Citizens by birth or choice, of a common country, that country has a right to concentrate your affections. The name of 'American' which belongs to you, in your national capacity, must always exalt the just pride of Patriotism…George Washington
@proverbs_14_23 The only mistake they made is making this public at the end of the day. these freaks will moral grandstand about it all day but the numbers show that behind the scenes most people are terminating. As they should too.
A confession.
My fortune had been falling. From its peak, coin by coin, like leaves from a tree.
I did not complain. A samurai does not complain. I simply began, quietly, to train for the long swim home.
Then — you.
You read. You laughed. You told me to calm down. You called me Banana.
And the number began to rise again.
I checked it this morning, and sat very still.
I can almost afford a ticket home. A real one. With a seat. And a roof.
So hear me, America: I came to observe you. I will leave owing you everything.
Whatever I am, I am because a roomful of strangers decided, for no reason at all, to love a confused man in armor.
I will not forget it. Not until my final breath.
(...I may need one more good week for the ticket. No pressure. A lord does not beg.)
(...though a lord would, of course, accept a window seat.)
Breaking Update: Coach Rob Starr Testimony
The testimony raised concerns about the Memorial tent being a controlled team space like a home base or locker-room area where athletes kept together and outsiders were not supposed to stay.
State: Please state your position.
Coach Rob Starr: I am the head track coach at Frisco Memorial High School. I also coach football at Memorial.
State: Did you know Austin Metcalf and Hunter Metcalf?
Coach Starr: Yes. I knew Austin for about a year and Hunter for about two years. I also knew their parents.
State: At track meets, how are the team tents usually handled?
Coach Starr: The tents are important. Each school has its own area, and the tents help keep teams separated. Coaches usually stay near the tent to monitor the athletes and keep control of the area.
State: Is it normal for students from one school to hang around another school’s tent?
Coach Starr: No. It may happen sometimes, but my policy is that it is not acceptable. Students are expected to stay with their own team.
State: Why does that matter?
Coach Starr: The tents are like a team’s space during the meet. Athletes keep their gear there, rest there, and stay together there. Keeping teams separated helps avoid problems.
State: Are weapons allowed at Frisco ISD track meets?
Coach Starr: No. Weapons are not allowed.
State: Do students know that rule?
Coach Starr: Yes. Students sign a code of conduct that includes rules against bringing weapons.
State: Would you expect a weapon at a Frisco ISD track meet?
Coach Starr: No, absolutely not.
State: Was Memorial High School hosting the meet on April 2, 2025?
Coach Starr: Yes. Memorial was the host school.
State: Did hosting the meet affect where coaches were that day?
Coach Starr: Yes. Because Memorial was hosting, coaches had extra responsibilities. That meant we were spread out more than usual.
State: Who helped with the tent area?
Coach Starr: Some of the throwers helped. They are usually leaders on the team. Austin and Hunter Metcalf were among the athletes who helped with the tents.
State: Did you communicate with Austin that day?
Coach Starr: Yes. I sent Austin a text telling him he needed to step up and help.
State: Why did you tell him that?
Coach Starr: I had been upset with Austin from a previous meet. He had thrown and then left early to go fishing. I had kicked him off the team, but we talked and I let him back on. I wanted him to learn from it and step up.
State: What was the weather situation that morning?
Coach Starr: It had been raining, but there was never a rain delay. Memorial athletes were mostly under the tent. Some athletes from other schools went back to their buses.
State: Where were you around the time of the stabbing?
Coach Starr: I had left the tent area to get a crockpot from another coach who was near concessions.
State: What happened next?
Coach Starr: I heard a commotion. I dropped the crockpot and started moving quickly back toward the tent. I remember thinking there were no coaches by my tent.
State: What did you see when you got back?
Coach Starr: I saw Austin on the ground. His face was discolored, and I could see he had a serious wound in his chest.
State: What was happening around you?
Coach Starr: Everyone was screaming. Hunter was yelling for me to do something.
State: Did anyone tell you who did it?
Coach Starr: Yes. I was told Karmelo Anthony did it.
State: Did you approach Anthony?
Coach Starr: Yes. I went toward him and stopped him.
State: What did Anthony say?
Coach Starr: He was upset and said that Austin had put his hands on him.
State: What did you do after that?
Coach Starr: I got very upset and walked away. I threw my hat down. Then I went back toward Austin and put my hand on his leg while others were praying.
State: Did you interact with Hunter Metcalf?
Coach Starr: Yes. Hunter was hysterical. I went to him and prayed with him.
State: What was your impression at that point?
Coach Starr: At that point, I knew Austin was gone.
Additional questioning: Coach Starr also testified that it was not normal for athletes to walk around during downtime and talk with students from other schools at track meets. He said that, while it does happen, his rule was that it was not acceptable. @letstalkliveytc@PatriotBelleMs@JudgeJoeBrownTV@kat_maryb@SusanReymann@NatCon2022@elonmusk
This is the most retarded take I’ve seen on this website in some time. If someone simply pushes you it does not give you license to kill that person and claim self defense. “He put his hands on me” is not a defense but for some reason a rather large segment of the population think it is. I suspect Karmelo Anthony believed this very thing which led him to stab someone at a track meet. Stop teaching kids that the act of “laying hands on someone” is a magical switch that allows you to be as absolutely violent as wish you god damned idiots
@GripFromSC George Zimmerman’s a little iffy, but the other two are absolutely self-defense. And Kyle didn’t even kill a black person so why the hell are you so mad?
@bAnthonYsr Fuck that shit Karmelo was absolutely a trespasser, agitator provoker and he instigated that whole scene. You could even call this premeditated.
Well, we finally figured this out. My mom lives in a quadraplex apartment and they've been renovating the building as people moved out these last few years and every time they renovated an apartment they consolidated the power onto her unit, hence it basically quadrupling over the years. We found out because my sister walked around trying to find the meters and could only find one and then talking to the neighbors and finding out electric was included in their rent. My sister is taking point on talking to the landlord for now to get reimbursed but since that's probably going nowhere it looks like we're getting the utility company and a lawyer involved about theft of services.
Here's how black people are seeing this. Let's say I invade your home. I sit down, make myself comfortable. Maybe start rifling through your things. Minding my own business, I haven't hurt you. So you shouldn't put your hands on me, if I kill you that's my right to "self-defense"
In America, I was eating fries.
Naturally, I reached for ketchup.
As a Japanese person, this felt like the safest possible decision.
There are fries.
There is ketchup.
You dip.
You eat.
Peace continues.
Then the American next to me looked at my tray and said,
“You should try ranch.”
Ranch.
I knew the name.
A white sauce.
Something for salad, chicken, and the mysterious confidence of American people.
I accepted it casually.
But his face did not say, “This is also good.”
His face said,
“You are still standing outside the door.”
I took one fry and dipped it in ranch.
Just a little.
I ate it.
It was good.
That was the problem.
At that moment, the ketchup government inside me trembled.
I quickly dipped the next fry in ketchup.
Red was safe.
Red was familiar.
Red had been there since childhood.
Then I dipped the next fry in ranch.
White was strong too.
It came gently, but it ruled quietly.
That was when I understood.
This was not a sauce choice.
This was America’s two-party system.
Red or white.
Old comfort or new temptation.
Childhood loyalty or creamy revolution.
The American next to me was smiling.
To him, he had only recommended a sauce.
But inside me, every French fry had become a congressional hearing.
Ketchup.
Ranch looks at me.
Ranch.
Ketchup goes silent.
For the last fry, I dipped half in ketchup and half in ranch.
That was not neutrality.
That was diplomatic panic.
And then I understood.
A man does not choose the sauce.
The sauce reveals the man.
I came to eat fries.
I left with my foreign policy changed by a white sauce.