terrorism stamped with white privilege ft. capitol hill chaos

BLM is fighting and protesting for an actual cause. It’s fighting for basic human rights, lives, equality, and respect. People came together with fire in their voices and their soul. They came together with passion, pain, love in order to set things right. What was the response?? Tear gas, military set up, shootings, unlawful arrests and protesters being labelled “savages” and “thugs”.

Now, the same people who carry the blue lives matter flag (which isn’t even a thing), the same people who cry out about the burning buildings, are seen pepper-spraying, flipping off, fighting cops, and breaking into Capitol Hill. These white supremacists raided the Capitol building, waving nazi flags, waving confederate flags (which symbolizes the exclusion of POC and their enslavement), breaking windows, and just being chaotic. And, for what? FOR WHAT? They can’t accept the democratic conclusion, the election. They are fighting with hatred. The response was being called “great patriots who have been unfairly treated,”, being walked down by hand, and selfies. This was no protest, this was no riot, this was a domestic terrorist attack. Terrorism stamped with white privilege.

We know that if it were a BLM protest, that day would have gone so much differently. It can’t be any more clear that it was never about being pro-police but anti-black, it wasn’t about the burning buildings but blatant racism, and it wasn’t how you would react around the police but who are you are, how you look, and your skin color. No justice, no peace. This isn’t over.

HELP DUSTIN HIGGS

We have until January 15, 2021. YOU CAN HELP.

The story in short:

Dustin is currently on death row. Why? The Justice Department says that Dustin threatened Willis Haynes to make him murder 3 women. In 1996, there were 3 women who were murdered on a federal wildlife reserve in Maryland. Dustin was present. In 2001, Dustin was sentence to death, though he did not kill anyone. Willis Haynes, the murderer of the women was sentenced to life in prison. Willis Haynes signed an affidavit in 2012 where he wrote that the “prosecution’s theory of our case was bullshit, Dustin didn’t threaten me. I was not scared of him. Dustin didn’t make me do anything that night or ever.”

What you can do:

Contact the White House and ask them to spare Dustin’s life:

CALL (202) 456-1414, this will be a real person not a voicemail, and say this:

“Hello, my name is [your name] and I am calling regarding Dustin John Higgs. He is an inmate on federal death row. I am asking that you spare Dustin’s life. His case is riddled with junk science and a signed affidavit from the man who committed the crime saying that Dustin is not guilty of the crime that has put him on death row. Dustin did not kill anyone. Please do not allow a man with no blood on his hands to be killed. Thank you.” (from soyouwanttotalkabout)

Contact the Department of Justice and leave them a message to spare Dustin’s life:

CALL (202) 356-1555, press 9 to leave a voicemail. Here’s what you can say:

“Hello, my name is [your name] and I am calling regarding Dustin John Higgs. He is an inmate on federal death row. I am asking that you spare Dustin’s life. His case is riddled with junk science and a signed affidavit from the man who committed the crime saying that Dustin is not guilty of the crime that has put him on death row. Dustin did not kill anyone. Please do not allow a man with no blood on his hands to be killed. Thank you.” (from soyouwanttotalkabout)

Go to SaveDustinJHiggs.com and learn more about this case.

Sign petitions!!

Petition at Change.org

Write a letter to the White House here.

DUSTIN J. HIGGS: 

My name is Dustin J. Higgs. I’m currently sitting on Death Row for a crime I didn’t commit! I wonder if it’s that I’m not yelling loud enough, or is it that the blatant miscarriage of justice of me being killed for a crime i’m certainly innocent of really doesn’t matter. 

I am not asking people to listen and lend their support to just rants and raves without offering evidence. i’m putting forth proof with the government’s own files that will ultimately expose the truth, and prove that my “so called” co-defendants, from the beginning conspired to shield one another, and pin the murders on me. 

My voice doesn’t hold enough weight to bring down this wall of injustice. It will take the voice of many to bring the wall down!

Please use your voice, spread the word, and help stop this injustice.

Yours truly,

Liz

Brandon bernard

Our justice system is messed up.

Brandon Bernard, may he rest in power, was executed on December 10, 2020, at 9:27 pm by lethal injection by the federal government of the United States. This was murder, just because it was government sanctioned, it doesn’t take away from the fact that it was murder.

Brandon Bernard was 18 years old when he was sentenced to death for a crime committed in 1999, the government and jurors had an incomplete picture of Brandon and what he did. Stacie and Todd Bagley were the couple who was shot and murdered by Christopher Vialva (executed on September). Bernard was tasked with getting rid of the evidence by burning the couple’s car. He didn’t have a leading role in the crime. The couple was dead before this fire. I’m not excusing what Bernard did, it was wrong, and it was bad. However, Brandon did not deserve to be put to death.

Brandon was a father of two daughters. He was a son. He only saw his family through a glass wall. Throughout his 20 years of incarceration, he demonstrated positive behavior, he changed his behavior for the better, and helped at risk youth with the intention of leading them away from going down the wrong path. 5 of the 9 jurors (the same ones from 20 years ago) regret their prior decision to sentence him to death.

“Bernard’s last words, which were more than three minutes long, were directed to the Bagley family, according to the pool reporter present at the execution. “I’m sorry,” he said. “That’s the only words that I can say that completely capture how I feel now and how I felt that day.” ( CBSNEWS )

If these are my last days… I hope that my death will bring a meaning other than destruction and it will ripple through generations positively.

– BRANDON BERNARD

It’s important to remember that Brandon Bernard’s case is not a one time thing. It’s the system that we currently have that make POC in this line of fire of injustice and inhumane treatment. We need to keep on fighting and keep on putting our voices out there to change this. We need to keep educating ourselves and helping each other in whatever way we can. Spreading the word, sighing a petition, making a call, being vocal, keep on keeping on to help in creating a positive change. There’s already so much pain and hurt and hardship that’s been affecting everyone especially this year. Your voice is heard and what you do is important. No justice, no peace.

Breaking the System: Social Media

QUOTE OF TRUTH: “THERE’S A SOLUTION. JUST PUT ALL YOUR HEART AND SOUL INTO IT AND WE CAN ALL FIX THE PROBLEMS TOGETHER.” – L.O.A.S.H (A.K.A MEEEEE!)

Yes, there is a solution, always.

 

Today’s society has the majority of people getting negatively impacted by social media. It isn’t just the youth going through the influence but everyone is victims of the unrealistic expectations social media gives which often leads to disappointment which later on can develop into something more serious.

 

Phones and devices are normally easy to access along with social media. There’s a tendency to constantly check the news feeds across multiple social media platforms. This often leads to addiction. Due to the lack of guidance and awareness, this addiction, which takes up hours and hours constantly per day, then disrupts the person’s life from school, work, studies, and other productive routines in which life goes haywire.

 

Aside from the significant amount of time going to social media, studies have shown that it has bad effects on the mental health of people and kids today.

 

Okay, so it’s out there: in today’s age, social media is used by so many and is also the blame for so many problems. However, in my opinion, the root problem isn’t social media per se. I would infer that the root problems would be cyberbullying, decreased face-to-face interactions with other people, contents by people to influence in a bad way, and (a big contribution goes to) social comparisons. These are the problems we need to properly address not just pointing fingers at social media. We can’t just be like:

“hey, stop using your social media it’s such a distraction. Just like stop using it. yeah?”

 

No, this route isn’t going to work. We are living in a digital age. Social media is what helps connections and communications for people around the world. It strengthens the professional connections, spread news, allow people to express themselves creatively (with their music, art, skits, photography, and more), aids social movements (Feminist Movements, World Cleanup Day, Black Lives Matter, and so much more), spread awareness, and the list goes on…..

 

What we should be doing is making those, especially the youth, know their self-worth and to motivate & inspire growth and one’s improvement. Encouraging those to go out and socialize, do some volunteering and helping out in the community. Even to use those social media skills to spread the awareness of the environment and what’s going on around. Another important thing to do is to strengthen the youth’s values and mindset to avoid those negative and bad influences that appear on their screens. If some kind of social media patrol thing could be put out to casually check every now and then the audience and the content displayed to keep it appropriate would be good too. And, since social media is going everywhere a class about cyberbullying and awareness for how to understand its specs should also be implemented. 

 

Those are just a few ideas that could change the course of how people look at social media and to even make it a positive outlet. So, we have to take this system of social media that has been misused, break it, look at the more important problems, and then we can finally go to fixing it. If we really put our minds to fixing a problem, we can do it. This isn’t a lost cause we just need implementation. And, as I said earlier there’s a solution.

 

Yours truly,

L.O.A.S.H

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© Elizabeth Anne Villoria

On Covid-19

A new norm. That’s what we’re faced with. It’s crazy what’s been happening.

As of July 22, 2020, worldwide:

Cases: 15,314,719

Deaths: 624,538

Recovered: 9,243,230

We are always learning new things that come and so maybe by the time that you come across this, numbers and accuracy of the current information I’m sharing may have changed. My heart goes out to everybody going through this time. 

The virus was originally detected in Wuhan, China.

Beginning Timeline:

December 31, 2019:

world health organization gets alerted

Although the World Health Organization (aka WHO) was alerted about a flu-like cases in Wuhan on December 31, 2019 (just before the new year was about to happen), no action was taken because back then they didn’t suspect it to be that severe yet.

January 11, 2020:

first death in Wuhan, China

The first death report: a 61-year-old man on January 1st who checked himself in the hospital on December 27 because suspected of the flu.

January 13, 2020:

confirmed case in Thailand

The first confirmed case outside of china was known to be in Thailand. 

January 17, 2020:

second death in Wuhan, China and another case in Thailand

The second death reported in Wuhan of a 69-year-old man. Another case in Thailand is reported, a 74-year-old woman.

January 21, 2020:

first case in the US, more confirmed cases show up, china reports more deaths and cases rise

A man, in his 30s, who traveled back to the US from China, is confirmed the first Coronavirus case in the US, Washington state. Hong kong (person in their 30s) along with Taiwan (woman in 50s) confirms first cases. China confirms two more deaths (a 66 year old man and 48 year old woman). By this time, there was about 300 confirmed cases in China.   

January 23, 2020:

transportation shut down

Steps are being taken to try and stop the spread of the virus. Wuhan announces the shut down of all transportation. Take note that Wuhan is home to 11 million people. Beijing cancelled fairs and large gatherings. Singapore has its first confirmed case.

Fast forward to today:

There are 213 countries affected by Covid-19. Millions of confirmed cases. Hundreds of thousands of lives taken. 

There is currently no vaccine yet. However, they are working on making one. 

Events (like Coachella, TED, NBA, GDC, Shopify, and more) have been cancelled. Tourism has taken a big hit.

Countries and cities have gone into lockdown. Some example of places that have undergone lockdown would be: Beijing, Italy, Leicester, Manila, Iran, Germany, and more.

Schools have closed.

Cruise ships gets headlines as they go through quarantine.

Groceries had to put limits on the quantities on food that could be bought per family. 

The economy takes a hit.

Millions of people have lost their jobs. 

However a lot of places are slowly starting to reopen and lift restrictions. Some places have even opened up their schools. The result of this have been mixed as some have gotten their number of cases spike up again. 

What should we be doing?

Let’s look at the health strategy that’s been going around, A.K.A Flattening the Curve.

What the heck does that mean?:

Before learning how to do this flattening thing, let’s first learn what the curve actually is. First off, the number of cases shown when flattening the curve refers to a projected number of people who will get covid over a period of time, not the actual amount of people who have it currently. In a chart, this curve we’re talking about, actually it’s two curves, are shown. One of them shows the spread of the virus with protective measures and steps taken to slow it down (we’ll get more into these details in a little bit), whereas the other curve shows the virus spread without protective measures. Although the number of cases are the same for both curves, the difference is that one of them (the curve that took the extra measures) has a more gradual rise of cases rather than just a huge spike of people getting Covid infections in a short span of time.

Why is this important?: 

There’s only so much that the medical equipment and the health-care system can take at a time. Without any measures to slow the spread of infection, there would be overwhelmingly amount of cases that wouldn’t allow the health care system to properly give people better access to care, hospital beds, ventilators and treatments. 

Here’s an example:

We have a city called ABC (real creative there- okay, not the point) and in this city there are about 100+ people and 10 front-liners (the doctor and nurses in this case). For simplicity sake, we’ll say that there is only one hospital in the city and there are currently traveling restrictions in place, preventing people from leaving the city. The number of people who will contract the virus is projected to be 100 in a span of about 5 months. If no actions were taken to prevent the fast spread, there could be 100 people going to the hospital in the span of two months, making it the biggest struggle for only 10 doctors and nurses to cope with the few supplies and vital medical they have in such a short period time. However, if health and safety measures were to be implemented and followed, basically how it would be if we worked to flatten the curve, then we could try and lower the amount of patients checking in and being treated at the hospital during a five month period and that would help the health system cope and increase the quality of treatment per patient. So instead of having the challenge of 100 patients at once (or in a span of two months) in a hospital with limited medical equipment and 10 people on the job (that’s about 10 patients per doctor or so), it could be like 20 patients per month for the next 5 months (that would be about 2 patients per doctor) allowing the operation of helping these patient recover to run more smoothly. 

How exactly do we flatten the curve then?

Okay, okay so we’ve covered the importance of flattening the curve. The next thing I want to talk about are steps that can help in flattening the curve. Let’s do this. Our collective actions will make a difference and it does matter. Here are some things that could do for your social responsibility:

Although you might have heard of these already, these are important to remember to do, they go a long way. 

quick note to remember: The main way that Covid-19 is transmitted to others are through droplets coming from an infected person. When a person exhales, speaks, coughs, or sneezes, there are small liquid droplets from their nose or mouth that are expelled to their surrounding. If you are too close to a person with Covid-19, you could inhale the the droplets.

• Social Distance!! 

Try maintaining at least 1 meter (aka 3 feet) from other people. It’s better to be safe and take extra precaution when you’re out! Keeping a distance will be better for you so that you don’t inhale the droplets that someone with Covid might have exhaled out. 

• Avoid touching your face

Another way that someone can contract the virus is through touching a surface that someone who has the virus has touched and then touching your eyes, nose, and mouth. These are easy ways and paths that the virus can enter the body. The average person touches their face a few times per hour. Sometimes we don’t notice we touch our faces, but it’s a habit we need to break! Keep the hands away from the face peeps.  

• Cover your mouth and nose when coughing

Change starts with you! You amazing human being. While we’re breaking away from the habit of touching our face, we’ve got to work on the habit to cover your nose and mouth (use your bent elbow or tissue) when you sneeze or cough! Remember, droplets spread the virus.

• Wear mask when you are out

WEAR. A. MASK. You might not be used to it but it is empirical that you do so. They can prevent those huge droplets from someone who has Covid-19 from spreading with a mask. Make sure that mask covers the nose and mouth. Wear a mask please. 

• If you have the privilege of staying home, stay home!

Yes, it’s a struggle. Plans have been cancelled and you can barely see any of your friends at the moment. It’s only natural that we want to run and hug all the peeps that we miss in our lives. And, yes, it can get boring at home. However, it’s critical to maintain our distance while we let the numbers stop rising and flatten the curve. There are nurses and doctors who have to work hours on end and who can’t even go home to their families, stay home if you can stay home please! Avoid crowds and large gatherings.

• Wash your hands often

Wash your hands with alcohol-based hand rub or soap and water as often as possible, especially when you’ve been out or touched surfaces that could have been contaminated, after using the toilet, after coughing or sneezing, and before eating. Hygiene is very, very important! 

• Call for help

If you’re not feeling well, reach out and call professional help. A great place to start would be your local health worker.

but I’m young…

Covid is very real and it’s not yet over. It’s true, people who are 60+ years or with an underlying health condition or in a state that comprises or affects their immune system have a higher risk. Yes, your immunity might be strong and maybe you got this thought that you probably wouldn’t catch anyway. Or, if you did, you’d be able to recover fairly well. But, that’s not the point. How about the people that you come in contact with. Your parents, grandparents, and even your friends. Although you might be strong, how about them? You might have Covid but be asymptomatic (you don’t show any symptoms) and spread it to people without even knowing. It’s important to understand that this is so much bigger than it may seem. And, what you decide to do is important. So, if you have the option to stay home, please stay home. And, when you do go out remember to flatten the curve and wear a mask, social distance, wash hands frequently, and always take extra precaution! Thank you guys 🙂 

Don’t panic and be alert. I know it’s easy to fall into this feeling of fear and panic, but now more than ever is important to calm. Your mental health is super important. Being in a worried state can also compromise your immune system, your fighting engine. Call a friend, take a bath, find something that works for you to stay happy and healthy.

THANK YOU:

Before ending this, I want to give huuuugggeee thank youu to all the essential frontline workers. True, hardworking heroes. Despite the hardship and the health risks that they have to endure, they choose to continue to do help and fight. To all the front-liners around the world, thank you! THANK YOU to the medical professionals. THANK YOU to the restaurant workers. THANK YOU to the sanitation workers. THANK YOU to the farmers. THANK YOU to the delivery peeps. THANK YOU to the grocery clerks. THANK YOU to the truck drivers. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU all heroes. ❤

love yall!

Yours truly,

L.O.A.S.H

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© Elizabeth Anne Villoria

 

 

 

 

 

 

Black Lives Matter!

This fight isn’t over.

Kobe Bryant

There are bad things in life that happen. Things that we can’t control. Things that get out of hand. Most of the time, these situations are unexpected. And, they suck. They really do.

Two days ago (January 26), a terrible incident occurred in the hills above Calabasas. A helicopter crashed, taking nine lives. Kobe Bryant, Gianna Bryant, John Altobelli, Keri Altobellie, Alyssa Altobelli, Christina Mauser, Sarah Chester, Payton Chester, and Ara Zobayan. Three of the passengers were just 13 years old. All of them had families. Families who are going through unbearable pain from the news. No one saw this coming when the helicopter took off. No one thought that the last time they saw them, that that would be the last time. 

There are so many people who look up to Kobe Bryant. Whether it was the way he played or some words that gave which motivated or changed their life. Maybe they were a big-time fan or just someone who heard about something Kobe said; nevertheless, he was an inspiration to so many. He was a light. He was kind. He had work ethic. He was focused. He had humility. He was a strong competitor and had such an incredible creative force that pushed people to the best they can be just through his words. He is one of the most respected players in NBA history. He was so much more than just an athlete, he was also a family man. He was so caring and kind to his family and to those he loved. And, he was still so young. It’s hard to believe that this even happened. It doesn’t feel real. He is a true legend. And, he will forever be remembered.  

One thing to remember is that life is short. I know that it’s hard to wrap your mind around this fact. It really is hard. I know that it’s painful knowing that death can just come at any moment. We don’t know when our last day will be. We don’t know what’s going to happen in the future. But we have now. Right now. We have this time and moment to push ourselves to live the life we want to live. The truth is if you’re not seeking life and purpose, you’re not living, you’re just alive. There’s a difference, a big difference, from being alive and living. Being alive is stagnant. It’s being dragged daily as monotony continuously crosses your mind. It’s standing still as the current of life pulls you to do the same boring thing every single day. 

“Intimidation [doesn’t] exist if you’re in the right frame of mind.” – Kobe

But this thing called living, it’s something else. It’s something completely different. Living is never missing a single moment. Living is screaming out at the beach. Living is singing your heart out. It’s about dancing because that’s how you express yourself. It’s about taking that chance, shooting your shot, going after those opportunities and passions that you have. Do what you do, love who you love, tell that person that you love how you feel. Life is about falling down, failing, but getting back up again, stronger, better, and with a bigger fire inside of you to keep fighting for what you want. It’s about being wild and untamed. It’s about laughing until your stomach hurts and you have pee and cry at the same time. It’s about always going and never being complacent. It’s about those midnight adventures for ice cream. It’s about noticing the little things, appreciating the simple joys, and enjoying every damn bite from that cupcake. 

“I can’t relate to lazy people. We don’t speak the same language. I don’t understand you. I don’t want to understand you.” – Kobe

May all the lives lost be honored. My heart goes out to everyone affected by this tragedy.

Live life authentically, kindly, and fully. Love your family and your team.

Love you guys ❤

Yours truly,

L.O.A.S.H

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© Elizabeth Anne Villoria

 

Current Events: Coronavirus

A recent outbreak has caught the attention of many. It goes by the name: coronavirus. It is a very serious situation. The virus was originally detected in Wuhan, China. That is where the majority of the illnesses have been found and reported. The type of animal that the virus has come from has not yet been confirmed or found. There have already been deaths since the outbreak. And, thousands of confirmed cases of infection. Although, at the moment, the situation is still foggy as informations about how fast the virus can spread and how dangerous it is isn’t clear, you must stay on your guard. Just two days ago, all transportations in Wuhan were shut down! It is home to 11 million people. The steps taken to stop the spread of the virus is growing. Wuhan, along with Beijing have canceled fairs and large public gatherings where the virus could be spread. Unfortunately, the shut down transportation wasn’t able to stop the spread out of China. There are now infections that have been confirmed in France, South Korea, Japan, Nepal, Thailand, Singapore, Vietnam, Taiwan, and the United States. The most common way for the coronavirus to be transmitted would be by coughing, sneezing, and personal contact. Currently, there is no treatment available. In Wuhan, people are dropping. It is said that the reports coming in for those dying and affected is probably not accurate and higher than it actually is. If you click here you can see a video of the virus and the current situation. 

Garbage Island Motivation

“The earth does not belong to us. We belong to the earth.”: Chief Seattle

There is literally an island of garbage. OF GARBAGE! And, I’m not talking about a small teeny island that is harmlessly floating around, it’s about THREE TIMES THE SIZE OF FRANCE. It’s continuing to keep building up and building up. There is too much trash being accumulated and we really need to do something.  This garbage island, a.k.a the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, which is basically an evil vortex, continues to pull in garbage, plastic, unbiodegradable material one after another every day. Although the price is sky high to just get a bunch of ships or some other alternative to quickly clear it all out, everyone can make a difference. YOU can make a difference. A small change in your daily life will make a difference. If you were looking for some sign to get up and DO SOMETHING even if it’s as small as switching from utilizing plastic bags to eco grocery tote bags, DO IT. It was all the little things that everyone did which added up to big things that created the mess in the first place. So, believe me, just start by doing something small and spreading the word to those around you. It’s important, it’s our planet, our home.

♡

Yours Truly,

L.O.A.S.H

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© Elizabeth Anne Villoria

The Government Shutdown still going on…

Quote of TRUTH: “Getting along with others is the essence of getting ahead, success being linked to cooperation.” – William Feather

here we go…

 

What has happened??? The US government had been shut down for some time now. I know, I’d say it is slightly alarming. Let’s start from the beginning. Basically, Trump requested about $5 billion to fund the wall on the US and Mexico border. However, this request was denied. So, then Trump decided to shut down the government until he got what he wanted, this happened on December 22. 

 

What exactly is a government shutdown?  Typically, government shutdowns usually occur when there is a lack of funding. And, this lack of funding usually happens because of a delay in the approval of the federal budget. However, the shutdown we have now is a different case, it’s because of Trump not getting what he wants and shutting down the government until he does. 

 

Now what? There are hundreds of thousands of federal workers from different departments and federal agencies that are being affected by the recent shutdown.  Currently, the federal workers who are working are without pay. WITHOUT PAY. The thing is they will get paid its just they’re not entirely sure when that paycheck is coming anytime soon. Here are some of the departments and agencies affected by this:

• Department of agriculture
• Commerce
• Justice
• Homeland Security
• Housing & Urban Development
• Interior 
• State
• Transportation
• Treasury

 

The shutdown is still ongoing, passing 25 days! In my opinion, it shouldn’t be down for this long. The longer that they keep the government shutdown like this, different programs will probably close down, more people will lose their jobs, and the US economy won’t be at its best. We are waiting either for Trump to cave in and open the government back up again without the funding, for the Democrats to cave in and agree with helping to finance the border, or the Republicans to cave in, get with the Democrats, and pass a spending bill to fund the government and get it back on its feet without Trump’s approval. Which one will it be? Well, we’ll have to wait for that….

 

 

Yours truly,

L.O.A.S.H

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© Elizabeth Anne Villoria