Ten-Minute Title
I intended to write today but life happened. I’m still gonna do the 10 minute version though, so I don’t feel like I’m behind tomorrow. These are easier daily and I am allowed to revisit things that still have my attention.
M talked to me a bunch today. Interactively and about feels and carrying a topic from yesterday. It’s sort of a big change. I have only half processed it, but it really made me feel good. And hopeful. I am slightly worried that saying so will apply pressure that makes it seem less safe, and that I won’t ever get more, but I’m gonna risk it because I’m happy and want to share.
Shanda has a new side hustle where she lets people take pictures of her in underwear they provide and they give her cash. Cash we’re going to use to buy drugs because drug retailers aren’t allowed to use real money.
Talked with V for a long while. You’re the reason I didn’t write. Well that and my desire to sleep before dawn. And my complete lack of preparation earlier in the day. Hard times in your life still, but I think lots of good talk. I got help with a number of things, including the definition of my identity. Hopefully you did too. And we maybe made plans for future human activities, which would be cool.
This story should make you vomit a little: https://crosscut.com/2019/05/its-issue-liberty-wa-will-stop-jailing-kids-who-run-away-or-skip-school
Facts like that make it hard for me to deal with strong reactions to new pieces of oppression. Oppression in our country is widespread, often backed by law, and mostly ignored. GA is trying to ban abortions but already denies young people access to abortions and birth control and vaccines and most other medical care. Racial voter suppression is illegal and unacceptable but there are 70 million US citizens are legally denied the vote based on their astrological sign or some other nonsense on their birth certificate. It’s legal for anyone with parental rights to hit the young people assigned to them literally every day for 18 years, so long as they don’t leave a mark that lasts for more than a few hours. Muslims are subject to harassment and violence about their religion and young people are forced to participate whatever religion the state assigns them.
Not that we shouldn’t care about all forms oppression, or fight new ones when we notice them. We absolutely should, and I’m not trying to red pill here. But maybe if we want to actually end oppression we should live up to our claim that everyone is entitled to equal protection under the law. You’ve probably accused someone of “acting like a child”, or of treating you like one – would you ever say that someone “treated you like a black person”? We can’t seriously fight oppression so long as we intend to legally and socially define an underclass of human beings that aren’t entitled to equal fucking rights, be it by age or any other human trait.
ZiB
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Sent from a phone.