#SafetyPin. > What does it mean? Brittney MacDonald Life & Style Editor t seems like such a silly little thing. How can a safety pin act as a means of showing solidarity in the wake of such a toxic election? As one of my friends very eloquently put it: “Safety pins hold dresses together, sometimes for a few days and before you have a chance to do some mending. America won't be held together with safety pins, not even for a few days,” and although I support this sentiment, I do find that there are more things to consider. Asa Canadian | am ina very privileged position, as the effects and consequences of this election will only involve me second hand, and though I am afraid of what those effects might be—afraid for my friends and family in America—I am not going to experience them on a daily basis. In the wake of the election, there has been a huge eruption of violence from both the left and right wings, and people are afraid. The thing about social media movements is that they're extremely interpretive at times. To one person the wearing of a safety pin might represent displaying your belief that America will persevere, despite the divided state it is currently in. To another, wearing a safety pin might be a statement towards your dissatisfaction with the election results, and to a final group, it might be a visual representation of safety. In fact, that idea of safety is where the safety pin movement began. Before the election, before anything to do with America, there was Brexit. Brexit is the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the European Union. It was something that was voted for and approved by the United Kingdom’s population, but despite this, many British people were not happy with the decision. During the process of Brexit, there were large numbers of racially motivated attacks. Thus, the wearing of a EN -W-lOM(o(-t- Mich mB cela ee M lifeandstyle@theotherpress.ca Image via Pixabay safety pin became a visual cue to racial minorities in the UK that you were a safe person to be around. When you have such a divided population, there sometimes needs to be visual cues that you are someone that minorities or people who are discriminated against can see as an ally. That no matter what your moral beliefs are, you won't hurt or attack them. We've seen this throughout history, the wearing of a pinky or a thumb ring to denote homosexuality or a queer ally, the Listed: Christmas packing tips > Going away this holiday? Start preparing now! Brittney MacDonald Life & Style Editor s much as I hate to admit it, Christmas is coming up and that means it’s time to pack! Whether you're headed a long way home, or you simply need to get all that you need together before your family arrives and invades your personal space, the fact of the matter is that you need to deal with deciding what you should and shouldn't bring. So here’s a couple tips to streamline your packing process. 1. Communicate with your partners in crime. Are you going to visit someone, or are you travelling with anyone? Talk to them and see what they're packing. Doing this will ensure that you don’t waste space by packing duplicates. Why take your own hair dryer when you know that they have one there, or you know that your friend’s bringing one? 2. Ship stuff beforehand. Since its Christmas, you're probably going to need to bring gifts. Don’t waste precious space by loading them in your suitcase. Ship the gifts ahead of time, so that you don't have to worry. It might cost more, but trust me, it will be worth not having to deal with the hassle. 3. Know what is near the place you're going to. If you are actually going away, be aware of what’s around the place youre staying. Is there a drugstore? A novelty shop? Knowing what’s around you will prevent you from having to prepare for the worst. If you're near a drugstore, packing condoms or tampons isn’t necessary. If there is a grocery store, you won't have to bring snacks with you, minus the ones that you plan on eating during the journey. 4. Be aware of what's going on. This is a catch-all for the situations that you need to specifically dress for. What sort of weather should you expect? Will you be attending any formal or semi- formal events during your time away? Nothing sucks more than realizing the clothes you have aren't up to snuff. E 5. Daily needs are important. Prioritize your daily or nightly needs. Don’t make the mistake of thinking you can goa couple days without adhering to your strict nightly skin routine. Breaking up (¥ A beginners guide to ‘dogspotting’ YY Genitally yours... (¥ Fan Expo And more! use of the colour yellow to show support towards feminine equality, the list goes on and on. The difference here is that rather than a safety pin showing support towards a singular minority, it is instead representative of America as a whole. A means of displaying your support for all people no matter race, gender, sexual preference, or political differences. Sure, there is an argument that this is atemporary fix. That—like actual safety pins—this movement has no longevity. Though that may be true, it does have a morale effect. The act of doing something, however small, is still a conscious effort. Meaning that you feel involved, even though in actuality you can't really affect anything on a grander level. You can’t turn back the clock and elect someone else, you can't suddenly acquire bucket-loads of money and move away, and you can’t stop the violent acts that are happening as a result of how divided America is right now. All you can do is affect your immediate space by letting others know you are a safe person to be near. Perhaps it is only a placebo effect, and maybe you will only feel better superficially because you feel like you did something—but maybe it’s not about you. No, America can’t be fixed with safety pins, but for a Muslim woman in New York, entering a crowded public bus and seeing someone with a safety pin on their lapel—hopefully that small thing might make them feel a bit better, knowing that at least one person in that space would have their back in an unsavoury situation. Image via Thinkstock your routine, no matter if it’s cosmetic or relaxation-related, will put unneeded stress on your body and emotional state—and with this being Christmas, more stress is the last thing you want!