Political Climate, Going Viral and Coming Together

In case you didn't notice, there was an election in the US last week. And all hell has broken loose. And anything I can say will barely skirt all the issues, but I feel like it is important for the piece I really DO have something to say about, as background, if you will.

The candidate who won said a number of horrible things during the election about Mexican immigrants (and even about a few US born Mexican Americans—for instance a judge he said was not trustworthy on an issue because of his heritage). He said some horrible things about Muslim Americans and Muslim immigrants. He made some aspersions about Black Americans, unable to go to any subject from bringing up black people except “inner city problems”. As if black people are not more diverse and their problems and issues more varied than that. He made a lot of derogatory remarks about women, suggesting they were worthless unless they were pretty. He said some of the women accusing him of sexual assault “were not pretty enough” to sexually assault—as if if they were pretty he would have, but less attractive women were not worth even that. He bragged about sexually assaulting women, claimed he gets away with it because he's a celebrity.

So there have been protests about his winning from the people who did not want him. Some of them have included violence and vandalism, though I have also heard there have been some paid people in there committing the violence with a goal of de-legitimizing peaceful protests.

But on the other side there have been many many incidents of people emboldened by the hateful rhetoric doing hateful things. The Southern Poverty Law Center has documented hundreds of cases, some of them in elementary and middle schools, causing children to fear their parents would be deported, or direct hateful acts or speech to the kids. My own story falls in this category but is just one of HUNDREDS if not thousands.

If you have an incident to report, go here.


Last Thursday

A post about this went viral Thursday (more about that shortly) so you may have seen this previously, though I am giving a bit more detail here, as I know more than the brief text from my daughter which was the basis of my original Facebook post. Plus there has been followup.

On Thursday at noon, my daughter, age 21, was at her boyfriend's apartment (he was at class) and decided to walk the two blocks to the store to get something. On her way she passed a house with four men, just a little older than her on the porch. They called the typical “flirty” taunts to her and she ignored them. Then one came off the porch, came at her, grabbed her butt and said, “this will be mine. I've seen you around before. This is a free country now, bitch."

She ran. She was worried she would be dragged into that house with the four of them so she ran back to her boyfriend's apartment and when he got home from class they went to the police station. She was warned it would be her word against the four boys, so it was likely all that would happen was a warning, but it would be on record and they would be warned.

And I shared how traumatized she was, and me, by extension, on Facebook and proceeded to have the very bizarre experience of going viral.


Going Viral

When I shared I had a couple friends ask if they could share, and I said they could. I felt like hearing the story of a friend would be more real to some people, so I said they could... but it ended up shared and shared and shared... Almost 700 times.

At first people were very supportive. They sent love, and were compassionate. A few people were ruffled because I did call for conservative friends to try to police their own, and they said this was not conservative behavior... I get it. It isn't. But it IS behavior directly reflective of the conservative candidate saying “I just grab em by the pussy”. I was calling on people to make it clear that this behavior is not acceptable from that side and to ask their candidate to condemn it in sharp terms.

But anyway... Overnight strangers began to show up. And BOY HOWDY, do I now know what Internet trolls are about. The most common response was “this didn't happen”, but I even got accused of trying a ploy for my 15 minutes of fame. I was lectured about not going to the police (she did), told she needed to fight back (statistics show running is safer if it is a possibility). But it was frankly exhausting. Total life of its own


Coming Together

We are in desperate need of some unity... of supporting each other in spite of differences. Of making a stand to stand up for people being mistreated. Of defending peaceful processes and condemning violence. I don't believe I am alone here. I think we can disagree on politics and still commit to caring for each other—for ALL others.

In that vein, I think many of you have seen the safety pin movement... I know it has gotten a bit of scoffing and a bit of poo pooing. But I think it shows some promise if it is done right.

Here is some history on something similar done during World War II.
For the record, here is a really good link on what “doing it right” means.

By day I work in an office dedicated to inclusion, which by definition connects to “climate”. It is my goal that enough people wear these that people who fear victimization look around and feel a little safer, and that people who might victimize others look around and know they will not get away with it.

There are also unity rallies, all over.

Please commit to not letting hate stand. To defending our fellow human beings and to calming what could end up really ugly if it continues to escalate.

The Culling of the World

So I read a blog piece this week that got me thinking. I know. That's dangerous. But it was about the moments in history where something, natural or man-made, causes a sudden fast drop in human population. Things like the Bubonic plague, typhoid Mary, the Spanish flu. But also World Wars, land wars in Asia, and natural disasters like earthquakes and tsunamis.

Well this article pointed out with the HUMAN variety, there was always an ostrich.

Lemme esplain... No, is too much. Lemme sum up...

First you have to watch this Blackadder sketch about the Ostrich that started WWI.

The point is world conditions can get to a point where ONE LITTLE THING will set off a stack of Dominos. The ostrich. But the more important thing is everything needs to be poised... the Dominos stacked.

And the article noted how we are poised right now... just like that. The xenophobia trickling across the globe, the hike in natural disasters making everyone nervous, the world seen in real time because of cell phones. It isn't just the US. This is the stuff of Brexit and Putin's Imperialism, it is girls disappearing in India because nobody cares to keep them safe, it is rainforests converted to grazing land because profits matter more than air. But in the US is is the hate rhetoric, cops shooting innocent people, corporations buying our government.

It's frightening. When I think about my kids and whether they will ever have kids—what will their world be? Will a natural disaster on the scale of an asteroid or the supervolcano just wipe out everyone? Or will it be the more subtle allowance of companies to poison our water so we all die slowly? Or will there be a revolution because we live in a country divided between nationalism and populism?

So what will be our ostrich? Any ideas?

Xenophobia: The Real Enemy

Sorry for not blogging last week. I was mostly Wri-Moing, but also this...

It was a very draining news week. The sort that put me into a couple totally unexpected arguments with people. I try not to get too political here, though I have very strong views and sometimes can't help myself. Easier to not do it if I am just not here...

But I do have some stuff to say. The world feels truly scary right now. Terrorist attacks, sure. They are horrible. But also this mood of people wanting to close themselves off. The waning trust. The intend for isolation.

Trump wants a Muslim registry (hello, Hitler)
Cruz says we can take in refugees if they are Christian (does he know the US religious history?)
37 governors (in spite of no legal right) say “no refugees here”...

And then I saw this.

Scary-ass white supremacists-home grown

These guys were found by the FBI, intent on blowing up black churches and synagogues. And it got me to thinking a couple things.

1)  The terrorists we grow in the US are significantly more numerous than any risk of someone from outside coming in to hurt us.
2)  These terrorists are the EXTREME of Xenophobia. They are trying to kill people who aren't LIKE them.
3)  This means by US getting all paranoid about Muslims and refugees we are behaving more like these people who are a far bigger threat to us than the Muslims or Refugees in this country will ever be.

ALSO:

The terrorists in France? ALL European nationals. That dropped passport was done intentionally because ISIS wants us to do exactly what we are doing. Panic and refuse the refugees a safe place. Because see... those refugees are running from ISIS. Nice trick, and we are falling for it.

ALSO ALSO:

I ran across a conversation on Facebook (a couple actually) about when it was reasonable to “go in and blow them up” and this is what I have to say about that.

Go in WHERE? ISIS is not a place. It is an ideology of people who are scattered throughout the world. Malala says it best:

The cost of “going in and blowing them up” is this—too many innocents and not enough of the actual bad guys, which means we activate a whole bunch of NEW extremists... we GROW them.

The only way to do this is embrace, befriend, support and love the NON-extreme people of the world, regardless of religion or race. Be inclusive. Allow them to be self determining and help them when extreme groups try to force something on them. Nothing has promoted these extreme views as much as our own fear of socialism and interference we have conducted in defense of our capitalist agenda.

So there.

See. I'm not very good at not being political sometimes. That said, try to keep in mind people come by their views sincerely. People are afraid and saying things and wanting things out of a place of fear, not because they are evil. Give your friends a break if they disagree. Talk about it, but do so calmly and with a goal of greater understanding.


IN OTHER NEWS

I passed 45 K for NaNoWriMo, so that is cool... about ready for the final big action sequence.


IN OTHER OTHER NEWS

I wish all my US friends a very happy Thanksgiving! May the universe grant you much to be thankful for.

Nine and a Half Days

Isn't that a movie? No. There was 9 ½ Months... and How many days? There were a bunch of movies with days. And some with hours. Anyway. If this post were made into a movie it would be exhausting and a little bit boring, so you might as well just read the cliff notes.


Can I Just Tell You I'm EXHAUSTED?

No. Being me, I can't. I have to explain why. But I suppose that one line would have seemed measly and pathetic, so it's just as well.

NaNoWriMo in PROGRESS!

I was really really good for six days, and have struggled a little since... Election obsession/fatigue/defense to be discussed later in the specific, but here noted. I just can't obsess about two things at once.

But as this section is about NaNo, I will go with it. Flow has had a few fast, right on spots, but mostly I've just been working at a normal mid-novel pace. Which is a little frustrating in a beginning when it should be flying. My timeline is more detailed than normal, though, so maybe that is it. And maybe I won't slow down in the middle. I can hope. The top right corner uses my BuNo Meter, so you can see where I am if you are curious.

A few of my blogging buddies are really rocking it.

If any of YOU are doing it and want to chat with FABULOUS PEOPLE, BuNoWriMo is using its discussion pages for NaNoWriMo and Writing Sprints R Us does sprints most days. I think you can just join both, but message me if not and I will invite you. I think for that you need to be my FB friend (Hart Johnson).


The OTHER One

I am also doing my 'final before first readers' polish of MEDIUM WRONG this month. I am 100 pages in, which is just past 1/3. I will definitely finish the hard copy stuff, but the edits won't be entered until I hit 50K for NaNo...

The BEGONIA BRIBE

Of course day three of NaNo I received the copy edits from my editor... ACK! Copy edits are FABULOUS... somebody has gone through and made sure I was consistent, has pointed out anywhere I was confusing, has checked my facts... this is such a CRITICAL step. But it is one as author I have to then go through and address piece by piece... and my home computer doesn't play nice with Word... thinking on it now, the MAC would—the kids use that more, so I didn't even think of it, but it has word on it. But my OWN computer has Open Office. So I did all my edity stuff... then had to RE-DO it at work where I have Word... *dies *

(yes, you may throw a pity party... or roll your eyes at me, whichever)

But that is DONE... sent it back to Michelle yesterday... and last I heard from her Penguin offices were closed... not sure if they are back or not... poor New York and New Jersey have really had a time of it.


Election Obsession

I honestly couldn't concentrate AT ALL on Tuesday and not much Wednesday. See... I CARE. And I'm an information junkie and a stats nut... and a social scientist.

Even SINCE then, I feel compelled to correct misinformation when I run across it. There are some angry people... I get it. 8 years ago the same thing happened to me. How could we re-elect that nut!? But you know what the VERY BEST thing I've found about it is?

This blog does exactly that... relates 2004 to 2012... because both sides have been on both sides of this... You should read this if you, or anyone you know, is unhappy:

 So Your Nation Has Elected a President You Really Don’t Like

Seriously.  Good stuff, regardless of affiliation.

Civility in Debate

This was probably politically inspired, but I have seen a number of writing debates that end up hot and disagreeable, too, so I thought I'd lay out my views... not on the issues, but on DISCUSSING the issues.

FOR PETE'S SAKE! WE CAN DO THIS NICELY!

And I am not yelling at ANY of you. I haven't seen it in the blog-o-sphere for a while and have managed to even avoid it on my Writing Facebook profile (I've had a little better discipline about just hiding posts that offend me—I'm not going to change anybody's mind)


A Little History

My first delve into online discussions included some strangely controversial conversations, considering we were trying to predict where the Harry Potter books would go in Half Blood Prince and the 'as yet unnamed book seven'. I was timid to be involved online—a little nervous of people knowing who I was or sharing much about myself. It was 2005. So this Harry Potter forum (HPANA) was the first place with strong enough pull... and what I thought of as light enough content that I couldn't get into too much trouble. But people are very fond of their pet theories. .

Fortunately, though, the forum I jumped into, called the Wizard War thread and focused really on EVERYTHING about the books, had a couple rules. Every time a new person entered the forum, they were to be greeted by a regular who was present—acknowledged and welcomed. And debate had to remain NICE—disagree, yes, but no bashing, idiot calling—it was ALL to be kept fun.


And I've Carried that With Me.

If we could be civil about whether Harry WAS or WAS NOT a horcrux, then politics ought to be a cinch! But see, not everybody received my superior training and sometimes I just run into bad behavior. So here are some guidelines.

Recognize we all come by our beliefs through natural means. We tend to believe what we grow up with and are exposed to. Yes, views change some with new experiences. Especially working around or studying certain issues can cause us to better understand and change how we see things. But NOBODY (or nearly nobody) thinks 'I am going to adopt this belief system to be an asshole'. Give people more credit than that. Trust that they are sincere.


Recognize that though we may never all agree, if we can engage in civil dialog, we CAN all understand each other (and possibly the issues) better. The PROBLEM is people unwilling to talk about it and think about the other side.


Call people on their name calling—even if they are on YOUR SIDE of an issue. If we all make an effort to enforce good behavior, maybe the tone of the debate will improve.


This all goes for writing issues, too. The one I most often see turn nasty is the self-publishing versus traditional publishing. For PETE'S SAKE—there are rational reasons to choose each side. We just need to respect each other enough to assume our friends have weighed the strengths and weaknesses as they apply to them.

Permanent Bank Holiday

Are you ready? Do you have any idea what I'm talking about?


I'm getting all activist today... civil unrest? Political unrest is probably closer.

I am a strong supporter for the Occupy Wall Street Movement. The most articulate and 'closest to me' statement I've seen on the matter is this blog, so if you think you are against or don't know much about it, I encourage you to give it a gander.

But there has been a lot of... an then... to it. We (meaning a lot of other people with me sitting elsewhere cheering) are sitting, standing, chanting, speaking... more importantly, GROWING, interacting... Gelling... becoming something... but there has been some doubt as to what can happen from it. Nobody in government or business seems to be hearing us. We are being willfully ignored by some as nuts, fruitcakes, hippies...

So what to do, what to do...

And then... SOME Genius—DON'T ASK ME WHO! Thought... maybe we make the statement that fits... you know... the STATEMENT.


November 5 = Bank Transfer Day

Not coincidentally, this is Guy Fawkes Day... The day he planned to blow up the King... erm... that would be the government. This symbolism is surely only intended to extend this far, as Guy was caught and imprisoned, though he leaped the tower to avoid being drawn and quartered, so even as a failed revolutionary, it was on his terms. And since they don't draw and quarter today... and the repercussions to imprisoning people for this would be political SUICIDE... (maybe THAT is the idea)

Does this look like a handful of hippies?  We are the 99%.

The Idea for US—in other words, the ACTION point? Big Banks are holding most of our money. They are LENDING our money. They are taking us for GRANTED. They are SCREWING us (man, my bum is still sore from a reaming I just got from Chase—sorry to be graphic, and I really need to stay cryptic, but let me tell you, I am DELIGHTED to do this.)

Divorce your Bank.

That simple. If you are in a US National or Global bank, LEAVE IT. Transfer your business to a small local bank or a credit union. Yes, do your due diligence that it is a secure bank, but LEAVE the behemoth for a place they will know you personally.

What would happen if 10,000 people left big banks? Probably not much. 100,000? Might get some attention. A million... now we're talking. Seriously... this might be the kind of event that would have BANKS begging CONGRESS to take us seriously.

Did you know last week: Friday, 23 people were arrested for trying to close their Citibank accounts?  Is there any way that sounds reasonable in a Democracy?

Anyway, I have my money partially in Chase and partially in my local Credit Union. Monday, I removed the direct deposit portion of my Chase account, then On October 31, I plan to close out my account (I am waiting until then because there is a delay on Direct Deposit changes and I don't want to close it, then find out my money went there, or tried to go there—big hassle.

This is PROBABLY more important for large savings, investment and credit cards... at the moment my only investment is retirement, which I plan to evaluate (I plan to switch to a much higher percentage of socially responsible) but have no ability to remove... it is TIAA-CREF—they are big, but it is the educator system, so I don't suspect they are evil... whatever the case, no option until I am 59 ½. We have canceled our credit cards ANYWAY...

I can't do a bloody thing about my mortgage... we aren't in a position to refinance or I would in a heartbeat. But I will do what I can do.


I guess I just think this is the biggest thing we could DO, but it takes time... people have bills paid automatically, direct deposit, all that... so I wanted to let you know a couple weeks BEFORE the mass effort... TRY, by November 5th to have all your money out of big banks. I believe it will help us be heard.

Other things you might do?

This holiday, avoid the worst offenders... Wherever possible, shop at locally owned stores (or smaller online retailers). Support local artists and artisans (or if you have none, shop ETSY). What surer method is there to make sure the money you spend is being re-spent in your community—that it is not corrupting Washington, or polluting the world.

It isn't always possible. Some gifts aren't MADE that way... but at the very least, avoid Wallmart.

So there... That was me being political...

This Business on Wall Street

Can I Be Serious A Minute?

I'm not very often... I know you know that. And while I am actually a fairly political being, I don't think that really has much place in my writing life. My reason is I feel like by now I know the vast majority of you come to your beliefs sincerely, and while I disagree with some portion of you, I don't think that makes ANY of us bad people. We are all products of the things we've been exposed to.

This was Friday. But Shhhhh... nobody knows...

But there is something big going on.

It is something that will play all the way through, one way or another.

The chant? “We are the ninety-nine percent.”

Now most of you know what that means, and I don't mean to treat you like you're stupid, but let me spell this out really clearly... They are pointing out that the current economy is working REALLY WELL for the top 1%. And the rest of us are slowly dying.

[What the top 1% who is fighting so hard for the status quo doesn't get is if we all die, whether literally or figuratively, they die too]




A couple things caught my interest this weekend though.

First was a variation on this sign:

At the moment, our peaceful revolution is being met with police arrests of children, macing of innocent bystanders, and police brutality. Why would the police of New York City side with Wall street over peaceful protesters? Well... the macing incident (an MSNBC clip) looked to me like it was the OFFICERS misbehaving—like the rank in file were doing what they were supposed to to ensure the protest remained peaceful.

Where do they get their orders? Who does that come down through? (I don't have these answers, but I don't think any thinking person has the freedom to not ask these questions.)

There are some questions I think we really all ought to be thinking about. Frankly, I never want to make negative assumptions about public servants, and police are as far in that line as they can get—I think only firefighters deserve more commendation, for the most part. But firefighters don't have the same lines to cross—the same decision to make in a dispute. It's not like they are suddenly going to side with the fire. Police need to make a decision about right and wrong, and these protesters ARE making their job harder.

But the protesters are protected by the US Constitution in their right to gather and protest. THIS is what we value—that the people have a right to speak and be heard (this was what the REAL tea party was about--remember?). This is how those of us WITHOUT the money to take a senator to lunch (which costs more than just lunch, I promise) are heard... we need to gather in a large group and speak en masse.


I asked my husband about this last night. He never goes online. He gets his news from CNN, Fox (he claims to like the local team, and really DOES usually only watch the local stuff) the Detroit Free Press (the more liberal of Detroit's two papers)... he'd heard about the protests but didn't think they were a big deal.

Do you know where he DOES NOT get his news? NPR. BBC. The Internet. Even though 2 of 3 of his sources are theoretically liberal leaning, he has no independent sources... NO source free of corporate influence. THIS is why he doesn't see that it IS a big deal. And it's going to be a BIGGER deal, and frankly, I think it might be a little bit frightening for a while.

At the same time, more power to them.


Because the media has squashed so much, a lot of people aren't clear what the message is, so I thought I'd share the objective as I understand it.

1)  Corporations in America currently have more power and fewer obligations than PEOPLE.
2)  Corporations have undue influence in CONGRESS, even though theoretically, they should not have any rights toward legislation. Only PEOPLE should have rights to be heard by congress.
3)  Money in government has corrupted our system so the system is no longer interested in protecting the individuals in this country.
4)  They want serious lobby reform
5)  They want financial contribution reform
6)  And they want to ensure corporate rights never supercede individual rights.


Does any of that sound insane to you? Does any of it sound like you want to fight it? Is there any thinking person who believes corporations should have a higher standing in a democracy than people?

The ONLY people against this are people worried the money will fall out of their golden parachute. Those are the people trying to squash this message.

I just fear that if they succeed... if these protesters are not heard and taken seriously, that the violent revolution is the only option left, and there are plenty of people right now who have lost too much, while the people with power have gotten too fat and had too much say in how things go... we need to level the field. A lot.

Any of you have fears, predictions, arguments?

My Darling Revolutionaries

Children, children, children... 
STOP!


You are DOING THIS WRONG!!!
[warning, this is a little political, though more populist than partisan]


I Feel Your Pain

Seriously. In this economic Debacle, we are hurting, too. We HAVE been hurting since my husband got laid off in 2008. I know we're lucky. We own (some small portion of) our house and nobody is starving, but I also work my butt off and have a master's degree and twenty years experience in my field. It should NOT be this hard. Even now, with hubby at work again, the catching up feels impossible.

We Really DO Need a Revolution

I think at least in the US, this is true. There are people who deserve to be rich, but MOST of the rich have far more than they've ever merited (certainly more than a life of luxury needs). They are the CEOs who got golden parachutes, and the profit skimmers who knew something and got OUT while the rest of us lost our pensions. They are the Sports pros who play games to entertain us and the movie stars. They are lawyers suing needlessly and ambulance chasing to create a society FAR too litigious which costs without creating. They are insurance people dictating that our medical care is paid for based on what will maximize their money.

I hear minimum wage is now $7.25 an hour. When I finished high school it was $3.35—27 years ago. At that time a median new house cost $80,500. This year, it is $235,200. Wage doubles. House price triples. In fact here is some comparing...

Cost of Living 1984 and [now]

Yearly Inflation Rate USA4.3 % [3.6%: a little lower, eh?]
Year End Close Dow Jones Industrial Average 1211 [Dec 31 2010=11,578]--holy CRAP somebody made a killing.
Interest Rates Year End Federal Reserve 10.75% [hovering LOW—2.5% or less, so WAY cheaper to borrow]
Average Cost of new house $86,730.00 [$235,200, 3X higher]
Average Income per year $21,600.00 [around $48,000, this change is comparable to minimum wage change]
Average Monthly Rent $350.00 [almost $1300, SAY WHAT?]
Movie Ticket $2.50 [$8.00]
1 gallon of gas $1.10 [$3.80]
Dodge RAM 50 Truck $8,995.00 [$21.810]

And did you know in 1984 a CEO made 42 times what an average employee of the same company did?  NOW, it is 235 times. Did the VALUE of a CEO go up six times faster?  REALLY?

So some things have changed in range of income, but some (in particular, places we LIVE) have gone up a lot faster than wages. While the Dow has increased 10 TIMES. So people who need to use their income to LIVE are pretty much screwed. People who can INVEST have made a fortune. And yes... some of us have some money invested... my retirement is largely stocks... but my $100K accumulated over 10 years (that is actually probably only 80K after last week) is not on the same scale as someone making that annually... or twice that... or ten times that...


Do you Want to Know How this HAPPENED? Because I know...

We can place this solidly in the lap of Ronald Reagan and deregulation. In the 80s credit became CHEAP and so workers stopped insisting on better wages for the jobs they did. The lower wages made the material 'necessity' culture fly because 1) manufacturers could charge relatively little, and 2) we had credit so we could BUY it even though our wages weren't enough...

For two and a half decades this worked. But then the credit came due.

Our GOAL should be to equalize this 'too low of wage thing'--It will be painful. We won't be able to have the same level of STUFF, but in reality this SHOULD come largely from the people who got so rich in this climate.


What we SHOULD NOT Do...

Is riot and destroy the meager or modest possessions, places of business, homes, and means of people who are NOT the super rich...

And we should not destroy the businesses that provide jobs... in fact ANY destruction of stuff or harming of people is counterproductive. When there is not enough stuff for the POOR, the answer is NOT to destroy STUFF. Do you SEE how this doesn't work?

What is needed is POLICY change and POLICY change is arrived at through elections, peaceful protests, influencing public opinion with our WRITING.

So spread the word... Don't wreck other people's stuff, but get MAD, write LETTERS, VOTE, get ACTIVE. As Aerosmith says, it's time to Eat the Rich (but only figuratively... the literal thing would be gross)