Last week, we had election day.
I should've posted then, but today's timing is just too good.
All of the idiots who made stupid rape comments (Todd Akin, Richard Murdoch, Joe Walsh, etc.) are NOT in a position of any power.
As one voice, the people of the U.S. told the tea party idiots that, NO, women do not secrete their own birth control when raped, and NO, we WILL NOT have your STUPIDITY in our government. Good day to you, sirs!
I have never felt more pride and hope for this country!
And as I feel pride for this country, I also have to shake my head at the things that I have come to my attention today.
First, Cameron Diaz went on a talk show and talked about how she and her friends forcibly shaved another of their friend's pubic hair against her will. I don't even have the patience to discuss that on here, google it.
Second, the CEO of Murray Energy said a rather narrow-minded prayer for this country to get more conservative or it will be lost forever and laid off 54 people. The fact that separation of Church and State exists (in addition to my loathing for CEO's talking about having a lower standard of living) makes me not go in depth with this one either. Google it, please.
But FINALLY, what has made me more aggravated than anything is happening in a different country! THANK GOODNESS!
The Uganda parliament have announced that they will be passing an anti-gay bill that has parts that condemn people to death for homosexual acts.
President Obama has called their bill "odious," and I could not be more proud.
Other countries have been talking about cutting Uganda off if this bill is passed. Way to go World! I'm very proud of these countries, including the U.S., for standing up for human rights. Uganda does not have to have gay equality, but death for being yourself? Not cool, Uganda. Not cool.
Vive.
Monday, November 12, 2012
Thursday, October 25, 2012
Proposed Education Reform
Has anyone else noticed how ass backward the school system is? They shove a certain number of students of all different learning types into the same classroom with a random teacher and expect everyone to progress at the same pace even though that is impossible. And then, they blame the teacher when that happens. Everything is measured by tests and scores and results, not individual progress. Even the bureaucratic crap is confusingly stupid.
I am making a call for a serious overhaul of the education system, here, in the U.S.
First, if a student moves away to a new district, that district should not be allowed to refuse their enrollment based on a cut off date. Considering the unstable state our country is in, kids are forced to move all the time. My best friend, for example, recently had to move to somewhere less expensive. The process of moving took time, and the school district refused to let him enroll until he was actually moved in. Before then, something could fall through, he could move somewhere else. Until everything was finalized, they refused enrollment. Once they were officially in district residents, they missed the "cut off date" and were refused enrollment because they were too late in registering. Perhaps if they had made an exception, this would not have become a problem. Now, my friend has to wait a whole semester to even begin his senior year of high school, so he'll have to go an extra semester, graduate late, get everything else pushed back, all because some bureaucratic bullshit created a Catch 22 and removed all options aside from being unable to go to school.
This sort of thing is ridiculous. Situations like this should NEVER be allowed to happen. This is not a private school, this is a public school. Students should not be forcibly barred from an education just because they are uprooted in order to afford somewhere to live.
There was even a point where my friend was technically homeless and the school district did not seem to care. If you're homeless, they cannot verify that you are in district. If you don't have a home, you cannot get an education either. If that's not solidifying the barriers between the classes, I don't know what is.
I digress.
Now, here is my idea for how an effective school should run.
Elementary School
Each elementary school should be divided into classes by learning ability and then age. Students should take a learning ability test (visual, audio, kinesthetic, tactile) and put into classes where the teacher is trained to teach to that specific learning style. This way, the information imparted in elementary school is actually learned and absorbed. Each grade has classes built for each learning style. Tests are given depending on the learning style in order to eliminate bad test taking from information not learned. This would give an accurate view of how a child is progressing. Instead of the ISAT or MAP tests, human test administrators should go to elementary schools and test each child, one on one with a basic skills test developed with that child's learning style in mind. This way, the tests actually reflect the results of how the child has been learning and growing. Once a year, these tests can be administered and the children's progress can be mapped that way.
Middle School
Middle school should be shaped much the same way as the elementary school with the exception that this should indicate a transition from learning styles to a main stream way of teaching, like we have in the few high schools that shunned No Child Left Behind. Instead of all learning style based tests in classes, they can begin to introduce written and scan-tron tests. This way, students can still develop the skills necessary for success in the real world that does not cater to how someone learns information, but still have gotten the help at a young age to easily access important information and be cognizant of their learning style. Knowing one's learning style and being raised with it from a young age can be helpful when approaching teaching and testing tactics that do not conform to one's learning style. In middle school, how to use your learning strengths in order to accomplish something not made for your needs can be something taught in classes and made priority in preparation for high school. For middle school standardized tests, test administrators would still administer tests one on one.
High School
High school should be more main streamed than the others without shaping class and tests based on learning style. Much like it currently is, in fact. ACT could be given the same way and everything. The only difference that I would call for would be to reintroduce creativity to the classroom. Instead of teaching just what would show up on a test, the teacher should have more freedom with their lesson plans and not teach to the test. What they should have in mind when creating said lesson plan, however, is that each lesson includes something for each learning style to grasp onto. This way there aren't bored and disruptive kinesthetic learners messing with the vibe of the classroom which could distract tactile learners. High school should be more meshing the children of different learning styles and maintaining a calm classroom environment in order for more productive learning.
I think it's a good idea, anyway. Who knows.
Maybe with this kind of lay out, knowledge will not be lost of children who don't care about learning. School can be fun if trying to understand the simplest concept is not made frustrating due to lack of attention to a certain learning style.
What I'm suggesting would be no light undertaking and the financial cost would be huge considering that I'm suggesting to restructure the whole dead system into something that could breathe some life into this country again. Someone needs to resuscitate this country's education system. The "leaders of tomorrow" should be people who can read, write, spell, count, understand, communicate, and have the confidence in themselves and their intellect to do it.
What I'm suggesting could be the cure to things like U.S. citizens not knowing how many states there are in the U.S. It could be the cure to Honey Boo Boo. If we give natural human intelligence a chance, there could still be some hope yet.
I am making a call for a serious overhaul of the education system, here, in the U.S.
First, if a student moves away to a new district, that district should not be allowed to refuse their enrollment based on a cut off date. Considering the unstable state our country is in, kids are forced to move all the time. My best friend, for example, recently had to move to somewhere less expensive. The process of moving took time, and the school district refused to let him enroll until he was actually moved in. Before then, something could fall through, he could move somewhere else. Until everything was finalized, they refused enrollment. Once they were officially in district residents, they missed the "cut off date" and were refused enrollment because they were too late in registering. Perhaps if they had made an exception, this would not have become a problem. Now, my friend has to wait a whole semester to even begin his senior year of high school, so he'll have to go an extra semester, graduate late, get everything else pushed back, all because some bureaucratic bullshit created a Catch 22 and removed all options aside from being unable to go to school.
This sort of thing is ridiculous. Situations like this should NEVER be allowed to happen. This is not a private school, this is a public school. Students should not be forcibly barred from an education just because they are uprooted in order to afford somewhere to live.
There was even a point where my friend was technically homeless and the school district did not seem to care. If you're homeless, they cannot verify that you are in district. If you don't have a home, you cannot get an education either. If that's not solidifying the barriers between the classes, I don't know what is.
I digress.
Now, here is my idea for how an effective school should run.
Elementary School
Each elementary school should be divided into classes by learning ability and then age. Students should take a learning ability test (visual, audio, kinesthetic, tactile) and put into classes where the teacher is trained to teach to that specific learning style. This way, the information imparted in elementary school is actually learned and absorbed. Each grade has classes built for each learning style. Tests are given depending on the learning style in order to eliminate bad test taking from information not learned. This would give an accurate view of how a child is progressing. Instead of the ISAT or MAP tests, human test administrators should go to elementary schools and test each child, one on one with a basic skills test developed with that child's learning style in mind. This way, the tests actually reflect the results of how the child has been learning and growing. Once a year, these tests can be administered and the children's progress can be mapped that way.
Middle School
Middle school should be shaped much the same way as the elementary school with the exception that this should indicate a transition from learning styles to a main stream way of teaching, like we have in the few high schools that shunned No Child Left Behind. Instead of all learning style based tests in classes, they can begin to introduce written and scan-tron tests. This way, students can still develop the skills necessary for success in the real world that does not cater to how someone learns information, but still have gotten the help at a young age to easily access important information and be cognizant of their learning style. Knowing one's learning style and being raised with it from a young age can be helpful when approaching teaching and testing tactics that do not conform to one's learning style. In middle school, how to use your learning strengths in order to accomplish something not made for your needs can be something taught in classes and made priority in preparation for high school. For middle school standardized tests, test administrators would still administer tests one on one.
High School
High school should be more main streamed than the others without shaping class and tests based on learning style. Much like it currently is, in fact. ACT could be given the same way and everything. The only difference that I would call for would be to reintroduce creativity to the classroom. Instead of teaching just what would show up on a test, the teacher should have more freedom with their lesson plans and not teach to the test. What they should have in mind when creating said lesson plan, however, is that each lesson includes something for each learning style to grasp onto. This way there aren't bored and disruptive kinesthetic learners messing with the vibe of the classroom which could distract tactile learners. High school should be more meshing the children of different learning styles and maintaining a calm classroom environment in order for more productive learning.
I think it's a good idea, anyway. Who knows.
Maybe with this kind of lay out, knowledge will not be lost of children who don't care about learning. School can be fun if trying to understand the simplest concept is not made frustrating due to lack of attention to a certain learning style.
What I'm suggesting would be no light undertaking and the financial cost would be huge considering that I'm suggesting to restructure the whole dead system into something that could breathe some life into this country again. Someone needs to resuscitate this country's education system. The "leaders of tomorrow" should be people who can read, write, spell, count, understand, communicate, and have the confidence in themselves and their intellect to do it.
What I'm suggesting could be the cure to things like U.S. citizens not knowing how many states there are in the U.S. It could be the cure to Honey Boo Boo. If we give natural human intelligence a chance, there could still be some hope yet.
Thursday, October 18, 2012
Yep. I Went There.
So. Religion.
I like religion, personally. Some people don't. John Lennon seemed to think the world would be better without it. I, however, think the world would be better without assholes. Assholes are what ruin everything, not religion. Most religions are beautiful, wonderful thoughts of how and why the world is the way it is. And then there are assholes.
There is a large difference between saying, "I don't believe in God," and "You're stupid because you believe in God." There is a difference between saying, "I was saved by Christ," and "You're going to burn in Hell." The difference being the asshole-ish judgments.
I am Wiccan. I do not shove this down people's throats. I don't think I'm better than others because of my religious beliefs. All I ask in return, all anyone should deserve in return, is the same respect.
I cannot express how tiring it is to be invited to Bible studies on my college campus every week just because I wear a pentacle around my neck. Those people mean no harm, but my own choices should not be offensive to others.
A good life motto: "To Each His Own"
This post is a bit shorter, because I've been focused on a lot. Conspiracy Theories, Education Reform, Women's Rights, the Media. I'll probably write a post about these later when I'm less scatterbrained.
Still, religion is very important, and I really feel that this country could do with some realizations regarding what someone else does and if it really affects you. Gay marriage should not be opposed by straight people. They are not being made to participate in a union with someone of the same sex. Religions should not be opposed by people of other religious persuasions. It is not their religion. This country needs to see how not everything is a personal attack and stop taking offense to things to the point of infringing upon individual freedoms.
Vive.
I like religion, personally. Some people don't. John Lennon seemed to think the world would be better without it. I, however, think the world would be better without assholes. Assholes are what ruin everything, not religion. Most religions are beautiful, wonderful thoughts of how and why the world is the way it is. And then there are assholes.
There is a large difference between saying, "I don't believe in God," and "You're stupid because you believe in God." There is a difference between saying, "I was saved by Christ," and "You're going to burn in Hell." The difference being the asshole-ish judgments.
I am Wiccan. I do not shove this down people's throats. I don't think I'm better than others because of my religious beliefs. All I ask in return, all anyone should deserve in return, is the same respect.
I cannot express how tiring it is to be invited to Bible studies on my college campus every week just because I wear a pentacle around my neck. Those people mean no harm, but my own choices should not be offensive to others.
A good life motto: "To Each His Own"
This post is a bit shorter, because I've been focused on a lot. Conspiracy Theories, Education Reform, Women's Rights, the Media. I'll probably write a post about these later when I'm less scatterbrained.
Still, religion is very important, and I really feel that this country could do with some realizations regarding what someone else does and if it really affects you. Gay marriage should not be opposed by straight people. They are not being made to participate in a union with someone of the same sex. Religions should not be opposed by people of other religious persuasions. It is not their religion. This country needs to see how not everything is a personal attack and stop taking offense to things to the point of infringing upon individual freedoms.
Vive.
Saturday, September 22, 2012
Not that Anyone Reads This, But It's About Time
It is now time to discuss the up coming election. Why? Because Romney's stupidity is finally visible enough that Republicans started hating his stupid ass.
Many people don't like Obama, because he talked really big four years ago and haven't gotten much of his to do list done.
Many people don't like Romney, because he would sooner sell America, piece by piece, to the highest bidder instead of give this country what it really needs.
Reasons not to vote for Obama:
- He didn't get everything accomplished that he said he would (even though he dealt with a lame duck congress and was DEFINITELY the first politician to fall short of the plans they have)
- He's black. (Yeah, people seriously have an issue with having a black president even though it's been this way for the last 4 years, and we were SO MUCH BETTER OFF with the last white guy.)
- I'm sure there are other petty reasons that people can come up with, but I can't right now.
Reasons to vote for Romney:
- Prove that George Bush really wasn't that bad
- Try to achieve total anarchy
- He's white. (Seriously, people?)
- We like having a president that we can laugh at anytime they come in front of a camera.
Reasons to VOTE FOR OBAMA:
- He cares about this country
- He has helped to turn this country back around (not where we were before Bush, but definitely not worse off)
- He is in favor of the idea of having a female president
- He wants to work for the everyday person and not just the people like Mrs. Reinhart who think we should be able to eat cake if we can't afford bread.
Reasons NOT TO VOTE FOR ROMNEY:
- He wants more tax cuts for the top 1%
- He wants to keep the class warfare and current status quo intact
- He wants to dismantle FAFSA
- He publicly disregarded 47% of the country, because they don't like him
- He offends people whenever he travels somewhere
- He doesn't care about gay families or rights
- He is a calloused person (which is more against him as a person than as a president, but still)
- I could continue, but really this guy only one the primary because he was the best of the worst
It would be a crime against this nation to elect Mitt Romney so that he can continue to coddle his CEO and exceedingly rich friends. Obama has the capacity to do something. At the VERY least, he won't make things worse.
I'm begging the people of blogspot who read this, don't make things worse. PLEASE, don't elect Romney.
Vive.
Many people don't like Obama, because he talked really big four years ago and haven't gotten much of his to do list done.
Many people don't like Romney, because he would sooner sell America, piece by piece, to the highest bidder instead of give this country what it really needs.
Reasons not to vote for Obama:
- He didn't get everything accomplished that he said he would (even though he dealt with a lame duck congress and was DEFINITELY the first politician to fall short of the plans they have)
- He's black. (Yeah, people seriously have an issue with having a black president even though it's been this way for the last 4 years, and we were SO MUCH BETTER OFF with the last white guy.)
- I'm sure there are other petty reasons that people can come up with, but I can't right now.
Reasons to vote for Romney:
- Prove that George Bush really wasn't that bad
- Try to achieve total anarchy
- He's white. (Seriously, people?)
- We like having a president that we can laugh at anytime they come in front of a camera.
Reasons to VOTE FOR OBAMA:
- He cares about this country
- He has helped to turn this country back around (not where we were before Bush, but definitely not worse off)
- He is in favor of the idea of having a female president
- He wants to work for the everyday person and not just the people like Mrs. Reinhart who think we should be able to eat cake if we can't afford bread.
Reasons NOT TO VOTE FOR ROMNEY:
- He wants more tax cuts for the top 1%
- He wants to keep the class warfare and current status quo intact
- He wants to dismantle FAFSA
- He publicly disregarded 47% of the country, because they don't like him
- He offends people whenever he travels somewhere
- He doesn't care about gay families or rights
- He is a calloused person (which is more against him as a person than as a president, but still)
- I could continue, but really this guy only one the primary because he was the best of the worst
It would be a crime against this nation to elect Mitt Romney so that he can continue to coddle his CEO and exceedingly rich friends. Obama has the capacity to do something. At the VERY least, he won't make things worse.
I'm begging the people of blogspot who read this, don't make things worse. PLEASE, don't elect Romney.
Vive.
Sunday, September 16, 2012
Update
As it would seem, life catches up to everyone. I'm going to resort to posting once a week so that I can catch up on the life that's been piling up. (I'm writing a book.) So every Thursday, (or when inspiration strikes) I'll post something new on here. Still posting regularly, but just not as often as I'd like. Sorry to anyone who's actually been reading this.
Friday, September 14, 2012
Key to Understanding This Blog
If ever I refer to this country and this society, I am referring to the United States as I am a Chicagoan. Also, because our media does not cover other countries ever, because we are a self-centered country, I do not have formed enough opinions on other country's politics yet. Plus, my country is so much for a mess, I'll have material for decades. So, if you are not "American" I apologize since I'll just be ranting about the U.S.
Vive.
Vive.
Taking a Breather: My Dream
I cannot believe I did not rant yesterday. I apologize to my readers...or lack thereof.
Today, however, I'm going to take a moment to discuss my dream and why its my dream. I'm an English major, and for a while now, I've been wondering what to do with my degree.
I started on this major wanting to be an English teacher, you know the cool ones from high school who know their shit and do cart wheels when the principal isn't looking. I kind of wanted to be like Morgan Freeman from Lean on Me, start off as the best damn English teacher ever and then get called upon to fix a dying system.
Then, the system didn't just die, it turned into a zombie.
Teachers taught to get good scores on weekly tests so their schools don't close so they can continue to lower standards, get good enough scores, and so on. The life was sucked out of the education system in this country and was replaced with an insatiable hunger for good results but no real reward.
I hate George W. Bush and his No Child Left Behind.
We should just get rid of standardized tests and replace them with an army of one on one testers who test to each student's specific learning needs and potentials. It would stop students being taught for testing, and it would open up a new profession!
Anyway, after the zombification of my one true love, I didn't want to change my major, but I sure as hell did not want to teach drones how to be drones in a world that requires and deserves more than that. So I discovered Editing. I decided on this career path, because I love literature. So why not? I could help fix up the next Charles Dickens or Emily Dickinson and get their words out there.
It wasn't until recently that I realized that lulu.com is a thing and I'm not much for advertising.
This morning, I read "Spokenwordlife" by Kelly Zen-Yie Tsai for my gender studies class. I still want to edit, but I want to focus on the people who can't get published because of some sort of prejudice. I want to help the unheard voices reach the people of this wonderful world, because words and voices are of the utmost importance. What if the next Charles Dickens is part of a minority that is being blocked by the predominantly white publishing world? We need more literature and poetry from the voices that history tends to forget or how will we ever know anything other than what we are allowed by society to know?
Maybe after removing prejudice from publishing, I'll find the cure for our poor zombie of an education system.
Vive.
Today, however, I'm going to take a moment to discuss my dream and why its my dream. I'm an English major, and for a while now, I've been wondering what to do with my degree.
I started on this major wanting to be an English teacher, you know the cool ones from high school who know their shit and do cart wheels when the principal isn't looking. I kind of wanted to be like Morgan Freeman from Lean on Me, start off as the best damn English teacher ever and then get called upon to fix a dying system.
Then, the system didn't just die, it turned into a zombie.
Teachers taught to get good scores on weekly tests so their schools don't close so they can continue to lower standards, get good enough scores, and so on. The life was sucked out of the education system in this country and was replaced with an insatiable hunger for good results but no real reward.
I hate George W. Bush and his No Child Left Behind.
We should just get rid of standardized tests and replace them with an army of one on one testers who test to each student's specific learning needs and potentials. It would stop students being taught for testing, and it would open up a new profession!
Anyway, after the zombification of my one true love, I didn't want to change my major, but I sure as hell did not want to teach drones how to be drones in a world that requires and deserves more than that. So I discovered Editing. I decided on this career path, because I love literature. So why not? I could help fix up the next Charles Dickens or Emily Dickinson and get their words out there.
It wasn't until recently that I realized that lulu.com is a thing and I'm not much for advertising.
This morning, I read "Spokenwordlife" by Kelly Zen-Yie Tsai for my gender studies class. I still want to edit, but I want to focus on the people who can't get published because of some sort of prejudice. I want to help the unheard voices reach the people of this wonderful world, because words and voices are of the utmost importance. What if the next Charles Dickens is part of a minority that is being blocked by the predominantly white publishing world? We need more literature and poetry from the voices that history tends to forget or how will we ever know anything other than what we are allowed by society to know?
Maybe after removing prejudice from publishing, I'll find the cure for our poor zombie of an education system.
Vive.
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Marriage: Gay, Straight, and Otherwise
I fully support gay marriage. Not all homosexual people want to get married, not all marriages should be homosexual. It comes down, again, to the right to choose. If two people want to get married and seen as a legal entity in the eyes of state and federal government, there should not be anyone telling them that they cannot.
For the same reason as I stated with abortion, it is not anybody else's lives that are being impacted by the decision to marry within the same sex.
The fact that gays and lesbians can't marry just shows the power of homophobes and small-minded individuals. It has got to stop.
Why are there no gay marriage rights?
The Bible and Homophobes Who Use the Bible as a Justification for Their Small Minds
We all know the argument, it was Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve. This argument is stupid. I can barely give it an iota of thought. It is as if part of our society said, "We can't use cell phones, because the Bible does not mention cell phones existing." I can't even focus enough to rip open this argument. How can someone say that the lack of something means that something should NEVER happen? It's absurd. Considering how widely accepted the Theory of Evolution is, I can hardly believe that this argument carries any water.
Perhaps if it had been Adam and Steve, paradise would not have been lost.
People say that the Bible says homosexuality is a sin. The last I heard, the Bible says someone pretty important died for our sins, so why is this even an issue? Also, I believe there are MANY passages about keeping women in submission, keeping slaves in line, and using slaves as bartering chips. The Bible even condones murder! That part about not suffering a Witch to live? That little line in the Bible gave justification to the insanity that occurred in Salem, Massachusetts. I'm sorry, but society seemed to have figured out a while ago that the Bible says things that are not necessarily for the greater good of society in general. Why are we still using this text to defend the part of society that seems hellbent to return to the stone age?
Keeping gay marriage illegal is unconscionable. Gay marriage NEEDS to be legalized. It would stimulate the economy, because of more money spent on weddings. It would allow people the same rights and status as everyone else. (Equality is a good thing!) It would stop hundreds of people from looking as stupid as the people who opposed interracial marriage. And, maybe, just maybe, gay marriage give the world more of the love that it deserves.
There is barely a question. Can a white man marry a black woman? Yes? Then, it is only a matter of time that gay marriage is commonplace, too.
Let's stop trying to deprive people of their rights. Inequality does nothing but support oppression and make the idea that this is a free and just country a sad, ironic joke.
Vive.
For the same reason as I stated with abortion, it is not anybody else's lives that are being impacted by the decision to marry within the same sex.
The fact that gays and lesbians can't marry just shows the power of homophobes and small-minded individuals. It has got to stop.
Why are there no gay marriage rights?
The Bible and Homophobes Who Use the Bible as a Justification for Their Small Minds
We all know the argument, it was Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve. This argument is stupid. I can barely give it an iota of thought. It is as if part of our society said, "We can't use cell phones, because the Bible does not mention cell phones existing." I can't even focus enough to rip open this argument. How can someone say that the lack of something means that something should NEVER happen? It's absurd. Considering how widely accepted the Theory of Evolution is, I can hardly believe that this argument carries any water.
Perhaps if it had been Adam and Steve, paradise would not have been lost.
People say that the Bible says homosexuality is a sin. The last I heard, the Bible says someone pretty important died for our sins, so why is this even an issue? Also, I believe there are MANY passages about keeping women in submission, keeping slaves in line, and using slaves as bartering chips. The Bible even condones murder! That part about not suffering a Witch to live? That little line in the Bible gave justification to the insanity that occurred in Salem, Massachusetts. I'm sorry, but society seemed to have figured out a while ago that the Bible says things that are not necessarily for the greater good of society in general. Why are we still using this text to defend the part of society that seems hellbent to return to the stone age?
Keeping gay marriage illegal is unconscionable. Gay marriage NEEDS to be legalized. It would stimulate the economy, because of more money spent on weddings. It would allow people the same rights and status as everyone else. (Equality is a good thing!) It would stop hundreds of people from looking as stupid as the people who opposed interracial marriage. And, maybe, just maybe, gay marriage give the world more of the love that it deserves.
There is barely a question. Can a white man marry a black woman? Yes? Then, it is only a matter of time that gay marriage is commonplace, too.
Let's stop trying to deprive people of their rights. Inequality does nothing but support oppression and make the idea that this is a free and just country a sad, ironic joke.
Vive.
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
September 11th, 2012
Due to today being the anniversary of the terrorist attacks in New York, I'm not going to discuss anything controversial or potentially offensive. I am not going to harp about how eleven years ago, way too many of our citizens died too soon. How long did Pearl Harbor stay in the national mindset? It was a horrific waste of life that occurred eleven years ago and nothing like that should ever happen again. We will remember it in our hearts.
That is all I will say about it.
I will say that we should get the troops out overseas to come home. September 11th, 2001 killed a lot of Americans. The wars in the middle east have easily claimed twice the lives that the terrorists did eleven years ago, if not more.
I am seriously going to not rant about things today out of respect.
But I can quote!
"And all we're saying is give peace a chance." - John Lennon
Update:
http://www.addictinginfo.org/2012/09/11/bush-white-house-ignored-bin-laden-warnings-because-they-wanted-iraq/
Take from that what you will.
That is all I will say about it.
I will say that we should get the troops out overseas to come home. September 11th, 2001 killed a lot of Americans. The wars in the middle east have easily claimed twice the lives that the terrorists did eleven years ago, if not more.
I am seriously going to not rant about things today out of respect.
But I can quote!
"And all we're saying is give peace a chance." - John Lennon
Update:
http://www.addictinginfo.org/2012/09/11/bush-white-house-ignored-bin-laden-warnings-because-they-wanted-iraq/
Take from that what you will.
Monday, September 10, 2012
To Legalize Marijuana or Not
It's one of those big questions, should marijuana be able to land people in jail or should it be legalized and leave the world open to more drugs?
This isn't the easiest thing to explain, because, much like my stance on abortion, I see both sides of the fence and my reasoning is not right there in the rhetoric. I do not condone the use of marijuana or the use of alcohol or the use of cigarettes, but I do not think any of these things should be illegal. One hit of marijuana will not kill anyone. The same cannot be said of other drugs. Weed is just one of those drugs that, since it does affect a person's mood, is seen as a vice that is not legal so it shouldn't be.
I personally want to see marijuana legalized just because of the sheer amount of people who end up receiving jail time from possession or growing or selling it. As a country, we do not have the prison space or tax payer money available to keep arresting and locking up low level stoners.
Just like cigarettes or alcohol, if weed is legalized, there can be government regulations in place. There can be a marijuana age of 18 (like with cigarettes) or 21 (like with alcohol) or something else to impede the spread of the use.
Using marijuana, like any other smoke, can cause cancer just like cigarettes. Alcohol, among other substances can also negatively effect health, but there should be a measure of equality on the books when it comes to all rulings, including drugs.
Keeping weed illegal and allowing equally harmful and abused drugs legal is the kind of inequality that made it illegal for certain groups of people (i.e. Women, African Americans, the Mexicans who live in Arizona) to obtain and maintain their rights as citizens. Sure, it is not as drastic of an issue since Marijuana is not going to start marching through the streets demanding equal standing with Tobacco. This is, however, if not a matter of the freedom to do what many are doing already but a matter of the government picking and choosing what laws do and do not apply to.
Either legalize marijuana or ban alcohol and cigarettes, too. (And anyone who remembers the 1920's knows how well the latter will turn out.)
Vive.
This isn't the easiest thing to explain, because, much like my stance on abortion, I see both sides of the fence and my reasoning is not right there in the rhetoric. I do not condone the use of marijuana or the use of alcohol or the use of cigarettes, but I do not think any of these things should be illegal. One hit of marijuana will not kill anyone. The same cannot be said of other drugs. Weed is just one of those drugs that, since it does affect a person's mood, is seen as a vice that is not legal so it shouldn't be.
I personally want to see marijuana legalized just because of the sheer amount of people who end up receiving jail time from possession or growing or selling it. As a country, we do not have the prison space or tax payer money available to keep arresting and locking up low level stoners.
Just like cigarettes or alcohol, if weed is legalized, there can be government regulations in place. There can be a marijuana age of 18 (like with cigarettes) or 21 (like with alcohol) or something else to impede the spread of the use.
Using marijuana, like any other smoke, can cause cancer just like cigarettes. Alcohol, among other substances can also negatively effect health, but there should be a measure of equality on the books when it comes to all rulings, including drugs.
Keeping weed illegal and allowing equally harmful and abused drugs legal is the kind of inequality that made it illegal for certain groups of people (i.e. Women, African Americans, the Mexicans who live in Arizona) to obtain and maintain their rights as citizens. Sure, it is not as drastic of an issue since Marijuana is not going to start marching through the streets demanding equal standing with Tobacco. This is, however, if not a matter of the freedom to do what many are doing already but a matter of the government picking and choosing what laws do and do not apply to.
Either legalize marijuana or ban alcohol and cigarettes, too. (And anyone who remembers the 1920's knows how well the latter will turn out.)
Vive.
Sunday, September 9, 2012
Pro-Life or Pro-Choice?
The issue of abortion has been in the news a lot lately with the upcoming elections. I personally am pro-choice.
This, as some conservatives tend to believe, does not mean that I am pro-abortion. I do not approve of the idea of abortion as I believe, innately, that all life is sacred and everything happens for a reason. If someone gets pregnant, even from rape, I believe that it was meant to happen. However, I am pro-choice.
I understand the pro-life stance: Life begins at conception and abortion is murder. Murder is illegal so abortion should be illegal. I get that.
Unfortunately, I abhor the idea of shoving ideas down people's throats. I hate abortion. I hate the ignoring of a personal choice more. The right to choose is what makes this country as amazing as it is. We do not have a country where the government dictates what we believe or what we can say. We live in a country where, if I do not want to watch Jersey Shore, I don't have to. If I want to vote Obama for re-election, I can. If I want to have an abortion, as I feel it would be best for the child or myself if life was not brought into this world, then that is my choice. It is not the decision of the majority of the country if I let my uterus contain a child or not. It is not the majority of the country going through an abortion on my behalf. It is a woman's right to decide if she wants her body to go through the most drastic change nature can bestow, a life-threatening change in some cases.
There are cases where a pregnant woman is a child who cannot divulge her situation to her parents for fear that they will, through anger and abuse, kill her. As a country, it has been the topic of discussion for years whether or not abortion can be legal. For unfortunate cases, abortion can be the best option. It can save a life by circumventing another.
Also, do any pro-lifers know what happens when a woman enters an abortion clinic? For an hour, the woman goes through a psychological counseling session. For another hour, the woman sits in a room, receives an ultra sound, and listens to the heartbeat of their unborn child while given statistics about the health, age, and development. Then, after signing many wavers and given more and more time to think about what they are about to do, the abortion can be performed. If a woman can go through all of that and still want to abort, they should not have a child at that time. Many women go to have an abortion and, through the hours, decide against it.
AND even if there was legislature to outlaw abortion, abortion would still happen, just not as safe or as ethically conscious as it currently operates. I do not support abortion in the slightest, but it is not MY body, it is not MY child, and it is not MY choice to make. I am pro-choice, not pro-abortion, because I will defend to the death the right of women and men to make their own choices. Vive.
I understand the pro-life stance: Life begins at conception and abortion is murder. Murder is illegal so abortion should be illegal. I get that.
Unfortunately, I abhor the idea of shoving ideas down people's throats. I hate abortion. I hate the ignoring of a personal choice more. The right to choose is what makes this country as amazing as it is. We do not have a country where the government dictates what we believe or what we can say. We live in a country where, if I do not want to watch Jersey Shore, I don't have to. If I want to vote Obama for re-election, I can. If I want to have an abortion, as I feel it would be best for the child or myself if life was not brought into this world, then that is my choice. It is not the decision of the majority of the country if I let my uterus contain a child or not. It is not the majority of the country going through an abortion on my behalf. It is a woman's right to decide if she wants her body to go through the most drastic change nature can bestow, a life-threatening change in some cases.
There are cases where a pregnant woman is a child who cannot divulge her situation to her parents for fear that they will, through anger and abuse, kill her. As a country, it has been the topic of discussion for years whether or not abortion can be legal. For unfortunate cases, abortion can be the best option. It can save a life by circumventing another.
Also, do any pro-lifers know what happens when a woman enters an abortion clinic? For an hour, the woman goes through a psychological counseling session. For another hour, the woman sits in a room, receives an ultra sound, and listens to the heartbeat of their unborn child while given statistics about the health, age, and development. Then, after signing many wavers and given more and more time to think about what they are about to do, the abortion can be performed. If a woman can go through all of that and still want to abort, they should not have a child at that time. Many women go to have an abortion and, through the hours, decide against it.
AND even if there was legislature to outlaw abortion, abortion would still happen, just not as safe or as ethically conscious as it currently operates. I do not support abortion in the slightest, but it is not MY body, it is not MY child, and it is not MY choice to make. I am pro-choice, not pro-abortion, because I will defend to the death the right of women and men to make their own choices. Vive.
Introduction to the Radical Onion Slice
This is the first post of the Radical Onion Slice. Once a day, hopefully, I will be posting one post about a controversial topic. I'll discuss my opinions and respond to questions and comments if anyone actually winds up reading this. If it weren't for my personal beliefs, I would try to break into politics instead of create a blog as an outlet. Still, this will keep me from driving my friends and family insane with my endless political rants. Quick version. I am, on the political spectrum, a radical. I believe in gay marriage being something that should not only be allowed but not argued over in the first place. I am pro-choice, anti-death penalty (actually helped get rid of that institution in Illinois), pro-liberal, pro-Obama, pro-universal health care, and it scares a lot of conservatives that I can say that, be a woman, and have the power to vote. I am a feminist, am a junior in college at UIC, and a Wiccan. I believe in equal rights for all, not just for White, Anglo-Saxon Men who own land, not even just men and women. FOR ALL. I am not one of those women who want equality AND special gender treatment. I want to live in a world where I can piss off a guy and actually run the risk of getting hit or sworn at, not because I'm a woman, but because I pissed him off. I don't need people to help me pick stuff up or move heavy stuff, but I will not get outrageously mad if someone offered to help. I'm genuinely easy going, but my mouth can get me in trouble sometimes. If you want an opinion on controversial issues, feel free to continue. If you are easily offended, by all means read and get offended if that's what you are looking for. These are my opinions and I do not force them on others, but I refuse to be silent on issues that affect me and the world I live in.
Vive.
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