Global communication Project

We learned in my counseling class that the essence of privilege is not having to think about the color of your skin. As a white person, that statement hit me hard. I realized that for so long I had never even thought about being white and what it meant. I didn’t have to, you see.

Hearing that statement I thought about how I didn’t have to think about my skin color when I was at the airport or pulled over by a cop.

I didn’t have to think about it when I applied to college or for jobs. When I was at jobs, the color of my skin did not effect how my bosses treated me nor did it determine what my professors expected of me.

I had never, not once in my life had to contemplate the color of my skin and what would happen to me because of it, because you see, that’s exactly what privilege is. It’s not entitlement. It’s protection and security. It’s being given what one hasn’t necessarily earned. It’s a chance, and an opportunity. Yes. I have been oh-so-privileged.

And it hurts. That first time someone or something makes you see it. It hurts to be called out for benefitting from an archaic system that determines ones value by the amount of melanin in there skin.

Like when I was with my African-American friend at the mall, when she realized the security guard was following her because she was wearing a hoodie. She left abruptly in a rage. I’m ashamed I had to ask her what was wrong.

But, that pain and anger you feel is necessary. If you feel it, and process it rather than denying your own faults and continuing to remain oblivious, then the world starts to look different. You start noticing that you can count on one hand the number of movies with fully cast with people of color. You start to see the lack of POC in professional positions. You notice how a woman switches the hand in which she is holding her purse when she walks past a group of black men.

Not because I was having a bad day & not because it was “hard.” I didn’t bawl like a baby I just had to take a deep breath and let a few tears out

Because as a student (a first semester student!!) I had to advocate so damn hard for a patient who apparently, all the staff who are supposed to be mentoring me, have forgotten is a human being.

41 y/o f GSW to the head in 2005, TBI as a result, pretty major cognitive impairment. Came in through our ED when she because aggressive/violent towards her roommate at her group home. Placed on neuro floor because group home refuses to take her back & no beds in psych. Basically no one knows why she lashed out.

Her speech is almost incomprehensible. Unless you PAUSE AND LISTEN.

She’s impulsive unless you PAUSE, LISTEN & give her CHOICES.

I saw her nurse yell, berate, and intimidate her to the point of tears today. (A male nurse who stood over her shouting as she sat on the commode)

I saw a cna yank her arm and not listen when she asked for a procedure to stop.

I saw healthcare providers all day who minimized her, treated her as invisible, pretended she wasn’t there, didn’t matter, and was a burden, while making jokes and rude comments at her expense.

I also saw her smile, laugh, engage me, talk to me about her life, allow me to do a full neuro assessment on her, she got up and went around the unit with me smiling from ear to ear.

When I left today she bawled. She said please don’t leave me with them, don’t leave me with them and I heard her nurse say “she’s getting agitated I’m getting Ativan”

I was disgusted and sad. I spoke up loudly for her all day. I tried to make her feel important. She’s so much more aware than they realize. I engaged her as a person. Perhaps if “they” paused for just one moment to address the anxiety the Ativan wouldn’t be needed.

She’s only 10 years older than me. She’s been bounced around 10 group homes in 10 years since the GSW. She’s not a ward and doesn’t have a guardian, she’s trying to navigate this earth without an advocate, in a society where she is invisible.

I got told today by my instructor that I have a calling for working with the people no one else wants. She says I need to work with castoffs of society. That I have a gift for seeing patients as whole beings not one dimensional diagnoses.

I needed to hear those things from an instructor I respect so much. I do love the weirdos, the rejects, the “annoying” patients, the voiceless, the burdens. Those are my people.

Fetus - Zygote. Fertilized egg. Viable stem cells. Vulnerable - Disempowered. Discriminated-against. Undervalued. Diversity - Accepting. Tolerant. Welcoming. Forward-thinking. Modernized. Respectful. Transgender - Trans. “People who identify as a gender other than what was assigned to them at birth.” “Evidence based” and/or “scientific evidence” - Scientifically-relevant proof. “Facts confirmed reasonably by scientific testing.” Replicable truth. Based upon available evidence.

Send “Resist” to 50409 to start the fax system.

You’ll give your name and address when prompted.

Select who you want to send messages to.

Just send “Congress” if you want to send to your rep, governor, and senator at the same time.

Type your message, as long as you want it to be, then send “done.”

After that, you have the option of starting over, adding to it, etc. If you’re done, send “send.” It’ll tell you it’s queued up the messages/faxes, and then send you a confirmation when the faxes/messages were delivered.

Honestly, if these people aren’t sick of me by the end of the week and into next week, then I haven’t done my job. I plan on recording voicemails tomorrow to send them as well. I’ll just keep sending both all week. They won’t get any of it until after Thanksgiving, but they’re getting them dammit.

Feel free to join me in annoying the hell out of our government to stop the elimination of net neutrality. I don’t plan to go down without kicking and screaming and bugging the shit out of these people.

These two apps/systems are great for people like me with severe anxiety and can’t make phone calls to save ourselves.

The message/fax system is called Resist, and the voicemail leaving app is called Stance.

Occupying the department of immigration in Sydney this morning, mimicking similar actions around the country to protest the treatment of refugees and their abandonment and torture at the hands of the Australian government.

Since 2012, the Australian government have kept hundreds of refugees imprisoned on PNG in Guantanamo-like conditions that the UN have likened to torture. Last year - while the lights were all shut off - security snuck in and bashed one of the refugees, 23 year old Reza Berati, to death for his suspected role in their resistance.

We are at a crisis. Australia really wants to uphold its reputation as a forward thinking bastion of easy-going battlers, an Arcadia with a just and progressive government who lead in a democratic and diplomatic way. That couldn’t be farther from the truth. Over the last few years it’s increasingly become a two party system “lesser of two evils” arrangement similar to what it’s like in the US. The so called progressive labor party actually reintroduced these offshore camps before they were booted out of power.

Over the last few days, Australia have technically “shut down the camps” but withdrawn all the food and water from the detention centre with no alternative accommodation. 600 refugees are now WITHOUT VITAL RESOURCES. The PNG army have shot at them before and they have been patrolling around the camp. On top of that, refugees are frightened of frustrated locals, who never agreed for the camp to be built in the first place.

We really need to hold the government accountable. Please ring your politicians - make up a name that sounds believable and say in a posh voice that you used to be a liberal (or labor) voter and that you’re disgusted by the abandonment and torture of refugees. Reach out to your activist friends and come along to meetings. The last time Australia closed offshore detention there were HUGE swells of participants regularly engaging in direct action. We need to envision futures where noone is considered illegal and move beyond virtue signalling on social media just for social justice clout. We need to urgently donate our time and resources for this change to happen. There are some refugees who are going to die within the next week if they aren’t given their insulin or heart medication. Please, please do something.

Here’s a google doc by my amazing friend Roj advising you on actions: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1f0R1O4SMPKVetjLF76G9Gi0hQhP9w05uJCTpV0bNKUU/edit

And here’s what she said:

“Next week I’m going to start urging people to write actual hand written physical letters because it will start clogging up the system and staffers are forced to answer them because they’re considered ministerials.

We have to push. We cannot wait 3 weeks for parliment to sit for a decision, but if we have to, then we have to put consistent pressure on everyone.

But especially to Labor. Tell them it’s vote changing. They are more likely to budge and change their policy.

Get your friends in Liberal seats who vote whatever way to apply pressure and tell your reps that it’s a vote changing decision.

These people care about their power and getting reelected. They get very defensive when they think you are attacking their position. Do it! Attack!

Here’s why I’m now the proud owner of an opposing team’s jersey:

To show solidarity with Colin Kaepernick, who bravely took a knee to protest racial injustice.

To send a message to the NFL, the media and America that Kaepernick isn’t alone in his anger, sadness and frustration regarding the deaths of black men and women at the hands of police, and the lack of justice and accountability that follows.

Because Kaepernick is donating 100% of the proceeds from his jersey sales to communities in need.

Because loving football isn’t easy when issues like domestic violence and sexual assault are common within the NFL, and Kaepernick has made it just a little bit easier to be a fan.

Because it’s imperative for white people to stand (or, in this case, kneel) with people of color, and it’s our responsibility to work toward ending racial injustice and dismantling white supremacy.

Day 1/3. Johnson City, TN

I go to a PWI in East Tennessee.  Today was my first protest. A group of us at school have been pushed to the breaking point after seeing hashtag on hashtag of innocent Black women, children and men being wrongfully murdered on a daily basis. We are tired and demand for Black Lives to be respected.

#NoBanOnStolenLand

The interesting thing about today’s protest movements is how they’re attempting to subvert the idea of centralization and hierarchy. 

No you don’t sound ignorant at all, I’m very thankful that you want to learn and help.

Some steps you can take in helping fight racism…1. Listen to people of color. There are some traumas and issues you may never understand but it is important to listen, recognize, and believe them. 2. Amplify the voices of people of color. Share their posts, blasts their quotes, and help make their voices louder. 3. Stand up to your friends and family. There are a lot of white families that don’t have the best opinions about people of color and our white “allies” will stay silent. Don’t. Confront your uncle at the thanksgiving table. Make your visit to grandmas house uncomfortable. Teach that racist friend the truth or drop them. Silence is violence. 4. Take accountability. Know that even as an ally you do benefit from a system to bring down people of color. Recognize this and help others take accountability as well. 5. PROTEST. We need you out there in the streets with us. Sharing that one post on Facebook when one of us dies is not enough. Get involved in your local activist groups, non profits, etc. ask people of color in your community how you can help them.

Visiting family for Thanksgiving can be challenging. Your dinner companions may say hurtful, offensive things about race, gender identity, sexual harassment and assault, birth control coverage, abortion, or any number of topics — which can feel stressful, isolating, or enraging.

So this Thanksgiving, we’re giving you some tips on how to deal with your family when things get hard:

Self care: Make decisions about what to do around Thanksgiving so you feel safe, whether that means not going home at all, going home with a friend or partner by your side, or only visiting for dinner.

Build allyship with family members who love and respect you: The more people in your family who can call people out (or even better, call people in) on their problematic behavior, the less acceptable it will be.

Engage people in conversation: If you feel safe doing so, start with a mutual value (like freedom, respect, or love). For example, if someone says they don’t think businesses should have to cover birth control, ask why from a place of curiosity. Maybe they think business owners are people who should be free to make decisions based on their religion. You can agree that people should be free to make decisions based on their beliefs — whether you’re a CEO or an employee, you should have the ability to make your own personal health care decisions. So you explain (calmly) how that mutual value informs your stance. Practice asking questions, finding a value in their sentiment you can agree on, and starting from there. This is hard work, but you only get better at it if you keep trying.

Take a stand: It’s totally ok to tell someone that their language or behavior is hurtful and unacceptable to you. Tell them about the impact it has on you and why, and what the consequences of their actions are to the larger community. Tell them you expect better, and what the consequences are if they don’t change (like cutting off contact with them or leaving). And you’re allowed to end the conversation, leave the room, and set whatever boundaries you need to feel safe.

There are lots of great resources out there to help guide you in tough conversations, here are a few to get you started:

How to Talk to Your Family About Abortion During the Holidays

Standing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ) Thanksgiving Toolkit for white people

15 Tips For Surviving Election Talk Over The Holidays

In support and solidarity,

December 3rd, 2017.

10,000 musicians create a huge orchestra in the middle of the streets of Barcelona as a sign of protest. We demand that Spain frees the Catalan political prisoners.