Media Free Diaspora
Have Courage--Be Kind
Now is a time to reconsider the safety pin symbol.
The backlash over safety pins and allies, explained
...What gets lost in the fight to deem the safety pin movement good or bad, or to write it off as a facile white crutch, is that a lot of people in this country are feeling a very real sense of helplessness right now. Being disgusted by one human attacking another because of the color of their skin or their religious beliefs isn’t partisan. Lots of people feel a very real need to speak out about these atrocities and fight fear, but don’t know how — and if wearing a safety pin helps them start to do so, we shouldn’t condemn them for it.
“I’d like you to consider not ruining something that could help this one, vulnerable group, just because some people misinterpreted its meaning or because it doesn’t help the much greater danger you’re facing,” film director Lexi Alexander wrote in a blog post about the importance of the pin to Muslim Americans. “We are all afraid.”
The pin was never meant to fix institutional racism, and perhaps applauding it as a gesture, a start, a beginning — in addition to being honest about its limitations (especially to those wearing them) — is the way to celebrate it. We should all be asking what else we can do, rather than acting like it shouldn’t exist.
#safetypin #ProtectTheOppressed #courage #kindness #MediaFreeDiaspora
The backlash over safety pins and allies, explained
The latest fight in the battle of wokeness: safety pins.Alex Abad-Santos (Vox)
like this
Ivy Blackledge Whitfield 2025, Isaac Kuo, clarice overhere, diana 🏳️⚧️🦋, Andrew Pam and smellsofbikes like this.
Lo, thar be cookies on this site to keep track of your login. By clicking 'okay', you are CONSENTING to this.
Isaac Kuo
in reply to Muse • • •like this
Ivy Blackledge Whitfield 2025 and Muse like this.
Ivy Blackledge Whitfield 2025
in reply to Muse • • •Isaac Kuo likes this.
Muse
in reply to Muse • • •diana 🏳️⚧️🦋
in reply to Muse • • •Why I keep masking... Over half those I work with appear at least 20 years older than they are. Their immune system is failing them. They don't have the ability to climb stairs like an average healthy person of 10 years ago. The quality of life for someone in their 30's appears to be comparable to the elderly.
We have to keep hiring and train for our little department to replace those who pass or retire from health issues. We are losing so many and none of them wore a mask until it was too late. Just like smokers at the very end...
like this
Ivy Blackledge Whitfield 2025 and Muse like this.
Ivy Blackledge Whitfield 2025
in reply to Muse • • •Who's in charge? Perhaps the management can some day figure out the remedy, and put it in place.
Muse likes this.
diana 🏳️⚧️🦋
in reply to Muse • • •The company I work for could save a LOT of money requiring masking. I'm currently enjoying massive overtime covering those who are sick. It's doubled my income. That's a lot of money for a little piece of safety equipment.
We haven't lost anyone in my career getting blasted in an electrical substation, which requires safety equipment and procedure. But we did lose three people last year to covid. That was entirely preventable wearing masks. I guess people enjoy the pain of suffering and constant sickness. Boggles my mind...
like this
Andrew Pam and Ivy Blackledge Whitfield 2025 like this.
Ivy Blackledge Whitfield 2025
in reply to Muse • • •Muse likes this.
diana 🏳️⚧️🦋
in reply to Muse • • •Ivy Blackledge Whitfield 2025 likes this.
clarice overhere
in reply to Muse • • •like this
Muse and Ivy Blackledge Whitfield 2025 like this.
Muse
in reply to Muse • • •Muse
in reply to Muse • • •Ivy Blackledge Whitfield 2025
in reply to Muse • • •I not only wear a mask, sometimes I even open an umbrella to make it out of the building, and then back inside to my apartment. I could just give him the finger- pointed at the hidden and visible cameras, but my umbrella sends a message - especially when people ask about why I open an umbrella inside the building - I tell them.
There are also surveillance cameras everywhere outside, and inside stores and other buildings. There can be no expectation of privacy - anywhere, even inside bathrooms.
Muse likes this.
clarice overhere
in reply to Muse • • •Muse likes this.
clarice overhere
in reply to Muse • • •-_-
Ivy Blackledge Whitfield 2025 likes this.
diana 🏳️⚧️🦋
in reply to Muse • • •I've learned how to change facial appearances completely without a mask. Muscle and voice training can really make recognition algorithms totally useless.
I've worked around legally blind people and they can totally identify someone through the sound of unique walking styles.
Sometimes my sense of smell can recognize people and I can't control it, some people have a screaming loud smell my eyes will water. Sometimes I can smell when someone is bleeding.
Some people can be recognized by their breathing... and breath🤢
Ivy Blackledge Whitfield 2025 likes this.
Ivy Blackledge Whitfield 2025
in reply to Muse • • •clarice overhere
in reply to Muse • • •heh 😁
surveillance-fear can be taken a bit far, though - i know a lady who takes the battery out of her phone when she goes to collect her cat from the cattery..so "the Chinese" cant track her. i dont know if she means all people of Chinese descent or the government of China but i'm pretty sure none of them give a flying faroo where she boards her cat...she is a Sky News zealot, though, and as a result is afraid of everyfknthing...sigh..
back to showing solidarity: during the last referendum, someone complained about the Aboriginal flag being in a hall (voting place) to such an extent (newspaper and facebook outrage) that the poor old dears who ran the hall took down the flag just to make for a bit of shoosh. Come polling day and the foyer floor of the hall was scattered with tiny little bits of paper with the flag coloured upon them; people were just bringing in a tiny flag or two and dropping them 😀
... show moreit probably didnt do much to sway anyone's vote but it did give much support to the people of the Gunditjmara nation and has bouyed spirits very much f
heh 😁
surveillance-fear can be taken a bit far, though - i know a lady who takes the battery out of her phone when she goes to collect her cat from the cattery..so "the Chinese" cant track her. i dont know if she means all people of Chinese descent or the government of China but i'm pretty sure none of them give a flying faroo where she boards her cat...she is a Sky News zealot, though, and as a result is afraid of everyfknthing...sigh..
back to showing solidarity: during the last referendum, someone complained about the Aboriginal flag being in a hall (voting place) to such an extent (newspaper and facebook outrage) that the poor old dears who ran the hall took down the flag just to make for a bit of shoosh. Come polling day and the foyer floor of the hall was scattered with tiny little bits of paper with the flag coloured upon them; people were just bringing in a tiny flag or two and dropping them 😀
it probably didnt do much to sway anyone's vote but it did give much support to the people of the Gunditjmara nation and has bouyed spirits very much following the totally shitful result of the referendum.
like this
Andrew Pam and Muse like this.
diana 🏳️⚧️🦋
in reply to Muse • • •Ivy Blackledge Whitfield 2025
in reply to Muse • • •Ivy Blackledge Whitfield 2025
in reply to Muse • • •diana 🏳️⚧️🦋
in reply to Muse • • •like this
Muse and Andrew Pam like this.
Ivy Blackledge Whitfield 2025
in reply to Muse • • •Yes - it takes a community these days. I was thinking of some of my relatives who survived during the Great Depression in America. They were very poor, but they survived with the help of a garden for food. They lived out in the middle of nowhere, in the woods, in a rented cabin.
Muse
in reply to Muse • • •like this
Andrew Pam and Ivy Blackledge Whitfield 2025 like this.
diana 🏳️⚧️🦋
in reply to Muse • • •like this
Andrew Pam, Ivy Blackledge Whitfield 2025 and Muse like this.
Ivy Blackledge Whitfield 2025
in reply to Muse • • •@Muse @𝕕𝕚𝕒𝕟𝕖𝕒 🏳️⚧️🦋
MUSE wrote: “We don’t have enough land any more to grow food. But we do live in a farm area. So we are near the top of the supply chain. It would still depend upon how supportive our community is. Or if they are willing to let neighbours starve while sending produce into the city to feed the wealthy.”
*It used to be a common practice to know how to can, dry and store food, especially in ‘Root Cellars’. There... show more
@Muse @𝕕𝕚𝕒𝕟𝕖𝕒 🏳️⚧️🦋
MUSE wrote: “We don’t have enough land any more to grow food. But we do live in a farm area. So we are near the top of the supply chain. It would still depend upon how supportive our community is. Or if they are willing to let neighbours starve while sending produce into the city to feed the wealthy.”
*It used to be a common practice to know how to can, dry and store food, especially in ‘Root Cellars’. There were also places “smoke shacks” where meat was ‘cured’. We have, for the most part lost those skills and practices. We now have industrial farming, and hot houses. Tomatoes are sprayed with a chemical that turns their color red. Ughhhhhh! And, diseased animals that we eat for food. Big Yellow Taxi
Muse likes this.
Ivy Blackledge Whitfield 2025
in reply to Muse • • •I've got french fries frying in cast iron on the stove. I set a timer to 5 minutes so I won't forget, and the entire batch is burnt to Hell. I'm a refugee from 'The Land of Multi-Tasking'. Even now I've got so many different things going on in different directions that I crash into myself. Hahaah!
While peeling and cutting up the potatoes I thought about you and the "severe vitamin D3 and B12 deficiency" that contributed to your loss of hearing and other super powers. I'm so sorry that happened you, and whatever the circumstances were that that caused such a thing to happen.
From working in dark rooms with the only light being from computer monitors, I also developed a number of vitamin deficiencies including D3 and B12. Eating junk food at my desk didn't help either. Continual high stress, deadlines, anxiety, nightmares, no proper rest or exercise, addiction to caffeine and cigarettes. Ughh, I'm fine now - not a complete walking wreck. I hope you're doing better and you are in good health.
... show more- So - I was thinking such things as you may have limited surface land- but wit
I've got french fries frying in cast iron on the stove. I set a timer to 5 minutes so I won't forget, and the entire batch is burnt to Hell. I'm a refugee from 'The Land of Multi-Tasking'. Even now I've got so many different things going on in different directions that I crash into myself. Hahaah!
While peeling and cutting up the potatoes I thought about you and the "severe vitamin D3 and B12 deficiency" that contributed to your loss of hearing and other super powers. I'm so sorry that happened you, and whatever the circumstances were that that caused such a thing to happen.
From working in dark rooms with the only light being from computer monitors, I also developed a number of vitamin deficiencies including D3 and B12. Eating junk food at my desk didn't help either. Continual high stress, deadlines, anxiety, nightmares, no proper rest or exercise, addiction to caffeine and cigarettes. Ughh, I'm fine now - not a complete walking wreck. I hope you're doing better and you are in good health.
- So - I was thinking such things as you may have limited surface land- but within the limits of building ordinances and permits, you could build up, and under you land space. I'm sure you've already thought of such things. With all the extra money you're making, you could do many things.
And - it does take a village to survive. People contributing what they can, including great skills like yours. I think of the incredible skills and humanity of Miss Muse and Andrew - that they share with all of us. Oh! My Gawd!! In comparison, I'm a snail inching my way on a city sidewalk! But I do try to contribute things of value - of one kind or another.
Muse likes this.
diana 🏳️⚧️🦋
in reply to Muse • • •Ivy Blackledge Whitfield 2025 likes this.
Ivy Blackledge Whitfield 2025
in reply to Muse • • •(I fried those French Fries in olive oil.)
diana 🏳️⚧️🦋
in reply to Muse • • •Ivy Blackledge Whitfield 2025
in reply to Muse • • •