“A Ramadan of many blessings”

Today has been a blessed day.

We hosted an all day debate for our toastmasters club and had 12 colleges from across the country come in to debate with us on the topic of continued war in Ukraine, whether or not the constitution has outlived its usefulness, the end to qualified immunity, and whether confrontation or diplomacy is needed against China. It was a really lively debate, ultimately the international team from Ireland that flew out here went home with the trophy. They were really good, and I think their Irish accents helped (lol jk). But it was great, its really nice to have outside guests come in and talk and interact with us like were human and not caged animals, you know? I met a really cool woman from Claremont College in California and I’m excited to debate her next year, she’s got great speechcraft and she’s very clear and concise. Her partner did very well as well, he came out swinging, I loved it. I didn’t get to debate this year because I got in the club late and everyone had been working on these topics for months now.

Then the cherry on top of the day was finding out that a new bill passed to give Measure 11’s good time! [editor note: Oregon Senate Bill 320 has not yet passed, but is currently in committee and is accepting public testimony. Please consider submitting testimony in support of OR S.B. 320.] That’s a HUGE win, super exciting that could very well cut my time down to 6 years, maybe 5. Like, to come home to my baby boy earlier and my family is just the happiest news I could’ve gotten. Its wild, because my mother and sister told me at the start regardless of what they said, I’m not doing 10 years in prison — “Allah is in control, put your faith in him. Man has no control in this world” — I had set myself to believe there was no way out, but inshallah! Allah provides as always praised be. I just really want to come home to my boy an take him from the hell he’s in now.

This is a Ramadan of many blessings that’s for sure.