Islamic Terrorist Did Take The Blame What The Fuck. Donald Trump And 3 Other Reporters Reported That

Islamic terrorist did take the blame what the fuck. Donald Trump and 3 other reporters reported that the terrorist shouted "Allahu Ackbar!" but don't you see? Terrorism's the enemy. Not the gays. Not the Republicans. Islamic terrorism is an issue.

Aside from the fact Donald Trump is not a reliable source and I’ve yet to see any reliable report that the gunman shouted that, I’m not sure what post this is in response to. I already mentioned that the gunman in the Orlando shooting pledged allegiance to ISIS and is a terrorist. But so far there’s no evidence that this attack was orchestrated by ISIS or any similar organization. My point in this post was to condemn Mike Huckabee, who has literally advocated for sending gay people to concentration camps to “contain our disease” for talking down to LGBT people within hours of the attack to imply that the average American gay person’s worst enemy is ISIS and not the Republican Party, which is demonstrably false. 

A bill passed in Mississippi that literally legalizes discrimination against LGBT people; Republicans recently voted down a bill that would protect us against discrimination and hate crimes. To argue that they are not the enemy is…absurd. Even though ISIS is clearly a homophobic organization, the vast majority of American LGBT people are far more directly impacted by politicians at home.

Of course ISIS is an issue. ISIS is terrorizing people in many countries and has organized massacres all over the world. I condemn ISIS. That said, when it comes to LGBT issues, I also condemn the politicians at home who perpetuate homophobic rhetoric and have striven to strip us of our rights. I also condemn a self-satisfied neo-con like Huckabee who has the gall to, after advocating for the grossest, most extreme human rights violations against LGBT people, use our deaths to further his own political agenda.

Regarding my other post about Republicans and gun control: this man was an American citizen who (so far) has not been found to have direct ties with ISIS or other terrorist organizations. He was able to acquire a gun that has become the weapon of choice in mass shootings. The FBI had already been investigating and monitoring him for possibly being a terror threat or having terrorist connections, but found no evidence. I wonder: what do Republicans want at this point? The US government already monitors American citizens they suspect of being terror threats. They already comb through and save our internet data and wiretap our phones without warrants. They already devote much resources and time to tracking and investigating terror threats. Our military is already the most funded in the world. What do Republicans want? Even more over-reaching government surveillance? Even more warrantless searches? Even more racial profiling of Muslim Americans? More unsubstantiated arrests or detainment? The outright ban of all Muslim immigrants? Even when most mass shootings in America are perpetrated by white men and not Muslims to begin with?

Obviously, what happened early this morning was a horrifying tragedy. It was a massacre in the name of virulent homophobia and of radical pro-ISIS beliefs. But the government can’t monitor every American’s move. It can’t know every threat and when it will happen. I’m not sure what Republicans want us LGBT people and “liberals” to do exactly? Take out our fear, anger and vitriol on innocent Muslim Americans? Or Muslims abroad who have nothing to do with this attack or ISIS to begin with? What will this do to curb the epidemic of gun violence and domestic terrorism in America, which again, is mostly perpetrated by non-Muslims? 

I have absolutely no sympathies with ISIS; I condemn ISIS. I am a Jewish queer person, and ISIS and its sympathizers have massacred and targeted Jews and queer people in Western countries a small number of times, and has terrorized so many more people in the Middle East, many of whom are Muslim. But as an LGBT American, I can’t concede that ISIS is more of a direct threat to me and my wellbeing than Republican politicians who legislate against me. I also will not side with reactionary conservatives who are exploiting this tragedy in my community to fuel islamophobia, hysteria and jingoism. At the end of the day, many people on all sides are trying to simplify this event, trying to politicize it in the most simplistic ways they can. We shouldn’t ignore the connection to ISIS-related radical beliefs, but this shooting doesn’t justify any of the jingoistic, reactionary or racist policies the Right advocates, and I refuse to side with them.

This bit though: 

Just as the dragoon passed by, the child hurled the stone and it struck the soldier’s helmet. The dragoon hesitated, but did not stop to pursue the child, and went his way at full gallop. But a woman—the child’s mother, probably — came out stealthily behind him, seized him by the collar and gave him a good hiding. I lowered my head. 

“The women are not with us this time,” I said; “we are lost!” 

Alexandre Dumas acknowledging that revolutions are not won by men’s military participation alone FTW! From France (apparently) to South Africa to Liberia to Colombia, overlook women’s opinions and actions and you risk overlooking what will happen next in war, peace, and revolutionary change.  

Alexandre Dumas and the June Uprising

I’m still working on my next map post but I thought that meanwhile I need to make one thing clear:

If you haven’t read Alexandre Dumas’s account of the June Uprising YOU SHOULD!

His memoirs have been translated into English! You can download the relevant volume here: https://archive.org/details/mymemoirs06dumauoft (In fact everybody should probably also read his memoirs all the way through. I should read his memoirs all the way through…)

Seriously, it’s so much fun! Dumas is such a personality and he knew a lot of interesting and important people. And it’s just great to read about the events written by someone who actually was there. (Also why you should read Jeanne’s account too. They give two very different views into what happened. With Jeanne you get more about the actual uprising and what happened at the barricades, with Dumas you get more about the funeral procession and what was going on among the republican political leaders.)

BUT even if you don’t have the time or energy to read the whole book or even just the June Uprising account, you should at least read this following anecdote. TRUST ME IT’S WORTH IT. I mean it starts with Dumas being all like “oh hey, there’s a guy I know among those soldiers. I mean sure we almost tried to kill each other once but I’m sure he won’t shoot me if I approach them.” (spoilers: wrong) and then it just… well, let’s just say that it’s definitely not a predictable story.

And yes, this includes the reverse “Five Less, One More” episode.

(I broke it into smaller paragraphs to make it easier to read + the rest is under the cut. Oh and btw, the place where this happens is marked on the map that I posted [earlier]. Look for Porte St. Martin and “The theatres”.)

I followed the boulevard. It was intersected at the top of the street and the faubourg Saint-Martin by a detachment of the line; the men were drawn up in three rows. I was asking myself how I could go through that triple line alone, in my hostile uniform, when I discovered among the ranks an old battery comrade. True, I nearly fought a duel with him at the time over a difference of opinion. He was dressed in a round jacket, a policeman’s helmet and a pair of the buttoned knickerbockers called charivaris. He had a double-barrelled gun in his hand, and had joined the troops as an amateur.

Having recognised him, I thought I might feel easy and continued to advance, making signs with my hand. He lowered his gun. I thought he had recognised me, and was joking or wanted to frighten me, so I still went forward. Suddenly, he disappeared in a cloud of fire and smoke and a bullet whistled in my ears. I saw things were serious. 

I was by the cafe de la Porte-Saint-Martin. I wanted to run into the theatre passage, but it was closed. I thrust the door of the theatre open with one kick. The fourth or fifth performance of La Tour de Nesle was put up on the bills. I ran to the property stores. I came across Harel on the stage. He tore his hair at seeing his successful run interrupted. As he perceived that I was turning away from him, he said, “Where are you going?”

“To the property stores”

“What do you want there?”

“Have you such a thing as a rifle?”

“Pardieu ! I have a hundred. You know very well we have just been playing… that is to say, unfortunately not I, but Crosmer… Napoleon à Schönbrunn.”

“All right, I want a rifle.”

“What for?”

“To return one of my friends a bullet he has just sent at me. Only, I hope to be more adroit than he was.”

“Oh! my friend!” exclaimed Harel, “you are going to get the theatre burnt down!” And he placed himself in front of the door leading to the property stores.

“Pardon, my friend,” I said to him, “I will give up the rifles as they are yours; but give me the pistols that I presented for the second representation of Richard: not only are they valuable ones but, also, they were a present.”

“Hide the pistols!” cried Harel to the man who had charge of the properties.

They hid them so well that I never saw them again.

Keep reading

Watch: Lin-Manuel Miranda’s UPenn commencement speech will move you to tears.

I love seeing the faces of these people as they sing this song together. I love that with just one sheet of paper, a few minutes' practice, and some experience with choral singing, the person standing in the far back of that room can be united with the person in the front row in co-producing this sound together. I love that this version of a beloved song - different, relatively simple arrangement - will only ever exist once, because those people chose to come together in that room to make it. 

Thank you for the prompt advice! I always want to participate but am never quite sure what to suggest. 

Tip for anyone sending me story prompts (which only applies to me! I’m sure there are writers who feel differently! I feel differently myself when the situation is something other than prompts being sent directly to me!):

Do not send me a story outline. Do not send me a beginning, middle, and end and then expect that I am going to flesh it out for you, because my reaction to something that definite is 99% of the time going to be either “…but that’s not what happens,” or “…looks like you have a story you want to write, pal.” 

Either way, I’m probably not going to write it.

So! When you are giving me prompts, let me suggest a general topic/theme suggestion (”BUBBLE BATHSSssssssssssss” or “Threetoo + prostration”) or a question (”How is Threetoo’s plant doing?” or “Can we have a time Threetoo is hurt and brings it to Tony’s attention for fixing? Does that happen?” where even if the answer is “no” I can write a story about why it doesn’t happen) (that totally is gonna happen, tho.) 

Woah, is this a thing now? Like, gif comics? With moving panels?

part 1