▪•° Indecisive °•▪

Now, if a landlord, out of an act of charity, wishes to give a tenant an extension or wants to forgive one or several month’s rent when a tenant falls on hard times, that is wonderful and laudable. But people need to understand that is indeed an act of charity; it is not owed to the tenant nor can it be demanded in justice. The landlord is well within his rights under the lease both parties agreed to to seek a remedy due to the tenant’s inability or unwillingness to make good on his promises which may or may not include eviction. Some people may ask why the landlord did not build any savings to cover his expenses for several months, but one could very easily ask the same question of the tenant; why must only the landlord plan ahead for possible hard times?

These are not normal circumstances, you can’t say “Well you prrrrooomiiissseeed” like a child when you are faced with real human desperation and misery.

How are people living paycheck to paycheck supposed to save enough for a fucking pandemic? No one was expecting the majority of retail or food service folks to lose their jobs all at once. Planning for that is just not feasible.

It’s not a fair an equitable relationship here, you “choose” to sign the lease because for a lot of folks it is rent or be homeless. It’s pay exorbitant amount for rent (minimum is 950$ for a single bedroom in my city), or live on the street and be criminalized for existing as a homeless person. 

Not to mention being forced to live outside in the elements, with potential of freezing to death or getting heat stroke depending on the season. It’s not exactly a free choice to rent. It’s coerced by market forces, and those with the least amount of power don’t have a lot of bargaining power to make their contract better. 

Understanding extenuating circumstances should be the standard, forgiveness should be the standard, what you call CHARITY should be the standard. 

We are not even living in standard times, we are living in times of crisis. Global crisis. Everyone is getting hit hard right now, no one is exempt from this. People shouldn’t be terrified after losing their jobs, possibly losing family members, possibly getting very sick themselves, that they will be forced into the streets and into the elements where they can infect and be infected by others during a global pandemic. This isn’t…. normal circumstances, you don’t just puddle along the status quo in a crisis.

“Keep Catholic”, my ass. Your sense of the Holy Spirit is so fucking low you are defending throwing people out into the streets when there is a viral pandemic and worldwide crisis. You are not only advocating for inhumane and cruel practices, but you are also advocating for the destruction of public health measures designed to keep EVERYONE in the community safe. 

"ES DIOS" ("IT'S GOD")

"ERES DIOS HERMANO" ("YOU'RE GOD, BRO")

As you’re probably aware, the coronavirus disease, or COVID-19, has now been found in countries all over the globe. This is an understandably disconcerting moment for many, but there are steps we can all take to help mitigate the effect on our communities.

COVID-19 is spreading, but misinformation and disinformation are spreading even faster. The most responsible thing you can do is protect yourself from both the disease and false information. Being prepared with facts and data instead of assumptions and fabrications will help inform how you can best prepare for COVID-19.

Here are some resources you can trust:

WHO provides daily updates surrounding COVID-19’s spread, infection rate, and general influence on our society. Their latest update given on March 3, 2020, details that there is a shortage of personal protective equipment for healthcare professionals. They also provide a very handy FAQ section, where you can learn more about how to protect yourself and your community. 

Every day Worldometer updates its website with the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in each country that has been affected. Worldometer has been rated one of the best free reference websites by the American Library Association, and for good reason: it lists every single one of its regular sources here, and lists the source of every COVID-19 update at the bottom of the COVID-19 page. 

Your local health department will often have the most up-to-date information specific to your immediate area, including how to proceed if you believe you may be showing symptoms of the virus. If you live in the United States, you can find the contact information for your health department by visiting the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO).

There’s another thing about this news that a lot of places are not talking about: the toll on one’s mental health, especially if you are someone who struggles with anxiety. If you find your concerns about being prepared are crossing a line that affects your mental health, please consider reaching out to a loved one who can guide you to help, a mental health professional, or an organization set up to help those in need.

Here are a couple of organizations you can trust:

Crisis Text Line is free, 24/7 support. Just text 741741 from anywhere in the United States. The Crisis Text Line will connect you with a trained Crisis Counselor. 

National Alliance on Mental Illness (@namiorg) offers free support and resources for those who are struggling. NAMI can be reached Monday through Friday, 10 am - 6 pm EST at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264) or by email at [email protected].

Take care of yourselves, Tumblr. Wash your hands well, practice keeping a safe distance from others, only wear a mask if you believe you are sick with COVID-19 symptoms and could infect others (or are immunocompromised yourself), and remember to fact check everything that you see. Head on over to @world-wide-what for a refresher on what fake news looks like and how it spreads. Pass those tips onto others when you see them accidentally spreading false information.