To all who is reading this,
It's been a while since I've written to you (school and life has that darn tendency to keep me preoccupied). But I had to take a break from life to talk you about something I just found out about in the news today.
I turned on my laptop with the intention to watch a random documentary on NetFlix when one of the MSN News applications popped up. Now, there's usually nothing worth reading on MSN News at first glance on this application (there's only so many times I can read about Britney Murphy, her death and her shifty husband from the UK). However, the headline "11-Year-Old Gives Birth to Baby in the Northeast" caught my eye and I immediately clicked on the link.
According to the Fox News.com story, an unidentified 11-year-old girl gave birth to a healthy baby boy in a Northeastern hospital. The mother seemed to be beaming with joy when she tells the reporter "My daughter and (her) baby are fine, and the baby is absolutely beautiful." Wait a minute. That's all she can say about what just happened here? That her daughter is fine, the baby is fine and he's beautiful? I understand that he may be cute and all, but when I read this story, all I could think was "Who and where is this baby's father? And why is this girl even pregnant?"
What's even more disturbing is that she is not an isolated case! In 2008, a 10-year-old girl gave birth in St. Anthony, Idaho after being raped by then 37-year-old Guadalupe Gutierrez-Juarez when she was 9. In Northeast China, a 9-year-old girl gave birth to a baby boy and the father has not been found. In Bulgaria, an 11-year-old goes into labor at her wedding and the baby's father (who's 19) is going to jail because under Bulgarian law, the age of consent is 15! And this man said that he fell in love with her at first sight and that he didn't know she was underage ("underage" in the eyes of the law, mind you). What kills me the most is that these girls are not even the youngest. The youngest mother documented was a 6-year-old in Peru; she gave birth to a baby boy in 1936.
Stories like this are more and more profound and disturbing. I understand that their bodies can't handle the weight of a child or that being pregnant can cause a pre-teen physical harm because her frame is too premature. I get that. But none of these articles--with the exception of one-- addresses the issues at large. Why and how is this happening? Why and how are these baby girls getting pregnant? Why is nothing being done about it? Where are the mothers when this is going on? It bothers me that the mother of the 11-year-old in the Northeast isn't tearing up that entire town trying to find the man or young boy who did this to her baby. And I know that there are young girls who are 11 going on 24, that there could be a possibility that this 11-year-old got herself in a hot mess, but that's few and far between.
Half of the girls I read about were either raped or molested by an older man. And the media is not addressing this. Her age is the only focus and the fact that she was violated disappears into the shadows somehow. These young girls will never be the same. They're psychologically changed and their lives altered--especially if they were sexually assaulted. I'm writing this because this is the topic no one wants to touch or talk about. This is not just a women's rights issue that can be overlooked. This is a world issue because it can happen to your daughter, niece, sister or that of close friend's. This is what's happening to young girls here in America and beyond, yet nothing is being done to protect these girls nor is no one being taken to task.
Where are the stricter sex offender laws? Where are the activists that should be speaking up and shining light on this issue? But, most of all, WHERE IS THE OUTRAGE??? The bodies of these girls are being taken hostage by selfish men engaging in inappropriate behavior and little to nothing is being done about it. This can not go unaddressed any longer. Something has to be done because--as I said before--the issue of rape and pre-teen pregnancy affects everyone, not just a few.
And that's enough from the Unknown Planet.
Friday, February 5, 2010
Monday, January 25, 2010
Winter Break: The Lessons
To all who is reading this,
As of today, my month long Winter vacation is finally over. I return to SUNY Brockport tomorrow once again as a Social Studies major/Women's Studies minor. I had a long rest and now I'm over it. So tomorrow, I'll be running to the bus stop to get this semester over with.
I make it seem like Winter was so damn boring that I was ready to pull what little hair I have out (and I don't have very much to begin with). But I can only stay up till four in the morning watching movies and anime for so long before I start to look for a blunt object to beat my brains out with. Maybe that's my life purpose--abusing myself with blunt objects. But that's neither here nor there.
My off time was not in vein, however. I learned some things about myself within the time allotted and I'm actually surprised that it took a month of quiet time to realize that I have weird thoughts, idiosyncrasies and friends who love slumber parties. For instance, I don't mind staying in my apartment for days on end and finding mindless ways to entertain myself, such as (but not limited to) playing YoVille on Facebook and debating with silly people on the Nerdfighter website. And when I do see the light of day, it's because I want to go to the library to check out documentary DVDs about Typhoid Mary and dysfunctional Amish kids.
Don't get me wrong. I hung out with people. And, on a few occasions, I would be invited to spend the night at a friend's apartment just for the hell of it. I haven't done anything like that in years because I've always been freaked out by such activities. But at the same time, I was a nervous, insecure teenage girl so I was freaked out by just about everything. But this time, I was able to go a friend's house, watch hours of "Dexter" and put green mud on my face to clean my pores. In other words, it was the girliest, funnest time I ever had. And there were nights similar to that one, but only with different friends. And I didn't realize that I had so many friends nice and cool enough to want to hear me snore.
But then there were periods during my Winter break that either changed me or made me think "What the fuck? Come Again?" For instance, a former friend of mine decided to text me one morning about fighting his attraction for me--which knocked me out of my sleepiness and made me say out loud "What the f--what?!?" because he's married. On the flipside, I realized this Winter that I clung onto people way too tightly and that, no matter what I do or say, they are going to go whether I'm ready or not. So, instead of thinking that the person--or people--left because of me, I'm starting to learn that they have to live and move on. And so do I. I don't like these changes, but they are going to happen. I might as well accept it.
I write all this to say that this Winter break that will go down in my life's history. This Winter, I went to an epic New Year's Eve party featuring a dancing drunken wizard and "Yo Mama" jokes. I met new friends who are basically Gaylicious and awesome. I became a fan of Netflix and animecrazy.net and I enjoy being a nocturnal creature. I also learned that it's ok to say no to sex--especially if the asshole's married to an unsuspecting wife living in New York City. I learned that I love hiding in my own space and that I'm set in ways that need to be uprooted. But most of all, I learned--am learning--that there are certain people who are not meant to be in my life for long periods of time and if I'm working extremely hard to keep a person, chances are my way isn't working.
All in all, this was a life-changing Winter vacation.
And that's enough from the Unknown Planet
As of today, my month long Winter vacation is finally over. I return to SUNY Brockport tomorrow once again as a Social Studies major/Women's Studies minor. I had a long rest and now I'm over it. So tomorrow, I'll be running to the bus stop to get this semester over with.
I make it seem like Winter was so damn boring that I was ready to pull what little hair I have out (and I don't have very much to begin with). But I can only stay up till four in the morning watching movies and anime for so long before I start to look for a blunt object to beat my brains out with. Maybe that's my life purpose--abusing myself with blunt objects. But that's neither here nor there.
My off time was not in vein, however. I learned some things about myself within the time allotted and I'm actually surprised that it took a month of quiet time to realize that I have weird thoughts, idiosyncrasies and friends who love slumber parties. For instance, I don't mind staying in my apartment for days on end and finding mindless ways to entertain myself, such as (but not limited to) playing YoVille on Facebook and debating with silly people on the Nerdfighter website. And when I do see the light of day, it's because I want to go to the library to check out documentary DVDs about Typhoid Mary and dysfunctional Amish kids.
Don't get me wrong. I hung out with people. And, on a few occasions, I would be invited to spend the night at a friend's apartment just for the hell of it. I haven't done anything like that in years because I've always been freaked out by such activities. But at the same time, I was a nervous, insecure teenage girl so I was freaked out by just about everything. But this time, I was able to go a friend's house, watch hours of "Dexter" and put green mud on my face to clean my pores. In other words, it was the girliest, funnest time I ever had. And there were nights similar to that one, but only with different friends. And I didn't realize that I had so many friends nice and cool enough to want to hear me snore.
But then there were periods during my Winter break that either changed me or made me think "What the fuck? Come Again?" For instance, a former friend of mine decided to text me one morning about fighting his attraction for me--which knocked me out of my sleepiness and made me say out loud "What the f--what?!?" because he's married. On the flipside, I realized this Winter that I clung onto people way too tightly and that, no matter what I do or say, they are going to go whether I'm ready or not. So, instead of thinking that the person--or people--left because of me, I'm starting to learn that they have to live and move on. And so do I. I don't like these changes, but they are going to happen. I might as well accept it.
I write all this to say that this Winter break that will go down in my life's history. This Winter, I went to an epic New Year's Eve party featuring a dancing drunken wizard and "Yo Mama" jokes. I met new friends who are basically Gaylicious and awesome. I became a fan of Netflix and animecrazy.net and I enjoy being a nocturnal creature. I also learned that it's ok to say no to sex--especially if the asshole's married to an unsuspecting wife living in New York City. I learned that I love hiding in my own space and that I'm set in ways that need to be uprooted. But most of all, I learned--am learning--that there are certain people who are not meant to be in my life for long periods of time and if I'm working extremely hard to keep a person, chances are my way isn't working.
All in all, this was a life-changing Winter vacation.
And that's enough from the Unknown Planet
Friday, January 22, 2010
My Divorce from D,O,
To all who is reading this,
When I post, I usually talk about what's going in the world called Out There. I find out new information, read it, research and share it. That's what's supposed to happen.
Right?
So why am I so compelled to write about what's been going on with me all of a sudden? Because something's telling me that it would be one of the most healing moves to make for myself. I have depression and I have just begun to take Zoloft not too long ago--possibly about a month ago. Before that, I was not even myself--in fact, I was so paranoid I thought someone was outside my window trying to break in and rape me (now unless this phantom was the Ghetto Black Venom, it would be impossible to climb up to my second story window). But, since taking 25mg of my anti-depressant every night before bed, I haven't had any thoughts of super villain peeping toms or worse, thoughts of ending my life due to living everyday in a semi-vegged out state.
But today is different. No, I don't have thoughts of checking out, but the messages from what I call the Dark One are creeping up none the less. He tells me that I'm trying too hard to be what I'm wanting to be, which is happy. He's been telling me that no one wants to listen to me. That what I say or do for myself or anyone else is not even close to good enough. He tells me I should stay away from Out There because when people get close, they tend to disappear after they find out what a weird loser I am. Even as I write this, he is telling me that you would think I'm a psycho with too much time on her hands and you will run after reading this--if you read it at all.
The Dark One tells me a lot of messages: that I'm stupid, fat, ugly and clingy. "Who's wants that?" he tells me. "Who wants to walk down the aisle with a mess like you?" He tells these things and for years, I believed him. I believed for so long that his words are familiar and comforting in a sick way. And, as a result, I find myself debating people's personal opinions on Nerdfighters and Facebook. I've become increasing impatient and agitated with those who are trying to tell me the truth about myself, ready to verbally leap at them at my own defense because I believe I'm being psychoanalyzed. What frightens me the most is my reaction to personal relationships. Though I know "moving on" is a normal way of existence, I don't take it too well when people leave my life for whatever reason. It may not have anything to do with me, but the Dark One tells me I'm the reason. And I'll try to do everything to fix whatever "problem I caused." I've stayed in SO MANY traumatic relationships because this fear of being abandoned over and again.
I'm writing all this because this is what personal insanity is like. It is not fun and it's no different from riding on a old carnival ride that's about to collapse. And it has to stop. I have to stop. I want out!
I want a divorce.
The marriage between D.O. and I have reached to the point where it's sucking dry every bit of my spirit. He's abusive and demanding of my time. D.O. is the first one to tell me "I told you so" when something in my life falls through. He tells me he's only here to protect me when in actuality, he's making me and my depression worse. Because of him, I am not the woman I want to be--that positive light that people tend to look up to. My relationship with D.O. holds me back, however, and is almost no different from having an eating disorder.
So yes, I'm definitely ready to leave this hostage situation. It may not be easy, but I it has to be done. Not only do I want to be well, I want to be free.
And that's enough from the Unknown Planet.
When I post, I usually talk about what's going in the world called Out There. I find out new information, read it, research and share it. That's what's supposed to happen.
Right?
So why am I so compelled to write about what's been going on with me all of a sudden? Because something's telling me that it would be one of the most healing moves to make for myself. I have depression and I have just begun to take Zoloft not too long ago--possibly about a month ago. Before that, I was not even myself--in fact, I was so paranoid I thought someone was outside my window trying to break in and rape me (now unless this phantom was the Ghetto Black Venom, it would be impossible to climb up to my second story window). But, since taking 25mg of my anti-depressant every night before bed, I haven't had any thoughts of super villain peeping toms or worse, thoughts of ending my life due to living everyday in a semi-vegged out state.
But today is different. No, I don't have thoughts of checking out, but the messages from what I call the Dark One are creeping up none the less. He tells me that I'm trying too hard to be what I'm wanting to be, which is happy. He's been telling me that no one wants to listen to me. That what I say or do for myself or anyone else is not even close to good enough. He tells me I should stay away from Out There because when people get close, they tend to disappear after they find out what a weird loser I am. Even as I write this, he is telling me that you would think I'm a psycho with too much time on her hands and you will run after reading this--if you read it at all.
The Dark One tells me a lot of messages: that I'm stupid, fat, ugly and clingy. "Who's wants that?" he tells me. "Who wants to walk down the aisle with a mess like you?" He tells these things and for years, I believed him. I believed for so long that his words are familiar and comforting in a sick way. And, as a result, I find myself debating people's personal opinions on Nerdfighters and Facebook. I've become increasing impatient and agitated with those who are trying to tell me the truth about myself, ready to verbally leap at them at my own defense because I believe I'm being psychoanalyzed. What frightens me the most is my reaction to personal relationships. Though I know "moving on" is a normal way of existence, I don't take it too well when people leave my life for whatever reason. It may not have anything to do with me, but the Dark One tells me I'm the reason. And I'll try to do everything to fix whatever "problem I caused." I've stayed in SO MANY traumatic relationships because this fear of being abandoned over and again.
I'm writing all this because this is what personal insanity is like. It is not fun and it's no different from riding on a old carnival ride that's about to collapse. And it has to stop. I have to stop. I want out!
I want a divorce.
The marriage between D.O. and I have reached to the point where it's sucking dry every bit of my spirit. He's abusive and demanding of my time. D.O. is the first one to tell me "I told you so" when something in my life falls through. He tells me he's only here to protect me when in actuality, he's making me and my depression worse. Because of him, I am not the woman I want to be--that positive light that people tend to look up to. My relationship with D.O. holds me back, however, and is almost no different from having an eating disorder.
So yes, I'm definitely ready to leave this hostage situation. It may not be easy, but I it has to be done. Not only do I want to be well, I want to be free.
And that's enough from the Unknown Planet.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Fear +Anger=Scott Brown's Victory
To all who is reading this,
When the state of Massachusetts became the first in the country to legalize same-sex marriage in 2004, I remember muttering "yes" under my voice (mind you, I was not out to everyone, so I basically celebrated on the DL). I was also thinking that other states would follow suit in becoming as smart as Massachusetts in extending rights to their citizens (and since then, there have been a few to do so). Since then, I've always considered the home of the Boston Celtics to be one of the states that would continue to be a historical blue state.
So it truly kills me to see that Republican Scott Brown won the Senate seat that once belonged to the late Ted Kennedy. This is a blow to Senate Democrats because his victory places President Obama's health care plan in jeopardy of being filibustered. In the meantime, people throughout the country--sick and well--are still living without health care.
It's not Brown's win I have a problem with because, if it were meant to be, then that's how the story ends for now. What bothers me is the fear guiding the citizens of not only Massachusetts, but America. The only reason why this man won almost effortlessly is because he possibly played on the anger and frustrations of many who have lost hope in the Democratic party. President Obama won the state based on the belief that he was going to make profound changes in the U.S. (though he stressed that he could not do it on his own, but needed the aid of the U.S. citizens. I guess that part got lost somewhere). But as time wore, people were still being laid off. Jobs were still being outsourced to foreign countries. Families were losing their entire livelihood to creditors and--in their minds--there was no end in sight.
In other words, most of the American people--people who are so used to getting instant gratification--began to grow increasingly impatient, especially when it came to the issue of health care. "When are we going to get it?" they asked. "Who's going to pay my $12 gazillion hospital bill and when?" These people started coming after President Obama when actually he's up against Republicans determined not to see this long awaited universal health care bill leave the voting table. And as a result, the Americans who want fast answers aren't getting any and--because of that--they became angry and frustrated at the wrong people (i.e. President Obama and the Democratic Party). This was the case for the residents of Massachusetts, who ran to the polls and voted for a Republican, even though the state had been blue for decades until recently.
Beneath the two emotions that drove people in that state was pure powerlessness. Let's face it--no one wakes up in the morning and say to themselves "You know, an anxiety attack over a high hospital bill with coffee sounds really damn good right now." When a person has no job, no insurance and just found out they need surgery, chances are they're not going to walk into the kitchen with a smiling face. They're going to pace the floor because--though he/she needs to go to the hospital--they may or may not due to the ridiculous cost. I know people who plainly choose to stay home and would rather suffer in pain than see the doctor because they can't even fathom themselves paying the bill. Take that mentality times 100 and you have the thoughts of the average American. When people feel powerless over this issue and many others (jobs, the war in Iraq, the deficit, etc.), they want answers from what ever party has power at the time (it's the Donkeys this time). They didn't get them, so they did the next best thing: pointed fingers.
What am I trying to say here? We need to stop being afraid. We as a people need to take our power back instead of giving it to a government filled with those who have their own agenda. From a grassroots level, we need to educate ourselves about our rights and what we can do to exercise them. We don't have to take this as a nation and voting Republican is certainly not the answer. Scott Brown may have won, but what is his win going to go besides make situations worse.
And that's enough from the Unknown Planet.
When the state of Massachusetts became the first in the country to legalize same-sex marriage in 2004, I remember muttering "yes" under my voice (mind you, I was not out to everyone, so I basically celebrated on the DL). I was also thinking that other states would follow suit in becoming as smart as Massachusetts in extending rights to their citizens (and since then, there have been a few to do so). Since then, I've always considered the home of the Boston Celtics to be one of the states that would continue to be a historical blue state.
So it truly kills me to see that Republican Scott Brown won the Senate seat that once belonged to the late Ted Kennedy. This is a blow to Senate Democrats because his victory places President Obama's health care plan in jeopardy of being filibustered. In the meantime, people throughout the country--sick and well--are still living without health care.
It's not Brown's win I have a problem with because, if it were meant to be, then that's how the story ends for now. What bothers me is the fear guiding the citizens of not only Massachusetts, but America. The only reason why this man won almost effortlessly is because he possibly played on the anger and frustrations of many who have lost hope in the Democratic party. President Obama won the state based on the belief that he was going to make profound changes in the U.S. (though he stressed that he could not do it on his own, but needed the aid of the U.S. citizens. I guess that part got lost somewhere). But as time wore, people were still being laid off. Jobs were still being outsourced to foreign countries. Families were losing their entire livelihood to creditors and--in their minds--there was no end in sight.
In other words, most of the American people--people who are so used to getting instant gratification--began to grow increasingly impatient, especially when it came to the issue of health care. "When are we going to get it?" they asked. "Who's going to pay my $12 gazillion hospital bill and when?" These people started coming after President Obama when actually he's up against Republicans determined not to see this long awaited universal health care bill leave the voting table. And as a result, the Americans who want fast answers aren't getting any and--because of that--they became angry and frustrated at the wrong people (i.e. President Obama and the Democratic Party). This was the case for the residents of Massachusetts, who ran to the polls and voted for a Republican, even though the state had been blue for decades until recently.
Beneath the two emotions that drove people in that state was pure powerlessness. Let's face it--no one wakes up in the morning and say to themselves "You know, an anxiety attack over a high hospital bill with coffee sounds really damn good right now." When a person has no job, no insurance and just found out they need surgery, chances are they're not going to walk into the kitchen with a smiling face. They're going to pace the floor because--though he/she needs to go to the hospital--they may or may not due to the ridiculous cost. I know people who plainly choose to stay home and would rather suffer in pain than see the doctor because they can't even fathom themselves paying the bill. Take that mentality times 100 and you have the thoughts of the average American. When people feel powerless over this issue and many others (jobs, the war in Iraq, the deficit, etc.), they want answers from what ever party has power at the time (it's the Donkeys this time). They didn't get them, so they did the next best thing: pointed fingers.
What am I trying to say here? We need to stop being afraid. We as a people need to take our power back instead of giving it to a government filled with those who have their own agenda. From a grassroots level, we need to educate ourselves about our rights and what we can do to exercise them. We don't have to take this as a nation and voting Republican is certainly not the answer. Scott Brown may have won, but what is his win going to go besides make situations worse.
And that's enough from the Unknown Planet.
Monday, January 18, 2010
The Education Story of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr
To all who is reading this,
For the past 23 hours, today has been Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr Day, the day celebrating the legacy of the Pioneer of the Civil Rights Movement, the late Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. While teenagers and government workers, unfortunately, seized those 23 hours to enjoy a day off or a clothing sale, I used this day to reflect on Mr. King's history itself. I hate to admit this, but I know little to nothing about this man.
I know a snippit of his life's story: that he was placed in jail numerous times for protesting for Civil Rights; how he was a great father and husband; that his "I Have a Dream Speech" was actually improvised and that his life was in constant danger due to his speaking out against segregation. However, I find that not knowing enough is unacceptable, so I decide to do research.
Thank you, Internet.
I find all kinds of websites and I hit page after page and, out of all of what I find, what fascinates me the most is his profound love for education. His thirst for knowledge started at the age of five at Youge School, a segregated school in Atlanta, Georgia. Due to the legal age to attend school being six, however, Mr. King was not allowed to pursue his education until a year later. After this school, he attended David T. Howard Elementary School; he was later enrolled in the Atlanta University Laboratory School and Booker T. Washington High School. In the meantime, the then high school student graduated at the age of 15 because of his impressive scores on the college entrance exams. So he was able to attend Morehouse College while still a teen. It was here where he received his Bachelors in Sociology in 1948.
After three years of studying Theology at the Crozer Theological Seminary, he graduated with a Bachelors in Divinity in 1951. Mr. King then went on to study Systematic Theology at Boston University within that same year while attending Harvard. His dissertation, "A Comparison of the Conceptions of God in the Thinking of Paul Tillich and Henry Nelson Wiemen," earned him his PhD in 1955.
Throughout the years, Mr. King has earned many honorary degrees in both the U.S. and overseas such as the Doctor of Humane Letters at Morehouse College and the Doctor of Divinity at Chicago Theological Seminary. And he went on to become a pastor in Birmingham, Alabama where he created Civil Rights history as we know it.
I'm telling you all this to prove that his personal experiences and his love for learning armed Mr. King with the compassion he expressed on the streets in the South, from the pulpit and in Washington, DC. With wisdom and intellectualism, he taught all who allowed themselves to hear the message that EVERYONE deserves to be treated with the upmost respect and dignity, no matter what color they were born with or what roof they were raised under. But it goes even deeper and further than that. He taught African-Americans of that time period that they were capable of gaining that same form of education. That they were not born with smaller brains than that of their Caucasian counterparts nor were they savages, but human beings who were just as good, important and capable as everyone else. With education, there's imagination. And with that is a power that is meant to be feared by those who don't know better.
With that being said, Martin Luther King, Jr Day is more than just a day for me now. This day is a reminder of the man who saved the lives and freedom of many African-Americans. I'm not saying this to deify him, but I give credit when credit's due. If it were not for him and many others (African-Americans and Caucasian), I would be harassed and arrested for going to certain parts of town. My rights as a citizen would be violated and my friends would catch the "Jungle Fever" label before getting their asses kicked. African-American men would be killed for even looking at a Caucasian woman and their female counterparts would still be working as maids. Most of all however, African-Americans would not be granted the same educational opportunities as our counterparts. Which means that I would not be attending college pursuing my dreams to become a sex therapist and Unitarian Universalist minister. And I can't have that.
So for everything, Mr. King, I say thank you. Thank you. And thank you.
And that's enough from the Unknown Planet.
For the past 23 hours, today has been Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr Day, the day celebrating the legacy of the Pioneer of the Civil Rights Movement, the late Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. While teenagers and government workers, unfortunately, seized those 23 hours to enjoy a day off or a clothing sale, I used this day to reflect on Mr. King's history itself. I hate to admit this, but I know little to nothing about this man.
I know a snippit of his life's story: that he was placed in jail numerous times for protesting for Civil Rights; how he was a great father and husband; that his "I Have a Dream Speech" was actually improvised and that his life was in constant danger due to his speaking out against segregation. However, I find that not knowing enough is unacceptable, so I decide to do research.
Thank you, Internet.
I find all kinds of websites and I hit page after page and, out of all of what I find, what fascinates me the most is his profound love for education. His thirst for knowledge started at the age of five at Youge School, a segregated school in Atlanta, Georgia. Due to the legal age to attend school being six, however, Mr. King was not allowed to pursue his education until a year later. After this school, he attended David T. Howard Elementary School; he was later enrolled in the Atlanta University Laboratory School and Booker T. Washington High School. In the meantime, the then high school student graduated at the age of 15 because of his impressive scores on the college entrance exams. So he was able to attend Morehouse College while still a teen. It was here where he received his Bachelors in Sociology in 1948.
After three years of studying Theology at the Crozer Theological Seminary, he graduated with a Bachelors in Divinity in 1951. Mr. King then went on to study Systematic Theology at Boston University within that same year while attending Harvard. His dissertation, "A Comparison of the Conceptions of God in the Thinking of Paul Tillich and Henry Nelson Wiemen," earned him his PhD in 1955.
Throughout the years, Mr. King has earned many honorary degrees in both the U.S. and overseas such as the Doctor of Humane Letters at Morehouse College and the Doctor of Divinity at Chicago Theological Seminary. And he went on to become a pastor in Birmingham, Alabama where he created Civil Rights history as we know it.
I'm telling you all this to prove that his personal experiences and his love for learning armed Mr. King with the compassion he expressed on the streets in the South, from the pulpit and in Washington, DC. With wisdom and intellectualism, he taught all who allowed themselves to hear the message that EVERYONE deserves to be treated with the upmost respect and dignity, no matter what color they were born with or what roof they were raised under. But it goes even deeper and further than that. He taught African-Americans of that time period that they were capable of gaining that same form of education. That they were not born with smaller brains than that of their Caucasian counterparts nor were they savages, but human beings who were just as good, important and capable as everyone else. With education, there's imagination. And with that is a power that is meant to be feared by those who don't know better.
With that being said, Martin Luther King, Jr Day is more than just a day for me now. This day is a reminder of the man who saved the lives and freedom of many African-Americans. I'm not saying this to deify him, but I give credit when credit's due. If it were not for him and many others (African-Americans and Caucasian), I would be harassed and arrested for going to certain parts of town. My rights as a citizen would be violated and my friends would catch the "Jungle Fever" label before getting their asses kicked. African-American men would be killed for even looking at a Caucasian woman and their female counterparts would still be working as maids. Most of all however, African-Americans would not be granted the same educational opportunities as our counterparts. Which means that I would not be attending college pursuing my dreams to become a sex therapist and Unitarian Universalist minister. And I can't have that.
So for everything, Mr. King, I say thank you. Thank you. And thank you.
And that's enough from the Unknown Planet.
Friday, January 15, 2010
Rick Warren is A Damn Mess
To all who is reading this,
I woke up to do my usual afternoon routine: I get up, use the bathroom, stretch, check my phone and switch on my laptop to get to Facebook. I'm always on this site because I can get the best news and status lines from my guerrilla gang of friends.
Well, one of them posted a YouTube link entitled "Rachel Maddow--Rick Warren Is Forced to Speak Out Against Uganda." I automatically click on it for two reasons: Uganda and Rick Warren. In case you don't know, I'll tell you about both. For one, homosexuality is outlawed in Uganda to the point of GLBTQ citizens being jailed even on the suspicion of being gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgendered/queer. Now the Ugandan government is pushing a law that would make being GBLTQ punishable by death and this law is being heavily pushed by Conservative members of the Anglican church in this particular part of the world. Other members of the church, on the other hand, are against this law, stating (rightfully so) that GLBTQs are our brothers and sisters and should be treated as such. This splits the church and the battle rages on.
As for Rick Warren, if you don't know him, then you may know his best seller A Purpose Driven Life. The premise of the book is to help people find their destiny in life through Christianity and he managed--with little effort--to create an entire enterprise through his book: workshops, speaking engagements and a journal for writing assignments and more. In other words, the man's a damn powerhouse in the name of Christ and capitalism.
So what is the connection between Warren and Uganda? He's making things worse down in those parts. Turns out he has a HUGE following in Uganda and has publicly (meaning on camera) stated that homosexuality is wrong and there should be punishment. He stands behind this bill and its proponents and the Christians in Uganda soak up every word. As one Anglican priests states, the Purpose Driven Life is like a second Bible. By him going to Uganda and backing this bill, he places many GLBTQs in eminent danger.
Ok, what are you trying to say, honey? Here's my problem with Rick Warren: he's not being honest with himself nor others. He digs his hands into the Political/Anti-gay cookie jar and does this to not only promote his book but to show every single one of his supporters where he stands on this issue (in fact, he has a Purpose Driven Living workshop he wants to use on the Ugandan people). He was in the country last year promoting the workshop and his homophobia. He's been traveling to Uganda for years, people, preaching everything from having a purpose through Christ to the so-called abstinence programs (because, you know, abstinence works in America so surely it'll work everywhere else, too). At the same time, he denies having ANY involvement in Ugandan politics to the point of staying out of the public eye. He later speaks against the anti-gay bill--but only AFTER he's pressured to say something.
Look, Warren can believe in anything he wants to believe in. It's a free country, a free world (supposedly) and I thank Creator for giving people the idea of the First Amendment. However, I can't stand the fact that he's now trying to lie about his political influence in Uganda (and in America) when he knows FULL WELL that everything he says and does is printed in magazines and captured on film! How stupid can he be to deny his involvement in Uganda when people are coming forward and saying "Yup, he was there denouncing condoms." I don't even know what to say. Oh, yes I do:
Rick Warren is a damn mess.
And that's enough from the Unknown Planet.
I woke up to do my usual afternoon routine: I get up, use the bathroom, stretch, check my phone and switch on my laptop to get to Facebook. I'm always on this site because I can get the best news and status lines from my guerrilla gang of friends.
Well, one of them posted a YouTube link entitled "Rachel Maddow--Rick Warren Is Forced to Speak Out Against Uganda." I automatically click on it for two reasons: Uganda and Rick Warren. In case you don't know, I'll tell you about both. For one, homosexuality is outlawed in Uganda to the point of GLBTQ citizens being jailed even on the suspicion of being gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgendered/queer. Now the Ugandan government is pushing a law that would make being GBLTQ punishable by death and this law is being heavily pushed by Conservative members of the Anglican church in this particular part of the world. Other members of the church, on the other hand, are against this law, stating (rightfully so) that GLBTQs are our brothers and sisters and should be treated as such. This splits the church and the battle rages on.
As for Rick Warren, if you don't know him, then you may know his best seller A Purpose Driven Life. The premise of the book is to help people find their destiny in life through Christianity and he managed--with little effort--to create an entire enterprise through his book: workshops, speaking engagements and a journal for writing assignments and more. In other words, the man's a damn powerhouse in the name of Christ and capitalism.
So what is the connection between Warren and Uganda? He's making things worse down in those parts. Turns out he has a HUGE following in Uganda and has publicly (meaning on camera) stated that homosexuality is wrong and there should be punishment. He stands behind this bill and its proponents and the Christians in Uganda soak up every word. As one Anglican priests states, the Purpose Driven Life is like a second Bible. By him going to Uganda and backing this bill, he places many GLBTQs in eminent danger.
Ok, what are you trying to say, honey? Here's my problem with Rick Warren: he's not being honest with himself nor others. He digs his hands into the Political/Anti-gay cookie jar and does this to not only promote his book but to show every single one of his supporters where he stands on this issue (in fact, he has a Purpose Driven Living workshop he wants to use on the Ugandan people). He was in the country last year promoting the workshop and his homophobia. He's been traveling to Uganda for years, people, preaching everything from having a purpose through Christ to the so-called abstinence programs (because, you know, abstinence works in America so surely it'll work everywhere else, too). At the same time, he denies having ANY involvement in Ugandan politics to the point of staying out of the public eye. He later speaks against the anti-gay bill--but only AFTER he's pressured to say something.
Look, Warren can believe in anything he wants to believe in. It's a free country, a free world (supposedly) and I thank Creator for giving people the idea of the First Amendment. However, I can't stand the fact that he's now trying to lie about his political influence in Uganda (and in America) when he knows FULL WELL that everything he says and does is printed in magazines and captured on film! How stupid can he be to deny his involvement in Uganda when people are coming forward and saying "Yup, he was there denouncing condoms." I don't even know what to say. Oh, yes I do:
Rick Warren is a damn mess.
And that's enough from the Unknown Planet.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
The Words of the Battered Soldier
To all who are reading this,
This is my first blog. I was wondering what I could write because I just didn't want to write any crack headed entry. That's not me. I wanted to blog on something important and so here it is.
The issue of same-sex marriage is EXTREMELY important to me and so, when people come at me as if I'm willing to fall for just any anti-gay/lesbian/bi/transgendered/queer nonsense, let's just say I get just little animated. For instance, I was debating with a friend on Facebook (no surprise there, people) about the importance of gay marriage and why it should not be placed on the back burner for the sake of other issues. This whole conversation started with some FB poll asking whether or not I--or anyone else--would vote for Sarah Palin. Now this friend, a Heterosexual Conservative, votes that he would. I, on the other hand, vote that I would not.
So I went on this friend's page and said something along the lines of: "Palin is a fucking mess. She's dangerous and a homophobe. As President, she'd set the US behind even more so."
My friend's response: "Meeka, sexual preference has about as much room in politics as what brand of scotch does one prefer. Do I deserve special rights because I kiss girls instead of boys? I think not."
The words "special rights" is what did it. In my mind, the words set off some weird chain reaction of thoughts and a fierce activist spirit stirred inside my entire body. The first words coming out of my mouth is "Ah Hell nah!" before I participate in a healthy intellectual debate that goes like this:
Me: "Whoa. Special rights? First of all, there is no such thing as "Special Rights." The GLBT community is not asking to be treated differently. That's already happening in the MOST discriminatory of ways. What it's asking for is the equal opportunity to get married and to be recognized as HUMAN BEINGS and SPOUSES in the EYES OF THE LAW--federal or state. When the Civil Rights of a vulnerable group is threatened, it automatically becomes a political issue...she's [Sarah Palin] propaganda in high heels. The only reason why we even know who she is is because the GOP thought that women were STUPID enough to vote her simply because she has a vagina. Really?!?..."
Friend: "Meeka I agree to disagree with you,That's what make my beloved country so insanely great. I bet she waxes and I would do her! I'm old though, lol...
It boils down to what Government is. Do need them to dictate our lives? Or should they just build our infrastructure ? Roads, defense and what not?We have been evolving forever. As humans we are not perfect. Who's to say what is right or wrong, that's why democracy works. It's fair, perfect, no. better than any other government humans have come up with so far? Yes. Gay marriage? I don't give a fuck! That's for organized Religion. They invented marriage, not the us gov..."
Me: "I give a fuck about gay marriage because it's a civil rights issue. It BOTHERS me that straight people are so quick to place this issue on the FUCKING BACKBURNER for everything else. I understand that there are pressing issues to focus on. But gay marriage is just as important. It doesn't affect you, so you don't care. These are the rights of a group of people we're talking about! If people had this same attitude towards African-Americans or any other ethnicity group, there would've been a nationwide dispute. But because gay marriage touches on deep religious beliefs that have nothing to do with nothing, it's suddenly not a real issue.
This is my first blog. I was wondering what I could write because I just didn't want to write any crack headed entry. That's not me. I wanted to blog on something important and so here it is.
The issue of same-sex marriage is EXTREMELY important to me and so, when people come at me as if I'm willing to fall for just any anti-gay/lesbian/bi/transgendered/queer nonsense, let's just say I get just little animated. For instance, I was debating with a friend on Facebook (no surprise there, people) about the importance of gay marriage and why it should not be placed on the back burner for the sake of other issues. This whole conversation started with some FB poll asking whether or not I--or anyone else--would vote for Sarah Palin. Now this friend, a Heterosexual Conservative, votes that he would. I, on the other hand, vote that I would not.
So I went on this friend's page and said something along the lines of: "Palin is a fucking mess. She's dangerous and a homophobe. As President, she'd set the US behind even more so."
My friend's response: "Meeka, sexual preference has about as much room in politics as what brand of scotch does one prefer. Do I deserve special rights because I kiss girls instead of boys? I think not."
The words "special rights" is what did it. In my mind, the words set off some weird chain reaction of thoughts and a fierce activist spirit stirred inside my entire body. The first words coming out of my mouth is "Ah Hell nah!" before I participate in a healthy intellectual debate that goes like this:
Me: "Whoa. Special rights? First of all, there is no such thing as "Special Rights." The GLBT community is not asking to be treated differently. That's already happening in the MOST discriminatory of ways. What it's asking for is the equal opportunity to get married and to be recognized as HUMAN BEINGS and SPOUSES in the EYES OF THE LAW--federal or state. When the Civil Rights of a vulnerable group is threatened, it automatically becomes a political issue...she's [Sarah Palin] propaganda in high heels. The only reason why we even know who she is is because the GOP thought that women were STUPID enough to vote her simply because she has a vagina. Really?!?..."
Friend: "Meeka I agree to disagree with you,That's what make my beloved country so insanely great. I bet she waxes and I would do her! I'm old though, lol...
It boils down to what Government is. Do need them to dictate our lives? Or should they just build our infrastructure ? Roads, defense and what not?We have been evolving forever. As humans we are not perfect. Who's to say what is right or wrong, that's why democracy works. It's fair, perfect, no. better than any other government humans have come up with so far? Yes. Gay marriage? I don't give a fuck! That's for organized Religion. They invented marriage, not the us gov..."
Me: "I give a fuck about gay marriage because it's a civil rights issue. It BOTHERS me that straight people are so quick to place this issue on the FUCKING BACKBURNER for everything else. I understand that there are pressing issues to focus on. But gay marriage is just as important. It doesn't affect you, so you don't care. These are the rights of a group of people we're talking about! If people had this same attitude towards African-Americans or any other ethnicity group, there would've been a nationwide dispute. But because gay marriage touches on deep religious beliefs that have nothing to do with nothing, it's suddenly not a real issue.
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And so on and so forth that it goes on like this.
Then, to just get away from the silliness of Facebook, I go to my favorite site, Nerdfighters.com. And even there, I see more homophobic silliness. To make a long story short, I debate with a person who mentioned something I said about gay Native Americans marrying White men in the early 20th Century. My whole point is that the institution of marriage has not always been heterosexual.
I know you're asking: what's the point of this entry? Why the fuck are you telling me this? My point is that sometimes I get tired of fighting. I get tired of trying to teach people that we all deserve the basic human privilege to marry, to buy a house in the City or the Boondocks. That we all have the right to have secure dream careers and raise children so bad that the British Nanny would threaten to whup asses with her belt. And when I say "all," I include same-sex couples. Yet some people don't see it that way. And so those people fight the "Evil Gays." In turn, the "Evil Gays" fight back. Hard. I fight alongside my GLBT brothers and sisters with my words and my fury. And I'm loud god dammit. Shit, I'm not even drinking this time! But is my voice strong enough? Or am I being drowned out and ignored?
I hope the latter is not happening. I hope that, one day, my friend sees what I'm saying. And, even if he doesn't, I hope to mature enough to be at peace with his unchanged opinions and that of others. Maybe, if I just accept people as they are and learn to walk away sometimes, I probably won't get so burned out from fighting the Good Battle.