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Gravedwellers Get To Work On Fence Construction in Sandy Shores Motorcycle Clubs And Stereotypes All TV, Or Half-Truths? Kalyani Jamil Motorcycle clubs - as seen on TV as ruthless, cold proto-gangs that will stop at nothing to get what they want in the name of their brotherhood - a distressing image for many, but is the reality any different to what we see on TV? We decided to approach a locally-based motorcycle club to determine whether there is more than meets the stereotype, after some searching and connections, we met a man who goes by Vinnie Meadows of the Vespucci-based Gravedwellers Motorcycle Club. Enshrined in mystery, our meeting with him was one of immense politeness and courtesy, perhaps defeating our reporters' own stereotypes. At the famous Legion Square, we approached him and exchanged the usual pleasantries, and the image we expected drifted away in the smoke from his cigarette. So, you're probably aware of the stereotype surrounding motorcycle clubs, that they're criminals or brutes or whatever you want to call it - what would you say to people who do hold that stereotype? Yeah, it's a common stereotype and it's far from the truth. Y'know, bikers snortin' in that meth, beating your daughter down in the backyard, it's all TV, I'll put it this way. We're merely motorcycle enthusiasts who share a common goal; prosperity, we're hard-working men, we've got jobs and chase it day-by-day. We've got men who work in Sociology, we've had a nurse! The one per cent patch we claim doesn't refer to a "criminal lifestyle". Makes us outlaws, but that doesn't mean we violate the state laws. Outlaws as in we don't abide by the A.M.A. laws. The American Motorcyclist Association. The A.M.A. sets out a book of laws in which we don't agree with. We set our own laws 'n values, and uphold our own culture. That's what makes us one per cent. I mean for God's sake, We've held charity runs for veterans, a charity for cancer, we've reached out to the community on several occasions. Just last week I've gathered the boys to help build an old lady's fence. Came across broken down vehicles on the road, and gathered up to help 'em out. We like to bike, earn a buck and party. That's who we are; the rest of my brothers have families, raised kids and look after their wives. I'd say we're far from criminals. A lot of MC's in peoples' minds have a perception of a 'brotherhood' in a motorcycle club, do or die attitude to one another, is this a philosophy you and the Gravedwellers abide by, and if so, how is it implemented? Our club's built upon brotherhood, we look after one another, if a brother's in need of help, then we reach out; financial issues, family issues, mental... You get the deal. It's a close unit. You have kids who love to bike. They see the parties, the women... then they tag along, have a beer 'n the relationship develops there. They prove their worth. Disciplined. And eventually, they end up with the patch, makes 'em one of us. They go through the prospective phase, it's a proving ground. When we decide they're wise and ready, then they get the patch. 'A Charity Ride' Through The City of Los Santos The patch? Could you expand a little more on the importance of that patch, what it means to have one, could it be revoked? I can't expand much on the patch. though the patch makes you a brother to us. Look after one another and ride through the lifestyle. Means you've put in your work, and proved your worth to be a 'dweller. You mentioned a little earlier about your work in charity, and the old lady's fence, what motivates you to do that as a club? It's who we are, we reach out to the community. We're philanthropists. Last but not least - what would you say to the people that hold that perception of you as a 'criminal' as we discussed earlier? Don't believe it unless you see it. Come by for a drink 'n maybe we could change your mind. Respect goes both ways. ⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯ The Gravedwellers were last in the news following the burning of their clubhouse in Vespucci, assumed to have been the cause of aggression from a local gang in the area. Los Santos - over to you, what do you think? Do MC's get a rough time for something they probably don't deserve? Let us know in the comments below. Saints News #ForSaintsBySaints

Photo Opportunity! (L-R, Cap. S. McGill, Acting Chief C. Hughes, Mayor V. Rockford. Chief F. Osborne, D. Chief R Lionheart, D. Chief C. MacKenzie) Los Santos' Newest Superheroes? The Los Santos Tactical Medics Kalyani Jamil “As we all know, the Police Department of our beautiful city has recently experienced a change at the reins.” The press conference began with a speech from the mayor, Vincent Rockford, not known for his many public appearances, Rockford spoke to a crowd full of journalists, police staff and officers about the topics of change, and the announcement of the new ‘Tactical Medic’ cross-department unit. Joined by Acting Chief of Police, Charles Hughes, and Chief of the Fire Department, Chief Osborne. “The Fire Department has undergone a similar change this year, and change is never easy. Change is always a challenge. But it is the experience we take in after dealing with such a challenge that is crucial to the improvement of all public institutions. And more importantly, the experience shared between the public institutions. This process of sharing experiences on all operational levels is the key to progress.” “Today marks another step in that continuous process. Here to discuss it further - Chief Charles Hughes, and Chief Frank Osborne.” “Chief Hughes from the Los Santos Police Department. Thank you, mister Mayor. And thank you all for coming here today. Because today truly does mark a momentous occasion. Over the past few months, various command officers within both the Police Department and the Fire Department have been working tirelessly on a new program, which last weekend yielded its first graduates. Today we are here to announce and present the Tactical Medic program to the city, an innovation built off of the backs of both Fire Department and Police Department personnel.” “The Tactical Medic program combines the medical expertise of the Los Santos Fire Department with the tactical knowledge of the LSPD. To my right is Captain McGill, the officer in charge of the Tactical Medic program, together with two of her first graduate class, Sergeant Spencer and Detective Hamasaki. Captain McGill was certified herself by the Fire Department and has worked tirelessly with elements of the Fire Department to develop training manuals and the inner workings of the team.” “The team's goals are simple; To provide specialized on-scene care for injured tactical officers. This may include temporizing management of non-serious injuries and illnesses, which will allow the tactical officer to continue functioning during an operation, and to provide liaison between both our Departments. As it stands, there are only police personnel currently within the team, but we are looking to in the future add Fire Department personnel to the team as well.” “To further speak of the challenges faced by the Fire Department's perspective, Fire Chief Osborne is here to represent his department.” “A couple of months ago Chief Hughes and Captain McGill approached me with their idea of the team. We started working on it as both departments understood the importance this team has for the city. These are situations that prevent our department from responding and being able to have a capable team to assist was needed a long time ago.” “Thanks to our Training division, being lead by our Lieutenant Hough, worked together with Captain McGill to set up training and documents for the team. That was the first time that our department certified another department with medical certification, and it's our honour that the LSPD is the first one. This co-operation between the departments can only ensure a better and safe city for all of us. We are going to rise and shine together and make this city a better place - together.” The room was passed to Detective Hamasaki. “During my time in the program, we are not only treated well but trained hard. We need to be ready to do whatever we can to save those whom we serve along with. We're expected to be in the best shape to complete our goals. The training comes down to working under fire to getting down to the nitty and gritty of medical care. Captain McGill skipped no details when going through this. This was done to allow us to perform to our best ability. We plan to continue this effort to no only secure the comrades we work with, but work with the Los Santos Fire Department.” The floor was opened to allow questions, all of which came from journalists. Questions were opened by Kalyani Jamil from Saints News, answered by Acting Chief Hughes. The unit is being run by Captain McGill, while very capable in her own right, do you see this as impeding her work in the Media Relations and Community Affairs Division, and if so, will she be granted extra resources in that division? Due to the fact the Police Department only has finite assets, a lot of our officers, specifically command personnel, are often cross-trained and command multiple areas. All of them have monthly reviews where I sit down with them to discuss their challenges; Captain McGill has so far not had any conflicts with her assignments as both a Tactical Medic and being in charge of MRCAD, due to the nature of being a Tactical Medic very much being part-time. They are not called out nor required daily, as they only attend the most critical of incidents in that capacity. But in that case, is there not a concern that they are overextended, or could become so with the growth and changes in demand for the need for those divisions, especially one in a command role? All of our Divisions have command teams. The person at the very top represents their command team, true, but there is an entire command apparatus to support them. They are never on their own, and if at any point any commanding officer does find themselves so, we help them find additional command personnel or a replacement. We usually do that way before it becomes a problem, though. We don't work our people to the bone if we can prevent it. The next question was given by Tamara Morgan, from Weazel News. Thank you, Chief Hughes. Could you provide an example of a situation where a tactical medic may be deployed to, so people can get a better understanding of when and how they may be deployed and in-turn, benefit them? In any instance where we have, for example, an active shooter scenario with tactical, or non-tactical, personnel were injured in the line of duty, that is where the tactical medics come in. That's where the name comes from. Their tactical training allows them to better manoeuvre those scenarios, while their medical training allows them to assist the injured person in those scenarios. We have had situations in the past where we could not safely get fire department personnel to help out our injured officers in the field, and this inspired us to create the program. Next, came a question from the Legal Department at Saints News. Answered by Acting Chief Hughes. What level of medical care are these tactical medics certified to provide? The Tactical Medic certification is not specifically either BLS or ALS in a traditional sense. One could call it a mixture that is specifically aimed at providing relevant medical care required in those active shooter scenarios. Captain McGill herself is trained and certified in ALS, but all her subordinates get the specific Tactical Medic qualification with the aforementioned skills. Then, Tamara Morgan from Weazel News, answered by Acting Chief Hughes. How long does it take to fully train an officer, or indeed fire department personnel for the tactical medic program and whom would be eligible to apply for the program? As it stands right now, in its current iteration, officers must be qualified as Tactical Officers, so a part of our B or C platoons, and qualified with at least BLS training. When we in the future incorporate Fire Department personnel, they will receive said tactical training as part of their Tactical Medic curriculum. The entire process takes no more than about a week. However, that is because right now, all these officers are already qualified, tactical officers. When we incorporate members from the fire department, we may need to extend the training period. Again, the Legal Department at Saints News, answered by Fire Chief Osborne. Naturally, tactical officers will have the protection of their armour and helmets, as well as their firearms. Will the firefighters that are part of this program have similar protection? Will we see firefighters armed in these situations? Eventually, when the Fire Department will incorporate its members into this team, they will get the needed equipment to perform their duties. Meaning firefighters would be armed? It would, yes, after passing the right and needed training to gain them. Being a part of a tactical team will require us on being on the same level as the PD side of the team. We are still working along with PD on how to incorporate it, and will eventually do when the time comes. ⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯ While it’s currently unknown where the future of the Tactical Medical Unit lies - and whether it’s something that will prove successful or useful, it’s the first large step seen in the future cooperation of the Police and Fire Department, spearheaded by the Acting Chief of Police back when he was a deputy. A major point of concern for many would be the arming of firefighters who simply are not experienced in having to handle a firearm in emergencies, it remains in the air how medically-trained first-aiders will react under fire, and whether they have the mind frame to be able to handle that. With controversies of police being accused of being gun-happy in the past even after extensive training, arming firefighters, especially if the period of training is short, would raise a lot of eyebrows. While covered under the city charter to possess a special license by the police department, it remains unknown how successful this will prove to be - in a situation in which a medical professional is forced to use a firearm, would that change the perception on them from the public? Our attention is drawn to the Hippocratic Oath, and most importantly - the theory of ‘Primum non nocere,’ “first, to do no harm.” Another cause for concern would be having police officers be medically trained, especially in life-or-death situations that require immediate assistance while under pressure. As the Chief stated, the training course for the tactically-trained staff is only a week-long - would that be long enough to sufficiently train police officers to save a life? In the end, it’s something that we will only learn with time. Interesting developments, of course, and as always, let us know your thoughts on this news below. For now, that’s all from us. Saints News #ForSaintsBySaints

Known as ‘female impersonators,’ drag queens vary from homosexual cisgender men, to transgender individuals, to biological women and varying description of the meaning being a ‘drag queen’; an entertainer, female impersonator or a misconstrued narrative for the LGBT+ community? Varying between sexual orientations and gender identities, the colourful individuals claiming themselves as ‘drag queens’ are often seen performing in bars or entertaining to establish further attributes of the characterisation of one’s character. RuPaul, the creator and narrator behind ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race,’ is arguably the main reason for the outburst of garnering attention to modern-aged drag events and personalities. The show’s presence has brought visibility to the art form of drag, however, the show’s theme of broadening gender identity and expression has been contradicted by the comments RuPaul Charles himself has stated. RuPaul, identified as creating positive reinforcing shifts in mainstream media, has commented such statements during an interview targeted to potential transgender women being contestants; “Probably not. You can identify as a woman and say you’re transitioning, but it changes once you start changing your body. It takes on a different thing; it changes the whole concept of what we’re doing.” Despite the avoidance of previous transgender contestants and sub-sections of varying queens, RuPaul’s actions were concluded with a subtle apology in return. As stated prior, the drag community varies, between alternative styles to presence; meaning, RuPaul, although arguably the most known ‘drag queen,’ is unable to speak on behalf of a community that is individualistic and that advances the primary question further; how does one describe a ‘Drag Queen’? The art form of drag originated from Shakespearean times and for more so utilitarian purposes, originating in the seventeenth century during Shakespeare’s plays, in which solely men could partake in production due to the religious rites. Men would dress as women, to fill the void of lack of female presentation and to depict drag in its earliest form; with the word ‘drag’ being created from how the drag queens’ dresses would drag across the floor throughout the performance. Drag, however, began to become individualistic and modernised through the introduction of ‘vaudeville’ into American culture and audiences. Shakespeare's 'As You Like It' features a cross-dressing character, Rosalind, when she disguises herself as a persona named Ganymede. Vaudeville performances gained traction in the early twentieth century as performance acts, with combinations of comedy, musicality, and other genres to create its own alternative form of live entertainment for the masses. Female impersonation became intertwined with vaudeville performance, with female impersonation subtly becoming ingrained into gay culture throughout time, specifically during the United States’ Prohibition era, which abolished alcohol production and consumption from 1920 until 1933. During these periods, gay men, specifically, used underground clubs and speakeasies to express their identities and as an opportunity of entertainment. 'The Rocky Twins,' a duo that consisted presumably during the Vaudeville era. The popularisation of drag during the Prohibition era became known as ‘the Pansy Craze,’ which explored the ideals of sexuality, gender and thought process in such a strict-minded era. The Pansy Craze was prominently popular in underground environments, such as; New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco. From the midst of underground culture, gay culture continuously was policed in non-underground environments; meaning, gay individuals were not permitted to dance with each other, or to even be served alcohol in bars. New York’s Mafia and the Genovese family offered an outlet for the LGBT community and drag queens in particular; a safe environment of self-expression during repression of one’s entertainment. A member of the Genovese crime family purchased the Stonewall in Manhattan’s Greenwich Village, in which created an outlet for gay individuals in the area and ignited the series of riots in 1969, resulting in adaptation of such environment and the gay community gaining authority against oppression. Organisations, although treated in a marginalised manner, began to blossom during the time period. A drag queen known as ‘Flawless Sabrina,’ instigated pageants across the United States, similar to traditional beauty pageants. Sabrina’s involvement and influence during the period affected drag competitions and culture for decades to appear, and plausibly could be considered the reason for modernised popularity of drag queens. Another genre of drag known as ‘drag ball culture,’ has been theorised to originate during the early 1970s, in areas such as uptown Manhattan. The influence of such actions led to gender-bending performance, such as; Tim Curry in Rock Horror Picture Show, David Bowie’s stylistic choices, Pete Burns and Boy George. 'The Queen,' circa 1968. A pageant show started by Flawless Sabrina and is considered to be one of the first appearing Drag Queen pageant shows. An undeniable force of a drag queen in the modernisation of drag, however, is RuPaul. His local celebrity image fostered in New York’s City club scene, achieving the budding artist success from their single from 1993 named “Supermodel (You Better Work).” This led RuPaul the possibilities of becoming a spokesperson for MAC Cosmetics and multiple television shows, later conducting the opportunity of the reality competition series RuPaul’s Drag Race. Alternative drag shows, such as; Dragula, RuPaul’s Drag Race Thailand and UK and other mediums have evolved in the modern era from both RuPaul’s achievements and from drag queens from earlier adaptations of the definition of ‘drag.’ RuPaul's hit-single 'Supermodel (You Better Work)'. Beyond gaining visibility in culture, specifically mainstream media, drag queens have partaken in scientific research in the psychology of drag performers. A recent research is from Moncrieff & Lienard in 2017, which evolutionary psychology is posed to both drag queens and gay men. The primary question of the investigation process is, what possibly could drive individuals to the lifestyle that is known as drag? The inquiry was questioned in an evolutionary psychology formation, with ‘signalling theory’ explaining behaviours that do not deserve as an evolutionary advantage, commonly behaviours that are deemed to attract the attention of an audience. This theory relates in apposite with drag, serving as a description of behaviourism that occurs to gain status within a specific area, despite the potential costs or drawbacks from the behaviour. Moncrieff & Lienard communicate in the introduction to the theory that the gay communities in which drag was born ‘serve as a backdrop due to their exclusive and protected nature that was once necessary for the survival of these communities.’ In the study, Moncrieff & Lienard surveyed 133 gay men, alongside a control group of heterosexual men and women. The individuals partaking in the scientific research were inquired about their perceptions of drag queens, discovering that evolutionary costs were recognised as being the core cost to performing in drag across all sections of the group interviewed. A percentage of the study detailed on how the perception of individuals partaking in drag lessened the attraction from potential mates. The theory theorised that the reason for this was due to ‘overtly feminine attire and stereotypical behaviours,’ which are seen as less desirable traits among gay men. Those who perform in drag full-time are met with personal, financial and physical sacrifices from being included in the community. Furthermore, ‘signal theory’ clarifies that engaging in ‘costly behaviours’ for intentional targets implies that performers are not ‘faking’ the their drag-personified behaviours, but more so benefiting from being validated and appreciated for their efforts to entertain, whether that may or may not signal negative response. Moncrieff & Lineard’s takeaway from the study is the hypothesis that drag performers are motivated individuals, despite the potential costs, whether that may be signalling or performing to promote equality within the community. The exaggeration of behaviourism from the opposite gender can have potential costs due to it not being ‘the norm,’ however, a surge of underground or alternative drag queens are flourishing into main-stream media with the television series The Boulet Brothers’ ‘Dragula’. The show’s competition rivals RuPaul’s Drag Race; however, the contradicting themes are present and two separate agencies are beginning to formulate with the widening spectrum of performers developing in environments that are not so underground anymore. 'Dragula,' known as a rival show for RuPaul's Drag Race, which demonstrates an alternative and darker theme compared to RuPaul's easier conceptualised series. To finalise the article in a personalised manner, I want to specify on my own experience as a drag performer. As a transgender woman, who’s transitioning went from performance art to legitimacy, I began questioning my gender identity through the over saturated femininity that is ‘Drag.’ Growing up in an urban setting, especially in an orphanage, I was disallowed to have self-expression and to ‘go against the grain,’ or to go against societal norms. The costly hours of transitioning through makeup, even gluing down those prickly brows and other tedious acts left me feeling as I had for years; dysphoric. From the earliest stages of my transition, I overly feminised my conceptual views of "femininity" to fit into a narrative to ‘pass’ or to be attractive for the sole purpose of men potentially finding me ‘attractive.’ However, throughout the underground bar scene, I realised that the reason I felt exhaustion due to the fact that I’m no performer; I’m simply a woman that is discovering herself in a situation that is wrong, but yet right. The environment expressed sexuality, comfort, and self-identification; all of which I lacked but desired to express. The sisterhood of drag remains encouraging, determined and welcoming, particularly when I needed a form of escape. For that, although misunderstood by few, drag performers(and performers in their own right) remain deeply embedded in my heart. An earlier illustration of my drag persona known as 'Ms. Cummingham'.

Scratching the Surface of Addiction By Haley Niamh Connor I've been on a bit of a hiatus from my regular workload here at Saints. First off I'd like to thank my lovely bosses Emilia Russo and Kalani Jamil for their patience and understanding during this time. Now that I'm back to it, I don't feel like I need to explain why I was gone just for the sake of explaining it - it's personal and not something anyone would care to read about. The reason is important to talk about though, at least in my opinion. I've been prescribed the benzodiazepine anxiety medication clonazepam for three years now. I've got an anxiety disorder that can cause me to have panic attacks due to outside stressors, or even completely out of the blue. It's no fun for me or anyone present when it happens. Clonazepam can help alleviate the symptoms of a panic attack before it starts, or while it's happening. When I was prescribed the medication originally, I got right to my neurotic researching tendencies. I don't like taking anything without knowing precisely what it is down to a chemical level. I read up on clonazepam, and it scared me. The drug is habit-forming and commonly abused. Knowing the risks I chose not to take it much. However, I wanted it in my back pocket as a sort of 'rescue inhaler' if my anxiety got the best of me, so I'd pick up my prescription of thirty tablets every month. I'd use maybe one or two of them each prescription cycle. This led to me having a pretty massive stockpile of the medication. A few weeks ago my father passed away from a heart attack unexpectedly. This came on the heels of him beating cancer, so it was gutting, to say the least. The situation itself, the travel involved, the fact that I needed to keep it together for my family - all of this led me to use my clonazepam a lot more often than normally. I didn't feel capable of handling any of it on my own. I was experiencing fierce anxiety and regular panic attacks. The drug helped calm me and kept me from detracting from what was really important at the time for my family, which was mourning my father's death. Half a tablet per day turned to a whole tablet per day which turned to one and a half which turned to two. I wasn't thinking about the implications. I was mourning. I was anxious. I was simply trying to get by and keep it together. I was also building a tolerance to and a dependency on a drug I knew was addictive. It wasn't until I returned to LS from Ireland that I realized what I'd gotten myself into. Naturally, I wanted to go back to normal. The situation was sorted and, though I was still processing feelings and mourning, I could manage to be more vulnerable now. I didn't have to have a brave face on twenty-four-seven. I didn't need the clonazepam. The night I arrived back in LS I put the medication away and didn't think much about it. Two days later I felt sick. My head was pounding. My hands were shaking. I was nauseated, and couldn't eat. I was sweaty all the time. I felt depressed and tired. To top all of this off though, I had a panic attack. It was a pretty serious one. I turned to the clonazepam again to deal with this and, like magic, all the symptoms I described above vanished. I felt normal again. That was the moment I realized I was in it, and though my sense of fear was dulled by the drug, it terrified me. I'm obsessive about control over my life. I don't like surprises. I don't like unpredictable variables. I like to be in the driver's seat at all times for anything concerning myself. I refused, at first, to make any sort of peace with the fact that I'd developed a drug problem. "I'm me!", I thought. "This kind of thing doesn't happen to me!" It was happening though. I kept taking the pills every day just to function with some semblance of normalcy. It's only now that I'm beginning to pick up the pieces. The first part of it was realizing and admitting I had lost control. It was hard. I didn't want to keep taking the pills, but I felt as if I couldn't stop. That's loss of control. The second part, confronting it, that's where I am now. I write all this not for sympathy. This was a mistake on my part and I'm bearing the consequences. But it's forced me to put thought into a subject I've never really given the time of day, which is addiction and its effects. I never knew why people would choose to abuse drugs. The risks are plastered all over our cultural zeitgeist. How dumb would someone have to be to get themselves addicted to something?! Not so dumb, I guess. Over the past few days, I've been looking into prescription medication abuse and the statistics related to it. I guess I wanted to know that other people out there had made the same mistakes I did, that I wasn't that stupid person I talked about above. What I found was both comforting in that I knew I wasn't alone in the little Hell I'd put myself in, but many more times troubling when given serious thought. Prescription drug abuse is defined by the Mayo Clinic as, "the use of a prescription medication in a way not intended by the prescribing doctor." The problem affects all age groups, but young people especially. In fact, every day in the United States alone, 2,500 children between the ages of twelve and seventeen abuse a prescription pain reliever for the first time. The most commonly misused drugs are opioid painkillers, sedatives, stimulants, and anti-anxiety medications like clonazepam. The problem is growing in America, and now that I've gone and gotten myself affected by it, I feel like I've a poignant view of why and how it starts. I've described my own account above. The statistics about where it can lead are what led me to confront this problem personally, and I think it's important that they're shared. The 'opioid epidemic' we're facing as a country is a real problem. Regardless of your views on how this problem should be solved, the statistics are there. Use, abuse, and deaths from opioid medications and illicit opioids like heroin have risen dramatically in recent times. Opioid abuse can (and typically does) begin how I described above. A medication prescribed by a doctor is overused, a dependency is formed. Benzos like clonazepam don't get much attention in this arena. The statistics on opioid-related deaths are much better documented due to the times. However, the incidence of benzodiazepines being found in the systems of those who've died from opioid drugs - those stats are out there. As of 2018, one in four people who died from an opioid overdose also tested positive for some form of benzodiazepine. The most startling fact for me found in this data is that the incidence of opioids being prescribed simultaneously with benzodiazepines is also on the rise. In 2001, just 9% of people who were prescribed some form of opioid were also prescribed some form of benzo. By 2013 that number was up to 17%. In 2019? I fall into that statistic. I suffered a knee injury months ago for which I was prescribed oxycodone - a form of opioid pain reliever. The fact that I was currently prescribed clonazepam for my anxiety was not even mentioned by the doctors who treated me. The two categories of drugs are extremely dangerous when taken simultaneously, and simply due to the fact that I wasn't currently taking my clonazepam regularly during the time I was using oxycodone, I very possibly avoided life-threatening consequences. To say all of this has shaken me is an understatement. I feel like I dipped my toes into a world I wanted no part in only to, in a moment of stupidity, plunge myself head-first into it. It's not willpower or intelligence that drove me to recognize my problem and decide to confront it. I'm no better than anyone who has dealt with or still deals with this. I'm lucky. I had people around me who noticed something was up and decided to confront me about it. That last point is the reason I decided to write this piece. Drug abuse, be it of illicit 'street drugs' or prescription medications, doesn't just affect the user. It has an effect on those around them that can be frustrating, saddening, worrying, and heartbreaking. It's difficult to tell someone you love that they've got a problem as serious as addiction. But when you look at the statistics - like the ones outlined above, or the myriad of others that are out there - it's a no-brainer. If you know someone who shows symptoms of addiction to any substance, be it alcohol or pills all the way up to heroin - talk to them about it. If it weren't for my own problem having been brought to my attention by someone who isn't me, I'd never have made the decision to accept and confront it. It's not owed to anyone to save their life if they're drowning, but we do it anyway. It's human nature. Addiction is quite like drowning, and just like you wouldn't idly watch on as someone drowned, you shouldn't do so when they're in the throes of addiction. If you yourself are in those throes, there is help out there. I now know that no one wakes up one morning and decides, "I'd like to become an addict." I feel silly for ever having looked down on someone who was dealing with it. If you want control of your life back, you can take it if you let others help you. From checking yourself into the hospital to seeking out an addiction counselor there are so many ways to confront this demon. It may feel insurmountable, but it isn't. To sum all this up, my brief brush with drug abuse has left me in a strange place. Ideas I had about myself being "too smart" or "too strong" to fall into addiction have been shattered. I think though, that with time, those ideas being shattered will be a good thing. No one is above this. It could truly happen to anyone, and it does happen to people from all walks of life. As I said earlier, policy related to this on a macro level isn't something I want to or plan to discuss. But on a personal level, from person-to-person, a whole lot of good can be done. That personal level of help is what saved me. The opinions expressed in this piece do not reflect the opinions of Saints News as a whole, but those of its author Haley Niamh Connor.

Understanding Suicide Examining its Modus Operandi and the Prevention Measures By Miia R. Novak, Psy.D This article may have content that is distressing to some readers. Topics being discussed include suicide. Suicide has a prevalent appearance in Los Santos, from friends to family to colleagues, it's likely we've all met someone who has committed suicide. Following the distressing news that came out last night, it's time to talk about it. In today’s society, there is one very serious problem that exists and lurks in the shadows. It’s a problem that does not often get recognition until it is too late. It’s a problem that is only spoken about when someone falls victim to it. It’s time we openly talk about the very serious impact that suicide has on us, and the mental health challenges that are engrossed with suicide. Suicide is a problem that needs to be tackled before it takes hold of someone. The issue being, it is a topic that is not entirely discussed until an incident happens. It’s a difficult topic for many people to discuss, naturally enough and thus don’t consider it until they know someone close such as a friend or family member is tackling it, or ultimately have attempted it. There are startling statistics behind suicide. In the US, nearly 40,000 people die from suicide every year, being listed as the tenth leading cause of death. In the world, 800,000 lives are taken due to suicide every year. This equates to about one death every 40 seconds. Between 15-29-year-olds, suicide is listed as the second leading cause of death between that age group. Monday, Tuesday and Sunday are the days with the highest number of self-harm incidents, the peak time being midnight. The statistics for the number of cases only grows higher by the year. In my line of work, I often stumble across cases of suicide or suicidal thoughts being discussed in sessions. However, most of the time I deal with such incidents on the scenes and out of office. Working alongside the folks in the Crisis Negotiation Team in the Los Santos Police Department - I’m often asked to assist them in suicidal person cases if it is brought to their attention and is called out - trying to dissuade the person from following through with it. While we try to respond to most those cases, some of them go unheard of until it's too late. Below I’ll discuss the various measures one can take to prevent suicide, and state what it is that causes such feelings to begin with. What are the signs one notice if they felt suicidal? When it comes to what someone would feel if they felt suicidal can differ from one person to the next due to the nature of it depending on certain circumstances. However, listed will be the warning signs in which are most common with suicidal cases; Feeling hopeless. This is one of the main factors to feeling suicidal. Feelings of purposelessness. Anxiety, or agitation. Withdrawal from social interactions, like meeting with friends or attending gatherings. Impulsiveness and recklessness. Severe mood changes; including depression. Feeling of being trapped in one’s mind. Increased use of alcohol or drugs. All these signs can highlight what could eventually develop into suicidal thoughts. As I mentioned in my article about depression; it can often factor in and be a sign of what could be suicidal thoughts. If those are the signs, then where do the suicidal thoughts come from? When it comes to suicidal thoughts, it’s challenging to understand the mindset of an individual who is suffering from suicidal ideation. A lot of people never seriously consider ending their own lives, so understanding that mindset is hard. The most recognized ideation through with suicidal thoughts that is accepted is the ultimate lack of hope and perception engraved in the person’s mind. The individual develops a sort of tunnel vision, believing that their life cannot ever improve from this point on. People suffering from suicidal thoughts, or ideation about it do not know how to seek help. While it’s typical in suicide-related cases that it’s prolonged suffering, it’s important to remember that sufferers are not always merely trying to escape the pain. Most suicidal people believe that there is no good reason to continue. It’s this mindset that drives the ideation to reality. So understanding where suicidal thoughts come from is necessary, if one was to help sufferers move past this dark point in their life. The thoughts can come from anywhere. Stressors are the main ones that can cause a sudden change in thought. As mentioned, it is hard to pinpoint exactly the cause, however, if, in doubt, mental health professionals are there to help understand the causes more clearly. Most people that suggest suicide, or thoughts about it do not want to die. They simply wish for the pain they are experiencing to end. Even in instances where no one could have predicted a suicide, that such thoughts can be changed through encouragement to seek help, talking to someone. Those who talk about suicide may attempt it in the future. So you mustn’t dismiss their thoughts on it. It’s a serious issue. Many people who are lost to suicide had confided in somebody a time before their death. Offering your support or assisting someone to seek help can help save their life. The main thing with suicide is that sufferers may not speak out about what it is they are truly feeling. So if you suspect that there might be more going on with someone; try and understand them. Below is a list of ways to approach a person who might be experiencing such thoughts. I understand where the thoughts come from, so what can I do? The importance of therapy. When it comes to suicide prevention, the best approach to it is to seek help from a mental health professional. Typically when you go about this, there are one or two ways professionals will deal with it. One by targeting the conditions that underlie the person’s thoughts - such as depression for example, or they will target a person’s suicidal ideations directly if possible. Two types of suicide prevention therapy strategies that are used too are Dialectical Behavior Therapy, and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (Which I spoke in greater detail on my Depression article.) - DBT helps the person making changes to their lifestyle to minimize the ideations of suicide. Whereas CBT teaches the prevention skills and encourages the person in pursuing these prevention methods. Aside from seeking professional help, there are strategies you can use if you notice a family member, a friend or even yourself exhibit the signs. They might desperately need your help, so do not ignore them if they express such thoughts. Express to the person that they are not alone. Tell them and explain you are there for them and will continue to be there for them. Do not make them feel like they are alone in their thoughts. Sincerely ask some questions. Don’t bluntly state what is wrong. Explain why you are asking the questions too, don’t make them feel like they are being probed and interrogated over feeling this way. Do not passively explain to the person to just call a prevention hotline for example. Lead them instead. Sincerely suggest resources to them that might help, such as speaking to a professional. Lead them to speaking to a hotline, but do not ask them outright to as they may feel pushed. Help the affected person keep track of appointments if pursuing professional help. Keep them to their schedule, and on the right track even if they don’t feel suicidal anymore. Make sure they know you are there for them throughout it all. I know someone who has spoken of suicide/given the notion of attempting it. What can I do? First and foremost, it is best if you get a list of various hotlines that can help deal with these situations should it escalate. Organisations such as the Crisis Text Line, Suicide Prevention/Stop Suicide site and the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline all deal with urgent situations. Specifically, in Los Santos, therapists can be contacted if the person was willing to speak with the professional. Suggesting to see a professional might help diffuse their thoughts on continuing, however, don’t push them into seeking therapy either. Lead them to it. Another approach would be to see if you could convince them to take a screening test. It’ll give them a self-report questionnaire and it can help identify exactly the signs in which are making them feel suicidal. But keep in mind. Warning signs of suicide are not always obvious. Ask, Care, Treat. Ask if they are feeling suicidal, let them know you care and try to get the assistance or Treatment as soon as you can. Their life counts. Remember, suicide is not your fault. Saints News

Hales Tales Review: Club Royale By Haley Niamh Connor My sneak peek at Club Royale yesterday had me gushing before the venue's doors even opened. If you've read this column for a while, you know I'm big on uniqueness when it comes to nightclubs. A bar is a bar, by and large. Variety is good in that sector, but people aren't going there for a spectacle. Clubs are different. People very much are going there for the spectacle. To say the aesthetic of Club Royale delivered on this would be an understatement. The pictures I took during my sneak peek do the spot no justice compared to when it's 'operational'. Have a look at the first thing you see when you walk in: I can't get over the entry corridor and its blue lighting that shimmers off the water flowing under the glass of the walkway. The atmosphere is unique and engaging from the moment you enter. Once you hit the main area of the club, the narrow corridor gives way to a wide-open space that I'd venture to say offers a wee bit for everyone. There's comfortable and ample seating surrounding the dancefloor. The floor itself is fantastic, complemented by fantastic lighting sprawled from over the DJ booth along the ceiling of the club. The bar is large and boasts a square-concept that makes it easy to grab a drink and get back to your friends regardless of where in the venue you came from. It's fantastic, to say the least. Whoever handled the design of this spot should be commended because for my money, its the best looking venue in LS. The service was grand as well. The bar was manned by two tenders who worked their way through patrons at a steady rate without being robotic. The one thing I must touch on is the obvious synergy between all the club's staff. Everyone from the bartenders to security, to the manager Gene Connor (no relation) seemed to be in constant and effective communication. When I arrived at the door, security already knew I was expected. I asked Gene if I could go to VIP to take some pictures and in the fifteen seconds it took me to walk from him to the VIP entrance the security guard already knew to let me up. These are little things, of course. But they're indicative of something I've seen a lot of venues - be they bars or clubs - lack, which is a unified and streamlined flow of communication between staff. This makes the entire operation run more smoothly. Everyone seemed to be on the same page, and it was nice to see that level of professionalism. Upon my arrival around 11:15 pm, an hour and fifteen minutes into the club's opening, there was a decent-sized crowd but most were gathered around the bar. DJ aOi took care of this in tandem with the bar-staff by urging the patrons to the floor. It was effective. Within a few minutes, nearly everyone in the club was dancing and all seemed to be having a great time. Those who didn't feel like dancing were lounging in the venue's stylish and comfortable seating areas. The vibes were there, and they were good. I was going to harp on the $500 entry fee. Entry fees across the bar sector seem to be going down, and the club sector has been relatively quiet lately so a $500 price tag for the experience was a bit jarring to me at first. However, I'd say it was solidly worth the cash I doled out. And with the Garden just today announcing a $1,000 entry fee for their grand opening on Saturday, I suppose it'd be silly to complain even if it wasn't worth the price of admission. There's nothing I can really meaningfully critique about Royale without nitpicking. The open concept of the spot did leave it feeling a bit sparsely populated at times, but this can be looked at as a strength as much as a weakness. Those who wished to let loose, dance, and meet new people had the opportunity to do so at the bar and on the floor. Those who simply wanted to enjoy the atmosphere amongst their own group and socialize had the opportunity to do so in the seating areas. As I stated at the beginning of this review, Royale has a bit to offer anyone who may be interested in checking it out. All of that being said, I give Club Royale a very solid recommendation. From the aesthetic that ties it all together, to the small details like the professional and friendly staff, the venue had an opening night I do not see all to commonly. If I had entered, this being my first night in LS, I would not have assumed this was the first time Club Royale had opened its doors. If you want a fun time in a unique nightclub environment, check out Club Royale the next time they're open. You won't be disappointed. As always, this review was not bought and paid for. Hales Tales, and Saints News at large refuse any offers of payment via money, goods, or services in return for coverage. The thoughts and opinions expressed in this piece are genuine, and Hales Tales will continue to review with a commitment to objectivity and honesty. The opinions expressed in this piece do not reflect the opinions of Saints News as a whole, but those of its author Haley Niamh Connor. This article contains sponsored multimedia advertisements. This has not affected the content of this article.

Yearly, in June, Pride Month occurs to celebrate individuals that protested after The Stonewall Inn in New York City was raided during 1968. The annual event visually represents the discrimination, incrimination, testimonies, and other issues that the LGBT+ community have dealt with throughout prior generations, and the current day. The protests have led to a series of events occurring, such as; the first same-sex marriage law in Asia, the first openly gay state governor in the U.S., among other feats. Corporate America, for example, has begun to legislate laws with the U.S. House of Representatives passing the Equality Act, legislation designed to protect LGBTQ people from discrimination in education, housing, employment, and other areas. The furthering of improvement for the LGBT+ community, however, is far from over. Discrimination remains visible throughout the community, and even has subtleties in LGBTQ-inclusive marketing and advertising, for the inclusive support to halt altogether when Pride Month has ended. The continuous questioning of Pride Month is a legitimate debate due to its visual representations, faith-based assumptions, and views on the reasoning behind the orchestrated events administrators and probable personal-gain for administrators, and companies. I, however, want to question individuals in Los Santos on their individualistic opinions on Pride Month’s conception and legitimacy, doing so by questioning four individuals that are associated with the LGBT+ community. (Anonymous) An anonymous user, representing bisexuality, discusses their ideals and views on Pride Month as an individual associated with the LGBT+ community, whilst remaining anonymous throughout the portion of the article. The anonymous user remains neutral in terms of discussion; however, their personal experience furthers the narrative on Los Santos’ relationship circumstances. Photo Credit: Nasa Q: What is your perception on Pride Month as an event? A: ‘I believe that Pride Month can be seen as a memorable event to our group, just like any other organisation or country celebrate its own days of history. An example would be the nationwide celebration of the 4th of July, which is seen as a very holy day for a lot of American folks. There's no reason stopping us from celebrating this month, and we should definitely be proud of our identity in a free country that guarantees us these human rights.’ Q: What do you consider the primary flaws, and or positives of Pride Month? A: ‘As for the effects of Pride Month. I think that it positively impacts on some people who are not aware of what Pride Month is about, therefore it's a good idea to educate people on this matter and show them that we're just as human as anyone else. One the cons however I would say, is that some people within our community misrepresent us and give a bad inaccurate image of what we believe in. A solution to this issue would be hosting seminars that can enlighten ourselves on these sensitive topics.’ Q: What legislation's could be enacted to improve discrimination and incrimination against the LGBT+ community? A: ‘I don't think that there's any legislation that we require, as this is already a fundamental right under our 1st Amendment according to the US Constitution. We're starting to grow larger, and I believe at one point this would become a very normal thing in the eyes of all people; whether they support it or not.’ Q: How would you define sexuality in the LGBT+ community? And what are your personal sexual experiences being a member of the LGBT+ community? A: ‘Sexuality in the LGBT+ community may be a subjective topic to some individuals, as sexual orientations differ from a person to another. Some homosexual males are not fan of penetration for example, and instead revert to other methods of sexual pleasure such as masturbation, or through oral intercourse. Some people on the other hand, are not really fan of sexual connection, and instead just stick to love and mental feelings. Going back to the question though, I'd personally define it as a further connection between two parties; regardless of their gender to further strengthen their bond and to gain sexual pleasure.’ The individual adds, ‘As in reference to my own sexual experience in Los Santos, I would say that it wasn't purely the luckiest, as people seem to prefer having intercourse for the sake of pleasure rather than anything else. I feel like this is not only a problem in our community, but it's a city-wide issue where people no longer value feelings that are necessary for an everlasting relationship.’ Tyson Sheridan An enthusiast of ‘travelling, beaches and partying,’ Tyson is a self-acclaimed bisexual man, and aspiring photographer. In Tyson’s section of the article, a discussion on the necessity of Pride Month, and the definition of the LGBT+ community are discussed in further detail. Photo Credit: Tyson Sheridan Q: As a bisexual man in Los Santos, have you experienced discrimination? And how would you consider your experience thus far, positive or negative? A: ‘I'll be honest, I haven't faced any discrimination since moving to Los Santos, so, this one I can't really answer all that well. I don't know if I just ain't gone out enough or if it's because I am still somewhat new to the city.’ Q: What are your views on Pride Month, and do you think it’s a necessary event? A: ‘I love Pride Month. I love that it brings awareness to the LGBT+ community, which for as long as it has been a thing for, many people still ignore it and think that it's a joke of an event. I do think that Pride is a necessary event to help bring focus to the issues that the many people in the LGBT+ family have to face, and Pride helps bring that stuff to light.’ Q: How do you think that we could broaden Los Santos’ LGBT+ community? Should there be more activities, or events? A: ‘Maybe a few more public events at like the major areas in the city, like Mirror Park or down at Del Perro Pier. Maybe even night clubs in the city could host pride events to help support victims of attacks that are aimed at members of the LGBT+ community and raise some cash for them.’ Q: How would you define the LGBT+ community? A: ‘I define the LGBT+ Community as a place that should a be considered a safe place for people to visit and to discuss their feelings and all that kind of stuff. In my eyes, the LGBT+ Community should be more like a family for people to turn to when they are in need of help.’ Tyson’s statement emphasises on the lack of community in Los Santos at this given moment for members of the LGBT+ community. Rose ‘Mackie’ McKenzie Rose, also known as the alias ‘Mackie,’ defines an experience being associated with the plus in the LGBT+, and their views on Pride Month as an annual event. Her views align conservatively in comparison to the other opinions given and validate the views another individual apart of the LGBT+ community may have to another. Photo Credit: Mackie Q: What is your personal experience with Pride Month? Do you believe that the annual event is necessary? A: I've never had an actual personal experience with Pride Month since I always kept to myself regarding such up until recently. As for an 'annual event', I don't see why not. I just feel that an entire month dedicated to this is far too much compared to more important things. The level of attention given to this was far too elevated due to the simple fact that most people doubled their cries to the public in comparison to what may truly have gone done. Q: How would you define Los Santos’ perception of the LGBT+ community, and the treatment the LGBT+ community receive in Los Santos? A: ‘I'd define the city's perception of said community as one-sided. There are a lot of sexualized women regarding their love over other women, and it becomes a stereotype that the public eye can use to define certain people, earning them a bad rep or a bad pair of eyes within the society's spectrum. Everybody talks about 'lesbians', but very few mention the transgender, and even less the bi or gay in my opinionated order. The treatment is rather basic-sounding, you have people that yearn for the attention they seek, and others work on getting all they can done against a group of people.’ Q: Should Pride Month be an organised event in Los Santos? A: ’Pride Month as an event? Definitely not. As I said, I personally insert myself within the group as a '+' but with all due respect a day is more than enough. People fought wars, people did amazing achievements throughout all their lives and they get one day. Important events regarding our planet get one day. And suddenly, a portion of humans decide it's fine for them to get 30-31 days instead a singular one like everything else. Even Christmas is one bloody day. And that's what I think Los Santos could organise, Pride Day.’ Q: What is your personal experience being either associated with, or being in the LGBT+ community? A: ‘My personal experience falls in the fact that. I find a lot of lesbian women seeking for raw attention without giving little care into detail. I personally follow suit but try to not recreate their mistakes which is to openly call out for the first female to respond for them to have a nice night together. Please, work on having a loving relationship, work on establishing social connections with people. I know lesbians, I know bi, I know gays, I know trans and I'm a '+', and life couldn't be better regarding that area for me. I don't go to extravagant events; I don't call attention to the community or myself regarding such and try to be as casual about myself when needed to. Personally speaking, I wish things weren't as pushed onto people's faces and spoon-fed down their throats with all this information. And instead take things a bit more easily.’ Danny Waltz Self-acclaimed as being pansexual, but more so female leaning in terms of preference, Danny’s sexuality and gender representation is discussed in the portion of the article, emphasising on the treatment received by Los Santos to those that are altering with their gender identity. Q: What are your personal views on Pride Month? Are there specific improvements that you think could be possible for the event? A: ‘I think Pride Month is very important for people in the LGBT community. Despite common perception, Pride Month isn't just about "Being proud to be gay". It's a celebration of the struggles that the LGTBQ community have had to go through in the past. Previously, these people would have had to hide who they were, in fear of prosecution, bullying, exclusion, or even death. The fact that Pride Month is all about celebrating these people, in the open, especially with all the parades that occur during the month shows that these people, DO NOT have to hide themselves anymore. We're not yet at complete acceptance of the LGBTQ+ community, but we're getting there.’ Q: What type of reception do you think is given to LGBT+ individuals in Los Santos? A: ‘I think the acceptance of LGBTQ members in Los Santos needs some work. There's a current double standard where it's okay for female's to be gay/bi, but for guys it it's still a big no-no. People still make fun of LGBTQ people, because I guess they think it's funny, or they feel like it? There's really no reason this should be occurring, but it is.’ Q: What is your personal experience being an associated member of the LGBT+ community? A: ‘My personal experience has been rough in the beginning. I used to be a feminine guy, and my first day in LS, I was called faggot, made fun of, called a tranny... and yeah. I find that the females in LS are much friendlier than the guys, that should change. It's like guys are afraid of gay people sexualizing them like they sexualize women. Just saying.’ Q: Do you have any advice that you could offer to the youth of the LGBT+ community that may be facing discrimination themselves? A: ‘For the young LBGTQ members in the community, you're not alone. Cut out all negativity in your life and find people who accept you, and care for who you are, and don't let them go.’ June is a national pride month, a month of celebrations and empowerment to aside discrimination, and differences. Across the country, LGBT+ people and allies gather to festivals, parades, parties and accommodating areas to proclaim freedom and quality by societal standards. Specifically, for me, the writer, pride marches and festivals are statements of subversive displays of light in the midst of hatred and discrimination; a display of normalcy in the community, where individuals of same-sex partnership can be affectionate in public without potential backlash, and or celebrate their own personal growth instead of embracing self-regression and reverting to internalised hatred. The reasoning behind Pride Month, for most individuals, is to further separate barriers and to support those who are in the position to be unable to attend festivals, or safe spaces. Progress has, however, has occurred for LGBT individuals in multiple areas, including such examples as; • June 2013: The Repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), in which had previously legislated the government from recognising same sex couples. • October 2009: The Matthew & James Bydr Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act is enacted. Matthew Shepard, a twenty-year old man, was tortured and murdered near Laramie, Wyoming in 1998 due to his identification as being gay. The law was passed in October 28, 2009 by President Barack Obama to enforce protection for victims of perceived gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability motivated criminal acts. • June 26, 2015: Same-sex relationships are considered in the law of the land in fifty states. These multiple acts are the main reason that Pride Month and associated festivals, in this writer’s eyes, are justified despite the potential exaggeration of costuming or exploitation of specific companies. Although lacking communities, Los Santos’ welcoming-wagon varies when an individual is associated with the LGBT+ community, sharing similarities with other regions across America. Regardless of opinion, communication is important for allies, LGBT individuals, and non-supporters too. For this reason, a FaceBrowser group known as ‘Pride,’ has been set up on FaceBrowser’s services to provide further open discussion between alternating opinions. You, the viewer, can either comment your opinion on whether you believe that Pride Month and associated themes throughout the article are necessities in modernised society below or on the FaceBrowser page. Thank you for reading! - Ezra

In a prior article release, FaceBrowser’s administration and community were discussed by multiple women, whom shared their opinion on the harassment received from various users and the site’s lack of administration. To offer an unbiased opinion, I have asked men about their perspective and opinions on the site’s matter, and harassment that they have received. Similarly doing so by questioning individuals that were previously accused, and ‘controversial figures’ about their association with FaceBrower’s system. This article’s primary focus is on alternative views, whilst remaining similar to the article classified as ‘Behind FaceBrowser’s Harassment: A Female’s Perspective,’ which addressed the site’s utilisation and the defamation that occurs on the site. With likeness to the previous article posted, four men’s perspectives are going to be investigated, to contrast against the prior article’s participants. The participants include Keinan Walker, Dean Bell, Keith and lastly, Rot Garden. The site was deemed as being ‘merciless, lacking administration’ and other labels in the earlier article; however, in this investigation, we seek out opinions to counteract the bias and to inquire whether FaceBrowser's services need to adapt to the users or the users need to adapt to the platform. Photo Credit: Kaylee Keeton Firstly, we identify Keinan Walker’s opinions and perspective against the allegations in the prior post, stating the harassment received on his part and creating an equalised story between the two articles. Posting regulated opinionated posts, Keinan’s a spoke-person for his views, and has a fighting-spirit and a misunderstood friendliness. As of right now, Keinan has a part-time job, and vocalises his perspective on the alleged harassment he has said to have given to multiple women across the site. Q: Firstly, in our prior article, there were allegations that you harassed the women who participated in the article, do you believe for this to be true? How would you describe the situation from your perspective? A: ‘It's so easy to play victim and get all the sympathy and attention. But there's always two sides of a coin. You simply can't judge a situation and come to a conclusion before you've heard and seen both sides of the story. Nobody wants to 'harass' people for the fun of it, it's not like I wake up and suddenly go "lemme harass a bitch today", no, that's not how it happens. From what I've seen during my few months on Facebrowser, nobody gets harassed unless they're straight up asking for it.’ Keinan states, continuing his paragraph shortly after. He adds, ‘In my case, which I may add is a case being used by a bunch of women to victimize themselves and get people like me banned, it all started with a woman named Sara. I'll be short and straightforward. Sara and I met, became friends quickly due to her extremely friendly nature, things escalate, she admits she has a 'crush' on me, but I ask for time because I know she'd been sleeping with multiple guys. Sara one day breaks down and cries after being abandoned by her friends, I help her out, talk her out of it, lift her up and get her going. She promises to change and find better friends, but I see her go back to the same old people and fuck herself up. She fucked the same guys who'd been using her, got played, called all men pigs and turned lesbian. I felt like she was being stupid. This pushed me away from her. We'd been barely talking ever since.’ ‘One day I post a meme about the LGBT. We ALL know memes are never meant to be taken seriously. Sara takes it personally, attacks me in the comments, following which I get annoyed and shit kicks off. Sara thought it'd be funny to capture slick, thoroughly cut-out screenshots of some of the messages I had sent her back when I tried to be nice to her so I could get her out of that dark place she was in, and posted them all over the social media site for everyone to see. How FUCKED up is that? You help someone who's been acting depressed, only for them to screenshot your messages and show them to the public to laugh at a month later? This fucked me up and I started exposing all of Sara's messages that she'd sent to me, which eventually shut her up. If anything, I should be the one bitching about being harassed because the shit she started with me was so uncalled for.’ ‘When you shit on someone who's literally saved your fucking life, you can't expect them to be quiet. People didn't find Isabella's activities cool, they started sending me material that I could use to 'expose' Isabella. I received messages of her agreeing to do questionable things for likes, as well as her nudes. Of course, I warned her I'd have to take the extreme step if she doesn't stay out of mine and Sara's dumb fight, but she once again asks me to fuck off, following which I release all her personal things as a proper response. I feel like what I did was justified, and it was all started by the same women who claim to be 'harassed'.’ ‘They both tried to get more women involved in the argument which was originally meant to be between just me and Sara and eventually die out. A few more women joined, tried having a go at me every opportunity they get, but I wouldn't back off. If I hadn't 'exposed' them, they would've kept going and going. My response was necessary, I had no option but to defend myself that way. So, there you go. Don't believe everything you hear on the internet without looking at both sides of the story. My response ended the situation, forcing them to delete whatever they'd posted about me, following which I deleted everything I posted about them. Now that I've narrated the whole thing, I actually find it so funny when they complain about being depressed and harassed... like they had every chance not to bring it upon themselves, it's like you play with fire then cry when it burns you, simply put.’ Keinan’s sentence emphasises on the importance of furthering questioning, and seeking the opinions of both perspectives, and how men are often targeted without receiving similar emotional support that women receive. Q: Have you been harassed on FaceBrowser’s services? And if so, has FaceBrowser’s support been limited? A: ‘I would say I've been harassed by the two ladies I just spoke about earlier. I mean you give them a helping hand, be there for them and shit, they accept the help, rise up, only to make a fucking mockery out of it. I've never done anything to deserve harassment, which is why I've never (the above case being an exception) been genuinely harassed by anybody on the site, or in real life. Even if I were harassed, I'd respond back with equal or more harassment, but that's just me. FaceBrowser's doing it right. They shouldn't get involved in people's personal feuds. The only thing they should be handling is illegal content. Apart from that, you just reap what you sow. Can’t handle harassment? Don't give people a reason to harass you.’ Q: How would you describe FaceBrowser’s services and community? Should FaceBrowser aim to improve these qualities? A: ‘The site, as well as the community are both completely normal, just like any social media site should be. Just because a few people want to make it look like the whole thing revolves around them doesn't mean it actually does. Admins of a social media site are not meant to involve themselves in personal feuds between site users, because they're nobody to judge and generally have better, more important things to do. Facebrowser is perfect as it is.’ Q: How would you describe your online persona, and do you have any final words to be included into the article? A: ‘I personally prefer to keep my circle small. If I have say, three or four friends in my circle that's pretty much all I need. I don't care about the rest. I work part-time and do spend a bit of my spare time on Facebrowser, where I post my thoughts, opinions and a meme or two occasionally. As I've mentioned before, memes are memes and if it offends you, then you should probably take a break from social media, or just avoid/block me if that sounds like a better option. If you're going to start genuinely fighting me or arguing with me over a fucking joke, you're just asking for more. I'm not going to change myself because Karen who is supposedly 'depressed' and 'harassed' lacks basic sense of humour. I've never actually made enemies on the site, nor do I ever plan to. Whatever I post, I do it in good will, to either state my opinions or to just make people laugh, and never to make enemies and find 'harassment opportunities'. In the end, I'll just remind y'all again that nobody's going to harass you until you force them to. Don't bring it upon yourself if it's something you can't handle. Oh, and stop seeking attention with that self-diagnosed 'depression', focus on the positive things in life. You're not depressed, you're just upset. Accept the fact that the world doesn't revolve around you, embrace it. Stop victimising yourself to be at the centre of everything. Trust me you'll love your life a lot more.’ Photo Credit: Dean Bell Secondly, Dean Bell’s viewpoint is explored with the harassment he has received for being apart of the LGBT-community, emphasising on the potential chastising that can occur against individuals that associate themselves with said community. Known as an activist, Dean Bell’s statuses are often those of social justice, and humour. Previously associated with ‘Baby, Bell & Jameson, P.C.’ Bell’s is now partaking in cases that revolve around his own law-firm, known as ‘Bell Law.’ Q: Have you been harassed on FaceBrowser’s services and if so, how did the harassment occur? A: ‘I have been harassed on Facebrowser, I posted on a picture of an individual being beaten up by a bunch of hoodlums, for over a week they have tried to get my location and threaten me, leave me alone!’ Q: Earlier in our discussion, you mentioned that you were targeted for your sexuality. Has FaceBrowser provided support to you throughout the harassment? A: ‘I did not report the harassment, the individual called me a “faggot”, due to my prior relations with Derek Freelander. I am sure if I did put in a report, they would help me, however.’ Q: How do you view FaceBrowser’s community and services? A: ‘I don’t know where all of the Nazis came from, but all and all… I am sick of the people who fight over Facebrowser… grow up kids! Just be Dean Bell, cool, awesome and respectable.’ Q: How do you think FaceBrowser could improve their services? A: ‘I think FaceBrowser is as good as it is going to get, I like it a lot!’ Q: How would you describe your online persona, and do you have any final words to be included into the article? A: ‘I would consider myself an intellectual revered by all lower IQ males, I am basically somebody that every man in Los Santos wants to be.’ This article-writer has to admit that Dean's confidence and perspective is interesting, to say the least! Photo Credit: Keith With a self-described ‘troll’ish and laid back’ personality, Keith’s good-humoured personality is often seen around the in Dazed Depot's store working as an affiliate, selling the newfound company’s well-reviewed and legalised products as a Sales Associate. Furthermore, Keith’s regularly posted modelling-based photographs can be seen across his FaceBrowser, and other social media platforms. Q: Have you experienced harassment on FaceBrowser’s services? Have you perceived harassment on FaceBrowser’s services and if so, why do you believe the reason it is that it occurred? A: ‘I've never experienced harassment and probably never will. A lot of harassment has happened on this website and it's mainly towards females, for some reason. There's no actual 'main' reason as to why that happens, in my opinion. People are just be jealous or hate the person because of what they've done to each other.’ Q: How do you view FaceBrowser’s community and administration? A: ‘FaceBrowser's administration? Who? Never seen any administrative work being done and I probably never will. This site's administration has been non-existent since the early days of the website, they've honestly done nothing. The community's a rollercoaster really, it's mostly accepting and friendly if you don't act like a total idiot. There are a few bad people out of all the good ones, though they can be easily avoided after you block them on the website.’ Q: How do you perceive FaceBrowser’s actions against ‘hate-posts’? How do you believe that FaceBrowser could improve its services? A: ‘More administration, really. While people have a freedom of speech, they should be mindful of others. Racism and anti-Semitism of any kind should be deleted, it only breeds hate between the parties involved in certain conflicts.’ Q: How would you describe your online persona, and do you have any final words to be included into the article? A: ‘I would definitely consider my persona as being more troll'ish and laid back, I like to have fun on the internet. I like to think that people do not take me seriously on the internet, I at least hope they do not.’ Photo Credit: Rot Garden Lastly, an affiliate to Sevencz is interviewed, known as their alias ‘Rot Garden.’ Rot Garden’s persona is fiery, entertaining, and welcoming. Although subtle with his answers, Rot Garden’s answers specify on FaceBrowser’s community being welcoming, and humorous to others across the site’s platform. Additionally, Rot Garden subtly answers the rumours associated with his character, and is the last participant included in the article. Q: Have you personally experienced harassment on FaceBrowser’s services? If so, how did it occur and did FaceBrowser’s services compensate against the targeted posts? A: ‘Yes, I'm actually being harassed by a band of rogue feminist who are either trying to fuck me, or fuck my friends.. Sevencz.’ Q: How do you perceive FaceBrowser’s community and have you witnessed indirect and or direct harassment that could have been avoided? A: ‘FaceBrowser's community is honestly hilarious as fuck and the best people I've ever encountered in my life. I love you guys.’ Q: How do you believe that FaceBrowser could improve their services? A: ‘FaceBrowser’s service is great, just stop verifying these people that don't do a damn thing.’ Q: How do you feel about FaceBrowser’s associated pages spreading rumours about you? Whether that may be falsified or truthful. A: ‘A lot of it was true, that is all.’ Q: How would you describe your online persona, and do you have any final words to be included into the article? A: ‘I am Rot Garden, the Sevencz gang-gang leader in training. Final words? When life has you down remember truck nuts, let them drag, let them spark. Follow me on FaceBrowser, Rot Garden.’ In contrast to the female’s perspective and initial response to FaceBrowser’s platform – the men associated in the article expressed a more so positive opinion to FaceBrowser’s services, despite some being harassed personally. The secondary article varies with the prior article, explaining a male’s perspective and detailing on four male perspectives on FaceBrowser’s platform and the harassment they have received, or lack of harassment received on the website. To the viewer reading, who’s opinion do you align with more? The women’s perspective or the male’s perspective? What are your personalised beliefs on FaceBrowser’s services and or administration? And lastly, do you the reader, believe that the individuals being harassed are justified in being harassed? - EZRA