Wire-Tapping

Some are concerned about their privacy in the light of the revelation that the government is reviewing email, phone, and library records without prior consent. how! why! People are afraid for their privacy. Perhaps they should be. I have things I don't want others to know. Everybody does. We've all broken the law before. Could this foreshadow something even more profound? The government keeping tabs on its citizens, making sure they are following its laws.

Some ask where does this end? These privacy concerns, while important, should be factored against critical security issues. America is hated by the Arab world. Some may claim that it is because of our direct actions toward them. This may seem true, but the actions of the entire Arab world towards America because of Danish cartoons reveal their true intentions. They burn American flags in protest. They burn American companies in protest. They destruct anything that has an opposing view that they do. They cannot comprehend diversity. American efforts to foster democracy is a joke. It will never succeed. Why? The people aren't ready for it.

The powerful dictatorships. The genocide of cultures. Hate is taught to these people. The environment they live in brews hate towards our culture irregardless of our actions. If we were to increase our foreign aid of their countries, not only would they accept it, they would despise us even more. Their expectations are as high for us as they are for their battered wives. As their murdered homosexuals. As their corrupt officials. Peace has no chance of survival in this environment.

Because peace has no chance in their culture we must protect ourselves. They have proved their intention. They have proved their capability. We have proved our ability to be unified. We proved our ability to defend ourselves. Let's not waste that now. Sacrifices must be made to ensure a safe nation from a fanatical nation hell-bent on our destruction. Their mission may seem sensationalized and fictitious, but its consequences are real. Let's not waste this oppurtunity.

Education

We should all strive for more.

It saddens me to see highschool students giving up on school. Coasting by. A decision to prosper later in life must be chosen. It isn't easy for everyone to graduate highschool. It isn't easy for everyone to graduate college. It still must be strived for.

In order to achieve this success you must believe in yourself. You must have an indistinguishable fire deep within your heart. Not everyone will make it to the level that I am at right now. I will not make it to the level that others have. I don't claim to be the smartest, wisest, or best looking person. I claim, though, to have achieved all that I have due to my determination and my parenting. More people need to strive for where I am. More people need to strive past me, and then accomplish it.

Predjudice: Is My Own, Is Our Own

I have spent a lot amount of time writing this blog entry. Contemplating my life, upbringing, and the society around me. Why does our society ridicule overweight people? Why does our society revere those with defined bodies?

Experts lecture us about "being healthy". Diet commercials reassure us we can get even tinier. Why loose the extra 5 lbs.?

This pressure we all feel is petty. Meaningless. There are more important things to worry about than tweaking our bodies. Isn't there?

We living in a society with a diverse collection of people. Many celebrate it. So how do we act towards those that are different? Towards those that put a higher priority on other things? I'm sure you will agree that respect is often lacking. How does our society act towards obese people? How do you act towards those who are obese? Through contemplation, and the help of my boyfriend Steve, I realized how I acted towards those who are chronically obese. How I acted was commonplace. I treated them kind, but superficially. I saw them as less than ourselves.

What caused them to be obese? Given the pressures of society, it certainly wasn't by choice. The actual cause of this condition, while unique for each person, is irrelavent. I long for the day, when everyone will realize what I have. The day where everyone will look beyond initial appearances. The day when the judgement of character will depend on actions, not on waist line or dress size.

As a final note, this change in me makes me glad that I am not a static being. That I allow myself to expand my perspectives and attitude. This is why it is important to change, to grow. As humans we must experience life. We must allow ourselves to spread our branches as our roots continue to dig deeper into the soil, grounding us in who we are.