Does anyone remember a post circulating back in April about an LGBTQ bookstore in Ann Arbor? They posted a status on Facebook about how they didn’t have any books sales that day?
The post circulated tumblr for a couple of days and their Facebook page was swarmed with likes and support, suddenly they had more online orders than they ever had before. They announced that had roughly 700 online orders with only a staff of three people and a dog to fill them, and even with the deluge of orders they would still be struggling to stay open.
Unfortunately, that’s how the story is winding up for them. They recently announced that they would be closing and I thought it’d be nice to send them off with one last hoorah!
If you have the available funds, then maybe consider helping them out. Here’s a link to their website. It may not be a great start to the New Year, but it may make it easier for them,
Hi, everyone. I go by Nioda and I’m a 25 year old bisexual woman with chronic severe depression and PTSD. I draw and I read tarot. I know that I’ve talked about my situation a bit, but this is how bad it is.
$1,405. This is what my rent is at currently. I was fired and denied unemployment so I fell two months behind. I am trying desperately to catch up, but that’s hard to do when I make less than $200 a week. I have other things that I do, but transcribing and tarot reading and selling on RedBubble aren’t panning out like I hoped. If I lose my home, then I lose my girls, too.
I fell behind because my last job aggravated my depression to the point of me going to a suicide crisis prevention center. Almost as soon as my medications started taking full effect, I had a very bad back injury and missed more work.
I just need some help in paying my landlady so I can avoid being evicted. I was able to keep up with my other bills by doing temporary work and I qualified for food stamps. I don’t have any way to get credit or a loan because I made some stupid decisions when I was younger and have basically ruined my credit. Please help and reblog if you can or just reblog if you can’t. I can do tarot readings for $1 per card or pendulum questions at 2 for $1.
This is as of January 2, 2019. If I can’t get this much by February, I may not be able to stay. My landlady has been as understanding as she can be but I need help and I need it badly. Please, please help.
I paid $120 into what I owe because that’s all I could pay if I wanted to keep my phone on and that’s a very necessary utility.
And then I called United Way because I was told that they would be able to help, but that’s only to find housing, not keep it. They reccommend churches, but I haven’t been affiliated with a church in over 10 years because I’m pagan.
I don’t have set commission prices, but I can do small sketches for whatever donations you can give. Please, I don’t have any other options.
These are some of what I can do. The Pride Flags are in my RedBubble shop if you want some and I put them on a lot of options such as stickers, journals, and phone cases.
If you donate and don’t want a small sketch, I can do a tarot reading.
Please, I don’t want to lose my home.
i hope u get the help u need <3 i hope reblogging will help
Now before i start this story, i feel that somethings need to be pointed out. This story is not intended to offend anyone or ridicule them because of their beliefs. I personally don’t care about what anyone believes in nor do i care to debate with anyone about their beliefs or what they were taught.
This is just a simple story that simply shows how some curious kids can break down certain idea’s with basic questions.
now we can begin
So awhile ago i had to babysit my little cousin while my aunt and uncle went out to go buy some new furniture. My little cousin went to this catholic school and today she had some questions that i was just simply not prepared for.
Nyla: *looking down at her homework* Hey Tae.. I have a question..
Me: Sure what is it?
Nyla: If we’re all God’s children and we’re all equal. What makes Jesus so special?
Me: Well the bible says that Jesus died for our sins. That’s what makes him special
Nyla: No i get that. But he was already special before he died.
Me: What do you mean?
Nyla: *still looking down, doing her homework* Well in class they said that Jesus was human just like us, but he was the only person that had super powers..
Nyla: Like he was born different too. Like he was put into his mothers belly by an Angel
Nyla: Were you put in your mom by an Angel?
Me: Noo..
Nyla: Right, so from the very beginning he was already different.
Me trying to be Clever: Well you know they say we’re all Angels in our own way, sooo it’s not that different
Nyla stops doing her homework.. she puts her pen down.. and stares me dead in my eye’s and says, in the most serious tone ever with a little bit of sass:
Nyla: Your mom and dad are not Angles Tae. They are regular people just like everyone else.
Me trying to act like that didn’t lowkey hurt: You right, you right..
Nyla: *picks up her pen and goes back to doing her homework* Right but that’s not all
Nyla: Jesus could heal incurable diseases just by touching people, and feed a whole village with just a few pieces of bread and a fish
Nyla: Can yoouuuu feed a village of people with just bread and a fish, while also curing a bunch of sick people by touching them
Me: No.. i can’t
Nyla: Right because you’re just a regular person and not special at all and you would die from touching those sick people just like everyone else.
Me officially hurt on the inside: Yup you right… i ain’t that special..
Nyla: Exactly.
Nyla: So how come God gave Jesus super powers and made him special and not the rest of us
Nyla: That doesn’t sound like equal and fair love to me.
Me at a loss for words: Well um… ya see.. umm..
Nyla: and another thing. wouldn’t it be better if Jesus didn’t have any powers?
Nyla: Like people only followed him because they saw what he did with his powers..
Nyla: If someone only follows you because of what they actually SAW you do.. doesn’t that go against having faith in someone and create bias followers?
Me: Well.. Jesus had to prove himself in order to convince people..
Nyla: ok so why does God or “Jeeesus” (She literally does finger quotes) expect us to have faith in him now, when we needed proof back then?
Nyla: All we have now are these old books and they don’t even have pictures in them
Me at a complete loss:
Nyla: and one more thing. If God knows everything and can do anything, then why does he let bad people continue to do bad things?
Nyla: If God loves us and can do anything then why wouldn’t he stop bad things from happening to people everyday?
Nyla: I think God just lets bad things happen to people just so we can have a reason to talk to him.
Me:
Me: …
Me: I mean.. i don’t have anything to say to that honestly
Nyla: Yea my teacher didn’t say anything too different from what you said..
Me: …
Me: You wanna go get some ice cream?
Nyla: *puts her pen down and hops up*Sure
It amazes me how much a child’s brain can debunk or poke holes into beliefs or traditions that we’ve held onto for centuries. This whole conversation just felt like an extreme game of chess where any bs move would be thrown out. Now i personally don’t care too much about religion altogether. I think all religions have great lessons to learn from, good and bad; So I've never been someone to pick any particular religion and say whose right or whose wrong based off stories and feelings. So i definitely wasn’t the best person to try to sway her mindset.
But the fact that she was able to logically and basically philosophically discover her own answers just from critical thinking at such a young age is something that just amazes me; And i feel that we should all do more of it no matter the subject or topic.
This is actually what you should say to an ICE agent who has come to your house looking for an undocumented immigrant.
Specifically, do not open the door; tell them to slide their warrant under the door. Read it carefully and check to see if it’s a JUDICIAL warrant, which will have specific information like the time and location where they’re allowed to search, and a specific description of who or what they’re allowed to search for. ICE practically *never* have this; they’ll have an ADMINISTRATIVE warrant, which is just their orders from their boss telling them to arrest a particular person. It does not give them the right to enter your house.
ICE *can* enter your house if they have probable cause, such as if they see the person they’re looking for through a window or door (which is why you don’t open the door). Other forms of probable cause include kids telling agents that they were born outside of the US. Agents will trick people into chatting with them, especially kids who serve as translators for their parents, asking things like “What part of Mexico are you from?” Staying silent keeps the onus on them to prove in court later that they had evidence someone isn’t here legally.
It’s important to remember that for now, at least, every person ICE wants to deport has to go before a judge, and ICE has to provide evidence that they know this person is undocumented and that they were arrested without violating the 4th amendment (against unreasonable search and seizure). We know that cops lie and that judges usually side with them, but agents would rather go for a sure bet from a targeted raid than risk wasting their time and energy on arrests that could be thrown out. Knowing your rights and being prepared makes you a more difficult target.
“I do not consent to entry without a warrant.”
(This information comes from notes I took at a workshop on being an immigration ally. Learn more at welcomingamerica.org)
ACTUALLY, ICE will wave around anything and call it a warrant and unless you’re a lawyer chances are you won’t be able to tell, so call a lawyer. ICE often comes in civilian vehicles and clothes, will often conceal their badges from you and will even lie about who they are, and they’ve been known to work with police. You shouldn’t open the door. Call your lawyer, a volunteer lawyer group that assists immigrants or a response network* first. Never say anything that might reveal you’re an immigrant at all to any cop, not even if you are arrested for something else. Call your lawyer and let them deal with it.
ICE presentara cualquier cosa y la llamara un warrant, y aunque usted sea un abogado, probablemente no sabra la diferencia, asi que llame a su abogado. ICE muy seguido se presenta en ropa y autos civiles sin marcas, obscuren sus placas y pueden hasta mentir aceca de quienes son, aveces hasta trabajan con policia local para hacer arrestos de immigracion. No habra la puerta. Llame a su abogado, un grupo de abogados voluntarios que asistan a immigrantes o un grupo de respuesta* primero. Nunca diga nada que revele que es usted un immigrante a ningun policia, ni siquiera si usted esta ciendo arrestado por ortra razon. Llame a su abogado y dejen que ellos lideen con ICE.
Here is what a Judicial warrant looks like:
Asi es como se ve un warrant judicial:
This what an immigration warrant looks like:
Asi se ve un warrant de immigracion:
If the warrant looks like this, you don’t have to let them in. Either way, call your lawyer and if you see ICE or suspect you see them, call someone who responds to ICE raids.
Si el warrant se ve como este, usted no tiene que dejarlos entrar. En qualquier caso, llame a su abogado y si ve a ICE o sospecha que los ve llame a alguen que responda a raids de ICE.
*Response networks. Research online if there’s a network of people in your area who respond to ICE raids, you can also ask at local temples or churches if they know of one. These are people whom you call on the phone, they give you brief instructions and send respondents to your location to assist you, serve as witnesses and document what happens so you can use that information to your defense.
*Grupos de respuesta. Busque en linea si hai un grupo de gente en su area que responda a raids de ICE, tambien puede preguntar en tempos o iglecias locales si conocen de uno. Estas son personas que usted llama en el telephono, le dan instuciones breves y llaman socorristas a su locacion a asistirle, servir como testigos y documentar lo que suseda para que usted pueda usar esa informacion en su defensa.
