humor x personal (??)

The police ruled it a suicide. The family and local community demanded an investigation. The police refused to change their ruling.

A local paper had some great photographs, all taken by Nicole Hester:

The day before, Rep. Justin Pearson tries to attend a Senate Committee meeting and is barred access by the Sergeant at Arms.

Lawmakers and protesters link arms as the descend the capitol steps.

Once inside the chamber, Democratic representatives continued to stand together with arms linked.

They continued standing together with arms linked as votes were cast.

Democratic representatives take a group photo protesting the redistricting.

Rep. Justin Jones burns a photo of the Confederate flag with the words, We will not go back.

And stomps the ashes.

KeShaun Pearson being escorted from the building by the Staties.

KeShaun Pearson (left) being taken into custody. Rep. Justin Pearson (right) showing his support of his brother.

Additional information: State lawmakers have been gunning for Pearson and Jones nearly their entire terms. Most notably, in 2023, the House expelled them for participating in a protest at the Capitol. Their districts had to have special elections to have them reinstated.

Pearson is one of the plaintiffs of a lawsuit seeking an injunction against the redistricting.

My brother enlisted coming out of high school. I was in high school the next year. He bombed out of basic training PDQ and was back at home and SERIOUSLY fucked up from it and never actually recovered, I don’t think.

So I get to my junior year in high school and we *must* talk to the military recruiters. It’s required. We can tell them any old thing we want to, but we *must* at least hear them out. Being the kind of person I am, I did. I listened. I talked, and I listened to the guy’s responses. I told him I’d discuss it with my brother who had done basic training.

I got home, and told him that I’d had the conversation with the recruiter. He looked me dead in the eye and said, “Whatever he told you, it was a bold-faced lie. They’re allowed and ENCOURAGED to lie to get recruits. Do NOT even give him a “no thanks.” Just ignore any contact.”

This was in 2001, BEFORE 9/11.

Imagine how desperate they are for recruits now.

If they ask you what time it is, refuse to even look at your watch. Don’t even let them get into it. If you *have to* talk to them, tell them flatly that you’re not interested and that you aren’t going to budge. And then DON’T.

They also go out of their way to target poorer areas and prep kids to barely pass the asvab, and if I hadn't been a stupid 17 year old, I should have noticed the giant red billboards they were waving

DON'T DO IT!!!

just, stoking a momentary fervor in my soul for clean teeth.

delicious minty treat just for you

feels weird and fun

yum yummy mint flavor

brains when they see a routine 🧠🎉

BREAKING: 21-year-old protester, Kaden Rummler, was shot point-blank in the face by ICE. he just spoke about how he’s blind for life and almost died:

“I will be blind for life. I have fractures in my skull that they can't fix. They pulled a piece of plastic the size of a nickel out of my eye. I had shards of metal, glass, and plastic behind my eye and in my skull. They said it was a miracle I survived.”

What the hell is wrong with these people?

GoFundMe for Kaden Rummler, the young trans man blinded by ICE agents this week.