Ghouls

Friday’s post was a reaction to a pathetic man killing a woman and then calling her a fucking bitch.

Obviously there’s a lot going on in the hearts and heads of people around the world as a reaction to this and similar killings, and I was simply overwhelmed with emotion and thoughts after it happened. If you sent an email expressing your support and checking in with me, I probably didn’t reply. I just couldn’t. I’m sorry. I appreciate everyone who checked in. Thank you. Watching something like this happen in my community is horrifying and heartbreaking and I didn’t have the wherewithal to engage with others.

One of the things that enraged me the most was seeing how happy people were that a mom was killed. It’s a reminder how brainwashed and hateful people can be. The narrative that is being pushed, despite video evidence, is that the victim was trying to run over the killer. Some believe just flat out believe this, and there are those who saw the video but choose to believe the lie anyway.

In ‘1984’ George Orwell wrote “The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command.” It’s chilling to see some people willfully agree with the White House’s narrative no matter how much video evidence to the contrary exists. It’s becoming increasingly common for people to only take into consideration the things that support their own bias.

I don’t know why people visit my website when they clearly disagree with my perspective on what is happening to our country. Maybe it’s because I am really good at cutting people out of my life that I am surprised when other people don’t do the same thing.

For example, if I enjoy a musician or an author, and they are revealed to be racist/sexist/homophobic/transphobic/misogynistic, I have no hesitation removing them from my bookshelf and record collection and never look back.

I would never knowingly visit someone’s website who doesn’t have the same values as I do. People may disagree politically, but what happened in Minneapolis last week isn’t a political issue. How some people happily celebrate this is beyond me. They are horrible, ghoulish people.

Friday’s post generated few comments which kind of surprised me. Perhaps readers weren’t connecting why I posted the lyrics to a song by Ferron, a queer songwriter, but it has been in my head for a few days and I felt it was appropriate. I rejected one comment from someone who regularly visits my website, though. This person only comments whenever I write anything critical of the president. This person is as predictable as it gets and it’s so easy to trigger them. They get SO angry and it’s usually pretty funny picturing them hammering at their laptop with their forehead vein throbbing and Fox news blaring in the background.

I knew this loser would reply to Friday’s post. And they did so gleefully, celebrating a “criminal” being killed and getting angry about a “victim” being treated unfairly.

It’s a sad reminder how susceptible people are too propaganda. How easy it is to brainwash someone. How influential the media can be.

This person is clearly unhinged and I hope they get help. Visiting my website is clearly triggering them, but perhaps they only know rage and have a constant need to be angry and will seek out opinions and perspectives that fuel their anger. I promise they will comment on this post and will probably suggest that if a few people need to die so grocery prices can stay low, so be it.

I did my best to stay away from Twitter and the news this past weekend. I could feel my own anger rising after a few minutes and would force myself to put my phone down. Instead I spent part of Saturday driving around Minneapolis. Graffiti in a highway underpass honoring the victim and condemning ICE was the first thing I saw. This was in Roseville and if you are familiar with the Twin Cities, I am sure you can imagine how surprising that was. As I drove around I couldn’t tell you how many signs I saw on front yards and in living room windows with messages like RESIST and FUCK ICE.

My website celebrates the non-binary community. I provide resources and I hope that I am contributing to our community for the good. Conversations about safety are part of that. I don’t think what I write is political at all, if I am being honest. We live in a country that can’t protect it’s own innocent citizens. This isn’t about politics, it’s about what is right and what is wrong. The message used to be that you had nothing to be fearful of if you are not a criminal. But when moms are killed in broad daylight and there is nothing but support for the killer from the White House, we need to accept that no one is safe.

Sorry to be so… brutal. Normal nonsense (God willing) will return on Wednesday.

Love, Hannah