Category: Current Events

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consider juneteenth

A new federal holiday was signed into law this week, a holiday that calls us to remember our history. Ironically, it comes at the same time that some states are declaring it illegal to teach that history.

Look, I am as white as they come, and I’m talking to my fellow white people when I say that we MUST do better. Consider the significance of the fact that June 19th 1865 was two and a half years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation, and two months after Lee surrendered to end the Civil War.

Consider the fact that we, as a people, kidnapped, enslaved, tortured, raped and killed black people for no reason other than the fact that they were black. Consider the audacity of that. Consider that we had to send troops into Texas to enforce the ending of slavery.

Sure, it was a long time ago and none of us was there, but that does not mean that we aren’t culpable for the sins of our forebears, particularly not when so much of the attitude that got us into slavery in the first place is still evident in so many of us today.

Racism is baked deep into our soil, into our bodies. It built the education system, the government. It permeates every aspect of our society and it does not go away by denying it exists. It can only be fought by identifying it, calling it out and trampling it beneath our feet.

To my BIPOC friends and family, I’m here to support you in whatever way I can. I know that the naming of Juneteenth as a federal holiday does nothing in the grander scheme of things and there is so very much work to do. It is a pebble in the stream.

Let’s throw a couple boulders in next.

Happy Saturday, Readers. May the day be educational for you.

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and some gave all

I read a lot of books that involve loyalty to a leader or to a country. It’s a prevalent thing in most fantasy and sci fi stories. The deep devotion to a beloved king or queen, the drive to protect the homeland, is a big part of the human experience.

In the real world, that devotion isn’t quite as poetic, but still as moving.

We’re in a phase of recovery here in the US, where we still have a large swath of citizens who’s devotion is not to the country, but to a man, which is problematic since we are not a monarchy. That kind of allegiance belongs in the books, not in our reality, at least not here in a democratic republic.

However, today is a day we have set aside to look to those who put their loyalty into the defense, not of a person, but of our nation, those whose service freed our nation from tyranny, those who defended our nation from outside aggression, even those who fought and died to keep our nation from severing into two.

Whether or not I agree with the direction our military has taken in the last decades, I have the utmost respect for those who put themselves in harms way, and paid the ultimate price.

There are many, because our wars have been numerous. Men and women who died somewhere far from home, who suddenly stopped writing home, who may still lie in some forest grave, unmarked and forgotten…men and women killed by gunshot or missile strike, by bayonet and sniper, roadside bombs and musket…all in the name of the country we call home.

Today is a day that we remember, “All gave some, and some gave all” and we remember those who fell. We may not know their names or faces, but we can hold them in our hearts all the same.

It is time for us to remember that in the USA the feelings of national devotion should be directed, not at a person or even a flag, but at our country, this democratic republic that promises us a government by the people, for the people.

I hope your day is filled with hope and love and kindness, Readers.

Photo by Justin Casey on Unsplash

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the day of mothers

Mother’s Day is ostensibly meant as a day that we recognize and honor our maternal figures, the people who gave birth to us, the people who wiped our butts and fed us, the people who cared for us when we were ill or injured. But motherhood is about a lot more than that, and it is something we often just take for granted.

I have never given birth to a child, but I have mothered many, from my brother’s kids to my friend’s kids, to my friends themselves. In many ways I have a mothering nature, despite not having kids of my own. I’m the organizer in my friend groups. I’m the one to organize the road trips, to make the hotel reservations. I’m the one who will drop everything to help a friend.

Sure, I do it because it helps me manage my anxiety, but also because I enjoy it. I love to give my friends the gift of my time and effort. I love knowing that some kind gesture I made to a child is remembered long after that child has grown, or that my planning has allowed my friends to relax and not stress during a trip or vacation.

There are many people in this world who have problematic relationships with the person who gave birth to them and days like today can be hard for them. There are many people who long to be mothers but can not conceive or carry to term and today can be hard for them as well.

For all of them, I wish peace and kindness on this day.

Please be mindful when spreading Mother’s Day greetings today. Not all female presenting women are mothers or desire to be mothers. Others are hurting as another Mother’s Day passes without children.

Be Kind, Readers. And be loved.

Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash

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what we need

This week has seen the end of a murder trial for a former police officer who killed a man while on duty. The very idea that the verdict was in doubt when the whole world watched it happen is maddening. It is an indictment of the very large power discrepancy that exists in our culture.

The problem is, like so many other things, that the issues are all interconnected and we can not address one without addressing the others.

Our police need better training in de-escalation and how to handle people who have mental health issues, drug addiction and other non-lethal problems. Our police need training in deploying less lethal means before reaching for their guns. Our police need psychological evaluation, not just before hiring, but during their entire career. Body cameras must be demanded for all police and they must be controlled, not by the individual, but by a central command.

We need more community support. More social workers, more counselors, more mental health options. We need more available healthcare and better jobs for the millions of people who can’t find that right now. We need response teams that take the lead when the situation involves kids, people with mental health issues or learning disabilities, rather than sending armed people who will almost always aggravate the situation. We need a better way to handle traffic stops.

We need better education at all levels. We need schools that are safe and don’t need armed cops in them. We need all schools to be funded at the same level. We need logical, effective and common-sense gun control that includes the ban of assault style weapons, any weapon that can shoot rapid-fire, automatic or near automatic rounds, licensing for all gun owners that must be renewed every 5 years (at minimum), and insurance requirements for those guns.

Weapons of war should not be in the hands of civilians. And yes, I realize that criminals will be criminals, but here’s the thing: if the guns aren’t manufactured or sold, even the criminals will have a harder time getting them. Include gun buy-back programs, limit the amount of ammo any one person can purchase at a time or have on hand and eventually the number of guns in the hands of criminals will diminish.

And yes, I would include that we need to make birth control easy to get and free, and we need to allow women to terminate an unwanted pregnancy, because poverty is a factor in both criminality and in mental health, and one of the issues at the forefront of policy is the cost of an unwanted pregnancy and the way having a child you can not afford will anchor you to that poverty.

Not a one of these things is a stand alone issue. They are all interconnected, each affecting the others. Until we recognize that, along with our systemic racism, inherent misogyny, and the fear of the “other” we won’t solve any of these issues.

We need comprehensive change in this country, an ambitious plan that is as interconnected as our issues are. It seems that as soon as we have some hope in our control of a virus, we are once again confronted by all of these things that seemed to fade into the background while our focus was on that battle.

The time is now. The fight is here.

That’s all for now, Readers. I hope your Thursday is wonderful.

Photo by Jéan Béller on Unsplash

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I see you

Today is Transgender Visibility Day. For those who are not surrounded by the diversity of humanity, this may seem trivial. Some may even be offended by the recognition given to those that they consider wrong or broken or defective.

The truth is, someone you know is likely either hiding who they are or “passing” and you don’t have a clue. How do I know this? Well, because as we move closer to acceptance of people as they are, and safety in numbers begins to make folks feel safer, more and more are feeling comfortable enough to say that they are trans or non-binary.

In the last year alone I have had at least five people that I know say that they were non-binary and more than a few who came out as transgender.

Still, there continue to be an inordinate amount of violent deaths involving transgender people. According to the Human Rights Campaign, at least 12 transgender people have been killed in 2021.

I have family who is transgendered and non-binary. I have close friends I consider family who are transgender and non-binary. I encounter people daily who are one or the other. Well, not so much right now seeing as I’m not leaving my house daily.

So, what do you need to know about these folks?

  1. They’re just people. They aren’t sick. They aren’t deranged. Just folks going through life the best they can.
  2. It’s none of your business what is or isn’t between their legs. Even if you’re sharing a bathroom with them.
  3. They don’t have to “pass” for their identity to be valid. A non-binary person does not owe you androgyny. A transwoman does not owe you perfect beauty (whatever that is). A transman does not owe you top surgery or binding of his breasts.
  4. When in doubt about someone’s identity, use they/them pronouns. It’s a perfectly acceptable non-gendered way of speaking about someone. Yes, even a singular person. We’ve been using a singular they in English for centuries in certain contexts.
  5. Just be kind. Let them be who they are. Don’t try to force them into some pre-conceived notion of who you think they should be. Let them pee in peace. Let them play sports.

To all of you who identify somewhere on the gender spectrum that is not either of the cardinal points: I see you. I love you. You are safe with me.

And now I’m off to the day job…right after I finish my coffee. Love to you, Readers!

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thinky thoughts Thursday

I have had a number of thinky thoughts swirling in my head this week, ranging from ideas about gardening as a metaphor for living to notions about gun control, the medical industry, the fact that medicine IS an industry, the right to live, transgender children and so much more.

None of them have tumbled out whole yet though, so maybe I’ll just swirl them around a bit more.

While I do that, lets do a little navel gazing, shall we?

As an author, I like to pay attention to things being said in the world of books, from buzz about new or upcoming releases, new authors making their debut, books that are “banned” or panned or otherwise talked about.

And, as a fairly liberal minded soul seeking genuine equality/equity, but also understanding that we continue to evolve as a society, I am open to reinterpreting old ways to eliminate or preface things that we now see as troubling or problematic.

So, I support Disney prefacing movies with notes about the climate in which they were created, and not letting children just consume a movie that might have problematic content without engaging parents in the conversation.

And I support a publisher’s decision to pull books from publication due to problematic/racist depictions, even if the author is much beloved. As we have seen a lot in recent years, even people who we adore are not perfect.

So, it is with Dr. Seuss. He wasn’t the perfect children’s author we want him to be. He was a man of his times, and those times and his beliefs colored the work he did. The books that his estate has chosen to stop publishing are still available, if you can find them. They never were big hits, so I imagine even before they stopped producing them they were not easy to locate.

We do have to face the dilemma of what to do with problem people when we love their work, but can not abide something about them. How do you separate the love of all things Harry Potter and the anti-trans stance of the author? How do you continue to hold on to the love of Buffy the Vampire Slayer when you discover that the creator is an abusive asshole? How do you hold onto childhood memories with affection when you discover that Dr. Seuss, Laura Ingalls Wilder and others were racist?

I guess that’s something we each have to decide for ourselves.

Photo by Juan Rumimpunu on Unsplash

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injecting a little hope

This morning at 8:30 I will be getting a little shot in the arm. It will be my first dose of the covid vaccine. I’ll be honest, if I let myself, I have a little hope blooming inside me that I might actually be able to travel this year.

My current plans are still out a ways, in August and October, which is part of why I’m starting to believe they might actually happen. If we keep vaccinating at our current pace, we might be at a point where I feel safe enough to travel by the August date.

That trip is a small group of people, which makes it feel even safer, especially if I know everyone has gotten their vaccines. Likewise, my plans in early October involve a very small group, a house near a beach and a lot of quiet.

But later in October is Sirens. I had a lot of concerns when I first went to Sirens, and I was surprised how quickly those folks became important people in my life. I’m starting to let myself hope that we will make it this year, and I am so looking forward to hugging some folks.

When this agoraphobic introvert who isn’t big on being touched wants hugs, you know it’s been a while since hugging was a thing we could do.

Happy Thursday, Readers. Keep your masks on and get your vaccine when you can.

Photo by Sara Kurfeß on Unsplash

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what is remembered…

Back in the before times, when we could gather in mass to appreciate things we love, I went to a Stargate convention in Vancouver, BC and got to meet a number of wonderful folks involved in the show and make some amazing memories.

One of the highlights of that weekend was my photo op with the “System Lords”.

System Lords in hats

We had a lot of fun getting this pic, from choosing hats and goofing around. They were all wonderful and I thoroughly enjoyed meeting them.

Stargate is one of those shows that has seen me through a lot of changes, has brought new friends into my life, and it is a world I revisit in a rewatch every few years. Seeing these people interact at the convention, I got the sense that they are all good friends who like to hang out together and love one another.

It was through Suanne Braun’s twitter account this week that I learned that Cliff Simon, the striking fella on the far right, who played Baal, died in a kiteboarding accident. It had the same kind of punch as learning that Kevin Smith (Ares in Xena) had died unexpectedly. Neither of them were someone I spent a lot of time thinking about, but they were also a part of a show that was important to me.

Fortunately for those of us who remain on this mortal coil, we have their body of work to keep their memory warm. And what is remembered, lives on.

Peace to the family and friends that Mr. Simon leaves behind.

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of progress and regress

Let’s talk about censorship, theft and becoming better people.

A lot of talk this week has centered around the literary world. Some people are claiming that the estate of Dr. Seuss, you know the people who control the books and legacy of the writer, has no right to stop publishing six of his works that no longer serve the society in which we currently live. Some have even used the word “censorship” in regards to this.

We can start there. Censorship is defined as the suppression or prohibition of any parts of books, films, news, etc. that are considered obscene, politically unacceptable, or a threat to security. The person who wrote the piece, or in this case, those who have charge of curating the piece after the author’s death is not suppressing or prohibiting anything. They are not gathering up all the copies of those books and burning them. They are not telling anyone that they can no longer read the books. They simply will no longer publish new copies of them.

Another thing I’ve seen talked about this week is this idea that authors should not be bothered by having their work stolen and made available for free on various piracy sites. I’ve seen this same argument for music and movies/tv. I’m the first to admit that there have been times I have acquired content with less than honorable means, but usually only as a stopgap measure until I had the money/ability to acquire it legally.

But many are not as diligent about the subsequent legal acquisition, particularly where it comes to books. There seems to be this idea that somehow an ebook should be free, as though it isn’t the same amount of work as a paperback or hardback. The content is the same, it took the same amount of time and effort to create, so why should it be available for free?

As a society, we seem to need to be dragged forward into our next iteration, into a better society, and for every two steps forward, we seem to retreat a step. For every acknowledgement of racism, ageism, sexism, etc., there is a knee-jerk reaction from those who refuse to acknowledge the harm that these -isms cause.

This makes our progress slow, but it is still progress. Keep pulling, Readers. Keep pulling.

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the problem with heroes

More and more, I’ve been challenged by those I once admired, the people I found talented and intelligent and provided me with entertainment. I don’t need everyone to agree with my personal opinions, but when their “opinions” prove to be problematic…when they are not so much about what they believe, but about human beings, about treating people like human beings, when their behavior shows me that they are not good people, it throws me into a whirlwind of emotions.

I always have trouble separating the hateful ways they speak and behave from their characters or their creations. For some actors I have completely written them off and I can’t watch anything of theirs. Kevin Spacey and Adam Baldwin are two that come to mind.

Recently we’ve learned things about others that have me in the same mind-frame. Gina Carano falls into this category for me. J.K. Rowling is another. And most recently, Joss Whedon. These last two were harder hitting for me, because they are not actors. They are not people who I can just say, they suck and I won’t watch their work anymore.

Why?

Because both have created worlds that stand without them now. Worlds that live inside me, if you know what I mean. While I was older than the target audience for Buffy, there was something about it that spoke to a deep need inside of me. It went beyond “girl power” or the teenage angst. It had to do with the personal relationships, the characters who were more than just caricatures of high school kids and the relationships built on shared experience.

There was something about watching the “kids” grow up, seeing friendships grow and change that felt real to me. To this day, I re-watch the entire show every few years.

To find out now about the way Joss treated women, despite his public stance about writing strong women, is heartbreaking. The same kind of heartbreak that came when Rowling started being anti-trans.

I could let that heartbreak tarnish the things they created, the things that comfort me and bring me joy. Or I can divorce them from those things. I can relegate them to the side of things where I no longer spend money on what they create, where I no longer interact with anything new they create, where I do my part to ensure that the people who might pay them for things know that their audience is reduced due to their behavior.

But what I won’t do? I won’t let them steal the things that Buffy or Harry Potter mean to me. They live on beyond the bad actions of those who created them. The characters, and the actors who embody them, live outside of that world now.

The problem with heroes is that all too often we forget that, like us, they are human beings. Fallible. Filled with contradictions. Capable of good and bad. And just because they do something that we like doesn’t mean that they are perfect or worthy of adulation.

It isn’t cancel culture to hold people accountable for the things that they do and the things that they say. In fact, I think that what it is, is a sign that society is maturing to a degree. We’ve learned. We’re changing for the better (I hope)…and that growth is not going to be easy, and we will have to keep fighting and keep the growth safe against the backlash of the dying society we want to leave behind and their death-flails.

We need to come to a place of true equality, and equity for all, without regard to their gender, their physical sex, their skin color, their religion or their sexuality. Part of getting there is necessarily letting those who won’t join the journey fall to the wayside.

Love what you love, Readers, and keep growing past those who hate and mistreat others.