A common public misconception is “there’s not enough research yet” to trust the vaccine. In reality, it’s been 10 years in the making — the same R&D program as any other vaccine.
If you’ve heard it once, you’ve heard it a hundred times:
“I don’t think there was enough time for any extensive research to be conducted, so I’m not convinced of its safety.”
This is the go-to excuse of many who are avoiding the Covid vaccine. They don’t trust it because they believe not enough research was done; it was developed too fast for longitudinal studies to be conducted; not enough clinical trials were done; the speed at which it was created and delivered was too fast, and so on. They point to the handful of very rare adverse effects (15…
On the conservative right’s weaponization of words, especially the ones that originated in Black culture
Can it be possible? Have we finally moved on from the conservative right’s manufactured crisis of “cancel culture” — a term they obfuscated to begin with? Or has their misguided “cancel cancel culture campaign” fizzled out because enough liberals publicly called their bluff? The conservative right’s co-opting and misuse of “cancel culture” — a word born on Black Twitter — was like a bad joke, and poorly executed to boot. It was time for that act to exit stage right, so it was refreshing to see so many headlines reporting what conservatives were mistaking cancel culture for: accountability.
If calling…
With a guilty verdict, justice has only just begun
At least twenty-two complaints of misconduct were filed against former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin before he would go on to murder George Floyd in front of a Cup Foods store— and the whole world — last year. That is, according to reporting from the New York Times. According to the Minneapolis Police Department, Chauvin only had eighteen prior complaints filed against him with the Department’s Internal Affairs. And according to Communities Against Police Brutality, a Minnesota nonprofit that created a database of complaints against officers in the state, Chauvin appears to have received twenty-six complaints.
In all likelihood, we’ll…
What deadnaming is, why it matters, and a few steps anyone can take to avoid doing it
It’s not like I’m pressed or anything, just mildly amused. Okay, maybe I did wince… and cringe… a little. Because it was a mistake you don’t expect, the kind that catches you off-guard, you know? Earlier today while clearing out some notifications, I decided to catch up on voicemail. Now, maybe it’s because I’m an empath and sensory input can overwhelm me sometimes, but I really don’t like voicemail. For that matter, I really don’t like talking on the phone in general. But listening to voicemail is like a chore: necessary, but you dread having to do it every time.
Why we’re so resistant to it, and why we should definitely “check it”
A hot topic and label that’s accused of being insulting, presumptive, condescending (and even “racist”), ‘white privilege’ is possibly one of the most polarizing terms for white Americans today. Yet, it’s not a slur; it’s simply a fact — backed with research and statistics. To think of it otherwise is to vastly misunderstand the concept, and moreover, to outright dismiss an opportunity to foster empathy. If ‘white privilege’ is not pejorative, then why are we so resistant to acknowledging its presence in the first place?
“What more is it going to take? What more do we have to do to…
Policing in America is a systemic issue — rooted in racism.
“One bad apple spoils the barrel” is how the old proverb goes — or something like that. Today, folks utter several variations of this hypothetical apple, whether it’s the inevitable “bad one in every bunch,” or the existence of “only a few bad ones, thankfully,” spread out here and there. “One bad apple” wisdom is issued innocently enough and means to convey that one “bad guy” (or “rogue cop”) doing heinous acts is in no way representative of the rest. That one evildoer among the brotherhood shouldn’t tarnish the group’s reputation as a whole.
I'm humbled and honored to be included here on this awesome list! Thank you so much! Don't know how I would've made it through the pandemic without TikTok - lol :-)
We need to take a hard look at what these things really mean, especially when it comes to certain communities
Adam Toledo, black male, age 13, Chicago: complying with police orders to “show your hands, drop it!” Shot and killed by police anyway.
Let me repeat something: he was only 13.
It brings to mind images of little Tamir Rice, only 12 when shot and killed by police. Or of Emmett Till. Dear Lord… how it all goes back to Emmett Till.
Daunte Wright, black male, age 20, just outside Minneapolis: driving while black. Shot and killed by police anyway. More specifically, Wright was pulled over for either having an air freshener — a minor infraction in Minnesota — or…
Will the current GOP leaders ever learn to accurately label their biggest grievance?
He was nominated by Donald Trump, and when credible sexual assault allegations surfaced — from more than just one woman — he whined and yelled defiantly over the inconvenience of a Senate Judiciary hearing. I was among the many who watched in horror as he sniffed, snorted, and snarled his way through the contentious hearing before ultimately being rewarded a lifetime appointment on the Supreme Court of the United States. And now, some three years later, ‘Brett Kavanaugh’ is trending #1 on Twitter. Again.
That’s exactly what I thought of earlier this week when I heard yet another senator using…
We become advocates out of necessity, not out of desire
We don’t have an awful lot to complain about, but from time to time, parents of trans kids get exhausted. Fed up. Even angry. Because we find ourselves in this uncomfortable yet familiar foxtrot with strangers time and time again, one where we’re trying to determine, a.) what is this person’s motive, b.) are they asking with genuine intent or just trolling, and c.) if taking a moment to enlighten or entertain their questions would be worth everyone’s while in the first place.
I can’t speak for all parents of trans kids — only for myself — but most of…
