in the present, Kwan’s driving straight into a sandstorm, which is a TERRIBLE IDEA that in the real world would probably have killed her. The wind and sand can literally rip your skin off. Anyway, she gets kidnapped.

Soren’s miraculously back on Rubble—what is the FTL tech in this universe and how fast is it? I have questions. He’s throwing a party and we finally get to see him in his element, as pirate/ businessman/ rich popular dude. He’s loud and boisterous and clearly grating on his shady, uncool business partner, whose only redeeming virtue is speaking Hungarian. Squirrel challenges Soren on not getting Kwan Ha’s bounty, and ignoring his own shady heist plan, but backs down immediately when pushed. Soren is obviously disturbed, though I assume it’s more about breaking his word to John than not getting paid for Kwan. (He also had a lovely moment about his love for his wife and kid, and I’m still convinced they’re marked for death, which is a shame, because I love Laera.) Sometime I need to go back and rewatch this scene with the pause button, because there’s a load of costumes to look at here.

Back to Kwan and her kidnappers, who of course turn out to be the mystics. They have the classic “you’re not ready, I sense much anger in you” conversation, which honestly I could have done without, especially since my meta-brain knows the mystics will change their mind, and they immediately do. (As they must have planned to, since they kidnapped her, not the other way around.) (Very cool costume design, low-quality wigs.) There's a lot going on with the tropes behind this Magic Desert People thing that other people have no doubt covered better than I can, but it does leave a lot of questions. Where are they from? Why are they so detached from the other humans on Madrigal? Why do they know the things they do? What do they need the Ha family for, that they couldn't do themselves?

Vinsher, meanwhile, is being extremely Extra and Poetic, which is apparently normal enough that his driver gets in a well-chosen poetic reference of his own in response. They know about the mystics and can’t find them, but Vinsher is determined to at least find Kwan. Vinsher is an interesting choice, juxtaposed against the rest of the people in the show: a cartoonish villain who only wants power, in a universe where everyone else claims a "greater good" justification for what they do.

On Rubble, Soren gets his shady guy Squirrel alone on the tram. And instead of killing him (or getting jumped or triggering a gang war that gets his family killed, my other guesses), Soren butters the guy up a bit, in a very threatening way, and agrees to go with the score the guy had bitched about at the party. I Have Concerns. (The scene ended with a GREAT dissolve, as the tram disappeared into the dark, just a single light distantly visible, which faded into the scene on Madrigal. Just a great directing choice, very evocative.)

The mystics are giving Kwan her Lore Dump, complete with hallucinogenic drugs that take her into her subconscious to deal with her issues. In this case, flashing back to the beginning of her relationship with Master Chief, which turns into them fighting so she can let go of her rage, presumably. (We brought back Reth for this?) (STOP aiming for the best part of his armor! If you’re going to try to stab him, which I’m not even sure you want to do, aim for the weak parts!) It's a little odd given that she seemed to have worked through some of the stuff with John back when he saved her life. (Honestly, it just made me think they wanted Master Chief in the ep so they could remind everyone "it's the Halo show!")

Eventually she gets told her family’s purpose, according to a being from another time or existence (again, man, this series has everything and the kitchen sink), is to eventually help John with his purpose, which involves a portal that must be protected from oppressors. (Like the UNSC, hence the rebellion.) The reunion with her dad was moving, and he ends by affirming her ability to step up in her own way, and tells her to go back to where it all began: the outpost where they lived, and he died.

Soren and Squirrel’s heist goes swimmingly, but Soren uses it to drop a weight on Squirrel’s foot to teach him a lesson. He could still be setting up a gang war, in other words. Later, Laera calls him on the action’s necessity, and in the course of defending himself, Soren wanders off to talking about Kwan and how that situation is eating at him. Laera tells him that Kwan must be alive, since Vinsher just tripled the bounty on her, and it’s clear Soren’s headed back to Madrigal. Laera, I love you.

On Madrigal, we flash between Kwan back in the ruins of her home, and Agatha getting questioned by Vinsher. Turns out she’s not a traitor after all, and she stands up to him, despite knowing it’ll get her killed. It does. Agatha had told Kwan that Vinsher had allowed them to collect the dead for burial, and so as she explores she doesn’t see any human bodies, but I was quite surprised to see the Covenant dead left where they were. I realize the UNSC labs likely have samples of everything there, but no local scavengers (of the animal sort) have dealt with the bodies, and no local scavengers (of the human sort) have looted the gear? Weird. Kwan also manages to find papers of her father’s that reference the portal, and pockets them. She hears movement, but I’m pretty sure it’s…

…Soren! Called that. They bicker a bit, especially over her keeping his gun. I do like the way they play off each other. Vinsher shows up and Kwan explains her plan to blow the joint sky-high. (Vinsher, are you SMOKING A CIGAR AT A HYDROGEN DRILLING FACILITY?) Unfortunately, the place is not in great repair after the battle, and she needs to fix something before they can detonate it (and take cover). She and Vinsher speech-ify at each other. (The byplay between Vinsher and his smart guard was great. “I give you my solemn word.” Guard: shocked, dubious look. Vinsher: immediate “of course not” headshake. Big Humperdink and Rugen energy there.) Kwan also manages to pay Soren after all, so that’s nice. (Stick it in your pack and get on with it, Soren!)

Kwan brilliantly uses her insider knowledge of the base and its maintenance tunnels to get across the battlefield safely, while Soren wrecks absolute havoc as only a Spartan can. He’s incredibly impressive, and I can’t help but wonder if these people know they’re facing a (former) Spartan? (Two seconds later, it turns out they do, as Vinsher taunts him with it. Not sure that was smart, but ok.) (Again, is he the only one who’s ever gotten out?) They 100% get me to believe they’ve killed Soren off and might get Kwan too before Kwan manages to blow the place with one of the un-looted guns from the Covenant massacre, and she and Soren both make it into the vault, just in time. (Realism? I don't know her!)

The rain from the hydrogen drill as they emerge is a nice touch. We wrap up with the most perfect Kwan-and-Soren bickering possible. Kwan: “We’ll see each other again.” Soren: “God, I hope not.” HA.

[wheretheresaway-theresawilliam]

Chapter 12: The Funeral

Word Count: 887

TWs: Themes of death, child death, hospital mention, brief gore mention

⛤⛤⛤

William’s wealth and reputation managed to get Michael off scott-free, whether his actions had been intentional or not. His friends weren't so lucky, sentenced to mandatory behavioural therapy and a month's worth of community service. Eric even ended up being sent away to military school by his parents. At the end of the third week of Evan’s coma, William and Margarete agreed it was time to let him go.

William stared at the empty hospital bed when Evan had been removed. The yellow bear remained in his place. It hurt to look at it. His first instinct was to throw it away, but then he felt that… pull, again. An indescribable pull to his restaurant that had nothing to do with his usual affection for the place. Working half on instinct, William picked up the bear and left the hospital. He was supposed to meet up with Margaret and the head of the local funeral home to discuss the funeral itself, but that could wait.

When he reached Fredbear's, he used the entrance he had used before. He found himself standing before the stage, looking up at FredBear, the smaller counterpart held firmly in his hands.

“What, what is it that you want?” William whispered in frustration before blinking, glancing between the toy and the animatronic. “You can't possibly want anything, you're nothing more than a hunk of foam and metal…”

Perturbed, William set the toy at FredBear's feet. He stepped back, looking at them, together. This was all going to have to be destroyed and rebuilt, anyhow. He had already been devising how he would save his brand. There would be no reference to these “golden oldies” and this tragedy would be quietly linked to years long passed. His hair stood on end as FredBear's eyes twitched and finally locked onto him. I'm losing my mind.

Evan’s funeral was private and solemn. Other than the immediate family, Henry, Charlie, Henry's sister Agnes, and Norman attended, paying their respects to a life taken too soon. Margarete wailed as the light blue coffin sank into the dirt and Michael stiffly comforted his sniffling sister, unable to look. Afterwards, William and Henry went to remove FredBear and SpringBonnie from their stage.

“You mean to tell me nobody’s been in here to clean this thing?” Henry asked, his face paling as he took in the dried viscera on FredBear's mouth anew.

“It would appear that way. Somebody drained the fresh supplies, of course… without contacting me first.” William answered, dusting off SpringBonnie's vest.

“Maybe the crime scene workers gave them to the food pantry?”

“Mm, only you could be so optimistic.”

“I mean, it's only food that was going to eventually go to waste. It's not like they raided the cash registers or anything.” Henry looked around. “Huh, my toolbox is missing, too. Guess I'll go grab the spare.”

“You do that,” William dismissed absently, internally debating on what he wanted to do with his rabbit. Shortly after Henry left the room, William swore he could hear… breathing. And it wasn't his own, mind you. He held his breath and backed away from the animatronics, listening. FredBear's jaw suddenly fell open and harsh static crackled through its voice box.

“Papa… I'm… cold…”

Startled, William stumbled back into the wall. The words were so clear, even with the garbling. “What the Hell??”

The lights flickered ominously as FredBear slouched forward. “Papa…”

He felt cold all over. How could this be possible? “I… I must be hallucinating…”

“Papa, it hurts…”

An uncharacteristically concerned sound squeaked out of William as he tried to shake off his paralysing fear. “Evan?”

“Why don't you recognize me, papa?” It sounded as if the machine were crying, though of course no tears fell down its face.

“How…? Evan… my son… I don’t know how to make you understand…”

“William? Are you talking to somebody on radio?” Henry’s voice came from the hall, making William whip around. If anybody would tell him he wasn't going crazy, it'd be Henry.

“Er… Henry, come here a second, I need to ask you a very delicate question.”

When he looked back at FredBear, it had returned to its initial position.

“I found my toolbox, I guess I forgot it in the car,” Henry said as he reentered the room. “What did you want to ask me? Are you feeling alright??”

William mopped his sweating brow with the inside of his wrist. “Nevermind… I thought I saw something…”

“Maybe you ought to sit down, drink some water.”

William nodded and did as suggested. “You know how I asked about your thoughts on life after death?”

“Yes. I strongly believe Evan’s at peace, now, if it gives you any comfort-”

“What about ghosts?”

Henry frowned. “Ghosts?”

“Apparitions, spirits, whatever you want to call them. Ghosts.”

“You've never struck me as a superstitious man, William…”

“I'm not.”

“Then you'll agree with me that ghosts do not exist?”

William faked a smile, subtly wringing his hands. “Of course.”

There was a pause before Henry sighed. “Maybe we ought to deal with this another time, you must be exhausted, and your family would like to be with you as they navigate how to move on…”

“Of course,” William repeated. The men said their goodbyes and went their separate ways while William's head swam with daydream nightmares.

[numericalassassin]

(Its occurred to me that, seeing as I'm branching out from Borderlands verse into others lately, I should probably just go ahead and fully define the important bits about what Zer0 is and what exactly they can do. This really mostly pertains to their psychic ability, which was mostly irrelevant for Borderlands characters to know off the bat but might actually come up right out of the gate for others.

I'm posting this for everyone to see because I'm proud of my little noodle alien and because it may come up if my Zer0 knows and trusts your character.

Normally this will be most relevant for characters with psychic/mind reading/telepathic type abilities. If you have questions I don't answer here, please feel free to come message me for clarification.

So! Zer0 is a natural psychic, namely they're a empath. Rather then a telepath communicating in words Zer0's kind communicate through projected images, emotions, and ideas. They cannot naturally speak words though they do make a variety of other noises that aid in emphasis or express simple ideas.

Humans cannot 'hear' them naturally. Given that the vast majority of humans have no psychic abilities what so ever, Zer0 is essentially a mute to them. Likewise, Zer0 cannot 'hear' humans in a way that means much to them. As far as they're concerned, humans are both deaf and mute to their proper form of communication.

All of Zer0's spoken communication in "quotation marks" is through a translator, which makes their thoughts audible. This is their canon, in-game voice for my Zer0. Yes, everything is in haiku or less then five syllables. Their tone is also very flat and unemotional and sounds mechanical, like a voice changer. Characters with particularly sharp ears might pick up that they make noise separate from the translator and/or that there isn't another voice under it like a voice changer.

When Zer0 speaks about 'hearing' people in reference to their abilities they're usually referring to their mental communication rather then verbal. Zer0 can hear and understand quite a few spoken languages but its not natural to them.

Now technicalities of how it works! So Zer0 is basically a telepath without words. Normally for them, this is just like talking is for humans: you stand in a room together and project your "voice" at someone and you're talking. Whatever you're projecting is what you're saying, no more or less. They can aim this somewhat but it's only to the same extent a human can aim their voice such as talking quieter and turning away from other people. They can also project very "loudly", essentially running around yelling their thoughts for anyone to hear. This is usually what they do considering they've been around humans for between 30-40 years now and have only had their own voice in their head. They've lost track of their volume in a desperate bid to be "heard" essentially.

For example, if your character is a telepath who naturally projects their mental voice and they, say, wonder whats for dinner, Zer0 would "hear" that and respond by projecting a picture of what they're making or maybe the memory of the taste of it, something like that.

Normal mental communication with them is no more complicated then that. The only major difference is, where humans (and most other species really) use words they'll project emotions and ideas. They've learned to use simple words in some verses, depending on how long they've been able to have frequent contact with another mind.

Here's the part where it gets more complicated. Humans can't usually "hear" them however, there is a way they're capable of forcing the mental connection required. Skin to skin contact forges a much deeper version of the mental link Zer0's species automatically has between each other. Normally for them this is a very personal thing to do with only ones family and close friends. Maybe not quite as personal as, say, Vulcans but its a much deeper connection then just having a conversation.

With touch both sides are basically in each other's heads entirely. Conscious, projected thoughts and a great deal of more subconscious thoughts are free game on both sides, though anyone with any skill at hiding or suppression their own thoughts could block them off from the other party. Likewise anyone who's skilled at reading minds for one reason or another would have a lot easier time doing this while touching then not. During this I headcannon a lot of 'mindspace' kind of things, like Zer0 can kind of use their own thoughts and emotions as near physical things: wrapping their mind around the others in a protective or affectionate embrace, drawing people deeper into their mind and out of the real world for a time, and lashing out using their own anger/pain/fear as a near physical weapon to cause mental/psychic damage are all examples. This does require physical touch for the deeper connection, though other psychics familiar with invading other's minds may be able to achieve such results without needing contact. Fair warning, someone they don't trust 100% doing this without permission is going to get mentally attacked.

Yes this applies heavily to sex. I won't go into detail here as thats for ships only but imagine a feedback loop of all sensations involved.

Specifically addressing my Trigun verse, from what I understand (keep in mind I haven't read the manga yet and Stampede is clearly nowhere near done, all this comes from the OG anime and my friends screaming about it) the Plants are, if not exactly telepathic, some amount of psychic. So yes, Zer0 can hear the Dependent Plants for sure. They may or may not really understand them but more then likely the exchange of emotion and ideas would be pretty clear. Whether they could handle too much of that is up in the air at this time.

As for the Independent Plants, I would be inclined to say yes, they can hear them psychically and would probably hear them way better and more clearly then the Dependents. This is, of course, dependent on the muse I'm currently playing with and whether the mun plays them capable of projecting like that. Zer0 is not going to get into your muse's head without permission.

Thats about all I have right now, all of this will be copied and put into some info links I'm going to work on in the next few days. I'll have it all linked mobile friendly in a pinned post I should have done ages ago considering I'm 90% mobile myself. In any case, if anyone has questions as I said please ask and I'll be more then happy to clarify things or brainstorm how my muse does or doesn't hear yours.)

[residentdormouse]

Here's one of a few asks coming to your inbox for OC Bingo!

This set of questions is in regard to your original WIP, Close to the Vale.

How did you come to choose the title, Close to the Vale?

What is your favourite thing about writing for Faith?

What kind of setting can we expect in this story?

What kind of vibe can we expect this story to give?

Give us a small blurb on each of Faith's main companions!

Give us a spoiler with no context!

🥰🥰 Thank you for the asks! 🥰🥰

(This was a ridiculous help in regards to story building, so thank you so much!)

How did you come to choose the title, Close to the Vale?

A couple reasons for this. The main one being a reference to the ‘vale of tears’ expression. This isn’t exactly a happy place for most of the characters in it. Not anymore. Their lives are painful and full of difficult tests to their will. Their paths are something they must struggle through in order to reach the other side, whatever that other side may be. The second reason is that it's the latin for ‘Farewell’. Another concept that is prevalent in this story, and one of the major sources of their anguish. Third is because I hear Vale and I think ‘Shining Vale’ (show on Starz with Greg Kinnear), and it makes me giggle.

What is your favourite thing about writing for Faith?

I haven’t written too much for her yet, but when I do, I feel it. I start off writing what I personally want to say, and I can sense her voice coming in. Usually some snarky bullshit commentary on what I’ve already typed up, and that’s all it takes. She now has control and she’s damn well saying what she wants to say. And there’s a distinct lack of filter to her that's really fun to play with. No shits are given.

What kind of setting can we expect in this story?

I set the whole of this story in the fictional town of Marsden, Pennsylvania. I wanted to get a mix of city atmosphere, with a realistic chance of being out in nature as well. The specific settings themselves will be a few different bars, mostly all of the dive variety, Faith and Paul’s condo, the Greater Marsden Community College, the nature trail on the outskirts, and [redacted].

What kind of vibe can we expect this story to give?

Overall genre wise, I’m gunning for a supernatural/mystery/suspense vibe. Heavy on the dark, lots of angst, but I’m hoping to sprinkle in a bit of comedy as well. Bittersweet moments will also be pretty common. Have to have highs to make the lows mean something more than just bleak depression. I hope for it to be touching on themes of recovery and found family. But, as I stated above, Faith takes over, and has her own plans. In addition to this, Paul is very heavily influenced by my favorite fictional character (Glen Bateman), and I’ve had him throw me some curves when I was writing fanfiction. So Hell, I may be surprised where this story goes myself.

Give us a small blurb on each of Faith's main companions!

Paul Truitt - Faith’s late fiancé. Before his passing, he was a professor at the community college. Paul was always great at finding the humor in life, and generally gave off a warm inviting presence. Despite this, he still managed to rub people the wrong way. This was of little concern to him, which usually in turn, further exacerbated matters. After his death, colleagues and acquaintances would make passing comments to themselves regarding their lack of surprise at his ultimate fate. When heard, Faith is quick to tell them to go fuck themselves. Miserable pricks.

Zachary Belman - Zach came into town with his husband on a mission to find his missing brother, Adam Belman. Growing up, the pair complimented each other well. One risks, the other plans. Book smarts to street smarts. It was a good dynamic until their parents divorced. While Zach stayed back with his mother in their smaller rural hometown a few hours away, Adam had went with his father into Marsden. The city progressively took over his personality, and pulled them further apart. Over the past year, Zach has been unable to reach him at all, and even with the wedge that had been dividing them and Adam’s tendency to go off the grid, this has gotten to worrisome territory.

Cameron Greene - Zachary’s spouse who accompanied him on his quest. While Zachary has a tendency to see the best in his brother, Cameron likes to stick to the reality. He’ll be the first to offer a helping hand, but damn, you gotta want to get yourself out of the shit first. Adam liked to roll around in it, and he ain’t got time for all that. He does however admit that he likes to watch the dumpster fire, as long as there's no risk of being burnt himself. Or inhaling toxic fumes. He has a lingering suspicion that this trip may be a bit closer to the flame than he would like.

Emma Oaks - Faith’s neighbor across the hall. Part of the city nightlife, but of a more decidedly active variety than Faith’s. Dancing, karaoke, flirting, and drinks. On various occasions, she has tried to get Faith out of the hole she has fallen, but doesn’t exactly know the right lure to use. Maybe there isn’t one. But she tries regardless. Her dog, Sphinx, will occasionally steal Faith’s mail.

Give us a spoiler with no context!

(The wording may change as I get to this section, but the moment it's from would be staying the same in essence.)

Color drained from his face as she spoke, and his mouth opened and shut like a fish out of water. Words struggled to come to him, but he eventually muttered out his question. “Where did you hear that?”

Her words were familiar to him. His words were familiar.

“Where did I hear that? Where the fuck did you hear that?!”

Under the new line of inquiry, his eyes began darting around the room. Couch, chair, window. Anywhere but her. Quickly they moved object to object, only finally coming to a stop at the end table. Hesitantly, he took a few steps towards it, and picked up the picture frame. Shaking hands were amplified as the thin object unmistakably trembled in his grasp.

“From him. Before...”

He didn't need to finish; she knew. But how did he?

[uncloseted]

not meaning this to sound confrontational or any thing but if you believe in abolishing the prison system, what do you think should be done to those who have committed extreme crimes? Murderers and p*dos are mainly what I'm referring too. I agree that most people would benefit from support and rehabilitation but in those two extreme cases I don't see these things working for those two groups. And they shouldn't be people in our communities since the risk is too great

Edit: Apologies in advance if my thoughts on this aren't super coherent. It's 1:30am where I am but I know I won't be able to sleep unless I finish this 😭

I don't think this is confrontational at all! This is a concern that a lot of people have and one that I think is really understandable. It's really counter-intuitive to suggest that the best approach to dealing with crime is to work on helping the criminals. But I think this concern is based on a set of flawed premises- that our current system is arresting and convicting the people who commit these types of crimes, that prisons are preventing those people from committing crimes again, and that there are certain crimes in which people are 1) morally liable but 2) unable to be redeemed. While I do think those premises have some truth to them, I think it's much less than people expect.

Starting with people who murder other people. In the US, there were 26,031 homicides in 2022. Of those, 20,958 were homicides caused by firearms- about 81%. So, just separately to the bigger question here about what to do with people who commit crimes, reducing the number of firearms that people own, increasing firearm training and safety, and running thorough background checks on individuals looking to purchase a firearm would drastically reduce the numbers of people who die by homicide. The US has significantly higher homicide numbers than other industrialized nations, and our levels of gun ownership coupled with relatively lax gun safety is a big reason why.

But now let's dig into what those numbers actually represent a little bit. Of those homicide deaths, only 706 were deaths in mass shootings. Gang-related homicides only account for about 2,000 deaths each year. The biggest culprit by far is familial or intimate-partner violence. 76% of female murders and 56% of male murders were perpetrated by someone known to the victim.

So, at least for me, these numbers paint a more complicated picture than, "some people are evil murderers who murder because it's fun." Surely people want their significant other or family member to stay alive, right? There's not a ton of research on the motivations of people who commit homicides, and especially not intimate-partner homicide (at least, not that I could find), but one study suggested that about 40% of people who murder their intimate partner are a, "jealous substance abuser with a gun". That same study found that intimate partner violence had previously occurred in 70% of the relationships where one partner was later killed.

So to me, that seems like an issue that's horrible but not insurmountable. If we intervene at the first sign of domestic violence, help individuals work through their substance use issues and underlying emotional issues (including jealousy), incidents of intimate partner homicide are likely to go down. Other factors that increase the likelihood of intimate partner homicide include poverty, unemployment and family stressors, including disagreements over money, sex and children. These are problems that are difficult, but ones that can be solved with couples counseling and social support networks if they're addressed early enough. Part of the problem here is that we're leaving these emotional, interpersonal, and mental health issues until they become critical, and by then it's much more difficult to intervene.

In terms of how effective our current system is at dealing with this problem, in 2021, only 51% of homicides were cleared (meaning that they ended in an arrest, death of the offender, unwillingness of the victim to cooperate, etc). But only 3.2% of inmates in prisons are there for homicide, aggravated assault, OR kidnapping offenses- about 60,800 people total. Think about that- that's anyone serving time for homicide, aggravated assault, or kidnapping- it's not just people convicted in 2021. The vast majority of homicides result in the person who committed the homicide walking free.

Moving on to pedophiles and childhood sexual assault, I think that again, it's not really so simple as "children are sexually attractive to me and so I sexually assault them". Certainly, there are people who are attracted to children or teenagers sexually (about 1-5% of the population) but this actually doesn't seem to be the majority of people who perpetrate sexual assault towards children, and people with those urges may never act on them. Power, control, anger, and the gaining of personal affirmation are more likely to be the primary motivators for committing this type of crime than sexual gratification is. Compared to non-offenders, child molesters are more likely to exhibit disruptive behaviour, substance abuse, aggression, poor social skills, depression and dysfunctional intimate relationships. We also know that children who do not live with both parents as well as children living in homes marked by parental discord, divorce, or domestic violence, have a higher risk of being sexually abused than those who don't. It seems kind of simple or trite, but I do genuinely believe that if we can get individuals help early enough- if we can intervene in their desire for power or control, their feelings of anger, their maladaptive behaviors- and if we find ways to reduce life stressors, we can reduce this type of crime as well. And if we create safer, healthier environments for children and teach them how to be aware of people in their life who are trying to take advantage of them, that will help reduce this type of crime, too.

In terms of how well our current system is dealing with this, data on this is also kind of hazy, but in 2021, there were approximately 140,132 people incarcerated in the US for sex offenses involving children. That's about 11% of the total prison population in 2021. That's not people who were convicted or sentenced that year- that's anyone who was serving a prison sentence for sex offenses involving children in 2021. But self-report studies show that 20% of adult females and 5-10% of adult males recall a childhood sexual assault or sexual abuse incident. That means an estimated 83 million to 99 million people in the US alone experienced at least one incidence of childhood sexual assault or abuse in their lifetime. If every individual who committed sex crimes against children were in that 140,132 people currently imprisoned, they would have all had to have at least 600 victims. So as with homicide, the vast majority of people who have perpetrated this kind of crime are never arrested. And, as with homicide, perpetrators are known to their victim. In the case of childhood sexual assault, about 90% are perpetrated by someone the victim knows. About 30% are relatives of the child, and 60% are non-relative acquaintances, such as friends of the family, babysitters, or neighbors. Plus, research suggests that incarceration in and of itself fails to prevent new incidents of child sexual abuse, nor does it reduce or prevent recidivism.

If our goal is to remove dangerous people from our communities and prevent them from offending again, we're doing a really bad job of it right now.

For comparison, we can look at the Scandinavian countries. They have small prison populations, opting instead for fines and community service as the consequence for non-violent offenses. Denmark has a rate of 72 prisoners per 100,000 people, Sweden 74 per 100,000, and Finland 51 per 100,000, while the US has 505 prisoners per 100,000 people. Despite that, in 2021, Sweden has 1073 cases of sexual assault or abuse against children, and 113 homicides. Finland and Denmark have similarly low numbers. Scandanavian countries also have a much lower recidivism rate than we have in the US- in Norway, for example, only 20% of inmates re-offended within 2 years, while in the US, 66% are re-arrested within 3 years of being released. I'll leave it here for now, but this is just to illustrate that countries with a less carceral and more humane justice system do exist, and they're doing well. If you're interested in reading more about that, this article from The Atlantic is a good place to start.

I recognize that this kind of approach requires a massive, societal shift towards empathy, support, and community. It requires us to look not just at ourselves, but at the people around us, and ask how we can better support them. It requires us to destigmatize mental health issues and seeking mental health support, and for us to normalize teaching coping mechanisms and behavioral modification. It requires a huge investment in creating a mental health infrastructure that can effectively and empathetically help individuals who may be at risk of perpetrating a violent crime. I'm under no delusion that that kind of shift would be easy or even that we could convince people to undertake it. But I do think it's our obligation to try. People don't commit crimes because they're "bad people" in some sort of existential sense. They commit crimes because they're human and they've been led down such a path in their life that the action they take makes sense to them or feels like a valid option or feels like their only option or is the only way they know how to express what they're feeling. I don't, in good conscience, feel like we can just lock those people up and throw away the key. I feel like we, as a culture, have failed these people. We're failed their victims infinitely more. But we've failed their victims by not preventing offenders from offending in the first place. I don't think we're failing their victims by trying a different tactic to prevent them from offending again.

And that's not to say there aren't some people that may need around-the-clock supervision. Maybe there are some people who can never and will never be able to exist in our larger society without them being a danger to themselves or to other people. I honestly don't know about that. But I don't think those kind of people deserve to be imprisoned and dehumanized, either. I think they're often people dealing with the most intense emotional, neurological, or psychological issues, and we should treat them that way. And because of that, I don't think it's really fair to abandon them, because it's not their fault that they are the way they are, you know? In my view, they're people who got supremely unlucky with some mix of genetic predispositions, environmental stressors, traumatic backgrounds, and a lack of care early enough in their lives. So I think we're still obligated to try and help, even if it's just to give them more autonomy and well-being within some type of humane mental health facility.

That said, while I'm idealistic and I have my opinions about the ethics of imprisonment and culpability, I'm not naive. I understand that we need a pragmatic approach to make any actual difference. Those types of people who have committed violent crimes are the last priority on a long list of people who need to be helped first. Overall, about 75% of inmates in the US committed a non-violent crime. Even if we just found a different way to deal with all of those 1.4 million people, it would make an enormous difference in the health, well-being, and safety of our society. If we could reduce our prison population just to violent offenders and improve prison conditions, that would be an incredible win.

[mfevs3000w23]

My Role as an Environmental Interpreter

I have never been truly certain about the specific career path I wish to take. However, I have always known that since I feel such a sense of responsibility and passion for protecting nature, my ideal job would contribute to this cause in some way.  

I have a geography rather than an environmental science academic background, so I feel that my role as an environmental interpreter lies particularly in helping to communicate the ties between society and nature. An essential element of interpretation involves promoting the stewardship of nature (Beck et al., 2018). Indeed, this was my motive for conducting my dissertation research last year (back at my UK university) on the current provision of environmental education in England’s secondary schools. I can still recall learning about climate change in my own school science class, which constituted just one page of a textbook at this time, and thinking to myself why I had never come across this global environmental issue before. What shocked me even more was going home to my family and realising they had no knowledge of climate change. I believe this was the point at which I realised that my career goals would be centred around communicating the importance of protecting the natural world from the impacts of human society.

Last year I gained some experience in the realm of environmental education and interpretation; through a university outreach program, I organized and carried out workshops with secondary school children in and beyond my local community about climate change inequality and injustice. Although the focus of this learning experience was centred more upon the costs of climate change to human populations around the world, there were some key lessons that I took away concerning my role as an interpreter and how I can better engage and encourage my audience to care about these issues.  Providing individuals with the opportunity to engage and interact with problems and objects is recognised as a more effective approach than a classroom-based lecturing structure to environmental learning (Beck et al., 2018). Yet, as Beck et al., (2018) suggest, the circumstances in which interpreters are situated can restrict the extent to which this approach can be utilized. In my case, we had time restrictions that inhibited our ability to include a wider diversity of more engaging activities for the students. I now realise that teaching approaches must be adopted that appeal to all different types of learners and audiences and enable them to connect with nature in a meaningful way.  It is vital to be an enthusiastic, passionate interpreter who can channel this enthusiasm in a positive manner in order to create an empowering, uplifting mood (Beck et al., 2018). This skill is particularly essential when dealing with critical issues like climate change, to ensure that learners come away feeling empowered to implement positive change in their own lives and that of their wider community.

In my mind, the idea of defending nature in a corporate, political setting appeals to me, since this is where change is vitally needed to protect biodiversity.  I would love to be an interpreter for a variety of natural landscapes across the world. I feel it is essential, particularly in light of the interconnected nature of issues like climate change and the globalized world that we live in, to facilitate an appreciation and ensure the protection of natural landscapes and species that we may never get to physically interact with ourselves. However, I also feel that I would find engaging in nature interpretation activities that emphasise environmental stewardship at a more local, community-based level very fulfilling too. This could include some of the woodland and coastal areas that I grew up beside.

Brede High Woods, Brede, East Sussex, United Kingdom.

References:

Beck, L., Cable, T. T., & Knudson, D. M. (2018). Interpreting cultural and natural heritage: for a better world. Sagamore Venture.

[dianight]

Bit of a long ramble

Don't really like putting or seeing transphobia related shit on my dash, but this one has been cooking for a while on and off.

---

You see, there is this one streamer who I will not name and who we will simply refer to as this dude. For someone who by chance happens to know of this dude, it would be very easy to guess who he is, but I don't imagine many people are aware.

So. There is this dude. Member of a certain community I was also a member of (still kinda am, but meh). To this day he remains the only person kicked and "unpersoned" by his attitude and words, as opposed to being kicked for cheating, as a few others have.

As a player, he has amassed quite a few achievements and was well known and respected for a long time. This part is just context.

As a person, he has always been very outspoken about certain topics that streamers usually avoid. Topics about race (he is brown, in his own words), about sexism, about politics, you get the idea.

Now, I don't like the expression "rent free in X's head" because I don't believe in the concept of rent. But I often reference his case, as I remember it happening in real time, as the archetypical example of how transphobia rots your brain. Nothing in this paragraph is meant as a joke. Fully serious including the rent part.

For added context, this dude was someone that I "took seriously" as in, I expected that if a conversation was about a serious topic, he would actually treat it as a serious conversation instead of saying some platitudes or treating it as unimportant, as streamers are known to do. When I talk about this dude there is sadness in my voice; not sadness because he could have gone differently, as I consider him a lost cause, but sadness in the choices some people make and how they end up much worse as a person.

---

Although the timeline is not exactly as I'll explain, the general idea remains the same. It's been years, so any mistakes are a product of my bad memory.

Around the time the BLM movement was a big thing, this dude got caught in a rather unfortunate series of events.

He got into a twitter argument involving a developer of a game congratulating a white player for a (relatively speaking) minor acomplishment when compared to his own. His point was to call out the racism of ignoring a brown player while praising a white one. For what it's worth I think he was in the right here, as much as I roll my eyes when typing twitter argument. Nothing good came out of it, as the developer did not "reward" him in the same way they did for the white player. What it did though, was attract a lot of bad faith viewers to his chat. You know the ones that like to stir shit up, debate me kind of guy.

This influx of assholes, coupled with the fact that BLM was big at the time and the fact that this dude loved talking about complex issues assuming others are looking for a conversation, to learn from each other and all that, instead of the obvious trolls he was getting, he started getting very defensive about things.

This dude used to have a blog, he's moved urls last time I checked, where he would write out his thoughts. He wrote about a very extensive list of controversial topics and his stance on them, in what I can only assume was an effort to have to explain himself less every time he streamed.

Among these topics was younger people's access to hrt, although with a far more dramatic phrasing. The arguments he posed had a telling stench to them, the fake concern that you get from sources marked in red by shinigami eyes. He got "called out" as I see people say, and he did admit that he was not well informed, that he would do more research and all that.

During all this one of his closest family members passed away. He talked about what it meant for him on his blog. I'd rather not expand here.

As this dude stopped streaming for a while (around a year perhaps?) when he came back he was a bit changed, to put it euphemistically. Aparently he had been getting harassed on twitter by people who disagreed with him over those topics, and he eventually doubled down and kept getting more into the circle that quotes the likes of jordan peterson and other such cockroaches.

Not being involved in this kind of thing, when I got notice of this changed behavior I was skeptical. This dude, who calls out anyone being racist (to him, or to others) is now talking about these grifters? Surely it's a misunderstanding (how naive...). At some point he got kicked out of the community I mentioned earlier. Many in his audience literally begged him to reconsider what he was saying as it was getting too bigoted. At some point I simply blocked any mention of this dude on platforms I use.

---

Make no mistake.

Occasionally he comes up when discussing the history of the earlier mentioned community, as he was there when it was started and he got his contributions, which have been erased and are not talked about unless strictly necessary.

I feel no sympathy for someone like this dude. Many such cases, sadly.

I just want to illustrate a point that we keep seeing time and time again. People tanking their careers, driving away those who care about them. And what for? To tell people that kids taking blockers is dangerous? To shit on those who can't access hormones? To mock those who don't present on a socially acceptable way? To cling to some idealized worldview rooted in bigotry and violence?

I don't know what this dude's point of no return was. I can only guess and I won't out of respect for those who are no longer there.

But past a certain point I stop caring, stop giving chances, stop giving the benefit of the doubt. You can either stand against all bigotry, and I mean all of it. Or you are an enemy, someone to be ignored and forgotten in the best of cases. Or. Should fascism not be squashed before it's too late, someone to be rid of, violently.

No mercy. No excuses.

[alzindiana]

“Everything fell apart.” Bloomington Walk to End Alzheimer’s volunteer walks to raise awareness, reduce stigma

Like many family members of people with dementia, Bloomington Walk to End Alzheimer’s community engagement chair Bridgett DiVohl noticed signs of dementia, such as memory loss, in her parents. Her dad had Parkinson's disease dementia and passed away in January 2023. Her mom is living with younger-onset Alzheimer’s. At only 58 years of age, she began asking the same questions over and over. Then she started getting lost while driving in familiar places and forgetting about plans.   

“She called me in 2016 to say ‘I have your name on my calendar next week for something and I can’t remember why,’” Bridgett said. “It was on Feb. 16, which was my birthday.”

But there was another sign, too. They were having financial problems with their business. “We didn’t understand why they were getting letters from the IRS and debt collectors. They both worked so hard and were always so responsible,” Bridgett said.

Ultimately, they lost the business that had been in the family for three generations. “My heart breaks because I wish that our family business could have lived on through another generation,” she said. “Everything fell apart, and we as a family have had to try and pick up the pieces.”

Bridgett had support from her brother – who worked for the family business; her sister-in-law, Maddi; and her wife, Steph – with whom she owns a business herself. “If my wife and I had not had time to develop our own business and an understanding of balance sheets and other business financial literacy tools, we would not have been able to work so productively with the attorneys to manage it all.”

In addition to the financial challenges, Bridgett has also found it difficult at times to care for her parents as a member of the LGBTQ+ community. Fortunately, many family members have been supportive and even expressed concern that caregiving could take a toll on her marriage. But her dad was often indifferent about homophobic comments made by others, and her mom always referred to Steph as her friend rather than her wife, despite attending their wedding. At special events Bridgett organized for her parents, while some people were eager to engage with Bridgett and Stef, others were withdrawn.

“I am confident enough now to not take it personally,” she said. “My focus has always been on my parents’ care. It just has to be.”

Despite these challenges, Bridgett knows she has been fortunate in many ways. As a successful business owner, she has financial stability, even when she had to step back to put caregiving first.

“Not everyone has that,” she said. “My heart goes out to families that are already struggling. I believe that it would be positive for more businesses to have something in place to learn how to support their employees during transitions into caretaking roles, so they don’t lose those employees altogether.”

She would also like to see less stigma surrounding the disease. “I believe that coming together at events like the Walk showcases that we are not hiding. This is not their fault and it shouldn’t be something that people feel the need to hide from the world.”

The Alzheimer’s Association Greater Indiana Chapter is hosting 13 Walk to End Alzheimer’s events this fall. To find your local Walk and register, visit alz.org/Indiana/walk.

[rockislandadultreads]

Black History Month: Nonfiction

The 1619 Project edited by Nikole Hannah-Jones

In late August 1619, a ship arrived in the British colony of Virginia bearing a cargo of twenty to thirty enslaved people from Africa. Their arrival led to the barbaric and unprecedented system of American chattel slavery that would last for the next 250 years. This is sometimes referred to as the country’s original sin, but it is more than that: It is the source of so much that still defines the United States.

The New York Times Magazine’s award-winning “1619 Project” issue reframed our understanding of American history by placing slavery and its continuing legacy at the center of our national narrative. This new book substantially expands on that work, weaving together eighteen essays that explore the legacy of slavery in present-day America with thirty-six poems and works of fiction that illuminate key moments of oppression, struggle, and resistance. The essays show how the inheritance of 1619 reaches into every part of contemporary American society, from politics, music, diet, traffic, and citizenship to capitalism, religion, and our democracy itself.

All That She Carried by Tiya Miles

In 1850s South Carolina, an enslaved woman named Rose faced a crisis, the imminent sale of her daughter Ashley. Thinking quickly, she packed a cotton bag with a few precious items as a token of love and to try to ensure Ashley's survival. Soon after, the nine-year-old girl was separated from her mother and sold.

Decades later, Ashley's granddaughter Ruth embroidered this family history on the bag in spare yet haunting language - including Rose's wish that "It be filled with my Love always." Ruth's sewn words, the reason we remember Ashley's sack today, evoke a sweeping family story of loss and of love passed down through generations. Now, in this illuminating, deeply moving book inspired by Rose's gift to Ashley, historian Tiya Miles carefully unearths these women's faint presence in archival records to follow the paths of their lives - and the lives of so many women like them - to write a singular and revelatory history of the experience of slavery, and the uncertain freedom afterward, in the United States.

Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates

In a profound work that pivots from the biggest questions about American history and ideals to the most intimate concerns of a father for his son, Ta-Nehisi Coates offers a powerful new framework for understanding our nation’s history and current crisis. Americans have built an empire on the idea of “race,” a falsehood that damages us all but falls most heavily on the bodies of black women and men - bodies exploited through slavery and segregation, and, today, threatened, locked up, and murdered out of all proportion. What is it like to inhabit a black body and find a way to live within it? And how can we all honestly reckon with this fraught history and free ourselves from its burden?

Between the World and Me is Ta-Nehisi Coates’s attempt to answer these questions in a letter to his adolescent son. Coates shares with his son - and readers - the story of his awakening to the truth about his place in the world through a series of revelatory experiences, from Howard University to Civil War battlefields, from the South Side of Chicago to Paris, from his childhood home to the living rooms of mothers whose children’s lives were taken as American plunder. Beautifully woven from personal narrative, reimagined history, and fresh, emotionally charged reportage, Between the World and Me clearly illuminates the past, bracingly confronts our present, and offers a transcendent vision for a way forward.

A Black Women’s History of the United States by Daina Ramey Berry & Kali Nicole Gross

In centering Black women’s stories, two award-winning historians seek both to empower African American women and to show their allies that Black women’s unique ability to make their own communities while combatting centuries of oppression is an essential component in our continued resistance to systemic racism and sexism. Daina Ramey Berry and Kali Nicole Gross offer an examination and celebration of Black womanhood, beginning with the first African women who arrived in what became the United States to African American women of today.

A Black Women’s History of the United States reaches far beyond a single narrative to showcase Black women’s lives in all their fraught complexities. Berry and Gross prioritize many voices: enslaved women, freedwomen, religious leaders, artists, queer women, activists, and women who lived outside the law. The result is a starting point for exploring Black women’s history and a testament to the beauty, richness, rhythm, tragedy, heartbreak, rage, and enduring love that abounds in the spirit of Black women in communities throughout the nation.

[steveskafte]

LIFE'S OTHER SIDE One of the most common tropes these days is "expectation versus reality". Everyone likes to joke about it, the times we discovered that what we imagined didn't quite match up to real life. I'm never sure if I come off better or worse when someone meets me face-to-face, but I'm often informed that I'm different in some specific way. "You're taller than I thought" is something that's said, or how I'm younger than they realized. I hear more neutral observations than negatives or positives, though an older woman on the street told me: "You're more handsome in person," which made me smile. The truth is, like all artists with an audience, I'm forging a certain parasocial relationship – a one-sided connection convincing strangers that they know me through my work. But no one ever knows me fully. The widest gulf between online and off is personality. Judging from my writing, a lot of folks think I'm terminally morose, just about to off myself at any moment. I even had a man show up at my door once, genuinely concerned that I was a suicide risk. Honestly, I see why he might think that. The content I create is often dark, intensely focused on desperation and death. There's no doubt that I'm obsessed with life's other side. But one of my favourite songwriters said it best, the late Mickey Newbury. "How many people have listened to my songs and thought: 'He must have a bottle of whiskey in one hand and a pistol in the other.' Well, I don't. I write my sadness." In another interview, Mickey referred to his process as "robbing the dragon". I've always loved the sound of that, like sneaking in and stealing something back to make it good. I'm a classic introvert at heart. I might not have a real conversation with anyone beyond my wife and family for weeks at a time, just a quick hello to the workers at the post office or grocery store. Community isn't something I miss – fully engaged with the adventure of exploring, capturing images, arranging thoughts into words, and sharing it with you. But when I do meet someone, I'm anything but tongue-tied. What an incredible experience it is, this human connection, that buzzing back-and-forth of two people usually buried in their own worlds. I'm certain some are taken aback at first contact, having imagined me like a hermit or recluse, devoid of social skills from years of isolation. But I love people in their tiny doses, will always easily talk too much until time runs out. I can't quit loving just how wonderful we can be with each other. None of my work would be possible if I weren't content with my company. Regularly, I'll hear from folks who profess a hatred for humanity, an appreciation for the remote cabins from my adventures, and a wish to live forever in such a place. I don't know whether to be flattered or frightened that they're telling me this, because discontent breeds misery when you go it alone. A couple winters ago, I met a recent transplant from Ontario, set up at a secluded cottage by the shore. He was middle-aged, recently on the run from a corporate job he despised. With no plans or hopes for the future, besides the vague eternal vacation of early retirement, he did little with his days but watch the money run out – brooding on time and love lost. Getting away from people will not solve your social ills, only narrow and magnify them down to emanating entirely from you. I'm not off in my own little world, I'm off in ours. We're in this together, even when we're in this alone. November 7, 2022 Lunenburg County, Nova Scotia Year 15, Day 5475 of my daily journal.

[silencedowntherabbithole]

I wish I was at the ocean today. 6 years ago my Hometown saw the worst wildfire that it had ever seen to that point. The Valley fire in Lake County, CA. A fire that burned 76,067 acres. For reference, the entire bay area San Francisco peninsula is 35,260 acres. I remember being at work an hour from home & thinking wow, this fire is bad. Less than 30 minutes later I was driving home and stuck in traffic with the fire engulfing the mountains & rushing up to the road I was stuck on, calling my friend to get out of her home because she was in the fire's path & didn't know. I watched homes burn while I was trapped. I made it to my parent's house & we all watches, concerned that it would hurt so many people. Then 15 minutes further to my own home. I offered for my friend & her grandparents to stay because they had to evacuate & my home was logical, there was no way the fire would get to me 30 miles away. We were woken at 6am by a sheriff's deputy, with less than 10 minutes to evacuate. I'd never evacuated before, & my husband was stuck at work. I was alone. I panicked, I loaded my dogs into my truck & grabbed garbage bags to fill with clothes, essential paperwork & my guitar. I'd never been so grateful for a full tank of gas. The smoke was so thick you couldn't see more than 6 feet in front of your vehicle when driving. It took over 4 hours to make a usual 2 hour drive to my Grandma's house to meet up with my family. We were evacuated for over 2 weeks. I didn't know how to evacuate so we had to buy hairbrushes & toothbrushes & blankets. Every day we all watched the news and held our breath. I couldn't sleep properly for more than a year, & the community we went home to was not the same one we left. I feel for my community who lost everything, their home and way of life. Every year the fires get worse, we have less rain and permanent go-bags "just in case" It's a hard day, if your loved ones have lost their homes, hold space for them. They need it. (at Lake County, California) https://www.instagram.com/p/CTyY7v9LkAH/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[sounmashnews]

[ad_1] An aged couple flying with Jetstar had been left shaking, in tears and ready hours at a world airport after being abandoned by the airline. Melbourne man Elijah, 35, says he has been left so disturbed by what he witnessed at Bangkok airport this week that it has utterly put him off travelling. “In what was a traumatic couple of days, I witnessed Jetstar abandon two elderly passengers in Bangkok,” he informed NCA Newswire. The aged couple had been travelling from Skopje to Istanbul, then onto Bangkok and Melbourne as precedence care passengers in wheelchairs when their Jetstar flight to Melbourne was cancelled. The pair and Elijah had been amongst 22 passengers who had been informed a refund had been processed and that the Jetstar employees had been not capable of help.“At this point the passengers were removed from the wheelchairs and escorted to two chairs in the waiting area of Bangkok airport,” he mentioned. “It wasn’t until nine hours later that I went to check on the elderly couple to find them in tears not knowing what to do, severely distressed.”With no English and no manner of contacting their family members again dwelling, Elijah mentioned they had been confused, frightened and left to their very own gadgets by Jetstar employees. “Like myself, they were given no alternatives, re-booking a later flight was not an option and hotel accommodation was not provided,” he mentioned.“Effectively they were stranded in Bangkok indefinitely.”Elijah – who was dropped at tears himself by the scenario – was finally capable of contact their daughter again dwelling through Facebook.She had been frantically looking for her mother and father. “The daughter, also hysterical, had been on the phone all evening and morning trying to get in touch with Jetstar and Bangkok Airport to get an understanding of where her parents were,” he mentioned. Elijah, who finally needed to fork out an additional $4000 to fly dwelling on one other airline, booked lodging for the couple on the identical resort he was staying at for the night time. “The level of care for anyone was non-existent,” he mentioned. Paul, 78, and Georgina, 81, Markoski’s daughter informed NCA Newswire she was “very, very angry” on the scenario, explaining that she was frightened that they had run out of treatment. “I was frustrated, angry, concerned, worried that I didn’t know their whereabouts for hours,” she mentioned.She mentioned she nonetheless had not obtained a response from Jetstar since contacting them on Friday. “You can’t talk to anyone, it’s all via Jess, an online chat,” she mentioned. “You wait and wait and wait and wait.”She referred to as Elijah her “guardian angel,” saying he had accomplished precisely what employees ought to have accomplished.Elijah mentioned his thoughts was “still blown trying to process the events that unfolded”.“How an elderly couple in their 80s could be left unattended and uninformed, stranded in an airport without a means of communicating to the outside world is beyond negligent,” he mentioned. Asked whether or not he would contemplate flying Jetstar once more, the 35-year-old mentioned the funds airline “no longer exists” to him. “I don’t think I'll be flying full stop,” he mentioned. Perth dad Mark Carder was additionally caught up within the chaos, lacking his daughter’s tenth birthday this week after a number of flight cancellations by Jetstar. Mr Carder was excited to fulfill his spouse and two daughters in Bali after a visit to the US, booked on a flight from Sydney to Denpasar on September 3. “The plan was for me to fly from Sydney to Denpasar via Melbourne on September 5 so that I could meet up with my wife and two daughters in Bali for my eldest Zoe’s 10th birthday on September 6,” he informed NCA Newswire.But after two cancelled flights, Mr Carder was pressured to surrender and fly dwelling to Perth, ready 11 hours at Sydney Airport and compelled to cough up one other $550 for a flight dwelling on one other airline.The annoyed

dad mentioned all he anticipated from Jetstar was to have the ability to get “from A to B in cattle class.” “I missed my daughter’s 10th birthday and felt I really let her down,” he mentioned.“I will never fly Jetstar again – it’s not worth the risk. They don’t have any remorse or regard for completely throwing your plans into mayhem.“Jetstar makes you feel like garbage.”Frustrated passengers like Mr Carder are seeing crimson after it was introduced Qantas chief govt Alan Joyce had been given a 15 per cent pay rise this yr regardless of widespread points. Qantas and Jetstar, which is wholly owned by Qantas Group, have come underneath fireplace for months, following main delays, cancelled flights and baggage points leaving passengers raging. Mr Joyce, whose airline was pressured to apologise for the mismanagement, had his pay cheque soar from $1.98m to $2.27m this yr, based on Qantas’ annual report. Jetstar has apologised to the roughly 4000 passengers who had been stranded in Bali over the previous week due to flight cancellations.Read associated matters:Qantas [ad_2] Source link