I work at a children's store (The Land of Nod, to be exact) and I worked all weekend. When I was working the cash register on Friday, a woman came in with her son. As he played around with all the over priced toys we offer, she stood back smiling. My manager was also at the counter with me and she leaned over and said "It's so nice that you have a place to play, here" and my boss said "Yea, the kids love it" And she was just silent for a moment than looked over at her son-still smiling- and said "After what happened today... it's just nice to have this moment." I guess that's when it became real to me. My 35 year old, aggressive looking, manager and a stranger were just staring at this kid enjoy life. He didn't know what had happened, all he knew what that he had a toy truck and he was happy. Sometimes that's all you need. As the woman left, my manager (also a father of two beautiful little ones) looked over at me and said "I don't want to even begin to imagine what those parents feel like. For the life of me, I have to stay away from that thought" He than started his walk to the back to start counting the reserve.
As for me, not being a parent but, way to empathetic to even know how to handle it, couldn't stay away from that thought when I got home at 10pm. I sat in my bed reading things on the Internet about how parents would have to bury their kids over Christmas and saying that this has to be the final straw in finally getting to change our gun control laws.
Then on Sunday, before I left for another day at work, I saw president Obama's speech. When he named all the children, and teachers, and addressed our country- that's when I finally lost it. I couldn't help but shed a tear (or a couple dozen tears) for those that had to deal with the pain that seemed so far away from me.
I know that when I have kids of my own, I'll understand more why my mom wanted me to stay home from work and just be with her. Or why on Friday my dad called me kiddo again (after 9 years) and told me he loved me as I walked out the door. But, right now, even the possibility of having to ever feel that, was terrifying enough.
Tuesday
I wish I knew what to say.
So many things have happened. So many things that could've or should've been avoided. I'm talking about the shooting at the elementary school in Connecticut. I don't even know how to handle that. It's the second worse school shooting in America (behind Virgina Tech and before Columbine).
It amazes me how one moment I'm sitting in sociology, passing notes and goofing off, and another moment I realize that as I was sitting in school all day, people were dying. It's crazy to me.
I just wish that I had something to say.
It amazes me how one moment I'm sitting in sociology, passing notes and goofing off, and another moment I realize that as I was sitting in school all day, people were dying. It's crazy to me.
I just wish that I had something to say.
Friday
How much say should the government have in our lives?
I don't really have an answer. My head starts many unneeded conflicts with itself. On one hand I think that we are the land of the free, so how come the government has the right to tell us what we can and cannot do (in regards to abortion, religion, marriage)? But than I start to think of all the laws that I'm glad are in place. The laws that send people to jail when they harm another human beings or put others in danger. So is it possible to weave out all the bad and keep the good?
Honestly, no. Because everybody has an opinion. And thats not a bad thing. There's just a lot of them. Everybody has an opinion on what the good and the bad mean. And it is impossible to keep everyone happy. There has never been a president of the United States where every single person in the country went "Alright. I'm OK with this. I can live with this." That has never happened, and that will never happen. Everybody has there own thing that they want to the president to focus on. And honestly, 4 years isn't that long. When Obama got elected the first time- I was in 8th grade. Now, I'm graduating High School. But, if I look at everything that happened in those 4 years, I realize that it's not as long as I thought. In fact, it went a lot faster than I was initally expecting.
Anyway, what I'm trying to say is that you can't please the whole population in 4 years. Or even 8. Because there are so many conflicting sides that if you tried, I'm pretty sure you'd be unfit to rule, and would go insane.
Obviously I'm great with words and I really know how to get points across. So, I'm gunna try this one more time: Everyone is different. But you can lump people into groups based on they want to be able to do, and what they want (or do not want) others to do, in accordance to the law. And which people are you supposed to go with? Which people do you support or think you should support? Which people are right? this is where things get foggy.
Honestly, no. Because everybody has an opinion. And thats not a bad thing. There's just a lot of them. Everybody has an opinion on what the good and the bad mean. And it is impossible to keep everyone happy. There has never been a president of the United States where every single person in the country went "Alright. I'm OK with this. I can live with this." That has never happened, and that will never happen. Everybody has there own thing that they want to the president to focus on. And honestly, 4 years isn't that long. When Obama got elected the first time- I was in 8th grade. Now, I'm graduating High School. But, if I look at everything that happened in those 4 years, I realize that it's not as long as I thought. In fact, it went a lot faster than I was initally expecting.
Anyway, what I'm trying to say is that you can't please the whole population in 4 years. Or even 8. Because there are so many conflicting sides that if you tried, I'm pretty sure you'd be unfit to rule, and would go insane.
Obviously I'm great with words and I really know how to get points across. So, I'm gunna try this one more time: Everyone is different. But you can lump people into groups based on they want to be able to do, and what they want (or do not want) others to do, in accordance to the law. And which people are you supposed to go with? Which people do you support or think you should support? Which people are right? this is where things get foggy.
Monday
I actually have no idea what to do at this point.
But actually, I thought this survey would actually help me decide who I'm more like and who I think would make a better president. I am fully aware of both of their flaws and strengths since I watch a lot of Jon Stewart and Stephan Colbert and they tend to make these things VERY obvious.
I guess I always knew I was a split person. My parents being republicans and my friends being a healthy mix of republicans and democrats, I have gotten advocated from both sides but i never actually though it split me, and oh-so accurately.
I guess I'll have to see what happens in the next four years and then see where I fall.
Friday
Speeches at school suck anyway... I don't need 'em.
For those of you that think that racism is a thing of the past- I dare you to google "Beta Theta Pi Auburn".
I want to say that I believed it too. But I always knew that there were still crazy people in the world that just didn't get it. They didn't get that we are equals. Everyone. All equal. I guess it never sunk in. But this is just going a tad overboard. Wearing black face and simulating a lynching (all while wearing KKK garb)? Really? You couldn't be more subtle?
This is against most peoples personal values, but it's also agaisnt the law. As I'm sure we've all noticed at some point or another, the rules they make us follow in school can and will contradict those we are given in the real world (like free speech). And at this particular college, they made a rule forbidng "any form of discrimination or harassment related to a student's race." And they made sure it would be damn hard to find a loophole adding that harassment and discrimination can include: "slurs, jokes or other graphic or physical conduct related to a student's race". Now, when they graduate from that college- there will be no such rule. It may be a folkway to break, but there is no formal sanction. But, at school your rights don't necassarily match up with those given by the government. I'm not saying I agree with this, but in a situation like this you have to be a little happy that this exsits. Now they won't get away with it.
Although restrictited speech at school can be a good thing (^), there are times when it's just too much. With the organizatin FIRE you can look up certain schools and track the rights they allow pertaining to free speech. I looked up Syracuse University (being a hopeful) and was slightly dissappointed when I saw they were given a red light. Which means that they have at least one rule that is "clearly and substantially restrict[ing] freedom of speech". On FIRE they also give examples of things the media are saying and cases that have passed through the school, I was excited when I saw "On-Campus free speech slowly improving" but brought back down again when I read that they were listed on the "Top 12 worst colleges for free speech" list. One of the cases at Syracuse was about Holloween cosumes. Now, this is something I've delt with since I entered school so, I think I'll be okay for another 4 years. But it just upsets me that such a quailty school would even try to restrict something as fun as holloween costumes, I mean what counts as offensive? At my school, my friend got in trouble for cross-dressing when she was Clark Kent- is that offensive? Not to me, not to her, not to anyone who walked by her in the hallway, Clark Kent maybe? Now, or course these rules infringe on the freedom of speech- but they're allowed to. Freedom of expression and freedom of any kind of speech aren't necasarily things you get to keep when you walk into school.
Now, imagine if you will, if the party mentioned above happened at Syracuse University. They would have none of it. It would be shut-down in a second. They wouldn't even be allowed to think about it. No sir- no how.
But, I can't say I wouldn't do the same.
I want to say that I believed it too. But I always knew that there were still crazy people in the world that just didn't get it. They didn't get that we are equals. Everyone. All equal. I guess it never sunk in. But this is just going a tad overboard. Wearing black face and simulating a lynching (all while wearing KKK garb)? Really? You couldn't be more subtle?
This is against most peoples personal values, but it's also agaisnt the law. As I'm sure we've all noticed at some point or another, the rules they make us follow in school can and will contradict those we are given in the real world (like free speech). And at this particular college, they made a rule forbidng "any form of discrimination or harassment related to a student's race." And they made sure it would be damn hard to find a loophole adding that harassment and discrimination can include: "slurs, jokes or other graphic or physical conduct related to a student's race". Now, when they graduate from that college- there will be no such rule. It may be a folkway to break, but there is no formal sanction. But, at school your rights don't necassarily match up with those given by the government. I'm not saying I agree with this, but in a situation like this you have to be a little happy that this exsits. Now they won't get away with it.
Although restrictited speech at school can be a good thing (^), there are times when it's just too much. With the organizatin FIRE you can look up certain schools and track the rights they allow pertaining to free speech. I looked up Syracuse University (being a hopeful) and was slightly dissappointed when I saw they were given a red light. Which means that they have at least one rule that is "clearly and substantially restrict[ing] freedom of speech". On FIRE they also give examples of things the media are saying and cases that have passed through the school, I was excited when I saw "On-Campus free speech slowly improving" but brought back down again when I read that they were listed on the "Top 12 worst colleges for free speech" list. One of the cases at Syracuse was about Holloween cosumes. Now, this is something I've delt with since I entered school so, I think I'll be okay for another 4 years. But it just upsets me that such a quailty school would even try to restrict something as fun as holloween costumes, I mean what counts as offensive? At my school, my friend got in trouble for cross-dressing when she was Clark Kent- is that offensive? Not to me, not to her, not to anyone who walked by her in the hallway, Clark Kent maybe? Now, or course these rules infringe on the freedom of speech- but they're allowed to. Freedom of expression and freedom of any kind of speech aren't necasarily things you get to keep when you walk into school.
Now, imagine if you will, if the party mentioned above happened at Syracuse University. They would have none of it. It would be shut-down in a second. They wouldn't even be allowed to think about it. No sir- no how.
But, I can't say I wouldn't do the same.
Thursday
9/11
9/11/2001 is a time that holds heartbreak, and greif for many. But it also reminds many more how much we love this country. Everybody became way more protective of the United States after 9/11. The airports, the schools, and especially, the citizens.
Although at times it can all seem a little TOO much (I, too, an guilty of saying "What is actually gonna happen anyway?") but, I think we can all take a little time to realize how much the government cares for us, and the reason that things can seem a little too strict at times is- tough love.
These annoying new rules that have been in place now for 11 years are only here to protect us, thats not to say that next time I'm at an airport I'll be completely understanding and coopertive, I do get impatient and annoyed, but we can all take a step back and understand this is only for us.
Although at times it can all seem a little TOO much (I, too, an guilty of saying "What is actually gonna happen anyway?") but, I think we can all take a little time to realize how much the government cares for us, and the reason that things can seem a little too strict at times is- tough love.
These annoying new rules that have been in place now for 11 years are only here to protect us, thats not to say that next time I'm at an airport I'll be completely understanding and coopertive, I do get impatient and annoyed, but we can all take a step back and understand this is only for us.
Tuesday
Burning the Flag
Burning the American flag is NOT protected under free speech, but should it be?
In my humble opinion, no. But it's not like anyone actually cares. I don't have a reason to burn the flag and I don't think I ever will, but that doesn't mean it should be illegal. The reason I have against it is that if it were legal how many people do you think would do it? None. Or close to it.
Nothing irritates me more than when the only reason people have to do something is because they're not allowed to. So maybe the reason it should be illegal is because everybody needs to grow up and get over it.
I do understand why it is illegal, because to the majority of our country veiws our flag as a symbol of freedom and it is very sacred to them and they're belifes, just like you can't burn the bible or other religous documents. The American flag has been through a lot, and has meant a lot to a lot of people and it would just be rude and dissrespectful to burn it.
But many people find ways to compain about this and to them all I have to say it- just stop.
In my humble opinion, no. But it's not like anyone actually cares. I don't have a reason to burn the flag and I don't think I ever will, but that doesn't mean it should be illegal. The reason I have against it is that if it were legal how many people do you think would do it? None. Or close to it.
Nothing irritates me more than when the only reason people have to do something is because they're not allowed to. So maybe the reason it should be illegal is because everybody needs to grow up and get over it.
I do understand why it is illegal, because to the majority of our country veiws our flag as a symbol of freedom and it is very sacred to them and they're belifes, just like you can't burn the bible or other religous documents. The American flag has been through a lot, and has meant a lot to a lot of people and it would just be rude and dissrespectful to burn it.
But many people find ways to compain about this and to them all I have to say it- just stop.
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