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6 tweets that show what happens when the war on terror goes wrong.
There has got to be a better way.
02.12.15
On Feb. 5, 2015, Merchants Bank of California announced it would stop money transfers from the U.S. to Somalia.
Reports say that U.S. currency regulators fear the money will land in the hands of al-Shabab, a terrorist group based in Somalia.
In response to the bank's actions, Somali-Americans spoke up on Twitter with #IFundFoodNotTerror.
Ifrah F. Ahmed, a Somali-American, started the hashtag.
The money I send back to Somalia helps my siblings go to school and it helps buy them food. They are not terrorists. #IFundFoodNotTerror
— Ifrah F. Ahmed (@Ifrahmed) February 7, 2015
Soon, others joined in.
Everyone in my family sends money back home, remittances are a MASSIVE financial support to families in Somalia #IFundFoodNotTerror
— Hawa Y. Mire (@HYMire) February 7, 2015
I run a Cultural Centre in #Hargeysa, #Somaliland. Without a legal Money Transfer procedure, I will not be able to do. #IFundFoodNotTerror
— Jama Musse Jama (@JamaMusse) February 8, 2015
#SomaliDiaspora sends more than 1.3billion home; to support education, health, food..Self autonomy over dead foreignaid. #IFundFoodNotTerror
— Nourah Yonous (@NYonous) February 9, 2015
Somali Diaspora makes considerable sacrifices to remit funds, by working 3 to 4 jobs and placing their dreams on hold. #IFundFoodNotTerror
— Jirde (@Jirde1) February 10, 2015
Did you know #SomaliDiaspora sends Somalia $1.3 Billion per year in remittances, which is more than any foreign aid? #IFundFoodNotTerror
— Hodan Nalayeh (@HodanTV) February 7, 2015
Merchants Bank of California wouldn't be the first bank to stop money transfers to Somalia — Wells Fargo and U.S. Bancorp did so in the past.
But it's a small bank. What's the big deal?
The Los Angeles Times spells it out clearly:
"The one-office Carson bank had become a last resort for about a dozen money-transfer businesses that collect funds in U.S. offices and disperse them in Somalia, which has no connections to the international banking system or to such services as Moneygram and Western Union...their representatives estimated that Merchants Bank had handled about two-thirds of the business, estimated at more than $200 million in annual transfers from the U.S." to Somalia.
It's a small bank that many Somali-Americans use to transfer a lot of money.
This means that the bank ending transfers to Somalia could have serious effects on the relatives of Somali-Americans who rely heavily on money transfers to survive — relatives who are unaffiliated with any terrorist group and who will use the money for food, for education, for shelter ... not for terror.
There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."