This is going to be pretty short, because I'm sick. My throat is swollen so much that I can barely swallow. Probably going to make a doctor's appointment today.
On to the news.
-- [Charles] This is a wonderfully written article concerning the People's Library in Oakland. It talks about the multiple challenges faced by the community and the activists, antagonized by both police and vandals. It talks about the triumphs they've had, and the beautiful garden that sprung from the minds of the children. It's heartening. Give it a go.
-- [Charles] The Occupiers in Hong Kong have defied the demands to evacuate the HSBC plaza. HSBC is going to the court bailiffs to get an eviction. What happens now, and why are they Occupying?
-- [Charles] At the very short first day of the RNC, police tactics were already rearing their heads. Take a look at this photo.
-- A protester was actually arrested on the first day of RNC events. This article says the protester refused to remove a mask. Other sources claim it was a bandanna. At this convention, it is apparently against the rules to wear face coverings in the "event zones."
-- I talked about Joshua Albert yesterday, with his creation of the Facebook page supporting the accused murderers of a police officer. He's back in the news again, this time for creating two more Facebook pages. One is titled "Kill Mitt Romney," while the other is "Kill Paul Ryan." He thinks it's funny. (Okay, that's enough of this guy. He's not funny. He's a jerk. Advocating for deaths... ugh. I can't even wrap my mind around who would think this is a good idea. Do I want Romney and Ryan in office? HELL NO. But do I want them dead? NO FUCKING WAY. What the hell is wrong with our society? This is not okay.)
*RANT TIME*
What have we come to? Why is this okay with us? Yeah, it's free speech. But free speech only goes so far. And free speech does not mean that you don't have to face any consequences for what you say. There is a big difference in disliking someone's political agenda and wanting them dead. When you decide to start talking about how you want someone to die, or even create some sort of "funny" page advocating for their death, that means there is something wrong. Maybe with you, maybe with society, maybe both. This man, Joshua Albert, identifies as an Occupier, yet instead of promoting solidarity and offering genuine ideas for change, he goes on attack rampages against people he doesn't like. Since when is it acceptable to harm people we disagree with? If that were the case, there would be a lot less people in the world, and a lot less change, both good and bad.
I know that some people probably agree with this man. Some people probably think that I have no sense of humor. That's okay if you want to believe that. I have a very messed up, cynical, dry, sarcastic, and sometimes goofy sense of humor. This, to me, is not funny. There are plenty of people in this world who likely agree with the page to the point that they would see it as validation of their beliefs that Romney or Ryan should be killed. That is not a good thing. When a political candidate is killed because of his or her political beliefs, you are not trying to kill the person, but rather an idea. Instead, you kill a person and strengthen the idea. You. Kill. A. Person. A person with a family. A person with hopes and dreams. Even if they don't match your ideas, they still deserve to live just as much as you do. That's a human being.
I have a hard time wrapping my brain around the beliefs some people hold. I don't understand why many conservatives believe it is their right and duty to regulate women's bodies. I don't understand why people believe that getting rid of guns would solve the problem of murder, considering that then only guns would be in the hands of police and criminals. I don't understand why people like my uncle think skin color is a great way to tell that you are better than someone else, when it obviously isn't true. I don't understand why people believe their religions should be the law, and everyone should have to follow it, even if they don't believe. I don't understand why people would find death threats funny, or if not a death threat exactly, then a disturbing reminder that some people are okay with the idea of murder, as long as it gets them ahead. I don't understand why being born into a body that doesn't match the gender of your mind is something people would kill you over. I don't understand why we care so little about the person inside the body, as long as we get the body to obey our every whim.
I don't understand these things. And they make me angry. It makes me so angry to see that people are fucked up in so many ways. It makes me angry that for many an item, Marx was right, line by line. People don't matter anymore. Only business. Only industry. Only machines. Only money. Only hate. Only greed.
Are we even still human?
***Solidarity***
To contact me, email elvishbutterfly@hotmail.com. Thanks.
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