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shadowkat1. The deportations of innocent people from the US to El Salvadoran Prisons breaks my heart. I'm heart-broken over this. In law school, my Criminal Procedural Professor and Kansas Defender Project Supervisor advised me on numerous occasions "There But for the Grace of God, Go I" - and I'm thinking about it now. I think that phrase daily now.
I don't know if you've been following this - if only peripherally? But ICE (US Immigration and Customs Enforcement) illegally and erroneously deported two male US citizens, just because they had a tattoo, to an El Salvadoran prison that has harsh conditions. One was a tattoo artist and the other El Salvadoran National who legally immigrated to the US with his family in 2011 for sanctuary from El Salvadoran Gang Violence. And numerous human rights violations. It is a prison for the worst criminals, and the sentences are for life. It is not interested in rehabilitating its prisoners. Instead it tortures them. NPR - El Salvador Mega Prison CECOT
60 Minutes recently reported the 238 of the people sent there had no criminal records and weren't gang members.
When a federal judge ordered the Trump Administration to retrieve them, the Trump Administration admitted they were wrong, refused to do it, and appealed the case to the US Supreme Court who agreed to block the judge's order, on the grounds that the claimants had to make their case in their jurisdiction where the deportation took place and not in DC. And that they have to do it on an individual basis, not en mass. Here.
The ACLU is fighting it and swiftly. Per the article - they managed as of April 9, to get the Texas and NY Judges to block future deportations.
"NEW YORK, April 9 (Reuters) - U.S. judges in Texas and New York dealt blows on Wednesday to President Donald Trump's effort to revive deportations of alleged Venezuelan gang members under a wartime law after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a nationwide ban on such removals.
Wednesday's actions marked early victories for the American Civil Liberties Union, which is seeking to prevent additional deportations of alleged members of the Tren de Aragua gang under the 1798 Alien Enemies Act. The Republican administration last month deported 238 Venezuelans to a prison in El Salvador." [ Please note that none of the 238 deported are gang members, and none had criminal convictions.]
+ Raise Public Awareness
• Speak out on social media
• Share the stories of men like Andry José Hernández Romero and Jose Caraballo Tiapa, whose cases highlight the injustice and lack of due process. -
• Tag journalists, members of Congress, and human rights organizations when sharing posts to increase visibility.
+ Contact Your Representatives
If you’re in the U.S. (or another democratic country), contact your elected officials and ask them to:
•Demand accountability for wrongful deportations, especially of asylum seekers.
• Pressure the State Department to work with El Salvador for the release of innocent detainees.
• Support oversight of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
You can use sample language like:
“I’m calling to express deep concern about the deportation of Venezuelan asylum seekers to El Salvador’s CECOT prison, where many are held without charges under abusive conditions. I urge you to call for their return and an investigation into this violation of due process.”
+ Support Legal and Human Rights Groups
Donate to or volunteer with organizations that are actively working on these issues:
• Human Rights Watch (HRW)
• Amnesty International
• ACLU Immigrants’ Rights Project
• RAICES
• Cristosal (El Salvador-based human rights org)
• International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP)
These groups can:
• Help mount legal cases.
• Collect testimonies.
• Apply international pressure.
• Assist families of the detained.
+ Engage Media and Petition Platforms
• Start or sign petitions demanding that the U.S. and Salvadoran governments release innocent detainees from CECOT.
• Share firsthand accounts, where available, to humanize the crisis and move it out of the “policy” category and into the public conscience.
+ Pressure International Bodies
• Write to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights or the United Nations Human Rights Council.
• Demand they investigate abuses in CECOT and intervene diplomatically.
• Urge them to monitor deportations from the U.S. for violations of international refugee law.
+ Connect with Families and Survivors
• If you’re able, amplify the voices of affected families, especially those with loved ones trapped in CECOT.
• Many are already speaking out through platforms like CBS News, The Guardian, and El País, reaching out or supporting those efforts can magnify impact.
https://apnews.com/.../el-salvador-trump-prison...
https://www.vanityfair.com/.../60-minutes-venezuelans-el...
https://www.aljazeera.com/.../photos-inside-el-salvadors...
https://www.npr.org/.../el-salvador-mega-prison-cecot...
https://www.hrw.org/.../human-rights-watch-declaration...
https://www.cbsnews.com/.../inside-el-salvador.../...
https://english.elpais.com/.../photos-a-tour-of-nayib...
https://www.hindustantimes.com/.../el-salvadors-cecot-the...
https://en.vijesti.me/.../don't-look-them-in-the-eye...
https://truthout.org/.../trump-administration-has.../
I'm sorry folks, but I felt the need to spread this news far and wide. It breaks my heart. I can't look away. It also reminds me a bit too much of Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson and Adolph Hitler.
2. Trekkies?
“We often fear what we do not understand. Our best defense is knowledge.” -Tuvok
The Roddenberry Foundation is excited to announce a series of livestreams featuring Star Trek cast members, producers, Roddenberry Foundation grantees, and Trekkies who are experts on the world’s most pressing issues.
On April 24, we’ll be hosting our first call about creating the Star Trek future during times of crisis. How can Trekkies fight back against fascism and support one another as federal programs, aid, and community resources are threatened?
We’ll answer this and more in conversation with:
🖖🏾 Star Trek: Voyager’s Tim Russ
🗳️ Spread the Vote + Project ID founder Kat Calvin
💡 IDEAS Generation founder & DEI expert Danny Egol
🏳️🌈 OkaySo founder & queer youth advocate Elise Schuster
🎤 Moderated by Roddenberry Ambassador and fan activist Sabrina Cartan
Tune in on Thursday, April 24 at 8 pm ET (5 pm PT) right here on Facebook Live, Instagram Live, or YouTube. RSVP below to receive a reminder from Facebook when the event is live.
3. Considering going to an Anti-Fascist Cabret at my Church tomorrow night with Wales. Will most likely go, if weather and health permit.
4. Started reading a large paperback version of Octavia Butler's The Parable of the Sower, which I'd bought myself for my birthday. I figured it was apropos.
It comes complete with a forward by Levar Burton. Which I kind of skipped over to get to the story. I'm admittedly not a fan of "forwards" or "end credits" or "acknowledgements" - I just want the story, dammit.
It was mentioned in the sci-fi novel that I eventually gave up on. I've given up on two of those to date - Station Eternity, and some space opera by Cat Rambo, that I can't remember the name of, I remember the author's name because it kind of stands out?
5. Knees are killing me. I have them elevated and am icing them. Probably a combo of digestive issues, inflammation, and arthritis. Getting older is not for wimps. Also the fingers ache today, along with the toes - it was cold, and that inflames the arthritis, which is in both.
Been trying Ryze Mushroom Chicory Coffee - for digestion, inflammation, and mood. The Cocoa - made me gassy and kept me awake, because I did it at night. Won't do that again. The Chicory I did in the morning and put in just a teaspoon. It seemed to be okay. I had minimal disgestive discomfort.
My IBS is not necessarily sensitive to the same FodMaps as others. I have issues with most grains, dairy (to an extent, but not overwhelming), soy (to a lesser extent), potatoes, eggplant, cauliflower (if not ground into a flour), beans, legumes, and coffee (not necessarily caffeine).
Everything else tends to be hit or miss. For example? I can for the most part do cheese, buckwheat, oats, onion, garlic, mushrooms...tomatoes (are hit or miss due to acidity). My sister in law can't do onions, buckwheat, garlic, mushrooms but can do potatoes, cauliflower, beans, legumes, rice, and soy.
6. Making my way slowly through BTVS S2. So far, am picking up a pattern. S2 is the flip side of S1, in that the stand-a-lone episodes are skippable, campy and kind of offensive? While the serial or arc episodes featuring the vampires are really good. I mean REALLY good. Somewhere along the line they figured out how to write a good A plot or through plot. But lost the B or episodic plot/monster of the week bit that was working in S1. Weird. I don't know how that happened.
Some Assembly Required - the Frankenstein Episode starts out well enough, then gets really icky? It goes down the "INCEL" trope and there's a wee bit too much focus on the nerdy dude who will do literally anything to enslave and/or aquire a woman to serve his ahem "sexual" needs or loneliness. People? If you can't find happiness by yourself, you aren't going to find it another person. This horror trope is revisited multiple times in this series, an alarming number of times actually...and I hand-waved it at the time that I initially watched, but it's kind of hard to now - after well seeing Dollhouse, Angel, Firefly, and The Avengers?
I don't know if you've been following this - if only peripherally? But ICE (US Immigration and Customs Enforcement) illegally and erroneously deported two male US citizens, just because they had a tattoo, to an El Salvadoran prison that has harsh conditions. One was a tattoo artist and the other El Salvadoran National who legally immigrated to the US with his family in 2011 for sanctuary from El Salvadoran Gang Violence. And numerous human rights violations. It is a prison for the worst criminals, and the sentences are for life. It is not interested in rehabilitating its prisoners. Instead it tortures them. NPR - El Salvador Mega Prison CECOT
60 Minutes recently reported the 238 of the people sent there had no criminal records and weren't gang members.
When a federal judge ordered the Trump Administration to retrieve them, the Trump Administration admitted they were wrong, refused to do it, and appealed the case to the US Supreme Court who agreed to block the judge's order, on the grounds that the claimants had to make their case in their jurisdiction where the deportation took place and not in DC. And that they have to do it on an individual basis, not en mass. Here.
The ACLU is fighting it and swiftly. Per the article - they managed as of April 9, to get the Texas and NY Judges to block future deportations.
"NEW YORK, April 9 (Reuters) - U.S. judges in Texas and New York dealt blows on Wednesday to President Donald Trump's effort to revive deportations of alleged Venezuelan gang members under a wartime law after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a nationwide ban on such removals.
Wednesday's actions marked early victories for the American Civil Liberties Union, which is seeking to prevent additional deportations of alleged members of the Tren de Aragua gang under the 1798 Alien Enemies Act. The Republican administration last month deported 238 Venezuelans to a prison in El Salvador." [ Please note that none of the 238 deported are gang members, and none had criminal convictions.]
+ Raise Public Awareness
• Speak out on social media
• Share the stories of men like Andry José Hernández Romero and Jose Caraballo Tiapa, whose cases highlight the injustice and lack of due process. -
• Tag journalists, members of Congress, and human rights organizations when sharing posts to increase visibility.
+ Contact Your Representatives
If you’re in the U.S. (or another democratic country), contact your elected officials and ask them to:
•Demand accountability for wrongful deportations, especially of asylum seekers.
• Pressure the State Department to work with El Salvador for the release of innocent detainees.
• Support oversight of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
You can use sample language like:
“I’m calling to express deep concern about the deportation of Venezuelan asylum seekers to El Salvador’s CECOT prison, where many are held without charges under abusive conditions. I urge you to call for their return and an investigation into this violation of due process.”
+ Support Legal and Human Rights Groups
Donate to or volunteer with organizations that are actively working on these issues:
• Human Rights Watch (HRW)
• Amnesty International
• ACLU Immigrants’ Rights Project
• RAICES
• Cristosal (El Salvador-based human rights org)
• International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP)
These groups can:
• Help mount legal cases.
• Collect testimonies.
• Apply international pressure.
• Assist families of the detained.
+ Engage Media and Petition Platforms
• Start or sign petitions demanding that the U.S. and Salvadoran governments release innocent detainees from CECOT.
• Share firsthand accounts, where available, to humanize the crisis and move it out of the “policy” category and into the public conscience.
+ Pressure International Bodies
• Write to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights or the United Nations Human Rights Council.
• Demand they investigate abuses in CECOT and intervene diplomatically.
• Urge them to monitor deportations from the U.S. for violations of international refugee law.
+ Connect with Families and Survivors
• If you’re able, amplify the voices of affected families, especially those with loved ones trapped in CECOT.
• Many are already speaking out through platforms like CBS News, The Guardian, and El País, reaching out or supporting those efforts can magnify impact.
https://apnews.com/.../el-salvador-trump-prison...
https://www.vanityfair.com/.../60-minutes-venezuelans-el...
https://www.aljazeera.com/.../photos-inside-el-salvadors...
https://www.npr.org/.../el-salvador-mega-prison-cecot...
https://www.hrw.org/.../human-rights-watch-declaration...
https://www.cbsnews.com/.../inside-el-salvador.../...
https://english.elpais.com/.../photos-a-tour-of-nayib...
https://www.hindustantimes.com/.../el-salvadors-cecot-the...
https://en.vijesti.me/.../don't-look-them-in-the-eye...
https://truthout.org/.../trump-administration-has.../
I'm sorry folks, but I felt the need to spread this news far and wide. It breaks my heart. I can't look away. It also reminds me a bit too much of Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson and Adolph Hitler.
2. Trekkies?
“We often fear what we do not understand. Our best defense is knowledge.” -Tuvok
The Roddenberry Foundation is excited to announce a series of livestreams featuring Star Trek cast members, producers, Roddenberry Foundation grantees, and Trekkies who are experts on the world’s most pressing issues.
On April 24, we’ll be hosting our first call about creating the Star Trek future during times of crisis. How can Trekkies fight back against fascism and support one another as federal programs, aid, and community resources are threatened?
We’ll answer this and more in conversation with:
🖖🏾 Star Trek: Voyager’s Tim Russ
🗳️ Spread the Vote + Project ID founder Kat Calvin
💡 IDEAS Generation founder & DEI expert Danny Egol
🏳️🌈 OkaySo founder & queer youth advocate Elise Schuster
🎤 Moderated by Roddenberry Ambassador and fan activist Sabrina Cartan
Tune in on Thursday, April 24 at 8 pm ET (5 pm PT) right here on Facebook Live, Instagram Live, or YouTube. RSVP below to receive a reminder from Facebook when the event is live.
3. Considering going to an Anti-Fascist Cabret at my Church tomorrow night with Wales. Will most likely go, if weather and health permit.
4. Started reading a large paperback version of Octavia Butler's The Parable of the Sower, which I'd bought myself for my birthday. I figured it was apropos.
It comes complete with a forward by Levar Burton. Which I kind of skipped over to get to the story. I'm admittedly not a fan of "forwards" or "end credits" or "acknowledgements" - I just want the story, dammit.
It was mentioned in the sci-fi novel that I eventually gave up on. I've given up on two of those to date - Station Eternity, and some space opera by Cat Rambo, that I can't remember the name of, I remember the author's name because it kind of stands out?
5. Knees are killing me. I have them elevated and am icing them. Probably a combo of digestive issues, inflammation, and arthritis. Getting older is not for wimps. Also the fingers ache today, along with the toes - it was cold, and that inflames the arthritis, which is in both.
Been trying Ryze Mushroom Chicory Coffee - for digestion, inflammation, and mood. The Cocoa - made me gassy and kept me awake, because I did it at night. Won't do that again. The Chicory I did in the morning and put in just a teaspoon. It seemed to be okay. I had minimal disgestive discomfort.
My IBS is not necessarily sensitive to the same FodMaps as others. I have issues with most grains, dairy (to an extent, but not overwhelming), soy (to a lesser extent), potatoes, eggplant, cauliflower (if not ground into a flour), beans, legumes, and coffee (not necessarily caffeine).
Everything else tends to be hit or miss. For example? I can for the most part do cheese, buckwheat, oats, onion, garlic, mushrooms...tomatoes (are hit or miss due to acidity). My sister in law can't do onions, buckwheat, garlic, mushrooms but can do potatoes, cauliflower, beans, legumes, rice, and soy.
6. Making my way slowly through BTVS S2. So far, am picking up a pattern. S2 is the flip side of S1, in that the stand-a-lone episodes are skippable, campy and kind of offensive? While the serial or arc episodes featuring the vampires are really good. I mean REALLY good. Somewhere along the line they figured out how to write a good A plot or through plot. But lost the B or episodic plot/monster of the week bit that was working in S1. Weird. I don't know how that happened.
Some Assembly Required - the Frankenstein Episode starts out well enough, then gets really icky? It goes down the "INCEL" trope and there's a wee bit too much focus on the nerdy dude who will do literally anything to enslave and/or aquire a woman to serve his ahem "sexual" needs or loneliness. People? If you can't find happiness by yourself, you aren't going to find it another person. This horror trope is revisited multiple times in this series, an alarming number of times actually...and I hand-waved it at the time that I initially watched, but it's kind of hard to now - after well seeing Dollhouse, Angel, Firefly, and The Avengers?
no subject
Date: 2025-04-10 12:33 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2025-04-10 07:23 pm (UTC)John Hughes films don't age well at all. They all have a heavy INCEL trope in them. Pretty in Pink had two or three problematic characters in it. Also, Hughes films all have the nerdy boy feeling entitled to the pretty girl. Judd Apatow also had this issue with his films.
Say what you will about Whedon? But unlike Hughes, at least he was aware of it, and commenting on it. He's not nice to the character of Xander at all. And he kind of sidelined Brendan.
Whedon was to a degree self-aware of his tendency to abuse power and others abuses of it - and commented on it - showing the problematic nature of power.
no subject
Date: 2025-04-10 09:52 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2025-04-10 10:08 pm (UTC)It's amazing how much I hand-waved at the time, because it was just part of the culture and I'd gotten used to it. Pretty in Pink? I loved at the time - I was in college, and had a crush on the male lead (Andrew McCarthy). But I don't remember enough of it - to know what was problematic exactly? I know Ducky was - because I just watched a video in which he smothers the poor female lead and POV character with his yearning for her. Cringe.
no subject
Date: 2025-04-10 10:32 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2025-04-10 11:02 pm (UTC)Thanks.
And so true.
no subject
Date: 2025-04-10 08:43 pm (UTC)Very cool about the Roddenberry Foundation!
no subject
Date: 2025-04-10 10:15 pm (UTC)I think there were writing issues throughout? Also from all reports, Whedon wasn't always adept at communicating what was in his head to the people he was working with. I think Greenwalt's experience and Gail Berman - helped a great deal, and he had a clearer idea of the emotional journey in season 2, also Berman built a wall between him and the network - giving him a bit more leeway and freedom. Also S2 took off in the ratings - so that helped. The addition of Spike and Dru, plus Ms. Calendar, and flipping Angel to Angelus - set the show on fire, and Whedon realized that it worked better when the romantic pairings were at odds, and it was more supernatural soap opera and less Monster of the Week. (Oh sure there were folks who preferred the Monster of the Week format - but they weren't the main audience or target audience. The audience that prefers episodic series doesn't tend to become as emotionally invested, and dips in and out more.)