Looking Back: The Saftey Pin Post-Election Support Group

 

A few weeks after the Presidential Election, things are starting to calm down somewhat. But with both sides screaming that victory for the opposition would bring ruin to the country, there are still some people nervous about what lies ahead. It was much the same eight years ago. In response to Trump's victory in 2016, the head of one Clinton HQ, Evangeline Ling, founded the "Safety Pin" post-election support group, "to provide a safe space for people negatively impacted by the election to process it and to support each other," inviting people over, "if you would like to take some time to process your fears, hopes, and experiences about this election." The Newser would interview her about the group then.

I would message Evangeline a few days ago, asking if the group was back or she knew of another. She would say no, "While 'Safety Pin' as a group no longer exists in reality it certainly exists as a concept." She would say she still thinks Trump is "disastrous," but would rather express her disappointment more privately than in 2016.

If anyone knows of such an existing support group, feel free to contact the Newser.

 

Philip Linden Speaks About Trump Victory

 

There's been more than a little chatter about the results of Tuesday's Presidential Election in the US, of which former President Trump won. Besides being the first President to serve two separate administrations, he's also the first Republican non-incumbent to win the popular vote since 1988. While every election has brought cheers from the supporters of the winners, and some sadness from those who didn't win, Trump's victory has had many Democrats not just worrying, but in outright despair. 

Among those concerned is Philip Rosedale, who would write a commentary suggesting that Trump's election wasn't the real problem, but a symptom of a much larger one: economic inequality is leading people to make more desperate choices at the voting booth. 

... poorer people at some point no longer believe that wealth will ‘trickle down’ fairly from the richer people, and they become more and more distrusting of each other until eventually they are only willing to back candidates who claim they will somehow restore their seat at the economic table and level the playing field. That is where we are right now - we’ve elected a president, for a second time, who has campaigned on the promise that he will restore economic equality.

Rosedale commented that a Harris administration would have been a "'rip the bandaid off' moment," involving much civil unrest and probably some violence, but there would at least be "some reductions in inequality." With Trump in power, he feels while there will be gains, they will be temporary and only going to the wealthiest Americans, "with overall inequality increasing further until some new breaking point is reached."

One can read Philip's commentary in full (here).

On a final note, one should take care when discussing politics, especially when trying to have a reasonable discussion with someone with a different viewpoint. If you say you've been trying to see why a relative with extreme views thinks that way, if they hear it wrong they may think you agree with those views.

Hat tip: Zada Bury

Bixyl Shuftan

And, It's Trump

 

 

Yesterday was Election Day, and following a long campaign with some historic twists and turns, it was now up to the voters to decide the outcome of the Presidential race between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump. While it was expected that the outcome would take at least a few days to resolve, to the surprise of many (myself included), late into the night it was becoming increasingly clear Trump was going to be the winner. He gave a speech thanking those who voted for him. As of now, there has been no comment from Harris yet. 

Looking around, Learning Virtualē had a small exhibit on it's ground floor (above). There was also a Harris Campaign HQ in Star Valley. The place was full of American flags and campaign posters, and a globe that had been turned upside down. 

On Discord and Facebook, there were a number of cheers from Trump fans, "tears of joy!" And a number of less than happy comments from Harris supporters, "I'm going to hide in my room until it's over." From both, there were people praying to God, asking that all be well with the country.

Obviously for those interested in politics, there will be a lot of chatter over the next few days, and weeks. But for others, they're just glad it's over and looking forward to when talk will turn to other subjects.

Bixyl Shuftan

Trump On The Couch

 Taken at Election Night at Book Island. Among the people there gathering to discuss the election was this guy in a Trump avatar, whom occasionally did impressions of the President to poke fun at him. 

More on what happened later. For now, feel free to suggests captions for a possible cartoon in the comments below.

US Election Results: To Be Continued

 

 

It was Election night last evening in Second Life. And at the Election Simulator (above) and other places last night many people gathered to see the results of the polls as they closed. Over time, the results slowly trickled in, and as the hours went on, the crowds thinned as people realized it would not be over soon and logged off to head to bed. As of 2AM SL time, the Electoral College score of declared states is 225 to 213 in favor of Democrat Biden. Several states have yet to be decided, and there are millions of mail-in ballots to read. President Trump has already declared victory. But the general consensus is figuring out the winner will take time.

To be continued.

Bixyl Shuftan

 

Election Day

 

 In the United States, it's Election Day, and time for Americans, at least those whom haven't done so earlier, to vote. It's been a unique election, and while there are always those who feel each election is the one the future of the country depends on, this time more than usual consider this one vital. 

People will likely hang out at one of several locations, such as the Election Simulator (above), one of Second Life's political areas, and even Book Island is offering for those anxious about the election to come and hang out. So who will win, Trump or Biden? We may know sometime tonight.

So go out and vote (if you haven't already), and come and hang out in Second Life.

Bixyl Shuftan

 

 

SL Video: "Second Life Destinations - Election Simulator 2020"

 

From Linden Lab on October 20. Remember the 2020 Election Simulator the Newser wrote about last week? It was just featured in the Second Life Destination Guide. It featured the above video in which creator, Duncan (ABoysPlaceMall Resident), describes the build through voice actor Reverend Quar.

The 2020 Election Simulator

 

America's Presidential Elections are less than a month away.  While the polls can tell us who's ahead among a cross-section of people across the country, in the end it's not just one big contest but fifty-one smaller contests in which their results are counted as electoral votes. At least if things go according to plan. One resident decided to build a "2020 Election Simulator" in the Eyharts sim, to help give people ideas on how it could turn out. The Newser went over to take a look.

Read the story in Design.

Some Political Locations In Second Life

The US Presidential election is just nine weeks away. While many Second Life residents would rather have nothing to do with it, there are a few places supporters of Biden or Trump can hang out at, or the curious can visit. The longtime hangout for the politically liberal, Cafe Wellstone, is still around. For Trump supporters, there's the Trump Pub. There's also a newer location for Democratic supporters, the Blue Revolution HQ.

Read more in Places.

Top Stories of the 2010s, Part Three

The 2010s are over. But as we say goodbye to the decade, there's some looking back at what happened. The Newser has covered much in the past ten years, and we're looking at some of the top stories that made the news and got more attention than most.


Read the third part of the series in Extra.

Breaking News: Hacker Renames Hundreds of Accounts Trump and Clinton

*Update - April Fool's*

In a shocking move, a hacker was somehow able to gain access to Linden Lab's computers and rename several hundred accounts. It is believed he or she was about to seize control of the renaming process and used it to change the names of the residents. There were a number of males in motorcross clubs given names such as "Kissyfur" and "Cuddlebaby." And there were several professors in science groups given insulting names such as "Dunderhead" and "Flatearther." But the majority of the affected residents were accounts that were created after 2010, given the surnames "Trump" and "Clinton." This includes a few dozen in political groups, given the name of the political figure in the party opposite theirs.

Numerous residents have already spoken out in various forums, demanding Linden Lab fix their accounts. Several have already stated they will not return until their accounts are fixed. Linden Lab in response has stated they are considering activating the ability for residents to change their names early, though has not spoken on whether or not the residents affected by the hacking will have their account names restored for free.

For the official statement by Linden Lab, Click Here.

News and Commentary: Linden Lab Among Tech Companies Filing Brief Against Trump's Executive Order On Skilled Worker Visas

By Bixyl Shuftan

In early February, Linden Lab issued a statement concerning President Trump's executive order at the time concerning several Middle Eastern countries. Branded a "Muslim Ban," eventually a judge blocked part of the order and eventually Trump dropped in in favor of a slightly different executive order later on. Recently the White House has found a new target: the H-1B visa program that allows skilled foreign workers to come to America. Linden Lab was among over 150 tech companies to sign a brief sent to the US District Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, calling for the executive order to be blocked.

Congress in 1965 prohibited discrimination in immigration decisions on the basis of national origin precisely so that the Nation could not shut its doors to immigrants based on where they come from — but the Order does just that. Moreover, the President’s authority under the immigration laws must be exercised reasonably, and is limited by the detailed standards enacted by Congress to address a variety of issues, including preventing entry of terrorists into our country. The Order overrides those standards without sufficient justification. Finally, the President lacks authority to impose sweeping, long-term changes on the entire system governing eligibility for entry into the United States by immigrants and non-immigrants; such changes require notice-and-comment procedures conducted by one or all of the Secretary of State, the Attorney General, and the Secretary of Homeland Security.

The brief would also refer to calls on restrictions on immigration in the past, such as a quote by Woodrow Wilson whom criticized immigration from Southern and Eastern Europe saying the people had "neither skill nor energy nor any initiative of quick intelligence." And on laws based to restrict it which were mainly based on prejudice on these people in addition to Asians, Jews, and other groups, such as the Immigration Acts of 1917 and 1924. It branded Trump's new executive order as an abandonment of "the principles that have undergirded U.S. immigration policy for more than half a century," "unlawful," and "substantively unreasonable."

Although some such as Hamlet Au call the order part of the "Muslim ban," the country that benefits most from the program is India, which has a mainly Hindu population. Plus the H-1B visa program has been criticized for quite some time on the grounds of allowing companies to allow businesses to lay off native-born workers in favor of cheaper foreign workers. The most notable recent example of this was when Disney told 250 of it's workers they would soon be laid off and their last assignment would be to train their replacements.

Linden Lab's stake in the H-1B visa program is obvious, being able to attract foreign talent to work with them in the United States. But considering how Islam is so often linked to terrorism, such as the attacks France has suffered in the past few years, and an attack in Fresno California by a convert, those against Trump's executive order may want to pursue a different strategy in persuasion than link it to his effort to limit immigration from certain countries in the Middle East.


Sources: Yahoo News, New York Times, New World Notes, Business Insider, Redcode   

Bixyl Shuftan

Political Update: "Avatars Aganst Trump," Conservative Podcast Goes on Hiatus

It's been a little over a month since the new President's inauguration. But political discussion in Second Life has still been going on. Some residents would rather have nothing to do with politics and it's "poo-flinging shrieking monkeys" to paraphrase one. For others, however, it remains a hot topic.

"Avatars Against Trump," a Flickr group, invites Second Life photographers "to express their opposition to Trump and his policies in screenshots and machinima. ... Get creative, get angry, get ridiculous with in-game signs, sculptures, satire, and more!" As of the writing of this article, various people have submitted over 140 screenshots. Many were dark and humorless pictures, calling for resistance. Adolf Chapman in contrast had an amusing one inspired by a news article about an upcoming cartoon movie, poking fun at Trump's idea of a border wall.

Earlier this week in the Second Life Republicans group, some of whom gather to listen to the "Front Porch Political Talk" conservative podcast, there was an announcement by Hatton Humphrey, known in Second Life as Hatton Hunghi. He was putting his podcast on hiatus.

Those are very difficult words for me to write but I have to. For a number of different reasons the show has, for the moment, run its course. We have always had the goal to provide insight and information from different perspectives and on different issues. The current media and political climate makes achieving that goal week in and week out neigh on impossible. The arguments are repeating themselves and if we continue on the path we're on it turns into either an echo chamber or a broken clock.

Hatton thanked his listeners for their support over the years, his show having gone on since 2007. He expressed his hope to "restart the show some time in the future." He reminded that the show's Facebook page was still up for people to leave comments.

Bixyl Shuftan

Linden Lab Issues Statement on President's Executive Order on Immigration

President Trump's executive order on immigration from several Middle Eastern countries (listed in full in this article from The Guardian), has caused no shortage of debate, inside the United States and out. Yesterday, Linden Lab made the decision to get involved in the debate by issuing this statement.

We at Linden Lab are extremely disappointed in and adamantly opposed to Trump’s recent executive order on immigration. We reject racism, intolerance, and xenophobia.

We are proud to include immigrants among our leadership, colleagues, and customers, as well as our families, friends, and communities. We value diversity, compassion, and understanding, and we are proud that our products enable people to come together and form meaningful connections regardless of differences in their offline lives.

Trump’s order is counter to what we value and antithetical to American ideals. We join the many voices calling on the US government to remove this restriction as quickly as possible and to refrain from imposing additional barriers that threaten opportunities for immigrants, under-represented minorities, and women.

Hamlet Au, whom in the past was under the employ of Linden Lab, praised the statement's choice of words, contrasting them to the "mild and conciliatory" statement issued by Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg, whom expressed concern about "the impact of the recent executive orders," but expressed relief that the President was willing to allow the children of illegal immigrants to stay in the United States.  (statement in full).

Liberals and progressives have mostly condemned the President's executive orders, calling the 90 day moratorium a "Muslim ban," and say it goes against the ideals of what America stands for. Some compared it to when the SS St. Louis with over 900 Jewish refugees fleeing Nazi Germany was denied entry in the United States. While a few conservatives have expressed reservations about the executive order, there has been general agreement among them that a temporary ban on countries where there's a problem with Islamic terrorism is a necessity. Some have pointed out Europe has had numerous problems with it's Muslim refugees, including a number of reports of rape.

It should be noted on the day of Linden Lab's statement, there was a story in the news about a fatal attack on a Denver policeman in which the man arrested was a Muslim. But the man arrested for murder was a native-born convert, not an immigrant, and the mosque he was attending reportedly tried to warn the police the man had been radicalized. Supporters and opponents of the executive order are likely to see the incident very differently.

Sources: The Guardian, Linden Lab, New World Notes, Facebook, ABC News  

Bixyl Shuftan

Inauguration Weekend in Second Life

Last Friday, January 20, was Inauguration Day, when  President Trump was sworn into office. In a few places in Second Life, notably in London City, the new President was celebrated. But not everyone was celebrating. Some artists have responded with protests, and one designer has made available inworld the pink hat worn by the women's rights protestors in real life.

Read more in Events.

Inauguration Day: President Trump

Today is Inauguration Day, when America swears in a new President. While there were people gathered in some places, such as with the Second Life Republicans, the most visible display welcoming in President Trump was at London City, where this colorful display was set up at (79/226/23). Although the election was controversial and filled with high amounts of arguing and rhetoric, the discussion seemed civil when I peeked in (it's possible the Linden nearby helped).

The Newser will have more up later.

Second Life Republicans Podcast Meeting

It's been a wild election year, in real life as well as Second Life. Of those inworld who declared their support for the the conservatives, the most visible this year were the Trump Organization, which ended up getting in trouble. But there is another group: the Second Life Republicans, which gather to discuss the topics of a regular podcast hosted by Hatton Hunghi. Second Life Newser dropped in to have a listen, then have a few words with Hatton.

Read more in People.

Post-Election Support Group For Democrats

It was quite a Presidential election season in the United States this year. While some are happy with the results, and some are just glad it's over and putting politics behind them, others are expressing fear and anger. For those genuinely worried about what changes the election might mean, Evangeline Ling has started a support group. The first meeting was last week, but another one is tonight. Talking to Evangeline, she had a number of things to say.

Read more in People.

Election Night 2016

On Tuesday November 8, after a long Presidential campaign American voters went to the polls. The big issue, who would be the next President: Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton? And back home millions were glued to the TV awaiting election returns. In Second Life, a number gathered at one of a few political-themed locations around the Grid. Second Life Newser was there, and dropped in to check in on the conversations.

Read the story in Events.

And It's ... Trump

Last night was certainly a nail-biter of a Presidential election, the winner not being decided until close to Midnight SL time (3AM EST). But with four states yet to be decided at the writing of this brief, the Electoral College total is 278 to 218 in favor of the Republican Party's nomine Donald Trump. This was something as a surprise as while the polls were a statistical dead head, most showed Clinton slightly ahead. But once again, Trump surprised friend and opponent alike and got a slight lead in the popular and Electoral vote.

At certain places in Second Life, such as the Bay City Clinton HQ and the Trump Pub (pictured above), people gathered to discuss the election and await the results. Over group chats, such as that of my home community the Sunweavers, there was quite a bit of chatter, some cheering, some despairing, and some simply watching the whole thing with fascination. Over my Facebook feed, there were a number of cheers from supporters and many seemingly almost in tears or in rage. Not that many had neutral comments about Trump's victory.

I'll have more to say later. But for now, time for a little rest.

Correction: As the votes came in, Clinton eventually got the lead in the popular vote. But winning the popular vote doesn't get a candidate the Presidency.

Bixyl Shuftan