It is 2024, March 22nd, to be specific, and today feels strange. I am sitting with some very complicated thoughts about our world. Things are happening, events that I can’t make sense of. I will lose my mind if someone tells me to do the same thing.

There are a few very specific posts on social media that felt especially callous. I saw a post shaming people for speculating about the whereabouts of Kate Middleton, footage of three men walking to Khan Younis trying to go back home, and getting targeted by a drone and murdered. I saw what happens to the body of a child after they are buried under their house for five months.

The person posting about KM is more concerned about this than an active genocide. (Obviously, this is an observation based on their posts) I previously ignored their lack of speaking out because they never used social media to discuss issues. Ultimately, I won’t put any weight behind what they do on social media because I don’t know if there is a material impact.

Here are a few of the things that I can’t get off my mind.

• Kathy Hochul ordered last week. Hochul, a Democrat, said she would deploy 750 members of the National Guard to the subways to assist the NYPD with bag checks at entrances to busy train stations. “For people who are thinking about bringing a gun or knife on the subway, at least this creates a deterrent effect. Source
• Washington DC Mask Law: Re-establishes a prohibition on wearing masks under certain circumstances (like for the purpose of concealing your identity while committing a crime or intimidating someone) Some advocates say the language of the bill is still overly broad. The provision that criminalizes intimidating someone else while. Source
• Nearly 130,000 children exposed to lead-tainted drinking water in Chicago. Study says the 19% of kids using unfiltered tap water have about twice as much lead in their blood as they would otherwise. Source
• DeSantis signs bill banning unhoused people from sleeping in public spaces. What’s inside: The law prohibits cities and counties from allowing people to sleep in public places and allows local governments to create homeless camps if shelters reach capacity. Source
• Prison Labor is Slavery: Takeaways from the AP’s investigation into how US prison labor supports many popular food brands. The U.S. has a history of locking up more people than any other country – currently around 2 million – and goods tied to prison labor have morphed into a massive multibillion-dollar empire, extending far beyond the classic images of people stamping license plates or working on road crews. Source

I will end this with this. I will continue to fight for equity and inclusion for each person in my life, even if they have no desire to do the same for others. We are all trying to survive on this planet, and I want everyone to feel the love and joy that comes from inclusion.

I will be starting on an advisory council soon for Racial Equity, and I will have a chance to impact my local government. For me, this isn’t just about writing on the internet. I hope to make an impact and influence because, at the heart of who I am, I am a person who loves fully.