Gays- It Gets Better... Eventually

First of all, let me start off my saying, I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NOTHING AGAINST THE GAYS!

I find that there is no reason as to why America is still debating over the Gay community! It’s ridiculous that they are denied marriage and are treated unfairly. Let me just say that as an American citizen, I’m flabbergasted that we are operating against what we have written in the Constitution- all men are created equally; well I guess not when that man/woman is gay and living in the United States.

I have no problem with anyone that is gay, they don’t bother me or anybody else so why are we disrupting their life when we can be living concurrently without any issues?

Recently, President Obama has singed the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” Repeal. In case you are unsure of what this policy has done, it prohibits United States Military Personnel from questioning the Sexual Orientation of a possible applicant of the military. They cannot discriminate against somebody based on their sexual preference or previous sexual relations. For further information here is a link with more on it:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2010/12/22/president-signs-repeal-dont-ask-dont-tell-out-many-we-are-one

Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Video:

Many teens suffer from being discriminated against because they are gay. The It Gets Better Project was created to help teens through those tough adolescent years. It helps to show young LGBT people the levels of happiness, potential, and positivity their lives will reach – if they can just get through their teen years. The It Gets Better Project wants to remind teenagers in the LGBT community that they are not alone — and it WILL get better. This is truly a great cause and it can really reassure the gay teen community that they are not alone and through thick and thin, the sun always comes out shinning in the end!

As stated on their website, “The website www.itgetsbetter.org is a place where young people who are lesbian, gay, bi, or trans can see how love and happiness can be a reality in their future.  It’s a place where our straight allies can visit and support their friends and family members.  It’s a place where people can share their stories, take the It Gets Better Project pledge, watch videos of love and support, and seek help through the Trevor Project and GLSEN.”

Here’s the official Website:

 http://www.itgetsbetter.org/pages/about-it-gets-better-project/

Here are the Statistics of the It Gets Better Project:

·         Since our launch, calls to the Trevor Project suicide hotline have increased over 50%.

·         9 out of 10 LGBT students have experienced harassment at school.

·         LGBT teens are bullied 2 to 3 times as much as straight teens.

·         More than 1/3 of LGBT kids have attempted suicide.

·         LGBT kids are 4 times as likely to attempt suicide then our straight peers.

·         LGBT youth with “highly rejecting” families are 8 times more likely to attempt suicide than those whose families accept them.

·         By the end of 2010, the It Gets Better Project raised over $100,000 from 2,500+ grassroots contributors to help LGBT youth.  

Here is one of the videos:

Your Body is A Blank Canvas Waiting to Be Painted.

Personally I love tattoos; I think that they are great pieces of art that people can literally wear. Yes, I do think that some people do get pointless tattoos, but there are others who do in fact get tattoos as a symbol of something greater than ink on your skin. Tattoos can serve as a purpose of defining yourself. Many times, people of certain groups are labeled by the art work on their body.

I myself want a tattoo/s however; I’ve been waiting to figure what exactly I want. I don’t want to get a tattoo with no meaning to me what so ever, I want it to be worth it. Since I’m going to have the tattoo on my body for the rest of my life I really need to make sure I love it 100% and that it’s meaningful to me. Tattoos are becoming an increasing fad amongst everybody but I do believe that certain tattoos can be meant to express yourself through art. Who is anybody to give the “proper” definition to art and say that tattoos do not fit the criteria?

H.C. Porter writes, “You can say anything that you want with a tattoo. It can be simple and sweet, or it can have hidden meaning behind it. For example; a rainbow tattoo. Is it a symbol of beauty, innocence and purity? Or is it an expression of sexual orientation?”

I agree with the above quote 100% tattoos can take simplicity and turn it into something that not many people truly understand, art. Here’s the web address to H.C. Porter’s article: http://hubpages.com/hub/Tattoos-A-form-of-Self-Expression

Many cultures use art forms similar to tattoos. Islamic cultures use henna when celebrating Eid, pregnancies, weddings etc. I admire henna to the fullest because I’ve seen it done and it takes a lot of patience and true artistic skills to create such a beautiful masterpiece.

Tattooing is a serious form of art that people under appreciate. It’s extremely hard to create such intricate and detailed “paintings” on somebody and I must give the artists props.

Don Ed Hardy

Christian Audigier

Don Ed Hardy, most famously known for his clothing line by Christian Audigier , was also an amazing tattoo artist. The clothing line is based on the great tattooing style that Don Ed Hardy has created and mastered. Not only can people wear the tattoos on their skin but also wear them in a less permanent way, through clothing.

Tattooing is great and I truly do admire and love it. I think that it’s a great way for people to represent themselves with hidden meaning which makes it even more special.

Many celebrities are also joining the tattooing world with their magnificent pieces of body art.

Existentialism and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

Existentialism is the theory that there is no reason to life, they believe that you are born with no purpose to life. I find this topic rather intriguing however it’s confusing at times because I agree and disagree.

I think the purpose of life is to find what YOUR purpose as an individual is. But I can also agree with existentialism because it’s true that you are responsible for your own actions and you shouldn’t live life without purpose. However, when the subject of God comes into question, as a Catholic I can’t agree that man created God as something to praise.

Over the break I watched One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest which I recently read in my English class. The book and the movie are closely related, but the movie doesn’t follow everything exactly according to the book which, most movies don’t when based on novels. The movie is about a mental institution run by a woman named Nurse Ratched, a mean, castrating female that belittles the patients. When a new patient, McMurphy, enters the ward, he creates an uprising revolution against the nurse while encouraging the weaker patients.

This movie is an example of existentialism in many ways. The men on the ward are constantly put down and basically castrated by Nurse Ratched, although not physically. Until McMurphy comes, they are nothing and just sit there all day being told what to do and treated immaturely. Once McMurphy comes, he makes them feel better about themselves and as if they have a reason to live that they are destined to fulfill. McMurphy brings out the true feelings inside of them to help them speak out against Nurse Ratched. He ultimately helps them discover their meaning of living and that although they may not feel very important they actually are.

All of the men in the ward were put there for absurd reasons and labeled as mentally insane which they really aren’t. they were accepted by society because of the time period but McMurphy helped them realize that there’s much more to life than being accepted by society and that they in fact truly are not “crazy.”

The movie didn’t interpret the book as well as it should have but it does exemplify the meaning of existentialism and I was further educated on the subject and given a better understanding of the topic.

TEEN DATING: Social Fad or True Love?

                Teen dating is a very hot topic and has been that way for years on end. There’s always the argument of whether teens are ready to be in a relationship or not. A lot of parents believe that if their child is in a relationship, it may distract them from other things including school work, hobbies, sport’s and may ultimately result in them disregarding these other things while focusing solely on their boyfriend/girlfriend. I personally believe that teens should be allowed to date and it can actually possibly cause a beneficial change on the boy/girl’s attitude, school work, responsibility etc. Often time’s teens are seeking somebody to be with at the end of the day and comfort them which is why they choose to be in a relationship. Yes, parents can comfort their child but not in the same way a boyfriend/girlfriend can.

                Parents are also afraid that if they allow their children to date that they might have sex, especially unprotected sex, and lead to them becoming pregnant. I think that regardless if somebody wants to have sex they will do it whether there in a relationship or not. Teens do it all the time without even being in a relationship because their parents don’t allow them to have a boyfriend or girlfriend.

                If somebody wants to be in a relationship badly enough, they will be even if there parents don’t want them to. I’ve seen from firsthand experience that most of the time when parents don’t allow their children freedom they either sneak around behind their parents back or when they are old enough to legally have freedom, they act out even worse! If you don’t give your kids freedom, most of the time they do things much worse than if you were to allow them some independence.

               

                Dr. Phil says, "Teenagers shouldn't have serious dating relationships. No 14-year-old needs to have an intense boyfriend or girlfriend." On his blog (http://www.drphil.com/articles/article/50) he gives the following advice:

·         Don't allow your teenager to close the bedroom door when someone of the opposite sex is over. This should be a non-negotiable rule.

·         Talk with your teenager. The more conversations you have, the less likely he/she will be to get into trouble. If you've always kept the door open for discussions, your child will be more likely to come to you with questions or problems.

·         If you're too oppressive and restrictive, you are guaranteeing rebellion. Use logic and reason when creating rules for your teenager.

·         Don't just forbid certain activities, explain why you forbid them. Doing this will help your teenager understand that you're not merely trying to be bossy or imposing arbitrary rules.

·         As a parent, it's your job to teach your teenager the importance of self-worth. Teenagers who value themselves as they are won't need to "find themselves" in other people.

For some of his ideas, I don’t agree one-hundred percent. For example when he says, if your teenager has a friend of the opposite sex over, don’t allow them to close the bedroom door… this is wrong in many different ways in my eyes. First of all, that means that if a teenager has a friend of the same sex over they should be allowed to close the door, well what if the teenager is gay along with their friend? What then? Is it okay for them to have the door closed? It’s discrimination in a way. Besides that why would you insinuate that just because your child has a friend of the opposite sex over they are going to do anything inappropriate? If you ask me, you are doubting your own child, taking away their freedom, and not even giving them a chance.

As for the other pieces of advice he gives, I do agree and think it’s true and effective.

-The following link contains Dr. Phil’s advice and a video of parents view on teen dating:

http://www.parentdish.com/2011/03/21/try-this-kids-and-dating/?icid=main%7Chtmlws-main-n%7Cdl10%7Csec1_lnk3%7C207829

There is also a contributing factor that parents believe kids don’t know what love is. I think that when you are in a committed relationship you can truly find the meaning of love. If a teen is incapable of knowing what love is, why is it okay when they say I love you to their family? It’s no different really; everybody is capable of the emotion love despite what they say about age.

Teen Dating Violence is also rapidly spreading. In this case, I understand why parents may be worried about letting their kid date. According to the United States Department of Justice, Dating violence is defined as: “the perpetration or threat of an act of violence by at least one member of an unmarried couple on the other member within the context of dating or courtship.” Statistics show that one in three teenagers experience violence while in a relationship. Most victims of this heinous violence are usually young women who are also at high risk of serious injury. It’s stated that young women may believe, their boyfriend's jealousy, possessiveness and even physical abuse, is "romantic.” In no case whatsoever, is physical abuse in a relationship okay! What makes you think it’s okay to lay your hands on somebody else?! It’s not okay at all! Did you know, Forty percent of teenage girls ages 14 to 17 say they know someone their age who has been hit or beaten by a boyfriend?

Be cautious, here are some clues that may classify somebody in an abusive relationship that YOU may be able to help get them out of:

·         Physical signs of injury

·         Truancy, and or dropping out of school

·         Failing grades

·         Changes in mood or personality

·         Use of drugs/alcohol where there was no prior use

·         Emotional outbursts

·         Isolation from friends and family

ABORTION- A WOMAN’S PERSONAL CHOICE

               Abortion, in my eyes, is one of the most controversial issues to talk about and has been that way for many years. Many people see it as a horrible thing to “abort” a baby. If you think about it an abortion can only be done with the baby hasn’t even began to actually develop yet so technically, you’re not “taking away” somebodies life. I believe that abortion is acceptable and it’s up to the WOMAN impregnated to decide what she wants to do with the undeveloped baby. People criticize others for the actions they take when in actuality they are the ones who should be condemned for their own statements against the subject. Abortion, when you go to the right place, is a very safe medical procedure and usually only done within the first trimester of a woman’s pregnancy. In case you weren’t aware, during the first trimester, the baby cannot survive outside of the womb, classifying them as dependent and not technically an actual living being yet. There are many ups and downs regarding this particular topic but either way, it’s up to the woman to make the choice of what she wants to do with the baby.

Below is a link that provides 10 reasons for pro-abortion and 10 for pro-life.

http://womensissues.about.com/od/reproductiverights/a/AbortionArgumen.htm

                As said in the link above, abortion is connected to a woman’s CIVIL RIGHTS! It is absolutely, under any circumstance regarding this topic not okay to take away a woman’s or anybody else’s civil rights! If you don’t agree with abortion, it’s not only you that matters. Everybody is entitled to their own opinion, with their opinion they must take action to abort or keep the baby and nobody should be able to tell them different.

                There are many cases in which a woman may be raped or a victim of another sexual harassment leaving them impregnated. In those cases it is absolutely not their fault that they got pregnant so you can’t blame them for irresponsibility. If a woman chooses to keep the baby and love it, so let it be; if she chooses to abort the baby, then that’s her choice not to live with an unplanned pregnancy.

Teens also face many controversies with abortion. Yes, I believe that often, teens are irresponsible and shouldn’t have sex if they can’t deal with the consequences. If they believe that abortion is the right thing to do, they too should do what they want. In many cases, families pressure young teens into abortion, which I believe is wrong. I think that yes, they should discuss the issue with their parents but ultimately do what they feel is right. Having a baby can put such a big hold back on one’s life. You can’t really stay in school, you’ll have to go on maternity leave, and then be behind in your classes. Abortion can prevent all of that from happening and cause the girl to continue with her life. After that, they most likely will be very cautious not to do the same thing again.

               

                Did you ever think about women with physical disabilities/illnesses?  Personally I know a grown, married woman who suffered from severe complications of being pregnant. She became pregnant, and the doctor told her that most likely, she and the baby would die if she continued carrying the baby. Her only choice was to get an abortion. She did what she felt was right and received one. I consider her brave for making such a complicated decision. In this situation she also had to deal with being there for her husband and adopted son. In my eyes, she did the right thing. 

               

 No matter what, people will always have their own opinions regarding this subject. Nobody should be held criticized for the decisions they choose to make.

STOP THE BULLYING!

              Across the nation, bullying has taken over. Over 160,000 students every day in America stay home from school because they are scared of being bullied or harassed. Bullying is caused from all different reasons, sexual preference, skin color (which also can relate to racism), gender, obesity; the list goes on and for all the WRONG reasons. In my eyes, the bullies are the ones who are weak and insecure! Why do you feel the need to put down another person? It must be because of your own faults and insecurities. Bullying is completely unacceptable and the rate of students being bullying have gone up tremendously over the years. Under absolutely no condition, should bullying be acceptable. It is not only students who bully other students, parents also bully their own children! Often times, the children who are the bullies, are in fact also put down by somebody else such as their parents, siblings etc.

                In Mentor, Ohio, Eric Mohat a 17 year old high-school student committed suicide due to being bullied. His case was so severe that at one point in school, a “classmate” told Eric, “Why don't you go home and shoot yourself, no one will miss you," the sad part is, he did. Eric took part in many Music and Theatre activities and was called, "gay," "fag," "queer" and "homo" sometimes even in front of other teachers. Teachers and the school were accused of knowing about the situation and failing to protect him. The parents don’t ask for anything but for Mentor High School to recognize their son’s death as a “bullicide” and create an anti-bullying program. It is horrible to think about such a young man killing himself because of constant harassment. Below is the full article, adding more details about Eric’s friend who was also a victim of bullying.

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/MindMoodNews/story?id=7228335&page=1

                Cyber bullying, relatively new, is also causing a devastating downfall in the teen population.

According to Cyber bullying statistics from the i-SAFE foundation:

• Over half of adolescents and teens have been bullied online, and about the same number have engaged in cyber bullying.
• More than 1 in 3 young people have experienced cyberthreats online.
• Over 25 percent of adolescents and teens have been bullied repeatedly through their cell phones or the Internet.
• Well over half of young people do not tell their parents when cyber bullying occurs.

The link for more statistics regarding cyber bullying-

http://www.bullyingstatistics.org/content/cyber-bullying-statistics.html

Cyber bullying is ironically more convenient. They say cyber bullying, requires no muscles which is why it has become increasingly popular. Regardless of how the bullying is being done, it’s still horrible and needs to be stopped! Everywhere, it doesn’t matter, bullying is taking place and lives are being ruined because of some idiotic, sly comment somebody makes.

In Massachusetts, two high school students are being held responsible for a girl who was bullied at school and committed suicide. 15 year old Phoebe Prince moved from Ireland to Massachusetts and school bullies had harassed her though text messages, Facebook and other social sites. The Principal of South Hadley High School, Mr. Daniel Smith sent out a letter to parents informing them of her suicide. He wrote that he doesn’t know why she chose to commit suicide. He mentioned that the bullying often was based on teen dating and arguments regarding relationships/dating issues.

What I have written on Phoebe Prince’s case doesn’t even do justice. To read more about it, click on the following link.

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2010/01/27/massachusetts-teens-suspended-cyber-bullying-suicide-case/

Bullying is a horrible thing and it’s hard to just sit back and watch somebody being harassed. I understand sometimes you don’t feel it’s your place to put your two cents in but there are other things you can do. No matter what, this whole bullying problem will not be resolved overnight. By telling people not to be a bully will not do anything, if somebody wants to do something, they will do what they want regardless of what anybody else says. In order to help prevent bullying, you must take action. No one person or one sign saying “Stop the bullying” will prevent it but it may possibly encourage one more person to take part in the effort of relieving the issue/victim.  

Universal Devastation -ユニバーサル荒廃

As most of you already know, Japan is facing a serious, gruesome natural disaster. The tsunami that has hit the archipelago is the biggest in Japanese history. They were up against an 8.9 earthquake on the Richter scale and 10-meter tsunami. Families are homeless, jobless, and starving. Children are alone on the streets and it is horrible to hear about let alone, sit down while others are looking for a safe place at this very moment. Not only is this horrible disaster impacting Japan, it is also affecting 50 other countries who are on tsunami alert.

http://www.mapsofworld.com/world-news/japan-earthquake.html

Below is a link directing you to one of the many relief groups created to help Japan through this tough situation vv

http://www.globalgiving.org/projects/japan-earthquake-tsunami-relief/

Despite all these natural disasters occurring, the biggest situation that everybody is worrying about is the nuclear emergency. As reported in the Daily News, “A cooling system failure occurred at the Tohoku Electric Power Co’s Onagawa facility and the process to fix it was "not going as planned," an administrator at the plant said.” The nuclear crisis will come into effect if radioactivity leaks from a nuclear power plant. The United Nations recorded that four of the Japanese nuclear power plants located near the center of the disaster have been shut down due to this emergency.  On the news it has been said that the country is releasing iodine pills as a precautionary measure to prevent future health problems from the radiation, but this has not been confirmed yet.

Streets of Japan

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/2011/03/11/2011-03-11_japan_tsunami_and_earthquake_spark_nuclear_emergency_power_plants_shut_down.html

^^ Above is a link to the Daily News article regarding Japan’s status.

As you probably know, I am a big fan of Lady Gaga and she has once again, come through at a time when Japan needs it the most. Aside from her having two tattoos from Japan that show her admiration to the country prior to the disaster, she has also started a relief fund. She has designed a bracelet worth $5 that features "We Pray for Japan" and a red hand in the shape of Lady Gaga’s famous “monster” claw.

Japan is in a horrible condition/predicament and things aren’t really getting much better. This monstrous catastrophe is impacting the lives of many especially in the long run. Over 10,000 people have been reported injured and many dead. I believe that we should all do whatever it is that you can to help contribute to Japan in their time of pleading for help and aid. Whether it’s donating money to praying for the country, help is help and they will not turn it down.

http://www.aolnews.com/2011/03/13/lady-gaga-creates-prayer-bracelet-to-benefit-disaster-relief-in/

We should all pray that this doesn’t result in the next Chernobyl incident. For those who are unaware of the disaster that Ukraine faced in 1986, it was a horrible accident that occurred at a nuclear plant due to untrained personnel working. The steam explosion and fires released 5% of the radioactive reactor core into the atmosphere and downwind.  To this day, people cannot reside in certain parts of the city because of something that occurred two and a half decades ago.  For further information  regarding Chernobyl, click on the link posted below.

http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/chernobyl/inf07.html

Everybody's doing it! Are you?

Drugs and alcohol are taking over the teen population quickly. Don’t get me wrong, there are many teens including myself who are above the influence, but for those who are influenced and easily manipulated, in my opinion are weak. Personally, I know many intelligent people who have been overcame by drugs and it’s a hard thing to see. Many parents blame the shows and movies being shown on television nowadays, but I feel the only ones to blame are the kids. I’ve heard time and again,” Kids of this Generation are a disgrace, but look who raised them” and I don’t agree, a parent is not to be at full blame of the outcome of how their child behaves. There are many families who properly raise their child to do well and avoid being brought down but that doesn’t mean that those kids will always follow what their parents say. In many cases, the teens who are brought down by drugs or alcohol are in fact the ones raised by great families, that doesn’t mean the family didn’t raise them well, it means they themselves failed to choose the right path. “Marijuana is the most widely used illicit drug used by teens today” as said in the article Marijuana use among Teens. As of 2003, the statistics for teens using drugs are as follows:

·          8th grade -- 30.3%

·         10th grade -- 44.9%

·         12th grade -- 52.8%

The following link features many articles regarding teens and substance abuse:

http://www.teendrugabuse.us/teendrugstatistics.html

Another thing about drugs is that society always seems to blame television. The MTV series Skins has been criticized a great deal and in my opinion it honestly shouldn’t be. I understand where parents are coming from saying that the show is a little risqué but if their child is so easily influenced by a television show, they shouldn’t be watching it anyway. If the one watching the show is swayed then maybe they aren’t mature enough to watch it! I myself have actually been very determined to stay away from drugs because I believe the show reveals the horrible things that are consequences of doing drugs. One of the characters on the show, Caddie, was actually institutionalized because of her drug addiction and to me that’s a caution advising teens that if you do drugs there are serious repercussions.

Cast of MTV's Skins

Lady Gaga Concert February 21, 2011

Lady Gaga singing "Speechless" while playing Piano.



Yesterday, February 21, 2011 I attended Lady Gaga's concert at Madison Square Garden. A wonderful opening was performed by the great, Scissor Sisters, a local New York City group. They had an excellent alternative style of music with a little twist. The Scissor Sisters performed a number of songs including a few from their new album. After their rambunctious performance, the crowd awaited for their "Mother" according to the female lead Singer of Scissor Sisters when referring to Lady Gaga. There was a slight intermission while waiting and rumor has it that there were some technical difficulties which caused the slight delay. Lady Gaga finally appeared before the crowd and opened with her song, "Dance in The Dark" which surely was a crowd pleaser.

During the concert she said, "My name is Lady Gaga, and I was born and raised in the unbreakable streets of New York City" which led her to discuss her family, mainly the men and sing “Speechless”, inspired by her father. Throughout the performance she had quite a dialogue going with the audience. As an inspiration to many, including myself, she has provoked many to accomplish their dreams no matter what anybody else says. She stated, "Tonight, I want you to forget all of your insecurities because I didn't used to be brave but you have made me brave, Little Monsters." She paid respect to the NYFD by not lighting her piano on fire like she usually does in memory of September 11, 2001. She closed the show by changing into another of her many extravagant outfits, the one she wore at the 2011 Grammys. She sang her latest hit “Born This Way” a cappella which then turned into the original version of pop. Lady Gaga put on a truly magnificent show with an amazing end.