In the meantime, the rich profit and capitalism further entrenches itself. And even those of us who are decolonizing ourselves struggle to release the "bad people/good people" narrative and centre a more human, and accurate, appreciation of systems and structures.
Organize and fight back, beloveds:
A side effect of that is we live in denial about the complex systemic reality of why harm happens. We are terrified of admitting we've done harm, because that would mean we're "bad," or our loved ones are.
And thus we remain unhealed and stuck in the same cycles. We are hiding from ourselves
As an abolitionist anthropologist, I offer that this is a result of our carceral culture.
We have been convinced, to the benefit of capitalists, that some people are "bad" and only "bad people" do harmful things. Thus we collectively let them throw racialized men in prison & invade "evil" countries
a whole lotta very serious climate people will tell you all day long that public health and climate are not competing priorities
air pollution is a massive driver of death and disease, disproportionately in poorer areas, and climate action takes powerful aim at that
climate change drives pandemics
This week’s cover of New York Magazine is absolutely brutal.
The article below is so important — and it’s good to see the critical work of @lydiaxzbrown.com, @arianaaboulafia.bsky.social and Olga Akselrod highlighted!
If you have extra money above what you need to take care of yourself and immediate kin, even if it's just $5, please consider giving directly to individual people.
If you or someone you know is relying on SNAP and needs grocery funds, please feel free to drop your links and payment information below:
This is eugenicist social policy.
It means they want disabled people to die. They want poor people to die. They want elderly people to die.
Starvation is murder, by policy and by design.
This is all on purpose.
And it is 100000% unnecessary.
Take care of each other.
The cruelty is the point.
The cruelty is the point.
The cruelty is the point.
The cruelty is the point.
The cruelty is the point.
The cruelty is the point.
The cruelty is the point.
The cruelty is the point.
The cruelty is the point.
The cruelty is the point.
The cruelty is the point.
The federal government announced they won't fund benefits as of November 1. States are refusing to release funds to cover the gap, citing (rational) fear that the federal government won't reimburse states for money spent covering SNAP benefits.
Remember this started when Republicans cut Medicaid.
SNAP benefits mean that the disabled people (and all others) using them have more autonomy, privacy, and dignity in choosing what to eat, without the paternalistic judgment of others deciding what's best for someone else. Or assuming what's needed.
Added costs of living with a disability are both
(1) Things that disabled people need that are specifically disability-related, like assistive technology, medication, or mobility aid
(2) Things that disabled people pay for because of how their disabilities manifest, like paid help or food delivery
Disabled people must spend more money to stay alive. On average, disabled people must earn 28-29% more to have the same standard of living as otherwise comparable nondisabled people. These added costs of living with a disability (the "crip tax" or "disability tax") show up in all parts of life.
Food apartheid is also particularly catastrophic for people who
* have mobility impairments that affect opening food
* are autistic or have ARFID that affects what foods are safe to eat
* have difficulty preparing their own food due to physical or mental disabilities
* cannot travel to a food bank
Food apartheid is particularly catastrophic for people who
* strictly observe religious requirements like a Jain, halal, or kosher diet
* have Celiac or even non-Celiac gluten sensitivity
* have literally any severe or deathly allergies
* are vegan
* have high animal protein needs...
SNAP benefits make it possible for the many disabled people (especially those who are multiply marginalized) relying on them to buy specific foods necessary to stay alive and stable. Food pantries/food banks often do not offer food reliably or at all that meets specific dietary requirements.
Storrow Drive, which is not only narrow but has a height limit that’s low and matters.
Last week at @4sweb, I got the honour of being on a on Disability Access, Infrastructure, & Technoableism panel w/ @chartblay.bsky.social , @ashleyshoo.bsky.social, & Raquel Velho, learning from & speaking w/ them & @disabilitystor1.bsky.social & @besswww.bsky.social, as commenters & interlocutors…
Alaska has an incredibly precarious food supply chain and it's facing a pretty grim future thanks to the Trump admin.
Just a reminder that abolition means prisons are harmful for everyone, even people you dislike, even people who've perpetrated violence, even people who've traumatized us. Locking up people does not solve domination, oppression, or interpersonal violence.
We want to uplift the critical work of Migrant Equity SouthEast in supporting the community impacted by this raid. Their efforts on the ground are essential, and we encourage others to follow and support their work.
#TogetherWeFight
If you are stopped by ANY variety of law enforcement in the United States, you should ID yourself if you're in a stop and ID state, ask if you're free to leave, and say:
I INVOKE MY RIGHTS TO SILENCE AND COUNSEL AND WILL NOT ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS WITHOUT MY ATTORNEY PRESENT.
We need a better sociotechnical and -cultural paradigm than this. This shit is so untenable
The litfic convo is reminding me of a conversation I recently had with a student who was having a "poetry is worthless" moment and after talking with her I found out some professors are still assigning TS Eliot to first-years, so I showed her some Danez Smith and she was like "oh!"
Tree roots close to the River Dart (which means “place where the oak trees grow”) in Devon
Aren’t tree roots brilliant?
I believe there is no such thing as a defective person.
Ableism and sizeism go hand in hand.
Stop offloading cognitive tasks to "generative AI." Stop using systems w/ "AI" features either inextricably woven through them or prominently displayed at the top to nudge you into their use. Stop *Designing* "AI" tools & integrations that way. Stop building or using "AI" like this. Fucking Stop it.
