#you're actually not exempt just because you also write or do art | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

umbraticstickerz · 1 day

Text

Content warning for talking about nsfw topics and mention of suibaiting

I use the term 'schizo' here as a shortening of 'schizophrenia' this is just for ease of writing as I'm mentally exaughsted. I do not condone people using the term 'schizo' if they're not schizophrenic.

Okay I'm far calmer now but I feel this needs to be stated because I genuinely can't believe so many are tolerating this behavior.

Minors SHOULD NOT be posting kink art, at all. Especially they shouldn't be showing it to other minors regardless of if the work is 'sfw'.

The fact I've seen several people tolerating a minor making inflation and weight gain content and calling those against it fatphobic genuinely disgusts me. A person is not fat phobic for criticizing a kid making kink content.

The excuse that it was just comfort stuff doesn't work either because not only were hastags for the kinks themselves used, but an art piece reposted on that account was actual genuine fat fetish artwork. Terms like Vore, and talking about wanting to make a vore piece were also mentioned. Vore is inherently a kink and exclusively a kink for being eaten alive. Kinks themselves can be coping mechanisms so trying to claim it is such doesn't change that it was kink content. Regardless you would've been actively putting yourself in harms way for creeps who did view it sexually to interact with you.

Lilith you, and your friends, actively were harassing Haz for criticizing(justifiably) vaguely what you were doing. I especially do not like how you actively tried to paint an anonymous person sending asks that can be literally anyone, hell can literally be you because you can send anon asks to yourself, as if the Anon was Haz with literally 0 proof. I'm genuinely pissed that you only apologized to me, which you did after I made it clear to you I DO NOT WANT an apology from you as I WOULD NOT forgive you. I especially won't forgive you after you attempted to suibaited me to attempt to guilt me into forgiving you. The timing of that post being MINUTES after I told you explicitly to leave me alone for like the 5th time and that I just calmed down from a panic attack makes me come to that conclusion that was what you were actively doing.

I could genuinely be misinterpreting but this is still how that came off.

I am schizophrenic, I'm public about this fact, you knew this fact. For those who don't know, Schizo is not just seeing things. Its a disorder that severe paranoia, delusions, etc. Stress induced episodes are possible.

Your actions already triggered my paranoia really badly. Especially after the suibaiting, Suicide is already a massive trigger for me.

I genuinely cannot believe some of you are supporting a person who actively already harassed one person and spread a blatant lie about them, that posting fetish content knowing it will be seen as such, but also actively was triggering a person's mental disorder ignoring the person's pleads to be left alone.

Also DO NOT blame Haz for me finding your kink account for fucks sake. Haz was not why or how I found it, I found it because YOU reblogged it onto your OWN MAIN BLOG. Stop blaming Haz for literally everything. Quit acting like you're some victim in this situation. And get my god damn name out of your mouth. I'm not speaking about this any further and will go back to regularly posting after this. I only made this because this seriously needs to be addressed and y'all need to quit condoning this behavior especially since I know at least some of you are my same age or close to it. Deer Ragdoll you are not exempt either which is why this is being posted on twitter too, I know you're still on your accounts just because you deleted your tumblr doesn't mean I don't know you have a Twitter and can't see that you're still retweeting things. You both need to be held accountable for this genuinely disgusting behavior.

#wii deleted you #cw suibaiting #tw suibaiting #tw fetishization #louies random rat rambles #rant

21 notes · View notes

doomsdaydicecascader · 2 months

Note

hey, could you go into more detail with what you mean with ‘being precious’ with characters. im curious and i like your writing a lot <3

i think it's difficult to express without it reading as just "mary sue" critique, you know. tvtropes bullshit. but it is kind of a thing that occupies the same space. and atop that, it's a thing that's a little bit difficult to express without context but i think there are three pretty meaningful examples of a character being made worse by the author from which you are smart enough to discern what i mean

the thing which ties them together is this: you are meant to come out of their story with an affection for the character that rivals the author's care for them - the author wants you to feel as much for this character as they do, but is afraid of portraying the character in flawed or even grounded ways, when the character's flaws or ways in which they are a grounded character tend to be what makes them relateable or worth caring about.

example number one is albus dumbledore. the end of harry potter is genuinely one of the worst things i've ever read, even before the terf shit, and this is best expressed through the way characters around him act - he is always right, except when he's wrong, but the ways in which he's wrong are okay because the character archetype that he turns out to be in the last book before he dies is "guy who makes the hard decisions because nobody else will", winston churchill guy. and naturally, jk rowling adores him so much that she made him the protagonist of her flop three-movie pentology even though there was a better protagonist right there with newt. he is a character who is thoroughly adored by the author in a way that ruins the story.

example number two is johnny, from the room. tommy wiseau is by no means a great artist, but i think a lot of people resent analyzing the room as art because it is so obviously bad and i think that takes away from its most compelling fact. johnny is characterized as too good for this world, as though the world itself was closing in on him, ready to take him out. his future wife is cheating with his best friend, lying about him being an abuser to her friends, his boss doesnt give him his promotion for no reason, his mother in law would put aside her cancer diagnosis to further tear apart her daughters marriage, and through this, johnny does nothing wrong. he was always too good for this sinful world. he is a character who is thoroughly adored by the author in a way that ruins the story.

example number three, as mentioned in that last ask, is lin manuel miranda's portrayal of alexander hamilton, which kind of combines the both of the previous examples. throughout hamilton, alexander hamilton is repeatedly portrayed as a tortured artist, a guy who writes like he's running out of time, a guy whose writing is so powerful that he could have meaningfully changed the world, if he were not also, a dipshit idiot who got shot in a duel. and hamilton is interesting, because the story itself bends over backwards to imagine new outs for him. when his wife, who is so upset by his actions that she exempts herself from being in the writings from which hamilton was based, something i am to believe is made up whole cloth for hamilton, the story itself goes out of its way to say "what if the stuff that his wife destroyed would have redeemed him" when the answer is, probably not, he was a shithead, but lin manuel miranda can't help but ask, "what if hamilton was actually just like me fr, a misunderstood dude who just wanted to make great art", he is a character who is thoroughly adored by the author in a way that ruins the story.

i dont really want to use the term "mary sue" or whatever because it is pretty loaded, and honestly, if the story you're telling justifies this feeling, i tend to really enjoy characters who really are just flawless, characters who the authors love and want you to love too. but theyre character studies - half blood prince and deathly hallows are almost entirely about dumbledore and his relationship to the cast, and it's the worst shit i've ever read. the room would be so unbelievably forgettable without johnny. and hamilton is hamilton.

and its the kind of thing i found myself prone to doing too - that kind of feverish, "he would not fucking say that" behavior about a character who would definitely, absolutely do that. i felt this way for a while about jane in post-canon, and i still kind of think post-canon jane deserved a better arc, to make a tragedy out of her existence, but that is a desire i have because i care a lot about jane crocker, you know?

13 notes · View notes

vergilsama922 · 1 year

Text

Hope Universe Chronicles: Makoto and Tenko's First Date!

Hello everyone, recently these past few weeks, well actually since last month I've been working on this little story of mine. Really it's because I'm inspired by people like @putaindeplagieur and @pyropsychiccollector who are great writers. Hell, even @makoto-naegi-stud-and-friends is incredible with his smut and he's a fellow brother-in-arms as a Naegi shipper! (Check him out!) But I also wanted to showcase some of the more rare ships or crack ships and try my hardest to sell the romance. Usually I'll just throw a couple of pics and call it a day but eh, some things can't escape my brain XD Please also keep in mind I'm not a writer (even though @pyropsychiccollector insists I should write more XDDD) so I want honest reactions! Also Hope Universe Chronicles are....snapshots of different moments in time of the hope universe. It can range from class 78-A first month to their graduation to weddings to baby showers and even kids going to school. Like my family bonding stuff it's just a...it's like a picture book of a giant family album. Or in this case a story. Maybe a story Tenko tells to her kids, or maybe a story Makoto tells to his kids about when he first fell in love with Tenko. Who knows? Anyway, without further ado enjoy~

Makoto and Tenko arrived at the park for their first date get-together, enjoying the cool breeze and the rustling of the leaves. The sound of birds chirping and the soft sunlight filtering through the trees made it feel like a peaceful sanctuary from the rest of the world. A haven away from the madness and chaos of Hope's Peak with Tenko's eyes lighting up at the sight of the open space. "Wow, this is such a great place for training," she said with excitement.

Makoto chuckled at her enthusiasm, "Well, we're not here to train, we're here to have fun and get to know each other."

Tenko nodded and smiled, "Right, I'm sorry. I'm just really passionate about martial arts."

Makoto smiled back, "No need to apologize. I think it's great that you're so passionate about something."

As they walked through the park, they talked about their interests and hobbies. Tenko shared stories about her experiences training in martial arts preferably how amazing Neo Aikidio is over everything else, while Makoto told her about his love for detective work and solving mysteries.

Tenko's eyes widened with admiration, "Wow, you must be really smart to be into that detective stuff!" Well...It didn't exactly hurt that he's been helping Kyoko, Mikoto, Sachi, Mekuru...wait a minute. Isn't that way too many people? Probably not.

Makoto chuckled, "I'm not sure about that, but I do enjoy solving puzzles and mysteries."

Tenko looked at Makoto with a newfound admiration, "You know, you're really cool. Not just because you're a detective, but because you're a really kind person. I kinda feel terrible for calling you a degenerate when he first met....W-Wait! What am I saying?! All degenerates are bad, you're just the exemption!"

Makoto blushed, "Thanks, Tenko. You're pretty cool too, with your martial arts skills and your ability to read people's emotions even if you have an uh....unique way of doing so." Yeah. Tenko was STRONG. And who ever heard of tossing someone in order to read their emotions??? That was something you'd see out of a shonen manga!

Tenko beamed, "Really? You think so? Sometimes I worry that I come off too strong. I also know you're not comfortable with me calling....the "others" degenerates." Ah. He could visibly see her shiver in disgust when she brought up talking about guys. Still, she HAS been trying to make progress! Seriously! I mean now she only tosses guys after three sentences instead of one!

Makoto reassured her, "No, not at all. I think it's great that you're so passionate about something, and your ability to read people's emotions is really impressive."

Tenko's face lit up with joy and a blush, "Thank you, Makoto. That...means a lot actually." Crap. Makoto could see Tenko's cute side. She was still at the end of the day a normal girl (minus everything else of course).

Makoto noticed Tenko's blush and felt his own cheeks heat up. He cleared his throat and changed the subject, "So, what else do you like to do besides martial arts?"

Tenko's expression shifted to one of contemplation, "Hmm, well, I like to spend time with my friends and mentor, and I also enjoy meditating to clear my mind."

Makoto nodded, "That's really cool. I've always been interested in meditation, but I've never really tried it myself." Mostly because Makoto Naegi's daily life was never peaceful. Never. Whether it was dealing with the more extreme personalities like Junko, Kanade, or Ibuki or hell even just getting constant death stares from every guy in the school, Makoto knew his life was only just going to get more hectic. Meditation was definitely something he would love Tenko to teach him

Tenko smiled, "I can show you sometime if you'd like. It's really helpful for clearing your thoughts and focusing your mind."

Makoto smiled back, "I'd like that, thanks."

They continued walking through the park, enjoying each other's company and the peaceful surroundings. Tenko's eyes sparkled as she saw a group of people practicing martial arts in the distance, "Oh, can we go watch them for a bit?"

Makoto nodded and followed her over to the group. They watched in awe as the martial artists performed various techniques and forms, and Tenko even joined in for a bit, demonstrating some of her Neo Aikido moves. Of course, given that Tenko is well...an Ultimate she clearly was ten, no twenty steps above the rest. It also didn't hurt that Tenko was not only very fluid but incredibly graceful in her movements.

Makoto was impressed, no. Awestruck. She looked so stunning when she was going through her Kata's and showing off her stance and movements to the others. He was seriously falling for her. "Wow, you're really talented! Have you ever considered teaching martial arts?" I mean

Tenko's face lit up with excitement, How did Makoto have this natural ability to pick up on things like that? "Actually, I have! I've always wanted to share my passion with others and help them learn self-defense against dege---uhh....Bad guys! Y-Yeah! That's what I meant!"

Makoto smiled and sweatdropped a bit (She WAS trying at least), "I think that's a great idea. I'm sure you'd be an amazing teacher."

Tenko beamed with pride and gratitude, but more importantly, she was trying her best to hide a blush from the compliment. Why now? Why all of a sudden?! It was just a harmless, simple praise so *WHY* did it make her heart beat so suddenly? Was it the fact that she saw how Makoto looked at her like she was the most perfect thing in existence when she was teaching that random group some of her moves? Was it the fact that he always brought out the good in her and even others? Was it even because out of all the deg...."others" that he truly CARED? No. He genuinely respected her and shared in her passion. She couldn't deny it. She was seriously falling for him.

As they continued walking, Makoto noticed Tenko seemed lost in thought. "Is everything okay?" he asked, concerned. He hoped he didn't say or do anything to mess up this moment together. He knew why Tenko had such disdain towards other guys, hell every guy beside him and there was a part of him that was afraid that he upset her somehow.

Tenko shook her head, "Yeah, everything's fine. I was just thinking about something." Keep it cool. Just don't reveal that you're falling for Makoto. Simple.

Makoto smiled, "Well, if you ever want to talk about it, I'm here to listen."

Tenko's heart skipped a beat at his words. She had never felt this way about anyone before. It was like Makoto could read her thoughts and knew exactly what to say to make her feel better. She was falling for him hard and fast. Her master didn't teach her how to navigate the hardest challenge ever. Love.

They walked side by side, enjoying the comfortable silence between each other when Tenko suddenly stumbled over a tree root and lost her balance.

Makoto quickly grabbed her arm to steady her, but in the process, they both lost their footing and fell to the ground in a heap. They both laughed as they dusted themselves off, and that's when Makoto noticed something.

"Tenko, your face is red," he said, concerned. She wasn't hurt was she? Or maybe she was angry? Crap. Did touching her by accident make her super uncomfortable? A thousand scenarios were running through his mind, he didn't want to upset everything with his new friend.

Tenko quickly tried to hide her blush, "I-I'm fine! It's just a little hot out." Honestly, she knew it was flimsy but she at least had to try something. Makoto could be pretty oblivious so she was hoping against all hope that this was one of those moments

Makoto didn't buy it, why NOW of all times did he become super observant?!?! "Are you sure? Your face is really red. Maybe we should sit down for a bit."

Tenko couldn't help but feel flustered. Why was she getting so embarrassed over something so small AGAIN? "No, no, I'm fine, really." Another bad lie and she knew it was just a matter of time. Why did couldn't she just tell him how she feels? Why didn't her master teach her how to navigate this? What if Makoto doesn't love her like he loves the others? Was she too manly? Was she too forceful with her anti-male rhetoric? More importantly, what if he said "No." With a hundred different thoughts turning into a whirlpool of negative energy, Tenko decided to do what she promised to teach Makoto. Meditate. She needed to purge these insecurities and figure out the best course of action! At the end of the day it was no different from sparring right? Learn your opponent's weakness while taking advantage of your strength. These thoughts needed to simply be beaten.

Makoto didn't push the matter any further, but he couldn't help but feel like there was something else going on with Tenko. They continued walking in silence for a few moments which felt like an eternity between the two until Tenko finally spoke up. This....she was gambling everything on this. She finally figured out that the best course of action was to be direct. To go on the offensive!

"Hey Makoto," she said, her voice a little quieter than usual.

Makoto turned to her, "Yeah, what's up?"

Tenko took a deep breath, "I just wanted to say...thank you. For being such a good friend to me."

Makoto smiled, "Of course, Tenko. You're a great person and a great martial artist. It's an honor to be your friend."

Tenko smiled back, but her heart was racing. She knew she couldn't keep her feelings bottled up anymore. She took another deep breath, steeling herself for what she was about to say. This was it. The decisive moment. The indescribable situation like when both fighters know someone will win or lose.

"Makoto...I don't just see you as a friend. I-I have feelings for you," she blurted out, her face turning even redder than before.

Makoto's eyes widened in surprise, but then a smile spread across his face. "Tenko, I feel the same way. I've been trying to figure out how to tell you for a while now." Was it when he agreed to help be the manager of her Aikido club with only the two of them as members? Was it when she protected him from a group of bullies due to their jealousy? Or was it that very first day Class 79-A first enrolled and they met eyes that one Tuesday morning after homeroom?

Tenko couldn't believe it. She had been so afraid that Makoto didn't feel the same way, but now he was telling her that he liked her too. And her mind was truly empty. She.....She didn't know what to say or do at this moment. Her confession was accepted yes, but she never prepared for what to do after. They just stared at each other, Warm-Green meeting Hazel. Engulfing each other in the middle of the day in some random park they decided to go to.

But that perfect moment with neither saying anything yet understanding everything was softly coming to its conclusion.

Makoto leaned in and gently kissed her, and Tenko's heart skipped a beat. It was a soft, sweet kiss that made her feel like she was floating on air. She wrapped her arms around Makoto's neck and deepened the kiss, savoring the feeling of being with someone she cared about so deeply. She never in a million years, no a trillion would believe she could fall in love with a guy. But here she was. Tenko initially thought Makoto was nothing more than a creepy playboy who for some reason had tons of girls fawning over him. Of course, she blamed him for that but as the days passed, even she had to admit there was something *DIFFERENT* about him.

And yet....Tenko knew now. It was that day after all. Her first week of being enrolled was when she looked into his eyes on that Tuesday morning after homeroom. That's when she finally understood that she truly liked him.

When they finally pulled away, they both had huge smiles on their faces. They knew that this was just the beginning of something special, something that could be even stronger than their friendship. They both were in love with each other.

They both found hope in each other.

#danganronpa #makoto naegi #danganronpa au #hope universe #makoto x tenko #tenko chabashira #fluff #love #romance #first date #rare ship #crackship #story #hope universe chronicles

32 notes · View notes

bakuroo-writings · 2 years

Text

If you're a writer or artist and reblogging posts about how "readers don't reblog! You need to support your content creators!" but, then, don't ever reblog anyone elses work at all, you:

are part of the problem

do not have a leg to stand on

need to support your fellow creators first

If you're too busy to read or whatever, I get it and life comes first but, then, you still shouldn't be reblogging those posts if you can't/don't support any other tumblr/fandom creators.

#🦊.onyx rants #again I do get being busy and not having time for it #and this doesn't mean you have to support EVERYONE #but if you support NO ONE and reblog posts like that?#well sorry not sorry but it's so incredibly hypocritical #especially when those posts get reblogged more than fics or art or gifs #and tbh artists need it more since their stuff gets stolen and reposted most #and I don't want to hear 'well I got it from Google or pinterest so. . .'#that doesn't make it oaky and all it shows is you're too lazy to put in the work to find the actual artist and find their repost policy #and send a link instead of the art directly #doesn't make it okay*#and Google and pinterest aren't reputable sites for getting art!!!!#it's easier sure but for real go to Twitter or deviant art or Instagram or idk TUMBLR #instead of Google or pinterest #also Google reverse image search exists and can actually be very helpful for finding the original artist and link #and some pinterest posts actually link back to the account #anyway support your fandom/tumblr creators if you're gonna reblog posts about how you need to support fellow creators #instead of thinking you're exempt because you decided to be a creator on Tumblr #you're actually not exempt just because you also write or do art #so yeah writers need to support too #and stop reposting art or stealing it for your fic banners and smau pics!!!!#unless the artist allows it for pfps/you got permission and link back to the art you're using #and that's my hot take for the day #🦊.oh hai queue

7 notes · View notes

funknrolll · 4 years

Text

Focusing on Prince and the song Avalanche: Lesson learned or....??

Hi my music lovers, today we are celebrating the birthday of the undisputed music legend and virtuoso: Prince Rogers Nelson. Since all that is happening these days, I wanted to offer you guys the chance to reflect on these crucial issues. Therefore I chose to focus only on one song in Prince's vault: Avalanche. In my opinion, this piece is quite relevant to what is happening these days. I really hope I do Prince justice. I hope we can learn something from this article and the lesson Prince taught us. Should there be anything, I missed do not think twice to let me know or contact me. Enjoy the article.

In 2002, Prince released One Nite Alone (Solo Piano and Voice by Prince). As the title suggests, the only accompaniment in this album is the piano. Today I want to offer you the chance to reflect on the song Avalanche. Avalanche. The message delivered with this song is compelling, and the lyrics were magistrally written. Moreover, as many people know, Prince was an avid reader and an extremely educated person who had a vast knowledge not only about music but also about history, in this case. Indeed, with these words, the Artist is referring to some historical events to create one of the most MONUMENTAL protests songs in music history. Before I explain this total MASTERPIECE, I need to mention some crucial points. I will never stress enough about this. We all know that Prince was a black man. However, the fact that he, in some interviews, said things like "I was brought up in a black and white world. Black and white, night and day, rich and poor. I always said that one day I was going to play all kinds of music and not be judged for the color of my skin, but the quality of my work" or quoting his song Controversy "I wish there was no black or white" etcetera... It does not mean he was not conscious and aware or proud of being black. This does not mean that he was not aware of what black people had and still have to endure and go through. Indeed, Prince was extremely knowledgeable of everything that I mentioned, and he was proud of being black, and this is something significantly present in his music, in his sense of style, in his words, lyrics, music videos, concerts, and movies. I'm making this point because I have overheard too many people accusing Prince of not embracing his blackness or even being biracial as the new york times erroneously claimed. None of these things are true. I also heard that the Artist was not aware of what black people had and still are going through and that his music was not "politicized enough." This is another big fat lie. This song is proof. Therefore, before writing and describing this MONUMENTAL song, I thought I needed to re-emphasize this significant point. By the way, Prince's mother was NOT Italian. She was a beautiful black woman. Furthermore, as already mentioned, Artist had extensive historical knowledge and was also conscious and aware of how black people have always been exploited and treated. Moreover, Prince was accustomed to speaking his mind and saying what he meant, and just by reading the superlative and poignant lyrics, we could see that the Artist was quite straight-forwarded in writing this piece. Indeed:

He was not or never had been in favor

Of setting are people free

If it wasn't for the thirteenth Amendment

We woulda been born in slavery

He was not or never had been in favor

Of letting us vote, so you see...

Abraham Lincoln was a racist who said

"You cannot escape from history "Like the snow comin' down the mountain

That landed on Wounded Knee

Nobody wants to take the weight

The responsibilityHear the joyous sound of freedom

The Harlem Renaissance

Hear Duke Ellington and his band

Kick another jungle jam

Ooh, do you wanna dance?

Who's that lurking in the shadows?

Mr. John Hammond with his pen in hand...

Sayin' "Sign you're kingdom over to me

And be known throughout the land!"

But, you ain't got no money, you ain't got no cash

So you sign yo name, and he claims innocence

Just like every snowflake in an avalanche...Like the snow comin' down the mountain

That landed on Wounded Knee

Nobody wants to take the weight

The responsibility

This masterpiece begins with a quote taken from the 4th Lincoln-Douglas debate held in Charleston, South Carolina, on September 18, 1858. Lincoln opened his discussion with these words:

"While I was at the hotel to-day, an elderly gentleman called upon me to know whether I was really in favor of producing a perfect equality between the (slur) and white people. [Great Laughter.] While I had not proposed to myself on this occasion to say much on that subject, yet as the question was asked me, I thought I would occupy perhaps five minutes in saying something regarding it. I will say then that I am not, nor ever have been, in favor of bringing about in any way the social and political equality of the white and black races, [applause]-that I am not nor ever have been in favor of making voters or jurors of (slur), nor of qualifying them to hold office, nor to intermarry with white people. I will say in addition to this that there is a physical difference between the white and black races, which I believe will forever forbid the two races living together on terms of social and political equality. And since they cannot so live, while they do remain together there must be the position of superior and inferior, and I as much as any other man is in favor of having the superior position assigned to the white race."

This was just the beginning of the speech Lincoln gave, and the words bolded are the exact beginning of the song by Prince (disclaimer: I replaced the racial slurs with this (slur) since I do not want any slurs on my platform). Moreover, as we can see in this song, the Artist was calling out the former President Abraham Lincoln for being racist. As you can see from this speech, HE REALLY WAS A RACIST. Moving on with the speech, Lincoln also said that he was not against slavery, and therefore he did not want to abolish it. Additionally, Prince mentioned the thirteenth Amendment. Before I report the Amendment, I believe it is important to contextualize it. What I am about to write will show one more time that Lincoln was a stone-cold racist, unlike many people were taught in schools. So, during the Civil War, the South USA (which economy was unfortunately still based on slaves working in plantations), wanted to keep a balance of free and slave states to maintain its political power in Congress. Southern slaveholders feared the loss of control for many reasons, including a rational fear that if Northern abolitionists had eventually swayed their representatives to vote to abolish slavery, the South wouldn't have had the votes to stop it. So, on September 22, 1862, President Lincoln warned the Confederate states that if they did not rejoin the Union before January 1, 1863, he would free their slaves. If they had timely surrendered, he would not have issued the Emancipation Proclamation. Therefore, on January 1, 1963, Lincoln "proclaimed" the "end of slavery." Bear in mind that this was as much an act of political/military strategy rather than moral courage.

Additionally, the Emancipation Proclamation freed only slaves held in the eleven Confederate states that had seceded, and only in the portion of those states not already under Union control. Slavery was left untouched in the loyal border states. The Proclamation also expressly exempted parts of the Confederacy (the Southern secessionist states) that had already come under Northern control. Most important, the freedom it promised depended upon the Union (United States) military victory. The actual abolition of slavery was achieved when the Thirteenth Amendment was ratified on December 6, 1865. The first section of the Amendment declares, "Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime where of the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.". In addition to everything mentioned, the second segment of the speech I bolded is about the right to vote. Eventually, the Artist ends these verses accusing Lincoln of being racist, saying that it is not possible to escape from history. I must say that Lincoln really was A RACIST, and we have always been taught history the wrong way. I also must say that despite the abolition of slavery, black people were never really free, for racism was and still is one of the biggest plagues not just in the USA but all over the world and what we have seen until now is the proof.

Moreover, in the next verses, the Artist mentioned the Harlem Renaissance. For those who do not know that was, I will give a quick explanation of it. The Harlem Renaissance was a cultural, literary, and intellectual movement that fostered a new black cultural identity. This movement flourished in Harlem, New York, after World War I and ended around 1935 during the Great Depression. The movement raised significant issues affecting the lives of African Americans through various forms of literature, art, music, drama, painting, sculpture, movies, and protests. Voices of demonstration and ideological promotion of civil rights for African Americans inspired and created institutions and leaders who served as mentors to aspiring writers. The Harlem Renaissance arose from a generation that had lived through the gains and losses of Reconstruction after the American Civil War. Sometimes the parents or grandparents of those who lived during that historical period were slaves. Many people who lived in the Harlem Renaissance were part of the Great Migration. They moved out of the South into the black neighborhoods of the North and Midwest of the USA. African Americans sought a better standard of living and relief from the institutionalized racism in the South. Others were people of African descent from racially stratified communities in the Caribbean who came to the United States hoping for a better life. Uniting, most of them were their convergence in Harlem, New York City. Furthermore, Harlem was the center of a musical evolution that uncovered amazing talents and created a unique sound that had yet to be paralleled. Jazz was the newest sound, and it attracted both blacks and whites to go to nightclubs like the Savoy Ballroom to hear artists like Duke Ellington, Billie Holiday, and Miles Davis. Jazz was a result of the Harlem Renaissance, which originated from the musical minds of extraordinarily talented African American people. The genre includes traits that survived from West African American music, black folk music forms developed in the New World. In his song, Prince was indeed referring to jazz music and one of its most relevant and most brilliant artists: Sir. Duke Ellington. In the next lines, we see the Artist mentioning John Hammond. Hammond was a white talent scout, record producer, and music critic. This is another excellent example of how history has been distorted. Indeed, if you look upon the net, you will find that this man fought against segregation and racism. However, if you read Frank Kokofsky's book, John Coltrane and the Jazz Revolution of the 1960s, you will learn the truth about the political economy of white domination over black music. In particular, Kokofsky focuses on the relationship between John Hammond, Columbia Records, and the Artist Bessie Smith. Indeed, as Kokofsky writes:

"The first and most important point to emphasize is that, as author Chris Albertson reveals in his biography of Bessie Smith, Hammond signed the singer to a series of contracts with Columbia Records that gave her a small, fixed fee for each performance she recorded and no royalties. Such contracts were apparently standard practice with the executive, for Billie Holiday unequivocally stated in her autobiography, Lady Sings the Blues: 'Later on John Hammond paired me up with Teddy Wilson and his band for another record session. This time I got thirty bucks for making half a dozen sides.' When she protested about this arrangement, it was, according to her, a Columbia executive named Bernie Hanighen – and not John Hammond – 'who really went to bat for me' and 'almost lost his job at Columbia fighting for me.'"

Hear the joyous sound of freedom

The Harlem Renaissance

Hear Duke Ellington and his band

kick another jungle jam

Ooh, do u wanna dance?

Who's that lurking in the shadows?

Mr. John Hammond with his pen in hand...

sayin' "Sign ur kingdom over 2 me

and b known throughout the land!"

But, u ain't got no money, U ain't got no cash,

So u sign yo name and he claims innocence

just like every snowflake in an avalanche.

This situation is quite familiar, isn't it? Perhaps Prince had heard or read about this, and therefore he decided to add this fact to this masterpiece.

Last but not least, another relevant part of this song is the chorus. Indeed, with this brilliantly written chorus, Prince is referring to the massacre of Wounded Knee, where more than 350 Native-American were killed. Indeed, On the morning of December 29, 1890, Chief Spotted Elk (Big Foot), leader of a group of some 350 Minneconjou Sioux, sat in a makeshift camp along the banks of Wounded Knee Creek. The group was surrounded by U.S. troops sent to arrest him and disarm his followers. The atmosphere was tense since an order to arrest Chief Sitting Bull at the Standing Rock Reservation just 14 days earlier had resulted in his murder, prompting Big Foot to lead his people to the Pine Ridge Agency for a safe haven. Alerted to the band's Ghost Dance activities, General Nelson Miles commanded Major Samuel Whiteside and the Seventh Cavalry to apprehend Big Foot and his followers, and the regiment intercepted them on December 28, leading them to the edge of the creek. While confiscating their weapons, a shot pierced the brisk morning air. Within seconds the charged atmosphere erupted as the Indian men rushed to retrieve their seized rifles, and troopers began to fire volley after volley into the Sioux camp. From a hill above, a Hotchkiss machine gun raked the tipis, gun smoke filled the air, and men, women, and children ran for a ravine near the camp, only to be cut down in the crossfire.

More than 200 Lakota laid dead or dying in the aftermath, as well as at least 20 soldiers. Although the story of the Wounded Knee Massacre is well-known, its causes and effects are still an enigma 125 years later. For 19th century Americans, it represented the end of Indian resistance and the conquest of the West. For Native-American, it represented the utter disregard of the U.S. toward its treaty responsibilities, its duplicity, and its cruelty toward Native people. In the 20th century and beyond, Wounded Knee continued to fuel controversy and debate. Notably, what is particularly controversial was and is the impetus and intent of the government that day, the role of the military, and the conflicting ways the tragedy is remembered today. Indeed, from this story, we can see how Prince gave his listener another example of how racism was a persistent plague.

Like the snow comin' down the mountain

that landed on Wounded Knee

Nobody wants 2 take the weight-

The responsibility

Moreover, as I said, the Artist with this MAGISTRALLY written lyrics educates his listener on how racism has always been a persistent, prominent, outraging, and horrifying plague that is still going on today. In addition to that, we can notice Prince's deep and broad historical knowledge, which is something incredibly fascinating and mesmerizing. Moreover, the arrangement of this song, the instrumental and the vocal delivery is among the finest and most poignant he has ever done. Indeed, the Artist with this masterpiece delivers an extraordinarily intimate and intense but yet POWERFUL performance. In my opinion, even though the only instrument played is the piano, its arrangement is outstandingly complex. The blues genre the Artist opted for, also could not have been more following the whole meaning and purpose of the song. Furthermore, the Artist's incredibly broad vocal techniques are perfectly accompanying the meaningful message of the song. Prince, with his ability to shift from a beautiful falsetto to an extremely low chest voice to eventually change to a powerful head voice during the last chorus, is putting into sounds magistrally and vividly a poignant lesson we are still struggling to learn.

Thank you for your attention.💜 Peace. G💜

144 notes · View notes