Flash Post #1: Good News

So, surprising nobody, I haven't been very good about the promised flash posts. In my defense, though, I have a really great excuse. More on that later.

I really, really wanted to get the chance to post about this earlier, since it is kind of a Big Deal. I didn't end up having the time, but Owl covered it quite well a few days ago. Nevertheless, I did want to add a post of my own on the subject, however cursory, since I am overjoyed by this news.

Last Friday, SCOTUS ruled that it was unconstitutional to ban same-sex marriage. Which means, in all 50 states (and I believe US territories?) gay marriage is now legal. This has very little direct, practical impact on me at the moment, though it certainly affects me in the broader scheme of things. Despite it not immediately changing anything for me, I still had an intensely and deeply personal emotional response to the ruling. In fact, it impacted me on a much greater level han I was anticipating. I knew it would certainly make me happy, and I would be relieved.

I didn't expect to nearly break into tears when a very excited Target employee told me, later that day while I was shopping, that the endcap display of Pride merchandise she was just putting up was only a small selection, and that there was more in the back with the rest of the clothes, and wasn't today just wonderful? But there I was, staring at a parade of rainbow tank tops and beach blankets, shirts that proclaimed that "love is love" and called for equality and tolernace, and choking up as the full importance of the ruling finally hit me.

Here's the thing: I  know the fight is far from over. It's not over for gays and lesbians, and its only just beginning for the trans community. The queer community still has a long, loooong way to go until our battles, all of them, are finally won. And I do think, eventually, we will win them. I think eventually, no business across the country will be able to fire a gay man. Nobody will be able to stop a lesbian couple from renting an apartment. Trans and non-binary individuals will no longer have to fear for their safety when using a public restroom that aligns with their gender identity and presentation. Asexual and aromantic youths won't have to feel isolated, alone, and alien when they search for people like them in popular media, because they will no longer be invisible. The queer community has so many important and valiant issues to fight for and such a long way to go before we can rest easy. Gay marriage is not the end all be all of our fight, nor do I even think it is the most importnat step.

But it is stilll a very important step. Not only does love win, as the popular slogan goes, but now, same-sex couples are offered the same opporunities as heterosexual couples in terms of the rights and benefits that go along with marriage. Visitation rights, adoption, power of attorney. It isn't all just about the big romantic gestures and the happily ever afters. It's about being able to enter into the same partnership heterosexual couples have been entering into for thousands of years, and have it be seen as equal in the eyes of the law. And that is a major, major step in the right direction.

More than that, this represents a trenemdous change in public opinion. In the US, the approval rating in favor of equal rights for the LGBT community is the highest it's ever been. In most civilized parts of the US (politics very much exclued from the qualifier "civilized") it is no longer acceptable to be openly, or at least aggressively, homophobic without major backlash. And for the first time, we are even starting to talk openly about gender identity. Thanks to the public transition of Caitlyn Jenner and the recognition of Laverne Cox, the issue is (slowly and with no small amount of resistance) being brough to the table for discussion. The push for greater tolernace for the LGBT community is gaining more and more momentum. And when we look at where we've gotten, from the decriminlization of sodomy in the US to the Stonewall riots to the repeal of DOMA, from allowing sex change operations to putting trans characters on television and magazine covers, from the first gay pride parade to a gay neighborhood in almost every major city, from the first overruling of a same-sex marriage ban, eleven years ago in Owl's homestate to now, where every state (even those trying their damndest to get out of it) is obligated to allow same-sex marriage, we have come a long, long way in a relatively short time.

We can't stop now. There is so much left to do. But I am so, so proud of my nation and of the queer community and all its allies. I am honored to have been a part of this historic movement and to continue being a part of it. And I am no longer fearful, but excited and hopeful, for the future.

I hope you all will join me in looking forward, and in celebrating what we have already accomplished.

**I apologize for any typos, misspellings, lack of citations, or factual errors. I am typing this quickly and with limited Internet access and no spell check---bad for dyslexia!

For Every Girl

Happy Wednesday everyone!

I have some awesome news to share with you all today. Earlier this year the Girl Scouts of Western Washington received a $100,000 donation. For a non-profit organization that kind of money is a huge deal. Especially because the Girl Scouts use that money to help families in tough economic circumstances participate in the Girl Scouts. So how big a deal is $100,000? It's almost 1/3 of the Girl Scouts of Western Washington's financial assistance program budget. News of the donation had the whole office celebrating...

But then they heard the stipulation: the money could in no way be used to support transgender girls in the scouts. Then the organization had a choice - take the money and do some bureaucratic gymnastics to make sure it only supported cisgender girls or put their money where their mouth was and return the money. They took the second road and returned every cent of the money to the donor with an explanation that the Girl Scouts is for every girl.

It's not easy to stick to your principles when there's so much money at stake, but the Scouts did and we should all applaud them for that. Or go fund them...

Since the incident has gone viral the Girl Scouts of Western Washington set up an Indiegogo page to recoup their losses. And boy have they!! Their page is up to $265,000 after just two days! All that money goes towards helping girls who might not have the opportunity otherwise to participate in the Girl Scouts, who are teaching some pretty crucial skills to girls growing up in a challenging world. In their own words the Girl Scouts helps girls "use their voice to stand up for what they believe in, be proud of who they are, and support each other to take action to make the world a better place". Sounds like the people running the Western Washington branch were scouts themselves, doesn't it?

The reason this decision is so important is, I think, because transgender girls need those lessons as much, if not more than cis girls. A recent GLSEN survey found that a whopping 75% of youth feel unsafe at school. This isn't a statistic saying 75% of transgender youth are bullied at school (I'm willing to bet that figure is nearer 100%) this statistic tells us that 3/4 of transgender youth are feeling unsafe. That means lower GPAs, more missed school days, and a lower probability of continuing their education past high school.

And this isn't just a kids will be kids thing (a phrase I loathe entirely by the way because it's a way to sweep real problems under the rug and it presupposes the idea that this is a normal way to treat people). It's not only peers that are making trans folk feel unsafe - it's the institution itself. All too often trans students aren't acknowledged by the school itself. They are forced to use a bathroom that isn't consistent with their gender identity. Forced to wear clothing that isn't consistent with their gender identity. Called a name that doesn't reflect who they are. Only nineteen states* protect their students from discrimination based on gender identity! That is less than 40% of the United States.

States where public schools protect students from gender identity discrimination

It's not a pretty picture. But what the Girl Scouts, and other welcoming groups, are doing is helping. It gives trans youth role models and allies to look to. And it gives cis girls who participate alongside trans girls a face to put with an idea. It won't be an abstract and with their Girl Scout training they'll be able to speak out, stand up, and make a difference. Because that's where change on this issue is coming from - not above, but below. Students are changing their schools. Sons and daughters are educating their parents.

But in some places organizations - and adults - are starting to take part. Like the Girl Scouts. And if we want the Girl Scouts to continue their support (and to encourage other organizations to do the same) we need to show ours. Think of donating if you can - or writing a letter of support if you can't.

Here is their address: 601 Valley St, Seattle, WA 98109
Their e-mail: info@girlscoutsww.org
Their phone number: (800) 767-6845

Show them your support and they'll continue to show us theirs!

Signing off,
Owl

Then Again...

In my last post I discussed some of the things I am happy with SCOTUS for doing. This post is decidedly the opposite.

Two cases today had less than pleasing outcomes for me. The first was a case brought by the state of Michigan against the Environmental Protection Agency claiming that the EPA's demand that power companies cut mercury emissions was imposed without any thought to what it would cost power companies to comply. The court ruled against the EPA, agreeing that the EPA essentially could only protect the environment and thus the safety of the US public if it first made sure it wasn't going to cost big business too much. (It should also be noted that the EPA did eventually do a cost study for the mercury provisions in the Clean Air Act and found that the cost to public health and safety was 9 times higher than the cost of industry compliance. Big surprise there.) 

The ruling is fairly narrow and only affects the Clean Air Act, but it creates a greater possibility for future trouble between industry and the EPA. The ruling opens the door for companies to drag their heels over regulation implementation. In this case most companies have already implemented the mercury reduction standards required by the EPA, but in the future they may be able to use this case to argue that they shouldn't have to comply with EPA regulation until their case has been heard and decided (which we all know can take years). On a separate and more common sense than legal sense tangent I find this ruling deeply troubling. The idea that big business profits are more important to us as a society than the safety of our environment and our population is deeply disturbing and frankly disheartening in the extreme. I have feelings about this ruling that boil down to this: time is money and ruin. The extra time the EPA will have to spend confirming what should be common sense and the extra time companies will spend dragging their heels on implementing common sense wastes a hell of a lot more money than immediate implementation of environmental and safety standards. It seems a small price to pay for me, but then I am not an oil, gas, or electric company executive...

The other ruling handed down by the court today was Glissop v. Gross and at stake was the use of midazolam, the sedative currently used in the lethal injection cocktail to execute death row prisoners. The court upheld the legality of the drug and rejected the idea that the use of a non-barbiturate that does not induce coma constitutes cruel and unusual punishment as set out by the Constitution. Sonia Sotomayor, writing for the minority dissent, likened the experience as "being burned at the stake" in terms of the pain the inmates endure. The majority opinion, written by Samuel Alito, hinged on the point that the prisoners who brought the case had not provided an adequate substitute for the midazolam and blamed them and other groups opposed to capital punishment for making pentobarbitol harder (almost impossible) to obtain. (The reason it's harder to maintain is that drug companies don't want the stigma of providing a drug to prisons to cause death. Though undoubtedly public pressure has played a huge role in creating that stigma.) 

Overall 3 percent of lethal injections in this country are botched and 2014 was one of the worst years on record with at least 4 very prominent cases. Most botched attempts stem from the inability of poorly trained prison attendants to find a vein. But all the cases from 2014 (and what the case was arguing against) happened after the drugs started flowing. The problem boils down to the midazolam, which began wide usage in 2014. The drug is a sedative and extreme amount are needed to adequately sedate. The midazolam is combined with a paralytic drug and then two other drugs are administered to kill the inmate. Between the paralytic and the midazolam it is hard to tell how much pain prisoners are in (they are effectively paralyzed for their death). Except that during botched executions when prisoners haven't been given enough paralytic or sedative observers are privy to the gasps and screams of the dying. Often for some time. After seeing or hearing about those executions there can be little doubt that death by lethal injection can be an excruciatingly painful experience - beyond cruel and unusual punishment. Moreover, the frequency with which executions are botched in this manner is creeping up since the new cocktail's introduction. 

In the wake of increased botched executions there has been a shadow of doubt cast over the whole process. How effective is midazolam at actually stopping someone from feeling pain? How much of an execution looks peaceful as opposed to actually being peaceful? How well are we training those who are executing inmates? If we can't find any alternatives to an imperfect and sometimes agonizing method of execution does that mean we can continue on in good faith with the imperfect method? Is cruel and unusual punishment a relative term or have we ruled incorrectly in the past in favor of cruel punishments because it was the best we could do at the time?

I will admit to an immense bias on this issue. I am a staunch opponent of the death penalty. For a number of reasons. The first is that I believe it to be largely ineffective as a deterrent to criminal behavior. Overwhelmingly criminologists and law enforcement do not see the death penalty as an effective deterrent of violent crime. Though I'm sure there are many who believe it to be effective, I am more inclined to agree with those who study and see the effects of it on a daily basis. Second, cases involving the death penalty in all stages from prosecution to incarceration and execution are more expensive than cases that do not involve the death penalty. Third, the methods we use at present in my mind are clearly flawed and I think we will look back at this method of execution with the same measure of repulsion that we now view hanging, electrocution, or asphyxiation. Another big reason I don't support the death penalty is that I believe there is some clear bias surrounding who is sentenced to death. There is a tendency to give harsher sentences in this country to people of color and almost 45% of executed inmates have been non-white (a disproportionately high percentage based on population). There is also a strong correlation between the quality of representation and the possibility of receiving a death sentence. Or plainly stated - if you're poor and can't afford a good layer, you're more likely to be sentenced to death. The last reason is this - we make mistakes. We have killed innocent men, women, and even children. Death is irreversible and once a mistake is made the best we can do after execution is apologize and try to make amends with the living family, which is woefully inadequate in the face of what we have done. Our country has an imperfect past, which we see more clearly in the present. It is obvious to us now that some black men were executed because of the color of their skin during horribly racist period of our history. I wonder if we will look back on some of our current executions with similar shame in the future (like perhaps the execution of the mentally ill - though I already feel a great deal of shame about that particular issue). 

Wanting vengeance and retribution is as human as it gets. But so is prejudice, so are mistakes. I hope this ruling brings about a larger discussion of exactly what the majority pointed to in its decision: what are the alternatives? Is it time to join the more than 50% of countries that have banned the practice. There are now only 36 countries left in the world that retain and practice the death penalty. We are on that list. In fact, we are on an even more select list. We are 1 of 22 countries that carried out at least one execution in 2014. And an even smaller list. We are one of 9 countries that has executed someone who was under the age of 18 at the time of their crime in that last 10 years. There are very few other developed countries that still allow the death penalty as broadly as we do and almost none that actually practice it. Certainly just because everyone else is banning something doesn't mean we have to, but the fact certainly warrants a broader debate on the issue.

Rejoice in the Constitution!

Wow! Last week and today sure have been an exciting time to follow the Supreme Court. Right, guys? Did you know they upheld Obamacare, or at least the part of it that demands subsidies in both state and federal healthcare exchanges? Boy, that was big. Especially since the decision was far from a close one. A 6-3 ruling is pretty decisive, guys. I am hopeful the ruling will cement the law in the bedrock of our country and maybe open the way for more expansive and more effective policing and subsidizing of the health insurance industry.

And how about the decision today that upheld the right of independent, bipartisan commissions to draw districts, rather than the state legislature in a case brought by Arizona State Legislature Republicans? I hope that case ends up being a landmark shift in thinking on the issue. After all as Ginsberg wrote in her majority brief, "voters should choose their representation, not the other way around." This is a huge blow against gerrymandering in a state that badly needs an independent commission drawing the district lines.

So those are some amazing decisions right there. Pretty historical. But did you know the Supreme Court made another badass decision last week? You did? Oh, well. That makes sense since the news was all over the place that... GAY MARRIAGE IS LEGAL IN ALL 50 STATES!!!!!!!!!!!! 

I cannot contain my joy over this, you guys. I just can't. I think everyone reading this is well aware that I am bisexual and in a long-term committed relationship with another woman. Committed like, this is the person I want to spend my life with kind of committed. It gives me joy beyond words to know that my country will support the two of us in our devotion to each other. I really didn't think the decision was going to hit me so hard because I live in a state that already allowed gay marriage before the ruling and I am from Massachusetts, the first state to legalize gay marriage back in 2004. I have been fortunate to live with a minimum of discrimination and homophobia my whole life (though I still get looks, remarks, and conversations that I think are well beyond polite or appropriate.) I am also not looking to get married anytime soon - I'm happy living in a committed, but not legally binding, state of partnerhood for the foreseeable future. So, this decision didn't have a lot of practical use for me right this second. But it had a symbolic resonance that was unexpectedly deep and poignant for me.

I still remember the day the Massachusetts Supreme Court made same-sex marriage legal in my state. I was a freshman in high school, an active member of my school's GSA, though I was not yet aware that the ruling would have personal significance to me (read: I didn't think I was bi then). I remember the two co-presidents of the GSA coming to school in drag (she was in a tux, he was in a wedding dress). I remember my high school English teacher announcing his engagement to his partner and telling us with a twinkle in his eye that he was going to miss our final exam because he wasn't going to miss out on the chance to get married and hoped they could get in before the ruling could be reversed (it never was). I remember the pervasive feeling of elation - I remember celebrating the victory as part of a larger community and being swept up in the communal ecstasy and triumph of it all.

11 years later the joy is no less great and the triumph no less exhilarating than it was then, but it was different. I didn't hear the news at school, with a mass of friends. I heard it from my Raven after she threw her phone at the ground in excitement (and I imagine a fair bit of shock, too). We didn't celebrate in a mass of people, though there were plenty of impromptu celebrations all over our city. We celebrated together - just us. Then I went to work for the evening like nothing was different, except everything was. It took longer to sink in this time and the true meaning is still coming in flashes and pieces. My relationship is equal to a heterosexual relationship in the eyes of this country's highest court. I am a legal equal to my straight friends. I can enjoy the same rights and assurances other couples enjoy. I can make a conscious choice to not marry if I want (which for now I do). I have options. I have freedoms. I have a choice. I can exercise the benefit of a truth I have known for years - my love (and the love of other queer individuals) is not lesser in caliber or depth, nor is it less worthy of protection than that of heterosexual couples. 

I'm not going to dwell too much on the negative here, though it exists in abundance. The dissents were largely foolish and bordering on homophobic in a few cases. Though I will admit I felt no surprise in any them. I also feel little surprise in the response of some states that are now forces to comply with the high court's ruling. Alabama, Texas, Louisiana, and Kansas have all made official moves at some level to go against the Supreme Court's order. Louisiana, Kansas, and Alabama are flat out refusing to issue gay marriage licenses. Louisiana and Alabama say it is just a waiting period, basically to see if the law sticks. Kansas' governor and Attorney General said they needed to study the SCOTUS decision further before "making any moves" towards a lawsuit. They will presumably sue since they are one of the few states that has outlawed gay marriage by popular vote. Texas' Attorney General said in a statement to state clerks that they did not have to issue licenses that went against their religious beliefs and though they might face legal ramifications there would be lawyers lining up to defend them.

I'm not going to dwell on these now because I am hopeful that actions will be taken to enforce the ruling and these states will eventually fall in line. Change, when thrust upon the unwilling, is slow. And 11 years is a relatively short time for those unwilling to change (though it is an interminable wait for those on the other side as I can attest). For now I am choosing to remain positive and hopeful for the future. I think everyone working for equal rights and protections for the GLBT community realizes this is still only the beginning. We have so much more to work and strive for, but a victory still deserves celebration - if only to remind us that momentum matters and that victory will breed victory. Eventually enough victories will bring acceptance, tolerance, and understanding. The road is long, and much of it is uphill, but we do not walk it alone and last Friday the United States government joined the long march towards equality in a big way. I couldn't be prouder.

Best wishes,

Owl

P.S. Though not a case ruling the Supreme Court also placed a stay on an abortion law passed in Texas until the court can decide if it is going to hear the case. The law mandates that abortion providers operate like hospital surgical centers and for abortion providers to have stronger ties to local hospitals. The law has already forced the closing of almost half of Texas' 40 providers. In a big state that means a long drive to get an abortion (and probably even to get good, reliable information about getting an abortion). If SCOTUS takes the case it will be deciding if the law places a "undue burden" on abortion providers or on women's access to the service. Let's hope they take the case, but if they don't they've at least granted a brief reprieve for Texas' remaining clinics.

Earth

Tonight Raven and I started watching Earth, the documentary nature series about life on our planet in various climates and regions. It is a second watching for me (at least in full, I have seen a few of the pieces many times on their own) and I have to tell you I love it just as much this time through the last. It should be clear from the start that I love documentaries of basically all types. About basically anything.

My first watch through of Earth came during college when my one of my best friends, Crane, got the full DVD series. And then showed it in our common area every night for a few weeks. It was glorious to watch en masse, with many of us poking fun at animals we saw on screen or more often staring entranced by the beauty of the scenery before us and the incomparable calm of David Attenborough's melodious voice.

Nature documentaries have become a staple of my life since taking up as a nanny. Both children love animals and the natural world and with non-educational screen time restricted by parents, both the kids enjoy watching nature documentaries. I'll admit I enjoy them a lot more than many of the alternatives they could choose (both educational and non-educational) so I tend to encourage this habit. But I have learned something interesting from watching all these shows about nature with so many different audiences (Crane is a biologist, Raven an anthropologist, and my kids are just kids). There are some things we all hold in common in the face of the natural world and they aren't the things I expected. I expected cute animals would make basically everyone coo and that the 7-year-old with a soft spot for her cats wouldn't like animals like sharks or wolves that preyed on seals or bears, respectively. Turns out I underestimated her. She understood and accepted the cycle of life far better than I did in some cases (it's hard to watch an adorable bear cub get attacked!) I also figured that younger kids would get more entertainment out of the animal portions and less out of the sweeping vistas and glorious panoramic shots of the scenery, Wrong again. A common thread I have seen with anyone watching a video like Earth is the appreciation of the world's beauty. A great snow-swept landscape is beautiful at 6 or 106.

I hope the kids I watch don't lose their wonder at the world they live in. I hope I can hold onto mine. I am so glad Raven shares that wonder with me. And that she will help me nurture and hold that wonder by reminding me that sometimes I need to immerse myself in reality when I tune out the world.


Good night all.

~Owl

Raven is Reading: looking for alaska, Mort, The Carpet People

Lately I have been bad about making time for just sitting down and reading. Which is why I was proud of myself for dedicating a solid chunk of time towards reading today. I started John Green's looking for alaska today while waiting for Owl to get off from work, and am nearly done with it now. Even though it is a book that I am not entirely sure I like, despite trying very hard to do so, I am still grateful to have made the time to read it. (Well, almost all of it. I'll finish tomorrow, if not later tonight.)

Since I did a review of the shows Owl and I were watching a few months ago in the post "Rivendell is Watching..." I thought it would be interesting to do an occasional update for what we, or at least I, am reading, as well. If nothing else, it will help make me aware of how much, or little, I am actually reading, so that I can remind myself to devote more time to it.

I'm almost always reading at least two books simultaneously, often many more. I guess I just like to have options for what I read, depending on what mood I'm in, or what interests me in the moment.

So, here's what I'm reading currently:

looking for alaska
John Green

I still have yet to decide whether or not I actually like looking for alaska. I still have about fifty pages left, and I have enjoyed reading it, but that isn't necessarily the same as liking it. I certainly respect John Green immensely, both for his writing and for his videos, and he's done something that almost nobody else has been able to do, which is getting me to read books that center heavily on teenage angst and romance, so that's already a great credit to him. looking for alaska just isn't clicking with me the way I expected it to, and that's okay. It certainly has captured my attention, and is absolutely thought-provoking. For those who don't know, looking for alaska centers around Miles "Pudge" Halter as he experiences his first year at Culver Creek boarding school----a setting very much based on John Green's own experience with boarding school in Alabama. He is instantly drawn to Alaska Young, though I will admit this: I cannot fathom why. I find Alaska wholly unlikable. But this is redeemed by a strong and memorable cast of supporting characters that are clever, funny, and incredibly enjoyable to read, which more than makes up for my distaste for Alaska (and Miles, when it comes down to it.) The book's most notable feature is that it centers around a clear turning point. The nature of this turning point is only made clear when it happens, but the entire book is framed in two sections, before and after, with each subsection consisting of a day during Miles' first year at Culver Creek. The days are either formatted as "xxxx days before" or "xxxx days after" and it certainly added an element of suspense to the story, even if the turning point itself wasn't much of a surprise for me.

Mort
Sir Terry Pratchett

I started rereading Mort about two weeks ago. The Sunday before last, I managed, in an act of true stupidity, to injure my head, enough for it to bleed quite a bit but not enough to be concussed. The details involved a very ill-placed cavalry sword in a heavy steel sabre we were given as a gift last Christmas, a wobbly bookshelf, and me re-shelving some comics. Perhaps you can guess the details. Suffice it to say, head wounds hurt, swords don't go on high places if they're unsecured, and Owl is a trooper for, once again, tending to my bleeding war wounds.

After the blood had been sopped up, I sat on the futon in our spare room with an ice pack to my head, and Owl brought me in a book. She knows that I like to read familiar books when I'm upset, sick, or in pain, and she also knows that there's not much in the world I enjoy reading more than a good Pratchett book. (Good, in my mind, means all of them, by the by.) Without asking, she brought me one of my very favorites, and since then I have been reading it slowly, savoring it, allowing myself the luxury of returning to an old, beloved friend even though I have resolved to spend more time reading new books and less time rereading old ones.

Mort was the fourth Discworld novel to be published, in 1987. Pratchett's Discworld books are often broken up into "mini-series", based on which group or entity they focus on, and Mort is the first  book in the Death "miniseries". Though Death appears in all but one of the Discworld books, Mort is the first book to focus on him, and in Mort, he takes on an apprentice...fittingly named Mort. Mort, to me, is a prime example of what character development should look like. At the beginning, he is a somewhat simple country boy with little going for him, but when he his apprenticed by Death he begins to change, gradually but ultimately drastically, until he can stand up to Death himself. One of my favorite books, I always enjoy reading Mort, and I find myself cherishing every reading of a Pratchett novel all the more in his passing.

Which is why it shouldn't surprise anybody that the third book on my list is...

The Carpet People 
Sir Terry Pratchett

The Carpet People was Pratchett's first novel. I started reading it quite a while back (I first mention it here, when, just days after Pratchett's death, I am stunned into silence by a simple memorial to him in the form of a Barnes and Noble endcap honoring his legacy) but was interrupted several times due to various instance of Real Life getting in the way, and have not made much progress. As I am not very far along in it, I won't say much, but I will say that it is as clever and as witty as I have come to expect from Pratchett, and that if my first book could be a slim fraction as enjoyable as his was, I should be so lucky.

I am also making my way though The Runaways, which I talk about here, and Pandemonium and Parade, which I talk about here.

In closing, I am, for reasons that will soon be apparent, looking to make a number of relatively quick posts (but still interesting and informative) in a very short period of time. Do you have any queries I can answer? Lists you would like to see? Pressing questions about archaeology, video games, or Battlestar Galactica? List them in the comments and maybe I'll make a post on them! It might be a Reader's Digest version, or, if I really like your question or if it sparks a much more detailed post, it may be saved for later to get a nice long post of its own!

That's all for now,
Raven

Domestic Terrorism

Hey all,

Seems like I've been posting about a lot of depressing things on here. And I apologize for that, but I can't not do it today. Today 9 people were killed in Charleston South Carolina at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church. It was a hate crime motivated by what can only be described as intense racial hatred and deep racism. I know most people out there will agree with that statement, but I have to say it because there are still some who aren't talking about it (read: commentators and guests on Fox News).

I'm not going to go into much more on the subject except to say that it's too early to jump to most any conclusions. But I think we can safely make a few tiny steps. The shooting took place at Emanuel AME Church, which has been a part of Charleston since the early 1800s. It was founded as a black church, has been persecuted as a black church, and remains a black congregation today. The church pastor was Rev. Clementa Pinckney, a member of the South Carolina State Senate since the age of 27. He was also among the victims last night. Along with 8 members of his congregation. All black. I can't stress enough how unlikely it would be for Dylann Roof, the alleged terrorist*, who sported a jacket with the flag of apartheid era South Africa and Rhodesia (modern Zimbabwe) and drove a car with confederate plates, chose the place on a whim. Or because it was the first church he stumbled upon. It is a tiny step to declaring this a hate crime, motivated by race.

Raven and I have been talking about this a lot today and one of the points I wanted to share is this: race has become a topic of national conversation again in part because of the shooting of unarmed black men by police officers or community members. This attack will, I'm sure, fuel the conversation further. But events like these are not new. Our country has a history of racial violence and oppression. Our country has a history of illegally repressing or flat out silencing the voices and even lives of its black citizens. That repression has come through legitimate channels, like government and law enforcement as recently as the 1960s. We, as a country, have made poor decisions, taken morally indefensible actions, and acted as oppressors more often than liberators during our 200+ year history as a sovereign nation. It is not a legacy I am proud to live with. It is not a legacy I am proud to call myself a part of. Yet I benefit from it because I am white. We will never get anywhere in this nationwide discussion without more people understanding that very basic, but very difficult piece of our collective history. That is the narrative in which this shooting took place. That is the narrative in which the media needs to place it. Anything less is half truth.

I hope world events will give me something pleasant to post on tomorrow. I urge anyone interested to read the Washington Post article I linked to earlier (linked again here) to get a great overview of the place of AME in the broader civil rights movement.


As an apology for this very depressing post - and a reward for making it through (if you made it this far) here is a link to an hour of cat videos. Watch it until you feel joy again.



*I use alleged because he hasn't yet been convicted, not because I doubt that he is guilty - seems pretty clear he is at this point, but still... technically not guilty until convicted