Courtesy of Back on My Feet
True
Having graduated in the top 10% of Reserve Officer Training Corp (ROTC) cadets nationwide in 2012, Pat Robinson was ready to take on a career in the Air Force full speed ahead.
Despite her stellar performance in the classroom and training grounds, Robinson feared other habits she'd picked up at Ohio University had sent her down the wrong tracks.
First stationed near Panama City, Florida, Robinson became reliant on alcohol while serving as an air battle manager student. After barnstorming through Atlanta's nightclubs on New Year's Eve, Robinson failed a drug test and lied to her commanding officer about the results.
Eleven months later, she was dismissed. Feeling ashamed and directionless, Robinson briefly returned home to Cleveland before venturing west to look for work in San Francisco.
After a brief stint working at a paint store, Robinson found herself without a source of income and was relegated to living in her car. Robinson's garbage can soon became littered with parking tickets and her car was towed. Golden Gate Park's cool grass soon replaced her bed.
"My substance abuse spiraled very quickly," Robinson said. "You name it, I probably used it. Very quickly I contracted HIV and Hepatitis C. I was arrested again and again and was finally charged and sentenced to substance abuse treatment."
<p>Two failed attempts to get clean later, Robinson knew she desperately needed to pick herself up. During her third stay at a substance abuse treatment facility, Robinson learned of <u><a href="https://backonmyfeet.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Back on My Feet</a></u> — a nonprofit that combats homelessness through the power of running — who was there to extend a hand.</p><p>After working through the 12-step program for 60 days, Robinson labored through running her first mile after joining Back on My Feet.</p><p>"I kept asking myself while I was running — am I trying to kill myself?" Robinson said. "I couldn't remember the last time I ran. But the volunteers were all happy and wanted to get to know me. I was all skeptical and quiet and questioning why they were so happy."<br><br>As she continued to run with Back on My Feet, Robinson realized that their joy came from a genuine sense of support and encouragement between the volunteers.</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDM1MzU0OS9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyMTY2NDM0NX0.W-YGAHJu6PAHmPPiD6Pu9PqBnoQ_m_BAljJ2cTp11IA/img.png?width=980" id="922d9" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="45e5e2f1c85e54bb8fb17ba7e1855609" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image">
<small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="Add Photo Credit...">Courtesy of Back on My Feet</small></p><p>"Members were pushing each other beyond our limitations," Robinson said. "I was still doing treatment for Hepatitis C and HIV and I had to just set my pain aside and push myself every single moment otherwise I would give myself an excuse to be stagnant and depressed."<br></p><p>After she received treatment for Hepatitis C, Robinson's energy level skyrocketed. She began studying to be a personal trainer, taking fitness classes and worked with Back on My Feet to rebuild her professional and financial outlook by creating a resume and going through credit reports and housing applications.<br></p><p>Back on My Feet also set Robinson up with financial literacy workshops at the Capital One Cafe in San Francisco.</p><p>"They definitely motivated me to see a financial life beyond my imagination but instead a reality of wealth," Robinson said.</p><p>Capital One has partnered with Back on My Feet's since 2017 and helps its members establish themselves financially. Back on My Feet members have the chance to sit with Cafe ambassadors for one-on-one sessions to answer their questions and go over personal financial necessities like balancing a budget, managing credit and making a plan for financial independence.<br><br>"They are people who are starting all over again from scratch and we are here to give them clarity for whatever questions they may have," said Denza Young, a San Francisco Capital One Cafe ambassador. "Capital One truly is reimagining banking because everything they do: their belief system, their challenges... everything is connected to their money. When they can get clarity on whatever it is that gives them their hurdles it helps them set their goals and think about self-care differently."</p><p>In addition to offering free workshops, Capital One provides grant support to Back on My Feet. In May, Back on My Feet awarded Capital One with its Corporate Pacesetter award.</p><p>"It is no surprise that this nonprofits' values align closely with ours in bringing humanity to banking and empowering our customers in their journey to be financially successful," said Nerissa Davis, West Coast Market Executive for the Capital One cafe network. "We are so proud of the people we are able to support through our partnership with Back on My Feet and look forward to continuing our journey together to make a difference in the community."</p><p>This partnership has empowered members like Robinson to pursue personal, professional and financial goals that they once saw as unattainable.</p><p>Robinson began training for <u><a href="https://race-sfgiants.com/race_event/san-francisco/" target="_blank">The Giant Race</a></u> and received word just days before running her first half-marathon that she had been hired as a personal trainer at a local fitness studio.</p><p>With her new-found path, Robinson now had confidence to achieve a goal that once seemed unthinkable.<br><br>"To me, crossing that finish line meant the culmination of salvation," Robinson said. "If you would have told me five years ago that my life was going to be spared and that I would be given the courage and ability to cross any finish line, I would've deemed you crazy, even though I was the one truly in psychosis." </p><p>Her personal progress aside, for Robinson, it's the impact she has on others that means the most.<br><br>"The accomplishment that I'm most proud of is being able to give back to Back on My Feet by leading Workout Wednesdays," Robinson said. "People call this my career, but I call it a blessing."</p><div class="rm-embed embed-media"><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CEoOPHBgKvq/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CEoOPHBgKvq/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank"> <div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div></div></div><div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;"></div><div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style=" color:#3897f0; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;"> View this post on Instagram</div></div><div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"><div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"></div></div><div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)"></div></div><div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style=" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"></div></div></div></a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CEoOPHBgKvq/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">*National Recovery Month* September is National Recovery Month - a month dedicated to increasing awareness and understanding of mental and substance use disorders and celebrate the people who recover. Our community is STRONG, it is EMPOWERING, it is there for our members, every step of the way, as they work through their recovery. Keep checking back throughout the month for quotes, photos, and stories from members across the country</a><br> A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/backonmyfeet/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px;" target="_blank"> Back on My Feet (BoMF)</a> (@backonmyfeet) on Sep 2, 2020 at 2:05am PDT<br></div></blockquote> <script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script></div><p>While the COVID-19 pandemic forced her fitness studio to close, Robinson continues to help those around her through leading socially distant runs with Back on My Feet members. She has also been creating a video for <u><a href="https://sfcommunityhealth.org/" target="_blank">San Francisco Community Health</a></u> to send to their clients so they can exercise at home.Since March, she has cooked and distributed hundreds of meals to support people in her neighborhood facing homeless — a challenge she knows all too well.</p><p>"I haven't touched a harmful substance in three years and to me that means freedom," Robinson said. "To anyone who is currently struggling with addiction or experiencing housing insecurity, ask for help, and know that help is on the way. Don't be afraid."</p>
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Making sure all votes are counted isn't 'a win for Democrats'—it's a win for all Americans
10.29.20
As I was doomscrolling through Twitter yesterday, the wording of an Associated Press post caught my eye. "The Supreme Court will allow absentee ballots in North Carolina to be received and counted up to 9 days after Election Day, in a win for Democrats," it read.
A win for Democrats? Surely they meant a win for Americans? For voters? For democracy?
<div id="7fd95" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="f27dd54b320615f123eea9f36480fd8e"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1321602291561074688" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">The Supreme Court will allow absentee ballots in North Carolina to be received and counted up to 9 days after Elect… https://t.co/YqxuEB0yFB</div> — The Associated Press (@The Associated Press)<a href="https://twitter.com/AP/statuses/1321602291561074688">1603929515.0</a></blockquote></div><p>I wasn't the only one who noticed that phrase, as comment after comment expressed the same reaction. What the heck, AP?</p><p>A follow-up tweet gave some context to the AP's share text on the original article, as the outlet explained, "The Supreme Court justices, by a 5-3 vote, refused a request from Republicans to disturb a decision by North Carolina's State Board of Elections to push back the deadline for ballots postmarked on or before Election Day to be received by Nov. 12."</p><p>Since it was a request from Republicans that was denied, I suppose one could argue that it's a win for Democrats. But is that really where we are? Where one party's request being denied by the courts is automatically a "win" for the opposing party? Have we just completely internalized a binary, partisan world where anything that's a loss for one "side" is good for the other? </p><p>At the same time, it's hard to completely argue with the AP's statement when Republicans actually <em>are</em> beating the "let's figure out every way we can to make it harder for people's votes to count" drum.<br></p><p>It sure seems that way, anyway. </p><p>And what's really sad is that it's not even like not wanting the largest number of Americans possible voting is a secret. Influential conservative activist Paul Weyrich famously said in 1980, "I don't want everybody to vote. As a matter of fact, our leverage in the elections quite candidly goes up as the voting populace goes down."</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-youtube">
<span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="4bbc6b2eef44b113b92109d5f6e812df"><iframe type="lazy-iframe" data-runner-src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8GBAsFwPglw?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span>
<small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="Add Photo Caption...">Paul Weyrich - "I don't want everybody to vote" (Goo Goo)</small>
<small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="Add Photo Credit...">
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GBAsFwPglw&feature=youtu.be" target="_blank">www.youtube.com</a>
</small>
</p><p><br></p><p>President Trump <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/mar/30/trump-republican-party-voting-reform-coronavirus" target="_blank">himself said </a>that Republicans would "never" win an election again if it were easier to vote, such as by implementing all mail-in voting. Though he was likely implying that Democrats would cheat—as if Democrats somehow have a corner on the <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-voter-fraud-facts-explai/explainer-despite-trump-claims-voter-fraud-is-extremely-rare-here-is-how-u-s-states-keep-it-that-way-idUSKBN2601HG" target="_blank">statistically miniscule</a> issue of voter fraud or magically know how to game a mail-in system—the reality is that neither thing is true.</p><p>Bernie Sanders also tried to say that Democrats win more elections when voter turnout is higher, but again, it's just not true. There actually <a href="https://www.factcheck.org/2016/06/sanders-shaky-turnout-claim/" target="_blank">is no clear correlation</a> between voter turnout and partisan wins. </p><p>In reality, every American should want as many of their fellow citizens to vote, because that's how free elections are supposed to work—with the majority of Americans expressing with their vote who they want to rule for a while. We can't know what the majority prefers if only half the electorate shows up at the ballot box. Even in an easily won election—say 60% or 70% of actual voters voting for one candidate—if only half of eligible voters show up, the candidate that got the majority of the vote might still represent a minority of the electorate. We simply have no way of knowing the preferences of the majority unless the vast majority shows up.</p><p>Voting matters. And we know that it matters because partisans have worked hard to skew voting processes to benefit their own side. Both parties <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2018/03/28/marylands-redistricting-case-reminds-us-both-parties-gerrymander-a-lot/" target="_blank">engage in gerrymandering</a>, which I still can't believe is allowed. And various forms of <a href="https://www.npr.org/2020/09/13/912519039/a-look-at-voter-suppression-tactics-ahead-of-the-election" target="_blank">voter suppression</a>, especially of minorities, have long been a problem, from the racist Southern Democrats of the pre-Civil Rights era to the <a href="https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2020/10/historic-voter-turnout-trump-voter-suppression.html" target="_blank">current GOP</a>. </p><p>And a lot of voter suppression is blatant. I live in a town of less than 35,000 people and we have several ballot drop boxes—and this is in a state with universal mail-in voting. While our county has actually added <em>more </em>drop boxes due to the pandemic, the governor of Texas worked hard to <em>remove </em>drop boxes from Texas counties this election, leaving just <em>one </em><em>single </em>drop box for all 4.5 million people in Harris county, home of Houston, when they previously had a dozen. </p><p>That's preposterous. There's no reason for that kind of voter suppression, except for fear of democracy working exactly the way it should.</p><p>Voting should be secure, but simple. It should be made as easy as possible for everyone. Enabling early voting has helped make voting easier in many states, as has implementing universal mail-in voting. There is simply zero reason that people should have to wait five, eight, 11 hours in line to vote. It's just ridiculous. Some have suggested making Election Day a national holiday so people don't have to get out of work to go to the polls. Let's open more polling places. Let's end partisan tricks to make voting harder.</p><p>Let's celebrate our representative government and treat voting like the sacred right that it is—by encouraging and enfranchising every eligible voter in America. </p>
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Let's Do More Together
One woman’s quest to unite the diverse Hispanic community is also helping battling COVID-19
10.27.20
Photo courtesy of Claudia Romo Edelman
True
When the novel coronavirus hit the United States, life as we knew it quickly changed. As many people holed up in their homes, some essential workers had to make the impossible choice of going to work or quitting their jobs— a choice they continue to make each day.
Because over 80 percent of working Hispanic adults provide essential services for the U.S. economy, the Hispanic community is disproportionately affected. Hispanic families are also much more likely to live in multigenerational households, carrying the extra risk of infecting the most vulnerable. In fact, Hispanics are 20 times more likely than other patients to test positive for COVID-19.
Claudia Romo Edelman saw a community in desperate need of guidance and support. And she created Hispanic Star, a non-profit designed to help Hispanic people in the U.S. pull together as a proud, unified group and overcome barriers — the most pressing of which is the effects of the pandemic.
Because the Hispanic community is so diverse, unification is, and was, an enormous challenge.
<p>The Hispanic Star campaign is rooted in a firm belief that "we don't win until we all win," and is viewed as both a unifying symbol and a nonpartisan, inclusive, inspirational, and unifying footing in order for Hispanics living in the United States to view themselves and help them act as a unified force for good. Hispanics widely represent stories of migration, struggle, resilience and strong values: hard work, optimism, family and friends, and belonging. </p><p>"We wanted to bring these efforts together under the Hispanic Star, for everyone to realize that together, we're stronger. We wanted every Hispanic to feel heard and valued and we want our platform to become a source of pride.</p><p>"We just need to showcase our contributions to this country, so Hispanics feel proud of our culture and history, and for everyone else to know we're not takers, but makers," Edelman said.</p><p>However, before the community can move forward, they have to stop the spread of COVID-19. This staggering need is why P&G, a founding partner of Hispanic Star, pledged to donate personal protective equipment and critical products to Hispanic essential workers and families affected by the virus. If one household member can stop the spread by not bringing the virus home to their family, countless lives could be saved.</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDU5NDI5Ni9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1Mzk5NjM0MX0.0vHrGcxJF9rqL-lSl1MsdLW9gKlBdjLK-JTI0jDwVFU/img.jpg?width=980" id="92f8b" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="b29e233d3e223bcf301d05c0f2092428" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image">
<small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="Add Photo Credit...">Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@rodlong?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Rod Long</a> on Unsplash</small></p><p><a href="https://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2020/20_0165.htm" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">According to the CDC</a>, Hispanics not only were being exposed because of the nature of their work and/or the number of people living in their households, but also because of language barriers and limited access to health care. The lack of reliable health information in Spanish has impeded efforts to combat the spread of the virus in Hispanic communities, making them more likely to be unaware of the importance of things like mask wearing. Additionally, "Hispanic people are also the largest population segment without health insurance coverage in the United States, leaving those with presumptive symptoms or with a positive COVID-19 test with limited access to needed health care," according to <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2020/20_0165.htm" target="_blank">this report</a>.<br></p><p>Because of these unique challenges, Edelman says they launched the Hispanic Star "hubs"—regional groups of volunteers designed to bring people together and focus on each region and city's specific issues. They're also responsible for getting Family Support Packs, featuring critical home and personal care items provided by P&G, to families who need them most.</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDU5MzU2NC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY2MDIwNTM4MX0.iowAnzNwR4I6YAOtyNAbXCB2ZpQCosqAe0OqRudXNR8/img.jpg?width=980" id="32923" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="931932d597518cda41257785cb03ac6c" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image">
<small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="Add Photo Credit...">Photo courtesy of P&G Good Everyday</small></p><p>"We managed to get over 1.2 million products and helped more than 200,000 families nationwide. And the support is still ongoing," Edelman said. Collaborations with companies like P&G have enabled them to reach an extraordinary number of people. Still, there is a lot of ground to cover, and Edelman encourages anyone who is able to get involved.<br></p><p>"You can join your local hub, and if there isn't one you can start your own!" Edelman said. "There are so many things the community needs...we need stars to step up and lead the charge."</p>Short on time? You can make a difference by simply joining the <a href="https://www.pggoodeveryday.com/" target="_blank">P&G Good Everyday</a> rewards program. Pick the Hispanic Star as your cause and by taking a survey, answering a quiz or scanning a receipt with P&G products, you can earn rewards. And the best part? As you earn, P&G will automatically donate to a cause you care about—so you can turn your everyday actions into acts of good, <a href="https://www.pggoodeveryday.com/impact/hispanic-star/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"></a><a href="https://www.pggoodeveryday.com/impact/hispanic-star/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"></a><a href="https://www.pggoodeveryday.com/impact/hispanic-star/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"></a><a href="https://www.pggoodeveryday.com/impact/hispanic-star/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">helping organizations like Hispanic Star extend further and provide immediate help to more and more families in need.</a>
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Family
Daughter exposes MAGA parents' hypocrisy by saying her new boyfriend is 'just like Trump'
10.27.20
Electing Donald Trump to be president of the United States set an incredibly ugly example for the nation's youth.
We know how it's affected the national discourse of regular adults. But there's no denying the conduct of a president impacts how children around the world see the example being set for them. Every day for the past four years, children have been subjected to the behavior of a divisive figure that many of their parents chose to exalt to the most powerful office in the world.
Sure, adults can make excuses for him saying he's an "imperfect messenger" or that they "didn't vote for him to be reverend," but these are all just ways to rationalize voting for a man with zero character. What a message to send to children: Act awful and you'll be handsomely rewarded.
But what if you took away the "Trump" name and examined the character traits of him as an ordinary person? More specifically, what if your daughter came to you and said this was the kind of person she was planning to date? Well, one MAGA family found out and the results are funny, insightful and quite revealing about how we somehow hold our leaders to different and lower standards than we expect from ourselves in our day to day lives.
<p>It has to be hard for a lot of children who want someone to look up to see Trump in office and their parents across the dinner table. </p><p>TikTok user @faithashjuran found the perfect way to show her parents just how hypocritical they are for voting for Donald Trump by pretending she was going out on a date with a boy with similar characteristics.</p><p>"Seems like he has a really good relationship with the Lord," she says. "He does have a few sex assault allegations though."<br></p><p>This caused both of her distracted parents to begin paying attention. "You're such a liar," her mother responds.</p><p>"No, I'm serious," Faith replies.</p><p>"Why would you date this guy if he has sexual assault allegations?" the mother asks, sternly. "Cause there's no proof," she responds using a rationalization that Trump supporters commonly use to excuse his behavior. </p><p>"Also did a deep dive on his Twitter and he's said some kinda racist stuff," she continues.<br></p><p>Faith's dad can't believe she would "even consider this," and her mom, still focused on the sexual assault allegations, says they're "never good."</p><p>"But you'd let a man like this run the country?" Faith asks in a perfect checkmate.</p><p>"She's pulling our leg and pulling the Trump card," her mom says, realizing her daughter is making a point. "Seriously, Faith?" her mother asks, visibly annoyed.</p><p>So, the question remains, if you wouldn't want to the man around your daughter, why would you choose to let him run the country?</p><div id="ffa09" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="faaecec74cf1a6c714217fc2ae4d14ce"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1308204225642389504" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">i would really like to know how i’m related to conservatives</div> — faith (@faith)<a href="https://twitter.com/faithjuran/statuses/1308204225642389504">1600735167.0</a></blockquote></div><p>The video is similar to a vital TikTok by an LGBT son confronting his father. In the video, the father explains that his conservative political views stem from his simple need to get up and do his job to provide for his family.</p><p><br></p>
<div id="6e2ff" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="5b7f5e734f6f9ae65e7e44675b4c488a"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1320938577728016387" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">@RexChapman Another in the same vein https://t.co/9TX1pVRS9T</div> — Katie Hennessey (@Katie Hennessey)<a href="https://twitter.com/kay_hennessey/statuses/1320938577728016387">1603771273.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p><br></p><p>His son has the perfect comeback for his political apathy saying that it's a "privilege to able to get up and go to work." He brings the issue home by explaining that as a member of the LGBT community it was, "just made illegal to fire someone on the basis of gender or sexual orientation."</p><p>So yes, dad, it does matter what happens in Washington. It matters a whole lot to members of your own family.</p>
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20-yr-old KJ Brooks named and shamed every official at a Kansas City police commissioner meeting
10.29.20
After years of advocating for racial justice and calling out police brutality and seeing little change in law enforcement and our justice system, some people are rightfully fed up. When complaints are met with inaction, protests are met with inaction, and direct action is met with inaction, maybe it's time to get specific in who needs to be held accountable for issues in law enforcement.
That's exactly what Keiajah (KJ) Brooks did at a Board of Police Commissioners meeting in her hometown of Kansas City this week. The 20-year-old used her approximately four minutes with the microphone—and with the commissioners' undivided attention—to unequivocally lay out her position to each and every one of the officials in that room.
"Fair warning, I'm not nice and I don't seek to be respectable," she began. "I'm not asking y'all for anything because y'all can't and won't be both my savior and my oppressor. I don't want reform. I want to turn this building into luxury low-cost housing. These would make some really nice apartments."
"Firstly, stop using Black children as photo opportunities, 'cause they're cute now, but in 10 years, they're Black male suspects in red shirts and khaki shorts," she said. "Eating cookies and drinking milk with children does not absolve you of your complicity in their oppression and denigration..." she added, before looking directly at the police chief and pointedly calling him out by name, "...Rick Smith."
<p>She pointed out that Kansas City spends more on the police than on education, "and then try to encourage children to feast with their oppressors." </p><p>"Y'all are really weird," she added.</p><p>"It's asinine to be called radical or a homegrown terrorist for not wanting government employees to kill people in any instance," she went on. "So, I'm not here begging anything of soulless white folks and self-preserving Black folks. You get one life, and you all in this room have chosen profits over people. And that's pathetic. So, I'm going to spend the next two minutes reading y'all for filth, something I'm sure nobody has ever done."</p><p>And that's exactly what she did. One by one, Ms. Brooks named and shamed each member of the Board of Police Commissioners, in a dragging for the ages. </p><p>She addressed the "former FBI Agent who exudes white privilege and is the epitome of mediocrity" who "spent most of this meeting looking away and holding his head in his hands." She called out "another rich, and white, and out of touch, and disconnected old white person with nothing but pure apathy seeping through the bulging veins of his paper colored skin," adding, "You age like trash when you are racist and subject others to violence." She even took a pastor who preaches "a message of hope and faith through God's Holy word in the building" while "subjecting Black people to terrorism and un-Christ-like behavior at the hands of KCPD outside of the building" to church.</p><p>Ms. Brooks did not come to play.</p><div id="47a33" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="2610ecfcfc6883931d3b3daba27a724a"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1321201652297248768" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">It was the benediction for me https://t.co/uvws6RQqs6</div> — 🇳🇬E Soro Sókè #EndSars 🇳🇬 (@🇳🇬E Soro Sókè #EndSars 🇳🇬)<a href="https://twitter.com/Seytoven/statuses/1321201652297248768">1603833995.0</a></blockquote></div><p>Finally, to Police Chief Rick Smith, Brooks said, "I don't even care enough about you to start, but you will have to spend overtime in a chapel at the end of your life. You have blood on your hands, and while these idiots hold you on a pedestal, God does not honor injustice and murder."</p><p>After she finished with the individual verbal takedowns, Brooks left the board—whom she referred to as "soulless, profit-driven, avaricious, greedy, God-forsaken humans"—with a Bible verse. Claiming that Jesus himself was an "unarmed Black man murdered by authorities," she quoted Mark 8:36: "What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?"</p><p>Well then.</p><p>Whether you agree with everything Ms. Brooks said or not, it takes a great deal of courage to speak truth to power. It's impressive to see a young woman speak her mind so clearly and boldly, not just publicly, but to the faces of the people she's addressing. Ms. Brooks has obviously done her homework on the individuals she's calling out, and while her speech may come across as harsh to some, her passion for and dedication to justice is palpable.</p><p>A video shared on Brooks' Instagram shows the reactions of the commissioners as she was speaking, if you want to see it from another angle. </p><div id="ca1b1" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="fb170beb2ed70e27b348f99a1d64718b"><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-version="4" style=" background:#FFF; border:0;
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<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CG2toQyHINU/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif;
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</div></blockquote></div><p>The video of her speech has been viewed more than seven million times on social media and has been met with resounding virtual applause from people who are tired of seeing calls for justice and action met with continuing injustice and inaction. </p><p>You can't change what you don't acknowledge, and Ms. Brooks is making sure acknowledgement is crystal clear.</p>
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