On Monday, April 11, 2022, dozens of fans gathered outside of the Fairfax County Circuit Court to stand in support of actor Johnny Depp. They carried protest signs and waved pirate flags to commemorate his iconic role as Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean films. One fan, Jacina, traveled all the way from Australia. When asked by reporter Victoria Bekiempis about her support for Depp, she said, “Because I believe he’s innocent, and I don’t think that men’s reputation should be able to be ruined on the say-so of one person when it’s not true. He’s suffered very bad consequences that he didn’t deserve, because I think he’s a pure soul and he deserves redemption.” This is, of course, in reference to his ex-wife, Amber Heard, and the accusations of domestic violence she’s levied against him, the validity of those claims making up the reasoning for this very trial.

I was 16 years old when I experienced temporary blindness for the first time. An elliptical ball, traveling roughly 60 miles per hour from the sheer power of the opposing right-side hitter’s biceps, had crossed the net to the 10-foot line, where I stood in the receiving position. Rather than contacting the plush pale forearms of my two outstretched arms, the volleyball touched the rim of a blocker’s right index finger and swerved 30 degrees upwards towards my head.