The Daily Moth 6-4-2019
30 years since Tiananmen Square massacre; Four killed in mass shooting in Darwin, Australia; Dallas police ask for FBI help in solving black transgender female murders; Dummy Hoy Premiere
Hello, welcome to the Daily Moth! It is Tuesday, June 4. Ready for news?
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30 years since Tiananmen Square massacre
Today is the 30th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square protest and massacre in Beijing, China where possibly hundreds up to thousands of mostly young people died after the Chinese government ordered its military to break up the protests using rifles and tanks.
One of the most famous images from that time is of this man standing in front of a line of tanks. This was photographed by American Jeff Widener. It is not known what happened to the man, but he is known as “Tank Man.”
The protests were mostly led by college students who wanted democracy and more freedoms. More than a million people occupied Tiananmen Square in April 1989 for six weeks. On June 3 and 4, tanks and troops either opened fire or plowed down protesters.
According to news reports, the Chinese government has never officially hosted an act of remembrance for the protests nor made any form of apology. They have instead censored online discussions about the protests and “erased” any mention of the protests.
The Chinese Defense Minister recently said that the government did the right thing to stop the political turbulence, and have enjoyed stability and development since.
On Monday, U.S. Secretary of State Pompeo said China should list all those who died and give comfort to the victims, but a Chinese spokesperson said this was an insulting remark.
In Hong Kong, between 40,000 to 180,000 people gathered for a vigil to honor the victims.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-48508202
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/tiananmen-square-survivor-wuer-kaixi-reflects-on-30-year-anniversary-im-heartbroken/
https://www.businessinsider.com/china-tiananmen-square-tank-man-photo-still-irks-beijing-2019-5
https://www.wsj.com/articles/hong-kong-remembers-tiananmen-square-victims-30-years-on-11559667705
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Four killed in mass shooting in Darwin, Australia
Today there was a mass shooting in Darwin, Australia. Four men were killed by a gunman who went on a shooting rampage in an area with hotels and businesses using a pump-action shotgun. He moved between five locations and fired about 20 times in an hour.
A woman was injured when she was shot several times in the legs.
Police said a 45-year-old man was arrested and explained that he was on parole — released from prison in January. They said it was not terrorism.
Gun laws are strict in the country and mass shootings are rare.
https://7news.com.au/news/crime/darwin-shooting-man-arrested-after-opening-fire-in-cbd-c-148808
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/04/world/australia/shooting-darwin.html
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Dallas police ask for FBI help in solving black transgender female murders
Dallas police said they found a body of a transgender woman in a lake last weekend. Her name was Chynal Lindsay. Police said her body had obvious signs of homicidal violence.
Now Dallas police is asking for FBI to assist them in a broader investigation on unsolved murders involving transgender victims.
Just last month another transgender woman, who was also black, Muhlaysia Booker, was found shot to death. She was beaten by a group of men a month prior in an unrelated incident.
A third black transgender woman, Brittany White, was killed in her car in Dallas in October 2018. A fourth transgender woman was almost stabbed to death in April. A fifth black transgender woman was killed in 2015. All four murder cases are unsolved.
The FBI said they are prepared to assist if it is clear there could be a potential federal civil rights violation.
The Human Rights Campaign said they have tracked at least 136 violent deaths of transgender people since 2013, and explained that most of them are black transgender women, and cautioned that the actual number could be much higher due to misgendering and transphobia.
https://abcnews.go.com/US/fbi-investigating-dallas-police-discover-transgender-womans-body/story?id=63457037
https://www.dallasnews.com/news/white-rock/2019/06/03/transgender-womans-body-found-white-rock-lake-police-say
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Dummy Hoy Premiere
Hi, I’m Adrain. I’m here to give a special report for The Daily Moth.
I’m in now in Hopkinsville, Kentucky.
Know where is Louisville, KY?
This city is a 2 hour, 30 minute drive southwest from Louisville, near the Tennessee state line
We’re here at Alhambra theatre that’s hosting a special event tonight. The movie that people will be watching is about William Ellsworth Hoy. He’s also known as Dummy Hoy. He was a prodigious baseball player who used to play for the Reds between 1888 to
1902. An elite hitter even though he was only 5 foot 4. He could run really fast around the bases. A good hitter, too.
So, could you explain about your role in this film?
I’m the producer of this film plus I’ve researched on Hoy since 1989.
Do you feel that this film fits in with what you’ve researched since 1989?
Yes, yes.
That’s 30 years of research, right?
Indeed, it’s been 30 years.
What made you so fascinated by Hoy?
It’s because people have nominated Hoy to be enshrined in Hall of Fame twice without success. I said I would take the job and they were fine with it.
Hoy was…a former member of the Greater Baseball Deaf Club. I’m also a member
Oh, nice!
So I’ve met with many members, they were old timers, and they shared a lot with me. I found a lot of information and they introduced me to Judson Hoy. He’s the grandson of Dummy Hoy.
This is David Hoy. He’s actually a cousin of Dummy Hoy. Right?
Um, the second cousin.
Oh, second, second!
What are your expectations out of the movie tonight?
What did you think the movie was all about?
Uh, I’m truly inspired and honored…because they’re recognizing the person Dummy Hoy was. He wasn’t just a baseball player, but he believed in being ethical, following the rules and he had strong character. That was who he was as a person.
My father…would be so happy to see all this happen. He really loved Dummy Hoy. While I was growing up, he would tell me stories and I would always be mesmerized by them. I used to play baseball and I envisioned myself becoming like Dummy Hoy.
Jacob, William’s dad, who will be in the movie is actually my great grandfather.
That’s awesome! Thank you for letting me chat with you.
What was your role in this production? As a batter?
I’m a part of the background cast, part of the baseball team, where I play as a shortshop. Also, I play as the batter and runner.
Nice!
It’s cool seeing how a group of deaf people was able to get involved. Meeting the characters and Dummy Hoy’s team. Also seeing how things used to be in the olden times in the movie.
Yeah, that’s nice.
How do you feel about it, have you seen the movie?
I’ve not seen it and I’m so excited.
Nervous? Good! Should be a good movie!
Yes, I think it’ll be a good one.
I’ll be honest with you.
When I see the movie, I’ll start to tear up because the movie spotlights deaf culture. It allows me to identify with who he is because I love baseball players and I loved playing the game growing up.
To finally see an actual movie about the only deaf professional baseball player.
Now, finally it will happen tonight.
You play the main character. How did you feel about the movie? Is it the first time you’ve seen it?
Yes, it’s my first time.
How do you feel about it?
It’s a huge relief, to be honest. I didn’t know what to expect. I thought there might be parts I wasn’t sure about, but it was actually a really good movie! I really enjoyed it and I cried several times because I’m seeing myself on the big screen for the first time. And in a full-length film too.
Are you actually an actor or did you just happen to participate because you act pretty well?
It seems that you’ve shown that you’re a good actor.
Thanks. I, myself, am an actor. Before this movie, before the Spring Awakening production, I was not an actor then. After joining that production, my Broadway career really took off and I was getting offers. At the time, I was still not comfortable with calling myself an actor. I needed more experience, work, workshops and more training. After awhile, I started to consider myself an actor. My friends helped me learn how to invest in different characters. Being able to become entirely different people.
I cannot thank my friends enough for that.
Thank you and…you’ve done a fabulous job!
Thank you!
Congratulations. We cannot wait to see this wonderful movie production about this extraordinary and historical figure, about him as a person and in the game of baseball.
Thank you David and the team.
I’m here with Dawn who’s one of the people who’s fought and petitioned for this Dummy Hoy movie to happen.
Yes, that’s right.
I’m really inspired by being here and meeting all these people. It’s nice to see when hearing and deaf people come together.
It’s time for hearing people watch and be amazed.
I met Steve, Sandy and David awhile back. I’ve provided a lot of advocacy for them. I’ve noticed how important publicity is, so Steve and I really felt that William needed that recognition. His name should be enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame. How could we make this happen? By tirelessly petitioning, traveling and advocating.
Surely enough, we got the plenty of signatures plus I acted as public relations for William “Dummy” Hoy. Then we failed to get him enshrined. I hope that, in the future, this movie will fulfill what is Hoy’s long enduring dream that’s yet to be realized.
So, I want to see him achieve this dream. Fingers crossed.
I just finished watching the movie and I really enjoyed it. It’s very inspiring. It showcases Dummy Hoy’s struggles, his rise and his successes.
A lot of the movie’s dialogue is in sign language.
The movie brings hearing and deaf people together to watch and enjoy.
Remember how I mentioned that there were about 300 people?
They actually sold out all of their 650 seats. That means about 650 people were in attendance
We’ve had a great evening!
Follow the film’s page for updates:
https://www.facebook.com/thesilentnatural/
More images of the premiere:
https://www.wkdzradio.com/2019/06/01/great-crowd-on-hand-for-the-silent-natural-premiere/
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That is all for today. See you tomorrow and stay with the light!