#it banned slavery but said it was okay if you wanted to be a slave and could revoke it anytime
Text
Charles & Ollie: Chapter 5
Sorry this took so long to get out. This is a direct continuation of chapter 4, it happens right after.
Master list
CW: pet whump, legal slavery, thinking caretaker is a whumper, fear of vivisection, fear of dying, low self esteem, begging for punishment, implied past torture, begging, panic attack, self dehumanization (like dehumanizing thoughts about oneself)
———
Charles was very frustrated. His newest painting was just banned from appearing at a show because it was “too graphic” for the teenagers that would be at the event. Small children weren’t allowed at any of his showings because of violence, that was understandable and necessary, but teenagers could handle this. Charles was sure of it.
But there was nothing he could do. Perhaps he’ll save the painting and arrange an adult-only showing sometime.
In the mean time, he’d have to store it somewhere. Usually, any paintings that weren’t at an art gallery or bought by someone were hung around the house or completely covered the walls in his studio. But this one seemed to scare Ollie quite a bit (almost certainly due to the fact to displayed him bleeding out on a surgery table), so it’ll have to be placed somewhere else. Maybe in secondary office downstairs? Ollie rarely went in there, so that should be good.
Speaking of his little muse though, where had he gone off to? It’d be nice to take him out for ice cream and go to a park. Such an activity would release Charles’s stress and also show Ollie that he didn’t have to be hurt in that process. A win-win.
“Ollie, darling? Can you come here please?” He called, gathering up his phone, keys, and wallet.
Ollie’s footsteps seemed more hurried today, which usually meant something was wrong. Maybe he didn’t finish the chores he insisted on doing and subsequently thought he would punished? Charles turned around, ready to calm him, only to be shocked by the sheer terror on the muse’s face. Much more fear than usual.
“Darling, what-?”
“P-p-please not the surgery painting. Please, p-please, M-master, I’ll do anything. W-whatever you w-want, but please! Hnng, P-please not the s-surgery.”
Ollie hadn’t called Charles “Master” in a while and was stuttering a lot more than usual. Something was definitely very wrong.
“Ollie, what’s going on? What happened with the surgery painting? Darling?”
“P-p-please, please b-beat me, y-yell at m-me, w-whip me, d-do w-whatever you w-want. I-I am yours, y-your slave t-to hurt as you p-p-please. B-but don’t m-make me r-r-recre-…r-recreate-“ Ollie’s breathing was getting worse and he was seriously struggling to speak, but he somehow managed to push through it. “D-don’t make m-me do th-the s-s-sur-… the s-surgery pa- p-painting…“
With that last barely finished sentence Ollie collapsed into a strained breaths, sobbing, and whispered apologies. Meanwhile, Charles tried desperately to think of a way to comfort him while attempting to not start crying himself. He was definitely not cut out for handling emotions.
Ollie was so terrified and yet he pushed through it just in an effort to be good and try to be worthy of a slightly less cruel punishment. And recreate the surgery painting?? The one that depicted someone literally dying from a very botched surgery? And Ollie thought that was something that he deserved?
What on earth did Ollie do, anyway?
No, stay focused! Charles reminded himself. I need to comfort the kid, make him feel safe. He thought to himself. Only question is, how was he supposed to do that when he was the thing Ollie feared the most?
Salt! Something he saw the other day said he could use salt and water for panic attacks. Running to the kitchen, he only had to pray that that was true.
“Hey, Ollie, put this in your mouth and when your ready, drink this. It’s not a punishment, alright? Just let it sit on your tongue.” Charles gave him a minute before speaking again.
“Can you copy my breathing? You’re already doing great, but let’s get you fully calmed down, okay? So just copy me. Breathe in… and out. Breathe in… and out. One more. In… and out again. Good, good job darling. I’m very proud of you.”
Ollie managed a weak smile, quite possibly just to please Charles, but the fact he could do that despite his previous terror was probably a good thing.
“Do you feel up to telling me what’s wrong? If not, that’s okay. But I’d like to help and I can only do that if I know what’s wrong.”
Ollie sniffed and wiped his tears, seeming to be trying to collect his thoughts. The older man gave him time to do so.
“W-well, Master- er, Mr. Charles, I mean,” Ollie risked a worried glance, but seeing Charles wasn’t upset by the mistake, he continued.
“I overheard your conversation on the phone, it was an accident, I know it was wrong b-but it really w-was an accident, I promise. But, um, anyway, I h-heard that the surgery p-painting w-wouldn’t be allowed in your next show. Um, I kn-knew it must have been m-my fault that it wasn’t a-allowed. B-because you w-would never have m-made a mistake but I’m j-just a dumb d-dog, I k-know. I’m so sorry, I promise I can be b-better next time, please tell me what I did wrong and give me another chance, Mr. Charles. I swear I can be good, please believe me.”
Charles heart broke more and more as Ollie went on. His fault? How on earth could that be Ollie’s fault? But of course, Ollie thinks almost everything is somehow his responsibility and he is to blame when things go wrong.
“Oh, my precious muse, no! It’s not your fault, not at all. You were perfect, really. The art show that it was originally going to be shown at is going to have a bit of a younger audience. Because of that, the gallery said the painting was too graphic for them, that’s all. It isn’t your fault sweetheart, I promise.”
Charles waited a few seconds but Ollie didn’t say anything. Was this even helpful? Should he pat Ollie’s back or something? Oh, why did he of all people decide to take in a former slave? He was so terrible at this.
“…Ollie?”
“Oh, um, sorry Mr. Charles. I was lost in thought, I promise I wasn’t trying to ignore you. I’m sorry, really.”
“No, no, it’s okay darling. I just- oh never mind. What were you thinking about, if you don’t mind me asking?”
Ollie played with his pant cuff, seeming to try to put it in words.
“I… I guess I’m just in awe of how generous you are, Mr. Charles. You are so very kind to me, a slave who’s only use is to just hold still while you paint. I was useless and bad, but you took me in and cared for me. Thank you so much, Mr. Charles!”
Ollie bowed with his forehead almost touching the floor when saying that last sentence, but got up quickly without having to be asked.
He seemed to be making progress in his recovery, even if it wasn’t much. But it still stung seeing the little guy talk so badly about himself.
Nevertheless, Charles managed a smile for him.
“Of course, darling. I care about you, yes? I want the very best for you. I… well, to me, you are anything but useless and bad. You are my darling muse, my special model. You are very important and cared for here. You… well, I say that you deserve love.”
Ollie looked shocked.
“B-but Master, I know my place, I-“
“Shh, it’s alright.” Again with the Master title. “You didn’t do anything wrong. I am the one saying that you deserve love. You’re good, so good. I’m not trying to trick you or anything like that. You don’t even have to agree with me. But I think you deserve love. That’s all.”
Ollie blinked back tears, thinking.
“O-okay Mr. Charles. If- um. If you say I’m still good, then I’m happy.”
Charles smiled. It wasn’t lost on him that Ollie purposefully ignored the part about him deserving love in his response, but that was fine. Ollie could take all the time he needed in his recovery.
“Come on, then. Let’s go get ice cream and go to the park, hmm? That was why I originally called you over.”
“Alright, Mr. Charles! I’ll get my shoes.” Ollie would never say it, he thought he wasn’t allowed wants. But Charles could see and hear his excitement.
———
Tag list: @whumpzone @whump-me-all-night-long @whumpsweetwhump @thingsthatgo-whump-inthenight @apples-and-whump @professional-idiocy @nicolepascaline @cowboy-anon @wolfeyedwitch
#whump#pet whump#tw fear of vivisection#tw fear of death#tw fear of dying#tw death mention#tw low self esteem#tw dehumanization#tw dehumanizing thoughts#tw begging#tw begging for punishment#tw panic attack#charles durand#Ollie#Charles & Ollie#my writing
86 notes
·
View notes
Text
Privilege
CWs: 17 yo whumpee, slavery universe, police, manhandling, brutality, abuse, everything I write is self indulgent and silly
Masterlist
-----------------------------------
The privilege to watch TV was not given lightly (anymore), but Kensington had managed to earn it. He finished all his chores early on, and was ecstatic to be allowed to sit down and relax for a while. He found a channel that played documentaries and reenactments of murders and kidnappings. They were dark and scary and he couldn’t help but find himself morbidly curious. Some of the bad guys reminded him of someone… He shook the thought away, lounging on the couch with the volume low because Master was home.
He was sick with a cold, but still had to go to a virtual meeting for work. He’d locked himself in his room, laptop on, and told Kensington very sternly to not disturb him.
So he was very confused when Master suddenly opened the door and called his name. “I need you to do something for me,” he said.
Kensington stood, turning off the TV and turning his full attention to his master.
“Okay, I forgot a folder I need for this presentation. I need you to go to my office and grab it for me.”
Kensington felt his eyes widen. “You want me to go into town?” He’d been banned from ever going into town ever since he was late that one time. He’d hardly been outside at all, the fear that Master would think he’d tried to run off or disobey him too strong. His heart jumped at the thought of feeling fresh air and sunlight.
“Yes. To my office. I’ll text Karie and tell her to let you in. It’s the blue folder on my desk in my new office, Karie can show you where it is. Listen, Kensington,” Master said, stepping closer, “I’m trusting you with this. Think of it as a test. Maybe you can earn back the privilege of going into town.”
“Really? I can?” Oh he would love being able to go out again. He hadn’t left the house in weeks, and he really missed the people and things he would see when he went out. Now the whole world consisted of him, Master, and the pain he earned. It would be nice to earn something else.
Master nodded. “It’s 1:32. My presentation slot is at 2:30. There’s no way this should take you more than half an hour at most, but you have until 2:15. Kensington?” He raised his eyebrows and stared at him seriously. “Do. Not. Be. Late.”
Kensington shook his head, heading to the door to put on the shoes he hardly wore anymore. “I won’t be! I swear to you I won’t be late, I can do it! Thank you Master!” He hurriedly brought his master the collar he was bound by law to wear in public.
It was clipped on and without another word Kensington was out the door, walking downtown.
He’d had to get things from Master’s office before -- on weekends or when he was busy or lazy. It was about a ten minute walk each way. He should have plenty of time to get there and back and prove to Master that he can be trusted.
It was a warm day, with just a slight breeze that his flannel protected him against. He wanted to go slowly, feeling the sunlight and the breeze. He wanted to watch everyone else walking on the streets, both slaves and free people alike. He wanted to enjoy it, but he only allowed himself a few glances here and there. His attention was on his task, on making the right turns and crossing the streets and just getting there and back on time.
Kensington pushed open the heavy doors to the office building, feeling a bit self conscious as he made his way to the stairs. He was suddenly acutely aware of the fact that he had not interacted with or even seen someone that wasn’t his master or his master’s friends in weeks. He used to make small conversation with different people every day when he got the mail or groceries … he missed it.
He had to get home soon.
He nervously opened the door to the office, the fluorescent lights and smell of cleaner assaulting him. A young woman with pretty dark skin, Karie, looked up as he opened the door.
“Kensington right? You’re here for Grayson’s stuff?” He nodded, straightening his shirt. She stood up, leaning over her desk to point at a dark office in the corner. “That’s his.”
“Thanks,” he said quietly, heading to it. Heads turned and watched him as he walked across the floor, but Kensington tried to ignore them.
It was something he had to learn to get used to, the stares. Slaves were a novelty to some people, something they didn’t see or associate with in their normal lives. People stared. They saw the collar and the barcode on the top of his hand and couldn’t look away, like seeing a bad car crash. Except the car crash was a societal mistake that damned Kensington and a million others to a life of painful servitude.
He shook his head as he entered the office and took the folder. Weird thoughts like that kept making their way into his head, things he never would have thought about before. Things he would get beaten for if he spoke them aloud.
Kensington and everyone around him jumped suddenly as the intercom speaker jumped to life, the lights on the fire alarms flashing silently.
“Everyone in the building, report to the lobby immediately. I repeat: everyone in the building report to the lobby immediately.”
Employees stood up, heading to the door. Some looked confused, maybe a little scared, but most seemed bored or annoyed. Kensington had no choice but to follow them all, clutching the folder close to his chest.
The lobby was full of disgruntled and puzzled employees from the different companies housed in the office building. It was loud, crowded and confusing, and the lights kept flashing on the fire alarms. None of that was what made Kensington nervous though -- it was the police officers lined up by the door and around the walls.
Kensington had never come face to face with a police officer before, but he’d heard stories of those who had. Free people had power over slaves, and so they were treated badly. It was a simple fact of life. But the police had power over the free people, which meant that slaves were worth even less to them. While most people might hesitate over unnecessarily harming a slave, officers wouldn’t and didn’t think twice.
One of the officers held a microphone. “Atten--” Kensington flinched at the feedback. “Attention! Thank you all for coopera--”
“Why are we down here?” a man yelled.
“Yeah, can we go back to work?”
“I was in a meeting!”
The officer pushed a button on the megaphone and a loud sound went off, silencing the room and making Kensington cover his ears.
“Remain calm! We got a bomb threat called in at this location. Now there is no -- there is no need to panic! HEY! …Thank you. We’re searching the building as a safety measure, but it is most likely a hoax. This isn’t the first call we’ve gotten this week. But we need everyone in the building to stay in the lobby. No one goes in or out until we give the all clear.”
Kensington’s heart dropped.
“How long will this take?” a woman asked.
“We’ll have you all back to work in under an hour.”
The crowd began protesting once again, but the officer only turned off the megaphone and signaled for some other police to head into the building, fanning out and down hallways. Kensington pressed himself against the wall as they passed by him, one or two making a face at his collar.
His heart pounded in his chest. The last time he was late Master had exploited one of his biggest fears and locked him in a dark closet for days. He had been banned from going outside and having any connection with the outside world. Kensington had swore he’d be home on time with the papers, he had even been given extra time to do it!
The clock on the wall read 1:46. He had half an hour before he was due home. Under normal circumstances, Kensington would have done everything in his power to stay out of the way and then wordlessly slip out once the search was over. These circumstances, however, were not normal. He had been trusted to complete a very important task and only had a half an hour to get home and return to his master, who he was pretty sure had severe anger issues--
Kensington shook the thoughts away, scanning the room. His eyes landed on a female officer several inches shorter than him. She didn’t look particularly approachable, but she was the only officer physically smaller than Kensington, so if she decided to hurt him it wouldn’t be too bad. Compared to the others at least.
He took a deep breath and walked forward. She caught sight of him immediately and didn’t move as he approached her, eyes on his collar. He opened his mouth to speak.
“What’s your business in this building?” she asked first.
He blinked. “What?”
“Do you belong to a business here?”
“Oh. No, I was sent here by my master. To get something for him.” He held up the folder uselessly.
She narrowed her dark eyes. “Hmm.”
Kensington wished he could read her nametag. It would help her seem less terrifying, he thought, if she had a name. “Um, listen, I -- I have to go. My master needs this and it’s a ten --”
“No one’s leaving,” she said curtly.
Kensington cleared his throat, ignoring the alarm bells going off in his brain telling him to shut up. “Yeah, I know, but I really have to get home. I have to be back with this folder by 2:15. My master said --”
“Boy!” she shouted. Heads turned their direction. Kensington lowered his head, hands trembling around the folder. “No one is leaving the building until the all-clear has been given.”
He swallowed. “Please, Officer,” he said quietly, “please let me go home. I need to go home. You don’t know what my master will do if --“
“I don’t. Nor do I care. So, slave, I am giving you one last chance to drop it and back off. I suggest you take it.”
He wanted to. Oh, Kensington really really wanted to. He was shaking and scared and tears were shining in his eyes, but the mere thought of the punishment he would face if he was late -- the knife, the whip, the closet, the breeders -- forced his fragile bravery to cross the thin line into foolishness
“Officer please, I am begging you, I need to leave. I have to get home, please let me go home!”
He took a step closer, gesturing towards the door, but before he could even turn to look in the direction his arm was pointing, the officer had jumped forward and pushed him up against the wall, one hand gripping his flannel and the other forearm pressed against his throat. His collar dug in uncomfortably as he stared at her with wide eyes, his too-fast breaths making it tighten even more.
She spoke through a clenched jaw. “You are on very thin ice, slave, do you understand me?” When Kensington didn’t answer she dug her arm into his throat even more, making him gasp. “Do you understand me?!”
“Y-yes! Yes ma’am!”
She pushed off of him, and he coughed and gasped for air. Almost everyone in the lobby was watching them now. He thought he saw someone with their camera. “Sit against the wall. Hands where I can see them.”
Kensington slid down the wall, knees drawn up and hands resting on them. His jaw trembled, tears still not yet fallen.
“And I’ll take this,” the officer said, taking the blue folder.
No. No no Kensington had failed in every conceivable way at his task except for the fact that he had at least gotten the blue folder. Now when he went home later Master would only see his stupid empty-handed slave and think that he was too inept to even attempt the order.
“Wait!” Kensington didn’t think, he only began to move, one hand on the wall for support, the other reaching out. “Wait no, that’s my master’s--!”
The officer didn’t say a word as she tore the baton from her belt and turned on Kensington. He hardly had time to curl against the wall, hands over his head protectively, before she brought it down on his back.
Kensington didn’t scream, not even when she hit him two more times just because she felt like it. He grit his teeth and powered through despite the ever-constant pain in his ribs worsening. The tears finally fell, but he never sobbed like he wanted to. He kept quiet and took it like a good slave, opening his eyes again once she left.
No, Kensington didn’t scream. He would save that for his punishment at home, once his master saw that he had failed him.
-----------------------------------
Kensington walked slowly home a little over two hours later. The search had ended a bit before, but the officer wouldn’t let him leave -- arguing with her superiors that he should be brought in. She eventually, reluctantly, let him go.
He never saw the blue folder again.
The thought of the punishment he would receive at home made him consider just running away. It wasn’t like he had anything there. But if he was caught, and Master found out, the punishment would be even worse than whatever he was going to get now.
He paused in front of the door, hand hovering over the handle. Maybe he would just beat him. Or take away food for a bit. As horrible as being locked up is, he’d even be okay with that, so long as he knew he would be let out eventually. Anything besides being sold to the breeders. That was the only thing he knew he wouldn’t survive.
Kensington closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and opened the door, tentatively stepping inside.
Master wasn’t waiting behind the door, waiting to pull him in and beat him like last time. Instead he was seated on the couch, some video game playing on the TV. He glanced back when the door closed and Kensington tensed up all over.
“Hey, Kensington,” he said, looking back at his game. “They keep you a while?”
“Um, yes.” He waited for a moment before speaking again, heart pounding. “I’m sorry. I didn’t … I didn’t get your folder.”
“Hmm? Oh Karie told me she got it from the cops. Meeting was cut short anyway, the VP leading it was in the building.”
He let out a breath, stepping away from the door and taking off his shoes. “Oh.”
“Yeah, crazy stuff.” He said nothing else, turning his attention fully to his game.
Kensington waited a little longer, not quite believing his luck. He wanted, more than anything, to take full advantage of his distracted mood and head to his room, but he couldn’t quite yet.
“Master?” he asked quietly. “Um, did -- do I -- uh, did I earn it back? Going outside?”
He didn’t answer for along moment, taking time to pause his game and set down the controller before turning around. “Well, Kensington,” he said, looking dramatically at his watch, “it’s well past 2:15 isn’t it?”
Kensington felt his face fall as he nodded.
“Hmm. Maybe next time.”
Kensington watched Master turn back again before walking away. Master had taken his bedroom door off the hinges after the incident where Kensington had locked him out, so he didn’t head there. Instead he went to the half-bath next to it, closing and locking the door before sliding to the ground and letting the tears fall. It was the only way he got any privacy to cry.
-----------------------------------
Taglist: @batfacedliar-yetagain
#i have ideas for kensi comfort#but i gotta get all my torture urges out#my boy kensi#whump#minor whumpee#slavery whump#police tw#manhandling tw#brutality tw#abuse tw#the horrible grayson wayne
30 notes
·
View notes
Text
Hello. I am, as you know, an American. I turned eighteen in 2014, voted in my first presidential election in 2016, and voted in my second presidential election last week via early voting in the state of Texas.
I’m reflecting right now on the difference between those experiences. This is going to be a very self-indulgent essay.
The 2016 election was in my third and final year of undergrad at Texas A&M University. At the time, I was living with a roommate who grew up in a town of 2,000, all of them members of her church. I loved her very much, but she was the most sheltered person I’ve ever met.
I was only a few years ahead of her. My home growing up was deeply liberal about many of the things that counted, but deeply conservative on equally important things. For me, leaving for college was a radicalization speed-run.
I, a good Memphis girl, moved to Texas and encountered for the first time in my life white homogeny and everything that comes with it. I made most of my friends at A&M through a Christian orientation camp that I attended, then worked at. I went to school at a history department that was overwhelmingly male and war-obsessed.
My second semester, I was randomly sorted into a writing seminar on the American Civil War and Reconstruction. There were eight other students in that class, all of them Texans. By day two I had gotten into a open fight with one of my classmates after he used the phrases “one of the humane parts of slavery” and “the secession declarations are moving and beautiful appeals, if you read them,” and “well I’m not going to criticize my own state.”
We got into at least one yelling match per week from that point forward. It was a formative experience for me-- not just him but the seven other students that took his side every time because they just couldn’t conceptualize anything outside of their own experiences, and frankly, I couldn’t either.
It rocked my world to be surrounded by people who told me, among other things, that their high schools flew the Confederate battle flag or Lee was their all time role-model (because he actually didn’t want to secede! He didn’t believe in it, but Virginia did, so he put his own qualms aside and served his country, and that’s what we all have to do). I ran a survey once by knocking on every door in a dorm hall and asking the two people inside why the Civil War happened.
I feel like you can guess the most common answer I got. Only two said slavery. Six didn’t know what the Civil War was.
The last week of the semester, my class read a collection of recorded oral accounts of freed slaves during Reconstruction. My nemesis told me that he “didn’t realize black people actually had it bad.” At the same time, I was struggling with my sexuality, my relationship to my religion, my relationship with my parents, and a handful of newly-diagnosed but long-existing mental illnesses. I wasn’t having fun.
Over the next three years, I tried my hardest to humanize the people that said disgusting things about minorities, poverty, and me personally. I barely won on that one, and I’m actually really proud that I did, even if it took me a few years. I can trace the biggest change in me directly to my nemesis from the history department, the kid that made me so mad that I started arguing back. I was too scared to do that before.
By 2016, I was in full existential spin-out-- a very suddenly liberal kid fighting my whole family, all of my classmates, and most of my friends in an explosive political climate, the first I had ever participated in.
I voted by Tennessee absentee ballot in 2016. On election night, I ordered takeout for me and my roommate, who I knew had voted red. Confident, like pretty much everybody, that Clinton would win, I was trying to show her that I didn’t hate her. She went to bed after dinner, also so certain that Clinton would win that she didn’t bother to stay up.
I sat in front of my laptop sewing a birthday present for a friend (Kenza, actually), while the votes came in. I wasn’t super alarmed when the map turned red. I just figured the blue states hadn’t finished counting yet.
The map didn’t get any bluer. By 1am, I knew what was about to happen. They called it an hour later, while I was sobbing on my floor. I threw up in the bathroom out of pure anxiety. I got two anonymous messages telling me the asker was going to commit suicide. Neither of them responded to my replies. I don’t actually know what happened to them.
I remember riding the bus to class the next morning and distinctly seeing that most of the racial minorities there had swollen eyes from crying. The girl with the pride stickers all over her laptop didn’t show up that day, and I’m kind of glad she didn’t, considering the way some of our classmates in the back were loudly talking about “the gays.” Hope she’s okay.
My roommate came home completely unaware that Clinton lost. I was crying in my room when that happened. I remember showing her a demographic map of who voted which way. She got visibly upset when she figured out what races how. I think she really did feel guilty.
That Thanksgiving, one of my cousins tweeted, “I can’t wait to go argue with my liberal cousin today. The wins. Keep. Coming,” an hour before he walked into my house. Inauguration day was January 20, 2017. I decided to go to law school a week later, the day the president signed the Muslim ban. That’s when I figured out for the first time just how much power the courts have. The last three years have only enforced that.
I got angrier and angrier during law school, egged on by a few friends but more than anything just... finally conscious of exactly how the American system works and exactly who’s behind it. I still live in Texas, farther west now, and I’m working my first legal job. I’m going to be a licensed attorney next week.
I went back and forth for months about how this election was going to shake out. I knew there wasn’t going to be an overwhelming red majority this time, but my big fear was an election close enough that the Supreme Court could take it. That fear doubled last month, at RBG’s death.
I was hoping for a blue enough victory on election night that there wouldn’t be a week of uncertainty, but that was unlikely, and it didn’t happen. I obsessively refreshed my election map all of Wednesday and Thursday, aware that at least some states would flip after mail-in ballots came in, but unsure which would.
Again, my great fear was a blue victory held down by only one state. Given (I would say “any” chance here, but I don’t mean “any” chance because genuinely jurisdiction or facts or legal merit don’t matter to the Supreme Court) an opportunity to make one (1) decision that hands over a red election, please know that a conservative supermajority would take it. I cannot emphasize enough how true that is and how important it is for all of us to grasp that.
Watching Georgia flip was one of the best experiences of my life, and it’s a little hard for me to articulate why, but I’m going to give it a shot here. I��m southern. I’m from the South, and for this conversation it’s really important that I’m from Memphis, a black city and a center of black music and culture.
When people think about the South, they think of the white South, and on some level, they should. It is absolutely essential to understand the white South in order to understand American history. Let me be 100% clear here. That is not a good thing. American majority history is not good. We are not a good country.
It’s near-impossible to understand why that’s true without knowing exactly what happened in the white South and exactly what is still happening there now. With that, however, is another truth that most folks don’t get.
The SouthTM is white and needs to die. The South as it actually exists is partially white yes, but it is also everyone else that lives here, particularly black folks. Southern culture is black, not white. Georgia flipped because the people that have always, always been there finally got to crack apart the conservative machine holding the South hostage.
That’s amazing. It’s fucking mind-blowing. I watched it happen at 3:30 in the morning days after Election Day, and holy shit holy shit, Georgia flipped. Atlanta won. Holy fucking shit.
I would be terrified right now if only Georgia flipped, because SCOTUS would have found a way to throw out a few thousand votes. Inevitable. Absolutely certain on that one.
With a few states of buffer, I don’t think that’s going to happen. I really do think it’s over.
I came home after work on Friday and immediately went to sleep because I hadn’t really done that since Tuesday. I woke up at noon today, checked the map, checked my messages, and saw what happened while I was gone. After that, I went back to bed until 5:30pm. I’m really just getting up now, after most of 24 hours asleep.
I don’t know if I would say that I’m happy right now, but I am overwhelmingly relieved. I’m under no illusions that a Biden victory will solve everything, but I also do think this is a real thing to celebrate. I’ll take suggestions on how to celebrate right now, actually, since I’m finally awake.
I’ll be angry forever, I think, but this is a good thing, and I’d like to enjoy it. If you’re happy right now, hey, tell me about it. I’ll be thrilled with you. I want to hear it. Congrats to all of us. Love y’all.
#that's me rambling thanks and gig em#there are some things to tag here huh#uspol#politics#suicide#this would be a good time to remind everybody that i am white#so take that into account re: Georgia#personal i guess#not comics sorry
128 notes
·
View notes
Text
Hannah Till
I've been doing some research into the support staff at Washington's headquarters (Valley Forge edition) and have become fascinated with two individuals: Margaret Thomas and Hannah Till. Thomas was HQ laundress and Till was the cook, the former was a freeborn black woman who joined the staff in Cambridge in 1776. Till and her husband Isaac, were enslaved and "rented out" (horrible, I know) to Washington. The agreement was that money would be set aside from their salaries to allow them to buy their freedom, which they eventually did. After they left WAshington they went to live in Philadelphia and set up a culinary business, a very popular line of work in the black community there.
Allthingsliberty.com has a nice article on Hannah which I have linked below (Hopefully correctly, I'm new at this blogging thing!)
As good as the article is it repeats an error I have seen about Hannah Till other websites: her age. A historian who interviewed her in 1824 says she was 102, that would mean she was born around 1722 but that can't be right. The article lists the date of birth of her first child as 1760, which would have made her nearly forty at the time. Not impossible but we know she had a child, Isaac, while working at Valley Forge which would have made her over fifty. Okay, that's kind of old for a mother but not impossible, except she then had another child in 1780, or maybe after that, which would have made her nearly sixty and one of the oldest mothers on record!
This is one of those times when searching on the internet gets frustrating because you see an error that gets repeated over and over and you think "am I the the only one who sees this?" As a lowly amateur historian I feel the need to point out these anomalies that others (especially those with more time and resources) overlook. It might seem that Hannah's birth year is a little mistake but when it can easily be called into question you have to ask what other things are not getting a critical eye?
So why did that historian in 1824 think Hannah Till was 102? Because that is how old she said she was. And wouldn't she know? Well, maybe. It was quite common for many enslaved people not to know their birth year. Unless something memorable happened at the time the best you could do was guess. However, in Hannah's case I think there was something else going on. Whether she knew the actual year of her birth I think she said she was 102 because that made her one of the oldest, if not THE oldest, person in Philadelphia, maybe the whole country. And why not grab a bit of 100-year-old fame.
And who's going to call her out? The reason why that historian was paying a visit is because, aside from Lafayette, she's one of the last people standing from the revolutionary war days. In fact Lafayette paid her a call on his famous tour of America, and by that time she was claiming to be 104. Hannah had cooked for him for a time so he knew her well. Did he know her real age? I doubt it but even if he did why would he want to rain on her hundred-year-old parade? Gilbert was a sweetheart and that's how he rolled, and Hannah loved Lafayette. "Truly he was a gentleman to meet and to follow!" As for Washington not so much:
-I asked her if he (Washington) ever swore; she answered, that ideas about religion were not very strict, and that she thought that he did not strictly guard against it in times of high excitements, and that she well remembered that on one provocation with her, he called her c—d [colored] fool.-
Sweet Jesus, I would love to know what the "provocation" was. George also had some issue with Margaret Thomas (which I will explore in a another post) which proves to me, at least, that he just could not handle us mouthy Black women.
Another thing I would like to know is how HQ handled Hannah's pregnancy. I know she probably worked up until her water broke but I can find nothing about where she gave birth. I don't think it was in the Potts house because they were pressed for space and nothing has survived of anyone commenting on the birth. And how long did baby Isaac stay there? I'm sure he eventually got sent to whomever was caring for her other children but I would really like to know if he was crawling about and getting under foot.
And now a vision has come to me: George Washington gets provoked after stepping into a pool of baby vomit.
Hilarity ensues.
6 notes
·
View notes
Note
Hey Padawanlost I haven't ever asked but could the Jedi win the war without the clones? Because I don't think the Jedi had any other option. I am not saying they are right but could you tell me how can the Jedi win the war without the clones?
Hey anon! There’s a planet called Earth that has its people have been killing each other and waging war since day one rather successfully and, as far as I know, no clone army has ever been used. Of course, you might argue that it’s different because it’s citizens dying but I’d counter argue that clone lives are as valuable as any other life in the world and the fact they were robbed of their citizenship doesn’t justify them being dehumanized and killed in someone else’s place.
As for the ‘lack of option’ excuse, that’s all it is: an excuse. And it’s one that has been used for years to justify all sort of crime, injustice and persecution including slavery. The slave owners had no choice, what were they supposed to do? Hire people? That’s unheard of! What was the Republic supposed to do? Draft people? that’s impossible!
Seriously now, the ‘they had no choice’ is only a valid justification for a crime – make no mistake, slavery is a crime in both our world and in the GFFA – when the person is under duress and even then their responsibility is still debatable and open for interpretation. And even it was simple legal justification (and not also a moral one), it’d not be one the Jedi Order would fall under. They were never under duress and they had not been stripped of their agency. The were offered a choice between two terrible options, but a choice nevertheless. They could’ve walked away or refused to play generals as many jedi did.
Following the Battle of Geonosis, many Jedi chose to leave the Order rather than serve as generals in the Republic army. Others, such as the Jedi Master Sora Bulq, chose to ally with Count Dooku and fight against the Republic. By the end of the Clone Wars, it seems that the Lost Twenty had been reduced to a footnote in history. [Star Wars: Jedi vs Sith: The Essential Guide to the Force by Ryder Windham]
Each time civilization threatened to topple into ruin, the Jedi faced a momentous decision: Did the Republic’s survival require the Order to intervene directly in its affairs? At various points in galactic history, the Jedi reluctantly decided such intervention was necessary. They stepped in to prevent the young Republic from annihilating the Tionese, plotted in secret to overthrow the Pius Dea chancellory, and served as chancellors while directly ruling large swaths of Republic territory in the chaotic centuries before Ruusan. Each time, the Order surrendered the powers it had assumed, returning to its guardian role. But as the Republic decayed and the Separatists gained strength, the Jedi began to once again debate whether a more activist role was required. By 22 BBY matters had reached a crisis point. This time it was the Supreme Chancellor himself who asked the Jedi to assume a new role: A powerful army awaited Republic command, but the Judicial Forces were ill prepared to lead them. Mindful that the Separatists were led by the Jedi apostate Count Dooku, the Jedi agreed to lead the Grand Army to Geonosis in an attempt to short-circuit the Separatist threat. [The new essential guide to warfare by jason fry]
This wartime bargain caused a rift in the Jedi Order. Some Jedi welcomed the chance to take action, but others saw leading troops as a betrayal of key Jedi precepts. Even Jedi who accepted their new responsibilities were badly strained. They grappled with the morality of leading clones who had been bred for war, and watched Padawans and younger Jedi Knights succumb to impatience and anger, burning for revenge on the Separatists and their leaders. “In this war, a danger there is of losing who we are,” Yoda admitted in one of his darker moments. But the Jedi Grand Master had no idea just how much truth his words held.” [The new essential guide to warfare by jason fry]
They didn’t even have to leave, all they had to say was no. They were not under any kind of legal obligation to lead the army. They did to avoid a political problem and because they were convinced they were better suited for the job. They wanted to protect the Republic because they believed it was their duty. I would hardly classify that as a ‘lack of option’.
To make matters worse, they actually lied about the clone army origin. So they put themselves into a situation where they didn’t have all the answers. They could’ve avoided the whole thing by simply saying ‘we have no idea where this army came from and this should be further investigated.
The Jedi Master rubbed a hand over his forehead and looked to Yoda, who sat with his eyes closed. Probably contemplating the same riddles as he was, Mace knew. And equally troubled, if not more so. “Blind we are, if the development of this clone army we could not see,” Yoda remarked. “I think it is time to inform the Senate that our ability to use the Force has diminished.” “Only the Dark Lords of the Sith know of our weakness,” Yoda replied. “If informed the Senate is, multiply our adversaries will.” For the two Jedi Masters, this surprising development was troubling on several different levels. [R.A. Salvatore. Attack of the Clones]
Anyway, what could have they done other them leaving, refusing or telling the truth? They could’ve done what the governments always do: send their citizens to war. Palpatine wanted the war to be between droids and clones for this version, to avoid the massive citizen outcry. As long as they weren’t the ones dying the public would be much easier to manipulate. As clones as it was only clones dying Palpatine could keep the war going without damaging his popularity.
Corellian senator Shyla Merricope speaks about this during the events leading up the war
The decision comes after a week of closed-door meetings between Bel Iblis and Corellian Diktat Shyla Merricope. When the Military Creation Act vote was announced, Corellia was one of its most outspoken critics, both in the Senate and the planetary government offices in Corellia's capital city of Coronet. "CorSec's men and women will not be drafted into Republic service, to die on a distant world outside of Corellia's borders. Nor will armed forces from other worlds be billeted in our homes." Merricope said in caucus, the day following the vote announcement. She later told the sector's leading newsnet, Corellia Sector Newsfeed, that she would do "whatever possible to preserve the integrity of Corellia for Corellians." Corellia Closes Borders [x]
The war was not the Jedi order’s sole responsibility. It was never up to them alone to fight for the Republic. They were part of the Judicial department, a department that hosted the Judicial Forces the Republic’s main (semi)militarized force. The idea it was the Jedi or nothing is not supported by evidence.
So, no, if they had refused the Republic wouldn’t have been helpless. In fact, many lives would’ve been saved (including Jedi lives) because Palpatine’s ban on peace talks would’ve been unsustainable without an large army to protect the Senate’s interests.
Another option would’ve been droids, a option the Republic refused because clones were cheaper.
So, how could the Jedi win the war without the clones?
By refusing to fight they would've ruined Palpatine’s plans, that’s always a win;
They could’ve demanded peace negotiations, since that was their main job;
They could’ve requested drafting or volunteers.
They could’ve requested droids;
They could’ve let the Judicial Forces take charge;
The Clone Wars were the perfect Jedi trap. By fighting at all, the Jedi lost [Matthew Stover. Revenge of the Sith]
Again, how could the Jedi win the war without the clones? They would’ve never won the war with the clones because the clones were there to kill them. So the best way for them to actually win the war was to refuse to accept the clone army.
But, really, the best solution possible that I can think of, is for the Jedi Council to accept the clone army but ONLY if they are made free. They could easily say it’s a against the Jedi believe to accept a slave army so the Republic would be pushed into giving them rights and actully ask them if they want to fight. So, instead of an army of slaves they would be leading a army of volunteered soldiers. Those who refused to fight could be offered jobs in the outer/mid rim planets to help the local economy and trained protection in case of a separatist invasion.
Let’s not mistake the Republic need to fight with the CIS and the Order’s desire to help with the need for a SLAVE ARMY.
How do you win without a slave army? You don’t use the slave army. Look man, the real question you have to ask yourself is if slavery is ever justified. Because that’s what you are asking me, and my answer will always be NEVER. There’s no situation where using slave labor is a righteous choice. If you think the Jedi had it bad, try looking at the situation from a clone perspective. Ask yourself when it’s okay to breed someone, buy and sell them, shorten their lives, rob them of their childhood, deny them their rights and send them to die for a life they will never, ever be allowed to live.
The only characters who truly didn’t have any choice in this entire story were the clones.
I love the Jedi, I truly do, but I don’t need them to perfect for me to love them and I certainly won’t make excuses for slavery and cruelty just so they can be seem as perfect or righteous. There’s no valid moral justification for slavery and to be honest it saddens me to know some people still think there is.
96 notes
·
View notes
Text
Thomas Jefferson, was a bad person.
Sure, he did some good things for the Colonies, but that's really all he did. He also raped his slave, Sally Hemings. A 14 year old child. Meaning that he impregnated her, leading her to give birth to his son. Although people often say there is no proof that he raped Sally, there is evidence of the crime. In 1784 to 1789, Jefferson lived in France as he was the US Envoy and Minister to France. Whilst moving there, he took a few of those he enslaved, including James Hemings.
Two years after moving to France, Jefferson had requested that his daughter Polly was sent there as well, so that meant Polly would bring her enslaved chamber-maid, 14 year-old Sarah “Sally” Hemings - James’ younger sister. The siblings were both off-spring of Jeffersons’ father-in-law, John Wayles. This means that the two Hemings were half-siblings to Jeffersons’ late wife Martha Wayles Skelton Jefferson. So Thomas, after raping Sally a multitude of times impregnated her in Paris. Her first child had died after her return to America.
She had six other children of Thomas’ in Monticello.
January of 2000, a report done by the Thomas Jefferson Memorial Foundations’ Research Team had managed to conclude that through DNA studies, both primary and secondary documents, as well as oral histories of Jefferson and Hemings descendants and nationally renowned scholars, that there is in fact, a “high probability that Thomas Jefferson fathered Eston Hemings and that he most likely was the father of all six of Sally Hemings’ children appearing in Jefferson’s records.”
As a result of Thomas’ perverted lust for a black child, many during the time period were confused on why he promoted the “Back to Africa” movement. Most who truly knew him as a person knew that he didn’t enjoy the idea of black people going back to their motherland, and gaining independence. The only reason he promoted it was to cover up Hemings’ children, who were, as he called them- his “Shadow family.”
Thomas’ criminal lust after a child of color doesn’t truly affect his character, as in 1776, the time period he wrote the Declaration of Independence, he held 175 black men, women, and children in his ‘custody.’ That number grew to 267 by 1822. Jefferson wasn’t just a slave-holder racist, he was also a legislative racist (legislative - having the power to make laws). As it was pointed out by Joyce Oldham Appleby, Professor Emerita of History at UCLA and former President of the Organization of American Historians and the American Historical Association, as well as Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr., former Professor of History at Harvard University and Professor Emeritus at CUNY Graduate Center. It is said that Jefferson had opposed the practice of slave-holders freeing their slaves as it would incite ‘rebellion.’ Though as pointed out by John E. Ferling, after Thomas had been elected to the Virginia House of Burgess in 1769, he had proposed a law to make it so free people of color were banned from entering and exiting the state, and banish children whose fathers were of African descent. He had also attempted to expel white women who had had children with black men.
Going through all this information, you would think that it couldn’t get much worse than this. Apologies, but it does. As Jefferson was an international racist as well. In his cabinet position as Secretary of State in 1795, he gave 40,000 dollars as well as one thousand firearms to colonial French slaveholders in Haiti as an attempt to thwart Toussaint L’Ouverture’s slave rebellion. Later on as president, lending the French 300,000 dollars “for relief of whites on the island,” as he supported their plans to resume power.
Along with being an international, perverted, and legislative racist, Jefferson was also an ignorant racist. In his book written in 1785, labeled “Notes on the State of Virginia,” he had written “the preference of the ‘oran-outan’ (i.e., an ape-like creature) for the Black women over those of… (its) own species.” He then went on to say that blacks had “a very strong and disagreeable odor” and that they “are inferior to the whites....”
The mistake I made in this is the fact that I am only showing one side of this argument, I am not giving a chance for the other side to make their case, so I will let them. On March 4th, 2018 10:20 AM, a Guest commented on an article that exposed Thomas, they said “What is the point of accusing someone over 200 years ago of being a pedophile? We know that slavery existed, we also know that it was written out of law in 1863. Even with Sally being a slave, who is to say that she did not care for Thomas? Do we have Sally's diary or other written documentation as to how she truly felt about her circumstances? Why are you assuming the status of their relationship (when it is even a crime to assume someone's gender in present times lol)? What is the true purpose of this slanderous article, if only to poke at people who lived over 200 years ago, and to drag Sally and Thomas' descendants through the mud? I'd encourage you to live your life for *today* based on upon your own critical research. Would you want people in 2200 to look back on your life and call you a racist, ignorant, intelligently inferior snowflake - because that's exactly what they are going to do after reading your comments!”
Another guest commented on August 22nd, 2018 at 2:20 AM, “During that time it was common for 14 year olds to marry and have children. So knock off the pedophile bullshit. You assume that Sally and Thomas were not in love with one another, yet have no proof. Twisting bits and pieces of history to suit your pathetic needs. Truly the act of a Coward a.k.a. Coar. Perhaps you should do a bit more research about slavery in Africa and note that the first slave owner in the Americas was black. Perhaps you could also acknowledge the whites who died fighting against slavery during the Covil War and the many whites that marched and died during the civil rights movement. But no, none of that would suit your Racist needs.”
Wow, okay, saying that we don’t acknowledge the whites who died in the ‘Covil War,’ is not true. It is more likely that we acknowledge them more than we do the actual slaves who died during the time period, or the 100 year gap that took place after the war when organizations such as the KKK began. And yes, although it was common for 14 years olds to already be married and have children, it doesn't make it better. We have evolved from that time and have finally realized that kids shouldn’t have sex with adults.
“Who is to say that she did not care for Thomas?” She was a slave to his daughter, even if she did have some sort of positive feelings for him - which as you said we have no proof that she felt any feelings towards him, as we don’t have her diary, but we do have excerpts from her son, Madison Hemings book, Life Among the Lowly. In which he said “He wished to bring my mother back to Virginia with him but she demurred. She was beginning to understand the French language well, and in France she was free, while if she returned to Virginia she would be re-enslaved. She refused to return with him.”
But, as you said random commenter, we obviously don’t know how she felt. But, one could assume that due to the fact that she refused to return with him, her feelings towards him were negative.
35 notes
·
View notes
Text
please lets not be shitty
tws for talk of racism, eugen/cs, n*zis, slavery, genocide, etc. read at your own risk but please be aware this message is important.
so this isnt specifically related to hetagames but its related to hetalia and i think its important that everyone hear it again just to be sure. im going to shelve my rabid persona for a minute because this is super important and a super serious thing.
making hetalia OCs or 2ps or personifying characters based off of problematic time periods from their history is not okay.
some examples include:
-n*zi germany
this is so wrong for so many obvious reasons everyone should know by now but for the sake of the post im gonna go into detail a lilbit. so many people were killed and both physically and mentally tortured during this time period, a large group being jewish people. during this time period german schools taught eugen/cs to their children which was a h i g l y racist concept. n*zis basically hated everyone that wasnt a blonde blue eyed ‘pure blood’ german. everyone else deserved to die according to them, and thats just.... not something that you make an anime boy about? like no. please.
-civil war era america/the confederacy/the confederate states of america
this one some people seem to think is okay for??? some goddamn reason??? no??? okay i know a lot of non-americans might not understand what exactly the civil war was so here we go heres a very watered down explanation. once upon a time there was slavery in america. we all know that. but at one point the public opinion shifted to thinking ‘hmm, maybe slavery is actually really fukin gross and bad? hey lets pass a law to ban slavery.’ and the southern states went ‘wait no we like slavery.’ and they went and said ‘this law would violate our constitutional right to states rights. we should be able to choose whether or not each state has laws against slavery!’ which is bs by the way they just wanted to keep owning slaves but they called it a violation of states rights so they could start a war over this shit. so then the south decided to form the confederacy and then they declared war on the north to try and break away n have their ‘right’ to own slaves. by the way this wasnt just a buncha racists fighting for their right to own people a lot of them also made their slaves fight in the war. so black people were being forced to fight for their own enslavement. lovely. spoiler alert they lost hella bad and the emancipation proclamation was signed which helped pave the way for black people to be free. the confederacy through its entire short life stood for nothing but slavery and racism and that is n o t something that its okay to make an anime boy out of okay please stop this.
-Communist Russia
okay look. look. stop what youre going to say and read this. okay? okay. yes i know himaruya kind of wrote about this already. no that does not make it okay. hes human just like anyone else and hes realized his problems and faults and doesnt write that shit anymore. and even if he hadnt thats no excuse. even if he had kept making it that wouldnt make it okay. creators arent perfect and everything they do isnt automatically moral. popular people do stupid insensitive shit all the time and they have to be held accountable for it. anyway if you really need to be told why communist russia isnt good ‘uwu anime boy’ fodder then you really need to read a history book. but in short; genocide. mass starvation of their own people. imperialism. etc. bad shit. lets not.
-Mafia AU Romano
okay this isnt really a time period perse but it felt like it belonged on the list so i put it on. its my list i can add what i want. so anyway ive seen southern italian people express blatant discomfort with this before, and from what i remember it stems from both racism and classism to a certain extend and thats just.... uncomfy. i get the appeal of a mafia au ok some people find crime hot but if its blatantly making people uncomfortable then id suggest you stop. other peoples comfort is more important than your fanfic. just make some generic crime lord au or summ instead idk it dont have to be the mafia all the time an it dont have to be romano all the time. if anyone who has a better feel for this wants to expand on it be my guest.
anyway im sure theres many more but these are the things i see the most. feel free to rb and add your own “please dont”s to the list. an before anyone gets on me about “why is this stuff bad but things like ancient rome arent” look ancient rome did about as much bad shit as england did but we dont all cancel mister arthur monster brows do we? the difference is these examples are narrowing a character down to one specific problematic period of their history (or in the case of the mafia thing one single small problematic part of the countrys history) and ancient rome represents the entirety of the countrys existance which did more than just imperialism and murder and shit. ok mun lei out now.
19 notes
·
View notes
Text
I’ve been seeing (and sharing) some things about certain prophets and scriptures and such. So I’m going to share my unsolicited opinion about this. I’ll preface by saying that I’m not Black and don’t pretend to know the full extent of the harm from the racism in the Church. I’m coming at this from what I’ve heard and learned and studied; if I say something inaccurate, please let me know!
I’ll make it as organized as I can. It’s gonna be long so it’ll be under the cut.
First of all, I know that we’re told to listen to the prophet’s voice. D&C 21:4-5 says:
Wherefore, meaning the church, thou shalt give heed to all of [Joseph Smith’s] words and commandments which he shall give unto you as he receiveth them, walking in all holiness before me;
For his word ye shall receive, as if from mine own mouth, in all patience and faith.
(Brackets added by me).
This says that we need to heed the voices of the leaders of the Church because they’re mouthpieces of the Lord. It also says that we need to have patience and faith. To me, this means that sometimes they’ll say things we disagree with. This is often looked at as “oh you need to pray and learn to be okay with the doctrine”, which is the case sometimes! But sometimes, to me, this also means “you need to pray and figure things out for yourself, keeping the faith when your leaders decide to spread their opinions instead of or alongside doctrine”. It’s odd to me that we say that our leaders are imperfect but then refuse to truly admit when a previous leader (you know the one, though there were plenty more) were, in a word, wrong. Brigham Young was an imperfect person who supported slavery and took away Black mens’ rights to hold the priesthood. He did some awful things! And guess what? He was wrong. Ezra Taft Benson said that Martin Luther King was a communist. Guess what? He was wrong. Saying that someone was a prophet and brought forth doctrine and saying that they had wrong/harmful opinions are not mutually exclusive. We readily criticize Joseph Smith for being bad at money but we have a hard time criticizing Brigham Young for being racist and pro-slavery. Honestly, I consider Young to be worse in that regard, so I’m not sure why we’ve refused to acknowledge it for so long. A couple other people who are held up as religious leaders who did the Lord’s work include:
-Martin Luther, who was antisemitic for a large part of his life and died holding those views.
-Paul, who was sexist. (I’m not going to get into the debate about whether or not the verses in question were actually his words because I’m not very knowledgeable on the topic, but they are attributed to him as of when I’m writing this so that’s what I’m going with).
Paul is well loved and respected by Christians, at least from what I’ve seen. Martin Luther was a crucial part of the Reformation. We say that those views are outdated and harmful despite the fact that those men were “a product of their time”. In the secular sphere, we say this about Confederate generals and slaveholders. We recognize the culture they grew up around but critique their views anyway because we know better now. On top of that, cultures are never monolithic, so not everyone’s going to have the same views. Heck, Martin Luther wasn’t antisemitic at first. “Their time” included people who weren’t sexist or racist or antisemitic or any other bad “-ist”. Their time period isn’t an excuse.
So why are we allowing it to be an excuse with our leaders? Joseph Smith, the first prophet of the Lord’s Church in the latter-days, was anti-slavery! He appointed Black men to the priesthood! Some examples: Elijah Abel was the first Black man to be called to the Seventy. He went on three missions. He was ordained to the priesthood! Joseph T. Ball was a branch president! He was also ordained to the priesthood. I said it earlier and I’ll say it again: Brigham Young took the blessings of holding the priesthood away from Black men. This goes directly against what Joseph Smith, one of the first to hold the priesthood in the Restored Church, did. And this stance was held up by other racist leaders until 1978.
Our leaders through the years have claimed to have been praying for an answer about this, and I’m sure they were, but they didn’t receive the go-ahead to lift the ban. I commonly hear people justifying this by saying that such a radical stance would have killed the Church because the world wasn’t ready for it. But there were plenty of anti-slavery churches who actively helped and protected slaves and free Black people at that time and afterwards. So to me, the logic doesn’t add up, and it’s never sat right with me.
But here’s the thing: we know that the Restoration is a process. We know that we learn and grow “line by line, precept by precept” as we are willing to apply what we are taught. You can pray for whatever you want, but if you’re not truly open to the answer you won’t get it. I’m sure many of us have had those times where we say that we’re open to whatever the answer is but we aren’t yet; I know I have. I, personally, think that that’s what happened. The apostles and prophets weren’t truly ready. And guess what it took? It took them realizing that a community of Saints in Brazil (if I remember correctly) who wouldn’t be able to go into the temple being built in their area raised money to build it anyway.
In a similar vein, we know that some of the teachings used to justify those views are false.
-”Mark of Cain”: used to say that Black people were unworthy of temple covenants because they’re descendants of Cain. This is false and dehumanizing.
-”Valor in Heaven”: this is the belief that people who aren’t white are that way because they were “less than faithful” during the war in heaven. This is false. A lot of things have grey areas, but I feel like this is pretty straight forward: either you ended up on the Savior’s side in the pre-existence or you didn’t. Everyone reading this in a physical body ended up on the Savior’s side. I, personally, don’t think Heavenly Father would quantify it, either. Is someone who joined the Church later in life any less qualified for the Celestial Kingdom? What about someone who doesn’t accept the gospel until the afterlife, but gets all of the saving ordinances by proxy? Do they get stuck in a Kingdom lower than what they actually should get? “Valor in Heaven” flies in the face of our teachings and is dehumanizing.
-The Lamanites’ curse: this was a specific situation that applied to a specific group of people. Quick note: I’m wrestling with these verses myself, but this is where I’m at with them right now. This is definitely “gospel according to Jean” territory, partly because I’m not sure how often recent leaders have discussed it: we’ve been avoiding the topic all together for a while now.
It didn’t make their culture monolithic. Both they and the Nephites went through phases of righteousness and unrighteousness. The main issue was that the Nephites (who started out righteous) were actively being killed by the Lamanites. The curse was a way to tell them apart, yes, but it would have been the same whether it was “the Lamanites will have blonde hair” or “the Nephites will be dark” (to use the terminology in the Book of Mormon). Also, what does Jacob tell the Nephites in Jacob 3? One, to “revile against them no more because of the darkness of their skins” (verse 9) and two, that they were more righteous than the Nephites were at that time. Jacob gives a couple reasons for this: firstly, they loved their wives and didn’t cheat on them or participate in polygamy that wasn’t given the go-ahead by the Lord (this is what the Nephites were doing). Secondly, the hatred they felt towards the Nephites was passed down by their fathers. Their fathers were Laman and Lemuel, who actively tried to murder their brothers and even their father, and taught their children to do the same to their cousins. The Lamanites hated the Nephites because they were taught that Nephi stole the brass plates (which held genealogy and doctrine) and tried to take the right to rule from his older brothers. I, at least, can understand the logic of that, even if it’s not really what happened according to the Book of Mormon. They were acting on what they knew. It was a lasting blood feud between family, not “oh one group is Not White so they’re bad”. This, besides the fact that the Lehites hailed from Jerusalem. So, Middle Eastern. Also, “filthiness”, from what I can tell, was used as another way to say “unrighteousness”. It’s not that they were literally “dirtier”, as I think many people take it to mean.
When one group was righteous and the other one wasn’t, the righteous group sent missionaries to the other. We use it to justify racism and slavery. There’s also the fact that sometimes the scriptures say that the Lord caused something to happen when really it was more that He let it happen. He didn’t actually harden the Pharaoh’s heart, He just didn’t violate the Pharaoh’s agency to un-harden it. I wonder if the “curse” was something similar.
So all that to say: we should absolutely hold Brigham Young, Ezra Taft Benson, and the others accountable for the harm they did. They were human! And humans are never just good. It’s okay to say “we recognize that these men furthered the Restoration, but they also did and said awful things that are not acceptable.” That’s not disrespecting their roles as prophets, seers, and revelators, it’s ensuring that we don’t conflate their opinions with doctrine. Is it so hard to apologize? To not ignore the pain this caused? But until us and our leaders both start actively working to undo the racism inherent in the system, we’re not going to get anywhere.
#tumblrstake#church of jesus christ of latter day saints#lds#mormon#religion#jacob 3#okay to reblog#racism#jean's musings#antisemitism mention
8 notes
·
View notes
Text
Lasabrjotr 45: Give and Take
Chapters: 45/?
Fandom: Thor (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Rating: Teen And Up
Warnings: None
Relationships: Loki x Reader (Someday)
Characters: Loki (Marvel),
Additional Tags: Post-Endgame: Best Possible Ending (Canon-Divergent), Loki Makes A Nefarious Plan To Overcome Captain America By...Bettering Himself, Devious I Tell You, Devious
Summary: Loki gets a scolding for his privacy invasion, Reader gets a lesson in Asgardian Law, and Captain America gets to be in a calendar.
Captain America posed in various states of undress for several months in each calendar, and each of those months you had simply covered in hearts. Cute little pink marker hearts, revealing an adoration he hadn't realized you had.
No, he'd had some idea of it, he simply hadn't allowed himself to accept it. He had deluded himself again, let himself believe that it was mere admiration for what the Captain stood for that you felt. But in the short discussion that you'd shared about him, you had spoken of him more highly, more positively than Loki had ever heard you speak about any other man, and you always seemed eager and excited for your little weekly check-ins.
Had you been flirting with him, during those secret meetings? Had he flirted back?
Loki's hands trembled. He could tear the calendar to bits right now, toss it in the fire, erase the whole thing. But what good would it do? Depriving you of these pictures would not remove your feelings. And your Tara would almost certainly ask if you had received everything she had sent.
Clever little wretch; he had the feeling that she'd had him dead to rights without even meeting him.
There was a little note within one of the hearts. “Doctor's appt today; 3:30” it said. And three days later, “No results.”
This was from eight months ago. You would have been deep within your mysterious illness, when you were still trying to figure out what was wrong. He flipped a few months earlier.
“Doctor's appt today; 12:00.”
“No results.”
“Doctor's appt today; 9:45”
“No results.”
“Doctor's appt today; 4:15”
“No results.”
“Still feeling sick. Set up Doctor's appt.”
“Sick today. Stayed home. Deduct from paycheck.”
“Felt sick today. Get medicine.”
“Something happened today.”
Any further back from that was merely noting when your payday was, or when you had a vacation planned, or when you were going to meet your father for dinner. “Something happened today”, was such a neutral, vague way to describe the moment your life had irreversibly changed. The day you took a god by the hand, and was bound to him, in body, and if the dreams were an indication, in soul perhaps as well.
“Something happened today”. Such a simple way to preface six months of suffering, a build up to your emancipation from an old life that did not suit you, to a new one where you would be adored and glorified.
“Something happened today.”
You'd been within murdering distance of a god who had killed perhaps hundreds of your kind, your hand burned, and you'd been banned from the tower, and that was how you had described it.
You really were something else.
He loved it.
But all these hearts, they was distressing. Every protest he could come up with for why Steve Rogers was entirely unsuitable for you was countered by his own existence.
Steve was technically an old man, old enough to be your grandfather, easily.
And Loki was old enough to have played tricks on your ancestors.
Captain America, as a member of the Avengers and a proclaimed hero, had many terrible enemies. He was not safe to be around.
Loki had enemies all across space. An immortal madman, an entire planet full of giants, whatever might still exist of the Svartalfari, many of the denizens of Earth, and even members of his own people. He was far more dangerous to be around.
The Captain had seen war. Horrors beyond reckoning. Death, and gore, and pain. Hopelessness and despair. He would be broken inside.
Loki could only wish to have gotten off as easily as he. If Steve Rogers was broken, Loki was shattered into dust. There was no reason you should chose Loki over him, with only those reasons to go by.
What about other reasons, though? What did the good Captain have that he did not? Strength? Power? Loki far outstripped him in both. Loki had bested him in battle once, but he doubted doing so again would impress you in any positive manner.
Was it nobility? Loki had him beat there too: he was true nobility, by birth and by upbringing. Steve Rogers had allegedly come from common, impoverished stock...just like you. Perhaps that had something to do with it, that shared origin.
Steve Rogers had probably never committed a crime against humanity, so that was something that he had on Loki. But he had killed other humans, and who knew how many? He was a soldier, he would know when it was and wasn't necessary. Maybe you felt the same. When the Captain did it, it was necessary. When Loki did it, it was flagrant and cruel.
They were weirdly similar in many ways. Perhaps it wasn't the deeds that mattered to you, so much as the reasons. The intentions.
How could he earn those hearts? Precious pink hearts to warm the winter month called November?
He glared at the picture. The hearts got wobbly partway through the month, before ceasing entirely. You must have been drawing them in with weak and trembling hands all the way up until you were forced to stop. Because Loki had kidnapped you.
There were even a few drawn on the photo itself, where Steve Rogers sat cross-legged on an American flag backdrop, barefoot and bare chested, a basket of puppies cradled in his thick, glistening arms.
Ugh.
Wait.
Was that it?
The softness? The vulnerability? The gentleness and care shown to creatures so much weaker? Knowing that he had power, but also knowing that he was safe to be with?
But Loki was already doing that for you. He was doing all of that. He wanted to do that. If those were the things you desired...he was already well on his way.
He could outdo Steve Rogers in everything. When the man showed up for his brother's silly party, he could observe, watch his ways, possibly even grill him for information; learn his flaws and weaknesses, and avoid being those things. Learn his strengths, his admirable qualities, and become better at them than him. In fact, if he could get on civil terms with the man, that might impress you even more, and he could gather even more information that way. The Captain was going to have to get used to him being here, just like all the rest of them, after all.
Meanwhile, he would show you every courtesy. If his power and prestige made you uncomfortable, he would have to show off his other qualities; the other things he could do that would impress you without frightening you. That must be the key!
You had shown him some of the things you valued, over these past few months. Innovation, frugality, compassion. Your love of animals and plants, your excitement over the possibility of being involved in conservation efforts, when he had held you by the sea, and become captivated by your lips for a brief moment.
Conservation and compassion...
He had an idea.
*****
“So, what King Bor was saying in this speech is that he demanded the immediate abolishing of slavery on Asgard, not because it was wrong, but because he was afraid the Asgardians were becoming weak and complacent by having other people do all the work?”
“Got it in one.” Saga said. “And he wasn't exactly wrong either. Certain professions had become slave-dominated, whole industries without a single Asgardian hand involved.”
“That's pretty damn awful.” You said. “Why couldn't it have been because they were people?”
“Because the noble classes would have never accepted it.” Saga griped. “You ever tried to get a powerful person to willingly give up even a tiny fraction of their power? It happens on this world too, and it causes whole wars.”
“You're right.” You said, closing the folder and setting it on the table, next to a lead tablet stamped with pictographs so fine, they could only be seen under direct light. “There are people out there who treat all other life as change in their pockets. People so powerfully rich, it's almost impossible for someone like me to grasp.”
“You grasp the Prince.” One of the ladies cut in.
“I most certainly do not!” You protested.
“She means that you seem to understand him.” Saga said. “At least, she'd better mean that, or she will have interrupted both her work, and mine, and yours, for a snarky comment that doesn't do anything except waste time. Come on Lofn, you're better than that.”
“Not snark.” The other lady said. “Statement.”
You'd noticed that most of the other ladies stopped what they were doing when Lofn spoke, and looked at you. You weren't sure why it was so uncomfortable being the center of attention right now-possibly because they were all Aesir, or strangers, or because of their relation to Loki, or because he wasn't here, and you were alone in a very small room, with a bunch of women who were all better than you in every conceivable way...
And it wasn't like you could leave. You could spin your wheels well enough, but that heavy, wooden door would certainly provide an obstacle.
“I see you two. It is okay. I acknowledge.” Lofn said, a cryptic little smile curving her lips. The other ladies went back to their business, some of them also smiling.
“Lofn...” Saga groaned. “You are being Like That again.”
“I see what I see. If she does not, then give time.”
Saga huffed. “She's here to learn basic Asgardian law, not mystic hoodly-hoo.”
Lofn shrugged. “I leave hoodly to Loki, then.”
You opened your mouth to say something, when Andsvarr burst loudly into the room.
“I bring you lunch, my Seidkona! His Highness regrets that he could not deliver it himself, but some urgent business has demanded his attention. He got some of your favorites though.” He set the tray on the table in front of you with a flourish.
“Nope!” Saga proclaimed. “No food or drink in the conservatory! If it's lunchtime, then take it elsewhere, but it can't stay here!”
“Oh! Sorry, I didn't realize.” Andsvarr snatched the tray back up, looking around the small library, mystified. His gaze landed on a slab of stone in a sturdy, special case, its rough face scattered with faded, monochrome paintings of beasts and concepts you didn't recognize.
“Is...is that Ymir's Dreamscape?” He asked, awed. “You saved it?”
“The rest of the archivists and I smuggled out as much as we could.” Saga said sadly. “But we just couldn't get it all.”
“It looks as though you knew what was most important.” Andsvarr pointed at the stone.” That is the first known instance of art in the whole galaxy.” He told you. “It is almost eleven billion years old.”
You stopped breathing.
“Yeah, let's have lunch somewhere else.” You squeaked. The ladies tittered with amusement as Andsvarr handed you the tray and wheeled you out into the main library.
“Why did they even let me in there?” You gasped. “I'm just a huge humidity factory! I could have destroyed something!”
“Don't worry so much. Saga knows what she's doing.” Andsvarr assured you. “And those cases they are in are nearly indestructible. You could throw this chair at one, and it would bounce off.”
He brought you back to your room, pausing in the short hallway for a moment to comment that he thought Loki might be back from his emergency errand, then parked you in front of your desk and left to go check.
You briefly wondered what would happen if it wasn't Loki, but an intruder. Andsvarr would probably have to try and arrest them, or run them out, or even fight them. What was the protocol for that?
You set your tray of food on the desk, and dug in to the skyr, gazing out the window at the flowers outside. There was a fairly wide space around the complex that was untouched by construction. You didn't know if it would remain a native landscape, or if it was destined to be planted over as a garden, but it was lovely to look at right now.
Just as you were finishing your skyr, Loki entered your room after a light knock, carrying a large box.
“How are you feeling, darling?” He asked, sounding somewhat subdued. “Did Saga treat you well?”
“Oh yeah, she was really informative. I think one of the ladies was making fun of me though. I think her name was Lofn?”
Loki frowned. “Odd. That doesn't sound like her at all. I'll look into it.”
You probably shouldn't be snitching while Loki seemed like he was in a mood. What had gotten into him?
You knew something that might cheer him up a bit though. You placed the cup back on the tray.
“Maybe I just thought that because I'm so tired.” You said, feigning exhaustion. “There was so much to learn, and my head aches. I don't think I can walk right now. Can you help me?”
When you opened your eyes again to look at him, he was staring at you with a confused expression.
Oh right, he could tell when people were lying.
But he set the box down on your desk, and gently lifted you from your chair anyway, sitting with you on your bed and dutifully feeding you the rest of your meal. You knew he seemed to really enjoy being needed, and you couldn't deny the tiny electric feeling every time his fingers brushed your lips.
The tenderness of his actions and intensity of his gaze were hypnotic, and for a short time, you let yourself fall under the spell. Life had been far too eventful lately; and these slow, peaceful moments were gaining in value.
He spoke very little while feeding you, only to ask if you wanted more or not, reluctant to let the moment end. But your curiosity got the better of you eventually.
“What's with the box?” You asked.
“Oh, this is for you.” He said, whisking the food away, and plunking the box down on your lap. “It is from your friend, Tara.”
“And she sent it conveniently already opened, I see.” You said, a frost of sarcasm on your voice. Just a minute ago, you had been thrilled by the merest graze of his fingers; now, you were annoyed by how far he had been shoving his hands into your business.
“I had to check for possible dangers.” He said imperiously.
“From Tara? Come on, we've known each other since grade school.”
“Another school?” He asked. “There was no guarantee that it was truly her who sent it. And if she did, it could have been intercepted and tampered with.”
“And you don't call this tampering?” You gestured at the cut tape.
“There has already been an attempt on your life!” He exclaimed.
You crossed your arms with a huff. Sure, he was right about that, but he could have at least asked.
“Is everything still in there?”
He pressed his lips into a thin line. “No.”
“Loki-”
“There were some foodstuffs, and I sent them to the healing wing to get them checked for poison. If they prove safe, I'll give them back.”
“This is ridiculous!” You snapped.
“Your safety is paramount.” He cupped the side of your head, light as a ghost. “Look at what my negligence has already wrought.”
You knew you shouldn't give up on being angry so easily, and a little knot of resentment did still remain, but his point did dampen your irritation. Of course he felt guilty about all of this.
“Look that's touching and all,” You said placing your hand over his. He froze in place. “But you understand that, if you keep treating me like a prisoner or a criminal, we aren't really going to be able to gel like we should. If I'm gonna be a...magic politician, or advisor or whatever, I mean. You understand, right?”
“I...” He faltered, appearing to debate himself for a moment. Did anybody else ever see him like this? It was so different from the way people described him: not cagey, not guarded, not in perfect control.
“It's more than that.” He finally said. “It's more than just the social importance of your position, and it's more than the responsibility I feel towards you as a ward of the state, and it's far more than just owing you for all the upheaval I have caused in your life. I just...I genuinely do not wish to see you hurt, and it is frightening to realize how easy it is to hurt you. To realize that you are in more danger than I initially thought and that I might not be enough to protect you.”
“And I get that.” You said, stroking his hand. He remained frozen, but shivered just a bit. Poor guy must be really eaten up about your injury. “Things have been more...adventurous for me than they have been for my whole life, and none of it has been a walk in the park for me either. But I can tell you right now, trying to protect me from everything will not work. There will always be something that can break through your defenses, no matter how good they are.
Even before we met, it wasn't like I was completely safe all the time, you know? I mean, there were genocidal aliens that threw my whole universe into turmoil. And even without that, without any extraterrestrial interference, there was still a level of...I guess you could call it normal danger? Like, there was always a possibility I would get into a car accident, or fall down wrong, or catch a deadly disease, or be bitten by a snake, or accidentally poisoned, or electrocuted, or-”
Loki was looking exceptionally pale.
“-Well, you get the picture. There's a million ways a person can get hurt, and there's no real way to prevent all of it without pretty much killing me. Like, locking me away might protect my body, but it would kill my spirit. So there's a level of protection that's fine, and probably a good idea, but if you go overboard, you can easily cause more harm than good.”
“I see...” He said anxiously. “Perhaps it would ease you ire to go through your things?”
He seemed reluctant to remove his hand, but you couldn't reach the box with his arm in the way so you pushed his hand away, a little reluctant yourself.
“Now, there is this strange plush creature...”He lifted it from the box.
“Oh, that's my Bulbasaur!” You cried in delight, snatching it from his hands and cradling it in your arms. “What? Yeah, I know it's silly, but I've had this little guy since I was a kid, and he's the perfect size for cuddling.”
“Is...Is that supposed to be a real animal?” He asked in confusion. “Is that something that could actually be encountered?”
“Oh, no way. This is a fantasy animal. It's too bad; I'd love a real Bulbasaur.”
“And this blanket...”
“Nanna Beth made that! I need to send Tara a present after this. Okay that should probably go over the chair, so I can wrap up in it when I'm working, or something.”
Loki draped the blanket over the back of your desk chair; its familiar pattern bringing a real taste of home to the room.
He proudly presented you with the clothes and cheap jewels Tara had sent, placing them in the dresser, and promising to have a jewelry box brought for you. Your books went on your desk, and the music USB went straight into your phone. Then there were all your papers; important identifications, milestones, memories. You had to explain to Loki what high school was, which brought up concerns about Asgardian public education. It existed and was supposedly top quality, but the population of children was currently very low, and most were in apprenticeship right now, while the schools were under construction.
You briefly brought up the idea of adoption, but it made Loki very twitchy. You dropped the subject and he went back to presenting you with your things.
Phil 2 absolutely thrilled you. Such a healthy leaf meant that Original Phil was being well taken care of.
“I'm gonna need a huge pot for this!” You gushed in excitement. “This thing is gonna get really big! Tall as me, easily!”
At the bottom of the box were your calendars. It gave you a good laugh to see them, and Loki's grumbled response just added to your amusement. He desperately tried to prevent you from looking in the new one, and you eventually agreed not to...until he had left. He hung this years calendar up on the wall, flipping to the current month-Banner, in an open lab coat and possibly nothing else-grumbling even more.
“He's not even that handsome!” He huffed.
“He's got a big brain, sometimes that's enough.”
“For a pin-up calendar? Isn't that all about looks?”
You shrugged. “Heroism is sexy.”
Loki harrumphed, cheeks reddening. Considering all the media speculation about him, it was rather unexpected and actually quite endearing to find out how shy and easily scandalized he could be.
Eventually he sat back down next to you.
“Buridag will be in a few months. There will be city-wide celebrations, and we will be building a courthouse, everyone participating, as per your suggestion. We will be allowing the camps into the city, so they might participate as well.”
“Oh wow! That'll be so exciting! I hope I can see Sofie again.”
“You might. This will also be when we will formally announce your appointment to Royal Seidkona. It's important for you to be aware that this will make you royalty yourself.”
“What?”
“It's a formal title. You won't be a princess or anything like that, but you need an elevated title to be able to properly perform your duties. The Buridag festival will double as a formal titling ceremony. Now, I do not expect anyone to take a shot at you in public like that, but just in case, I am having armor altered to fit you. Hold on.”
He hustled out of your room and back with a handful of papers.
“This is what Andsvarr has donated.” He showed you a drawing. “They will fit you well with a little work, and should protect you from most dangers. And this is something I have designed for your head.”
He handed you another drawing. You'd had no idea before this that he could draw at all.
“Loki...Is this a flower crown?”
“Yes. I thought it appropriate, since you seem to like plants. But this will be nornbein and steel, rather than petals and leaves.”
It was a beautiful design. Loki had incorporated several different kinds of blossoms, their petals spread wide to cover as much of your head as possible, the golden nornbein and silvery steel contrasting to give the flowers color. The skullcap and cheek guards were patterned like ferns, and he couldn't help but to add a few jewels here and there, probably very hard and durable ones.
Loki was going to make you into royalty, and he was going to give you a crown.
Wasn't that a dream come true? Why was it so frightening?
“I really don't deserve-”You began, but he cut you off by placing his hand to your cheek again, and leaning in close.
“Please, won't you let me be the judge of that?” He asked softly. “Trust that I know to whom I wish to distribute my gifts and favors.”
“O-okay.” You whispered.
He leaned away, and begin describing a Seidkona's duties to you again, going over things you'd already heard. All you could think about was that, for a moment, it almost seemed again like he was going to kiss you.
For a moment, you were disappointed that he didn't.
9 notes
·
View notes
Text
Georgia, Alabama, Missouri and everyone else...
I would like to place a disclaimer here first, since I know some people don't wish to read about this and these are some more serious topics.
This text will include discussions/mentions of:
Abortion
Rape and sexual assault
The holocaust
So if you do not wish to read about those topics, I suggest you skip this text.
Also to note, I'm using pretty heteronormative language here, since I deem it appropriate. However, this does not mean that I ignore the fact that trans men and non-binary individuals can get pregnant, I am well aware, but their perspective might look a bit different from what I'm describing here.
Why did I spend like two hours on this?
In the past week or so, all I've seen all over social media is about abortion. Which makes sense, given the horrendous laws that are being passed as we speak in the US. It's a good thing that people are talking about this, it's extremely important. But it's also very tiring, despite not being american this debate has certainly taken a toll on me. I've wanted to write about this in dept for the whole week, but I haven't been able to get myself to do it. But I'm doing this now. So buckle up, because this is going to be a long post about all the things I've thought about and discussed this past week. However, this is by no means a complete list. And for convenience, I'm going to use different headlines to sort things.
How do we define life and which lives should be protected?
Does life begin at conception? From a legal and scientific perspective, not really. While cells certainly are alive, that doesn't mean that every living cell is part of a living being. And it is living beings we wish to protect, right? Otherwise, we'd protect plants and bacteria as well, and I think we can all agree that plants aren't people. What about animals? They are most certainly living beings, yet we kill them for food (despite the fact that it's possible for almost everyone to live a life without eating meat). I'd argue that any living animal is more worth protecting than an embryo, because animals are sentient. And I am by no means a vegan, but I do find it rather telling when I've asked pro-birth people if they're vegans and all I've gotten was silence.
Speaking from a legal and scientific perspective, a heartbeat does not determine "life". In order to be consider a life, a living being, the organism has to meet a couple of criteria; a embryo or a fetus before around the 25th week does not meet those criteria. What we use to determine life is not a heartbeat, it's brain activity. Brain activity cannot be maintained without a heartbeat, however, a heartbeat can exist without brain activity. That's why relatives can choose to pull the plug when their loved one is brain dead; because they are considered dead, despite the fact that they have a heartbeat. That's why a heartbeat isn't the definition of life; brain activity is.
A fetus can't have more human rights than a person
"It's not your body, it's a separate life! It has the right to life!" Well... does it, really? Let's say it is a person (even though it is not), a fetus cannot be given more rights than a person. Yes, I did say "more rights". Say a fetus would have all the human rights a person has, that still doesn't permit the fetus to use the pregnant person's body against their will. Nobody has the right to use another persons body unless they consent to it, I don't and neither do you. Doesn't matter if it's the only way to survive, it is still not a right to survive using another person's body. So why should a fetus have that right? If a fetus is equal to a living human person, then it doesn't have that right. In fact, you can't do anything to another person's body unless they've given consent, not even after they're dead. Pregnant people should not have less bodily autonomy than a corpse.
The poor becomes poorer
Rich people won't be affected by abortion bans, period. Really, anyone with the means to travel out of state for a weekend can still obtain an abortion legally. So who will be forced to give birth to children? Teenagers with little to no support and the poor, those who's lives are affected the most by unwanted pregnancies. Teenagers who likely have to put their plans for the future on ice to work a low-paying job to support their child, thus landing themselves and the child in poverty. And the poor will be forced to have more children resulting in even more severe poverty. Abortion bans feeds the circle of poverty. I don't mean to be a conspiracy theorist here, but who profits from this? The rich. Who has the most influence over the creation of laws? The rich.
When things get ugly
I've seen several really vile comparisons. But the worst one has to be the one with the holocaust, which I see frequently, tightly followed by slavery. These people consider the termination of embryos and fetuses to be equal to the horrors and dehumanization of the holocaust and of slavery. They can't seem to comprehend that a blob of non-sentient cells is not the same as a living human being. They've argued that "well Hitler and slave owners didn't consider those humans to be people, and you are not considering human life (note: fetuses, but they don't see it that way) people, so how are you any better than Hitler?" In fact, I outright asked a woman if she truly believed a 5 year old child crying for their mother at Auschwitz was equal to an embryo. She said yes, and saw nothing wrong with that. That is probably the most insane thing I have heard this week. Yet it's not too far from what I've seen multiple times; that legal and safe abortion is the "holocaust but for poor innocent babies". And in all honesty, I don't have much to say about this, it's just horrible and I don't know how to respond.
The hypocrisy, it was never about "life"
If it truly was, then this wouldn't be their top priority. And if it was truly about eliminating the need for abortions, this wouldn't be their top priority. Their top priority then would be to reduce the need for abortions through education and accessible birth control for all, and the second step would be to create social programs and fund organizations that help with the financial burden of raising a child, yet the states that have passed these laws do next to nothing to prevent unwanted/unplanned pregnancies nor help those who want to have the child but cannot afford that.
Making abortion illegal would only stop safe abortions from happening, since it does nothing to reduce the need for them. Illegal and unsafe abortions will increase, and women will hurt themselves or kill themselves because they were denied an abortion. It would also mean that all miscarriages would be investigated as a possible crime, putting women in prison for natural miscarriages. Not to mention that I've heard pro-birthers advocate for the death penalty for having an abortion. I have personally encountered pro-birthers who want this to happen, who think women who seek abortions deserve to die from unsafe abortions. How very pro-"life" of them.
I also noticed a parallell with the death penalty, a large portion of pro-birth people support the death penalty and see nothing morally wrong with that. That is also very hypocritical, how can you in the same breath say "all life is precious" and "execute the criminal" without sounding like the biggest fool? By doing that, you are at that point picking and choosing who deserves life according to you, at that means it's no longer about how all life must be protected.
And finally, a fair amount of people who are pro-birth do still think it's okay to have an abortion if you were raped. Why? I thought you cared about all human life? How is this any different? Yet another example of hypocrisy. They know it's cruel to force someone to carry their rapist's child, and they know they can't advocate for that. So for some reason they make an exception, an exception that goes against what they claim is their core belief (keep this particular part in mind when you read the next two parts). It really doesn't make sense, so perhaps it's not truly about "life".
Power play
Being pregnant is much different from getting someone pregnant. One has to be pregnant for 9 months, give birth and alter their body permanently. The other part could simply walk away at any moment and never look back. That is not an option for the one who's pregnant, and they are often the one left to deal with the child once it's born, altering their life to fit the needs of the child. And even if there is a father in the picture, the mother is still more likely to carry most of the responsibility. And if we look to the past, and we only have to rewind a few decades, the woman in the relationship was expected to be a stay at home mom, with no option to have a career. And while she was at home, tending to the home, making sure her husband never had to lift a finger in the house, he was out working and making a name for himself. This power imbalance doesn't exist to the same extent when women have ownership over their own bodies. And I can't help but feeling that this is related to why some people want to criminalize abortion; because if women can exist on the same conditions as them, their spaces are threatened.
It takes two to tango
"Close your legs", "don't have sex unless you want a baby", "it takes two to tango". Sounds familiar? These are all phrases used by pro-birthers, and they are almost almost directed at the female. So why does the man get a pass? When they say "close your legs", they never follow it up with "keep it in your pants". When they say "don't have sex unless you want a baby", they never follow it up with "don't have sex unless you want to be a father". When they say "it takes two to tango", they never follow it up with "if he gets her pregnant, he has to take responsibility and support her".
Men wanting to have sex is seen as natural, normal and a need, but if women want to have sex they need to be punished, the punishment being "having to take responsibility", which really is just code for "pregnancy is a punishment for women wanting to have sex".
A slippery slope
If we consider abortion, the removal of pregnancy, morally wrong because it stops a child from developing, then where do we draw the line? Would embryos at a fertility clinic be entitled to personhood? Would all embryos have to be used to grow a person? Would using a condom be illegal because it interrupts the natural process? Same with other forms of birth control? And what about periods and male masturbation, is that "throwing way" potential life? I know some religious people think contraceptives and plan b should be illegal, and I could definitely see how these types of laws could lead to future restrictions on birth control.
Final thoughts
Pro-"life" has never been about protecting life. It has always been about birthing babies, controlling women in different ways and punishing women who dare to have sex just because she wants to. Pro-birth people also have plenty of flaws in their arguments and the hypocrisy is unbelieveable. Abortion is by no means a black and white issue, it never has been, but criminalizing abortion will do more harm than good and will not stop abortions from happening. And fact of the matter is, morality is subjective. While you may think it's wrong to terminate a pregnancy, I don't. However, I do think it's morally wrong to force your personal beliefs into other people's lives.
#pro choice#womens rights#womens reproductive health#abortion rights#feminism#reproductive rights#abortion#us politics#sociology#philosophy
7 notes
·
View notes
Text
Crimes of the US Presidents
CW: mention of sexual abuse, slavery, theft, imperialism, colonialism, war crimes, anti-black/brown/indigenous violence/policies, repression, racism, xenophobia, overthrows, invasions, and police violence.
Hey y’all, I intended to do this list on Presidents Day, but I didn’t. Anyway, I’m going to list every crime that every President did because all Presidents are guilty of crimes. Here’s the list.
1-5) The first five aka The so called founding fathers - Created this nation by enslaving Africans and the theft of Indigenous land. Owned huge number of slaves. Thomas Jefferson owned over 600 slaves, and raped one of them (15 yo Sally Hennings). Some of them supported the colonization of Liberia. They were also horribly capitalist, racist, and sexist.
6) John Quincy Adams - Nothing great about him. Moving on
7) Andrew Jackson - A genodical slave owning fuckface. Responsible for the Trail of Tears, forcing many Native tribes of their land. Got involved in wars that removed Natives from their land, including the Seminole Wars. Owned slaves and supported it.
8. Martin Van Buren - Continued Jackson’s Indian Removal policy and did nothing to stop slavery and owned some slaves.
9) William Henry Harrison - His reign was too damn short. So nothing about him, although he did participate in the Indian Wars before he was president.
10) John Tyler - Theft of Texas from Mexico. Owned slaves and didn’t stop slavery and was okay with it. A forgettable name tho.
11) James K Polk - Continued the theft of Mexico through the Mexican American War. Was a huge slaveowner and supported it and used the territory from Mexico to expand slavery. Asshole.
12) Zachary Taylor - another short run, but was a slaveowner and supported it (the last president to own slaves during his presidency). Also was a General in the Mexican-American War. Nothing great about him. Another forgettable one.
13) Millard Fillmore - Wanted to expand slavery to the new territories stolen from Mexico. Enacted the Fugitive Slave Act that criminalized slaves that escaped from their owners.
14) Franklin Pierce - Continued the enforcement of the Fugitive Slave Act. Wanted to push slavery in Northern territories via the Kansas–Nebraska Act which also pushed Indigenous land off their territories. This caused a violent conflict between pro and anti slavery forces, preceding the Civil War. He continued the theft of Mexican land and tried to steal Cuba to make a slave state.
15) James Buchanan - Did nothing to stop slavery and defended the Dred Scott case. He also wanted Kansas as a slave state. Another forgettable name.
16) Abraham Lincoln - Now here’s some good stuff. But first, the Civil War was fought over slavery, not over that states rights bullshit. Anyway, the so called Great Emancipator was a far cry from what he is seen as. He never gave a damn about freeing slaves, his actions were plain opportunistic. He said he would preserve the Union without freeing a slave and don’t believe in rights for black people. He also planned to put freed black people on Liberia as an attempt to recolonize em. Another thing, the 13th Amendment never fully abolished slavery as slavery could be legal as a crime, which was instrumental in creating mass imprisonment and the influx of private and state prisons. He also ordered the massacre of Dakota Indians after an uprising by them. Racist as hell. The Great Lie. That’s what he is.
17) Andrew Johnson - One of the worst presidents ever, if you can say that as all presidents ain’t shit, Johnson’s incompetence and his attempts to veto any rights for black people got him impeached. He wanted to re-slave and recolonize black people (he tried to vetoed the 13th and 14th Amendment). He also owned slaves, which probably caused his thinking. Good riddance to bad rubbish.
18) Ulysses S Grant - Even though he pushed hard on the Reconstruction, improved rights for black people, Jews, and Natives, and criminalized the KKK, he was a corrupt fool who had a number of corruption cases that weakened the Reconstruction. He also tried to claim Santo Domingo (now Dominican Republic). He was the last president known to own chattel slaves, although he freed his, despite his family still owning slaves.
19) Rutherford B Hayes - He was the final nail to the coffin of the Reconstruction as he pulled troops out of the South, letting the racist as fuck Southern Democrats take over. This intensified racial violence and discrimination against black people such as lynchings and voter suppression. He was the one that created the Dawes Act, that enforced assimilation on Indigenous people and them losing any ownership of their land. He also sent troops crushed a railroad strike (the Great Railroad Strike of 1877). Did nothing about the corruption, labor conditions, and wealth inequality during the Gilded Age.
20) James A Garfield - Another short one. Nothing great. Moving on.
21) Chester A Arthur - Signed a law targeting Chinese immigrants and citizens as they were blamed for low wages and unemployment. Did nothing about the rampant anti-blackness going on. He also continued the assimilation policies of Indigenous people and the theft and blockade of their land. Also did nothing about what’s going on during the Gilded Age.
22 & 24) Grover Cleveland - Did nothing about the poor labor conditions of the workers and let capitalists multiply their wealth while letting workers suffers. Sent troops to quell the Pullman Strike, which resulted in the imprisonment of socialist Eugene Debs. Also did nothing about the anti-blackness in this country. Continued anti-Chinese policies. A fave among libertarians. I can see why.
23) Benjamin Harrison - Let the Wounded Knee Massacre Happened with many Lakota Indians being massacred in order to destroy the Ghost Dance movement. Also supported assimilation of Natives. Supported the colonization of Hawaii after the Kingdom was overthrown by American missionaries and plantation owners. Also did nothing about anti-blackness and the robber barons. Continued anti-immigration policies.
25) William McKinley - Now we’re getting into the big imperialism. Finally colonized Hawaii as a part of the US. Took Puerto Rico, Cuba, Philippines, and Guam from Spain, transitioning power from one colonizer to another one. He also sent troops to China to quell the Boxer Rebellion, which resisted cultural imperialism and colonialism from missionaries and other colonial interests. Also did nothing about anti-blackness.
26) Theodore Roosevelt - Progressives favorite president was a big ass imperialist. But Square Deal, trust busting… yeah he regulated businesses and put out many social reforms, but as an attempt to quell any revolutionary changes. Anyway, increased military presence in the Philippines leading into the Philippine-American War, which was responsible for the deaths of many Filipinos. Expanded the Monroe Doctrine, which the US the right to intervene in Latin America aka imperialism. Took control of Cuba after briefly giving it independence and Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, and Panama too. Targeted anarchists, socialists, poor and disabled immigrants, and sex workers with another anti-immigration law. He okayed the discharging of black soldiers after they were accused of Brownsville Raid, ya know black people were accused of harming wite people at the time and were killed because of it. Never cared about black people. Hated Natives and once said a good Indian is a dead one. After his presidency, he killed around 11,000 animals that were Indigenous to Africa for a fucking Museum. So much for being progressive.
27) William Howard Taft - Didn’t care about black lives. Sent troops to try to stop the Mexican Revolution as he was a supporter of Mexican dictator Porfirio Diaz. He also planned a coup against Nicaragua.
28) Woodrow Wilson - A despicable name who is another fave of progressives. An extremely racist motherfucker. He support segregation, banned black people from Princeton when he was President over there, and was pro-wite supremacist and played the pro KKK film Birth of a Nation in the White House. He also occupied Veracruz, Mexico and tried to quell the Mexican Revolution which also include the attempted capture of revolutionary Pancho Villa. He also invaded Dominican Republic and Haiti, the former led to the rise of DR dictator Rafael Trujillo. He got the country into WWI, getting the country into a war that had nothing to do with it. He started the Espionage Act and the first Red Scare which targeted socialists, anarchists, unionists, and anyone who opposed the war. Continued Teddy’s anti immigration policies. A fucking fascist is what he was.
29) Warren G Harding - Another corrupt motherfucker. Privatization of multiple industries and implemented tax cuts for the rich and corporations. Let wage cuts happened and oil preserves be control by private oil companies. Let corrupt officials in his government. Possible member of the KKK, and barely did anything for black lives. He was a terrible person.
30) Calvin Coolidge - Continued the capitalist policies of Harding. Refused farm subsidies. Didn’t do nothing for the black victims in the Great Mississippi Flood and let em suffer. Signed an anti-immigration bill. Sounds like something familiar that would happen almost 80 years later.
31) Herbert Hoover - While he’s known for his mishandling of the economy which was the final nail to the coffin that led to the Great Depression, he refused to sign any anti-lynching laws, favoring the interests of the Southern whites. He also put black victims of the aforementioned flood in poor conditions in the camp during his Vice-Presidency.
32) Franklin D Roosevelt - Here’s another progressive fave I’m gonna expose. But muh New Deal and Second Bill Rights… I don’t give a shit. The New Deal existed to save capitalism and not to radicalize the country. Most progressive reforms existed to preserve and maintain the capitalist system. Also, black people faced restriction and discrimination from the New Deal programs. Refused to sign an anti-lynching bill. Supported dictatorships in Latin America like Batista (Cuba), Trujillo (DR), and Somoza Sr.(Nicaragua). Let banks finance Hitler. Only went to WW2 after Japan attacked Pearl Harbor because he froze trade towards Japan, which was a huge mistake trading with Japan. His administration planned creation for nuclear weapons. Put anyone of Japanese descent into concentration camps. Some progressive.
33) Harry S Truman - Committed one of the worst crimes in history. Nuked Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which was responsible for many deaths over there. Help kickstart McCarthyism in America, one of the most repressive eras in America that targeted any radical leftist and even caused the downfall of some of them (ie Paul Robeson). Not only that, he’s instrumental in starting the wide support for brutally oppressive dictators and overthrowing popular leaders that would follow later presidents. He also help form the CIA. Supported Chiang’s repressive KMT government in Manila China and Taiwan (ROC). Helped in trying to stop revolutions in Greece and Turkey. Started the Korean War, which resulted in the death of multiple Koreans, the destabilization of DPRK (North) and the rise of multiple dictators in ROK (South). He also flirted with being a member of the KKK prior to being a president.
34) Dwight D Eisenhower - The OG of hardcore American imperialism. He continued the McCarthyist policies of targeting socialists and communists and let COINTELPRO exist, which was responsible for the repression and destruction of many black and brown revolutionary movements and targeted other black and brown activists. He also used McCarthyist policies against LBGT people. He supported repressive dictators like Francisco Franco (Spain), Chiang Kai Shek (ROC), Ngo Dinh Diem (South Vietnam) and Fulgencio Batista (Cuba). Supported France in maintaining control of their colony of Vietnam, and suppressing the Viet Minh revolution led by Ho Chi Minh, sparking the Vietnam War. Let the CIA plan coups in Iran and Guatemala, resulting in the power of the Shah Reza Pahlavi and the rise of military dictatorships in Guatemala respectively. Ordered the assassination of Congolese prime minister Patrice Lumumba. Tried to overthrow Cuba after Batista was overthrown by Fidel Castro and the Cuban Revolution. He was too chickenshit to come to Castro after he went to the US. Equally loved by liberals and conservatives and I see why.
35) John F Kennedy - Not good ole JFK! He was set up the USA! But Jack got blood on his hands too. He fully got the country into Vietnam, supporting South Vietnam and continuing one of the most unpopular and deadly wars, a war that existed to maintain colonialism and imperialism in SE Asia. Not only that, he tried to overthrow Castro in the Bay of Pigs invasion, which almost got the country involved in a nuclear war with the USSR and Cuba. Also planned a coup in Iraq, which resulted in the Ba’athists taking. Not only all of this, he let the COINTELPRO spy, target, and harass black activists, including Martin Luther King Jr., who Kennedy pretended to be his friend. He played a lot of civil rights and Black Power activists. Malcolm X saw through his game and critiqued the March of Washington as a farce to control any black activism and radicalism. He’s also instrumental in the long term goal of the Democrats and liberals manipulating black people to support him. So much of him being a good president.
36) Lyndon B Johnson - The fucking manipulator. Continued the repressive policies of the COINTELPRO and Mccarthyism. Even tho they also targeted (via spying, wire tapping, and harassment) anti-war and communists and socialists, their main targets were the black activists and radicals. He targeted MLK after he spoke out against the Vietnam War and caused his breakdown, some friend he was. He also let the COINTELPRO target Malcolm X, SNCC, the Black Panther Party, and other black radical movements. He perfected the manipulation of black people to the Dems and liberals, and said once I’ll have those n***ers voting Democrats for next 200 years. He only passed out Civil Rights Acts and anti-poverty programs to quell any revolutionary movements, like all liberals do. Intensified the Vietnam War by sending more troops over there, resulting in more casualties and massacres over there like the My Lai Massacre. Started the bombing of Cambodia. Aided Israel in their Six Day War against Egypt, Syria, and Jordan. Let the CIA overthrow democratically elected and revolutionary governments in countries like Indonesia, Congo, Ghana, Greece, and Brazil, replacing them with military dictatorships. Supported repressive dictators around the world, including the aforementioned. Got the CIA to capture popular Argentine revolutionary Che Guevara, which resulted in his execution by the Bolivian military. He also increased the power of the police after multiple riots happened as a response against racism and police brutality. A true champion for liberals.
37) Richard Nixon - Oh hell yeah! I got so much dirt on this motherfucker. A legit criminal and tyrant. Continued McCarthyism and the COINTELPRO through violent suppression, harassment, wiretapping, and spying. Suppressed revolutionary and anti-war movements, including Kent State, SNCC, the Chicago Seven, Black Panthers, and Black Liberation Army. The destruction of the BPP by the FBI, CIA, and police happened during his presidency. Started the War of Drugs which criminalized black people (his intention). First president to fully use the Southern Strategy, which appealed to Southern wites by promising state rights to them, which is wite power in smaller steps. Continued the War in Vietnam, which also includes invading and bombing Laos and Cambodia (which also includes a coup) respectively. However, he withdrew troops from Vietnam in 73. Sent arms to Iran, Israel, and Saudi Arabia. Let the CIA continue overthrowing democratically elected and revolutionary governments, which includes overthrowing democratically elected Chilean president Salvador Allende and replacing with a repressive military junta led by Augusto Pinochet. He also supported and defended Pakistan in their war against Bangladesh, which includes a genocide against them. He also military supported dictators around the world like the Philippines, Greece, aforementioned Chile, Spain, Congo (Zaire), and Haiti. He got exposed by the Watergate scandal that forced him to resign. Too bad that never got indicted for his crimes.
38) Gerald Ford - Really nothing but a transitional president from Nixon to Carter. However, he did pardon Nixon for his crimes. Along with that, he did got involved in the Angola Civil War, supporting the neo-colonial and right wing forces over there. Supported Indonesia in their war against East Timor. Yeah he was just there.
39) Jimmy Carter - He maybe seen as an incompetent president, but Carter got blood on his hands too and is another one liberals love to praise because of his post-presidency. Anyway, he funded the muhadjeen in Afghanistan, an Islamic fundamentalist paramilitary group that is a predecessor to many Islamist organizations like Al-Qaeda and ISIS, to overthrow communist rule over there. He also stood by the barbaric Khmer Rouge of Cambodia. He said his foreign policy supported human rights, but that was a lie as he supported dictators like Mobutu Sese Seko of Zaire (Congo), the Shah Pahlavi and Muhammad Zia ul-Haq of Pakistan. He also didn’t say shit about the repressive nature of the countries he supported. He also expanded the War of Drugs. So much for him being a humanitarian.
40) Ronald Reagan - Beloved by the right, somewhat loved by the liberals, The king of neoliberalism, McCarthyism, and American imperialism. There’s so much I gotta say about this fuckface cuz he got so much blood on his hands. His neoliberal Reaganomics is the most toxic economic system ever. He made cuts to a majority social services, and created a huge fucking wealth gap that increased the wealth of the capitalists and bourgeoisie. Not only this, black and brown suffered the most from Reaganomics as poverty increased in black and brown communities. Cut multiple civil rights bills and acts, and used the Southern Strategy to a tee. Coined the term welfare queen (which is racist, classist, and sexist) to rum up fear and hostility against welfare recipients. Expanded the War of Drugs that continued the constant incarceration of black people. Speaking of that, he let CIA plant drugs (cocaine) in the black neighborhoods, while him and his wife told people to say no to drugs. Went to Bitburg, Germany to celebrate the memory of SS officers. Let thousands of people die from AIDS and didn’t give a damn about gay rights. Also, during his time as Governor of California, he ordered a witch hunt against communists, which included Angela Davis, and worked the NRA and police/FBI to disarm and crush the BPP respectively. Now to his imperialist record. His Reagan Doctrine existed to crush revolutionary movement and replace em with barbaric and despotic governments/extremists. A major example was his increased funding of the muhadjeen, going where Jimmy Carter left off, and y’all know how well that went when they took over Afghanistan. People forget (tbh ignore) that these Islamist extremists were funded by the US (esp the CIA). Not only that, he supported Saddam Hussein (he was an US ally) and gave him military weapons, which he used to kill the Kurds in Iraq. Funded the Contras to quell the Sandista revolution through trafficking cocaine (via the CIA) and selling arms to Iran. Almost got into a war with Lebanon, but got the troops out after he realized he fucked up with his plan. Invaded Grenada to destroy the remnants of the New Jewel Movement and replace with a puppet leader. He also support neocolonial paramilitary forces in countries like Angola, Afghanistan (muhadjeen), Cambodia, Nicaragua (the Contras), and El Salvador. Supported repressive military dictators of the likes of Pinochet (Chile), Mobuto (Zaire/Congo), Baby Doc (Haiti), Suharto (Indonesia), and Rios Montt (Guatemala) like other presidents. He also gave Baby Doc Duvalier and Ferdinand Marcos (the Philippines) refuge after revolts against them happen. Supported and defended apartheid South Africa. Bombed the fucked outta Libya and let a US Navy Ship blow up a plane full of Iranians. Yeah an inspiration of all spectrum of the right and a bit of the center. I see why. Some of this sounds similar to a latter president, more on that later.
41) George HW Bush - Son of a Nazi financier (Prescott Bush’s banks funded Nazis), father of a war criminal, Papa Bush perfectly bridged the gap from one dirty presidency to another. Stood by and supported Reagan during his tenure as VP. His campaign showed a picture of black criminal Willie Horton as a smear campaign against the other presidential candidate as they said that he is soft of crime and oppose the death penalty for criminals like Horton. Yeah, the type of shit that wite ppl pull, using a black face to advocate the death penalty, like they do, and associating blackness with crime, like they always do. Went to war with Iraq over it’s invasion of Kuwait, but it was right thing, the UN… please. It happened because the US sees Kuwait as their oil colony. It was a property war as both the US and Iraq saw Kuwait as theirs and it was responsible for the destruction of Iraq. Invaded Panama for drug trafficking, despite the US (via the CIA) doing the same thing and them knowing of it, and put another puppet leader over there. What’s ironic about this that we supported Panama and Iraq and we have them political/financial support and weapons (in the case of Iraq). When the Cold War ended, we stopped supporting em and stood against him just to look good. Also, put troops in Somalia under the guise of humanitarianism just to attempt to colonize it rather than giving it reparations. The theme of military intervention under the guise of humanitarianism would be a recurring theme for other presidents. Signed the toxic NAFTA which was responsible for horrible labor conditions and environmental violations. Targeted rappers (with his VP) like Ice-T and 2pac because of their content. He eventually lost re-election because he wanted families to be less like the Simpsons, even though his policies made the Simpsons look like the Waltons.
42) Bill Clinton - Ugh. Another Democrat who exist to look good and got blood on his hands. He was also a shitty person. During his time as governor of Arkansas, he and his wife made black prisoners take care of and clean up the governor’s mansion with no compensation. Yes, this is slavery. They essentially owned slaves. He was a disgusting predator who sexually assaulted and harassed a number of women, before and after his presidency. His predatory behavior led to his impeachment, which only limit his power. Now his presidency. Used the Southern Strategy to gain wins. Continued and Oked NAFTA. Continued the neoliberal policies that dawned over America. Signed a 1994 Crime which expanded the power of police and prisons and increased the mass imprisonment of black people. During that time, his wife called black boys superpredators. Killed the remaining remnants of the welfare state by forcing recipients to work for their welfare because muh welfare queen, targeting mainly poor/working/Black women. Was behind multiple corruption scandals like Travelgate and Whitewater. Wanted to target Sister Souljah when her outspoken views was misconstrued by the media, and portrayed her a racist and a pot stirrer. He was the one that enforced the immigration laws that would continue in the country that was responsible for restrictive borders, ridiculous immigration laws, and xenophobic attacks and targeting cuz illegal immigration, despite this country founded by illegal theft. Continued the US intervention in Somalia, but when shit got tough, he got em out. Knew about the Rwandan genocide and blocked any assistance of the country. The only reason he didn’t intervene because Rwanda wasn’t seen as profitable. Expanded the powers of NATO (North Atlantic TERRORIST Organization), which was bad. This expansion led to the 1995 and 1999 bombing of Yugoslavian nations (Bosnia and Herzegovina/Yugoslavia respectively), which was another one under the name of humanitarianism. The bombing did nothing but target civilians and bring damage and they didn’t end the conflict. The US protecting Kosovo was essentially them preying on a vulnerable country and making into a puppet state. Sent missiles to attack Iraq, when it didn’t do anything. Attacked a pharmaceutical company in Sudan. He still prove to be a piece os shit after his presidency when him and his wife exploited funds that was meant for Haiti and decided to went after BLM. And he’s labeled the first black president. Da fuck?! Fuck him (and his wife too).
43) George W Bush - Ol Cowboy George. The notorious war criminal himself. The biggest joke ever. Never forget, most of the whole world hated him because of his actions. Lets begin, but first… let’s talk about 9/11. No conspiracies please, even tho enjoy making jokes about it. What happened on 9/11 wasn’t because they hated our freedoms. That’s Grade A pure bullshit. 9/11 was a result of our toxic foreign policy and the fact that who did was our Frankenstein. What I mean? Never forget, OBL and his Al Qaeda buddies, and the whole fucking Taliban were created by the US. The US (like always, with the help of the CIA) made these people by shipping weapons to them and training/teaching them with a reactionary ideology cuz Cold War and we let em overrun Afghanistan. We also turned against em when the Cold War ended, and they turned against and attacked us when we kept fucking with the Middle East. Therefore, this was a case of chickens roosting. Saddam was also an US ally, but when we found him useless and fucking with our oil colony Kuwait, we turned against him. This led to the War on Terrorism (Afghanistan and Iraq) which was bullshit because it was foolish to wage war against terrorism when we have funded and supported terrorisn, we created these terrorists in the first place, war is terrorism itself, there was no WMD (it was an excuse just to kick out ol Saddam), and the fact that anyone can be a terrorist. Ironically enough, the USA had done nothing about the terrorists in their own country like the KKK (oh wait! They’re wite). These wars are responsible for the death of multiple Afghan and Iraqi lives and this wasn’t a fight for freedom. It was for imperialism. It was for resources, especially oil (in the case of Iraq). The theme of these wars are humanitarianism, and lemme tell you this, there’s nothing humanitarian about war because war is violence and profit. Afghanistan was led by a corrupt puppet leader, while Iraq fell into despair which led to the rise of ISIS. PS, his buddy Dick Cheney’s corporation profit ire from Iraq. Not only all of this, this began the targeting and discrimination of (Black and Brown) Muslims, Africans, (S, SE, and W) Asians, and some Latinos and Sikhs. This included racial profiling, xenophobia, racism, wiretapping, violence/harassment against said groups, and toxic policies such as the Patriot ACT, TSA, and NSA. Targeted dissidents and Started the drone program which would be carried by his successor. Bush was the match that sparked the fire of things like racial profiling, police brutality, anti-immigration policies, xenophobia (ICE started under his rule), racism including anti-blackness, ultra-nationalism/patriotism, McCarthyist/Espionage like acts, imperialism, the rise of US neo-fascism, and neoliberalism. Continued neoliberal policies which would later result into austerity, which would spark the rise of wite supremacist/new fascist groups and increase economic inequality. While he did say it wasn’t his intention to cause all of this, but he let it happen. Let black people (esp in NOLA) drown and suffer under Katrina, and how he dealt with it? Sending the Natl Guard on them out there like a bunch of rabid dogs. Also planned to overthrow Cuba, Iran, Syria, N Korea (DPRK), and Venezuela and was possibly behind the coups of Haiti and Venezuela. Started the No Child Left Behind Act, which pushed more state testing and in schools, that hurted schools, teachers, and student, and it was low key push for school privatization. Now, he has a library, painting pictures, and condemning racism, despite his war/imperialist crimes, sparking racism and xenophobia, and institutional racism. Aye, he was fucking horrible and he (and the libs) are trying so hard to erase that and make himself look good.
44) Barack Obama - (Please refrain from using terms like Uncle Tom if you ain’t nonblack. That’s a black people’s thing) Aye, I use to support him so much, and I will defend him from wite supremacy (his right wing critics were fucking horrible), but that doesn’t excuse the fact that he was a successor to Bush. If Bush was the match, then Obama was the fuel to the flames of neoliberalism and imperialism. He continued the war of Afghanistan and took forever to end Iraq. He started a war with Libya and Syria which contributed to the destruction of them. He also funded terrorists to take care of that, which includes ISIS and Al-Qaeda, that led to Syria almost being taken over by ISIS, and Libya being toppled and overran by extremists and reviving the enslavement of black Africans. Expanded the drone program and drone the shit outta the Middle East and Africa, killing multiple people, including women and children. Also, invaded Mali for its resources and almost backed up the Ukraine coup (which was led by Neo-Nazis). Had thoughts of overthrowing Iran, Venezuela, and DPRK. Let Killary Clinton into his administration and she backed him in the wars of Syria and Libya. She was also behind the coups of Egypt and Honduras and the destabilization of countries like Venezuela and Haiti. Anyway, Obama, like the previous ones, continued neoliberal policies and austerity cuts, which added fuel to wite supremacist/neo-fascist groups and increased economic inequality. Continued the Espionage Act/McCarthyist like policies. While posing as a civil rights president, he didn’t do shit about the massive police violence against black people (especially LBGTQs, women, children, and the underclass) and trans people especially trans women, didn’t do nothing about the continued anti-blackness, racism, anti-LBGTQ-ism, Islamophobia, and xenophobia in this country, and let anti-immigrant policies happen including mass deportations and the ICE. Let the near privatization of public schools happen. Signed a deal with the TPP, which was a continuation of NAFTA. His policies and actions were the final nail in letting the next president. He’s still trying to make himself look good to this day. Another liberal with blood on his hand. However, if McCain won, he would’ve done the same thing as in whatever Bush did, the next person can do better.
45) Donald Trump - The final one for now. Ahhh!!!! What the fuck happened? I shoulda knew this damn bastard would win with how much the previous presidents destabilized this country. Fascism is what happens when the wite cishet patriarchal capitalist structure is in a dire situation. Trump is a fascist, no if, and, or buts. He’s a capitalist trying to appeal to working class as in I’m on your side (populism), like a fascist. He targeted non-Christians and nonwites and planned to take care of him, like a fascist. Ultranationalist and ultra patriotic, like a fascist. Uses racism, sexism, xenophobia, and anti-LBGT-ism, like a fascist. Uses a hell lotta cult of personality, like a fascist. Supports privatization of services and industries, like a fascist. Anyway, Trump in his beginning has done so much. Centers his presidency on racism, sexism, xenophobia, and Islamophobia, and let his cult followers attack nonwites. He has been exposed as a sexual predator who has sexually assaulted a number of women, including a 13 yo girl and his ex-wife. He also been exposed of discriminating against black tenants in the 70s, and supported a conviction against four black boys and a Latino one after they were accused of raping a wite woman jogger, ya know the same fucking cases where black men were accused of raping WW. Hires a wite supremacist and someone who’s pro-privatization of public education into his office (Steve Bannon and Betsy DeVos respectively, although the former is gone). He also hired Mike Pence as VP, who’s horribly homophobic and has ties with toxic lobbies like ALEC and the Koch Bros. Plan to privatize and cutting many services and industries. His whole administration was full of capitalists and bigots. Tried to abolish Obamacare and cut funding to it. Dropped a huge bomb on Afghanistan and ordered air strikes at Syria and had thoughts of invading Venezuela and Iran. Defended wite supremacists and Neo-Nazis when they attacked and called em fine SOBs. Ordered a Muslim Ban and amped up anti-immigration legislation, including the rise of the ICE, targeting of brown and black immigrants, deportation of said immigrants, and separation and detainment of immigrant children. Targeted NFL players who kneeled during the Anthem, and attempted to make it illegal. Let police continue with their brutality, and stood by them, and released a Blue Lives Matter Bill, that increased their power. Oked the Keystone Pipeline, which would build through protected and sacred lands, including Indigenous land. Let the FBI target black radicals and BLM, under the excuse of black identity extremists, despite the issue of wite supremacists and Neo-Nazis and their shit. Did nothing about the rampant racism, sexism, anti-LBGTQ-ism, xenophobia, and Islamophobia, both individualized and institutional. Also, his cult followers are fucking terrible. I’m gonna stop there for now. Anyway, Trump is a terrible human being and he needs to be off social media. He deserves to be hated, fuck what you say, and I’m tired of his ass kissers making excuses for him. As long he stays, fascism remains, and the libs and conservatives are keeping him there.
So that’s it for now.
46 notes
·
View notes
Text
A Small History of the Empire
I saw the prompt for @homesteadhorner‘s Worldbuilding Wednesday and decided to join! :D Because I’ve developed Mesia’s (which is the continent where the story of FaRocM takes place) history for way to far and this is my change to share it. Most of this will never end up in the actual books xD
Arkhonian calendar (Arkhonity is the major religion) is divided in ages. Fourth age is the current age they live in. The first age started when the second avatar, (also the founder of Arkhonity) Arkhelos, appeared and every new age starts when a new avatar appears. Time before that is referred as Age of Sun. It works pretty much like a BC, so if something was 100 years before the First Age, it would be 100 to the Age of Sun. So it is believed that Ylía comes to earth as his avatar when ever humanity most needs him. Usually it is the times of great change and crisis and the reborn avatar leads his people to new ages. Therefore it is seen as world restarting (their view of time is cyclical). I will say that this is how the ages are in the Amarian Calendar. Horegtosian Calendar looks very different and there is other calendars too, but the Amarian Calendar is the one used officially in the Empire.
This map will be helpful when I throw some names of places:
The First Age
As said before the first age started with Arkhelos and it was about 3000 years ago. Arkhelos was a king of Horegtos (back then Horegtos was much smaller) in times, when the clergy of Horegtosian pantheon was extremely powerful and rich and even more corrupt. People were oppressed and very poor (but the few who were rich were very rich). Arkhelos banned slavery and worshiping of all other gods but the sun god, Ylía, and goddess of earth, Skadi, forming the basis for Arkhonity. After he died though his son reformed the old gods and slavery was restored. Arkhelos’ followers were hunted and they escaped into the desert. At the same time Amari was uniting Abitan city states and tribes under it’s rule in the west and eventually became the first great empire Mesia had seen.
The Second Age
At best Amari controlled whole current Cabalusia, Angusia, Horegtos, big parts of Furvisula island, Merus, and even Manoa’s Green Sea costline. However the infrastructure was almost none existent and the empire was too big to uphold. So pretty quickly after Amarian Empire had reached it’s pinnacle, it fell apart only after couple of hundred years from it’s birth. After that followed restless times in southern parts of Mesia when every one tried to get their share of the power vacuum left by Amarian Empire. A lot of wars between petty kingdoms, famine, plague and poverty. Arkhonity started to spread like wildfire among commoners and slaves, who wanted better lives. Then when times were most dire about 2300 years ago, a third avatar appeared and started the Second Age. He cured the Golden City of Horegtos from plague and became the first Arkhonian high priest. From that point on Arkhonity was the official religion of Horegtos and the Golden Age of Horegtos started.
The Third Age
Horegtos started conquering nearby lands and built up the Empire of Horegtos filling up the power vacuum. At best Horegtos consisted of all western parts of Furvisula, Merus, Virén, Angusia and southern parts of Cabalusia. It’s power sustained for 700 hundred years. During this time Horegtos became extremely wealthy and corrupt. The Arkhonian clergy started to seem too much like the Horegtosian clergy of times of Arkhelos’ days, or so thought an extremist sect of the clergy, who called themselves Ylíans. They were especially very displeased in Amari, which was the wealthiest city, and eventually they attacked into their opponents’ temples with a mob and started a civil war that tore the whole empire apart. In the ashes of yet another empire rose the Fourth Avatar, who was one of the Ylíans. He established the first knight order to defend purity of Arkhonity, united Abitanian lands under Virén and became the first high priest of Ylían Arkhonity so starting the Third Age about 1600 years ago.
The Fourth Age
Rest of the Third Age was very quiet. No super powers rose to rule Mesia, but three great kingdoms rose. They were Virén in the West, Cabalusia in the North and Horegtos in the South. They were pretty equal. There were of course a lot of petty kingdoms among them too, one of them being Angusia in the westerns shores of Green Sea. About 500 years ago, however, young king Avitius took the Angusian throne and almost single-handedly (literally, he lost his other arm during his campaign) he built the Angusian Empire by conquering all the great kingdoms and the small ones too and forged the Angusian Empire known today. If Archonity hadn’t already became the major religion everywhere in Mesia (in some parts like parts of current Manoa and Cabalusia it wasn’t yet), it became now (except of course Dir’ahin). Avitius was named the Fifth Avatar and religious power shifted from Amari to Civitas, though the Grand Temple of Ylía is still in Amari.
Okay I was going to post this like ages ago and I know this is sooo late for Worldbuilding Wednesday, but this was almost ready in my drafts the whole time and it seemed such a waste not to post it :D
Tagging @madmooninc, @lady-redshield-writes, @worldbuildng, @siarven, @hell-yeah-fantasy, @heniareth, @importance-of-being-crazy and @teacupwriter! If you want to be tagged too or not anymore, I’ll be happy do do that :)
#worldbuilding wednesday#fall and rise of cor mantgamia#farocm#bear castle#my wips#worldbuilding#High Fantasy#my writing#writeblr#farocm worldbuilding
7 notes
·
View notes
Text
Are the people who bully @delcamint really fans of the same game franchise? Fans of The Elder Scrolls series?
A game that includes all of the following:
- Lucien Lachance, one of the most popular characters, an assassin who breaks into your house and invites you join his murder club, following a damn evil religion?
- Said murder club, and religion of evil, being one of the most popular factions?
- Villains like Miraak and Dagoth Ur being popular characters, despite doing stuff like:
- mind-controlling an entire island and making them built temples for you
- creating a disease that makes you lose your mind and deforms you into a horrifying monster?
- The Dark Elves - who have slavery, back-stabbing, legal assassinations and constant cold war between factions as a normal part in their culture - being one of the most popular races among fans?
- a woman doing necrophilia?
- A guy creating 4 opposite sex clones of himself, who are both referred to as daughters and wives?
- an intersex man-god who apparently raped the King of Rape, made a bunch of children with said King, who he all killed afterwards with his “speer”?
- One of the most fucked mythology and lore I’ve ever seen, that includes:
- A god eating another god and shitting out a completely different god?
- followers of said god changing race by smearing said shit all over them?
What about the stuff you, as the player, can do?
- torture a guy to death TWICE, making him surrender to the God of Dominiation and Rape?
- become a legal assassin?
- mocking a guy who mourns the lost of a loved one, making him kill you which breaks his spirit, just because some evil god told you to?
- A prank that includes convincing a small town that the end of the world is near, making them go crazy?
- become a cannibal?
- a quest that gives you a companion whose job it is to torture everyone in the town you want to get tortured?
- collecting drugs for some high dude?
- block out the sun with evil arrows, dooming Tamriel in darkness and making vampires appear and attack people out of nowhere?
- kill some miners and blame the peaceful natives of the island for it?
- doing multiple quests involving slaves in which you can totally be the bad guy and get rewarded for it?
- buy a slave and dress her up for an arranged marriage with a dude whose practically an outcast to society?
And that’s not even all!
So, all of this is totally okay for you, but one artist making non-con content about said game and drawing porn about a character WHO ISNT EVEN A CHILD (He’s a fricking God and his depiction in Skyrim is not even child-like!) is not?
I don’t see you bullying the game writers about the bullshit they pulled off!
By your logic this entire franchise should be banned and everyone playing them is doomed to become a murderer, slave-trader or thief and the game writers are already all of the above!
How does this fiction not affect reality?
@fiction-is-not-reality @just-antithings @freedom-of-fanfic @arslanjae (tagging yall even though you might not even know the TES games, but this is some Anti bullshit right there, and I thought this fandom was better than this shit giving how dark it was in places, this user being the starter of all of this, for all I can see)
#rape mention#rape tw#discourse#my two cents on this#said artist already made a post about killing themselves#i loved this fandom for seemingly embracing all the fucked up stuff that came from these games#but i guess i will have to enjoy these games alone once more#if this is what comes from these fans
2 notes
·
View notes
Note
nobody wants your god damn explanations, why don't you apologize for one, making the fucking comparison and two, opening the discussion in the first place. you knew the crowd that this would bring and you tagged it so everyone will see it and acted like the trigger warning would make everything better. why did you think that was okay? it's a genuine question.
TW: law enforcement, police brutality, medical abuse, slavery, racism
Ok this is literally the only one I'm answering because you are harassing me now. You want me to apologize for giving advice to someone who was concerned with the rise of law enforcement in the RPC again after people voiced their dislike for it? You want me to apologize for trying to provide some comfort and understanding? You want me to apologize for then asking people to provide examples of how other police systems are less corrupt? Go back and read my answers again because you did not understand them the first time. And I stand by exactly what I said about the healthcare system. I'm not asking anybody to ban all medical workers in the RPC but literally, just...
Look at this page, ok? Look at how disproportionately black people die in our health care system. Look at the way they are mistreated. Infant death is more than twice as likely in the black population. US medical research was founded on experimenting on slaves. The healthcare system IS literally killing people and always has been but it isn't in the news. THAT is why I made the comparison. I'm not saying our criminal justice is 'only as bad' as our healthcare system in a way of denying its intensity. I'm saying the opposite. Our healthcare system is just as bad as law enforcement at destroying the lives of people of color.
Please, back off. I can understand why you might take what I said that way if you don't know the context but you refused to even come off anon and talk to me like a person which is so dehumanizing. I'm trying to bring awareness, not invalidate issues that blatantly exist.
#ellas advice#police brutality tw#law enforcement tw#medical abuse tw#slavery tw#racism tw#tw#here i wont tag this one except for triggers so uou dont think im vying for attention on a website thst is literally built for attention
0 notes
Note
i've been seeing some ppl say that what the sith said to the jedi was right, that the jedi order as a whole was a fool to not realize and eventually utilize the power of the dark side -- but then i also see ppl who say that you cannot be a gray jedi, that you cannot be BOTH light and dark, that you can't use both. and then there are ppl who say that the jedi mind trick itself leans toward a dark side ability. i am v v confused and idk what to think anymore ://
it’s hard to generalized the Sith because they have a long, complicated history that goes way beyond what we see in the movies. they are more than just Palpatine or Darth Vader but, because I don’t know much about the Old Republic, I’ll stick with the how the Sith were portrayed in the movie when answering this, okay?
First, the sith are used by the narrative to expose the flaws in the Republic and the Jedi Order. Think of Palpatine or Dooku saying they were going to win because the Republic was too corrupt or the Council was too blind to what was really happening. Neither are wrong but because they are the antagonists some fans dismiss these facts – supported by actual real life sw writers – as ‘propaganda’. So, yeah, the Sith made some valid point about the Jedi Order and their approach to politics and the Force itself but, of course, that doesn’t mean they were right about *everything*
“No being can wield that kind of power for centuries without becoming complacent at best or corrupt at worst. He has no idea that it’s overtaken him; he no longer sees all the little cumulative evils that the Republic tolerates and fosters, from slavery to endless wars, and he never asks, “Why are we not acting to stop this?” Live alongside corruption for too long, and you no longer notice the stench. The Jedi cannot help the slaves of Tatooine, but they can help the slavemasters. - DOOKU, Yoda’s former Padawan, to Darth Sidious” Karen Traviss. The Clone Wars
“It also allows you to kind of have some sympathy for Dooku in that he carries the sympathies of most of the Jedi which is that the Senate is corrupt and it’s incapable of carrying on any meaningful actions because they argue about everything all the time.” George Lucas
As for the Jedi being fools for not using the dark side, that was Palpatine trying to convince people – specially people he was trying to turn – that evil was ‘relative’.
“Good is a point of view, Anakin. And the Jedi concept of good is not the only valid one. Take your Dark Lords of the Sith, for example. From my reading, I have gathered that the Sith believed in justice and security every bit as much as the Jedi—” [Matthew Stover. Revenge of the Sith]
As for gray Jedi, they existed in the Old Republic but it became something the Order banned when they decided anything remotely ‘dark’ was unacceptable.
The term Gray Jedi, or Gray, had two meanings. First, it was used by Jedi and Sith to describe Force-users who walked the line between the light and dark sides of the Force without surrendering to the dark side, and second, it described Jedi who distanced themselves from the Jedi High Council and operated outside the strictures of the Jedi Code. However, those who were considered to be true Gray Jedi met both qualifications and did not belong to any particular Force tradition.[x]
Gray Jedi isn’t something *we* decide about a characters, it’s a label they give themselves or other characters (force-users) give them. not living by the Jedi Order rules does not make on automatically a gray Jedi. If you are interested, I’ve talked about the term here. Anyway, you can use both because the force *IS* both. You don’t have two forces, one good and one evil. You have the Force and beings who use it for good and beings who use it for evil.
"I wanted to have this mythological footing because I was basing the films on the idea that the Force has two sides, the good side, the evil side, and they both need to be there. Most religions are built on that, whether it's called yin and yang, God and the devil? everything is built on the push-pull tension created by two sides of the equation. Right from the very beginning, that was the key issue in Star Wars." George Lucas
As for the mind-trick, it’s an ability the Jedi Order considered good but not one without its moral issues. That’s why fans don’t see it as a fundamentally good thing because it harmed people.
While it can be most useful in conflict resolution, affect mind must be used with restraint, almost always as a last resort, after exhausting less dangerous avenues that lead to peace. Yes, less dangerous, say I, for the power can easily cause permanent damage to a relatively innocent subject.[Star Wars Jedi vs Sith: The Essential Guide to the Force by Ryder Windham]
And that’s even without getting into the whole free-will, consent discussion because robbing someone of their agency is never a good thing
31 notes
·
View notes
Text
Eta Carinae
Going Angst! Day 2: Identity Struggle
(found here on Ao3)
X
[10 Years Later AU] – After escaping from a decade of Alien Slavery, Vlad Masters returns to Earth the broken shell of a man. Ten years a slave, ten years a monster - This is a story of learning to how to be human again.
X
Word Count: 12422
Part 1 of 4.
Otherwise Titled: "The Redemption Arc Nobody Really Asked For"
Vlad struggles with life on Earth following his escape from Space, but is no longer the same person he was when he left. A ghost of who he once was, he only wants to be left alone, but nobody seems to get the hint A mix of fanon headcanon and some [REDACTED] theories. Please enjoy! Warnings though: PTSD, anxiety, sadness and all around angst ahead
X
Torn by travel, toil and treason; Tied by fraying lines
Devil drowning voice of reason – Dire decaying mind
Mending miles with threads of measure, letting loose all lies
Unraveling lines of pain and pleasure – A life of death defied
└THREADS OF MEASURE┐, Brown Bird
X
“What is a human?” A creature whispered; its voice the streams of stolen starlight that adorned its shapeless form. “Are they made from monsters, like you and me?”
Vlad attempted to speak, but found his voice lost, swallowed up by the pressing darkness of the galaxy around them. Before him, the faceless creature gave him an inhuman laugh, tittering and violent in response to his silence.
Its’ visage flickered, twisting into the soft face of a child; eyes burning green, silver hair glowing beneath the star’s love, looking the same as he had ten years ago. This ghost child – A false god burnt in the zealous idolatry of a man long dead.
He’s forgotten so many things; forgotten so many souls, spirits and dreams, but this is the very one he had wished to forget the most of all.
“Did you make the choice, or did they make the choice for you, Vlad Masters? Did you choose this?”
And yet, the familiar face. The familiar voice. Those clenched fists, filled with the destiny to rip out his heart, again and again.
“Will you let them make you into a monster?” The boy whispered; the stars lost in his eyes. “Or will you fight to be human?”
He narrowed his eyes; words lost in his throat, as the young spirit smiled in a deceiving manner. Who are you?
The creature shifted again, taking on a different form. His form – the visage of his own human skin, staring back at him. Blue eyes, grey hair. Another ghost, another ghost, wearing a man’s skin, pretending to be human.
I am you.
A violent torrent of energy slammed into his chest, and a startled gasp of pain escaped from his heaving lungs. At his waist, the black rings flickered to life, forcibly turning him back into his human self, and the creature laughed as he went sent hurtling violently into space. The lack of air sent his body into a frenzy, and in his struggle to keep living, he wondered momentarily if this was the beginning of the end.
“Will you learn to be human?” The being asked him; its voice growing quieter and quieter as he was sent careening into the unknown. “Or will you perish as the monster you think you are?”
As the emptiness swallowed up what little life he had left, the creature disappeared in a torrent of stars, and he felt the darkness of space descend upon him at last.
X
Swollen hands laid down like the light of hope
Falls in fragments from self-dealt fatal blows
And burns our eyes with bold bursts of fires known
Yet sewn so tight to us we can't let go
X
When he came to, eyes blurred and head pounding, the world around him was screaming.
“--- fell from the sky!”
“Did you see --- come from?”
“Oh God, --- ambulance! Somebody call an Ambulance! There’s --- attempt on Third Street! Oh my God ---“
For a moment, rationality lost in the clamor of voices and confusion, he thought that he was back in the Colosseum, back in the ring where they pitted creature after creature against him, back in the chains that he broke free from –
“Did anybody get on that video ---“
“ – the fuck is wrong with you? He just tried to kill –“
“His eyes are open! Sir, can you – me, sir? Sir!”
Something jostled his shoulder, and his body exploded with pain, gaping out a choked gasp as it ricocheted through his body. The hand squeezed, and he felt the world beginning to go dark at the edges. He couldn’t move his body, limbs too heavy to lift from the concrete floor, and he realized with a delayed dismay that something was horribly wrong.
“—he’s alive! Oh my God, he’s alive! Quick, somebody – “
“They’re on the way! Hang on sir, we’ll get you to a hospital –”
The hands let go of him, and against the frantic shouting of the voices around him, he can hear the fevered whisper of the one nearest to him.
“Come on, stay with me. Don’t die on me yet. The ambulance --- be here soon. They’re really good at response times, they’ve had --- be with all of the ghost attacks over the years, --- main part of town, and oh man, stay with me man! --- open okay? Can you tell me your name?”
Name? What was his name? His name was Plasmius. Plasmius, space nomad, ghost hybrid. Plasmius the Monster. Plasmius the Destroyer. Murderer, Monster, Madman, Slave #10899, ruler of the Col – No. No, that’s not correct. (A dead ghost, a dead ghost, a dead ghost –) That was the past, that’s who he was, and he was that for far too long.
He was no longer any of those things.
(But he wasn’t even sure who he was now; who this battered and broken body belonged too, as he bled out against the pavement.)
He had been fighting since he had left the earth. That wasn’t who he was anymore (but who was he? What was he? Why was he still alive – )
“Sir? Sir, please say something!”
“My name is….” His voice was hoarse, scratchy and stiff from disuse. He can feel his eyes start to drift, and the inky darkness in the corners of his mind was encroaching quickly, creeping along like a thief in the night. He doesn’t even know if the words he speaks are real, slipping into the dark waters surrounding his thoughts. “…is Vlad….Vlad Masters.”
And for a second, his vision cleared, hazily revealing a human staring down at him, tears streaming down their face as they attempted to frantically communicate something to him. The words were lost in the static, flowing in and out as the blood roared in his ears, and his head was screaming out a song of pain in tune with the panic of the world around him.
But, it was a human. A human was helping him.
He was home.
X
'Round unholy chasms and up hollow hills
We steady our horsepower and summon our will
To embrace what's behind what is seen and is haunting us still
X
When he awoke the second time, the world was quiet, save for the small beep of a heart monitor. It unsettled him, the unearthly quiet, and his body tensed, preparing for a fight –
The feeling of pain shot up his side, and he gasped as it lit every nerve on fire before slipping back into the dull ache that quivered beneath the surface. The collection of electronic equipment he was attached to made a series of aggravated beeping sounds somewhere to his right, increasing the severe pounding of his headache, and he felt the urge to rip apart every single machine in the room. He raised his fist to grab at the wires, to rip them from his skin, but the pain returned tenfold, and his arm slumped back uselessly against his side.
“Your bones are broken.” A voice told him, distorted but hauntingly familiar in its tone. “All two hundred and six of them. The doctors don’t know how you’re not a quadriplegic with the nature of your injuries. In fact, they don’t know how you’re even alive… Then again, despite having revealed your nature to the world in the past, they do not know your true identity, but that will change very soon. After all, Vlad Masters, the Wisconsin Ghost, has been gone for a very long time.”
There was a haze of blankness that threatened to envelop him, curling itself around his neck to whisper sweet nothings in his ear, luring him back to the abyss of nothingness from which he crawled away. With an effort, he turned to his head to find the source of the voice, finding the floating figure of a small blue ghost, leaning against a clock-adorned staff in the middle of his hospital room. And then, when the figure changed the moment they made eye contact, shifting into the form of a violet-colored adult, red eyes gleaming beneath a zigzagging scar – Vlad remembered exactly who he was dealing with.
And yet, there was something else; the nagging feeling that something was wrong. (A memory that wasn’t his, a dream that wasn’t a dream; something different, something precious that wasn’t meant for him to see, telling him a secret meant to stay asleep.)
“You are…Clockwork,” he said softly. He wasn’t used to this voice, this language, and every word he spoke felt wrong to say; English stiff and foreign on his tongue. “To what do I….owe the pleasure?”
“I have come to check up on you.” The ghost said grimly. “I was originally banned from interfering with your timeline by the Observants, following your less than stellar record with them, but it’s thus been rescinded.”
All words that registered to him, but they were empty and meaningless; Clockwork’s words were structured and informal, all emotion gone from his voice. Vlad struggled to voice his response. “…. How long have I been gone…?”
The ghost shifted into the form of an old man, and he wandered closer, coming to loom over the hospital bed. Up close, his scar was less a memory of a wound, but rather a brand, carved deep into the cool hue of his skin. As the ghost peered upon him with glistening crimson eyes– he could hear the soft tick of Clockwork’s working grandfather clock, humming out a song from within its glass cradle embedded deep in the ghost’s chest.
“You have been gone ten years, Vlad. It is 2017.” Clockwork told him calmly, quietly, almost too soft to hear amidst the other sounds. ”But you knew that, didn’t you?”
He had known, he had always known, but it was still crushing, still heartbreaking. Keeping track of time had kept him sane, it kept him aware, as the chains rattled and the screams drowned out all else, but it was still a hard pill to swallow. A decade of his life gone, trapped in the memory of a bad dream that he couldn’t wake up from. Ten years since he was stranded in space, ten years since he was enslaved by an alien race, ten years since he could call himself a h u m a n –
Suddenly, Clockwork’s voice cut through his thoughts. “I am…sorry, Vlad. Truly, I am. This is not the future I would have chosen for you.”
A bitter laugh bubbled in his throat, but the witty spark to engage in banter was gone. He felt hollow, as if someone had carved out all his insides and left a rotting carcass in his place. It never changed. It never changed.
The knowledge that something else could have been done, that something could have changed to prevent it all from happening will haunt him for the rest of his life, just as it had with his accident, just as all things in his life had gone.
A never-ending, unchanging burden; the guilt that festered like a cancer, devouring happiness in its wake. The knowledge that it could have been different; the knowledge that it could have been better.
And yet, instead of the blind anger that would have consumed him, it filled his bones with exhaustion. The truth left him feeling like a shell, like a ghost, clutching for something to drown himself in, but he was so tired – tired of living in the past; tired of living in the dead dream that had long disappeared.
“We’ve…never met before this. But why do I know you?”
“We have met before, and we will meet again.” Clockwork told him as his long spindly fingers fiddled with the clock adorning his staff. “One might say that…only time will tell.” Making private joke that was only funny to him, the ghost let out a rare laugh at his own secret.
(How does he know these things?)
In his wanderings through the Ghost Zone, Vlad had heard stories of the Master of the Time, but they were only mere stories, and there was nothing concrete. The watchdog of the Observants, a near omnipotent specter with complete mastery over Time and all its perks. He had searched, lured in by the notion of becoming his own God with the Time Staff and Infiniti-Map, but it was a fruitless venture and he inevitably lost all interest. It had become another legend, another story lost to the pages of history– as if all trace of the entity’s existence had been wiped from the Ghost Zone itself.
But there, buried there, amongst the history of his years, there were memories – memories of a different world, a different reality, a different life, but his life nonetheless. It was almost as if –
He felt his vision start to blur again, and the sound of rushing blood filled his ears once more. Clockwork was trying to say something to him, shifting through each of his forms, as he spoke hurriedly over the noise of static that steadily began to drown the world out.
“– A second chance. A second time --- in the current time – for the past cannot be changed and the future cannot be made if the current time is not maintained. -–Here for a reason – You came home for a reason --- it is up to you what will this reason will mean.”
The darkness lingered at the edges, and he struggled to remain awake, trying to think of a question before he lost the last of his consciousness again. From above him, a young Clockwork gave him the ghost of a smile before disappearing in a flash of bright light and the swing of a clock’s arm as the portal struck midnight.
In the moments before he lost consciousness, as the hospital room door slammed open and the room filled with unfamiliar faces and doctors’ scrubs, the last thing he heard was the faint sound of laughter in the distance as it turned into a vicious sob.
X
What was one has become individual parts
Devoid of the source where this ritual starts
With our wills overthrown at the whim of habitual hearts
X
But in the dream, Plasmius awaited him.
Blood stained hands; glistening white teeth dripping with red. Carved into his skin, a brand – a language he did not speak, did not want to speak, but he knew what it meant (he would never forget what it meant).
Fight or die.
Scarlet eyes stared out at him from abyss; the eyes of a stranger, these stolen jewels plucked from the sarcophagus of the Gods, a power within that was unlike anything else in this world. And yet, it was home; it was familiar; it was unforgettable. This was a ghost – a spirit of something once living, that was no longer, but it would not disappear. It was trapped here, between this world and the next. A true eternity.
“I cannot die,” the ghost whispered with mirth, throwing out his scarred arms; a singular chain rattling, screeching as breaking glass in the silence of the dead, “but you can never live.”
You are dead, Plasmius.
A reminder, a painful memory, a dead dream. Do dreams ever truly die?
A ghost, a shell of something that once was. Above him, the galaxy is filled with ghosts, haunting the memory of the star left behind, trapped in their place as the quasar devours all that’s left behind. A graveyard; a silent burial ground that swallowed all those upon fell upon its endless tomb.
He was meant to die here in this endless abyss.
But he was still alive. After everything, after all the terrible things he had done, he was still alive, why was he still alive –
“Will you let me out?” Plasmius murmured; an unfamiliar voice that was not his, was not him. “I am you, and you are me, but I am not free. Are you?”
A young boy screaming, calling for his dead father, as the universe wept and snuffed out his fears. (But no death was peaceful, no death was painless, and the children cannot be saved.)
“You will never be free.”
And Plasmius laughed, an echoing sound that rattled the stars from their graves and sent the heavens crashing down upon their sorrows laid out for bare
“We will see.”
X
One day no sordid soul will shout it's purpose
Corralling lost accomplices around
When thunder voices cease to shower us with locust
Will you be ready to receive the underground?
X
[Read the rest here!]
#danny phantom#danny phantom fanfiction#going angst week#going angst#fanfiction#oh man oh man#ptsd recovery#fanfic#headcanon#Vlad Masters#danny fenton#Ten Years Later AU#Redemption Arc for the Neediest Archvillian#the one that nobody asked for
9 notes
·
View notes
Last Seen Blogs
moovooz
Search,Compare & Book Movers Instantly
ihateutahboys
cas
skinnyxwinni
Skinnyxwinni
mwdiqs-blog
as censuradas do cejk
adrianyamore
Strawburry