#reunification

[ohkate]

Holy shit.

[blondebrainpowered]

A demonstrator pounds away at the Berlin Wall as East Berlin border guards look on near the Brandenburg Gate on November 11, 1989.

Photographer: David Brauchli

[mephistopheles]

idk idk something about edith keeler working toward better lives for marginalised and disenfranchised and down-beaten people while advocating for a peaceful end to war. and something about spock dedicating decades and decades of his post-starfleet life to peaceful vulcan-romulan reunification. because they both believed in a better future than the ones they lived in. and these being the two people kirk fell in love with. idk idk idk

[respocked]

I know technically every single alien in Star Trek is a human wearing alien makeup, but these never stop feeling less wrong. It's so uncanny to look at. Makes me afraid the entire Federation is going to get cancelled on space tumblr for multiple counts of alienface

[just-ray]

is it really the Republic of Ireland? I must know

OMG IVE BEEN REFERENCED???. I AM PERCIEVED??? THATS UNREAL.

And basically yeah, Ireland is weird because geographically, the land mass/physical island is just called Ireland, but politically were comprised or NI (or Northern Ireland) which is still owned by the UK, and the ROI (or Republic Of Ireland) which is owned by what most people would consider "Ireland" the country. Most people who reference Ireland are taking about the ROI.

When people talk about Irish reunification, they're referring to the possibility of the whole island of ireland one day being owned by the ROI, including NI.

@is-maith-liom-tae would you say this is a decent explanation?

[noxnightingales]

no more long hours in which to dwell for time no longer exists done with this new type of hell there is no need to resist angel, near or far come close and let me wrap you in stars

photo is of the running man in Orion taken by my dad

[gomjjigae]

There’s been deep sadness and turmoil inside me when thinking about how DPRK monuments and constitutional policies+verbatim regarding reunification are being destroyed, but there is also comfort in understanding that this is simply historical materialism. This is change in chosen trajectory in light of change in reality.

The ROK and the US along with Japan actively escalating the threat of catastrophic nuclear war on the Korean peninsula has literally necessitated the change in reunification policy. The DPRK can no longer give the same grace to their previously titled “compatriots” and “fellow countrymen.”

For this reason the ROK has been classified as a foreign entity by the DPRK for the first time in history, and its leaders no longer considered by the DPRK to belong to the same clan as those in the north. As diaspora we can feel angry or confused, but we must accept that the era of reunification is over. The Korea Peace movement here in the US and globally is forever changed by these developments and it is up to us to evolve with the times.

The US and Japan; neocolonialism; imperialism; war; these things have no place on the Korean peninsula.

해방을 위하여!

[ex-foster]

“I would like to make amends with Simone personally – I’m just waiting for her and [her younger sister] Adria,” Biles added in her interview with the Mail. “I speak to Adria more than I speak to Simone. I would just ask her to forgive me. Can we move forward? Don’t judge me on my past. Let’s move forward.”

It is really suspect that her mother is using a public medium to reach out to Simone rather than contacting her privately. It seems to me that she's trying to save face. Also "don't judge"? As if foster youth aren't ruthlessly judged themselves. Foster youth also need to learn how to judge characters to determine who is safe and who is not. What exactly does "moving forward" mean in this context?

"Shanon Biles, who is now sober and working as a grocery store cashier, said she has Simone Biles’s number but is waiting for her to choose to make contact."

Putting the onus completely on the child to reunify, especially on a public forum puts such enormous pressure on Simone. I'm sure there are people out there that expect Simone to forgive her mother and reunify for a hallmark moment but this is so unrealistic and unfair. Reunification is not the heartwarming scene that many of the public wants to believe. An unpresent parent leaves emotional scars and feelings of abandonment and unworthiness. Attempts at reunification as an adult, especially for a child who has achieved incredible success, can be viewed as insincere. Reunification is difficult enough, but doing so with an audience is just humiliating. I really feel for Simone here.

[victimsofcps]

When Power Meets Parenthood: How a California Politician Destroyed Yolo County’s Child Welfare System

By An Anonymous Davis Citizen Of ~ 40 Years Time In The Community

In Yolo County, California, one powerful man’s personal heartbreak has reshaped an entire child welfare system — and many families are going to suffer now because of it.

The person responsible for the changes just referenced is Matt Rexroad, a longtime Republican political consultant, former county supervisor, and former mayor of Woodland. He did not begin his foster care journey with a plan to reform the system. He and his wife took in a baby boy from the foster system, whom Rexroad publicly referred to as “Bonus Baby” — a term that soon became a symbol of a larger, more controversial movement.

After parenting the boy for over two years, the Rexroads petitioned to adopt him. But the county’s Child Welfare Services (CWS) disagreed. In line with California’s state-mandated priority of family reunification, the agency determined that the child could safely return to his biological mother just days before the deadline in which her parental rights were set to be taken. The decision prompted a legal battle. The Rexroads fought the reunification plan in court but ultimately lost as foster parents have very little rights to the children they volunteer to help prior to adoption. It is generally the accepted principle that if you decide to volunteer as a foster parent, you’re aware that there may be a multitude of systemic inequities that you will witness when caring for foster children. However, the average person doesn’t generally concede of a vengeant plan born of ill will afterward that is with the intent to make everyone else in society have to suffer because of your emotional turmoil or in this case, emotional instability and incapacity to handle loss in a mature way.

Rather than walk away, Rexroad then effectively used his political leverage to launch a crusade against the county’s child welfare agency and against any and all families that would be seeking reunification or otherwise granted that privilege as Mr. Rexroad sought to take it from every family and child in Yolo County involved with CPS who should have benefited from this opportunity. And he did this to get even for the fact that he wasn’t allowed to adopt a child that wasn’t his from the get go. As a result, the doctrine of family reunification itself has now permanently changed in Yolo County. The end result is that Yolo County’s approach to child welfare has now dramatically changed and raised alarming questions about due process, judicial independence, and the real cost of political power in CPS decision-making.

A System Under Siege

What followed the court’s denial of the Rexroads’ adoption petition was an unprecedented campaign. Rexroad publicly lambasted the social workers and judges involved in the case. He argued that the child welfare system placed ideological allegiance to family reunification over the actual well-being of children. With the support of conservative networks and growing public sympathy, he called for sweeping changes to the way Yolo County handled foster care cases.

Rexroad’s criticism extended to the courtroom. He targeted Judge Steven Basha, a respected judge known for adhering to California’s reunification-first legal framework. Rexroad accused Basha of bias and used unethical maneuvers to have him removed from hearing child welfare cases by being forced to have to recuse himself from working in the juvenile detention court in order to avoid termination after most likely a lengthy term of legal proceedings that would have put his entire career under a microscope and traumatized him and his family in the process. He had no other reasonable option but to resign from the child welfare court in order to avoid being crucified in Rexroad’s witch hunt. Shortly thereafter, Judge Basha retired completely from practicing law.

Meanwhile, changes were happening behind the scenes. The county’s Department of Health and Human Services saw a leadership shake-up. The agency’s director resigned, and her replacement implemented a policy direction far more aligned with Rexroad’s views and the new policy director was more or less put in place by Rexroad pulling political shoestrings to line up circumstances as they would need to be set forth in order to guarantee a successful forward momentum on his personal vendetta.

Although Yolo County counsel warned the Board of Supervisors that a policy limiting reunification efforts would be illegal, the Board — influenced by Rexroad — still moved forward with directives that effectively discouraged returning children to their biological families.

A Dramatic Shift in Numbers — and Consequences

The results were swift and jarring.

Between 2016 and 2017, Yolo County saw a 70% increase in children removed from their homes and placed into foster care — all this at a time when statewide foster care numbers were on the decline. Most of these removals cited “neglect” as the reason, a charge that can be vague and often stems from issues related to poverty and substance abuse, but not necessarily abuse or any factual harm or overt harm to the children involved - in the majority of cases. Of course there are exceptions and these exceptions are not the majority nor the children whose families are being victimized unnecessarily by these changes.

While child safety should be paramount in any child welfare system, the data from Yolo County paints a concerning picture. As more children have been removed from their homes, rates of repeat maltreatment have now also begun to rise. This metric is a key indicator of system effectiveness, and the spike suggests that more removals do not translate into better outcomes for children. Rather they overwhelm child welfare social workers causing them to not have the necessary time needed to devote to their cases so that nobody ends up being able to get the appropriate services they need nor the social support and assistance for families that is necessary for the families and clients being served by this agency in order to be able to succeed.

Critics argue that rather than addressing root causes — such as lack of family support services, economic hardship, or housing instability — the system now simply defaults to removal. And with this shift, the very goals of child welfare may have been turned on their head.

The Broader Implications

What has happened is impacting people in every aspect of child welfare in Yolo County. For example, it has made the remaining juvenile dependency court judges in Yolo County such as Judge Daniel P. Mcguire, obviously far too nervous to rock the boat or to even dare to disagree with the recommendation of CPS social workers in the courts now, no matter how false or unjustified their claims and recommendations may be* because they have seen their colleague get ousted now for having stood up for what’s right. You can hardly blame these judges for trying to protect their own assets as surely they have their own families to consider and mouths to feed.

The bottom line though is that this sort of political manipulation is causing the citizens of Yolo County to suffer as a result of this man’s ethically wanton disregard for the taxpaying families of Yolo County. These citizens who initially supported him having his position here in our county chose to support Mr. Rexroad because they trusted him to look out for the betterment of our community and yet he has betrayed everyone and used legal power to undermine everyone, but particularly harming the children and their mothers and fathers and sisters and brothers and friends and neighbors because the damage caused by frivolously terminating the rights of parents who otherwise could have easily reunified with their children is far reaching and impacts the entire community for the entirety of those people’s lives.

Matt Rexroad’s campaign has become a case study in what can happen when political influence supersedes policy expertise and judicial independence. While some parents and advocates have praised his willingness to challenge a broken system, many others warn that the reforms he inspired may have created a more punitive, less accountable CPS apparatus — one where removing children from their homes has become not just easier, but encouraged, and where reunification is just a buzzword in the court and no longer an actual incentive where families are concerned.

The case underscores the delicate balance CPS must strike: protecting children from harm without unnecessarily destroying families. When that balance is disrupted by personal agendas or political pressure, the consequences ripple far beyond a single case.

Yolo County’s experience is a cautionary tale. It highlights the vulnerability of child welfare systems to powerful individuals, especially when those individuals operate from a place of personal grievance and hold the levers of government.

What We Can Do To Prevent This From Happening Again

At the heart of it all, a boy known only to the public as “Bonus Baby” — now home with his family where he should be — we are all being forced to now pay a terrible price for this child and his family’s due process because of a powerful ex-foster parent’s inability to handle the emotional burdens of the job they chose to volunteer for. Perhaps child welfare workers should be subjecting potential foster parents to a far more rigorous requirement of psychological evaluation before allowing people to become approved and perhaps the emotional devastation that may be a potential cost of helping children via foster parenting is something that ought to be better communicated to potential foster parents beforehand because clearly some people are not cut out for such an emotionally demanding task.

…And there’s nothing wrong with that either. It takes a very special kind of person to be able to handle the ups and downs of foster parenting without becoming emotionally broken inside. But when individuals show that they cannot handle it, we as a society cannot permit them to destroy whole sections of our society on an emotional rampage as an acceptable response to their suffering.

The political changes that have occurred we must now work diligently to undo and everyone must do their part to make sure no one is ever allowed to victimize a community in this way ever again

[nameinconcept-blog]

Pan-Korean Reunification Concert (Part 1)

"Mr. Yun I-sang, Chairman of the Pan-National Unification Music Festival Preparatory Committee, Arrives in Pyongyang" (10.11)

"Mr. Yun I-sang announcing his arrival statement at the airport"

"Mr. Yun I-sang and his party arrive in Pyongyang"

"Mr. Yun I-sang and his party received a warm welcome from Pyongyang city workers and artists."

Photos and texts from the DPRK photo book "범민족통일음악회" Published by Lighthouse Publishers. 1990

[tmarshconnors]

Happy Jerusalem Day 2024!

Today, we celebrate Jerusalem Day, an Israeli national holiday marking the reunification of Jerusalem and the establishment of Israeli control over the Old City following the June 1967 Six-Day War. This year, 2024, we come together to honour this significant moment in our history, reflecting on its profound impact on our nation and our people.

Jerusalem Day is a time for state ceremonies and memorial services, allowing us to remember and pay tribute to those who fought for the city's reunification. It is a day of pride and reflection, as we acknowledge the resilience, determination, and courage that led to this pivotal event.

The reunification of Jerusalem is not just a historical milestone; it symbolizes the enduring connection of the Jewish people to this ancient and holy city. As we walk through the streets of Jerusalem today, we are reminded of its rich history, cultural heritage, and the diverse communities that call it home.

In 2024, we continue to strive for a Jerusalem that is inclusive and united, where people of all backgrounds can coexist peacefully. The city's vibrant tapestry of cultures and faiths stands as a testament to its unique and enduring legacy.

As we commemorate Jerusalem Day, let us also look to the future with hope and optimism, working towards a city that embodies the values of unity, peace, and mutual respect. May Jerusalem continue to be a beacon of light and a source of inspiration for generations to come.

Happy Jerusalem Day! Yom Yerushalayim Sameach!

[confused-robot-cat]

You're running out of time, Ireland

[kvalenagle]

It's National #AppreciateADragonDay?? Well, what better dragon to appreciate than Stekin from Dragon Source and Dragon Bound by Glenn Birmingham =]

Glenn's still recovering, but he's started writing again, and the audiobooks of his series are coming soon. (Art by Kittrel / YoteNotes.)

[wrongweaponsdrawn]

"I suspected. I believed. I had... faith. But I cannot say that I knew what you were going to do. [smiling] That is why you mortals have free will, you know. It gives us gods plausible deniability."

- the narrator

(Source: Labelas Enoreth, Reunification, by Jeff Grubb)

[trumprussia]

Romulus - Reunification - Star Trek The Next Generation

Gorn

Pardek

reblog if your name isn't Amanda.

2,121,566 people are not Amanda and counting!

We’ll find you Amanda.

[destielmemenews]

"The Committee said on Tuesday that its newly-published report is the first output from a series of meetings exploring what a united Ireland would mean and examines the current economic relationship between the jurisdictions on the island and the potential of the all-island economy.

The report, the Committee said, goes on to examine the cost of a united Ireland and makes the case for planning and preparation for a united Ireland to begin."

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