The global reaction to Aaron Bushnell’s self immolation has been very jarring. I understand how powerful and scary it is to witness such a young man set himself on fire while screaming for a free Palestine, but to now see comments like “his death will not be in vain” and “the video will haunt me forever” is very strange considering the depravity of the videos we have been seeing coming out of Gaza for 4 months. It seems like people are now using Aaron as the “perfect martyr” of Palestine that we can put all of our efforts into celebrating as if there has not been 30,000+ Palestinian martyrs that we have been begging you to acknowledge

hey! just in re: the post you reblogged about suicide not being activism, i would really recommend looking into the history of self-immolation as protest because i think that watering it down to romanticisation of suicide is a bit oversimplified given the history and to say that nothing has been accomplished by this act of protest is definitely also not accurate + still kind of too soon to say. obviously people shouldn't kill themselves en masse but no one is advocating that. aaron shouldn't have died. it's fucked up and tragic and unfair-- and that's the point.

hey! thanks for sending this message! sorry it took me a bit to answer, i wanted to make sure my reply was appropriate and that i also managed to explain my thoughts correctly (something i often struggle with kjshfskjd)

i agree with you when you say that we don't know the impact that it will have, and i am not trying to diminish the impact of self-immolation or its history (and i definitely need to keep learning more about this subject; slowly, because it is understandably very upsetting), so i've decided to delete that post cause i don't want anyone to think that was my intention

however, what worries me about this situation (and also what i interpreted that post was saying) is that i have seen people talking about it as if self-immolating was the true definite way of showing dedication to a cause or the purest form of protest, which i feel... is dangerous. for one, because it is a very tragic and unfair thing, as you said, and also because i feel like acting like it should be more common erases its power and sacrifice and it also diminishes other kinds of activism. i'm also concerned because i see a lot of young people advocating for palestine (which is a good thing! i'm not against that) and i'm worried about them internalizing the idea that the best and most useful thing you can do for a cause is die for it

especially on twitter (which i'm taking a break from because holy shit people just say anything) i have seen some awful takes that are not advocating for people killing themselves en masse, but are getting dangerously close to it. they're definitely not the majority, i am aware that most people have more common sense (and that twitter thrives on showing you the most extreme opinions), but in general, i think that some people are not being thoughtful enough about this situation and that wanting to fight for palestinian rights and freedom (which is a just cause i obviously support) is clouding their judgment a bit, because a lot of those extreme tweets have thousands of retweets and people agreeing

i hope i managed to make myself clear! i'm not the most knowledgable about politics (which is why i avoid writing posts of my own even though i have been educating myself as much as possible), so anyone who reads this can feel free to send me resources!

Aaron & Olivia || Earth Day Plans

Time/Place: Vancouver, Canada. April 7, 2017. Friday Afternoon.

Description:  Filming for Predator wraps early and Aaron and Olivia try to figure out what to do for day when an interesting topic comes up..

Olivia: Being away from LA had been hard for the actress. Harder than usual since she'd started seeing Aaron again. The two of them were apart for what seemed like forever and now that they were back together being apart was harder than ever. It was that which caused here to invite the man to Vancouver while she was filming Predator. Besides, Aaron and the child actor she was working with seemed to get along really well so she didn't feel to bad having him visit while she was working. Walking into her trailer a small smile came to her face as she briefly watched the man play with their dogs, completely oblivious to her presence for a moment. "Hey, babe. They told they're wrapping early for the day." The actress shrugged off the jacket that was part of her wardrobe for the movie and sat down on the couch. "I have no clue what the hell we can do with this extra time but I figured we'd figure something out."

Aaron: Spending time in Vancouver was a no brainer. It was the off season and the only thing Aaron wanted to do was spend time with his girlfriend. So, he found himself on set of her new movie in no time. It wasn't like he was bored out of his mind waiting around as she filmed. He'd watch her do her thing, hang out with the crew, play Nerf guns or whatever else with Jacob. It was a good time, honestly. That didn't mean he wasn't relieved when Olivia had said she wrapped for the day. Finally, they had a good amount of the day to spend together. "We could figure out something," He said optimistically to his girlfriend. "I'm sure there's a shit ton of things to do around here - bowling, bars, laser tag, batting cages, romantic dinners.." He pulled out his phone and began googling 'Things to do in Vancouver.' "I'm cool with whatever, babe. I'm just glad we get more time together," He said honestly. While his schedule was now clear, hers was busy. Isn't that always how it worked?

Olivia: Picking up Frankie, she listened to his suggestions as she pet the dog. "Is romantic bowling a thing?" she asked with a small chuckle. "I wish I had any fucking clue what was around here but I don't. I've pretty much been working and then going home. Thats it. Not exciting at all." Glancing at her phone she took in the time, 3:45pm, "Its really fucking early though so I'm sure we'll find something. I'm game for whatever, honestly. I just need a shower first. I guess lets go back to the hotel and figure it out from there?" Before he'd even answered Olivia was standing and slipping the shirt she was wearing over her head, beginning to get chanced back into clothes that actually belonged to her.

Aaron: While Frankie was getting attention from Olivia, Chance was curled up in Aaron's lap asleep. They were well behaved dogs, thanks to both Liv and Aaron and their dog training expertise. "Romantic bowling..I'm sure that's a thing somewhere," He laughed. "Sounds good to me, babe," He agreed to going back to the hotel and figuring the plans out from there. He glanced up from his phone, looking over at her as she slipped her top off. She was one of the hottest women in the world, and she was now all his - again. He constantly reminded himself how lucky he was, not that he needed to remind himself. Her beauty, wits, and talent were a constant reminder. "Should we keep it casual or romantic?" He asked, picking Chance up as he stood. While Olivia got changed, Aaron got the dog's belongings together so they could head out sooner rather than later.

Olivia: Olivia slipped out of her set clothes and into her own clothes effortlessly in front of the man - after all, she really was completely comfortable around him after everything they'd been through. "Ummm.." she thought for a moment. "Casual. We don't have to do anything special or anything," she shrugged just before she zipped and buttoned the jeans she'd just stepped into. "We can even stay in and watch a movie or something, I don't care. I just feel like I've been working every day since you got here so we should at least spend the one day I actually get done early together..what we actually do doesn't mean a damn thing to me."

Aaron: Aaron nodded, not caring where they spent their time together either. It was only a short ride back to the hotel in the car Aaron had rented. The valet took care of parking the car and before they knew it, they were back at the door of the hotel room. Aaron pulled out the key card and slid it into the door, opening it for Olivia and allowing her to enter the room first. She'd surely notice the large display of red and white roses waiting on the table for her. The man followed her in, smirking to himself as he awaited her reaction. After all this time apart, he was sure to do everything right this time around. He wasn't going to take her for granted or let her slip away again.

Olivia: The short ride was over quickly and before she knew it she was walking into her hotel room to be greeted by a large display of red and white roses that Aaron had undoubtedly ordered for her at some point during the day. "Aw babe!" she smiled as she walked up to them and inhaled their sent before turning back to him. Closing the gap between them the actress wrapped her arms around the man's neck before pressing her lips to his, allowing them to linger there for a moment. "I have no idea what I did to deserve this but thank you," she kissed him briefly once more, leaving her arms loosely around his neck once she broke the kiss. "I'm happy you're here. I know most of your friends are in LA and I'm basically wasting your offseason by keeping you in freaking Canada but..thanks."

Aaron: Her reaction was what he had hoped for. Smiling, he watched her admire the little gift he had got for her. His arms easily slid around her small waist and kissed her back. "I think it's the other way around," He said truthfully. He didn't know what he did to deserve /her/. All their problems from the past seemed to fade away the moment they had gotten back together. "I prefer to be here. I enjoy watching you on set and I'd rather spend time with you during my time off." Olivia spent most of the football season in Wisconsin, so the least he could do is support her whenever he got the free time - just like she supported him. "I'll stay here as long as you'll have me."

Olivia: In the past this was the moment that she'd pull away from him - the moment that her mind would race with the transgressions of the past but she'd let all that go the night they'd gotten back together in Vegas. She honestly felt like no time had lapsed and they were never apart - the two seemed to pick up exactly where they left off. Hearing him say that he wanted to spend his time with her cause a smile to spread on the actress' face that she couldn't hide even if she wanted to. "So like forever then?" she shrugged, her arms still resting on his shoulders. "I mean, we should just get married if you're saying as long as I'll have you," she chuckled.

Aaron: "Forever then," He grinned and nodded. Then the next part came. The part that caused everything to go to shit the last time they had been together. This time, Aaron wasn't fucking up. This time, Aaron knew what he wanted. The grin on his lips grew wider, rather than diminishing. "Are you asking me to marry you, Lisa Olivia Munn?" She'd probably give him shit for using her real name, but he didn't care. He was too focused on this moment to care about anything else.

Olivia: Olivia's nose scrunched at the sound of her full legal name, it was something she didn't even hear from her mother, "Lisa?" She despised the name, but even so she was still smiling. "I dunno. Maybe I am, Aaron Charles Rodgers," she shot back as if it were some sort of challenge. When he didn't seem to waiver, her expression changed to match the new seriousness of the conversation. "Hold on - are you being serious right now?" It was hard to tell. Hell, it was hard to tell with him at least 50% of the time. Having to stay cool under pressure on the field translated into every aspect of his life it seemed.

Aaron: Aaron chuckled at her response to her full name. He knew it had been awhile since she had heard that. When he was asked if he was being serious, he nodded. Was she being serious? They weren't a serious couple - they were constantly going back and forth. The two of them were very quick witted. But this? This seemed different. It didn't seem like a joke and Aaron didn't want to take it as a joke. "I've never been more serious about anything in my life."

Olivia: Everything seemed to change from them just joking around to a serious conversation in the blink of an eye and it took the woman just a moment to adjust. "I was just - wow.." she said, a small chuckle following her words. When she'd said that they should get married it was all in jest but now - well, now she was thinking about it. Was this fast? Yes. But if all the time they'd spent together was factored in this was the logical next step. "Yea. Um - Ok. Yea. I mean, Yes. Lets do this then." She was almost in disbelief that any of this was happening.

Aaron: "You sure?" He asked, brushing a strand of her dark hour out of her face as he looked into her eyes. "I know I want this, and I'd marry you tomorrow if I could," He told her. He knew Olivia wanted this as well, but her disbelief threw him off for a moment. He wanted her to be sure before they officially became engaged. Of course, this isn't how Aaron imagined a proposal, but if she was sure, he was going to re-do this whole proposal. The Aaron way. The proposal she deserved with the ring she deserved. He wasn't about to tell her all that, though. It would be a surprise.

Olivia: All of this was unexpected, but it didn't mean that she didn't want it. She'd actually wanted it for a long time now. The fact that he wasn't ready was what had driven them apart the first time. But none of that seemed to be the problem now. The daze of the whole thing finally left Olivia and she was nodding in agreement to this whole engagement thing. "Yea, I'm sure. I've been sure for..well, forever basically," she laughed lightly. "Lets do it soon then. Ya know, so you don't change your mind or anything," she joked, knowing that this time the man wasn't about to turn back.

Aaron: "Alright, Soon-to-be Mrs. Rodgers," He grinned and leaned down to kiss her. The whole thing was casual, but right. It was perfect in their own little way. They had an extensive history - it wasn't like they were getting married after only a few weeks of dating. They had spent at least a year together before breaking up due to being in different places in their lives. Now, the timing was right and, well, everything was /right/. "How about in two weeks? Earth Day. April 22nd." It wasn't like they couldn't make it work in two weeks time. They both had money to expedite the whole thing. He was sure the pregnancy rumors were sure to come along with a quickie wedding and he didn't mind. He always found gossip comical. "We have a lot of planning to do." Or a wedding planner had a lot of planning to do. Whichever Olivia wanted.

Olivia: The words he spoke brought a small smile to her face, she couldn't help it. /Soon-to-be Mrs. Rodgers/ was what she wanted to be before the two of them split. A split that was mainly due to the fact that she wanted to to be Mrs. Rodgers. It made the sudden engagement that much more significant to her; she believed he was ready to be in a relationship with her but getting married was a whole different level and he was standing in front of her saying he was ready for that. She nodded in agreement to everything he said, she was totally on board. "Know the weirdest thing about all this? That you know when Earth Day is," she laughed right before leaning up and pressing her lips to his. She had a feeling whatever plans they may have made for the evening were quickly turning into spending the day in bed - sans clothing.

Porcelain features altered, displaying an exasperated look, upon perceiving the veracity behind his unforeseen visit. Droplets of rain descended from the gloomy sky stretched overhead, bathing the environment surrounding them. In return, it was also scouring the crime scene of any shred of evidence it once contained. "Alright, I don't want any more FED's out here, this is ( my ) case." A possessive and ornery response flooded colorless lips. Greed often accompanied the life of a detective. The glory, the incogitable pleasure of making an arrest, pulling a perpetrator from the streets, and providing a grieving family with ( some ) sense of peace. It was exhilarating and unlike anything, he's ever experienced. The blonde placated her initial anger, replacing it with... was that jealousy he was detecting? Annoyance? Irascibility that he harbored more experience on this particular case than she did? A body severed in two perfectly clean halves. Should he really feel ( honored ) to be the insightful creep on detached corpses scattered around Beacon Hills? Suddenly, he felt queasy. Stiles elevated his hands in surrender. "Look, I'm not trying to step on any toes, okay? I came alone. Not that I would actually extend an invitation of ( any ) kind to the morons I'm forced to work with, anyway.." The detective vocalized aimlessly, just as he typically had. The necromancer conveyed evident distress in their current setting. Stiles allowed caramel optics to shift toward the decrepit Hale residence, severely damaged from blazing embers and abandoned. "You? Scared? The girl who makes a livelihood out of mingling with ghosts?" Brows furrowed, gaze shifting back toward cerulean irises. The dainty female ambled down the slippery grass and toward the outskirts of the forest, Stiles following suit behind her. "Yeah, because the morgue is a far more convivial ambiance," his sardonic tongue presented itself as he chuckled. "Back to carting your pedestrian ass around in my jeep. Yup, sure is good to be home." * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Linoleum flooring, outdated wallpaper, and archaic artistry littered the corridor walls. Stiles shoved his hands into the deep pockets of his ebony jacket as the duo approached the entryway of the morgue. Before entering, the blonde concluded their silence, her vocals halting him abruptly, her azure optics meeting his bronze ones. "John doesn't know what I am. He hired me because of you. Not because I'm a good detective or a necromancer. He hired me because of you." Brows furrowed, lips pursing as he scrutinized her features. "This may come as a tremendous shock to you, but I don't exactly have much pull when it comes to my dad. He recognizes greatness when he sees it, Aaron." Before either of them could utter another word, the examiner elevated his gaze toward the two occupying the threshold. Aaron entered the moderately sized room first, Stiles in tow. The two engaged in minor conversation, entering the room further. Half of the deceased corpse sprawled across the examination table where the male, he now knew as David, had previously been scrutinizing it. Elevating his gaze, he caught the thick rims of the glasses situated upon the examiner's nose. The middle-aged male had been glowing and gleeful. It was rather morbid considering the setting and circumstances. "It's little Stiles!" The balding man exclaimed blithely, "I've heard so much about you; son." Before Stiles had a chance to vocalize a word, David was already reaching for his hand. A repugnant liquid attached to his calloused digits, bronze optics observing the vile fluid with a grimace. "Sorry about the corpse juice..." Lips parted, hand elevated as if it were diseased. "You just said━" Stiles moistened his bottom tier, rolling his shoulders back. "It's fine, it's always been a dream of mine to take back a grotesque souvenir from the morgue," he muttered sarcastically, snagging a towel from the surface of the counter to sterilize his hand. Aaron engrossed in conversation with her longtime pal whilst Stiles inspected the body visually. The incision was far from clean, it was rigid and rushed. This was the handiwork of an amateur which typically meant the suspect was a half-wit hiding in plain sight. "Wood Tavern," Stiles blurted out, meddling into their conversation regarding the finest cuisine, particularly steak, in Beacon Hills. "Yeah, I know that place. Can't tell you how many times Scott and I edged our way in with poorly constructed fake I.D's." "I don't think I'm going to be able to do much with just one half," Aaron explained after David excused himself from the room. "Especially the bottom half. Kind of like, y'know, impersonal, right?" Stiles admitted with a shrug, examining the body further. "And she was more than likely trekking through the woods considering the lacerations on her feet, probably caught a few rocks, splinters.." "Are you hungry? We can discuss over a bite." Stiles elevated his gaze, caramel optics observing her, "definitely, all this time spent observing a decaying body was bound to work up an appetite, right?" * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Defeating melodies and boisterous party-goers occupied the tavern. A pool table inhabited the back corner of the expanse, a slew of rowdy male's undoubtedly playing for money as multiple women gawked. A couple of older gentlemen were situated on the bar stools, knocking back their fifth stein of beer with unbalanced limbs. "Safe to say that we picked the ( worst ) possible day to turn this into a potential crime scene," Stiles spoke loudly into the ear of his petite guest. "I'm starting to feel out of place being the only sober one present tonight." "Not the only one! I'm just buzzed," the bartender behind the counter eavesdropped, turning to reveal his face. Jet black hair, deep cerulean eyes, and a pale complexion. Stiles recognized the male immediately. "Greenberg? Still in Beacon Hills? Thought Coach would have driven you out directly after graduation.." Stiles admitted as he rested lithe digits over the sleek surface of the counter. "Actually, Coach drove me right into bartending school." "Coach... drove you to this conclusive career opportunity?" Stiles inquired, puzzled. "I've had a lot more experience with alcoholics than you think. Coach was just one of many and I've had the utmost privilege of tossing him out of the bar more than once." Greenberg chuckled fondly at the memory. "Well that's, uh, very.."the detective ran calloused digits along his stubbled chin before tossing his hand out to the side to emphasize his thought, "revenge of the nerds of you.." Stiles cleared his throat, making eye contact with Aaron before changing the subject. "Look, man, truth be told we were kind of hoping to review some of the security camera footage from Wednesday night." He slipped his hand into his pocket to retrieve his badge, flashing it to his previous classmate turned bartender. "Oh. Well.." He trailed off, eyes shifting to Aaron before agreeing, "yeah, sure.." Greenberg analyzed the badge, nodding his head toward the backroom in which he led them. The noise diminished once they exited the party, door closing behind them. A moderately sized room with a few televisions sectioned into squares revealed various areas of the bar occupied a desk filled with numerous trinkets. Greenberg tapped a few buttons on the security system before time-stamped footage of Wednesday night popped up. "You can start it whenever you're ready," he smiled almost flirtatiously at Aaron, "can I get you anything?" He more so questioned the blonde. "Yes! Order of curly fries. I haven't eaten a freakin' thing since the plane ride." Stiles admitted, slipping into the uncomfortable chair in front of the monitor. "Well, I mean, unless you count a poorly constructed free meal consisting of dry chicken and overly salted vegetables.." "I was actually talking to Aaron," Greenberg interrupted, optics shifting back toward the necromancer. Once his answer was received, he exited, leaving the pair of detectives alone. "I'd say Greenberg still has a bit of a crush. I could practically see the sparks between the two of you. I can definitely see a potential date in the near future," Stiles teased, hovering his finger over the play button on the remote. "I'm ready to hunt down our Jane Doe when you are," he finished, waiting for her to agree to the kickoff of the video.