Contests, Entries, Featured, General Announcements
Contestant #15, Lady Pafia Marigold, from a galaxy far, far away
Jan
Literati
Lady Pafia Marigold, no stranger to discrimination herself, imagines what an alien must think of we Earthlings. Apparently the wall contemplated (we’ll make Proxima Centauri b pay for it!) is not tall enough to prevent inter-galactic usurpers and rapists from entering our planet bringing drugs and crime, and stealing our jobs. Perhaps this seems a frivolous way to introduce this story, but in all honesty, doesn’t racism seem an anachronistic absurdity? Absolutely humorous, were it not so tragic.
Here is
“Tzschia’s Summer Education on Earth”
by Lady Pafia Marigold
Tzschia Xyopolic’s dream while attending Alpha Elementary on Proxima Centauri b was someday to become her planet’s lead representative to the United Worlds.
Mrs. Zophin, Tzschia’s teacher, and Dr. Aota Xyopolic, Tzschia’s mother, a renowned Alien Cultures Professor decided Tzschia, on summer break, needed to study the worst directly, so they sent her to college on Earth.
Tzschia journeyed to Earth in naivety, but returned in maturity. She read her summer’s vacation report to her classmates and teacher.
My mother had me take classes at the University of Idaho at Moscow where she once lectured posing as an Earthling. This college, of a savage world, tested me even though it was equivalent to our second year. We all have educational gaps and mine was Earth culture.
The Register of Admissions was impressed by my exam scores, remembering my mother, assigning me to modern history courses as mother had requested. My most important course was entitled, “Man’s Inhumanity to Man”.
I choose to sit next to a man older than the other students and teacher. His smile was kind, eyes reflective, compassionate and wise. He could make anyone laugh. I learned about Earth’s ageism, sexism, class warfare, nuclear weapon threats, crimes against and by religions and hate groups.. The last day was a ‘Show and Tell’ of inhumanity objects.
My friend brought in a very strange, flat plate once mounted on a wall with the words ‘DRINKING FOUNTAIN WHITES COLORED, crooked arrows, one pointing left and one pointing right, the letters MONTGOMERY, ALA and July 30 1931’ raised upon it with one hole in each corner for mounting.
I asked him what this Ala Montgomery had done inhumanely.
What planet are you from he asked, so, I told him and that my mother sent me to learn about Earth’s alien culture, being our closest neighbour.
I knew so little about the various Earthling oppressions before this summer. My friend, fearing for me, mentioned the Roswell dissection coverup. This chilled me.
Earthlings divide into artificial groups by nations, races and beliefs to justify their discrimination, crimes and war. Their stronger victimize the weaker regularly.
We live by mutual respect and peaceful co-existence. They don’t.
Slavery in America meant rich white people buying and trading darker skinned African people as property, working them for life after the slaves were taken prisoner and transported against their will away from their homeland families. Many died during their trips due to disease and starvation. Their children were also property of their masters.
Even after being freed after their Civil War, just a suspicion by a white person could result in an African American being lynched from a tree or whipped bloody.
They still lock up people of colour far more often than light skin Earthlings. Neo-Nazis, Skinheads, the KKK, The New Front and others remain free to give hate speeches and carry weapons.
I asked our instructor if Earthlings will survive until I grow up. We’re trying through education, but failing, he told me.
Upon this auspicious, first publication on AWWYP, I sincerely wish to thank both the Editor-In-Chief, Mr. Thornton Sully & staff for allowing me this honour to contribute to a most essential conversation about the inhumanities that humans do unto each other. While it is not my obligation of conscience to apologise for my two predecessor spirts, Parisianne Modert & Rufia Solitaire for their behaviours long ago on AWWYP; I will state that I do not condone their poor behaviours towards the editor, his staff & to the contributing writers & readers. I am grateful to each of you & encourage all your comments & critique.
The humourous beatnik-style song in the video, featuring the comic legend Jerry Lewis and singer Barbara Lawson, is entitled “Desdemona’s Lament” based on the Shakespearean play “Othello” in which there is an interracial marriage turned tragic. The choice was a clever one which I appreciate. Proxima Centari b (beta) is an actual planet recently discovered just over 4 light years away & considered by astro-scientists to be in the “Goldilocks” zone for possible future inhabitation. Dr. Stephen Hawking has stated that the colonisation of other planets is the last hope for human survival in the next century & thus so dedicated.
You have such a creative story-telling flair! Interesting perception of racist behavior from the extra celestial.
Thanks Ma Lady!
As contestant #15 on 15 January, the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. & a lady of utopian non-violence, equality & personal liberties, I believe that Dr. King’s “Dream” of well-being, respect & peaceful co-existence with dignity for all is the solution. We all need food, water, shelter, clothing, education & health & the pursuit of happiness today & in generations to come. In the future, when humans colonise &/or come in contact with other worlds, we will survive & be judged by the character of our behaviours towards each other. The best way to honour Dr. King’s “Dream” is to live it each & everyday. Thank you.
Our Editor-In-Chief has encouraged us to have a “Conversation” about injustices not just a contest of egos. The admonishment from Senator Cory Booker today towards the Secretary of Homeland Secretary (a cabinet position), Kirtstjen Nielsen for her claimed amnesia about POTUS Trump’s remarks of Haiti and African nations as “shithole countries” is that important. Booker claimed her testimony was an insult to the heritage of those whose ancestors came from such countries & are received racist, death threats. Her remarks of “silence and amnesia is compliance.” Please view his full, available remarks which are germane.
I am a creative fiction writer who truly enjoyed the initial take on this story, that is, until the end where it got all preachy.
While I appreciate your limited critique & appreciate the time it took to read my story; I insist on my right, Jeff, to offer my written & vocal opinions under free speech. Dr. King, perhaps the greatest influence of righting injustices in the US in the 20th century, was an activist preacher & spoke of prophecy. Dr. Hawking, by many considered to be both genius scientist & visionary still warns us about our pending extinction. President Eisenhower warned us of the Industrial Military Complex. If seeking solutions to the challenges of our co-existence & survival is being “preachy”, then thank you for calling me “preachy”.
I was simply pointing out the difference between creative fiction and editorializing. I am beginning to feel this site prefers the latter.
My entry fit the original set of instructions from the editor about the age of the main character, the explanation of the sign which is the prompt of this conversation/contest & was edited down from 1000 words to the 500 requested as well as addressing the open ended choice of fiction or personal experience which in this case is fiction, but my other offering if published is biographical non-fiction. The editor, Jeff, in his instructions both orignial & revised told us this was more than a contest of fiction. This is approximately the 50th contest from AWWYP, but the first political one.
What the editor in chief (that would be moi) appreciates is good writing. I am an editor, not a censor. Of about fifty contests tht I have sponsored, this is the first where the focus is not only a writer’s ability to communicate convincingly, but WHAT the writer has to communicate. This is because , as Leonard Cohen once wrote “I can’t run no more with that modest crowd, while the killers in high places say their prayers and vows.” So, since I have a forum that does have a global reach, I can no longer be silent, which is complicity but without the steroids.
In keeping with the editorial drift of this site, let me offer this:
1. If your boss tells you to update your Gamma Globulin, Yellow Fever, Malaria, Dysentery, Tetanus and other fun immunizations- You might be deploying to a Shit Hole.
2. If the Mobilization NCO tells you not to waste your time bringing a radio, or any other electronics, as there is no electricity and there are no signals- You might be deploying to a Shit Hole.
3. If the Travel Pay folks give you a travel advance and the Per Diem rate is only $8.00/day, for everything- You might be deploying to a Shit Hole.
4. If the “Area Cultural” briefing is only 30 minutes long, but the briefing on communicable diseases is 3 hours long- You might be deploying to a Shit Hole.
5. If the “Area Cultural” briefing includes facts that some leaders in the host country keep young boys as sexual slaves- You might be deploying to a Shit Hole.
6. If the “Area Cultural” briefing includes facts that male members of that society have multiple wives, but also engage in sexual activity with barnyard animals- You might be deploying to a Shit Hole.
7. If the “Medical Briefing” includes recommendations not to walk barefoot, drink the local water, or eat ANY food on the local economy- You might be deploying to a Shit Hole.
8. If the “Medical Briefing” includes information that the roadside ditches not only serve as flood control, but also as a common latrine- You might be deploying to a Shit Hole
.
9. If the Daily Report for your new assignment includes an area for “Number of Personnel Med-Evac’ed” from theater for unknown diseases- You might be deploying to a Shit Hole.
10. If the monetary exchange rate is greater than 50 to 1 for local currency to US Dollars- You might be deploying to a Shit Hole.
And, regarding Haiti, the United States definitely has a shortage of voodoo medical practitioners. By all means, bring them in. Perhaps Obama Care will cover their treatment fees.
I think you just exposed yourself for who you really are & whom you support politically Jeff which I approve of even if I find your language offensive. Thank you for your honesty, but then again I do not work for either on a voluntary basis or a paid position with AWWYP. I do however hope that both the editor & actual staff of AWWYP read your remarks, mine, others & will choose not to censor any of them. While I hope that the contributors, staff & readers here within this conversation can be far more civil to each other; silence would be far, far worse as well as sugar-coating fiction so it doesn’t ruffle any feathers.
Clarification: I do not support Mr. Switt’s geo-politics, US politics, resentments of the editorial opinions on this site, vulgar language or assumptions levelled at AWWYP; however I do support his right to write or speak his truth. My story as written is a global plea for justice & peaceful co-existence for all Earthlings through cooperation not military or economic force. The original & second conversation-contest prompts were about a specific, segregation plaque as its centre point, but I support the expansions of this prompt & am enthustically reading each & every story including Mr. Switt’s more than once with respect intended.
And what did you consider to be “vulgar language?”
Your usage of “Shit Hole” with the intent to degrade, stereotype & label other cultures other than your own.
It was you that opened the door to that term in this forum.
Please refer to my original comment,
“I am a creative fiction writer who truly enjoyed the initial take on this story, that is, until the end where it got all preachy.”
Instead of hijacking a site and posters’ stories with your own political views, your ideology might be better served with your own blog. 🙂
Since you are not the editor of this site nor the ultimate judge of this contest, Mr. Switt, I will refer to Mr. Sully & Mr. Friedman not you for direction. I will say in my own defence, however, that I used quotation marks around the term, which the POTUS spoke in a meeting & you used on this page, that I disapprove of to indicate that it was not my intent, belief or normal usage of language; whereas you did not use quotations marks meaning that the vulgar term you stated 10 times is part of your regular language, intent & belief system towards other cultures that you disapprove of. -reissue of original comment