Again, it's been awhile since I made a post. The longest since I started this thing back up again. Partially because of the end of the semester and the holidays eating up all of my spare time. But mainly because I've been really in my head lately.
Recently, I was asked a question multiple times by many different people in different arenas of my life that I honestly have yet to come up with a viable answer to thus far. Students. Acquaintances. Like-minded folks that like to talk to me about these things. Blog readers. Everyday citizens like myself that are worried about what's going on in this country.
Here's the question (not verbatim but the basic idea from all parties that presented it): I hear you speak of all the wrongs in this country, and I have a better understanding of the current state we are in now. But what do we do about it? How do we fix it?
This is when I am presented with this question that I struggle to give a solid answer for many reasons:
(1) I am a writer and sociologist. I am conditioned to observe, explain, and teach, not to solve and implement.
(2) Because unlike most like to argue, the current state we are in is much greater than one single issue - civil rights, racism, unemployment, debt, wealth inequality, democratic corruption, police brutality, terrorism, the unfolding of Christianity, etc. - but it is instead the overarching issue of the connection between capitalism and immorality and its unyielding negative effects on all aspects of society. And let's face it...when we start discussing money...capitalism...our prized life source here in America, things start to get a little heated. Or, even worse, it simply gets ignored or labeled as "Communist" anti-American propaganda, no matter how much truth it holds.
(3) I am a member of society as well that has to worry about my survival on a daily basis, meaning I have to hold a stable job, pay bills, contribute to my family, etc., no matter whether I entirely agree with the system or not. So at times, I, too, am guilty of living in my own comfortable bubble, just as the rest of society is, and afraid to embark down a path that might jeopardize that comfy existence.
(4) When I look at recent attempts to make positive changes in this country, they were shut down before they even began. Think of Occupy Wall Street, a highly organized, massive movement with good intentions aimed at the real source of all of our problems. It didn't last long because the corporate-government regime knew of its existence before it was even implemented. When it was shut down, it wasn't done so in a kind way; peaceful protestors were physically harmed and jailed in the process. Not to mention, the entire movement was demonized and made out to be something that it wasn't by those that were threatened by its real goals and purpose. Basically, the amount of power that those that would be targeted in any effort to make real change in necessary areas is extremely strong, and the chances of a successful movement are slim to none.
(5) America is at the center of the entire world. Change in this country has massive effects on every other country. So, in reality, the problems we are experiencing aren't just a national issue, they are a global issue, and every global issue deserves input and involvement from all over the world. But recruiting that involvement in the technological spy world that we live in today is very unlikely as well. Nearly impossible.
All five of these reasons as to why I struggle with this answer almost make me want to give up even trying to make people understand what's going on today and our likely future. But the key word is "almost". Because giving up isn't in my nature, and it hasn't been since I was born.
So, alas, I'm back to not having an answer as to what exactly we do as a country with an environment that is in desperate need of change but that is not conducive to change in terms of what actually needs to be solved whatsoever.
Until I figure out what that answer is, I will continue doing what I always do: observing, explaining, and educating in hopes that people will listen. And maybe with more minds involved, real solutions can be created.
Tuesday, December 30, 2014
Thursday, December 4, 2014
Beyond Race: Police Brutality Epidemic & The Gradual Loss of American Freedom
Our fears over a possible epidemic of Ebola igniting in America have blown over for the most part, but it seems that we are currently experiencing the symptoms of another epidemic that has already manifested. Not one of biological/medical origin, but one of social origin. Police brutality and excessive government control.
A grand jury in Missouri recently decided not to indict Officer Darren Wilson for the murder of Michael Brown, a young black male. Wilson got off on self-defense because he "feared for his life" during a physical altercation with Brown. Maybe this was the case, maybe it wasn't. I suppose one could say that much of the evidence was "circumstantial" and up to the eye of the beholder, so to speak, and not necessarily a matter of racism. While I have argued my opinion about this case with many (and I still stand firm to those opinions), I want to move past the idea of underlying racism and dig a little deeper into the real problem.
Let's look at another recent, more important case involving police brutality. Eric Garner and the NYPD. If you haven't seen the video of the altercation, you can do so here. Again, we are looking at a black male. But this time, it is very clear that he did not pose a real threat to these officers. He firmly stated his case that he had done nothing wrong, and when they attempted to arrest him, he resisted. But he was not armed and did not physically attack them in any way. He simply tried to pull his arms away from them. And then...the chokehold. Garner even stated many times that he couldn't breathe, yet Officer Pantaleo maintained the chokehold. He killed Garner, and the autopsy ruled Garner's death a homicide. Even better? Chokeholds were banned by the NYPD in 1993.
That fact alone should have been enough to take Pantaleo to trial for killing a non-threatening civilian with an illegal restraining move. But alas, no indictment. Who did they decide to indict instead? The man who filmed the video of the murder, Ramsey Orta, who was arrested almost immediately after Garner's death was ruled a homicide, on charges that he adamantly insists are retaliation meant to deter him from bringing more attention to the case.
I suppose one could chalk this up to coincidence, but seems kinda fishy to me, especially since his wife was also arrested for alleged assault and subsequently released from those charges. Also, it seems very similar to the investigation into Louis Head, Michael Brown's stepfather, for igniting riots in Ferguson (that were already taking place before he said anything) with his gut-wrenching, heartbroken reaction to the decision for no indictment against Officer Wilson in his son's death. Seems like an attempt to blame the victims again.
Not getting into the possible racism involved in these two cases, the Brown case might be able to be justified with "circumstantial" evidence and false witness testimonies. But the Garner case? We can see for ourselves that he was murdered and that the brutality of the officers involved, particularly Pantaleo, was unjustified.
Let's look at a couple more recent cases. First, a 12 year old boy, Tamir Rice, was shot and killed in Cleveland by police officers. Maybe this one could be justified by saying that the officers didn't know that it was a pellet gun. But they couldn't shoot him in the knee? Nonetheless, let's move on... in another case, two officers in Jasper, TX brutally beat Keyarika Diggles while she was in jail for an unpaid $100 traffic ticket (that she was making payments on), and again, no indictment. You can see the actual videos of these incidents yourself in the links. Watch them yourself, dammit.
Thus far, all of these very recent examples of police brutality have involved an African American victim and White officer(s). But again, we're not going to talk about race here. Even though it is absolutely true that African Americans are killed by police at higher rates than whites (unjust), for the purpose of this piece, we are looking at police brutality in general.
We are looking at the mind-blowing comparison between the 6,700 U.S. servicemen casualties in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan since the year 2000 and the estimated 10,000+ (at 1,000 per year) civilian casualties by non-military, U.S. law enforcement personnel during the same time period. As well as the starling fact that Americans are NINE times more likely to be killed by a U.S. police officer than a terrorist.
Is police brutality an issue that has just begin to surface? Absolutely not. It's been happening for years. There are plenty of examples here. Is this just a simple issue of racism? Absolutely not. Even though there are many aspects of racism deeply embedded into many of these situations, the truth is this is a much bigger issue.
This is an issue of the enforcers of our laws...the right-hand men of our government...taking their powers way too far. And even though this isn't a new phenomenon, there are a few things that are very worrisome to me at this point. (1) By turning police brutality into a race war entirely, we are once again ignoring the more important fact of the overall loss of American freedom. (2) It seems that while our government is slowly working to gain more control, their right-hand men are taking their authority to higher levels as well. (3) In the past five years, the federal government has spent $18 billion arming state and local law enforcement agencies with military grade equipment.
So, in a nutshell, we now have a federal government wanting more control and dispersing military grade equipment at alarming rates, state and local law enforcement agencies on massive power trips, and a race war. This should matter to ALL Americans, no matter what your skin color. Americans, as a whole, are gradually losing their freedom, and all we can fight over is the color of our skin.
The White House has even admitted themselves that the use of military grade equipment in local contexts can “facilitate excessive uses of force and serve as a highly visible barrier between police and the communities they serve.” Yet, they keep distributing it. Even in the midst of the recent cases that have brought about so much controversy and created increased racial tensions and protests within communities.
Citizens are going to fight back more. Police are going to fight back more. The cycle will continue. Until everything ends very, very badly. And when it does, I'm going to tell you all that you should've read this blog post and actually gave a shit.
In the words of Malcom X, "If you're not careful, the newspapers will have you hating the people who are being oppressed, and loving the people who are doing the oppressing." Today, these words from a admirable, black man do not pertain to whites and blacks any longer. They pertain to American citizens and the American government. We all need to realize that before it's too late.
A grand jury in Missouri recently decided not to indict Officer Darren Wilson for the murder of Michael Brown, a young black male. Wilson got off on self-defense because he "feared for his life" during a physical altercation with Brown. Maybe this was the case, maybe it wasn't. I suppose one could say that much of the evidence was "circumstantial" and up to the eye of the beholder, so to speak, and not necessarily a matter of racism. While I have argued my opinion about this case with many (and I still stand firm to those opinions), I want to move past the idea of underlying racism and dig a little deeper into the real problem.
Let's look at another recent, more important case involving police brutality. Eric Garner and the NYPD. If you haven't seen the video of the altercation, you can do so here. Again, we are looking at a black male. But this time, it is very clear that he did not pose a real threat to these officers. He firmly stated his case that he had done nothing wrong, and when they attempted to arrest him, he resisted. But he was not armed and did not physically attack them in any way. He simply tried to pull his arms away from them. And then...the chokehold. Garner even stated many times that he couldn't breathe, yet Officer Pantaleo maintained the chokehold. He killed Garner, and the autopsy ruled Garner's death a homicide. Even better? Chokeholds were banned by the NYPD in 1993.
That fact alone should have been enough to take Pantaleo to trial for killing a non-threatening civilian with an illegal restraining move. But alas, no indictment. Who did they decide to indict instead? The man who filmed the video of the murder, Ramsey Orta, who was arrested almost immediately after Garner's death was ruled a homicide, on charges that he adamantly insists are retaliation meant to deter him from bringing more attention to the case.
I suppose one could chalk this up to coincidence, but seems kinda fishy to me, especially since his wife was also arrested for alleged assault and subsequently released from those charges. Also, it seems very similar to the investigation into Louis Head, Michael Brown's stepfather, for igniting riots in Ferguson (that were already taking place before he said anything) with his gut-wrenching, heartbroken reaction to the decision for no indictment against Officer Wilson in his son's death. Seems like an attempt to blame the victims again.
Not getting into the possible racism involved in these two cases, the Brown case might be able to be justified with "circumstantial" evidence and false witness testimonies. But the Garner case? We can see for ourselves that he was murdered and that the brutality of the officers involved, particularly Pantaleo, was unjustified.
Let's look at a couple more recent cases. First, a 12 year old boy, Tamir Rice, was shot and killed in Cleveland by police officers. Maybe this one could be justified by saying that the officers didn't know that it was a pellet gun. But they couldn't shoot him in the knee? Nonetheless, let's move on... in another case, two officers in Jasper, TX brutally beat Keyarika Diggles while she was in jail for an unpaid $100 traffic ticket (that she was making payments on), and again, no indictment. You can see the actual videos of these incidents yourself in the links. Watch them yourself, dammit.
Thus far, all of these very recent examples of police brutality have involved an African American victim and White officer(s). But again, we're not going to talk about race here. Even though it is absolutely true that African Americans are killed by police at higher rates than whites (unjust), for the purpose of this piece, we are looking at police brutality in general.
We are looking at the mind-blowing comparison between the 6,700 U.S. servicemen casualties in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan since the year 2000 and the estimated 10,000+ (at 1,000 per year) civilian casualties by non-military, U.S. law enforcement personnel during the same time period. As well as the starling fact that Americans are NINE times more likely to be killed by a U.S. police officer than a terrorist.
Is police brutality an issue that has just begin to surface? Absolutely not. It's been happening for years. There are plenty of examples here. Is this just a simple issue of racism? Absolutely not. Even though there are many aspects of racism deeply embedded into many of these situations, the truth is this is a much bigger issue.
This is an issue of the enforcers of our laws...the right-hand men of our government...taking their powers way too far. And even though this isn't a new phenomenon, there are a few things that are very worrisome to me at this point. (1) By turning police brutality into a race war entirely, we are once again ignoring the more important fact of the overall loss of American freedom. (2) It seems that while our government is slowly working to gain more control, their right-hand men are taking their authority to higher levels as well. (3) In the past five years, the federal government has spent $18 billion arming state and local law enforcement agencies with military grade equipment.
So, in a nutshell, we now have a federal government wanting more control and dispersing military grade equipment at alarming rates, state and local law enforcement agencies on massive power trips, and a race war. This should matter to ALL Americans, no matter what your skin color. Americans, as a whole, are gradually losing their freedom, and all we can fight over is the color of our skin.
The White House has even admitted themselves that the use of military grade equipment in local contexts can “facilitate excessive uses of force and serve as a highly visible barrier between police and the communities they serve.” Yet, they keep distributing it. Even in the midst of the recent cases that have brought about so much controversy and created increased racial tensions and protests within communities.
Citizens are going to fight back more. Police are going to fight back more. The cycle will continue. Until everything ends very, very badly. And when it does, I'm going to tell you all that you should've read this blog post and actually gave a shit.
In the words of Malcom X, "If you're not careful, the newspapers will have you hating the people who are being oppressed, and loving the people who are doing the oppressing." Today, these words from a admirable, black man do not pertain to whites and blacks any longer. They pertain to American citizens and the American government. We all need to realize that before it's too late.
Wednesday, December 3, 2014
From The Mouths of Babes...
It's been a little while between posts. The end of the semester is hectic, so I apologize. I will make two today, since there are two different things going on in my mind and heart right now...
Recently, in the course of tutoring quite a few young kids in 4th-8th grade, I've noticed a trend of depression and accepting depression as a normal way of life at a very young age. And I would like to ask: what the hell is going on with the younger generation today?
The 8th grader that I work with has been in and out of the hospital and counseling multiple times because she has tried to commit suicide and/or cuts herself horribly. She's on medication and attends professional counseling sessions on a regular basis. I see her father try to do everything that he can to help her. I've also tried to talk to her, thinking that maybe she just needs to know that an outsider cares since she's a rebellious teenager that doesn't think her father knows anything. Yet, it all seems to fall short.
The 6th grader that I work with asked me to read a play that she wrote the other night for her theater class. She had to take a classic fairytale and turn it into her own version. She chose Hansel and Gretel and made it "modern". What happened to Hansel and Gretel in her version? They killed themselves because they were sad. Apparently, suicide and depression are "modern".
So, the first of these children has fallen victim to extreme depression herself and the second has accepted depression (and suicide) as a normal way of life. Why? Why do children these days think this is their first resort?
I'm not very old myself. 27 to be exact. So, I, too, am still part of the "younger generation". And I will admit that there have been times in my life where I fell victim to serious depression as well. But as an adult. These are kids...I didn't even know what suicide was at their age...And even when I was "sad" as a child, I never once saw taking my life as an option, much less my first resort...
It's scary to me that children these days see this as not only a viable option for being sad, but they see it as a norm - that suicide is what everyone resorts to when they are sad. If they are already feeling this way at what's supposed to be "the happiest time in their life", then what's going to happen when they hit adulthood and shit gets real?
This is serious business...as a sociologist, I know that suicide rates are no different than any other pattern of behavior. In every society, they are predictable and reflective of the broader structures of human life. Every year in American society, virtually the same percentage of individuals commit suicide. (For more on this: click here). No matter how many people contemplate suicide each year, roughly the same amount will actually follow through.
Durkheim's theory on suicide also tells us that those that contemplate it and don't follow through are held back by social integration, or the degree to which they feel connected to and needed in the society that they live in. Durkheim also argued that religion was the key to people feeling socially integrated because those countries that were more religious had lower suicide rates, and those that were less religious had higher suicide rates.
In other words, if we see a rise in suicide rates, then there is some sort of major societal change taking place, most likely with religion, that is causing more people to feel disconnected from their society and, thus, more likely to take their life.
So, the three things we're looking at then with this issue: (1) children today are more likely to view suicide as a normal, first resort to depression; (2) children today are more likely to be severely depressed than children in previous generations; and (3) the younger generation is less likely to be religious than previous generations.
Seems like a recipe for disaster to me that is in need of serious, SERIOUS attention...I think we tend to chalk this all up to "oh, they're just typical teenagers..." but I really don't think that is the whole story...I think we are witnessing the beginning stages of what is going to be a very tragic outcome for a generation that is literally crying out for help.
Children today are more likely to grow up in broken homes. They are also being bullied at alarming rates in schools and via social media (thanks, Internet). They are also being exposed to suicide more in the media. The recent case of Robin Williams, for example. Social integration is deteriorating for them as they now have 500+ friends on Facebook, but they don't have a single buddy that they go outside and play with because their parents have to worry about sex predators. And they are rejecting religion...well...because, Christianity, you're simply doing it wrong...
So, the question is: what do we do about our wee-ones? They need our help. Badly. They are asking for it in every possible way that they can. We need to figure out how to deal with the negative side-effects of individualism and social media today. And we also need to figure out how to restore some sort of spiritual purpose within them since they are rejecting organized Christianity (not that I can blame them...). We need to teach them that they don't have to "be" any certain thing to have value. They need to just keep breathing. Unfortunately, I think being able to do this for them is, once again, going to require us all examine our cultural beliefs and societal institutions for how we treat (and teach them about) human life. If we don't do it for ourselves, we should at least do it for them.
As the old saying goes..."from the mouths of babes"...and there is something terribly, terribly wrong going on today...
Recently, in the course of tutoring quite a few young kids in 4th-8th grade, I've noticed a trend of depression and accepting depression as a normal way of life at a very young age. And I would like to ask: what the hell is going on with the younger generation today?
The 8th grader that I work with has been in and out of the hospital and counseling multiple times because she has tried to commit suicide and/or cuts herself horribly. She's on medication and attends professional counseling sessions on a regular basis. I see her father try to do everything that he can to help her. I've also tried to talk to her, thinking that maybe she just needs to know that an outsider cares since she's a rebellious teenager that doesn't think her father knows anything. Yet, it all seems to fall short.
The 6th grader that I work with asked me to read a play that she wrote the other night for her theater class. She had to take a classic fairytale and turn it into her own version. She chose Hansel and Gretel and made it "modern". What happened to Hansel and Gretel in her version? They killed themselves because they were sad. Apparently, suicide and depression are "modern".
So, the first of these children has fallen victim to extreme depression herself and the second has accepted depression (and suicide) as a normal way of life. Why? Why do children these days think this is their first resort?
I'm not very old myself. 27 to be exact. So, I, too, am still part of the "younger generation". And I will admit that there have been times in my life where I fell victim to serious depression as well. But as an adult. These are kids...I didn't even know what suicide was at their age...And even when I was "sad" as a child, I never once saw taking my life as an option, much less my first resort...
It's scary to me that children these days see this as not only a viable option for being sad, but they see it as a norm - that suicide is what everyone resorts to when they are sad. If they are already feeling this way at what's supposed to be "the happiest time in their life", then what's going to happen when they hit adulthood and shit gets real?
This is serious business...as a sociologist, I know that suicide rates are no different than any other pattern of behavior. In every society, they are predictable and reflective of the broader structures of human life. Every year in American society, virtually the same percentage of individuals commit suicide. (For more on this: click here). No matter how many people contemplate suicide each year, roughly the same amount will actually follow through.
Durkheim's theory on suicide also tells us that those that contemplate it and don't follow through are held back by social integration, or the degree to which they feel connected to and needed in the society that they live in. Durkheim also argued that religion was the key to people feeling socially integrated because those countries that were more religious had lower suicide rates, and those that were less religious had higher suicide rates.
In other words, if we see a rise in suicide rates, then there is some sort of major societal change taking place, most likely with religion, that is causing more people to feel disconnected from their society and, thus, more likely to take their life.
So, the three things we're looking at then with this issue: (1) children today are more likely to view suicide as a normal, first resort to depression; (2) children today are more likely to be severely depressed than children in previous generations; and (3) the younger generation is less likely to be religious than previous generations.
Seems like a recipe for disaster to me that is in need of serious, SERIOUS attention...I think we tend to chalk this all up to "oh, they're just typical teenagers..." but I really don't think that is the whole story...I think we are witnessing the beginning stages of what is going to be a very tragic outcome for a generation that is literally crying out for help.
Children today are more likely to grow up in broken homes. They are also being bullied at alarming rates in schools and via social media (thanks, Internet). They are also being exposed to suicide more in the media. The recent case of Robin Williams, for example. Social integration is deteriorating for them as they now have 500+ friends on Facebook, but they don't have a single buddy that they go outside and play with because their parents have to worry about sex predators. And they are rejecting religion...well...because, Christianity, you're simply doing it wrong...
So, the question is: what do we do about our wee-ones? They need our help. Badly. They are asking for it in every possible way that they can. We need to figure out how to deal with the negative side-effects of individualism and social media today. And we also need to figure out how to restore some sort of spiritual purpose within them since they are rejecting organized Christianity (not that I can blame them...). We need to teach them that they don't have to "be" any certain thing to have value. They need to just keep breathing. Unfortunately, I think being able to do this for them is, once again, going to require us all examine our cultural beliefs and societal institutions for how we treat (and teach them about) human life. If we don't do it for ourselves, we should at least do it for them.
As the old saying goes..."from the mouths of babes"...and there is something terribly, terribly wrong going on today...
Friday, November 14, 2014
Why Are Millennials Pissed Off?!?!
I was reading an article recently, and one commenter was discussing why he simply cannot fathom why the Millennial generation in this country is so disgruntled and full of unrest. He proceeded to discuss how our generation has it so much better than the ones before us with our "luxurious, coddled lifestyles" and that we seem to be having great lives with our "excessive drug/alcohol use and selfies."
While his comment on "selfies" did make me chuckle (wait...let me take a selfie...), I would like to take this opportunity to answer this question for anyone else out there that shares his sentiments: why is the Millennial generation so pissed off?
#1 The Economy
And what I find the most staggering of all...
So, for those that can't quite wrap their minds around what all of this actually means...the $3/hr in 1970 allowed them to buy the equivalent of $8.29/hr worth of goods and services, but the $19/hr in 2011 only allows people to buy $8.79/hr worth of good and services. Meaning, on paper, people are making substantially more money, but that money doesn't go nearly as far in supporting oneself. The value of the dollar in 1970 was much, much greater than it is today.
Meanwhile, corporations are paying much smaller taxes and making much higher profits off of our hard work. The citizens in this country have busted their asses to make more money for the financial giants and have gotten nothing in return, except increased exploitation, financially harder lives, and uncertainty about their futures.We average more work hours each year than any other industrialized nation, which has landed the U.S. elite 10 of the top 25 multinational corporations and the citizens a financially burdensome retirement. Seems like a fair deal to me...
And even better than that? The financial giants have already and are continuing to run our economy into the ground. We are now operating in a massive bubble similar to the housing market crash that will inevitably collapse on itself. They continue to print more money that has zero value because we irresponsibly eliminated the gold standard years ago and switched from money backed by stored value to fiat money. Essentially, we cannot pay our bills, and we are only prolonging the process of going bankrupt.
And when the economy does eventually collapse, are the rich going to have anything to worry about? Absolutely not. Because they have already stockpiled what they need to survive and prosper. It will be the everyday citizens that suffer tremendously or absolutely cannot survive.
# 2 Education
We were pushed by our high schools and parents to attend college. We were promised that if we worked hard and received a college degree, our lives would be so much better than if we didn't. I even remember being told: "If you receive a college degree, you will earn $1million more than if you don't over the course of your lifetime." And that we would be much better off than our parents were. So, we did...and what happened?
1) While in college, we realized that it was nothing but a manufacturing line. The focus was not on teaching us absolutely everything that we needed to know about the world. (Shit...I've learned more from reading books and watching TEDTalks). The purpose was to teach us just enough for us to pass our courses so we stayed enrolled. Because continued enrollment = more $$$$$ for the college = more debt we owed to the federal government.
2) The majority of us received college degrees. Now, the workforce is saturated with Bachelor's degrees. A Bachelor's degree is the new high school diploma, and a Master's degree is the new Bachelor's degree. To truly stand out to an employer these days, a Bachelor's degree just doesn't cut it. And a Master's degree just doesn't pay enough to make it worth it anymore.
So, now we are on the path to be the most educated generation in history. Yay for us!!! But now we have massive debt and little to no hope of finding a job with our degrees. Hence why there are more college graduates working minimum wage jobs today than ever before. Even more, if we do find a job with our degree, it's typically outside of our field of study, and we aren't making anymore money than we would have without the degree. Yet, we have that massive college debt to pay every month, and someone without a degree doesn't.
Combine this education situation that we are commonly facing with the not-so-awesome economy that we are currently in, and let's just say that in general, life has been a HUGE disappointment. And we struggle financially more than the generations before us did each and every day. Not because we don't work...because trust me, we work our asses off...but because hard work just doesn't get us very far anymore. The American Dream that those before us enjoyed has now been destroyed.
But look on the bright side...now we are educated enough to know all the wrongs in this country and call you out on your bullshit.
#3 Politics & Civil Rights
I will never forget being a youngster and watching the political race between Baby Bush and Gore on TV with my parents and witnessing the election be thrown to Bush. Guess it pays to have siblings that control certain states. Then, in the midst of Florida doing their recount to determine the REAL winner of the election, the Supreme Court ordered that they stop. Guess it pays even more to have your daddy's appointees/connections in the highest court of the land.
Let me say this again...the highest court...they epitome of the U.S. judicial system...ruled AGAINST ensuring that a true democratic election, representative of the people, had taken place. They ruled in favor of throwing our Constitution out the window. This is not to say that there had never been any shady acts going on in U.S. elections prior to this. I can pretty much guarantee that there had been. But this was the first time that it was openly shown to the American people. And we were told to just suck it up and accept it because Bush was staying in office. At that point in our country's history, we were living in a country no different than a Third-World, nondemocratic nation that we always speak out against.
Then, our illegally appointed President led us into a never-ending war and plummeted our economy into the ground from an enormous surplus. But did he or his cronies feel any pain from all of this? Nope. In fact, they felt the complete opposite. Baby Bush, Cheney, and the others made an enormous amount of blood money off of the war that destroyed us more than it destroyed the terrorists. They awarded contracts based on what would benefit their financial well-being the most, not the "restoration" of Iraq. And today? Iraq is still a shit-hole. America has been ruined. And terrorism has strengthened, i.e. ISIS.
And then came our promise for true change...and we fell for it. Like fools, we fell for it. Because we clung to the small hope that there was still an ounce of good left in our political system. And we were played. Because in the end, it isn't about having Republicans or Democrats in office. It isn't about whether or not the American people vote. It is about the elimination of our democratic system in the 2000 election, and the complete control of country's policy and decisions by the financial elite to a much greater degree than ever before. It is about the American transition from a democracy to an oligarchy (For more on this, see my last post here). At this point, any promises that we are made by either political party are going to be empty. Because unless we fix the real problem of wealth inequality and elite dominance, everything else is going to fall short.
Further, our politicians have been using political means to slowly take our rights away from us through executive orders. And while they do all of this, they distract us by causing the masses to divide into various groups and fight with one another over various civil rights issues - immigration, affirmative action, racism, same-sex marriage, abortion, etc. They tell us that we need to preserve our morals and maintain a Christ-like nation, yet their behavior and actions are completely Antichrist-like. They continue to successfully divert our attention away from their elite dominance to enable them to slowly gain more and more control. The masses debate over civil rights issues, while our most importance civil right of freedom is being torn away from us behind our backs.
# 4 Religion
Stemming from the previous section...the U.S. is an antichrist-like nation. Full of inhumanity and immorality. Not because of the smaller civil rights issues, such as abortion, same-sex marriage, etc., but because we have learned to serve money over God. We are extremely greedy and materialistic. We blatantly disregard human life. We don't take care our fellow brothers. We are hypocritical in our claims to true Christianity. I could go on forever...
The main question is: where's Jesus? His life was our model and we ignored it. This has turned many Millennials away from Christianity altogether. The bad behavior of those who claim to represent Christianity has turned many of us away from God. Because of this, we are lacking in spirituality. We feel empty. This is why we use drugs and alcohol excessively. To fill the void within our souls. Let's just hope that eventually, our generation can realize that God is not to blame from the evil form that Christianity takes in the world today - mankind is.
#5 The Environment
In the unchecked quest for more profits and dominance, our environment has been destroyed. And now those that destroyed it are STILL denying the damage that they have caused, preventing real solutions to be employed to try to stop it before it is too late. Scientists have been issuing warnings for years. Previous generations ignored them because it wasn't convenient to their needs, desires, and wishes at the time. Corporations didn't have time to worry about the environment! They had more money to make! And well, let's face it...they aren't going to be the ones that have to deal with the consequences...we are.
These five areas above are just surface talk. If more is needed to address this question, I have plenty more where this came from. So, on behalf of all other Millennials, to the previous generations, I would like to say:
Dear Previous Generations,
Thank you for destroying the economy, the American Dream, democracy, the Constitution, Christianity, and the environment. We are so sorry for being pissed off about it. Now, let us deal how we have to deal and try to salvage a decent future.
Sincerely,
Millennials
While his comment on "selfies" did make me chuckle (wait...let me take a selfie...), I would like to take this opportunity to answer this question for anyone else out there that shares his sentiments: why is the Millennial generation so pissed off?
#1 The Economy
- A gallon of gasoline cost approximately 27 cents in 1950 vs. $3.69 a gallon in 2012. Today, in 2014, we are ecstatic that it is below $3.00 again. Of course, we did just have an election period, so don't hold your breath that they will stay this low for too terribly long...they got their votes already...
- The percentage of the average family income spent on housing in 1950 was 22%. In 2012? A whopping 43%.
- Corporate taxes made up 30% of the federal revenue in 1950 vs. a measly 7% in 2012.
- The U.S. national debt in 1950 was $257 billion vs. the approximately $18 trillion ($18,007,936,305,000 to be more precise...but who's counting anyways...) debt today.
- As of 2012, of that debt, China owned 8% - $1.2 trillion. Yet, the U.S. citizens own $959 billion.
And what I find the most staggering of all...
- In 1970, the average pay for workers in the U.S. was $3/hr. In 2011, it was $19/hr (keep in mind this is the national average for all jobs). However, despite increased education, technical training, and productivity, the purchasing power in 1970 was $8.29/hr vs. $8.79/hr in 2011.
So, for those that can't quite wrap their minds around what all of this actually means...the $3/hr in 1970 allowed them to buy the equivalent of $8.29/hr worth of goods and services, but the $19/hr in 2011 only allows people to buy $8.79/hr worth of good and services. Meaning, on paper, people are making substantially more money, but that money doesn't go nearly as far in supporting oneself. The value of the dollar in 1970 was much, much greater than it is today.
Meanwhile, corporations are paying much smaller taxes and making much higher profits off of our hard work. The citizens in this country have busted their asses to make more money for the financial giants and have gotten nothing in return, except increased exploitation, financially harder lives, and uncertainty about their futures.We average more work hours each year than any other industrialized nation, which has landed the U.S. elite 10 of the top 25 multinational corporations and the citizens a financially burdensome retirement. Seems like a fair deal to me...
And even better than that? The financial giants have already and are continuing to run our economy into the ground. We are now operating in a massive bubble similar to the housing market crash that will inevitably collapse on itself. They continue to print more money that has zero value because we irresponsibly eliminated the gold standard years ago and switched from money backed by stored value to fiat money. Essentially, we cannot pay our bills, and we are only prolonging the process of going bankrupt.
And when the economy does eventually collapse, are the rich going to have anything to worry about? Absolutely not. Because they have already stockpiled what they need to survive and prosper. It will be the everyday citizens that suffer tremendously or absolutely cannot survive.
# 2 Education
We were pushed by our high schools and parents to attend college. We were promised that if we worked hard and received a college degree, our lives would be so much better than if we didn't. I even remember being told: "If you receive a college degree, you will earn $1million more than if you don't over the course of your lifetime." And that we would be much better off than our parents were. So, we did...and what happened?
1) While in college, we realized that it was nothing but a manufacturing line. The focus was not on teaching us absolutely everything that we needed to know about the world. (Shit...I've learned more from reading books and watching TEDTalks). The purpose was to teach us just enough for us to pass our courses so we stayed enrolled. Because continued enrollment = more $$$$$ for the college = more debt we owed to the federal government.
2) The majority of us received college degrees. Now, the workforce is saturated with Bachelor's degrees. A Bachelor's degree is the new high school diploma, and a Master's degree is the new Bachelor's degree. To truly stand out to an employer these days, a Bachelor's degree just doesn't cut it. And a Master's degree just doesn't pay enough to make it worth it anymore.
So, now we are on the path to be the most educated generation in history. Yay for us!!! But now we have massive debt and little to no hope of finding a job with our degrees. Hence why there are more college graduates working minimum wage jobs today than ever before. Even more, if we do find a job with our degree, it's typically outside of our field of study, and we aren't making anymore money than we would have without the degree. Yet, we have that massive college debt to pay every month, and someone without a degree doesn't.
Combine this education situation that we are commonly facing with the not-so-awesome economy that we are currently in, and let's just say that in general, life has been a HUGE disappointment. And we struggle financially more than the generations before us did each and every day. Not because we don't work...because trust me, we work our asses off...but because hard work just doesn't get us very far anymore. The American Dream that those before us enjoyed has now been destroyed.
But look on the bright side...now we are educated enough to know all the wrongs in this country and call you out on your bullshit.
#3 Politics & Civil Rights
I will never forget being a youngster and watching the political race between Baby Bush and Gore on TV with my parents and witnessing the election be thrown to Bush. Guess it pays to have siblings that control certain states. Then, in the midst of Florida doing their recount to determine the REAL winner of the election, the Supreme Court ordered that they stop. Guess it pays even more to have your daddy's appointees/connections in the highest court of the land.
Let me say this again...the highest court...they epitome of the U.S. judicial system...ruled AGAINST ensuring that a true democratic election, representative of the people, had taken place. They ruled in favor of throwing our Constitution out the window. This is not to say that there had never been any shady acts going on in U.S. elections prior to this. I can pretty much guarantee that there had been. But this was the first time that it was openly shown to the American people. And we were told to just suck it up and accept it because Bush was staying in office. At that point in our country's history, we were living in a country no different than a Third-World, nondemocratic nation that we always speak out against.
Then, our illegally appointed President led us into a never-ending war and plummeted our economy into the ground from an enormous surplus. But did he or his cronies feel any pain from all of this? Nope. In fact, they felt the complete opposite. Baby Bush, Cheney, and the others made an enormous amount of blood money off of the war that destroyed us more than it destroyed the terrorists. They awarded contracts based on what would benefit their financial well-being the most, not the "restoration" of Iraq. And today? Iraq is still a shit-hole. America has been ruined. And terrorism has strengthened, i.e. ISIS.
And then came our promise for true change...and we fell for it. Like fools, we fell for it. Because we clung to the small hope that there was still an ounce of good left in our political system. And we were played. Because in the end, it isn't about having Republicans or Democrats in office. It isn't about whether or not the American people vote. It is about the elimination of our democratic system in the 2000 election, and the complete control of country's policy and decisions by the financial elite to a much greater degree than ever before. It is about the American transition from a democracy to an oligarchy (For more on this, see my last post here). At this point, any promises that we are made by either political party are going to be empty. Because unless we fix the real problem of wealth inequality and elite dominance, everything else is going to fall short.
Further, our politicians have been using political means to slowly take our rights away from us through executive orders. And while they do all of this, they distract us by causing the masses to divide into various groups and fight with one another over various civil rights issues - immigration, affirmative action, racism, same-sex marriage, abortion, etc. They tell us that we need to preserve our morals and maintain a Christ-like nation, yet their behavior and actions are completely Antichrist-like. They continue to successfully divert our attention away from their elite dominance to enable them to slowly gain more and more control. The masses debate over civil rights issues, while our most importance civil right of freedom is being torn away from us behind our backs.
# 4 Religion
Stemming from the previous section...the U.S. is an antichrist-like nation. Full of inhumanity and immorality. Not because of the smaller civil rights issues, such as abortion, same-sex marriage, etc., but because we have learned to serve money over God. We are extremely greedy and materialistic. We blatantly disregard human life. We don't take care our fellow brothers. We are hypocritical in our claims to true Christianity. I could go on forever...
The main question is: where's Jesus? His life was our model and we ignored it. This has turned many Millennials away from Christianity altogether. The bad behavior of those who claim to represent Christianity has turned many of us away from God. Because of this, we are lacking in spirituality. We feel empty. This is why we use drugs and alcohol excessively. To fill the void within our souls. Let's just hope that eventually, our generation can realize that God is not to blame from the evil form that Christianity takes in the world today - mankind is.
#5 The Environment
In the unchecked quest for more profits and dominance, our environment has been destroyed. And now those that destroyed it are STILL denying the damage that they have caused, preventing real solutions to be employed to try to stop it before it is too late. Scientists have been issuing warnings for years. Previous generations ignored them because it wasn't convenient to their needs, desires, and wishes at the time. Corporations didn't have time to worry about the environment! They had more money to make! And well, let's face it...they aren't going to be the ones that have to deal with the consequences...we are.
These five areas above are just surface talk. If more is needed to address this question, I have plenty more where this came from. So, on behalf of all other Millennials, to the previous generations, I would like to say:
Dear Previous Generations,
Thank you for destroying the economy, the American Dream, democracy, the Constitution, Christianity, and the environment. We are so sorry for being pissed off about it. Now, let us deal how we have to deal and try to salvage a decent future.
Sincerely,
Millennials
YEAR
PRICE PER GALLON
INFLATION-ADJUSTED PRICE
1950
1955
1960
1965
1970
1975
1980
1985
1990
1995
2000
2005 .27
.30
.31
.31
.35
.53
1.13
1.19
1.13
1.14
1.66
2.10 2.19
2.19
2.05
1.92
1.76
1.92
2.68
2.16
1.69
1.46
1.88
2.10 - See more at: http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/dailylp/dailylp/dailylp076.shtml#sthash.9xEDShRy.dpuf
1955
1960
1965
1970
1975
1980
1985
1990
1995
2000
2005 .27
.30
.31
.31
.35
.53
1.13
1.19
1.13
1.14
1.66
2.10 2.19
2.19
2.05
1.92
1.76
1.92
2.68
2.16
1.69
1.46
1.88
2.10 - See more at: http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/dailylp/dailylp/dailylp076.shtml#sthash.9xEDShRy.dpuf
Thursday, November 6, 2014
Why I Didn't Vote Yesterday & Why You Shouldn't Either
I did not vote yesterday. Not because I didn’t have
time or I forgot to do so. Absolutely intentionally did not vote. This was the
first time since I turned 18 and registered to vote that I have not done so. I’m
sure this will come as a shock to most people who know me, since I’m usually
the one preaching to others about why they absolutely have to vote in every
election, no matter how big or small because voting is what brings about the
change that we need in this country and preserves democracy. But nope…no more. I’m over it. As much
shit as I’m sure I will catch for this, I honestly don’t know if I will ever
vote again. Let me tell you why and why you should consider not voting either.
My
motives and ballot decisions have previously been determined by who supported
the changes that I wished to see in this country. I voted for increased civil
rights for LGBT members, women, and every other minority in this country –
equality for all. I voted for compassionate capitalism in which we employ
morality and true Christianity in our economic system and help those that need
it. Mainly, I voted to prove that my vote as a citizen meant something. That
the government that was to be put in place was going to serve the interests of
the American people as promised in our Declaration of Independence.
Specifically,
in the last two presidential elections, I voted for positive change. Change that was
much needed from the situation that the previous generations had put us in.
Faced with a failing economy just waiting to implode on itself, extreme wealth
inequality, and various forms of inequality and oppression, I voted for the
candidate that I wholeheartedly felt was going to follow through on his
campaign promises and fix this country before it was too late. Someone that
gave the appearance that he knew of the main problems facing this country and
wanted to resolve them for the betterment of us all. While some of the changes
that were needed have been accomplished during his two terms, such as increased
civil rights for the LGBT community and small economic gains, but for the most
part, we’ve been let down. We’ve been thrown tokens to make us blind to the
real problem in this country that has yet to be addressed – America is no
longer a nation by the people, for the people. It is now a nation by the elite,
for the elite. America is no longer a democracy. It is an oligarchy.
A
2014 study titled “Testing Theories of American Politics: Elites, Interest
Groups, and Average Citizens” by Martin Gilens and Benjamin Page found that the
voices of non-rich American citizens are not being heard any longer. Mark Karlin
of TruthOut discussed the study in his article “Most US Voters Have Nearly Zero
Impact on National Policy, New Study Concludes” (2014):
The
analysts found that when controlling for the power of economic elites and organized
interest groups, the influence of
ordinary Americans registers at a "non-significant, near-zero level." The analysts
further discovered that rich individuals and business-dominated interest groups dominate the policy-making
process. The mass-based interest groups had minimal
influence compared to the business-based interest groups. The study also debunks the notion that the policy
preferences of business and the rich reflect the views of common citizens. They found to the contrary that such preferences
often sharply diverge and when they
do, the economic elites and business interests almost always win and the ordinary Americans lose.
What does this mean to the everyday
American like you? You mean nothing. Only the interests of
the elite matter now. You control nothing in this country. The elites control everything.
The government no longer serves you. You now serve the government. Our
political system has failed. Democracy has now been trumped by
corporate power and corrupted politicians to create a nation the no longer
meets the needs of its entire
citizenry.
We’ve
already seen real-life examples of this and did absolutely nothing about it –
the illegal election of George W. Bush in 2000 thanks to his brother giving him
the state of Florida, President Obama illegally superseding Congress in major national
decisions, and the issuance of executive orders for national decisions by the
President with no approval from anyone else. We no longer have checks and
balances to prevent tyranny. We no longer have elections that represent the
true vote of the people. We now have the appearance
of a democracy, equally “evil” political parties, and one of the greatest
wealth inequalities in the entire world.
We’ve
yet to do anything to take our country back as our democracy and freedom slowly slip away from us,
primarily because we spend so much time fighting with one another over the less
important things. We fail to realize that in a non-democratic nation, none of
us are truly free. So we are essentially wasting our time debating over
absolutely anything else.What does it matter if women have the right to abortions if our democracy is gone? What does it matter if same-sex marriage is legalized if our democracy is gone? What does it matter if marijuana is legalized if our democracy is gone? None of these things matter if our democracy is gone.
Most
people will say that this should be even more reason to vote. But our democracy is essentially gone at this point, so continuing
to vote is only strengthening the elite that destroyed it. They need the
citizenry to believe that its democracy is still in place and its vote
matters to prevent rebellion. The silent treatment, or not voting at all, is now more effective than
participating in a broken system that they need for us to believe in to
maintain their power.
Personally,
I’m not going to give them that any longer. They took away our democracy and
don’t answer to us, so they are no longer our government in my eyes, no matter
what party they represent. They are simply a democratic façade. There is no
lesser of evils to vote for now, and there is no true democracy to partake in. If
more Americans come to terms with where we stand as a nation now and begin to
give them the silent treatment as well, maybe they will notice that they do
need us more than they think they do. And if they don’t realize this, eventually we will have to make them, unless we
wish to simply concede entirely. As Guy Fawkes once said: “A desperate disease requires a
dangerous remedy.”
Friday, October 10, 2014
Did YOU know this? If you don't, you should.
My students didn't know this. I was teaching them about social class on Tuesday, and I incorporated this into my lecture when we were discussing wealth inequality in the U.S. between the upper class and the lower classes. Here's a very minor overview of what we discussed:
The Current State of Wealth Inequality in the U.S.:
- The wealthiest 10% of Americans own 75% of the nation's wealth.
- Meaning...the remaining 90% of Americans own 25% of the nation's wealth.
- The wealthiest 1% of Americans own 36% of the nation's wealth.
- Meaning...the remaining 99% of Americans own 64% of the nation's wealth.
- Since 1970, the richest 20% of Americans have grown richer, while the poorest 20% have grown poorer, despite anti-poverty programs.
- Since the recession of 2008, the rich have become even richer, and the poor have become even poorer.
- CEO's earn 380x's more than the average U.S. worker.
- The five highest earning CEO's earn 1,225 times higher than the average U.S. worker.
They were mind-blown and instantaneously angry. Rightfully so, I believe. I was angry the first time I saw it, which was about a year ago. Since then, I periodically research the statistics behind this video, hoping that maybe the content has improved. But...alas...the wealth inequality in this country is still absolutely ridiculous and getting worse by the day.
Yet..here I am...lounging comfortably behind this laptop...SEEE?!?! My comfy sweater.
...listening to The Civil Wars (if you don't know them yet, I invite you to marinate in their awesomeness)...writing to you about why you should care about this stuff...and I know that you're thinking that you shouldn't. Because chances are your life feels fine. Yes, you might occasionally pay a bill a few days late while you're waiting on a paycheck to come through...or you might not be able to go out as many times as you would like to each week...but you have a roof over your head, food to eat, clothes to wear, you're relatively healthy, and you have play money. You may not be the richest person in the country, but you're probably not the poorest either. Things could be worse. Don't fix something that's not broken. Etc. Etc.
I get it. You're comfortable. I'm comfortable. Why raise hell and take the chance of losing that comfort when we're fine just like we are? But news flash, guys: THIS...this massive wealth inequality IS broken. This is absolutely not fine.
Our approach of...
is going to eventually lead to....
and...
AAAAANNNNNNDDDDDD.....
Okay...I'm exaggerating...slightly...but you get the point. Eventually, if we continue to remain ignorant of the state of affairs in this country, or pretend that it's not a big deal, or just selfishly live from day to day without caring about what the next generation is going to be left with, things are going to be very bad.
Out of all of the things that we talk about when politics come up, such as same-sex marriage, women's rights, the role of religion in government, immigration, the Ebola virus (see that's why I said I was slightly exaggerating because we could eventually end up with some deranged shit going on because of some crazy virus...), etc., why is this not receiving more discussion and attention? And when it does receive any attention, it's framed around McDonald's workers demanding higher wages, so people can subsequently talk shit about how a "burger flipper" doesn't deserve more money? This wealth inequality is getting worse by the day, and the only attempt to stop it recently (The Occupy Wall Street) movement was shut down before it even began and demonized as being a movement of lazy, socialists.
From a simple economic point of view and not even delving into the morality side of the argument, our country really needs to sit down and figure out how to fix this before everything collapses on top of us. No matter what your political party, race, sex, sexuality, social class, etc., this should not be okay with you. Our leaders are obviously part of the problem, so I suppose it's going to be left to the citizens. And that is going to start by becoming aware of the problems we are currently experiencing.
So...if you didn't watch the video above already...scroll back up and watch the video. Please and thank you.
More on this later...
Tuesday, September 23, 2014
Girls, Boys, and Everything in Between: Gender and Families in a Changing World
For those that don't already know this, I run a tutoring business for extra cash. (Insert Sales Pitch Here: Triumph Tutoring - moving education beyond the traditional classroom. All subjects. All grade levels. Contact me for more details. More information available at triumph-tutoring.weebly.com.) Sorry guys...can't miss an opportunity :)
So, yesterday I started tutoring two little girls (sisters) for the first time. One of them needs help in 8th grade math, science, and English, and the other needs help in 4th grade math, science, and reading. The dad is a single father, and he has the girls during the week, while the mother sees them on weekends. Just from the first 2 hours of meeting with this family, I learned quite a few things and developed a few questions.
1) Fathers are just as capable of being successful single parents as mothers without losing their masculinity. In two hours, I watched this father finish putting together a desk, straighten up a house, fold laundry, pack school lunches, and then cook dinner while simultaneously watching ESPN on the living room TV. He seriously wore me out just by watching him run around like a chicken with his head cut off. Because seriously...I had nothing but a feeling of admiration for him at that point since I know that as fast as I can get many things done when necessary, he definitely had me beat. Hands down. Also, not only was he doing things that not many men would do, but he was doing things that not many women would do in such a short amount of time. To say that he is less of a man because he was doing "feminine" work would be appalling to me because I cannot imagine the strength it must take for a person to properly raise children by themselves, no matter what biological organs they possess beneath their clothing. He was in no way less masculine, but he was what appeared to be a pretty respectable individual. And kudos to him for placing the TV in a place where he had a straight shot view of it from the kitchen stove. Well played, sir. I took note for sure.
2) Divorce really does have negative effects on children, no matter how amicable the separation is. From the conversations that I have had with the father thus far, I have gathered that his divorce from his wife and their subsequent handling of their shared children has been pretty amicable but also fairly recent. The girls are still able to have consistent relationships with both of their parents. So, one would think in a situation such as that, compared to the horror stories we commonly hear about divorce, that there would be very limited negative effects on the children. However, when working with them (again, only for two hours so far), I have already noticed some negative effects that the divorce has had on them. The 4th grader was in constant need of reassurance that she was doing a great job and was very, VERY attention driven. I was able to gather that while her father is doing what seems to be an amazing job thus far of making sure that they are taken care of, the girls commonly go long periods of time without direct, one-on-one attention, making her attention-starved. On the other hand, the 8th grader was very withdrawn, and at one point, when I asked her a question about a math problem that she had gotten wrong, she sighed and in a very defeated voice said, "not like it matters...nothing matters anymore." Her sadness was seeping out of her pores into her entire being, and I just wanted to give her a hug and tell her that everything was going to be okay. But it was fascinating to me that even though their parents had split amicably and ensure that they do not lose either parent completely, there were still noticeable negative effects on the children. I was also intrigued by the differing effects on the girls.
3) Fourth grade girls ask a lot of questions, and young teenagers today are definitely more open-minded. So, I'm a butch lesbian. I'm used to being mistaken for a guy from behind or shoulders up. Common, understandable mistake. It doesn't upset me anymore, and as long as a person isn't rude about it when they realize I'm a female, it honestly doesn't bother me. I'm not a female that wants to be viewed as a male, but I understand where the mistake comes into play. With children, I'm even more understanding because they haven't usually been exposed to anything but feminine females and masculine males, and they are socialized that that is the way it's supposed to be. So, my being is completely foreign to them, bringing about a lot of confusion when they see me. Confusion naturally leads to questions. I've been asked questions before about my being, but I've never been in one-on-one environment with a 4th grade girl for two hours in which she had ample opportunity to ask me whatever she wants to. If she was my child, I would have no problem answering any question she had without missing a beat, but when it's not your child and you aren't sure what the parent does and doesn't want their child to know...well, you tend to come up empty. Thank goodness for the 8th grader.
So, the 4th grader's questions went something like this:
4th Grader to Me: Why do you look like a boy?
8th Grader to the 4th Grader: Samantha...don't be rude. You don't ask someone that. And she doesn't look like a boy...she's obviously a girl.
4th Grader to Me: But your hair's short...and your shoes look like boy's shoes...
(Before my 4th grade girl defenses kicked in with "THESE ARE NOT BOY'S SHOES!!! I GOT THEM IN THE GIRL'S SECTION!!!)
Me to 4th Grader: Well...I like my hair short...and these shoes are comfortable...
4th Grader to Me: But it makes you look like a boy...
8th Grader to 4th Grader: You can't look like a boy if you aren't a boy, Samantha. Is she a boy?
4th Grader: Well, no...
8th Grader: Okay then. She's not a boy. She can wear whatever she wants and have her hair however she wants, and she will never be a boy. Doesn't mean you have to wear it or cut your hair off.
Needless to say, I was very thankful that this tutoring session involved two girls, one of which answered all of the other one's questions that I had no idea how to answer at that point. Which brings me into my questions for the day:
1) I know all of the answers about my "gender variance" that I would provide to my own children when confronted with them. But if confronted with these questions again by a young child that I am working with, what is an appropriate answer that would provide the child with clarity but not impede on the parents' wishes for what their children are exposed to? I am particularly interested in knowing what the parents out there would want their children to be told in such a situation. But I need all the answers I can get...even if you aren't a parent now, what would you say if you were?
2) We live in a world today of changing gender roles and family structures. But even when I am exposed to them as someone who challenges traditional gender roles myself, I still find myself in awe of their existence and judging them based on my traditional assumptions. So, are we ever really immune to tradition, even if we are someone who is non-traditional ourselves?
3) As cliche as it sounds, children really are our future. Are we doing enough to cater to their needs and emotions in a changing world? Today's children are growing up in a world where divorce is common, single parent families are acceptable, and gender is less traditional than it was in the past, but there are still traditional aspects of society that they are equally exposed to. So, in a sense, today's young children are in limbo so to speak. What are we doing to help them specifically in a transitioning society?
So, yesterday I started tutoring two little girls (sisters) for the first time. One of them needs help in 8th grade math, science, and English, and the other needs help in 4th grade math, science, and reading. The dad is a single father, and he has the girls during the week, while the mother sees them on weekends. Just from the first 2 hours of meeting with this family, I learned quite a few things and developed a few questions.
1) Fathers are just as capable of being successful single parents as mothers without losing their masculinity. In two hours, I watched this father finish putting together a desk, straighten up a house, fold laundry, pack school lunches, and then cook dinner while simultaneously watching ESPN on the living room TV. He seriously wore me out just by watching him run around like a chicken with his head cut off. Because seriously...I had nothing but a feeling of admiration for him at that point since I know that as fast as I can get many things done when necessary, he definitely had me beat. Hands down. Also, not only was he doing things that not many men would do, but he was doing things that not many women would do in such a short amount of time. To say that he is less of a man because he was doing "feminine" work would be appalling to me because I cannot imagine the strength it must take for a person to properly raise children by themselves, no matter what biological organs they possess beneath their clothing. He was in no way less masculine, but he was what appeared to be a pretty respectable individual. And kudos to him for placing the TV in a place where he had a straight shot view of it from the kitchen stove. Well played, sir. I took note for sure.
2) Divorce really does have negative effects on children, no matter how amicable the separation is. From the conversations that I have had with the father thus far, I have gathered that his divorce from his wife and their subsequent handling of their shared children has been pretty amicable but also fairly recent. The girls are still able to have consistent relationships with both of their parents. So, one would think in a situation such as that, compared to the horror stories we commonly hear about divorce, that there would be very limited negative effects on the children. However, when working with them (again, only for two hours so far), I have already noticed some negative effects that the divorce has had on them. The 4th grader was in constant need of reassurance that she was doing a great job and was very, VERY attention driven. I was able to gather that while her father is doing what seems to be an amazing job thus far of making sure that they are taken care of, the girls commonly go long periods of time without direct, one-on-one attention, making her attention-starved. On the other hand, the 8th grader was very withdrawn, and at one point, when I asked her a question about a math problem that she had gotten wrong, she sighed and in a very defeated voice said, "not like it matters...nothing matters anymore." Her sadness was seeping out of her pores into her entire being, and I just wanted to give her a hug and tell her that everything was going to be okay. But it was fascinating to me that even though their parents had split amicably and ensure that they do not lose either parent completely, there were still noticeable negative effects on the children. I was also intrigued by the differing effects on the girls.
3) Fourth grade girls ask a lot of questions, and young teenagers today are definitely more open-minded. So, I'm a butch lesbian. I'm used to being mistaken for a guy from behind or shoulders up. Common, understandable mistake. It doesn't upset me anymore, and as long as a person isn't rude about it when they realize I'm a female, it honestly doesn't bother me. I'm not a female that wants to be viewed as a male, but I understand where the mistake comes into play. With children, I'm even more understanding because they haven't usually been exposed to anything but feminine females and masculine males, and they are socialized that that is the way it's supposed to be. So, my being is completely foreign to them, bringing about a lot of confusion when they see me. Confusion naturally leads to questions. I've been asked questions before about my being, but I've never been in one-on-one environment with a 4th grade girl for two hours in which she had ample opportunity to ask me whatever she wants to. If she was my child, I would have no problem answering any question she had without missing a beat, but when it's not your child and you aren't sure what the parent does and doesn't want their child to know...well, you tend to come up empty. Thank goodness for the 8th grader.
So, the 4th grader's questions went something like this:
4th Grader to Me: Why do you look like a boy?
8th Grader to the 4th Grader: Samantha...don't be rude. You don't ask someone that. And she doesn't look like a boy...she's obviously a girl.
4th Grader to Me: But your hair's short...and your shoes look like boy's shoes...
(Before my 4th grade girl defenses kicked in with "THESE ARE NOT BOY'S SHOES!!! I GOT THEM IN THE GIRL'S SECTION!!!)
Me to 4th Grader: Well...I like my hair short...and these shoes are comfortable...
4th Grader to Me: But it makes you look like a boy...
8th Grader to 4th Grader: You can't look like a boy if you aren't a boy, Samantha. Is she a boy?
4th Grader: Well, no...
8th Grader: Okay then. She's not a boy. She can wear whatever she wants and have her hair however she wants, and she will never be a boy. Doesn't mean you have to wear it or cut your hair off.
Needless to say, I was very thankful that this tutoring session involved two girls, one of which answered all of the other one's questions that I had no idea how to answer at that point. Which brings me into my questions for the day:
1) I know all of the answers about my "gender variance" that I would provide to my own children when confronted with them. But if confronted with these questions again by a young child that I am working with, what is an appropriate answer that would provide the child with clarity but not impede on the parents' wishes for what their children are exposed to? I am particularly interested in knowing what the parents out there would want their children to be told in such a situation. But I need all the answers I can get...even if you aren't a parent now, what would you say if you were?
2) We live in a world today of changing gender roles and family structures. But even when I am exposed to them as someone who challenges traditional gender roles myself, I still find myself in awe of their existence and judging them based on my traditional assumptions. So, are we ever really immune to tradition, even if we are someone who is non-traditional ourselves?
3) As cliche as it sounds, children really are our future. Are we doing enough to cater to their needs and emotions in a changing world? Today's children are growing up in a world where divorce is common, single parent families are acceptable, and gender is less traditional than it was in the past, but there are still traditional aspects of society that they are equally exposed to. So, in a sense, today's young children are in limbo so to speak. What are we doing to help them specifically in a transitioning society?
Friday, September 19, 2014
Beyond the Surface
Much like we all are, I'm a creature of habit. Good habits. Bad habits. And all the habits in between. As such, I tend to go to the same stores and see the same employees. Most of the time, I don't care to know their story; I just want my stuff so I can go on with my day.
In our society, most of us live this way. We operate as robots on a mission, always hurrying to get nowhere special. We either don't care about the true substance of others, or we are too afraid to ask out of fear of being seen as the oddball who asks way too many personal questions.
For the most part, we hate going beyond surface talk with people that we aren't really close to already. We don't want to expose ourselves to others and become vulnerable. I can also guarantee that each of you, like me, have many people in your life that you might see and hang out with on a regular basis but that you know absolutely nothing about beyond their name, favorite alcoholic drink, favorite song to dance to, and what they like to order at Chili's.
We know nothing about who people truly are in terms of their values, beliefs, or dreams. We truly live in a world of disconnected connectedness. Thank you, Facebook. We are not only terrified to intensely question the world we live or ourselves, but also those around us. We aren't only afraid to think, but we are also afraid to feel. True, it's easier to not know things most of the time, but it's also less rewarding.
So, since I'm hoping that we will all be spending a lot of time together through this blog in the future, for this post, we are going to go beyond the surface and get to know each other a little better as real people. I will answer the 35 questions below about myself, and then, I hope that you will answer each of them about you.
Here we go:
1. Given the choice of anyone in the world (dead or alive), whom would you want to have dinner or coffee with? What three questions would you ask them?
Martin Luther King, Jr. (1) When you majored in sociology in college, did you have a plan as to what you were going to do with your life? (2) Was it hard to stay non-violent when you and your entire race faced violence at every turn? (3) If you wouldn't have been assassinated, what additional work would you have done for civil rights?
2. Would you like to be famous? In what way?
Not famous. But remembered positively.
3. Before making a phone call, do you ever rehearse what you're going to say? Why?
Never really considered it "rehearsing", but if it's an important, professional call, I have caught myself thinking about what I was going to say before making the call, so I don't forget anything.
4. What would constitute a perfect day for you?
Wake up next to my love. Coffee. Breakfast & news. Go downtown and park. Walk and ride the tram all over. See the city. Go to museums and bookstores. Have lunch at a coffee shop. Write. Go home and have a movie night. Sleep next to my love.
5. When did you last sing to yourself? To someone else?
Sing to myself on the daily. Sang with my nephew today. He doesn't judge me...lol
6. If you were able to live to the age of 90 and retain either the mind or body of a 30-year old for the last 60 years of your life, which would you choose?
I would choose to retain the body of a 30-year old...because my mind would strengthen with age but my body would weaken with age. With the strongest, wisest mind possible, and a strong body, I could do more for the world for those 60 years.
7. If you could find out for absolute certain when and how you will die, would you want to know?
Absolutely not.
8. For what in your life do you feel most grateful?
Everything...I have a roof over my head, food to eat, an amazing woman that loves me, and a great family.
9. If you were told you only had 24 hours to live, what would you do in that time?
Go to the ocean at sunset with my love and write as much as I possibly could.
10. What's your astrological sign? Is it accurate?
Taurus. Accurate for the most part, except the part about being materialistic. I'm not at all.
11. If you could wake up tomorrow having gained one quality or ability, what would it be?
Time travel.
12. Is there something that you've dreamt of doing for a long time? Why haven't you done it?
Opening a coffee shop/bookstore. One day, I will, and I will run it full-time when I retire. Just haven't had the financial ability or time to yet.
13. What is the greatest accomplishment of your life?
Becoming the person that I am today.
14. What do you value most in life?
My mind.
15. What is your most treasured memory?
My grandfather sitting me on his lap the Xmas a month before he died to give me my present (a watch) and telling me that he was proud of me and to never forget that I could and would do anything in life that I wanted to do.
16. What is your most terrible memory?
The day my brother committed suicide.
17. What does friendship mean to you?
Family by choice. True friendship to me is more than acquaintances. It's establishing such a deep connection with a person through life experiences that they might as well be a blood relative. And no matter how long you go without seeing or talking to that person, you would always take a bullet for them because you love them as a person.
18. How close and warm is your family? Do you feel your childhood was happier than most other people's?
My family is very close. We were raised that way, and I am very thankful for the happy childhood that I had with my siblings and cousins. It taught us the importance of family and that being poor doesn't mean that you can't be happy.
19. How do you feel about your relationship with your partner?
She is truly the best thing that has ever happened to me, and I will love her completely for the rest of my life.
20. What was the most embarrassing moment in your life to date?
Hitting a tree while riding a bicycle and breaking my arm.
21. When did you last cry in front of another person? By yourself?
In front of my love and by myself months ago. Haven't had a need to cry since then.
22. If you were to die this evening with no opportunity to communicate with anyone, what would you most regret not having told someone? Why haven't you told them yet?
I would like to think that I wouldn't have anything to regret because I hope that I have already let the people that I love know how much I love them and respect them.
23. Your house, containing everything you own, catches fire. After saving your loved ones and pets, you have time to safely make a final dash to save any one item. What would it be? Why?
My laptop or flash drive to save all my work.
24. If you could choose the sex and physical appearance of your soon-to-be-born child, would you do it?
No. I would want my child to know that it didn't matter to me what they were to look like before they were born, I knew that I would love them completely regardless.
25. Would you be willing to have horrible nightmares for a year if you would be rewarded with extraordinary wealth?
No. Wealth means very little to me.
26. If you got your hands on $1 million, what would you do with it?
Buy a $125,000 house for me and my love. Spend $50,000 on two new cars for us both. Open a coffee shop/bookstore with $150,000. Set aside $250,000 for our retirement to build interest in CD's/IRA's/stocks/etc. Start college funds for my love's children and my nephew with $150,000. Start a foundation for mental health in my brother's honor with $50,000 and a grassroots organization for true political change by the people, for the people with another $50,000 . And with the remaining $175,000, I'd pass some of it on to my parents and sister, donate to various charities, and travel.
27. What is your biggest fear?
Failure.
28. What is your biggest regret in life?
Not being there more for my brother.
29. When you were in high school, what did you want to be when you grew up? Is that what you do now?
I wanted to be a pediatric orthopedic all the way through high school. As a child, I used to wrap ace bandages around any limbs I could find...dolls and humans. Then, realized I wasn't going to make it through watching autopsies in medical school and fell in love with sociology.
30. What kind of music do you listen to?
Mainly Indie. Second to that would be alternative rock.
31. Favorite song, movie, and book?
Song - Dare To Believe by Boyce Avenue; Movie - tie between The Green Mile, 300, and V for Vendetta; Book - 1984 by George Orwell
32. What is your comfort food?
Chicken and Dumplings...but not with the flat dumplings, the round ones please lol
33. If you opened a non-profit organization, what would it be?
A foundation for mental health & a grassroots organization for true political change by the people, for the people
34. Are you religious or spiritual?
Yes, I'm religious.
35. What political party do you identify with the most?
Independent. Used to be a Democrat, but I've realized that all political parties are completely flawed.
Alright guys...you're turn. If you haven't already done so, you will need to follow my blog from this page and create an account. Talk to me :)
In our society, most of us live this way. We operate as robots on a mission, always hurrying to get nowhere special. We either don't care about the true substance of others, or we are too afraid to ask out of fear of being seen as the oddball who asks way too many personal questions.
For the most part, we hate going beyond surface talk with people that we aren't really close to already. We don't want to expose ourselves to others and become vulnerable. I can also guarantee that each of you, like me, have many people in your life that you might see and hang out with on a regular basis but that you know absolutely nothing about beyond their name, favorite alcoholic drink, favorite song to dance to, and what they like to order at Chili's.
We know nothing about who people truly are in terms of their values, beliefs, or dreams. We truly live in a world of disconnected connectedness. Thank you, Facebook. We are not only terrified to intensely question the world we live or ourselves, but also those around us. We aren't only afraid to think, but we are also afraid to feel. True, it's easier to not know things most of the time, but it's also less rewarding.
So, since I'm hoping that we will all be spending a lot of time together through this blog in the future, for this post, we are going to go beyond the surface and get to know each other a little better as real people. I will answer the 35 questions below about myself, and then, I hope that you will answer each of them about you.
Here we go:
1. Given the choice of anyone in the world (dead or alive), whom would you want to have dinner or coffee with? What three questions would you ask them?
Martin Luther King, Jr. (1) When you majored in sociology in college, did you have a plan as to what you were going to do with your life? (2) Was it hard to stay non-violent when you and your entire race faced violence at every turn? (3) If you wouldn't have been assassinated, what additional work would you have done for civil rights?
2. Would you like to be famous? In what way?
Not famous. But remembered positively.
3. Before making a phone call, do you ever rehearse what you're going to say? Why?
Never really considered it "rehearsing", but if it's an important, professional call, I have caught myself thinking about what I was going to say before making the call, so I don't forget anything.
4. What would constitute a perfect day for you?
Wake up next to my love. Coffee. Breakfast & news. Go downtown and park. Walk and ride the tram all over. See the city. Go to museums and bookstores. Have lunch at a coffee shop. Write. Go home and have a movie night. Sleep next to my love.
5. When did you last sing to yourself? To someone else?
Sing to myself on the daily. Sang with my nephew today. He doesn't judge me...lol
6. If you were able to live to the age of 90 and retain either the mind or body of a 30-year old for the last 60 years of your life, which would you choose?
I would choose to retain the body of a 30-year old...because my mind would strengthen with age but my body would weaken with age. With the strongest, wisest mind possible, and a strong body, I could do more for the world for those 60 years.
7. If you could find out for absolute certain when and how you will die, would you want to know?
Absolutely not.
8. For what in your life do you feel most grateful?
Everything...I have a roof over my head, food to eat, an amazing woman that loves me, and a great family.
9. If you were told you only had 24 hours to live, what would you do in that time?
Go to the ocean at sunset with my love and write as much as I possibly could.
10. What's your astrological sign? Is it accurate?
Taurus. Accurate for the most part, except the part about being materialistic. I'm not at all.
11. If you could wake up tomorrow having gained one quality or ability, what would it be?
Time travel.
12. Is there something that you've dreamt of doing for a long time? Why haven't you done it?
Opening a coffee shop/bookstore. One day, I will, and I will run it full-time when I retire. Just haven't had the financial ability or time to yet.
13. What is the greatest accomplishment of your life?
Becoming the person that I am today.
14. What do you value most in life?
My mind.
15. What is your most treasured memory?
My grandfather sitting me on his lap the Xmas a month before he died to give me my present (a watch) and telling me that he was proud of me and to never forget that I could and would do anything in life that I wanted to do.
16. What is your most terrible memory?
The day my brother committed suicide.
17. What does friendship mean to you?
Family by choice. True friendship to me is more than acquaintances. It's establishing such a deep connection with a person through life experiences that they might as well be a blood relative. And no matter how long you go without seeing or talking to that person, you would always take a bullet for them because you love them as a person.
18. How close and warm is your family? Do you feel your childhood was happier than most other people's?
My family is very close. We were raised that way, and I am very thankful for the happy childhood that I had with my siblings and cousins. It taught us the importance of family and that being poor doesn't mean that you can't be happy.
19. How do you feel about your relationship with your partner?
She is truly the best thing that has ever happened to me, and I will love her completely for the rest of my life.
20. What was the most embarrassing moment in your life to date?
Hitting a tree while riding a bicycle and breaking my arm.
21. When did you last cry in front of another person? By yourself?
In front of my love and by myself months ago. Haven't had a need to cry since then.
22. If you were to die this evening with no opportunity to communicate with anyone, what would you most regret not having told someone? Why haven't you told them yet?
I would like to think that I wouldn't have anything to regret because I hope that I have already let the people that I love know how much I love them and respect them.
23. Your house, containing everything you own, catches fire. After saving your loved ones and pets, you have time to safely make a final dash to save any one item. What would it be? Why?
My laptop or flash drive to save all my work.
24. If you could choose the sex and physical appearance of your soon-to-be-born child, would you do it?
No. I would want my child to know that it didn't matter to me what they were to look like before they were born, I knew that I would love them completely regardless.
25. Would you be willing to have horrible nightmares for a year if you would be rewarded with extraordinary wealth?
No. Wealth means very little to me.
26. If you got your hands on $1 million, what would you do with it?
Buy a $125,000 house for me and my love. Spend $50,000 on two new cars for us both. Open a coffee shop/bookstore with $150,000. Set aside $250,000 for our retirement to build interest in CD's/IRA's/stocks/etc. Start college funds for my love's children and my nephew with $150,000. Start a foundation for mental health in my brother's honor with $50,000 and a grassroots organization for true political change by the people, for the people with another $50,000 . And with the remaining $175,000, I'd pass some of it on to my parents and sister, donate to various charities, and travel.
27. What is your biggest fear?
Failure.
28. What is your biggest regret in life?
Not being there more for my brother.
29. When you were in high school, what did you want to be when you grew up? Is that what you do now?
I wanted to be a pediatric orthopedic all the way through high school. As a child, I used to wrap ace bandages around any limbs I could find...dolls and humans. Then, realized I wasn't going to make it through watching autopsies in medical school and fell in love with sociology.
30. What kind of music do you listen to?
Mainly Indie. Second to that would be alternative rock.
31. Favorite song, movie, and book?
Song - Dare To Believe by Boyce Avenue; Movie - tie between The Green Mile, 300, and V for Vendetta; Book - 1984 by George Orwell
32. What is your comfort food?
Chicken and Dumplings...but not with the flat dumplings, the round ones please lol
33. If you opened a non-profit organization, what would it be?
A foundation for mental health & a grassroots organization for true political change by the people, for the people
34. Are you religious or spiritual?
Yes, I'm religious.
35. What political party do you identify with the most?
Independent. Used to be a Democrat, but I've realized that all political parties are completely flawed.
Alright guys...you're turn. If you haven't already done so, you will need to follow my blog from this page and create an account. Talk to me :)
Monday, September 15, 2014
Should America Only Be Schooling The NFL On Domestic Abuse? Or Should The NFL Be Schooling America on Economics?
With football season starting and the recent media attention being paid to Ray Rice and domestic abuse, it seems to be an excellent time to talk about football. America's sport. We absolutely love it, many of us religiously. Tailgating. Beer. BBQ. Camaraderie. Competition. Loyalty. What is there NOT to love? Except for maybe that one interference call the ref made against the Texans yesterday...bad, bad call ref...but we still won :)
We could talk about the extreme barbarism embedded within it and what that says about Americans and violence. Or how violence is a normal way of life for the players, and domestic abuse from one of them really shouldn't be all that shocking to us. Or we could get into the ridiculous amount of money that players are paid in the NFL and how that contributes to young boys in high school placing all their hopes and efforts into playing professional football one day, to end up empty handed and without a back-up plan as adults. And subsequently working at McDonald's and on welfare. Or even how our education system unjustifiably fails high school football players when they pass them through their classes just to keep them from not being able to play football that season. We could talk about all these things...but right now, I want to talk about the extreme irony in America's sport being one with a economic system such as the NFL's.
America is a capitalist nation, and our system as the world superpower has been the primary driving force behind creating our global capitalist world as well. In modern-day times, we could even go as far as saying our deregulated, uncontrolled capitalist system. Our corporations are defined as people with rights by the law, just as you and I. Our banking industry and Wall Street now literally control our lives and the entire economic structure. Our government is aligned with the banking industry and Wall Street, serving their interests over ours - evident when our government bailed them out with our money. We believe in the power of extreme consumption, credit, massive wealth inequality, and most importantly, working to survive. Welfare? Nope. Not unless you're old or disabled. Universal health care? Absolutely not. If you're going to die, you should've had a job with health insurance or a bigger savings account. Sharing wealth evenly across the population? Now, that is just plain, flat out, despicable talk. They should've worked as hard as I did, and they would have the awesome life that I have. Those lazy, uneducated, unskilled people that are already using all of our taxpayer dollars are not going to get their hands on my hard-earned money. Survival of the fittest, mutha fuckas.
Further, we demonize alternative systems that don't function the way we function and that don't view human life and well-being as a commodity like we do. Because this is the best way to live. The only way to live. And our country's prosperity and power in the larger world is proof of that. Oh wait...well, it WAS proof of that... The other systems - socialism, communism, or any modifications of them - were not as successful as our capitalist system because God was looking out for us and bestowed extreme wealth on us for doing things the right way. He wasn't looking out for the rest of the world because...well...they just sucked.
Yet, we LOOOOOOVEEEE American football, and anyone else who doesn't...well, they suck, too. And ironically, the NFL has a...waaaaiiiit for it...socialist/communist economic system. I will pause for a second while you soak that in.........
Now, you want to know how I figure this. Three main reasons. First, the NFL has a revenue-sharing system. A big pool of money owned by the entire NFL that is distributed evenly amongst the teams by transferring revenue from higher-earning franchises to lower-earning franchises each year for them to pay their players and expenses. The salary cap for each team is the numerical figure calculated each year after the revenue is redistributed across all teams. Second, the NFL Draft. The first pick is awarded to the lowest ranked team, and the highest ranked team receives the last pick, allowing the teams that need better players to realistically compete to be able to obtain them, and thus allowing each team to have an equal chance of winning the Super Bowl each season. Lastly, the well-being of the players is not considered something that they must earn based on their performance or earnings in the sport; it is something that is their inherent right as a player in the league. If a player is injured, it doesn't matter if they are a good player or a bad player, or how much their contract is worth, when it comes to getting treatment. They are simply a player that has the right to be treated to health and put back on the field. So, each year in the NFL, each team has the same amount of money to work with, each team has a relatively even shot at the championship, and human well-being is a right, not a commodity. This, my friends, is socialism/communism. "From each according to his ability, to each according to his need."
As Americans, we argue against socialism and communism by saying that balanced wealth distribution would encourage individuals not to work. Does it do this in the NFL? Nope. Those guys bust their ass every, single day to win. Their reason to work hard stems from them being part of a team that needs them to be successful for the entire team to be successful, as well as them each being valued monetarily and in health to the same extent as everyone else in the league. We also say that it would discourage competition. Does it do this in the NFL? Nope. Our teams fight to the death to win the Super Bowl. Having equal ground upon beginning the season only provides them (and the fans) with a sense of hope for success. If anything, it makes them work harder and compete more because they know that they truly have a shot, opposed to being filled with a sense of defeat before beginning.
We idolize American football. Maybe it's because we like seeing people get beat up when competing. Maybe it's because we just like the way the game is played. Or maybe...just maybe...it's because we (unknowingly or subconsciously) like the realistic hope of winning that our teams have each season...the fair competition...the balanced playing field that the NFL economic system creates for our teams that we wish we had in our everyday lives as Americans.
The American Dream no longer exists because of our uncontrolled capitalist system, and our country's economy has plummeted and will likely plummet even moreso in the near future. But our favorite football team has a realistic shot at winning this season. And if not this season, that realistic shot will be there once again next season. And yes, it is true that everyone wants what they can't have, but in this case, we could have it if we wanted it. We have it in the NFL. Many of us just aren't aware that this is the case or that balanced wealth distribution is capable of being more successful than a capitalist system. So, instead of us only schooling the NFL on domestic abuse (which yes, we should also be doing that), maybe the NFL should be schooling the rest of America on economics as well.
Until next time...
Sunday, September 14, 2014
Resurrected
I started this blog a few years ago as an outlet for my mind, and needless to say since it's apparent from the gap between blog postings, I abandoned it after a short time. I originally titled it "Questions About Everything" because at that point in my life that's exactly what I believed I was filled with. But I had absolutely no idea that I was only questioning the world and not myself, which gets us nowhere in the end.
I was in my early 20's, still in college, studying sociology (which should come with a warning sign that says: "WILL MAKE YOU BITTER AS YOU LEARN ABOUT THE DARKNESS OF THE WORLD"), and living in a world that, no matter how much I enhanced my mental capabilities, I could not understand. Yet, just like every other young adult, I thought I knew it all. I was a self-proclaimed secular humanist that you could not win an argument with. I believed in the good of mankind and the ability of humans to fix the world we live in. But I wanted nothing to do with a higher power, Christians, or anyone that didn't want to give the coat off their back to the homeless man on the corner or that didn't agree with gay marriage. What would Jesus do?!?! Well, not what you're doing for damn sure!!!
I spoke out against inhumanity, hypocrisy, judgment, and all things evil, and in the meantime, I had allowed the hypocrisy and ugliness of the world to turn me into someone that was no better than those that I was speaking out against. I justified my judgment towards those different from me by the fact that they hated me for who I was because of their misunderstanding, making it okay for me to do the same. I convinced myself that my heart was pure, my mind was clear, while everyone else in the world just couldn't see the truth. While the entire time, the truth was that I didn't know myself completely, and I was behaving in the same way they were - judging something that I did not fully understand.
In sociology, some of the things that we study are labeling, stereotypes, subcultures, and ethnocentrism. I had realized how others labeled me, but I had not realized how I had labeled others. I had realized how others had stereotyped me as a young, educated, lesbian, non-Christian, but I had not realized how I had stereotyped others. I had realized the negative aspects of the Christian culture and the uneducated culture, but I had not realized the negative aspects of the non-Christian culture or educated culture that I willingly affiliated myself with. I used my view of and place in the world to measure the immorality behind everyone that was not the same as me - ethnocentrism at its finest. I had truly become a sociologist. I studied the rest of the world while forgetting that I, too, was just another part of it, contributing to it everyday, not just in my studies or writings, but also in my behaviors. And while I thought I was doing the world a favor, I was actually contributing to its ugliness even more.
Then, something unexpected happened...something that completely turned my world upside down...in August 2011, while I was off at college, my younger brother...my best friend in the entire world...ended his life. No matter how cliche it sounds, this personal tragedy changed my life. I went through stages of emotion: first blaming him, then blaming others, and then blaming myself. First, I selfishly blamed him because he left me. He was the only person that fully understood me more than I understood myself, and I was then forced to live without him in a world I didn't like. He abandoned me. Then, I blamed the mental health system and society as a whole for destroying such a beautiful soul. After that, I blamed myself for not being there enough for him or noticing the "signs".
This stage of focusing on myself and my imperfections did something to me...it broke me down to the point where absolutely nothing else mattered, not the groups I affiliated myself with, not the amount of knowledge I had in my mind, to the point that I was forced to reevaluate myself and search for comfort and understanding elsewhere since obviously nothing within me at that point was substantial enough to bring me peace from the enormous amount of guilt that was killing my soul with every breath I took. Everything that I was as a person was gone. I no longer cared about work. My education seemed pointless. Even my writing, the one thing that had always saved me, was empty and unfulfilling. I even went through a time of attempting to drown my feelings out with alcohol and drugs. Didn't work. I even started going long, unhealthy periods of time without eating, and then binging, so the pain that I felt from being incredibly hungry at least reminded me that I was still human. Still no relief. And toxic relationships. Nothing. I was emotionally unhealthy. Heartbroken. I had hit rock bottom, and I couldn't find my way back up. Talking to someone about it seemed pointless then because it didn't help him to talk to someone when he needed it.
There were two things that saved me. One healed me at a systematic, mental level and the other at a individual, personal level. The first: one night in January 2012, I was up late, listening to music, attempting to drown my feelings out with M.J. (Michael Jackson of course...lol), when I picked up a Bible. Thinking back, I have absolutely no idea what sparked me to do so, but I did. I spent the entire night until the sun came up, jumping from scripture to scripture, searching for current news articles on my laptop, and reading the work of Nostradamus. As crazy as it sounds (and I know it does), somehow, some way, my scientific, mathematical mind found emerging patterns connecting the word of God, the prophecies of Nostradamus, and current events that proved to me that God did exist. One of my biggest issues with Christianity had always been the lack of scientific proof of a higher power, but by the end of that night, my mind could not dispute the extremely low probability that scriptures written thousands of years ago could have effectively predicted the occurrence of modern-day events without the influence of a divine power. In turn, this completely opened up my beliefs for reexamination.
The feeling that overtook me when my mind finally reached that point literally brought me to my knees. I had no idea who I was anymore. What I did know is that I was then a self-proclaimed Christian, and I realized that it was possible for me to find fault in organized Christianity and human mistake in the world around me, without denying the existence of a higher power. God initially created the world, but He is not responsible for what it has turned into - we are. My mind and heart did a complete 180, and I not only felt that it would now be my job to work to fix Christianity through my studies and writing, but I also received a sense of comfort in my brother's death. It was okay that the world didn't make sense to me and that I was emotionally broken. There was something morally good out there that didn't wish for the world to be the way that it is now.
The second: Toxic relationships. I had convinced myself that I deserved nothing better and that healthy relationships didn't exist. In the middle of being caught up in them, my current partner...my love...emerged in my life once again and ripped apart everything that I thought I knew about love and life. She challenged me. Even when I didn't want to be challenged in my brokenness, she pushed me still. Convinced me that I do deserve a healthy love. A love that builds you up and supports you and loves you for all your imperfections. She made me smile again when nothing else could. She never gave up on me, and she will truly have my heart forever. Because if another person can love you when you don't love yourself at your worst, then they deserve you at your best. My soul belongs to her now.
These two things brought me peace with my brother's death when nothing else could, but they also opened me up to an enormous amount of self-questioning that was long overdue. I realized that I was not making the world a better place as I once thought I was. Nor could I blame his death on the world alone or myself alone - suicide is actually the fault of the entire world, myself included. My questions about the world around me and acknowledgment of its ugliness are in no way gone, in fact they are strengthened, but I now place myself within that world as well. I realize that if the world is going to become a better place, then I have to simultaneously become a better person. As humans, it is most comfortable for us to not question anything. Ignorance is bliss. It is slightly less comfortable for us to question the world but not ourselves, but it's still fairly comfortable. It is completely uncomfortable for us to question both the world and ourselves. But change never comes from anything comfortable. And change in the world today is much, MUCH needed.
Over the past few years, my soul was resurrected. Now, this blog is resurrected as well. But this time I will ask questions about everything...myself included. And I invite you to question yourself and the world along with me.
Until next time...
P.S. My book America's Fall & The Fight To Rise Again will be published soon. I will keep you posted and hope everyone checks it out :)
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