god the bush fire situation is so fucking devastating as an indigenous person because not only is my home being fucking ravaged by fires and has been for months, but people only seem to care about the animals.
and don't get me wrong, care about the animals! i care about the animals! they're MY native animals, they're part of my culture and home and they're living breathing creatures.
but there's so so so many things in place already to help animals, shelters and charities and sanctuaries, and by all means help them more, but the government does not care about aboriginal australians. shit, scomo doesn't give a flying fuck about anyone who isn't a white cishet able bodied christian.
aboriginal australians are losing our homes, you say people aren't endangered but WE ARE. we make up a tiny percentage of our country, and a vast majority of us live in poverty and unsafe areas. not only are we losing our homes, we're losing our identity, our lives, our families. this land means more to us than it ever will to people crying over the koalas. the koalas mean more to us than they ever will to you.
remember who lived alongside those animals for thousands of years.
there's a million things i could say about why we need help more than the animals, but in the end white people will care more about what's small and fluffy than people of colour, especially people whose land they're living on, right?
Neil Morris Fire Relief Fund for First Nations Communities As Fires have struck the East Coast of this sacred land recently it has lead to s
(id: a picture of the sky clouded with smoke from the bushfires, the top half is black and the bottom half is red and orange, with the sun in the middle. it looks very similar to the aboriginal australian flag, and was taken minutes after sunrise on january 1st.)
Okay, I’m sorry but I just feel so restless about the bushfires, I made a mini-comic. Maybe it will get a few more people to donate. I wish I could do more. Please see http://wires.org.au if you want to help. :(
since people are asking, here’s a list of places you can donate to help the australian bushfires. donating literally $1 means you have done more than our prime minister. (* = can donate internationally; for the other ones you might have to google it)
cfa (VIC firefighters)
rfs (NSW firefighters)*
rfbaq (QLD firefighters)
cfs (SA firefighters)
red cross*
WWF NSW bushfire crisis*
WWF koala crisis* (both WWF links are in aud so use a currency converter if you’re outside aus)
St Vincents NSW (partnership with channel 9)
St Vincents SA
RSPCA NSW
here is a list from the abc (but maybe don’t donate to the salvos bc they suck) (x)
If you want to avoid the big organisations and help the battlers more locally on the ground, here’s an incomplete list. The firefighters are vital and working hard, and some local stations are set up to take donations directly. But if you want a more animal-focused bent (because that’s what I do)…
Mallacoota Wildlife Shelter (koalas and wildlife in the thick of the East Gippsland fires in Victoria right now, bank details on the Jan 2nd post)
Wires.org.au Wildlife rescue
Port Macquarie Koala Hospital, in NSW.
Adelaide Koala and Wildlife Hospital, in South Australia (coping it hard since Xmas day)
Currumbin Wildlife Hospital, in SE Queensland.
Ipswich Koala Protection Society, in Queensland.
Koalas in Care (NSW, takes paypal)
Vets Beyond Borders is a large organization which will accept donations, and also coordinated AVERT - the Australian Veterinary Emergency Response Team. Vets, vet nurses and vet techs can register as volunteers there.
And there are other organizations that can be helped in other ways.
Medical Pantry, a collective which gathers unused or surplus medical supplies for redistribution. They will be helping supply what they can.
If you have space in your home, Airbnb Open Homes lets you register your home for displaced people or relief workers to offer them accommodation.
There are fodder drops being organized for livestock in affected areas but…well, some of these areas are not accessible yet and nobody’s quire sure what’s alive down there. But there will be a need for fodder and agistment paddocks for horses and livestock.
Some shelters or vet hospitals will also need things like feed/waterbowls and dog crates to house wildlife. A local organisation might have a pickup point near you, or some clinics will have staff registered to go as volunteers when asked.
In addition, some local knitters/sewers/crafters guild will be turning old cotton and flannelette material into pouches and wraps for injured wildlife. If you’ve got a local group, see what they’re doing and what you can donate out of the cupboards. I know Wonderground in South East Melbourne has a sewing day this Sunday (5thof Jan) and they are local to me, but see which groups are local to you.
This is the most up-to-date list of crafted products required that I have at the moment.
if you're american refrain from the wwiii jokes because you havent been and you wont be the ones bearing the brunt of the violence and have only benefited from America's imperial aggression. You look stupid
and, if you're a white american, don't resign yourself to nihilism and decide there's nothing you can do.
the number of hate crimes committed by racist, islamophobic, xenophobic bigots in the US goes up when the government and big media outlets push war propaganda against middle eastern countries.
do not abet bigotry by refusing to act when you see someone being harassed, attacked, or threatened.
Here’s what’s happening in Australia at the moment.
For some context:
Mallacoota is a tourist town, usual population is a little over 1000, but at peak tourist times, it can be as high as 8000.
There was an estimated 4000 there today, when the extreme heat, peaking at 49C/120F, combined with high winds, to spark a large, intense fire in the bushland around the area. This pretty much blocked off all ways out of the town, leading to all 4000 people being evacuated to the beach, with the emergency plan basically being “If the fire comes this way, get in the water”
Thankfully, the wind did change direction, and as far as I’ve heard, most of the town was spared, but this is how bad the drought, heat, and fire situations have become in australia.
And our government still refuses to make solid policies on climate change.
You’re sitting at a cafe with your friend when suddenly a woman walks in with a toy poodle in her purse. The manager at the counter informs her “I’m sorry, but we do not allow dogs”. She replies with a heavy sigh and a “She’s a service dog. She can come with me”. Not knowing much about service dog law, and worrying about getting sued for asking further questions, he sits this woman down at a booth. There, she promptly unzips her purse and places the dog on the booth seat next to her. When the woman’s food comes out, the little dog begs and she feeds her bits off her plate. This dog is not public access trained, and proceeds to bark at those who walk by. This dog is a nuisance and causes many in the restaurant to complain. The manager cannot do anything but inform the unhappy customers that this is a service dog, so he can’t ask her to leave. In the end, it’s the customers who end up leaving.
Now I walk in with my highly trained service dog pressed against my leg in a perfect heel position, and I’m quickly bombarded by the manager telling me “No dogs! No dogs! We ALL know what happened last time”. Confused, I tell him “This is my medical alert and medical response service dog. Her right to accompany me is protected under federal law.” With a sigh, he seats me at a table far away from others where my dog promptly tucks under my feet, out of sight. When my food arrives my dog is still tucked tightly under the table because she knows she’s not supposed to eat when she’s on duty. She stays there ignoring those who walk past for the remainder of my meal. When we leave, a woman by the door exclaims “Woah, I didn’t know there was a dog here!”
See the difference?
Scenario number two occurs at a local grocery store when a man decides to bring his certified emotional support animal into the store with him. Upon entering he flashes a fancy ID card and certification papers. This dog is not as unruly as the first, but he still forges ahead of his handler, sniffs the food on display, and may seek attention from those who walk past. You find this dog adorable, and when he and his owner walk past you ask to pet him. The owner says yes and explains how all he had to do was go online, register his dog, and a few weeks later they sent him a vest, ID card, and certification papers.
Now I pull into the same grocery store. I’m in a rush to get an ingredient for a dish I’m making so I hurry into the store with my service dog next to me. I’m quickly stopped by a manager who demands to see my service dog’s certification card. Remember, this is NOT required by law, and most real service dog teams don’t have them. After 15 minutes of trying to educate, pulling up the ADA website on my phone, back and forth bickering, and drawing more of a crowd than I want to describe… I’m finally allowed in. I grab my ingredient, stand in line (where my service dog obediently moves between my legs to make space for those around me), and I get bombarded by people asking to pet my dog. I explain that she’s working, she has a very important job to do, and she’s not allowed to be pet while on duty. People walk away grumbling and complaining about how rude I was when other handlers like the man they met earlier allow their dog to be pet.
Moral of the story? Fake service dogs create real problems. The ones who are impacted the most are the true service dog handlers who rely on their dogs every day to help mitigate their disability. How would you feel if everywhere you went, you couldn’t make it 10 feet in the door because people were asking you questions? Imagine how much time that would take out of your already hectic day. Businesses lose customers because word gets out that there are unruly dogs in their store, customers become misinformed and start thinking some of these behaviors are okay, some people even start to believe the lies that anyone can just register their dog online and make him a service dog. The result? MORE fake service dogs. MORE real problems.
People listen.....the amount dead in the Abacos and Grand Bahama Islands is possible to be in the thousands despite Bahamian goverment officials claiming lower. Please keep the islands in your thoughts, this is thousands of people who are going through unimaginable things. If you know what it’s like to live after a monstrous hurricane, have some compassion for our neighbors. Florida was extremely lucky to not have been hit by that storm and it’s our duty to help the Bahamas, our friends, family and neighbor, as they’ve helped us before. Not to mention, Florida has an unbreakable bond, history and historic debt to the Bahamas.
Realize that many dead bodies in recently flooded areas will make people still in disaster zones extremely sick, there are babies and little children that are reported being sick by survivors who have live streamed videos.
Survivors have witnessed bodies floating and bodies strewn about in debris. (Video is not graphic, it’s a woman talking about seeing it all and her and her family’s experience during the storm).
There is no water in one Hospital in Freeport (September 8th 2019)
People are still stranded and there are hundreds missing in the Abacos
Claims of homicide rates ‘rising’ (unconfirmed) by some via live-streams (Edited 9/10/19): as prior I used the word ‘skyrocketed’ as directly mentioned by some Bahamians in live-streams, however that’s an exaggeration and mistake on my part, thank you to the Bahamians who corrected that).
Recently, Bahamian evacuees from Abaco and Grand Bahama have been denied entry to the US if they don’t have visas which is unusual if you’re from Florida and know the mutual lax travel between the Bahamas and Florida/the US, usually they just “need passports and printed police records” if flying but because all airports are shutdown, the only options is via ferry. This was CBP’s response. UPDATE: (9/10/19) latest information from CBP courtesy of Brian Entin.
Reports of Oil spills in Grand Bahama
Undocumented Haitians in the Bahamas have been mistreated on the islands for years, many of them reside in the Abacos. Many Bahamians speculate this is the reason why the Bahamas goverment is giving inaccurate numbers of deaths. Many Haitians are being scapegoated of looting in Abaco. (Note: Antihaitianismo, although commonly tied to the DR, is a common thing throughout ALL of the Caribbean and Florida. Read more about that here and here.)
residents of Abaco islands send aid to Grand Bahamas
Where to send supplies/ monitory donations:
Bahamas Hurricane Relief (Monitary donations) NOTE: put pressure on the cruise line industry and Caribbean hotel industries, harass them. They’re vile, leechy scum. they should not be asking for donations. they have profited COUNTLESS amounts of money from Bahamas tourism and tourism to other Caribbean islands. It’s APPALING what they’re doing and are barely giving the bare minimum. Royal Caribbean and Disney Cruises especially.
Miami-Dade Cares (for drop off locations in Miami Dade only. They have other links for monetary donations.)
National Association of the Bahamas (if you want to send money, run by Bahamians living in the Miami Metro Area)
Bahamas Strong (If you live in Miami Metro Area only. emergency and primary supplies only, no monitary donations. Note: do not donate to the Red Cross, they provide a link to the Bahamas RC.)
Food for the Poor (Broward County)
HeadKnowles (link below)
If any Haitians on the island or Florida/other diaspora know sources on how to help the Haitian community in the Bahamas, please include any!
I know Puerto Ricans and Virgin Islanders especially are also wanting to help the Bahamas and are watching this news closely, please put information down below.
Who to follow currently for news updates (Twitter):
NEMA Bahamas
Jacqueline Charles
Brian Entin
Patricia Mazzei
Frances Robles
David Begnaud
Danny Rivero
(I know I’ve linked a video from Bahamas Press, however, some of their reports seem to be incorrect. Also a few of their videos are very inflammatory/hateful towards Haitians.)
Bahamians, if you have any reporters from your country you want to add, please do so. Most of the ones I put here are south Floridians/Southern US and Caribbean journalists who primarily cover hurricanes.
Here’s a map of the Bahamas so y’all know where the areas were impacted most (The Abacos and Grand Bahama island. I remember seeing some people from southern islands say they were impacted too but I can’t find much info unfortunately).
🚨ATTENTION IF YOU LIVE IN SOUTH FLORIDA🚨:
Most major schools are doing donation drives. go check out your local elementary/middle/high schools, community college or university’s Student Life center. Idk if other parts of Florida are doing these drives, but I would recommend asking, please.
In Miami-Dade County: all fire stations are accepting primary supplies. Broward, Monroe and Palm Beach counties: I suggest you check if your fire stations are doing the same. Here is a list of all the places accepting primary care donations in Miami Dade.
Lia Head-Rigby HeadKnowles :: Hurricane Relief :: #Dorian A little background info; what started out as a small group of people on the Face
Thank you to @houseofangelus @bahamabhava and @michaelitaliano for the corrections and link!
One more thing: the Bahamas is not part of either the US or the UK so stop making those stupid ass comments you geography incompetent clowns.
FUERZA BAHAMAS!! 🇧🇸
[Date of post: 9th of September 2019]
[Edited 10th of September 2019]
If you are Bahamian, please, I encourage you to add on to or correct any information provided, it would be much appreciated. If you have any concerns, of anything or anyone spoken here, please voice them and I will fix it immediately.
not to be that person but #savespiderman and all other relevant hashtags are trending top 10 worldwide on twitter but #prayforamazon or anything about the amazon fire is getting nowhere near the attention of the custody battle of a fictional character is getting, the amazon forest is the earth’s largest eco system, it literally is the lung of the planet and the forest is on fire for 16 days straight and we only know about it like today like can we get our priority straight,,,
Let's draw attention to the fact that the 800 year old stone building with all of it's historical treasures stored away in safes beneath the ground had it's roof burn.
Let's draw attention to the nature of genocide and cultural assimilation and how a holy cite is being desecrated because it's a convenient place to put a replaceable machine.
Let's draw attention to the fact that the fire fo Notre Dam was literally Nothing to be concerned about because the architects that built it used stone for this Exact Fucking Reason and how entire cultures are in the process of being silently extinguished in the background.
vaporwave
titsay
romaincrisis
pixelskylines
