The Happy Version of Ghost World

enfj: flappers

enfp: the silver screen

entj: prohibition

entp: barnstorming

esfj: telephones

esfp: the charleston

estj: jazz music

estp: gangsters

infj: speakeasies

infp: harlem renaissance literature

intj: precisionism

intp: exonomic prosperity

isfj: radios

isfp: art deco

istj: automobiles

This has always been bothering me about Sailor Moon (and other manga). Why can’t they not ruin otherwise badass and empowering characters with this kind of crap?

This is fucked up!!! Two men were kicked off a Delta Airlines plane for simply speaking Arabic to their mom on a cell phone… With a follow up of being checked by security AGAIN. Let’s not forget this is the same airline where a passenger would rather die than be helped out by a black Doctor..

We all struggle with wanting to do more, but part of the challenge is to recognize our own limitations and maximize what we can do. My advice is to pursue a three-fold strategy: Donate, Educate, Advocate.

DONATE: There are some amazing organizations doing work in Syria and with Syrian refugees. Support them. In particular, those that are started by the Syrian diaspora. One of my favorites is Karam Foundation (www.karamfoundation.org). Others like Sunrise USA (www.sunrise-usa.org) and the Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS - www.sams-usa.net) also do great work. All these folks have teams on the ground in Syria and in refugee camps. I would also add the White Helmets (www.whitehelmets.org), an amazing group of volunteer rescue workers inside Syria. Their work is inspirational. Others exist, small and large, so find whatever you are comfortable with.

EDUCATE yourself about the situation in Syria. Read. But do so wisely. In particular, learn what Syrians and people intimately involved with the situation are saying and writing. ISIS is *not* the biggest threat in Syria; the Syrian regime is. Assad is. Don’t fall prey to those who equivocate on this fact. They are either grossly misinformed or willfully advocating for an authoritarian ruler. Equip yourself with information. There are folks like Hadi Abdullah and Leila al-Shami providing witness from on the ground. Find them on social media and follow them.

Other people have been writing on the conflict. Here are a few authors I would recommend: Idrees Ahmad, Robin Yassin-Kassab, Hassan Hassan, Rania Abouzeid, Samar Yazbek, Rami Jarrah, Yassin al-Haj Saleh, Sam Charles Hamad, Fred Hoff, Charles Lister, Moses Brown, Janine di Giovanni and Deborah Amos. They write articles, books, take pictures and some blog. Follow them on Twitter, Facebook, etc. Read. Then teach others.