coratorium · 8 months ago
Text
to kind of elaborate on a tangent off my last reblog i was talking recently about An Incident that occurred a few years ago in a discord community i used to be a part of, that was primarily run by a twitch streamer. long rambling post about arguing and shit-slinging to follow.
to make a long story short there was some long-term resentment building between the streamer and some of their moderators and popular users. this eventually broke out into a large, extremely public argument that lasted multiple days (it was a server full of leftists, so... people loved to debate). the argument ultimately lead to about half the users (a couple hundred people) leaving the discord for another community.
at the time i was heavily involved in damage control. it was probably the most i ever got involved in that community, ironically- i spent a lot of hours staying up extremely late talking things out with people, trying to sort out who had said what and when, what we could learn from that, how we could make amends and move forward. i ended up giving up after the users in question all either left or got banned, and the streamer seemed too defensive to change in any meaningful way.
i think i, at least, learned something from all of that mess. there were so many accusations being slung around that basically boiled down to "you made me feel uncomfortable, and i didn't know what to do about that". i'm not trying to downplay the seriousness of that- when negative feelings like that fester with no outlet, it can have a serious effect on your life. i've spent years in a precarious living situation with people i have to appease to ensure my survival. like, i get it.
however, people really liked to take this and spin it as clinically as they could- as if it were a moral failing on the streamer's part. i saw a lot of terms being used like "emotional abuse", "toxic relationship", "abuse of power", etc, that i honestly feel were exaggerations. in fact, a lot of the people i saw making these claims went on to act the same way themselves in the future... one of the moderators who claimed the streamer was abusing their power by making unilateral decisions did the same thing to me when i was in their server, overriding their mod team to punish me directly.
i don't think they were power tripping or abusing me or anything. i think they just didn't like me, and were willing to compromise their own principles to get me to stop. sometimes that's... all there is to it, really?
it feels better if you have a "good reason" not to like someone or something, and that can drive people to come up with excuses but, at the end of the day, sometimes you just don't like a guy! that's okay! you can find someone fucking obnoxious without having to have a reason for it! you don't have to spend hours debating whether them making a joke at your expense one time was an act of abuse or not. you don't have to dig for dirt on someone to justify blocking them on twitter. you don't have to find reasons not to make an account on a website! you can just not do that! you can just not like a guy!
i think the internet would be a better place if more people had this mindset about relationships. a friend invited me to their personal discord a couple days ago and i met their friends and we talked a bit. we had a lot in common but we didn't quite click... someone picked a fight with me, i made some jokes that didn't land, people didn't really seem to like me. after a while i realized that i had started only reading the server out of a sense of obligation, at which point i questioned why i was even doing it. i barely know these people. i don't owe them shit. i can just leave! i can mute the server and never talk there again! it can just end there! and, again, i don't think any of them were bad people, or being malicious, or anything like that. i don't think they truly caused harm to me in any way. we just didn't get along. that's fine. you can break ties with people without a callout post getting involved.
hell, it would probably even have been better to get confrontational about it. air the bad feelings out before they have any time to fester. that's also an option. a lot of people are too scared to say anything when they have a problem with somebody... i know i've been there. you can just talk it out. what's the worst that happens? it escalates and now you have a real reason never to talk to each other again? seems better than pretending to not have an issue for months or years while slowly building up to a huge and very public fight.
i think people get kind of attached to this idea they have in their minds of... being able to tell their whole side of the story and have everyone support them. see all of the little ways that they have been done wrong by this other person and agree with them, tell them at last "YES you're right that's so bad! that wasn't your fault!" and then just have it all be over immediately, their antagonist fleeing into the sunset never to be seen again, humiliated at having been so thoroughly exposed for their shameless behavior.
nothing is ever that simple. most of the time, the people who are making you feel bad have no idea they did it. sometimes, YOU'RE also making THEM feel bad. but people try to stick to their narrative anyway- i'm the victim here, these are my complaints, anything i did to the other guy was justified by them being worse than me. nothing they did could possibly be justified at all. please agree with me so they'll have to leave me alone and then i'll feel better. it's sickening.
you can't carry around grievances like that. being frustrated with other people is a normal part of life and you need to find an outlet for it. find friends you trust who you can bitch to when you're having a bad time. learn to actually talk to people, or just learn to leave and move on with your life. do something besides stockpiling bad experiences to use as ammunition for your callout posts.
and yes, before i get some smarmy comment, obviously there are actual cases of people doing shit heinous enough that you need to make the general public aware of it or need help dealing with the situation. most interpersonal conflicts i see online are far pettier than this and could be easily solved with better communication. use your own judgement.
2 notes · View notes
sonxflight-a2 · 5 years ago
Text
Tumblr media Tumblr media
☯ Gemstone Headcanons ║ @kathexismania​​​​​​​​​​ ☯
Agate: What or who will your muse protect with their life?
Given the fact he’s incredibly self-sacrificing, it can be pretty much anyone (that also can explain why he chose such a spectrum of professions in Modern AU rather than follow the path of his passed father in politics). But his beloved ones and family, either by blood or found one, will obviously be in the first place. This is one of the few matters he considers himself to be selfish about, as he knows he would rather take damage/die in order to save and thus nonetheless hurt them, but be certain they’ll remain alive.
Amazonite: How do they go about comforting or calming down others? Are they good at it?
Jack/Ryou’s way of comforting/calming down is mostly non-verbal, for he considers the words can do more harm than good when it comes to such matters, yet it doesn’t mean he won’t be able to give advice/reassurance once he sees the other is in need or straight out asks for it (his modesty will always demand him to firstly listen and then talk). His acute empathy serves to be a great assistance in it + nurtured wisdom allows him to say the right things, so he can be mostly good at it both in general and when it comes to the people, close to him.
Amethyst: Do they have a good intuition? If so, do they typically heed it or not?
Definitely so, and he’ll always make sure to heed to it rather than doubt it, as his sixth sense appears to be right about the most of matters, especially when it comes to the possible dangers (about which he can be both grateful and jaded with). Still, it doesn’t mean he can’t be an unheeding dumbass at times yet is luckily prone to make the right conclusions from life’s harsh lessons, no matter the verse. 
Apatite: Do they find it easy to communicate with new people, or do they avoid it as much as possible?
Despite Jack/Ryou having an undeniable introvert nature, it doesn’t exactly hard for him but certainly can be very wearisome, especially when he needs to make an effort to maintain his calmness if he feels it's tested (one of the reasons he initially couldn’t stand Hanzo’s impulsive nature in Modern AU as it totally drained him out, till they knew each other better and he grew somewhat adapted to it).
Aquamarine: How insightful are they?
His insightfulness will be related to the way he perceives his intuition + its strength will depend on how well he recognizes the situation or person (for example, when he hid the fake swords all over the desert, thus outwitting Aku while allegedly getting caught into his trap), even though he will nevertheless appear to grow more insightful as he/his mind will age.
Aventurine: Are they the opportunistic sort, or do they typically let chances slip by?
It would all depend on circumstances tbh, as one time Jack/Ryou can be resolute to take the immediate risk and at other will be prone to develop a solid plan, due to possible inability to solve the problem head-on. His both adaptive and steadfast character allows to explore either of such ways.
Blue Topaz: Are they the courageous sort? Do they find they can overcome obstacles in their way with relative ease?
Yes and no. He’s an obviously courageous, at times straight out bold type when it comes to the obstacles (both in actions and words; his pokerfaced ‘I fear no man’ he threw at Scotsman once he claimed him to be a coward + ‘Come get me’ catchphrase is more than enough to be a proof), but is more than aware his path is far from an effortless (he’s just not that kind of the man who’ll look for easy ways, which is both his blessing and the curse tbh).
Cat’s Eye: What sorts of things soothe them when they’re worked up?
Besides the quiet peaceful environment and tea? Anything he can get his hands to be busy with, without him being actually mindful about what he does due to having sufficient skill and motoric memory (for example, he tends to weave to soothe his mind / at times play electric koto in Modern AU once stressed) + quality time with his beloved one if he appears to have such (either sexual or not) as their presence is already enough to somehow soothe him.
Chalcedony: How do they consider their allies in regards to themself? Do they reach out to them, or do they typically keep to themself?
Most definitely keep to themself, not because of his pride but due to his protectiveness and unwillingness to burden/bother them with his own problems/distress (make them feel his pain if you’ll add his empathy here). Although, Jack/Ryou won’t deny the help once persuaded enough / knows the situation and believes it won’t go out from the control once he’ll accept it.
Citrine: How open are they to new ideas or cultures?
He’s very traditional while being rather open-minded as he treasures his culture and nonetheless respects the other ones he was lucky to be introduced to during the years of his training / his family’s journeys across the world in Modern AU when he was young. Moreover, his curiosity towards them allowed him to gain a sufficient amount of knowledge not only in foreign  languages (which he canonically knows over 5, including Greek, Russian, Mongolian and English) but about different traditions and customs in general (which played a significant role during his time as PSIA agent in Modern AU).
Diamond: Do they find themselves getting sick often or do they have a relatively strong immune system?
Absolutely has a strong immune system, while having a rather hard time once he will get sick. He’s either a feverish mess (which is very seldom but still present, especially in verses where his partial divinity is able to act up) or as healthy as a bull, there’s no in-between.
Diopside: Are they a creative person in any way? How so?
He’s musically-inclined regardless of the verse, both in vocal aspect (which demands me to provide an example of how I imagine his full singing voice to possibly sound like) and in relation to the musical instruments (koto & bamboo flute for main verse / electric koto & piano for Modern AU). He’s not a very good artist, however - most of his drawing skills are related to draftsmanship and calligraphy since the prior purpose of his training was to get a decent warrior, able to repel the demon and get back his homeland by oneself.
Emerald: Do they suffer from any sort of mental illness?
Obviously PTSD in relation to 5th season, Post-Aku, Modern and Akira verses + there are definitely some signs of masked depression in Modern AU.
Fluorite: Are they able to concentrate easily no matter where they are or do they need a quiet space with little distracts?
He’s very quick-witted and able to think on his feet, but still needs to get a better focus in some situations, thus enough quietness and detachment. His need for undistracted concentration will mostly relate to the circumstances when he needs to approach and overcome the obstacle/problem that seems to be completely new for him to solve (for example, when he sought the way to reach enchanted well, without being pierced by arrows of guarding it blind archers).
Garnet: What are they most passionate about and who are they most devoted to?
His goal/work/purpose and the ones he’s close with (family, friends, beloved ones, etc.). He’s very dedicated and loyal to either no matter the verse, and, even though his choice between them may appear to be obscure at first, he still tends to favor people over the ambition (there are so many times he sacrificed the chance to go back in time in order to help someone else, g d i  b o i).
Iolite: Are they financially responsible or do they tend to blow their money as soon as they have it?
Despite his family being the high-class individuals, Jack/Ryou isn’t attached to wealth yet not exactly a wasteful type either - that one kind of people who tend to live a rather modest yet at the same time quite an elegant life once circumstances allow it, even though he can manifest some of ‘rich people quirks’ in Modern AU (an example is him having his own special sort of jasmine tea which is cannot be obtained in ordinary supermarkets).
Jade: What are their opinions on luck? Do they believe in it?
He most likely believes it to be one whimsical force and relies on his strengths rather than the fortune intervention, even tho there were definitely the moments he considers to be nothing but its pure manifestation.
Jasper: What do they typically do to relax?
Same that he does in order to soothe oneself + meditation and cooking also seems to relax him once he has a necessary amount of time for either.
Kyanite: What is their temper like?
I often compare him to the ocean, as Jack/Ryou appears to be very patient and not so easy to irate, yet his temper can be incredibly devastating once he’s not able to contain a tsunami which is his repressed emotions, specifically his anger. In general, he’s an epitome of Bruce Lee’s quote about the nature of water ’...Now, water can flow or it can crash’, with addition it can also terribly burn you once boiled (aka he can endure a lot of bs, yet still has his limits and is wise to be mindful).
Lapis Lazuli: How aware are they of others and of their surroundings?
His awareness of the environment is mainly high, both in relation to his empathy and nonetheless acute senses. Jack/Ryou is exactly that kind of person who appears to be very seclusive and quiet, yet sees and hears everything and thus isn’t prone to be caught off-guard (while he also might be paradoxically oblivious when it comes to the other’s evident romantic interest in him lol).
Moonstone: What inspires them? Why?
His mentor and parental figures, either blood parent(s) (especially his father, who he considers to be his role model both in his main verse and Modern AU) or the one(s) he has in particular verse. Even though Jack/Ryou knows he’s his own person, he nevertheless looks up to them and tends to reminisce given by them life lessons once he’s in need of guidance/advice.
Onyx: How do they handle hostility from others, whether verbally or physically?
While he can tolerate verbal hostility more than well (thanks to the Scotsman), he tends to grow disgruntled and taciturn if he has to witness such behavior for too long (not to mention he’ll put the person at their place once it will overcome the limits of his patience) + when it comes to physical hostility, his combat skills are more than enough to cease such treatment. However, he won’t tolerate either of such once it witnessed in relation to his family/beloved ones and is prone to get protective of them no matter the situation (just imagine Ryou hearing as someone talks unfair shiet about Hanzo and straight out roasting them back while being completely unperturbed at the outside, he can and will do such no matter of verse).
Opal: Are they the emotional sort?
Not exactly. Jack/Ryou is obviously not an emotionless automaton (I would even say quite far from such if consider how actually gentle and soft he is), but tends to be very watchful towards his already restained feelings once he’s not comfortable/well-known with the environment, especially in the verses where he appears to be older than the age he found himself in the future (aka 25 years old). Once appearing in the company of the person he completely trusts to, however, there can be seen much more vibrant variety coming from him, even though he still doesn’t like to show his sorrow/anger openly.
Peridot: Are they open to new growth and change in any way, or are they resistant to it?
Certainly open. If he wasn’t able to grow and change in some of his aspects, he would never make this far in the future (for example, his temper was much more impulsive at the start of the series, but he grew to be patient the longer his journey went) and eventually defend Aku, same goes for all of his other verses.
Prehnite: Do they find it easy to recall their dreams or do they hardly remember them?
Dreams or nightmares are easy for him to remember once he has them. Jack/Ryou’s mind and memory are more than vibrant enough for him to have quite vivid visions and he can recall them pretty accurately if the other will ask about it, even tho he tends not to focus on.
Rose Quartz: Do they typically hold grudges? Are they the type to compromise as best they can during a conflict?
It really depends on the relationships Jack/Ryou has with the person and how heavy their fault towards him is. Some light misdeeds he can forgive without the actual confrontation and any grudges; others, heavier ones, may distant him away or even force him to cease any companionship he has with that person. If Jack considers the other his family/beloved one, however, he will always try to find out the actual reason for their misbehavior and at the end forgive them and/or make a compromise, no matter how hard and long it will require for his forgiveness to come (if it will be possible for Jack/Ryou to do this, of course; there are some things he can’t fully forgive even to people, dear for him).
Ruby: Do they typically keep their heart on their sleeve?
Only with his most close and trusted circle as Jack/Ryou knows he may not be afraid to seem vulnerable among them (even though ingrained reticence still can force him to be quite defensive, especially in Modern AU).
Rutile Quartz: Do they have a habit of looking for the source of a problem? Are they the type to attempt to solve it if they’re able, or do they try to avoid it?
He does seek the root of a problem and is persistent to try and solve it, especially when it comes to the important matters of people he treasures, yet nevertheless neglects his own troubles and is prone to avoid them if they’re not so significant.
Sapphire: What makes them happiest? Is there a reason why?
The stable and content wellbeing of his loved ones + the fact he knows he has an actual home where he’s waited and welcomed are sufficient to bring him serenity and peace in any verse, even when it lasts for a rather short while. He strives to reach at least some semblance of stability/be reassured he’ll reach it at one point, for it helps him to maintain the balance and is certain to turn either very restless or numb once there’s none of such reliance in his life (the sword and its significance, as well as its loss e.g.).
Smoky Quartz: How is their physical endurance? Are they the active sort of person or not?
His endurance is high no matter the verse + he’s clearly active sort of person and can’t stay completely immobile for too long, even when he needs his time in peace and quiet (except for the period when he’s asleep, of course, but even this is not so passive due to the fact he’s a fairly light sleeper).
Spinel: Are they a worry-wort or are they carefree?
Oh, definitely a worry-wort due to a number of reasons regardless of the verse, let him try and maintain enviable composure / appear to be unperturbed.
Tanzanite: Do they heal quickly or do bruises and cuts tend to heal slowly?
His regeneration is evidently much more accelerated than it for ordinary human no matter of the verse, even if there are still scars that remain after both relatively deep injuries and shallow cuts (the most evident and agonizingly gained one is located at the right side of his lower abdomen, which he sewed up himself both in 5th season’s verse and in Modern AU).
Tiger’s Eye: Are they self-confident or wracked with doubt?
Oddly enough or not, diffidence is his tragic flaw. The bitter truth is, even tho Jack/Ryou always tries to aid/emotionally support people close to him, he doesn’t actually believe in himself very much (just look what his conscience produced in 5th season  y e e s h) and is full of self-doubts despite him often claiming otherwise. That’s also one of many reasons he priors the others before him (’I believe in myself... because they believe in me’).
Topaz: Are they the type to cheer on others or do they prefer to be center stage?
He actually prefers to play an encouraging/supportive role, but still can accept the leading position and is able to handle it pretty well once necessary, thanks to his responsible solemn character (after all, he’s the prince/heir of the noble clan and had been raised as such).
Tourmaline: Are they the understanding sort or do they have trouble connecting with others?
He’s both, in a way that Jack/Ryou can be incredibly socially awkward (mostly relates to his main verse due to the differences in eras and his solitary tendencies) yet is surprisingly good when it comes to the understanding of others (his politeness and caution can also help when he needs to approach someone).
Turquoise: Do they strive for success or do they typically prefer to go with the flow?
Obviously strives for success in his own ‘watery’ way, cos again ‘water can flow or it can crash’ aka ‘if I can’t destroy the obstacle, I’ll find the other path or mean’ (same goes for his relationships; if he cannot make his beloved one change some of the aspects he’s somehow bothered with, then he’ll eventually accept them rather than remain stubborn and thus harmful).
Zircon: How wise are they?
Jack/Ryou is fairly wise, however, his wisdom manifests itself at its most high point in his Post-Aku verses (where he nevertheless has a sage mind despite remaining in the youthful body), while in Modern AU he claims to lack the necessary amount of such (tho I believe he’ll be prone to gain it over time as he will lean more towards his flexibility rather than obstinacy).
10 notes · View notes
bolddeducktionneverfails · 5 years ago
Text
Launchpad’s Association With Della Duck: The End of The Runway?
Tumblr media
Some time after the premiere of the DuckTales reboot, I came across speculation regarding Launchpad possibly being the father of the triplets; a claim that has probably followed the character since the debut of the original series. (A lot of us probably thought about it at least once when we were younger.) I wasn’t in favor of the idea, but I was still open to Launchpad having something else to do with Della. They’re pilots after all, so I figured some sorta connection could be made: Maybe Launchpad was a fan of hers or a flight school colleague. Were they best friends? Could Launchpad have been a friend of the triplets’ father? Maybe he was the one who brought the couple together.
As the show progressed, along with the Disney Duck media that followed it, Della's outfit changed colors. When “Dime Chase” aired, her Money Bin portrait depicted her without black gloves, tan shorts instead of a cream colored pair and her scarf was suddenly a shade of green as opposed to a peachy-looking color. In the previews for the IDW comics, her outfit pretty much fell in line with the newer painting, but I noticed how her scarf was now a shade of teal that was very close to Launchpad's hat. Then in "House of The Lucky Gander!", Launchpad showed competence and maturity when he went out on a dangerous mission to check on his old girlfriend. The release of IDW's second and third issues of DuckTales comics gave us an idea of what Della was like and she seemed like someone who could get along pretty well with Launchpad. And eventually, I realized that Ziyi may have gone missing...just like Della did. 
This was getting all too interesting. From that point on, I decided to consider the theory and continued to find other notable occurrences that could indicate Launchpad and Della having a past. I became convinced and took another stab at connecting the dots:
First, I started off with the concept of Launchpad trying to figure out what happened to Della like Dewey and Webby were. Maybe he was hoping his job with Scrooge would help him get some answers. Webby stated in "Dime Chase" that bad things happen to those who speak of Della Duck, so maybe he was waiting for the best time to ask; gaining the family’s trust and perhaps doing his own secret investigation in the meantime. Then, after trying to figure out Launchpad’s odd behavior in “The Last Crash of The Sunchaser!” and “The Shadow War”, I began to think that maybe he already knew that Della got lost in Space after taking the Spear and that he’s been wanting to help Scrooge find her because it might be his fault in some way. Maybe applying for the chauffeur job was his way of making up for his involvement. I also wanted to believe that maybe he’s been playing dumb to an extent because he's afraid of everyone getting mad at him.
When the description for "Nothing Can Stop Della Duck!" was released, it was very vague about whether Della succeeded or not with rebuilding the Spear. I was stuck in the mindset that it would be too early for her to make it directly to her family. I thought that maybe she would at least make it to Earth, but there would still be another struggle for her to face in order for her to make it back to Duckburg. After "Golden Spear" aired, I wondered if there was a catch to the ending. The switch happened so fast and the sky looked really eerie...I thought it was a dream Della was having after she had crashed elsewhere. But once IGN posted a clip from “Nothing Can Stop Della Duck!” to assure us that Della really was coming home this early in the season, I began to anticipate a family reunion involving Launchpad and Della being on screen together; finally revealing their secret connection to everyone and…
They don’t know each other.
Their very first interaction on the show is Della yelling at Launchpad and angrily running out of Donald's Houseboat to confront Scrooge about replacing her.
This scene should have been a devastating blow that cancelled out all of Launchpad's eligibility and should have prevented any other way to work around it.
But instead...it caused me to look further and reroute my ideas.
Tumblr media
When Della told Scrooge the original names she had in mind for Huey, Dewey and Louie, I could have yelled...if I wasn’t watching TV so early in the morning...“Jet” is Launchpad’s first name in the Italian Ducktales dub and “Turbo” is his name in the Dutch version. “Rebel”, as far as I know, has nothing to do with Launchpad. It’s probably included because it breaks the pattern...unless this is referring to the fact that Launchpad is an (very) unorthodox airplane pilot.
Tumblr media
A ʟɪsᴛ ᴏғ Lᴀᴜɴᴄʜᴘᴀᴅ’s ɪɴᴛ��ʀɴᴀᴛɪᴏɴᴀʟ ɴᴀᴍᴇs ғʀᴏᴍ ʜɪs I.N.D.U.C.K.S ᴘᴀɢᴇ
So...Della basically wanted to name her children after Launchpad in the same episode where they meet for the very first time? A lot of Disney research goes into this show, so it's really hard for me to believe the show runners would choose two names that just so happen to already belong to Launchpad.  Even without intentionally thinking of his alternate names, the words "jet", "turbo" and "launchpad" all go hand-in-hand with each other.
Why is the foreground telling us that Della and Launchpad have nothing to do with each other when the background is giving us every reason to doubt this?
This lead me into thinking of something I would have never fathomed:
What if LP used to be the father...but an event changed him into who we currently know him as?
One character turning out to be another isn't a new thing in the DT fandom. When Season 1 was still premiering, there were theories going around about Della being Magica and Webby being a de-aged Della due to a magical incident. I'm usually against these theories because they tend to involve two well-known characters with established histories. Neither of them would be able to exist at the same time; a sacrifice would have to be made and that doesn't feel right. But with HDL's father, we know so little about him, that it would be easier to merge his history with someone else who shares enough similarities with him: Launchpad and the father are both accident prone ducks with red hair and possible military involvement. With Della being a pilot with an unknown lover, that makes this an even better fit.
Tumblr media
Fʀᴏᴍ ᴀ ᴄʜᴀʀᴀᴄᴛᴇʀ ᴅᴇsᴄʀɪᴘᴛɪᴏɴ ᴘᴀɢᴇ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ ᴏʟᴅᴇʀ DᴜᴄᴋTᴀʟᴇs ᴄᴏᴍɪᴄs
If Launchpad went through a change, then what type of crazy event could have caused him to become unrecognizable? The first thing that comes to my mind is the cosmic storm.
Issue 18 of IDW's DuckTales comics provided us with a story called "Money Grubbing Hooligans From The Deep!" . It's about a submarine pilot, who shares many similarities with Della, traveling a great distance to save Launchpad after someone mislead her into believing he was kidnapped and enslaved.
Tumblr media
Her rescue mission caused such an unusual amount of seismic activity, that a tsunami warning had to be issued out across Duckburg. So basically, a pilot had secret intentions of helping a loved one, that involved traveling through strange weather patterns.
While the comics are not necessarily set as canon, they will sometimes loosely parallel certain events from the show.  Like how the first two issues revolved around Donald looking for a job and how that element was present in the pilot episode. “Happy Happy Valley!”  seems to be inspired by “The Town Where Everyone Was Nice!”. The plot for “The Incredible Shrinking Webby!” sounds similar to “The Most Dangerous Game…Night!” where Gyro’s shrink ray got out of hand.
"Money Grubbing Hooligans From The Deep!" seems to be partially inspired by “The Depths of Cousin Fethry!”. In that episode, Huey and Dewey answer Fethry's call about a discovery at the Mid-Atlantic ridge and trick Launchpad into stealing Scrooge's submarine in order to meet him. Dewey claimed that Scrooge wanted them to go on this "Totally non-suspicious trip to 'test the equipment.'" He also rips out the sub's radio, causing them to lose contact with Scrooge. When they reach their destination, Launchpad gets side-tracked by the call of a mermaid he previously dated.
Later on, Fethry realized that the monster they were trying to escape from, was actually a previous member of his krill team. He didn't recognize her at first because her body was altered by the chemicals in the hydrothermal vents. As he tried to jog her memory, he brought up a moment where they had shared a rib-eye together; it sounded very reminiscent of a date.
Then afterwards, Launchpad returns to the lighthouse after possibly helping his ex out of a situation. He wore an Aquaman-esque outfit, basically held a golden spear in his hand, and had color-coded creatures attached to him that matched the triplets in color and personality traits. 
Tumblr media
So, in short, a vehicle was stolen under a false claim when the real intention involved a family member and a previous lover.
Back in February, PhatMojo showcased their upcoming DuckTales merchandise for the New York Toy Fair. People weren’t able to take pictures of the new additions at the event, but Phatmojo added pictures of a different display full of mock-ups and prototypes to their website; possibly from a section of their office. In the first row of the posable figure area, a mock-up package of Launchpad, dressed in the Chinese armor he wore at the end of “Gander”, was placed next to a mock-up package of Della’s Post-Spear design. 
Tumblr media
(Sᴏᴜʀᴄᴇ)
For some reason, they’re the only ones with the blue sky background and gold label, opposed to the sunset background and teal label a lot of the Wave 2 toys have. This could just be an indication that these are story elements from Season 1 or maybe sunset and teal was decided after these mock-ups were put together and the final products will convert to it, but at the moment...this really makes the two pilots stand out…Below the figures were a couple of boxes with talking plush toys. One of which, had a Launchpad plush leaning on a toy of the Spear.
Tumblr media
The placement of the items shown might not be completely random: Lunaris is placed under Della and he definitely has something to do with her this season. Donald is placed in between him and a figure pack that looks a lot like the triplets in space suits. And the figure packs containing Gizmoduck, Della Duck and Darkwing Duck are grouped together when they have a connection to the Moon. While Della and Darkwing are self-explanatory, Gizmoduck was involved with the Moon Level in the classic DuckTales video game. Perhaps this was hinting towards their involvement in Donald’s rescue or the invasion in general. 
Tumblr media
PM could certainly be hinting something with Launchpad and Della too, LP’s outfit comes directly from the case of a missing loved one and the toy company is well-aware of what will happen in the future of the show. If LP has nothing to do with Della, wouldn’t there be some temptation to place Donald next to her instead? They’re twins, it’s a much better fit and the row would have been full of the original adventuring trio. 
If the packaging of Launchpad and Della’s figures were done as an indication between seasons, it’s kinda odd to have Macaw!LP in a group of Season 2 focused toys and especially being something that’s seen as a small running gag. It’s like, why not make a figure out of Launchpad’s look from “Depths”? It’s a similar situation, but more recent. The fact that this version of the character is getting a toy really seems to suggest that this subject will be brought up again with something significant attached.
Another interesting thing about the picture of the display is the time that it was released: It was added to PhatMojo’s website during the time the Toy Fair was happening; February 16th to the 19th. A day later, Issue 18 was released on the 20th, when it’s original date was planned for the 13th, closer to Valentine’s Day. Two days later, a clip from “Whatever Happened to Della Duck?!” was posted to Disney Channel’s YouTube account and the following day, a promo begin to air...two weeks before the episode premiered. 
Tumblr media
This was the episode to break up a long hiatus, so it was probably being promoted this early to generate hype, but like...a photo of a display with Launchpad and Della next to each other, a toy of Launchpad leaning against the Spear in that same photo, a story about a female submarine pilot wanting to save Launchpad and details about Della’s mysterious journey, all getting released in such a short period of time? This is looking a bit pre-planned...
Before “Whatever Happened” aired, I remember seeing some speculation about Della possibly being affected by the cosmic storm in some way. Huey asks her about this in “Nothing Can”, but it's left unanswered, similarly to Huey's question about Zeus controlling all storms in “The Spear of Selene!”. Could this be implying that Zeus was probably the one who created the cosmic storm? And if Della wasn't affected...couldn’t that leave the possibility that someone else may have been?
I didn’t catch this the first time I heard it, but Launchpad’s “a little lightning never killed anyone” quote from “Selene” sounds a lot like he was struck by lightning before. He said a similar thing in the latter half of "Woo-oo!' after he got a pile of snakes dropped on him. He's probably been bitten by snakes many other times and knew that the venom wouldn't be able to kill him.
Launchpad made joke in the DT joke book about getting struck by lightning and Zeus was mentioned along with it...LP has yet to be on screen at the same time as Zeus, or any other Greek deity for that matter. (A similar thing usually happens whenever the Duck Cousins are focused on. He's been on screen with Donald before, but they hardly ever interact.) Both the joke and the quote could have been referring to a past encounter. And judging by LP's avoidance, it could have been a negative one. He seemed a bit nervous about leaving the plane when it crashed on Ithaquack. We've seen Donald get directly struck by Zeus' lighting in “Golden Spear” and nothing special happened to him, but combined with the radiation of the cosmic storm? It's bound to do something to somebody.
Tumblr media
Iɴ "Tʜᴇ Sᴘᴇᴀʀ ᴏғ Sᴇʟᴇɴᴇ", Wᴇʙʙʏ ᴛʜᴇᴏʀɪᴢᴇᴅ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴀғᴛᴇʀ Dᴇʟʟᴀ sᴛᴏʟᴇ ᴛʜᴇ Sᴘᴇᴀʀ, sʜᴇ ᴀɴɢᴇʀᴇᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ɢᴏᴅs ᴀɴᴅ ʙʀᴏᴜɢʜᴛ ᴛʜᴇɪʀ ᴡʀᴀᴛʜ ᴜᴘᴏɴ ʜᴇʀ ғᴀᴍɪʟʏ. Tʜɪs ᴅɪᴅɴ'ᴛ ᴘʟᴀʏ ᴏᴜᴛ ᴏɴ Dᴇʟʟᴀ's ᴇɴᴅ ᴡʜᴇɴ ᴡᴇ sᴇᴇ ʜᴇʀ ʜᴇᴀᴅɪɴɢ ᴏғғ ɪɴᴛᴏ Sᴘᴀᴄᴇ. Sᴏ, ᴄᴏᴜʟᴅ ᴛʜɪs ᴘᴏʀᴛɪᴏɴ ʙᴇ ғᴏʀᴇsʜᴀᴅᴏᴡɪɴɢ sᴏᴍᴇᴛʜɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ғᴀᴛʜᴇʀ ᴍᴀʏ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴅᴏɴᴇ?
Tʜᴇʀᴇ ᴍᴀʏ ʙᴇ ᴀ ᴄᴏɴɴᴇᴄᴛɪᴏɴ ʙᴇᴛᴡᴇᴇɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴇᴠᴇɴᴛs ᴏғ "Gᴀᴍᴇ Nɪɢʜᴛ" ᴀɴᴅ Sᴘᴀᴄᴇ: Gʏʀᴏ ᴡᴀs ᴛɪᴛʟᴇᴅ ᴀs ᴀ ɢᴏᴅ-ᴋɪɴɢ ᴀɴᴅ ʜᴇ ᴢᴀᴘᴘᴇᴅ Lᴀᴜɴᴄʜᴘᴀᴅ ᴡɪᴛʜ ʜɪs sʜʀɪɴᴋ ʀᴀʏ. Aғᴛᴇʀᴡᴀʀᴅs, Lᴀᴜɴᴄʜᴘᴀᴅ ᴅᴇsᴄʀɪʙᴇᴅ ʜɪs sɪᴛᴜᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ᴀs ʙᴇɪɴɢ ɪɴ ᴀ "Gɪᴀɴᴛ Wᴏʀʟᴅ ᴏғ Nɪɢʜᴛᴍᴀʀᴇ Hᴏʀʀᴏʀs". Pᴇɴᴜᴍʙʀᴀ ʟᴀᴛᴇʀ ᴅᴇsᴄʀɪʙᴇs Eᴀʀᴛʜ ɪɴ ᴀ sɪᴍɪʟᴀʀ ᴡᴀʏ.
Issue 18 made me wonder if Launchpad could have been abducted by aliens. His character has a history of space travel and he’s been abducted by aliens before in the original Darkwing Duck series. Launchpad’s behavior in “Terror” really seemed to indicate that he may have gone through a situation where a shape-shifting creature, perhaps after turning into someone he trusted, attacked him and the mole monster movie was bringing that memory back. While he was talking about how anyone could be a mole monster, he stands in front of an alien poster. The poster for the mole movie is right next to it. 
Tumblr media
In “Moorshire”, Launchpad got taken away by the kelpies, creatures that are known to shape-shift, in the remains of the golf cart he was driving. Huey noticed he was gone and went to save him before it was too late. Maybe Launchpad’s past self used to be an astronaut pilot and the aliens attacked him in his ship.
If Launchpad was somewhere in the area where the cosmic storm was, that would explain why Della pressed forward instead of turning around. Scrooge told her to turn back, implying she could, right? If not, I suppose the poor connection delayed his warning. Scrooge talking to Della at that moment may have been the first time he was able to contact her since taking the rocket. The way Della reacted to the video connection cutting in and out seemed like she may have struggled with it earlier. But if she could have turned back to dodge the storm completely and if it was simply a test-run like Scrooge had claimed, there was no need for her to deliberately go through the storm without a purpose. There had to have been something she was trying to get to in the direction of it and she felt like passing through was the best option.
Tumblr media
Lᴀᴜɴᴄʜᴘᴀᴅ ʟᴏᴏsɪɴɢ ᴄᴏɴᴛᴀᴄᴛ ᴡɪᴛʜ Lᴏᴜɪᴇ ᴅᴜʀɪɴɢ ʜɪs ᴘʜᴏɴᴇ ᴄᴀʟʟ ɪɴ "Gᴀᴍᴇ Nɪɢʜᴛ", ɪs sɪᴍɪʟᴀʀ ᴛᴏ ʜᴏᴡ Dᴇʟʟᴀ ʟᴏsᴛ ᴄᴏɴᴛᴀᴄᴛ ᴡɪᴛʜ Sᴄʀᴏᴏɢᴇ ɪɴ "Lᴀsᴛ Cʀᴀsʜ". Tʜᴇʏ ᴡᴇʀᴇ ʙᴏᴛʜ ʙᴇʟɪᴇᴠᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ʙᴇ ᴅᴇᴀᴅ, ʙᴜᴛ sᴜʀᴠɪᴠᴇᴅ.
There could be a parallel between Della's departure from Earth and her departure from the Moon: 
Donald didn't want her and the family to go into Space because it was too dangerous with HDL on the way. Penumbra didn't want Della to bring the Moonlanders to Earth because she thought it was too dangerous and didn't like the idea of Della's planet being better than hers.
Della promised to take the Moonlanders to Earth, similarly to how she wanted her family to go to Space, but the emergency launch being activated caused her to break it. This might be hinting that something sudden and urgent caused her take the Spear as soon as she did.
In "Dime Chase", Webby questioned if Della betrayed Scrooge and the Moonlanders felt betrayed when Della ended up leaving without them.
Della's urgency for leaving the Moon was so she could finally get back to her family. Based on the fact that she placed the family photo on the dashboard of the Spear when she first entered Space, family could have been a driving force in that situation too.
I find it extremely interesting that Scrooge compared the Sunchaser situation in “Last Crash” to the Spear incident while Dewey was desperately trying to resolve the mystery about his mother. As Dewey tried to find answers in “The Spear of Selene!”, Selene talks about how much Della loved a good mystery and also how much she loved her family.
Because of these things and the fact that Dewey is so similar to Della, this could be an indication why the whole Spear thing got started: she too could have been making a great risk to solve a mystery.
The dialogue during the scene where Dewey is outside of the plane may have been hinting this:
Webby and Louie try to talk him out of chasing the missing piece.
Tumblr media
"Dewey, this is crazy! The mystery's not worth it!"
"I--I get it, but you can't give up the rest of us to find the one person we lost!"
Launchpad comes up to the window after this is said. The glass creates a divide between him and the rest of the group as he makes a statement that comes off as completely irrelevant. Huey takes the walkie-talkie from him.
Tumblr media
"Dewey, our family is amazing! We're enough, let it go!"
Then, Dewey angrily chucks his walkie-talkie; losing connection with his brother.
Tumblr media
So, maybe this is what could have happened: Aliens or something else could have caused the father to go missing for a long period of time. After realizing he disappeared, Della may have started an investigation that turned into a plan for a family rescue. Somewhere in this, she could have gone to Selene for help with the mystery. Maybe Della named the Spear after her friend to express gratitude.
It’s very possible that she had intentions of bringing her family together and letting the father know about their children, but after Donald voiced his negative opinion of the trip and refused to let her take the boys, her plans were disrupted. Somehow, she found out about the Spear and could have started reworking around this. Perhaps the father was trying to come home at this point and eventually got caught in the cosmic storm. He could have sent out a mayday but lost his connection. Maybe Della received his distress call or was given an idea of where he was and took off to help him.
Since Launchpad has been very secretive about his love-life and Della’s hasn't been directly mentioned anywhere, I feel like she may have not told Scrooge and Donald about the father for some reason or anything about him being the underlying reason for wanting to explore Space.  For a while, I've been headcanoning that the couple was mainly nervous about what Donald would think of their relationship and decided to hold off on the introduction until they felt ready. (Aside from giving Della room to grow as a parent, perhaps one of the reasons why Donald was sent to Space was because he would have interfered with Della discovering who Launchpad really is.) 
Maybe she kept getting interrupted or ignored every time she wanted to talk about the father to her family. That tends to happen to Launchpad when he has something interesting to say. There could be a running gag playing off of the popular version of Don Rosa's Duck Family tree where the father's face and first name are "censored". What if she purposely left the father out of her explanation because she thought she would be more likely be to discouraged? To be told that the three of them were enough, like Huey said to Dewey?
Tumblr media
I ᴡᴏɴᴅᴇʀ ɪғ ᴘᴀʀᴛ ᴏғ Dᴇʟʟᴀ's ᴘᴏssɪʙʟᴇ ʀᴇsᴄᴜᴇ ᴡᴀs ғᴜᴇʟᴇᴅ ʙʏ ᴛʜᴇ ғᴀᴛᴇ ᴏғ ʜᴇʀ ᴏᴡɴ ᴘᴀʀᴇɴᴛs. Mᴀʏʙᴇ sʜᴇ ᴅɪᴅɴ'ᴛ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛʀɪᴘʟᴇᴛs ᴛᴏ ɢʀᴏᴡ ᴜᴘ ᴡɪᴛʜᴏᴜᴛ ʙᴏᴛʜ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇɪʀ ᴘᴀʀᴇɴᴛs ʟɪᴋᴇ sʜᴇ ᴅɪᴅ.
Donald probably didn’t give Della a chance to explain everything when she brought up her ideas of Space travel during such a crucial point in time. Donald was quick to call Della reckless and brainless in "Last Christmas". There was even a parallel being made between that situation and the one surrounding the Spear: There was an underlying motive, she made a big deal, wanted to spend time with her family, packed a bunch of supplies and Donald was opposed to the adventure. She was also searching for someone to make another part of her family happy. When Della shared her plans about the rocket, he could have shot her down by insulting her and caused her to lose her point as they argued. 
Tumblr media
ᴀs sᴇᴇɴ ɪɴ "Lᴀsᴛ Cʜʀɪsᴛᴍᴀs" ᴀɴᴅ "Sᴋʏ Pɪʀᴀᴛᴇs", ʙᴏᴛʜ Dᴇʟʟᴀ ᴀɴᴅ Dᴇᴡᴇʏ sᴇᴇᴍ ᴛᴏ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴀ ᴘʀᴏʙʟᴇᴍ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴄᴏᴍᴍᴜɴɪᴄᴀᴛɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇɪʀ ɴᴇᴇᴅs ᴀɴᴅ ɪɴᴛᴇɴᴛɪᴏɴs ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴄʟᴇᴀʀʟʏ.
After "Whatever Happened" premiered, I wanted to believe Della succeeded in her rescue mission, but got caught in the storm on the way back. That would explain why she was laser-focused on her boys, because she had already did what she needed to do. I had also thought her regret over the situation when she said "I will NOT fail them again!" mainly lied on the promise she made to her boys about finding a way back home. But what if she failed completely? What if she regrets ever stepping foot into the Spear because in the end, all it did was make her miss out on motherhood and did nothing to help the father? When it comes to the letter Della left behind, a lot of fans have been wondering why she wrote "I’m sorry" instead of "thank you". I first thought it was “sorry” as in “Sorry for ruining the surprise!”, but it could be “Sorry, but need to go on this mission!”, “Sorry, but I'm running out of time!”, “I'm sorry for whatever may happen after I do this!”. The letter sounds a lot like she had to do something against Scrooge's wishes that couldn’t wait. If this was just a test run, she could have definitely waited for certain conditions to be right.
After discovering that the moon mite was a mother, General Lunaris makes a statement that resonates deeply with Della.
"She put herself in danger, faced unknown threats, scoured this entire planet for any scrap of metal."
"...Because a mother would do anything for the sake of her kids."
The moon mite’s actions reflected Della’s. It wouldn't be as fitting if Della's decision was fueled by selfishness, therefore, she put herself in danger for something in relation to her kids.
Tumblr media
Pᴇɴᴜᴍʙʀᴀ ғɪʀɪɴɢ ʜᴇʀ ʟᴀsᴇʀ ɢᴜɴ ᴀs Dᴇʟʟᴀ ᴄʜᴀʀɢᴇᴅ ᴀᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴏᴏɴ ᴍɪᴛᴇ ᴡᴀs ᴠᴇʀʏ ʀᴇᴍɪɴɪsᴄᴇɴᴛ ᴏғ ʜᴏᴡ sʜᴇ ᴘᴜsʜᴇᴅ ғᴏʀᴡᴀʀᴅ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴏsᴍɪᴄ sᴛᴏʀᴍ.
Scrooge's flashback made it look like Della cared more about adventure than her family, but then in Season 2, we see her doing everything she can to come back home and see her express her desire to be a good mother. She loves her family too much to suddenly cast them aside. Della is flawed; she impulsive, but at this point in the series, it's hard for me to think of her messing up this badly without a bigger reason being attached to it.
Ok, ok, so, that could explain why Della didn’t recognize Launchpad's physical appearance and a possible reason to why Della took the Spear, but why doesn't he recognize her? And why does Della not remember his name? After his meeting with Della in "Nothing Can", I looked back and realized that Launchpad may have been showing signs of amnesia.
 In "Beware of the B.U.D.D.Y System!", he can't remember if he has a pilot's license or not and makes the most bewildered face as he tries to think about this.
Tumblr media Tumblr media
I thought that was extremely odd...I mean, either you have your license or you don't. How do you just forget something significant like that? Being a pilot is his passion. In the joke book , he claimed pilot's licenses don't exist. Huey confronts him about how wrong he is and asks if Launchpad has one. He doesn't answer.
Launchpad isn't good at remembering the lyrics to songs. In "Last Christmas!" he didn't know a majority of the words to "The Twelve Days of Christmas" and had to improvise; mostly repeating the same phrase and forgetting the ninth day. In the description for the Theme Song Takeover video, the description highlights his forgetfulness. In "Moorshire", Launchpad is very confused about what golf is and constantly mixes it up with other sports. And in "Last Crash", he... doesn't seem to know what a parachute is…? In spite of all the piloting he does?
After Scrooge tells the kids not to tell Donald about their trip to Atlantis in "Woo-oo!", Launchpad quickly asks "Who is that?". I had wondered if maybe Scrooge referring to him as Uncle Donald was the part that threw Launchpad off. He was right there as Scrooge and Donald argued in front of the gate; saying each other's names. Maybe LP thought HDL were Donald's sons or the sons of a cousin. But seriously...Launchpad has been just about everywhere. So has Scrooge, Donald and Della. How can he know who Scrooge, the Richest Duck in The World, is without knowing who’s been accompanying him for many years? The family is so famous, he should have known about Donald and Della’s existence prior to working for Scrooge.
Tumblr media
Wᴇ ᴅᴏɴ’ᴛ ᴇᴠᴇɴ ɢᴇᴛ ᴛᴏ sᴇᴇ LP’s ʀᴇᴀᴄᴛɪᴏɴ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ ᴋɪᴅs ᴡʜɪʟᴇ ᴛʜᴇʏ’ʀᴇ ᴊᴜᴍᴘɪɴɢ ᴀʀᴏᴜɴᴅ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴀʀ. Mᴀʏʙᴇ ʜᴇ ᴅɪᴅ ᴛʜɪɴᴋ Dᴏɴᴀʟᴅ ᴡᴀs ᴛʜᴇɪʀ ғᴀᴛʜᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴡᴀs sᴜʀᴘʀɪsᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ғɪɴᴅ ᴏᴜᴛ ʜᴇ ᴡᴀs ᴛʜᴇɪʀ ᴜɴᴄʟᴇ ɪɴsᴛᴇᴀᴅ.
Webby describes Donald as one of the greatest adventurers of all time. Stepping out of the spotlight for a decade to raise the boys isn't long enough for him to be forgotten. Launchpad Is around the twins' age, so it's not like he was too young to remember hearing about their adventures.
Aside from forgetting about important items and significant people, Launchpad could be suffering from a loss of self-identity as well.
I had earlier speculations about LP being a spy since he briefly worked as one in the old DuckTales episode "Double O Duck" and joked around with the idea that he was only disguising himself as a bumbling pilot to retrieve more information about Della. Now, I think he would make a terrible spy since it's hard for him to lie...on purpose, but he still seems to have this double-life thing going on: he has two jobs with Scrooge. One he was hired for, the other one being more voluntary. He has a different outfit to go with each one instead of having a consistent set of clothes like everyone else. It's evident enough that he was going to wear his chauffeur look no matter what he was doing, but was later changed during production. Maybe this decision was done to illustrate how there is more than one side of him.
Tumblr media
Tᴏᴘ, Lᴇғᴛ ᴛᴏ Rɪɢʜᴛ: Fʀᴏᴍ ᴏɴᴇ ᴏғ 2ᴠᴇɪɴᴛᴇ’s ᴘʀᴏᴍᴏs, ᴘᴀʀᴛ ᴏғ Cᴏᴠᴇʀ B ғᴏʀ Issᴜᴇ #4, ᴀɴᴅ ᴘᴀʀᴛ ᴏғ Cᴏᴠᴇʀ B ғᴏʀ Issᴜᴇ #5.
Bᴏᴛᴛᴏᴍ, Lᴇғᴛ ᴛᴏ Rɪɢʜᴛ: A sᴄʀᴇᴇɴsʜᴏᴛ ғʀᴏᴍ ᴛʜᴇ Dᴜᴄᴋʙᴜʀɢ Qᴜᴇsᴛ ᴍᴏʙɪʟᴇ ɢᴀᴍᴇ, ғʀᴏᴍ ᴀɴ ᴇᴀʀʟʏ ᴘɪᴇᴄᴇ ᴏғ ᴘʀᴏᴍᴏ ᴀʀᴛ.
There was a long period of time where the IDW comics only featured LP in his chauffeur outfit on the cover, but depicted his piloting outfit on the inside. This went on until Issue 18. They probably had to revise all of his drawings to put him in that outfit, but it's interesting how they didn't go all the way.
Launchpad finds it extremely difficult to pretend to be someone else without acknowledging himself. In “B.U.D.D.Y”, when he asks Gyro for help, he splits himself into Not Launchpad and Launchpad to speak hypothetically but ends up confusing the two with each other. When he was pretending to be Donald in “Castle”, he quickly forgot he was supposed to be in disguise. He catches himself and tries to go back to being Donald, but he keeps reverting back to Launchpad. Fergus noted his "nephew's" drastic change in appearance and could sense he was confused.
Tumblr media
Scrooge's confusion over Launchpad being a pilot in "Woo-oo!" may have had a double meaning. His ignorance towards Launchpad's mentions led him into being surprised, but combined with the fact that he can't recall getting his pilot's license, this could have been hinting that he was never a real pilot. Or at least, never an airplane pilot.
Like I had mentioned before, he could actually be an astronaut pilot. One of the requirements for being an astronaut selection candidate is having a certain amount of hours of flying a jet aircraft. This option is geared more towards candidates that start out from the military and as an old character description for Launchpad states, he may have had military involvement as a test pilot. 
Prior flying experience isn't needed to be a test pilot and a pilot's license isn't required to be an astronaut, but there is a six-week training process you have to go through to fly a military jet. Being another kind of pilot would explain why Launchpad has the basics of flying a plane and possibly why he can operate a sub exceptionally well without prior experience. 
If "Launchpad" isn't his real name, maybe it's something he remembered from his astronaut background. Was it a nickname he was given? An alter-ego he had previously made for himself? And after the amnesia confused him, it became something he fused with himself? 
Amnesia or not, one thing that's for certain is that LP has sustained a bunch of injuries; some of which were head injuries: He crashed into a wall in “Toth-Ra” while trying to catch Scrooge, he got hit with a golf club in “Moorshire”, he was rubbing his head after the Jeep hit the interior of the Sunchaser in “Last Crash”, and Scrooge caused him to hit the limo’s hood a few times in “Game Night”.
I suggested in my first Association post that Launchpad may have had a severe injury that kept him sidelined and one in relation to the head is looking very likely. The father was originally hospitalized for having a firecracker put under his chair and the show could be using that as a base. Amnesia could have occurred due to the whole Space incident being too stressful for him to remember or an outward force, like magic, could also be an explanation. Getting struck by lightning can also result in memory loss (as well as...many other problems). 
If Launchpad truly is amnesic, his awareness isn't in full like I had previously thought it was, it's partially hidden in his subconscious. He'll do or say certain things and maybe he's not exactly sure why, but there’s a deeper meaning connected to who he used to be. He can't remember who Della is as a person but he remembers things about her and probably bits and pieces of the incident. This could be why Launchpad's been dating around so much; he doesn't realize it, but he's been trying to make his way back to Della. Most of his relationships may have not been very long lasting. From what we’ve been let in on so far, they seem to be at this weird status where they still have feelings but continue to stay apart. Perhaps every time he tried to develop a serious relationship, something came up and got in the way. One of those things could have been his subconscious telling him that this wasn’t who he used to be with. Constantly trying to figure this out could have been what eventually led him to working for Scrooge in Duckburg.
Something was definitely happening in Launchpad’s mind during the events of  "Last Crash" and "Shadow War". After Scrooge accidentally refers to Della, we aren't able to see Launchpad's immediate reaction; the camera is very quick to focus on Beakley, but when Scrooge asks LP to hand him another parachute, the pilot instead hesitates and gives a look of concern. 
Tumblr media
When the investigation crate breaks open and Mrs. B takes the Spear's blueprints from Webby's pocket, Launchpad is left out of these shots; preventing us from seeing his reaction. But when the missing piece flies up to the front of the plane, we see that he's in a tense pose with his arms drawn close to his chest. 
Tumblr media
Launchpad completely disappeared at the end of "Last Crash" when everyone was leaving the mansion and likely didn't check on Scrooge until three days later. As Mrs. B guilt trips the boys into reuniting with Scrooge, Launchpad blinks excessively, sadly looks off into the distance and has a couple of outbursts. 
Tumblr media Tumblr media
When Della is mentioned by name, the focus is on Louie with Launchpad's clenched fist next to him.
Tumblr media
He's having all these feelings about something he supposedly has nothing to do with and he doesn't understand why. Mrs. B could sense something was wrong with him based on how surprised she was over his hesitation and the "why are you overreacting?" look she gave him when he responded loudly to her sarcasm. I'm convinced that the show-runners wanted to catch our attention without having to reveal anything yet.
This post is getting really long, so I'm gonna break it off into another part talking more about the amnesia theory with a case we've already seen, what kinds of special abilities Launchpad may have and some reoccurring themes that may be leading back to "Whatever Happened to Della Duck?!"
...Are you up for more reading? Continue here.
29 notes · View notes
ixvyupdates · 7 years ago
Text
Arab Spring and the 2018 Oklahoma Teacher Walkout
This week in Oklahoma has felt a little like Arab Spring in the midwest of the USA. I traveled to Egypt in November 2017 to speak at an educational conference, and the conversations I had with a family friend during that visit about the populist uprising in Tahrir Square which led to the mixed results of the 2011 Egyptian Revolution have been on my mind frequently ever since. Last week in Oklahoma City, thousands of public school teachers from around our state converged on the capitol to pressure legislators into taking action to improve funding for public education and our state agencies. Our teachers and state employees in Oklahoma haven’t received a pay raise in 10 years, and as a state our Oklahoma legislature hadn’t passed a revenue raising bill in 28 years since 1990 when a Constitutional amendment passed requiring a “supermajority” of three-fourths to raise taxes. Our teachers are 49th in salaries nationwide, and in the bottom 10 even when cost-of-living adjustments are considered. Repeated cuts for all state agencies, including schools, have decimated most Oklahoma public school district budgets. State emergency teaching certifications have soared over 1000, and the crisis in our classrooms affects everyone involved in public education in our state. The situation is dire, and teachers have finally stepped in via a coordinated walkout to try and reverse our political and economic course as a state.
A historic tax bill was passed by our Oklahoma House and Senate the week prior to our 2018 Oklahoma teacher walkout, and was signed by our governor, but the funding elements of that legislation were changed the same week so its mandates (today on April 9th) remain only partially funded. The week before us promises to be historic in Oklahoma, and perhaps for our nation. In this post, I’ll summarize a few key ideas I’ve been thinking about over in the past week as we’ve had the start of a populist uprising in our state reminiscent of other eras when activists have taken to the streets to change government, both here in the USA and in other countries. I pray the long term outcomes we’ll have in Oklahoma will be more constructive and democratic than those we’ve seen in Egypt since Arab Spring in 2011.
Everyone needs to understand this is DECADES in the making. I love and appreciate all of my teachers for the time and support they gave me growing up, despite what the Oklahoma government has "given" them. https://t.co/FpeOJr2rww
— Dari Nowkhah (@ESPNDari) April 6, 2018
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
For background, I encourage you to read my post from last Saturday, “Pre-Reflections on the April 2018 Oklahoma Teacher Walkout.” I’ll repeat an abbreviated version of my disclaimer from that post: None of the comments and opinions expressed here (as always) reflect those of my current employer. These are my thoughts as Wes Fryer, current OKCPS parent, lifelong educator, Oklahoma taxpayer and voter.
Outpouring of Support for Teachers
It continues to be inspiring to see and hear evidence of broad support for our public school teachers in Oklahoma for the teacher walkout. 3 days ago at our Friday morning men’s group at church, and yesterday at church, I had several conversations with people who were very supportive of Oklahoma teachers. I also had some conversations with others who were not supportive, but as I’ll discuss below, those folks continued to repeat the same three refrains I’ve heard from them for years on the topics of educational reform and education funding. Overall, my sense has been that most Oklahomans realize we’ve fallen into a destructive pit of underfunding for our schools and our state, and we need help getting out. They recognize the Oklahoma teacher walkout is about much more than just teacher salaries: It’s about our kids, their future, and ours as a state.
Great to see continued support for our teachers in Oklahoma during the #oklaed #OklahomaTeachersWalkout
h/t @villageumc pic.twitter.com/j8IEwMfEjZ
— Wesley Fryer ??? (@wfryer) April 8, 2018
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
The way many of our public school districts, as well as other organizations supporting Oklahoma youth and families (like the Boys and Girls Club and YMCA) have stepped up to provide meals and child care have also been fantastic. This is a community-wide effort, and it’s inspiring to see so many people coming together to support our teachers, students, and ultimately the families of our state.
Our state's incredible students will be rallying tomorrow at the Capitol to support the #OklahomaTeacherWalkout! Students, 18 and under, receive a meals at no cost from OKCPS at the Capitol's south parking lot, 10:30am – 1:00pm! #oklaed ??? pic.twitter.com/Qco8i7BR9T
— OKC Public Schools (@OKCPS) April 9, 2018
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
Importance of Political Institutions
One of the key lessons I took away from my November 2017 visit to Egypt and conversations about “the troubles” (as many Egyptians now refer to “Arab Spring”) involves the importance of political institutions. Social media played a key role in the Arab Spring protests in Egypt and elsewhere in the Middle East, and it continues to play a pivotal role in protests here in Oklahoma. While the voices of individuals can be amplified with far greater power and effectiveness today thanks to social media, the importance of ongoing advocacy and a reform agenda by state INSTITUTIONS is also vital. As our statewide teacher walkout enters week 2, we need to remember this.
The closed Facebook Group “Oklahoma Teacher Walkout – The Time Is Now” now has over 78,000 members. Started by a Tulsa-area classroom teacher, this Facebook group has played a key role in shaping and directing the course of Oklahoma teacher protests in the past week. Institutions and organizations have also played an important role, however, like the OEA, our “Oklahoma Education Association.”
Oklahoma @okea president speaking now says walkout will continue until capital gains tax back or equivalent of those funds is passed by lawmakers. #oklahoma #oklaed #Oklahomateacherswalkout pic.twitter.com/q8OyCIEu3k
— Tiffany Alaniz (@TiffanyAlaniz) April 6, 2018
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
A myriad of other groups, like “Pastors for Oklahoma Kids,” have used social media and hashtags like #OklaEd, #OkLeg, and #OklahomaTeachersWalkout to share their messages and amplify the voices of individual Oklahoma teachers participating in these protests.
This is simple. God is for kids. We are for kids. We demand our #OKLeg get onboard and do right by our kids. Just be honest: you’ve defunded #OklaEd for 10+ years thinking you could stimulate the economy. That failed. Fix what’s broken. This is embarrassing.
— Pastors for Oklahoma Kids (@pastors4OKkids) April 3, 2018
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
Photos of thousands of protesting teachers gathered at our state capitol captures headlines and attention, but we need to remember that institutions remain vital to the effective and ongoing functioning of a Republic. As I wrote back in December 2017 following my Egypt trip, one of the biggest problems Egyptians faced following their protests in Tahrir Square was their relatively weak political institutions which could fill the political vacuum left by the departure of Hosni Mubarak, who had served as the President for three decades. The Muslim Brotherhood was the most organized political group in Egypt at that time, and as a result was able to mobilize voters and propel their candidate into elected office. This eventually resulted, as you may recall, in the Egyptian military stepping in to stop his government from severely curbing political freedoms, quashing opposition protests, etc. Since then, the military’s replacement president (Abdel Fattah el-Sisi) hasn’t been a champion of human rights either. It’s been a mess and the cause of democratic, free elections as well as open, representative government in Egypt has been set back many years through this course of events.
Parallels to our populist teacher uprising in Oklahoma and Egyptians rising up in 2011 are limited in many ways because of different contexts, but there are similarities as well as lessons to be learned which we would ignore at own peril. Clearly, social media is a key tool for organization, communication, and idea amplification. Our abilities to organize and assemble, thanks to social media tools like Facebook and Twitter, is unprecedented in human history on our planet. In the context of the Oklahoma teacher walkout, these are good things and show others in our state, nation, and the world the power and potential of democratic activism.
No one knows exactly when the Oklahoma teacher walkout will end, or the conditions necessary for it to end, but at some point it will. This is my big idea relating to what I learned in Egypt five months ago: When the crowds have dispersed, and the social media-charged protests are over, who will continue to carry the torch forward for political and economic cultural change in Oklahoma? We have roles to play as individuals in this ongoing struggle, but OUR INSTITUTIONS have vital roles to play as well. As Oklahoma voters, taxpayers, parents, teachers, and yes – even students, we need to recognize the importance of our institutions and our need to both INVEST and SUPPORT them.
Political parties are not popular with many people in the United States today, and I’ll be one of the first to bend your ear at length about how both the Republican Party and the Democratic Party let down the voters of our nation in the 2016 Presidential election with the candidates which were eventually put forward on the ballot. Our party system in the United States IS sick and in need of change. But that is exactly the point. “We the people” have the power and the right to change our political parties, and this is exactly one of the goals we need to have as we emerge from our Oklahoma state teacher walkout.
We need to make our voices heard and act to strengthen, rather than weaken, institutions which can continue to talk and collaborate with our elected state officials. The demonstration effect we can have for our nation and the world, when it comes to changing the course of our state government in Oklahoma, is potentially significant. These changes will not be wrought by individuals and Facebook groups, however, they will be sustained shaped by INSTITUTIONS which can persist in advocacy for the long haul. This is a key lesson to learn from Arab Spring and the 2011 Egyptian Revolution specifically. We need to keep this in mind as Oklahomans.
Need for Community Building and Parent Dialog
What are the long term actions we can take as Oklahomans to not only support goals like increasing teacher salaries, but increasing and sustaining funding for all our state agencies? I wrote about this in my March 31st post prior to the start of the teacher walkout: Community Dialog is Essential, and Without Regular Civic Engagement Our Democracy Doesn’t Work.
The town hall meeting my wife and I attended a week ago Friday evening at Wilson Elementary School in Oklahoma City highlighted many of these solutions. We need to strengthen local PTA groups and other organizations which bring together parents to talk and work together. We need to find ways to bring members and leaders of our churches together. We need to “get out of our respective bubbles” and comfort zones, and engage in dialog about issues that matter to us with others in our community with whom we might not regularly see or talk with.
Value of Social Media for Organization and Communication
Social media continues to play a vital and CONSTRUCTIVE role in our Oklahoma teacher walkout. We need to be studying and helping students as well as parents understand these uses of digital communication technologies. We need more conversations about digital citizenship. Yes, social media can be addictive and can have a dark side. It can also have an incredibly powerful and positive side as well, and we need to both study and explore together the ways we can participate in both face-to-face and virtual advocacy for positive changes within our communities for kids and families. Social media will continue to play a huge role in this struggle.
Why is it so hard for us to imagine a future where Oklahoma ranks #1 in Education not #50th? So many conversations at the #OkCapitol this week around bread crumbs for our kids. This isn’t about balancing a budget it’s about building a brighter future. #okteacherwalkout #okleg
— Rep Jason Dunnington (@jdunnington) April 6, 2018
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
The Trap of Conservative Constituent Thinking
This topic deserves a much longer post in its own right, but I don’t have time to say much on it before I leave for work and school myself today. So, here’s a short summary.
I’ve gained more insight into the routine of thinking which has trapped us in Oklahoma in our current funding mess by listening to the men at our church talk periodically about educational issues. Generally, there are three things they always mention:
Wasn’t the Oklahoma lottery supposed to fix our educational funding problems?
Why can’t we consolidate the number of school districts in Oklahoma (we have over 500) and stop paying so many superintendents over $100K per year?
Why can’t we stop teacher unions from ruining education and keeping poor teachers in our classrooms.
We definitely need to address long term revenue raising solutions in Oklahoma, because on the revenue front we’ve continued to see repeated CUTS over the span of decades in our state. We fund our schools in fundamentally different ways than other states like Texas, and we need to have these conversations. We need to stop wondering why the lottery hasn’t solved all our problems, and recognize that even if the lottery does have a constructive role to play in increasing state funding (and it can) it’s just one part of a larger, more complex solution.
Secondly, we need to consider our values of local control as well as funding mechanisms before we gripe about school district consolidation. We are a very rural state, and local schools are very important. Community schools are important. As I wrote about in last Saturday’s post, the urban and rural divide in Oklahoma as well as other midwestern states needs to be addressed. We’re naive as residents of urban areas to imagine that “simple school consolidation” resolves our funding issues, or that it necessarily meets our needs as communities. Yes, we need to discuss this, but we need to stop using this issue as an excuse holding us back from addressing revenue needs through other means.
Long Term Agenda for Change
We need a political sea change in Oklahoma. As I wrote a week ago:
Radical, extreme voices of conservatism and libertarianism have literally wrought destruction upon not only our state agencies and public schools, but also left a scarred legacy upon the lives of our students and teachers in public schools in Oklahoma. Enough is enough. Let the peaceful, respectful, and resolute revolution in Oklahoma political culture begin.
I’m hopeful we’ll see constructive dialog and ACTION in our Oklahoma legislature this week, thanks to the leadership and sacrifices not only of our state public school teachers, but also MANY others who are supporting these efforts.
Let us pay attention to the lessons of history. Individual voices are powerful, but the importance of our political institutions should not be missed or undervalued. Let’s resolve to support and work together to transform them in Oklahoma in the weeks and months ahead.
Tumblr media
“EduForum Egypt – November 2017” (CC BY 2.0) by Wesley Fryer
Did you know Wes has published several eBooks and “eBook singles?” 1 of them is available free! Check them out!
Do you use a smartphone or tablet? Subscribe to Wes’ free magazine “iReading” on Flipboard!
If you’re trying to listen to a podcast episode and it’s not working, check this status page. (Wes is migrating his podcasts to Amazon S3 for hosting.) Remember to follow Wesley Fryer on Twitter (@wfryer), Facebook and Google+. Also “like” Wesley’s Facebook pages for “Speed of Creativity Learning” and his eBook, “Playing with Media.” Don’t miss Wesley’s latest technology integration project, “Mapping Media to the Curriculum.”
Arab Spring and the 2018 Oklahoma Teacher Walkout syndicated from https://sapsnkraguide.wordpress.com
0 notes
ixvyupdates · 7 years ago
Text
Arab Spring and the 2018 Oklahoma Teacher Walkout
This week in Oklahoma has felt a little like Arab Spring in the midwest of the USA. I traveled to Egypt in November 2017 to speak at an educational conference, and the conversations I had with a family friend during that visit about the populist uprising in Tahrir Square which led to the mixed results of the 2011 Egyptian Revolution have been on my mind frequently ever since. Last week in Oklahoma City, thousands of public school teachers from around our state converged on the capitol to pressure legislators into taking action to improve funding for public education and our state agencies. Our teachers and state employees in Oklahoma haven’t received a pay raise in 10 years, and as a state our Oklahoma legislature hadn’t passed a revenue raising bill in 28 years since 1990 when a Constitutional amendment passed requiring a “supermajority” of three-fourths to raise taxes. Our teachers are 49th in salaries nationwide, and in the bottom 10 even when cost-of-living adjustments are considered. Repeated cuts for all state agencies, including schools, have decimated most Oklahoma public school district budgets. State emergency teaching certifications have soared over 1000, and the crisis in our classrooms affects everyone involved in public education in our state. The situation is dire, and teachers have finally stepped in via a coordinated walkout to try and reverse our political and economic course as a state.
A historic tax bill was passed by our Oklahoma House and Senate the week prior to our 2018 Oklahoma teacher walkout, and was signed by our governor, but the funding elements of that legislation were changed the same week so its mandates (today on April 9th) remain only partially funded. The week before us promises to be historic in Oklahoma, and perhaps for our nation. In this post, I’ll summarize a few key ideas I’ve been thinking about over in the past week as we’ve had the start of a populist uprising in our state reminiscent of other eras when activists have taken to the streets to change government, both here in the USA and in other countries. I pray the long term outcomes we’ll have in Oklahoma will be more constructive and democratic than those we’ve seen in Egypt since Arab Spring in 2011.
Everyone needs to understand this is DECADES in the making. I love and appreciate all of my teachers for the time and support they gave me growing up, despite what the Oklahoma government has "given" them. https://t.co/FpeOJr2rww
— Dari Nowkhah (@ESPNDari) April 6, 2018
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
For background, I encourage you to read my post from last Saturday, “Pre-Reflections on the April 2018 Oklahoma Teacher Walkout.” I’ll repeat an abbreviated version of my disclaimer from that post: None of the comments and opinions expressed here (as always) reflect those of my current employer. These are my thoughts as Wes Fryer, current OKCPS parent, lifelong educator, Oklahoma taxpayer and voter.
Outpouring of Support for Teachers
It continues to be inspiring to see and hear evidence of broad support for our public school teachers in Oklahoma for the teacher walkout. 3 days ago at our Friday morning men’s group at church, and yesterday at church, I had several conversations with people who were very supportive of Oklahoma teachers. I also had some conversations with others who were not supportive, but as I’ll discuss below, those folks continued to repeat the same three refrains I’ve heard from them for years on the topics of educational reform and education funding. Overall, my sense has been that most Oklahomans realize we’ve fallen into a destructive pit of underfunding for our schools and our state, and we need help getting out. They recognize the Oklahoma teacher walkout is about much more than just teacher salaries: It’s about our kids, their future, and ours as a state.
Great to see continued support for our teachers in Oklahoma during the #oklaed #OklahomaTeachersWalkout
h/t @villageumc pic.twitter.com/j8IEwMfEjZ
— Wesley Fryer ??? (@wfryer) April 8, 2018
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
The way many of our public school districts, as well as other organizations supporting Oklahoma youth and families (like the Boys and Girls Club and YMCA) have stepped up to provide meals and child care have also been fantastic. This is a community-wide effort, and it’s inspiring to see so many people coming together to support our teachers, students, and ultimately the families of our state.
Our state's incredible students will be rallying tomorrow at the Capitol to support the #OklahomaTeacherWalkout! Students, 18 and under, receive a meals at no cost from OKCPS at the Capitol's south parking lot, 10:30am – 1:00pm! #oklaed ??? pic.twitter.com/Qco8i7BR9T
— OKC Public Schools (@OKCPS) April 9, 2018
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
Importance of Political Institutions
One of the key lessons I took away from my November 2017 visit to Egypt and conversations about “the troubles” (as many Egyptians now refer to “Arab Spring”) involves the importance of political institutions. Social media played a key role in the Arab Spring protests in Egypt and elsewhere in the Middle East, and it continues to play a pivotal role in protests here in Oklahoma. While the voices of individuals can be amplified with far greater power and effectiveness today thanks to social media, the importance of ongoing advocacy and a reform agenda by state INSTITUTIONS is also vital. As our statewide teacher walkout enters week 2, we need to remember this.
The closed Facebook Group “Oklahoma Teacher Walkout – The Time Is Now” now has over 78,000 members. Started by a Tulsa-area classroom teacher, this Facebook group has played a key role in shaping and directing the course of Oklahoma teacher protests in the past week. Institutions and organizations have also played an important role, however, like the OEA, our “Oklahoma Education Association.”
Oklahoma @okea president speaking now says walkout will continue until capital gains tax back or equivalent of those funds is passed by lawmakers. #oklahoma #oklaed #Oklahomateacherswalkout pic.twitter.com/q8OyCIEu3k
— Tiffany Alaniz (@TiffanyAlaniz) April 6, 2018
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
A myriad of other groups, like “Pastors for Oklahoma Kids,” have used social media and hashtags like #OklaEd, #OkLeg, and #OklahomaTeachersWalkout to share their messages and amplify the voices of individual Oklahoma teachers participating in these protests.
This is simple. God is for kids. We are for kids. We demand our #OKLeg get onboard and do right by our kids. Just be honest: you’ve defunded #OklaEd for 10+ years thinking you could stimulate the economy. That failed. Fix what’s broken. This is embarrassing.
— Pastors for Oklahoma Kids (@pastors4OKkids) April 3, 2018
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
Photos of thousands of protesting teachers gathered at our state capitol captures headlines and attention, but we need to remember that institutions remain vital to the effective and ongoing functioning of a Republic. As I wrote back in December 2017 following my Egypt trip, one of the biggest problems Egyptians faced following their protests in Tahrir Square was their relatively weak political institutions which could fill the political vacuum left by the departure of Hosni Mubarak, who had served as the President for three decades. The Muslim Brotherhood was the most organized political group in Egypt at that time, and as a result was able to mobilize voters and propel their candidate into elected office. This eventually resulted, as you may recall, in the Egyptian military stepping in to stop his government from severely curbing political freedoms, quashing opposition protests, etc. Since then, the military’s replacement president (Abdel Fattah el-Sisi) hasn’t been a champion of human rights either. It’s been a mess and the cause of democratic, free elections as well as open, representative government in Egypt has been set back many years through this course of events.
Parallels to our populist teacher uprising in Oklahoma and Egyptians rising up in 2011 are limited in many ways because of different contexts, but there are similarities as well as lessons to be learned which we would ignore at own peril. Clearly, social media is a key tool for organization, communication, and idea amplification. Our abilities to organize and assemble, thanks to social media tools like Facebook and Twitter, is unprecedented in human history on our planet. In the context of the Oklahoma teacher walkout, these are good things and show others in our state, nation, and the world the power and potential of democratic activism.
No one knows exactly when the Oklahoma teacher walkout will end, or the conditions necessary for it to end, but at some point it will. This is my big idea relating to what I learned in Egypt five months ago: When the crowds have dispersed, and the social media-charged protests are over, who will continue to carry the torch forward for political and economic cultural change in Oklahoma? We have roles to play as individuals in this ongoing struggle, but OUR INSTITUTIONS have vital roles to play as well. As Oklahoma voters, taxpayers, parents, teachers, and yes – even students, we need to recognize the importance of our institutions and our need to both INVEST and SUPPORT them.
Political parties are not popular with many people in the United States today, and I’ll be one of the first to bend your ear at length about how both the Republican Party and the Democratic Party let down the voters of our nation in the 2016 Presidential election with the candidates which were eventually put forward on the ballot. Our party system in the United States IS sick and in need of change. But that is exactly the point. “We the people” have the power and the right to change our political parties, and this is exactly one of the goals we need to have as we emerge from our Oklahoma state teacher walkout.
We need to make our voices heard and act to strengthen, rather than weaken, institutions which can continue to talk and collaborate with our elected state officials. The demonstration effect we can have for our nation and the world, when it comes to changing the course of our state government in Oklahoma, is potentially significant. These changes will not be wrought by individuals and Facebook groups, however, they will be sustained shaped by INSTITUTIONS which can persist in advocacy for the long haul. This is a key lesson to learn from Arab Spring and the 2011 Egyptian Revolution specifically. We need to keep this in mind as Oklahomans.
Need for Community Building and Parent Dialog
What are the long term actions we can take as Oklahomans to not only support goals like increasing teacher salaries, but increasing and sustaining funding for all our state agencies? I wrote about this in my March 31st post prior to the start of the teacher walkout: Community Dialog is Essential, and Without Regular Civic Engagement Our Democracy Doesn’t Work.
The town hall meeting my wife and I attended a week ago Friday evening at Wilson Elementary School in Oklahoma City highlighted many of these solutions. We need to strengthen local PTA groups and other organizations which bring together parents to talk and work together. We need to find ways to bring members and leaders of our churches together. We need to “get out of our respective bubbles” and comfort zones, and engage in dialog about issues that matter to us with others in our community with whom we might not regularly see or talk with.
Value of Social Media for Organization and Communication
Social media continues to play a vital and CONSTRUCTIVE role in our Oklahoma teacher walkout. We need to be studying and helping students as well as parents understand these uses of digital communication technologies. We need more conversations about digital citizenship. Yes, social media can be addictive and can have a dark side. It can also have an incredibly powerful and positive side as well, and we need to both study and explore together the ways we can participate in both face-to-face and virtual advocacy for positive changes within our communities for kids and families. Social media will continue to play a huge role in this struggle.
Why is it so hard for us to imagine a future where Oklahoma ranks #1 in Education not #50th? So many conversations at the #OkCapitol this week around bread crumbs for our kids. This isn’t about balancing a budget it’s about building a brighter future. #okteacherwalkout #okleg
— Rep Jason Dunnington (@jdunnington) April 6, 2018
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
The Trap of Conservative Constituent Thinking
This topic deserves a much longer post in its own right, but I don’t have time to say much on it before I leave for work and school myself today. So, here’s a short summary.
I’ve gained more insight into the routine of thinking which has trapped us in Oklahoma in our current funding mess by listening to the men at our church talk periodically about educational issues. Generally, there are three things they always mention:
Wasn’t the Oklahoma lottery supposed to fix our educational funding problems?
Why can’t we consolidate the number of school districts in Oklahoma (we have over 500) and stop paying so many superintendents over $100K per year?
Why can’t we stop teacher unions from ruining education and keeping poor teachers in our classrooms.
We definitely need to address long term revenue raising solutions in Oklahoma, because on the revenue front we’ve continued to see repeated CUTS over the span of decades in our state. We fund our schools in fundamentally different ways than other states like Texas, and we need to have these conversations. We need to stop wondering why the lottery hasn’t solved all our problems, and recognize that even if the lottery does have a constructive role to play in increasing state funding (and it can) it’s just one part of a larger, more complex solution.
Secondly, we need to consider our values of local control as well as funding mechanisms before we gripe about school district consolidation. We are a very rural state, and local schools are very important. Community schools are important. As I wrote about in last Saturday’s post, the urban and rural divide in Oklahoma as well as other midwestern states needs to be addressed. We’re naive as residents of urban areas to imagine that “simple school consolidation” resolves our funding issues, or that it necessarily meets our needs as communities. Yes, we need to discuss this, but we need to stop using this issue as an excuse holding us back from addressing revenue needs through other means.
Long Term Agenda for Change
We need a political sea change in Oklahoma. As I wrote a week ago:
Radical, extreme voices of conservatism and libertarianism have literally wrought destruction upon not only our state agencies and public schools, but also left a scarred legacy upon the lives of our students and teachers in public schools in Oklahoma. Enough is enough. Let the peaceful, respectful, and resolute revolution in Oklahoma political culture begin.
I’m hopeful we’ll see constructive dialog and ACTION in our Oklahoma legislature this week, thanks to the leadership and sacrifices not only of our state public school teachers, but also MANY others who are supporting these efforts.
Let us pay attention to the lessons of history. Individual voices are powerful, but the importance of our political institutions should not be missed or undervalued. Let’s resolve to support and work together to transform them in Oklahoma in the weeks and months ahead.
Tumblr media
“EduForum Egypt – November 2017” (CC BY 2.0) by Wesley Fryer
Did you know Wes has published several eBooks and “eBook singles?” 1 of them is available free! Check them out!
Do you use a smartphone or tablet? Subscribe to Wes’ free magazine “iReading” on Flipboard!
If you’re trying to listen to a podcast episode and it’s not working, check this status page. (Wes is migrating his podcasts to Amazon S3 for hosting.) Remember to follow Wesley Fryer on Twitter (@wfryer), Facebook and Google+. Also “like” Wesley’s Facebook pages for “Speed of Creativity Learning” and his eBook, “Playing with Media.” Don’t miss Wesley’s latest technology integration project, “Mapping Media to the Curriculum.”
Arab Spring and the 2018 Oklahoma Teacher Walkout syndicated from https://sapsnkraguide.wordpress.com
0 notes