If I were to answer your question seriously, I would have to tell you that there’s no way it’s not a poster print of Starry Night. But I don’t want to upset us.

So I’m 19 and I’m sitting on the steps of the sheriff trailer at my favorite outdoor concert venue, sobbing, as Tom Petty comes on stage and starts playing Free Falling in the distance. I’ve waited two years to see this concert, but instead of sitting in my seat, singing along, with tears of joy running down my face,…

J

Totally.

I will say this and it’s NOT a defense. They’ve been fired/resigned and that’s absolutely correct. But, I can see how this happened— at least, if there was a diversion tactic and/or if shame made the victims stay quiet. As an adult supervisor on a bus, the back of the bus is just a chaos land. You expect loudness and…

oh no :(

Anyone who couldn’t stand the racism, misogyny, etc got the hell out of my town ASAP and I think that’s why it’s so hopeless up there. The ones who might change the culture can’t really stick around and stay sane. If I visit even for a week it really fucks with my head.

You're right. All of the cities are really segregated which is a huge problem because how education resources are distributed. I think one of the highest achieving public schools in NYS (Brighton) is just four miles away from one of the lowest achieving schools— with something outrageous like only 33% matriculating.

This is a perfect and gross picture of upstate racism. EVERYONE claims they’re not racist if they wouldn’t physically harm someone because of his or her race but then they use the worst slurs, make fun of POC behind their backs AND to their face, and tell you to lighten up— they’re not racist!—if you call them out. Man…

Don’t be confident. There is no call for confidence. Unless you live someone nice where the rest of the state hates you. Like Skaneatles or Manlius or something. But even Canandaigua is getting dicey. And the areas between the lakes— esp the big lakes— can be hell on earth. One sheriff said (off the record, to a…

Same. We had about 5-10% POC in my high school. But you’re right— we would travel around upstate for Club sports and my teammates were like WHAT IS THIS PLACE?!?! Totally shocked by its vast and demoralized existence.

Yeah, I was actually assuming that they weren’t attacked by other students— I don’t know why, blind, baseless faith in magical *~college~*, I guess. And mistrust of Albany in general, since I only ever experience it via the Greyhound station. I’m from the klan-filled hills (more Western NYS though) and can cosign that…

“As black women, we are shocked, upset, but we will remain unbroken.”

You are a part of this great awakening that is so needed, and it’s a movement, and it’s an energy, and it’s a strategy.

Aw man. I taught eighth graders for a year before moving on to older grades and this story really fucking hurts my heart. Thirteen year olds are such magnificent, confused, vibrant, silly human beings. This poor girl.

please tell me this is a real Netflix rumor and not a will-o-the-wisp Netflix rumor

Oh, absolutely— I’m not trying to defend this dude, I was just speaking to question of how you get someone to help you dispose of the body in a case like this. Especially if that friend didn’t know that he met the girl through social media. The accomplice, I can wrap my head around, maybe. (And I think she should 150%…

I saw somewhere else on this thread where someone theorized that maybe she died due to her liver condition accidentally and he panicked and tried to hide the body? I could see him roping a friend in if that were the situation. But even if the most generous reading of the scenario is the case, they’re still both…

That’s really true. He doesn’t seem like a sweet person. But we have this idea (maybe clinically verified, idk? Does anyone? I watched Dexter, that's it...) that if someone tortures animals he is also, like, a murderous psychopath (at least, this is the extreme pole of the assumption). Anecdotally, I knew a lot of…

So depressing but so true.