From Fangs to Frontlines: A Journey Through Fiction and Global Voices

In Court of the Vampire Queen, by Katee Robert, Mina tells Malachi that he should be happy there’s a chance to negate the bond they share. He tells her that she is quick to forget what he said before they left home. Mina replies that no one wants to be forcibly bonded.

Mina learns that the demon realm exists. Wolf tells her if they get one taste of her, they’ll chain her up and never let her go. She informs Wolf that it is her choice to make.

She doesn’t see why power bars shouldn’t be good enough for her now. Malachi thought she preferred them because they’re easy to carry on the run. Mina explains that power bars were the tastiest of the food provided to the humans and dhampirs in her father’s compound.

In The Minoan Bride, by C. M. Nacosta, Gwen tries to imagine what it must have been like for the young men and women chosen at random that sailed to Crete to be sacrificed. She corrects herself that the small-statured person the manacles she is examining held did not hold a prisoner; they held a bride.

Thousands of Utahns gathered across the state as part of a national protest at the unilateral policies of Donald Trump and Elon Musk. In the “Hands-Off” rally, protestors demanded that the administration stop disrupting services, rights, and communities.

In Morning Glory Milking Farm, by C. M. Nascosta, Violet recognizes the lab coat-wearing orc at the table across from theirs. Rourke does not release her hands as her conversation shifts around the final days she spent with her aunt. He tells her the coffee order just came up a minute ago.

In I Got Abducted by Aliens and Now I’m Trapped in a Rom-Com, by Kimberly Lemming, Dorothy notes that all the pods around her contain women. She feels that if it’s not already hell, it’s about to be. She swings what appears to be a cattle prod at any of the aliens that come within striking distance.

Protests are on the rise across the United States. The largest ever turnout at the Utah Capitol was part of the 50/51 movement demanding that our rights be upheld. For all the previous talk that social security retirement savings should be backed up by 401ks, the massive fluctuations in the stock market are proving that would be a tragic mistake, as people's retirement would have been wiped out overnight. The sweeping trade war with tariffs is poised to plunge us into a global recession. In an ever-connected global landscape, we should be working together for the betterment of humanity instead of fighting over resources. We need to escape this scarcity mindset, and embrace the fact that everyone is needed and needs to belong.

We need to embrace multicultural belonging. Like parallax enables us to gauge the distance of stars and galaxies, more points of view enable us to make more informed decisions and help everyone out, preserving the things that matter to us. We can't continue to divide the spoils until the entire world smells rotten. Similarly, perspectives will not be genuinely unless they are accepted for what they are. Every perspective--every person--every living creature--belongs, and they should feel that they belong.

There are five ways to be active in the decision-making process, and it is pretty much cyclic. The first step is to vote in every election. More people didn't vote at all than voted for Donald Trump. This is the same thing that happened in 2016. This means that this so-called "mandate" is based on about a third of eligible voters. The next step is to show at at committee meetings and any other location where decisions are being made to add your voice, and join protests against injustice. Third, make sure you support legal organizations like the ACLU that tie unconstitutional and harmful bills up in court, and build bridges within your community. Fourth, do your research on issues that matter to you and become active with the political parties, helping them develop a platform that speaks to the issues that matter to you, and helping them to get the word out. I keep hearing people say that "both parties are just as bad." This is your chance to get in there and do something about it. The fifth step is to meet with your elected officials--get to know them, show up where they are and ask them questions that make them think. Understand their point of view and help them understand yours. If they refuse to listen or understand, find someone who will or run yourself. That brings us back to step one. Vote and encourage everyone else you know to vote. Help people understand why your chosen candidate is the best one.

Historically, protests have always been used to show the people's displeasure. In ancient times, it was also a precursor to an uprising if the protests went unheeded. Rarely, if they were not put down, they would lead to an overthrow of the people in power. Democracies are meant to be a means to use the ballot box to effect the revolutions, to do it in a bloodless manner. Non-violent protests show the amount of the populace ready to oust someone out of power, and if injustice against the protestors is captured, it has been known to escalate the demand for change. But all this is meaningless if we don't vote. We need to secure our right to vote, and we need to use it. Congress is has a bill to make harder for people to vote. Military veterans that don't have their birth certificate or married women who have changed their last name to match their spouse or hyphenate it may not be allowed to register to vote in a federal election because their name will not match their birth certificate. Contact US Representative and ask them to vote No on HR 22.