hello!

scientists are still scrambling to figure out what “zigazig ahh” is so that they can give the spice girls what they really really want

the spice girls are getting impatient

[ID start: Tweet from Your fave killjoy| Ericka Hart (She/ They) @iHartEricka:  “There’s a lot going on and none of it includes reparations to Black people, so if you are white or NBPOC, open your wallet. Black folks, put your venmos, cashapps and paypals in the comments.” Tweet was made at 3:01 PM on Jan 6, 2021.

/end ID]

link to thread here

https://innocenceproject.org/petitions/stop-execution-pervis-payne/

link to washington post article

justice for Matthew Rushin

https://www.change.org/p/governor-mike-dewine-pardon-keith-lamar

https://www.keithlamar.org/ (includes donations + info about his case)

https://sign.moveon.org/petitions/abolish-the-death-penalty-3?bucket=&source=twitter-share-button&utm_campaign=&utm_source=twitter&share=880fc3bf-d248-46e6-83a7-1b08fb1e6d9e

petition

justice for Julius Jones

[ID: Attorney statement re: execution of Brandon Bernard.

“Tonight, those of us who love Brandon Bernard - and we are many - are full of righteous anger and deep sadness at the actions of the federal government in taking his life. Brandon’s live mattered. To us, his legal team, to his two beautiful and talented daughters, to his mother, brother, and sister, and to the countless people around the country who came to know him and his story in recent weeks.

Brandon made one terrible mistake at age 18. But he did not kill anyone, and he never stopped feeling shamed and profound remorse for his actions in the crime that took the lives of Todd and Stacie Bagley. And he spent the rest of his life sincerely trying to show, as he put it, that he “was not that person”. Brandon showed us that and so much more, carrying himself with grace and generosity, and always treating everyone around him with kindness and respect. He worked to help other troubled kids avoid similar devastating mistakes, and he lived every day his commitment to serving both God and humanity. 

Many things went wrong to put Brandon on death row, including egregious government misconduct in concealing evidence and misleading the jury, which the courts refused to remedy. Before Brandon’s execution, five of the jurors who sentenced him to death said they no longer stood by that verdict. They joined the lead appellate prosecutor on Brandon’s case in urging President Trump to commute his death sentence to life without parole. Those pleas for clemency were joined by hundreds of thousands of supporters, including celebrities, faith leaders, and members of the United States Congress.

Brandon’s execution is a stain on America’s criminal justice system. But I pray that even in his death, Brandon will advance his commitment to helping others by moving us closer to a time when this country does not pointlessly and maliciously kill young Black men who pose no threat to anyone, when we hold prosecutors to the highest standards of integrity in every case, and when our leaders exercise their moral authority where it is needed. 

We were proud to call Brandon our client and our friend, and we will miss him greatly.”

-Robert C. Owen, attorney for Brandon Bernard

brandon bernard’s is not the only federal execution scheduled. according to the bbc, trump has five executions scheduled up until january 20th. we need to keep fighting so that these executions do not happen.

i wish brandon’s family all the best and i’m so sorry we could not do more.

i’m including a few links to spread awareness and inform people. 

https://innocenceproject.org/ is an organization that uses modern forensic technology to overturn wrongful convictions.

https://prisonbookprogram.org/for-people-in-prison/national-prisoner-resource-list/ is a list of resources that those who have loved ones in prison or who are in prison can use. it has links to several other similar lists as well.

https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/ is a website that provides information about capital punishment in the united states. one of the first things written on their website is “At least 18 people have been executed despite serious doubts about their guilt. Official misconduct is the leading cause of wrongful capital convictions.”

I’m here to post a collection of donation drives that I’ve gathered online. If we can’t help them physically, we can at least make sure they have monetary assistance, food and clothing once they’re evacuated.

This is how Cagayan looks, from recent photos (not mine)

TW: screams and shouts for help

HOW TO HELP

DONATION DRIVES

Please feel free to add on this post for any other ways to help.

For context:

The Philippines has been hit by three consecutive typhoons this month alone: Quinta, Rolly (Goni internationally) and Ulysses. It’s been hitting nearly the same areas, which has made them even more vulnerable now that they’re still recovering from the previous typhoons. Our mountain ranges couldn’t shield us from this due to heavy quarrying and deforestation.

That said, these aren’t the only places in need of assistance. But these are the places in urgent need of help. And we’re trying to do as best as we can with what little we have.

I’ll update this post from time to time for full transparency.

Here’s an FB post of different donation drives from youth orgs, NGOs and other volunteer groups. 

Here’s a Twitter thread of donation drives affected by Typhoon Ulysses. Another thread of donation drives.

You can donate hygiene kits, food, & shelter to people affected by the typhoon via LazadaForGood. 

Hello, hope all of you are safe and doing well.

You may have heard of what happened in Lebanon today and if not, basically, there was a big explosion in Beirut that affected many cities, destroyed shops, homes, cars, caused many injuries and deaths. The cause is uncertain.

As a fellow lebanese myself (that also lives there), today was absolutely terrifying, probably the scariest moments of my life. We heard a deafening sound as the floors were shaking. Some of us thought it was an attack, others thought it was an earthquake. As soon as it ended many expected a second one, which luckily never happened.

Here's a video of what happened that was sent to me, there are also many others that you can find online.

Windows were broken, doors wrecked, cars flipped over, buildings collapsed, people hit by flying or falling objects, and unfortunately, many didn't make it out alive.

We were one of the lucky ones, our families and friends were all safe and our homes were fine.

Some people couldn't even get out of the crumbling builings, so we saw corpses being pulled out, although some people survived the crash. But wherever we looked, there was blood, poeple were half covered in it, their shirts, pants, hair, everything. And that sight was traumatizing.

We watched the news with elders severely injured, children with blood-spattered shirts and people in pain that couldn't get in the hospitals because they were full.

Some people are missing. Just try to imagine the pain and fear their families and friends are feeling.

Articles about what happened, there are a lot more

Not only are we in the middle of a pandemic, but Lebanon is also going through a very serious economical crisis. To give you an example, before, $1 equaled 1 500 lebanese pounds. Nowadays, $1 equals more than 7 000 lebanese pounds. Not to mention that we obviously don't have any dollars at disposition, so yeah we're fucked.

People are hungry, homeless, unemployed. And even if they are getting paid, it'll be useless since the prices of everything went up because they were affected by the economical fiasco.

Important additional information

Today, I heard my 7 year old cousins scream in fear that they were going to die. I saw my aunt shaking, worried that her children won't survive. I saw my dad freak out while trying to reassure us when we both knew that we were uncertain about the next minutes of our lives. I heard the panic in the trembling voices of my family and friends as they couldn't believe what had just happened. I thought my loved ones and I were going to die in the next seconds.

I'm never forgetting those moments and feelings.

I don't think signing petitions will help, i don't even know if the following links will help either, I just know Lebanon and it's people are desperate for anything because the future of this country is extremely uncertain.

https://helplebanonnow.carrd.co/

https://lebanoncrisis.carrd.co/

https://www.gofundme.com/f/lebanonneedsorg?utm_source=customer&utm_campaign=p_cp+share-sheet&utm_medium=copy_link

https://helplebanon.carrd.co/

http://redcross.org.lb/SubPage.aspx?pageid=1370&PID=158

http://www.caritas.org.lb/get_involved/donate

https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/lebanon-relief?utm_term=PYp7gXzyD

I think donating to the red cross would be the most helpful, so if you are considering it, it'd be great.