Earlier today I watched a press conference with Amir Locke's family and other families representing loved ones murdered by the Minnesota police.

The legitimacy of their pain and protest is beyond justified. Our brothers and sisters of color are being murdered. White America. Are we listening?

On this same day, entitled white truck drivers used their children as HUMAN SHIELDS to block a bridge. The rightwing nuts at Newsmax are outright asking American truckers to do the same.

The absolute deaf arrogance and rage at mere inconveniences (masks, vax, etc) is such a glaring display of privilege.

As one of the grieving Minnesota mothers said, we need to take the cotton out of our ears and put it in our mouths.


People are being MURDERED IN THEIR SLEEP and nearly half of the population thinks those families have no right to protest and send MORE MEN WITH GUNS to "patrol" grieving communities.

And yet those gun patrolling goons think their inconvenient grievances give them the right to shut down two countries' trade and travel routes.

This is beyond maddening. My heart is with our black and brown communities. All lives don't matter....not until black lives matter.

Original news story was on 2019. I haven't been able to find any updates. It's a horrid example of child slave labor.
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/all/army-children-toil-african-mica-mines-n1082916



Forcing young children and their families to crawl into holes and tunnels, nearly starved is beyond my comprehension. If you do nothing else today, please take a moment to reflect on this. Who profits? Who is responsible? What can we do individually to end this?





https://stopchildlabor.org/ending-child-labor-in-mica-mines-in-india-and-madagascar/

Forced birth is a humanitarian emergency.
Such cruelty to women and girls is overwhelmingly disgusting.


How many women who become pregnant during domestic abuse will be beaten so badly by their abusers who don't want a baby?

How many children will have to endure the extreme pain of birthing? How many will have to carry the seed of their rapists, making their trauma unimaginable?

How many will endure a broken pelvis, tailbone or sometimes even bladder/rectal damage during forced births?


Yes. Sometimes our bones break.

And NOT airing any of the RNC.


(If you havent seen the movie, it's superb and the timing is great)


Edit to clarify: the movie is a about King George and how he copes with a substantial stutter. Sheer brilliance.

There have been a small group of young men holding signs every day at the corner of an intersection in a nearby town.

I have stopped and talked with them and brought water a few times. These could be my sons...

Today, something special happened.

I asked to hold a young man's sign so that he could rest his arms for a bit. I shared that I couldn't stand for very long because of my back, but I wanted to help.

Once I had the sign in my hands, the men surrounded me and prayed for my pain to be eased.

We were all in tears and I will never forget this moment of raw human caring.

I dont interact very well with people and mostly keep to myself.

I'm so grateful to have stopped. These young men are our future and they showed me that hope is here for the next generation.

Opal, my little rabbit is having her daily snacks.

I forgot the actual song, so I sing "collard greens, jelly beans, gotta be veggie tales.."

She is having some spinach and a strawberry. (No jelly beans)

I am drinking peppermint schnapps from the freezer.

Taking a half day off to go comfortably numb and sing toddler songs to a rabbit...


Trying to upload pic.

Opal



My little red town yesterday...

This song, along with the pictures just hit me so hard in the chest. The message made clear without these exact words, but with those emotions that ride deep...

Wake me up when it ends...

Never forget what we lost.

Im so thankful for you all. You help me in so many ways. This ole gal in the woods went out and got herself some cyber stranger besties!

............
Hope is the thing with feathers that perches on the soul...

I have been making face masks for my family and neighbors. Today I took 7 to my trash service company. Im in a very rural town. I have never seen absolute glee like these guys had.

They feel like no one remembers them. They're essential and we need them healthy.

Just an idea for those making masks for their community.

Cotton double layered and has a pocket for a filter. Got about 20 finished and a few to add ties to. These are for family, then local hospitals if needed.

I haven't used a sewing machine in so long that it took two hours of exploded bobbins, a broken needle, and some cursing before I figured it out.

Felt great!


Edit to add: fairly busy at election headquarters. Electronic voting machine with a paper back up.