In memory of Auntie Theldine

 Last week, Thelldine  Wegesend (aka Auntie Thelldine), passed away on her 70th birthday after months of dealing with cancer. 

She was married to my Uncle Warren (who is the brother to my mother) and had 6 children.  While my mother's side is Puerto Rican, Portuguese & German, Auntie Thelldine was Native Hawaiian. 

Uncle Warren & Auntie Thelldine raised their 6 kids out in Waianae, which is as far away from where I was growing up (Kalihi, in urban Honolulu) as you could get within this island.  Our families will sometimes take long rides to visit each other. 

Uncle Warren & Auntie Thelldine later moved to Mililani, which is on the other side of the mountains but a totally different world from Waianae.  

They were members of the Church of Jesus Christ & Latter-Day Saints (LDS).  I know some of her grandchildren did missions for the church in various places around the world. 

As an adult, I haven't interacted with them much except in family reunions (which happens circa every 6 - 8 years), and on Facebook (though she didn't say much there in recent years). 

The last time I saw Auntie Thelldine was at my grandma's funeral in November 2019. 

http://pablowegesend.blogspot.com/2019/11/grandmas-funeral.html

And before that, the last time I saw her was in 2013 at her house in Mililani! That was at a family reunion visiting several relatives who live on that side of the island.

Even though my interactions with her over the years have been very limited, I will always remember her being very nice to me.  That would be the most important memory of all. 

Rest in Peace Auntie Thelldine.

Former students and a tragedy on Kalākaua Avenue

I have been working in the education industry from 2005 to 2020, the bulk of that time as a substitute teacher (2005-2018).  

It is inevitable that sooner or later, you will see your students in the news for either good or bad.

Last week Monday (4/05/2021), it was for a bad reason.

After an alleged robbery attempt, police saw a car believed to be involved in that case and it was on. A car chase ensued with it ending on Kalākaua Avenue with the police shooting 2 (1 dead, 1 injured).

 “Honolulu Police Fatally Shoot Teen, 2 Others Injured in Mccully Following Chase,” Honolulu Star-Advertiser, April 05, 2021,  https://www.staradvertiser.com/2021/04/05/breaking-news/honolulu-police-shut-down-portion-of-kalakaua-avenue/.

Lynn Kawano, “Crime Spree Leading up to Deadly Police Shooting Spanned Several Days,” Hawaii News Now, April 6, 2021, https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/2021/04/07/crime-spree-leading-up-deadly-police-shooting-spanned-several-days/.

“'He was just a boy': Family of the 16-year-old boy killed in an officer-involved shooting speaks out,” KITV, April 6, 2021, https://www.kitv.com/story/43616029/he-was-just-a-boy-family-of-the-16yearold-boy-killed-in-an-officerinvolved-shooting-speaks-out.

Leila Fujimori, “Family, Friends Mourn Teen Suspect Killed by Honolulu Police,” Honolulu Star-Advertiser, April 08, 2021, https://www.staradvertiser.com/2021/04/08/hawaii-news/family-friends-mourn-teen-killed-by-honolulu-police/.

“'Suspects in officer-involved shooting targeted several victims prior, one victim speaks out',” KHON, YouTube video, April 06, 2021, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSxjJAb4afI.

This was what I noted on Facebook the day after

On the police shooting on Kalakaua Avenue yesterday, 2 of the names of the suspects involved (including the one that was shot) were familiar names from back when I was a substitute teacher. I've meet them at different schools that were miles apart and didn't know they were affiliated together. They were difficult to deal with, but with all students, you always hope they mature as they reach adulthood. It's been years since I last seen them.

I have no comment on whether the police shooting was justified as the issue is still under investigation.

A tragedy for all the families involved! 

The person that was shot and killed by police was a 16-year old boy named Iremamber Sykap.

Another person involved in that case, but wasn't shot, but was arrested was a 22-year old man named Kealii Fernandez.

Both were students that I have worked with as a substitute teacher. Both stood out because they had behavior problems above and beyond their peers.   They did have their good moments, I just wish I experienced it more often. 

I met Iremamber Sykap back when he was a student at Kaʻewai Elementary School, located in Kalihi Valley. The school is located near Kalihi Valley Homes (aka Kam IV), a well-known government-subsidized housing project for low-income residents. 

Sykap was usually defiant towards even simple directions, and even twice stepped to me like he wanted to fight me, even though I was much taller than him. After-school, I noticed him wrestling a student who pleaded him to stop. When I told him to stop, Sykap stepped to me like he wanted to fight.  He left, brought his friends as if he wanted to intimidate me (him & like 6  upper-elementary kids who wanted to be entertained by a conflict between student and teacher) and I yelled at him to leave the classroom. He left while imitating the way I yelled at him. The principal was later informed. I don't know how he handled the situation afterward as it was then in his control.

Fast forward a few years, Sykap was enrolled in nearby Dole Middle School and he visited the Kaʻewai campus after-school to pick up his relatives. He was actually nice when he came by to visit.  I wished he was that nice when he was in my class, but as they say, better late than never. That was the last time I saw Sykap. 

The other former student involved in that case, Kealii Fernandez was a student at Jarrett Middle School.  The school is located in Palolo Valley, which is a few miles from Kalihi but also has its own government-subsidized housing project for low-income residents (Palolo Valley Homes). 

Fernandez was also constantly defiant towards simple requests to follow rules.  I'm usually real chill, but the misbehavior in the class was so much even after multiple pleadings to behave properly, that I started to yell at the students. Fernandez then said to me "what? you think you're tough just because you yell?" Security was called but never came (the school was understaffed, only had one security personnel at the time), but things eventually chilled down without security involvement.  Later, we did have a good conversation about the video we watched in class about nutrition and the side effects of eating too much junk food. When that was going on, I was thinking "why couldn't he be more like that more often?".  Later on, one of the students said that he loved me as a teacher, and Fernandez said "that is so gay". I reminded him that not all expressions of love between males are sexual in nature and that fathers, uncles, grandfathers all can express love to their male relatives and there's nothing "gay" about that. I should've added the famous Jerry Seinfeld quip "not like there's anything wrong with that"

All those interactions with Sykap and Fernandez were years ago.  What I wrote is not the most flattering portrayals but it is honest and gives a context of how their problems even then, when not fixed, can lead to tragic outcomes later in life.

But also know this, like Sykap and Fernandez, I too have lived in public housing complexes (mine was Lanakila Housing in Kalihi) and I didn't want to leave when my parents had to vacate because their income became too high to be eligible to stay there.  Ghetto life isn't just something I read about, it is my lived experience. 

Though I grew up making inappropriate comments for the sake of being funny (though not everyone laughed, especially when I entered middle school), I eventually wised up and matured into adulthood. I was good in most subjects (except math and PE) so I had some avenue towards success. I was also too afraid of drugs and violence.  I guess you could call me a "ghetto nerd". 

I became a substitute teacher hoping to make at least some small positive difference in students' lives.  I think I did well for the most part, but sometimes, I've let my anger get the best of me. Because of my anger, I might've made some students who were already jaded with the education system even more jaded than before.  That might've been the case in my interactions with Sykap and Fernandez. 

======

Because Sykap is of Micronesian ancestry (more specifically, Chuukese), and because he was killed by police, this has brought up discussions of racism towards Micronesians.

On social media, whenever an incident involves Micronesian suspects, there are way more racist comments than would've appeared if the incident involved Asian, Polynesian, or European suspects.  Notice that there aren't as many racist comments regarding Kealii Fernandez (who I believe to be a mix of Native Hawaiian and Latino or Portuguese ancestries) who was also involved in that incident. 

At both Kaʻewai and Jarrett, there were many wonderful students of Micronesian and Polynesian ancestries.  Many of whom didn't have the extreme behavior problems exhibited by Sykap and Fernandez. 

It breaks my heart when people make negative stereotypes about Micronesians and Polynesians.

I even had to put it in writing to certain people that "either you stop making negative comments about those groups or I will end all social interactions with you!"

Or in the case of when I was working as a Library Assistant at Kalākaua Middle School, I notified the administration about the racist comments head librarian Natalie Lum made about Micronesians. She had double standards about incidents involving Micronesians versus incidents involving Filipinos (majority group at the school) or Polynesians.  You can read more about this issue at

https://pablowegesend.blogspot.com/2020/08/restrain-this.html

and https://pwegesen.wixsite.com/kalakaua-ms-library

also, in case you have time for half-hour videos https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRAFh9VkC34 

 

While Hawaii's version of the Alt-Right (which also includes Asian & Hawaiian bigots) continues to make racist comments, Hawaii's version of the Radical Left thinks they're helping the oppressed by minimizing the seriousness of the crimes that Sykap, Fernandez and their crew were involved in.  These crimes put innocent people in harm's way. They threatened people into giving up personal possessions. They have caused trauma to others that might not heal.

 Victims who have gone public include some Southeast Asians, people who would've gained more sympathy if their attackers were Europeans. When European-descendants attack Asians (as in the case of the Atlanta shooting), we see hashtags of #StopAsianHate. But when Asians are attacked by non-Europeans, the "Woke" want to change the subject ASAP! 

As for the police shooting itself,  body camera footage still hasn't been released to the public. The longer it takes to be shown to the public, the more suspicious it becomes! This shows that police might have something to hide.

Leila Fujimori, “Honolulu Police Department Reviewing Body Camera Footage of Fatal Shooting,” Honolulu Star-Advertiser, April 7, 2021, https://www.staradvertiser.com/2021/04/07/hawaii-news/hpd-reviewing-body-camera-footage-of-fatal-shooting/.

Police usually can only shoot in defense of selves or others. They cannot shoot those who are running away! They cannot shoot those who are just being nonviolently defiant! 

Regardless of how bad Sykap, Fernandez and their crew were behaving, it doesn't make police immune to being held responsible for their actions. 

=======

Life shouldn't be either/or.  

We can hold the surviving members of Sykap, Fernandez & crew accountable for their actions while also demanding that police be accountable for their actions.

We can hold the surviving members of Sykap, Fernandez & crew accountable for their actions while also denouncing racist comments that are made about people of their ethnicities. 

We can grieve for the death of Iremamber Sykap while also grieving for those victimized by his crime spree. 

We can honor the positives that Sykap & Fernandez brought to people's lives while encouraging the next generations to not make the same mistakes they made. 

We can honor the good that the police have done while demanding accountability when police have done something wrong. 

We can note the positive impact our educational system has on our youth while also noting that it could've done a better job with Sykap, Fernandez & crew.  

=================

But also know this: there are no easy answers to any of this!  The world is just too complicated for easy answers that fit into a slogan.

 

1 year ago: little did we know, it will be the last time

 One year ago today, was Friday the 13th. It was the last day of the 3rd quarter and Spring Break was about to begin.  I was a Library Assistant at Kalākaua Middle School.

 It was the week when the sports world has started to shut down tournaments, seasons, you name it!

At the time, I thought it was all overkill. I mean, we've been through the news cycles surrounding SARS, H1N1, Zika, Ebola. I thought "here we go again, it will just fade away like those other viruses". 

Don't get me wrong, we were taking precautions that week.  I was wiping door handles, chairs, tables & more, all throughout the library.  Students & faculty were reminded to wash & sanitize their hands. 

But still, most of us just assumed that students will return to school right after Spring Break, just like normal, just that this time, we'll nag them more about washing their hands. 

Wednesdays were usually early release days for students so that faculty could have their meetings after-school in the library. But that week, we had no faculty meeting because the library was being prepped for the school's honor society induction ceremony for new members later in the evening.  The ceremony went as normally scheduled, though I could hear whispers of "it's because of the virus" when the vice-principal did fist-bumps instead of handshakes to the new inductees. 

Friday the 13th however, there were more announcements of cancellations.

I was in the library's restroom when I heard the school's intercom. I could barely hear it in there so I didn't know what was said. 

A few minutes later, morning recess started. I expected the normal routine of students coming to the library to borrow books, do computer work or assist me in circulation.  But then a large group of students came in all at once wearing the T-Shirts for the school's hip-hop dance crew (Dancers DeeLite). Because I didn't really hear the intercom's announcement, I didn't know they were all to meet at the library during morning recess. While there, the vice-principal announced that their upcoming event was canceled. There were literally tears coming out of the student's eyes when that was announced. That shows how much the event meant to them. To them, the dance crew wasn't just something to do, it was a way of life. 

The library's student helpers were watching all of that being announced and they felt sad for the dance crew too!

As for Dancers DeeLite, they did a performance outside during lunch recess. I could hear the music from within the library, which had fewer students than normal inside.

Also during lunch recess that day, I was talking to the library student helpers and I said "only now I realized it's Friday the 13th, no wonder why things are so weird today". 

 I still remember which students were helping at morning recess and lunch recess that day. 

I developed a close bond with those student library helpers. I was like a mentor to them, a trusted adult on campus. 

And the sad thing about that day is that little did we know, it would be the last time! 

 The last time me and those student library helpers will ever see each other.

==============

During Spring Break, I was on campus to help organize incoming books headed for a classroom, work on temp ID's, as well as sanitize the library. Then in the middle of the week (3/18/2020), it was announced that all non-essential state workers were to stay home. The lockdown has officially started.

For the entire 4th quarter, the schools were shut-down and all instruction was done either online or through worksheet packets. 

While I had a strong bond with the library student helpers, my relations with the head librarian were strained beyond repair. At the end of the school year, I decided I would be better off leaving the position. I already blogged about the issue at https://pablowegesend.blogspot.com/2020/08/restrain-this.html

While I am glad to be away from the head librarian, the saddest part was that I never had the chance to say goodbye to the library student helpers in person.  There's a possibility I might never see them again.

When it is their time, I might attend their high school graduation. Most of the students from Kalākaua Middle School transition to Farrington High School.  Since it's hard to predict the future, you never know who might end up going to a different school by the time their senior year rolls around.  And even if I do attend, I might not be able to find everyone that I expect to be there. And if I do find them, will they remember who I am, since so much life has happened for them that I might be a faded memory for them.

Maybe we've been so traumatized by the coronavirus crisis that they still might restrict the number of people gathering for the graduation even a few years from now. 

But then again, I've worked as a substitute teacher for 13 years and sometimes former students come up to me at random times & places. At times, they had to tell me their name because they have grown so much that I didn't even recognize them.  That might be the case for the library student helpers from Kalākaua Middle School. 

Speedy Gonzales and Latin@ stereotypes

 Now that the estate of Dr. Seuss has withdrawn 6 titles from further publication due to the appearance of non-woke characters, there have been further conversations about old cartoon characters. 

NY Times opinion writer Charles Blow wrote about that issue and ignited further controversy over his criticism of Speedy Gonzales being a stereotype of Mexican culture.

link to that article:https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/03/opinion/suess-books-race-bias.html

copyright: Warner Brothers

However, many people of Mexican & other Latin American ancestries love Speedy Gonzales. 

https://notthebee.com/article/it-was-more-than-just-pepe-le-pew-new-york-times-columnist-went-after-speedy-gonzales-too-and-his-failure-was-epic

https://remezcla.com/culture/latinos-debate-speedy-gonzales-a-racist-caricature/

https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/gabriel-iglesias-cancel-culture-defending-speedy-gonzales-space-jam-sequel

We don't want "woke" saviors trying to save us from cartoon characters. Our cultures emphasize having a sense of humor about ourselves.  Even if the character was based on a stereotype, we don't take that stuff personal.

I was talking about this issue with my older brother, who has been to Mexico more than me, and we both agreed that Speedy Gonzales wasn't something to be offended about. We also criticized the over-reactions to other cartoon characters from the Loony Tunes and the Simpsons.

If you want to talk about stereotypes, I think realistic fiction movies like "Blood In, Blood Out" contribute to way more misunderstanding about Mexican culture than some cartoon character. Don't get wrong, we need movies like that to represent life for some Mexican-Americans in the barrios of California.

 However, being in Hawaii, I noticed that the movie "Blood In, Blood Out" is popular among Pacific Islanders, but some of them have the mistaken assumption that the movie represents the culture of the average Mexican. When they find out my dad is from Mexico, they assume he would talk & dress like the characters from that movie! HELL NO! The Mexican side of my family is from Oaxaca, which is FAR from the US-Mexico border.  They don't use words like "ese" or "vato", and they don't drive lowriders or wear khakis!   But the funny thing is that if you tell those same Pacific Islanders that Polynesians and Micronesians are the same, they will get offended! (Don't get me wrong: I got nothing but love for the Pacific Islanders, and a lot of them have been a blessing to my life! I just got to let them know that movie isn't my family's reality!)

As for the Puerto Rican side of my family, a few months before my grandmother died, we were watching one of the TV stations that played old movies. It was one of those John Wayne's western movies. While we were watching, my grandma said she loved seeing those Latino characters in John Wayne's movies .  

My mind was thinking "the woke activists of today would have a fit about the way those Latino characters are portrayed in those old films" 

But the important thing is that: my grandma and her generation has been through so much struggles growing up that minor issues like the "wokeness" of fictional characters are of ZERO importance to them. Even with all the traumas my grandma has been through, she also had a sense of humor about herself and would laugh along with whatever Latin@ characters would be on TV, even if it wouldn't pass the "wokeness" test of today!  

Happy pics don't erase the fact you're traumatized

 In a recent  blog post, I mentioned this

https://pablowegesend.blogspot.com/2021/02/journalist-and-friends-who-insist-on.html

I also had "friends" who are on the opposite extreme. These "friends" want me to be silent about traumas at all times. They tell me "let it go, don't let it get to you" . Yet, when I point out their hypocrisies, they act all hurt and called my other friends acting all traumatized because I pointed out these hypocrisies.

and

Actually, I did blog about that one "friend" who advised me to not blog about my past traumas . At the time, I mentioned his name.  He then called my other friends in emotional distress, which is more proof of his hypocrisy. I took down that blog post in hopes we could reunite in the 20th year reunion. He didn't show up! 

But he did write blog posts expressing emotional distress about my blog posts expressing disagreement with him (nevermind that he advised me not to blog about my traumas) though he didn't mention my name. I took the high road by not adding fuel to the fire. But if he does respond to this, I can guarantee more fuel! 

The funniest part of that person's blog was his blog post called "The Traumatized Chronicles " in which he posted pictures of vacations, friends, and reunions to somehow prove that he wasn't traumatized when I blogged about his hypocrisies!   Even funnier was some of those photos were taken BEFORE I traumatized him with my expose of his hypocrisies. 

In other words, if you were traumatized in 2013, photos from a 2009 reunion and a 2008 vacation with friends in no way disproved that you were traumatized in 2013. 

And you can post all kinds of party pics, take fantastic vacations all over the world & win awards from the years after, that doesn't disprove you were traumatized in 2013!

I extended an olive branch by inviting that person to a reunion in 2014 & 2019 ---- he didn't show up to either one! If he did, I would've said "hi", shake his hand and we could've ended the whole beef right there! 

In 2024, he'll be invited again, that's if the pandemic is over!  We can shake hands, talk story and take some cool party pics. It may not erase past traumas, but it will finally show that he can practice what he preaches and prove that he can truly "let it go"! 

Open the Unemployment Insurance office already

Nobody was ready for the pandemic and errors were inevitable. But most institutions have been able to adjust over the last 12 months.

Hawaii's Unemployment Insurance (UI) office was uniquely unprepared, and it wasn't only because of the increasing demand for their services. It's one thing for an institution to be understaffed during emergency situations. But it's magnified when the institution hasn't updated their computer system in decades.! Their database was based on a 1980's era computer system that wasn't meant for a 21st century world

learn more at https://www.civilbeat.org/2020/05/how-an-antiquated-it-system-failed-thousands-of-hawaiis-unemployed/

Understandably, the UI office was closed to the public when the coronavirus crisis hit our shores.

But over time, they should've been able to figure out how to accommodate the public, especially when dealing with clients who may not have internet access at home! Especially when almost nobody has the time or patience to call an overwhelmed call center!

But the most insulting excuse for not reopening the UI office to the public was the fear of angry clients coming in.

https://www.staradvertiser.com/2021/02/20/hawaii-news/state-makes-big-dent-in-jobless-claim-backlog/

And it’s unlikely that state labor officials will open their offices for in-person visits for people seeking additional help anytime soon, even though Hawaii is vaccinating essential state workers. The department’s director remains concerned that local offices would be overwhelmed by thousands of angry, unemployed residents, imperiling her employees’ safety.

This got me writing a letter to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser which got published in today's edition

https://www.staradvertiser.com/2021/02/25/editorial/letters/letters-ui-offices-must-open-for-in-person-assistance/

The state’s unemployment insurance (UI) office remains closed to the public due to worries about angry UI applicants showing up (“Hawaii makes big dent in jobless claim backlog, but the call center remains overwhelmed,” Star-Advertiser, Feb. 20).

Well, what do officials think retail employees have been dealing with this whole time? They are confronted by angry customers all the time, yet the stores still open. Meanwhile, many unemployed people lack access to computers and are having their mental health affected by calling the UI phone that almost never gets answered.

Those people need in-person services. The UI office had months to plan how to install Plexiglass, implement social distancing procedures and hire security officers, all to assist unemployed residents who need assistance ASAP.

It’s time for the state to stop making excuses and start living in the real world everyone else lives in, and open the UI offices already.

Pablo Wegesend

Right after I emailed that letter, I realized I forgot to mention an important point: Continuing to keep the UI office closed to avoid angry people WILL ONLY CREATE MORE ANGER from the public! 

People want solutions and they are tired of waiting! They are angry that they are out of a job, out of money to survive, and out of hope! 

And even worse, THEY ARE ANGRY that the very people that are supposed to help them are unavailable!

THEY ARE ANGRY that they have to waste hours on the phone trying to call someone who might not answer!

THEY ARE ANGRY because they can't afford computers or smartphones to email their concerns, and THEY ARE ANGRY at this elitist snobbery that expects everyone to have the latest iPhone or iPad,  nevermind that the reason they need help is that they have difficulty affording food and shelter, and therefore not even able to get the latest gadgets!

And most importantly, THEY ARE EVEN MORE ANGRY NOW because UI is running away from the people instead of running to help the people!

And the most important thing to know about anger is that if the problem is not solved, THAT ANGER WILL  GROW AND GROW AND GROW! When that anger grows, it becomes very dangerous!

If the UI office had reopened to the public last November, that anger from the public would have calmed down by now! 

Had the UI office reopened last November (let's say the 2nd of the month, since it was a Monday), yes the first few days would've been rough with the angry clients. But after a few weeks, more people would've had their issues resolved, and therefore less angry people coming in. The amount of angry people will be less than before. Things would've been a little more chill by now (late February 2021) had the UI office reopened months ago!

But because the UI office insists on being closed, the anger among the people will continue to grow, bringing in more rage once the office actually opens! 

====

And get this, almost every other institution adjusted to the new reality. I currently work at a fashion retail store, we had to adjust our ways. We implemented social distancing measures, we implemented outbreak prevention measures (for example, I'm the one who wipes all the high-touch points throughout the store), we implemented curbside pickup, we accommodate delivery workers from DoorDash, we do returns/exchanges in one location, and much much more.

Do we get unreasonable angry customers at times? Definitely. We've seen entitled customers having a meltdown over simple requests for identification, being notified that we ran out of gift boxes, and even requests to follow covid-19 guidelines. But because we have been open for months, most customers are chill because we don't fear dealing with their issues in person, we embrace dealing with their issues in person.  And many times, the customers leave the store happier than they were when they came in. 

One thing that the UI office needs to learn is this: We can't run away from our problems all the time. Time to stop being scared, start being brave, and start working with the people! 

Did I contradict myself on de-platforming & cancelling

 Earlier this month, I had a blog post about de-platforming people from social media

https://pablowegesend.blogspot.com/2021/02/on-de-platforming-social-media-users.html

one of my quotes from the blog post

As for me personally, I'd rather not advocate de-platforming anyone. I want the voices of others (especially the voices I hate) to be available so that we can keep track of them. 

and

So I say let the bad guys talk on social media. Censoring them isn't going to make them go away! 

And more importantly, the solution to bad uses of speech is to make good use of speech.

Deplatforming is a lazy way to act like your opponents don't exist! It "protects" you from actually working on your talking points! 

But wait a minute, a few months earlier, I advocated that 98.5  fire the Wake-Up Crew for their repulsive humor

https://pablowegesend.blogspot.com/2020/11/fire-985-wake-up-crew.html

For too long, the people of Hawaii have been too silent about these Wake Up Crew jerks because they're afraid of being accused of "not being able to take a joke"!

I say that 98.5 should fire the Wake Up Crew!

and

To anyone who responds by saying "free speech" and "cancel culture", if I acted the same way these Wake Up Crew jerks act at any job I ever had, I would've been fired!

"Free speech" only means you can't be jailed for expressing your opinions. "Free speech" doesn't mean you're entitled to a job! 

So why the mixed messages from me?  

Because I want repulsive scum like the Wake Up Crew to lose their lucrative corporate sponsorships and turn them into broke losers whose social media following is too small to be major influences but still have the space to self-destruct in public view.  I want them to be broke but still be spied upon!

With their radio show, Wake Up Crew had the reach to be heard when people walk into gas stations playing their show in the background. Just imagine stopping by to refill your gas tank or to even buy some snacks and hearing that garbage in the background. You just went to get out of there ASAP!   But off the radio, their voices are pushed into the fringe, gas stations are playing something else in the background. 

I'm sure the same situation gets played millions of times throughout the continental USA where right-wing radio is more popular, with people wanting to get the hell out of the gas stations that might be playing this pro-Trump nonsense in the background. 

And also this:  with having their radio show, the Wake Up Crew felt emboldened to spew their repulsive jokes about the homeless, disabled and ethnic groups. But without their radio show, they can't get paid for such garbage. They can talk all the crap on Facebook/Twitter/Instagram but it brings in no money. So now they have come to the crossroads: they can continue to make their jokes to a dwindling audience or they can wise up, grow up and be more cognizant of what they say on social media.  With their being fired from the radio show, they're more careful on social media without being de-platformed there! 

So yeah, I'll fire the bigots from radio, TV & other profitable venues, but let them be spied on social media where they'll just be another sad, broke chumps with no real influence beyond their inner circle!