Just Keep Swimming your own way

  Acceptance for whom one really is is a hard to come by as of lately, especially amongst the student population. In a resent article on yahoo by Beth Greenfield entitled "Gay College Swimmer Comes Out to Teammates in Email" reports on the touching story on how a young college swimmer steps out of the closet to his team in a heart touching email. And to his surprise it went better than he expected.

   Matt Korman, a member of the University of Texas's swim team, wrote and sent out an email to all of his fellow team mates. Within this letter Korman goes on to explain how he is gay and is coming out of the closet, "When I was younger I thought I was only curious or it was just a phase for me, but have come to terms that I'm actually gay. (There, I finally said it)". And much to his surprise he received a much better reaction than he expected. His team were completely unfazed by it and went on to say things like "We're totally fine, you're still my friend and my teammate and good for you." Which their reaction greatly boosted Korman's confidence in himself.
     Korman goes on to say "For a long time I tried to be someone that I am not. By opening up and talking about it I have learned that this is normal and it's okay to be who I am. I have accepted myself for who I am. There is nothing to be ashamed of. It is not something that I choose. It just is." In many schools across America and quite frankly everywhere else, acceptance is a hard thing to come by. People have to act so fake just to try and blend in and not be noticed by the big crowd so as not to be made fun of. They pretend there something there not all for the sake of not being mocked for it. Even if they are surrounded by more understanding people it's still difficult to be one's self due to social restraints holding everyone back.
     I believe that all of this can be stopped if every one can just learn to accept each other and not judge each other like Korman's friends. Acceptance should not be a hard thing to receive from everyone but we have made it that way. Everyone just needs to love everybody.

 

Current Connection 1: Rips in the fabric of society

http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/brooklyn/looters-target-coney-island-sandy-article-1.1195080

   Society, a false sense of control and order implemented upon us by ourselfs to fight our very nature of self preservation and deepest desires. It is an ever present shroud that encompasses us and masks our darker inhibitions, but what would happen if there was a tear in this shroud of lies and misconceptions. Some would say that would never happen but in times of great distress, unease, and disaster the fabric of society stretches taut, showing a ghost of what lies underneath. Then all it takes is that last push, the last ounce of pressure on the scales to send us hurdling over the edge and into the dark truth of humanity. The truth that we will do what ever it takes in the cause of self preservation and to satisfy our own needs.

   Such incidents like these have occurred through out history in wars, events of mass chaos, and most recently, natural disasters. Like after hurricane Sandy swept through the east coast and left devastation in it's wake. Shortly after the storm cleared a second wave struck New York, but this time it was a "wave of looters". With no control in place and the place in utter chaos, people had no fear of society and it's consequences, or in a different light without it's protection, these people did what is only natural and that is to do what it is necessary for there preservation. Stealing food and other necessities  so that don't go hungry or so that they can stay warm, even though some of these very same people in different circumstances would have said that stealing was wrong or immoral  but when it comes down to it, human nature is to do what needs to be done. Morals are simply templates of society used to set an example of what it believes to be right and to distinguish what it stands against.

   Though necessitous weren't all that were stolen. Like the old saying says "Give a starving man a fortune and he will buy food, but once he is full he will learn there is more to spend gold on than just food". Once they had what they needed people's own personal wants began to take hold. They began to steal "anything that wasn't nailed down, such as "T.V's, liquor, and even a cash register." Some even claimed that "They looked like they were casually shopping, they looked almost happy." These people enjoyed what they were doing, why someone might ask, because they were satisfying there desires that were denied to them by society, or simply came with a price which limited it to them. But with the shroud of control society briefly lifted these people gorged themselves on there wants and desires, take what they want as they please simply because they could. They didn't need those things, but they also didn't to need a reason to steal them with everything out of order they could simply do as they please, which is what all people want but we control ourselves using society as the tool to enforce it.

   So in short, were these acts justified or not, I don't believe they need justification. Because any person in the same position would have done the same thing, even if they don't want to admit it. And those who wouldn't are the kind of people who are so dependent on the control of society it's all they know. Not that it is a bad thing, if it weren't for society the world would be a much darker place. Society serves it's purpose but it is simply a tool that we use to oppress our darker natures. And some fear the thought that the day will come when the shroud is removed utterly and cast asunder and burned to ash, when temptation and the darkness of the human heart will run rampant, but me... I embrace that days coming, when one can simply be themselves without holding back, when ones true nature rules.

THE END

Don't point the barrel at video games

     In a recent article "Gun violence task force meets video game leaders as debate continues", Mariano Castillo explains the world wide debate on how to control guns and violent video games.  Due to the mass murder in Connecticut  the U.S. is in a tail spin looking for the right answer. What would this world be without guns? Remember that it is not the guns fault, but the person who uses that gun is to blame. But people are still seeking a scapegoat  to take the explains and that is where video games come into play. They are as much to blame as the gun itself, just another object to be used as we so fit. The reality of it all that everyone just chooses not to see is that people are just violent, some more so that others.
     Castillo says that Joe Biden, vice president of the country, met with the game leaders on Friday, and Biden says, " 'We know there is no single answer...". Exactly, many of the people who are so quick to put the blame on video games aren't even considering other things. They are just point to the first violent thing they see and blaming it for their kids or others bad behavior. He goes on to say " ... and, quite frankly, we don't even know whether some of the things people think impact on this (gun violence) actually impact on it or not." Because there is no conclusive data proving that videogames are linked to violent behavior. Which the lack of data is just more proof that they don't make people violent. Sure some violent people play video games, video games are fun and even psychopaths like to have fun from time to time. That doesn't mean the government should take away video games cause some violent people play them, they might as well take Sonic or Walmart away too, cause I'm pretty sure they shop or eat there too.
     Some states are not waiting for the government to step in, such as Massachusetts  Castillo states, "in Massachusetts, action has been taken against violent video games. Specifically, operators of four rest stops have removed -- at the state's request -- arcade games with guns or 'shooting components,' said Sara Lavoie, a spokeswoman for Massachusetts' Department of Transportation."  Sure taking these little arcade games aren't really that big of a deal but it's the principle of the matter. For one video games have nothing to do with violent behavior, and secondly they are just wasting time when they could be coming up with new and actually useful laws to stop gun violence. Massachusetts is not the only state working on weeding out violence. Castillo explains, "In Louisiana, Gov. Bobby Jindal -- like Dewhurst,  a Republican -- on Friday proposed legislation to join 17 other states and make mental health records part of the screening criteria for federal background checks to buy firearms." Now this is a step in the right direction. Guns and video games are not the bad guys, but the people who shoots the gun to intentionally hurt someone is and it should definitely be hard for him to purchase a weapon. 
     In my opinion, violent video games are not the big cause to all this mass destruction. The person who is behind the gun should be to take the  blame. People are just violent in nature, some more so than others and people just need to except that. And I do not the think the government should take away our guns either. Complete gun control or no video games is not the answer.  This nation cannot control gun violence, but our government can try to make it harder for the crazy people that would do this kind of stuff to get there hands on guns, if not impossible for them to.
    

Life in one's own attitude

     Suicide, the taking of one's own life, a permanent solution to a temporary problem. Young Ashley Murray went missing and all that was left behind was a suicide note. Suicide is obviously wrong and an unnecessary answer to what is usually a small problem or bump in what could be a long road. The temptation of an easy way out can be alluring, but it solves nothing and only creates more problems for those left behind.     In life pain is inevitable, but suffering is optional, when it all comes down to it life is 10% what happens and 90% how you react to it. You can choose to sit down and mope or take the back door out when pain comes knocking or you can get up and embrace it like an old friend and  move past it. It is unclear what pain Ashley experience but her reaction to it has become quite clear with her sudden disappearance and a suicide note referencing to a "watery grave" and a stranger "taking her to a deep abyss". It is clear something has strongly affected her emotionally and has pushed her over the edge, but that doesn't mean she should just pack it up and hit the highway to hell or take the staircase to heaven, Life is for living not giving up. And I don't say all this because I'm preachy but I actually do understand this, because unfortunately I've been over the edge once or twice myself. And I'm glad I didn't take that last step because I realized I could take so many more and that they would lead me to much happier times.
     And not only that but one must also consider what and whom they are leaving behind in their wake. "The worst part was when it got dark last night," she said. "I just thought, 'She should come home now."  The worst part being the not knowing... thats not entirely true. At least with not knowing you can hope t.hat she will come home, can pray that she will come home, but some can't do that. Because they know, they know that there is no coming back from where they've gone. And there is nothing worse than that bone crushing realization and pain. When one commits suicide, they are not only killing themselves  but they are also kill  a part of all those the leave behind, a small dead spot in their hearts where you used to live. 'I don't know", "I don't know" is what her mother said. What was there for her to know, that her daughter was dead by her own hands, that she was gone forever, or just the slim chance she was still alive despite the suicide note and her sudden disappearance.  Suicide is not only the passing of one but the passing of many, it is not only wrong and misguided but selfish as well.
     Suicide, where one takes their own life into their hands and cuts it short. It should not be an option for any, because no matter how great the pain is tonight, the sun will always rise in the morning.




http://northfork.patch.com/groups/police-and-fire/p/missing-teen-s-mom-she-was-upset-with-the-world#photo-13489105

Diamond In The Rough

     When you go to big cities, there are always homeless people lined up on the streets jingling their cups for spare change to make it through the week. On the CNN website, in Dana Ford's article, Donations pour in for homeless man who returned diamond ring she explains a story of true character that we do not often see in the world.
     As we all know, homeless people do not have much money, hence the homeless part of their title. When the opportunity of "quick cash" arises, they usually take that opportunity and get the heck out of dodge. However, Billy Ray Harris did not. Ford explains, "Well-wishers from around the world are opening their wallets to a homeless man who returned a diamond engagement ring to its rightful owner, after she accidentally dropped it in his donation cup." If I had lost my ring, I would be, literally, freaking out. Even without my class ring I feel naked. And if I had found a diamond ring, I would have cashed in that thing faster than you can say "Where's my ring?". Now, I'm thinking how on Earth did this woman lose her ENGAGEMENT RING? She had better have a pretty good reason, and she did. Ford states, "She almost never takes it off, but it was giving her a bit of a rash so she did, zipping it in her coin purse for safe keeping....Later, she absentmindedly emptied the contents of that purse into the collection cup of Billy Ray Harris, who is homeless and often stays under a bridge in Darling's hometown. It wasn't until the next day that she realized her ring was gone." People would probably think that Harris would run off with the ring, cash it in, and be set to live comfortably for a while. Despite his title and everyone's assumptions, Harris did not run away with the ring but instead he gave the ring back when Sarah Darling came inquiring for her lost treasure the next day.  Considering the position in which he was currently living in, that took true character, character I or quite frankly most wouldn't have shown. Most are only concerned about their own interests and would act accordingly.
     And in this world there is such a thing as karma, for every action there is an equal or greater reaction. To show them their thanks, Darling and her fiance helped Harris out a little. In her article, Ford says, "To show their appreciation, Darling and her husband set up an online fundraiser for Harris. The donations and praise have poured in....So far, in about a week, more than 3,400 donations have been made, totaling nearly $95,000. The money will be given to Harris at the end of a 90-day campaign." That is one lucky man, looks like having good character pays off in the end! This truly shows that if one holds true to one's principles and morality's  even in the darkest of times, everything will work out. There is a saying that says "what goes around comes around" so I guess Billy deserved what came around for what he did. Hopefully, there are a lot more people like him. Because it is people like this who can really make a difference in the world for the better,  however small or big that difference is.
     If I were homeless, I would have ran away with that thing as fast as possible. I don't think I could have shown such courage in the face of adversity and uncertainty, and given up on a easy way to make things just a little better, if only for a little while. However, I am glad that there are still people like Billy Ray Harris in the world. These acts of true kindness and the people that perform them truly give me hope for the future of humanity.
     

Gunning Down The Truth

     In a resent article by the Huffington Post, Nancy Pelosi: Video Games Are Not The Reason For Violence In America, it discusses the point on which video games and other pop culture things are the cause of violence and shootings or to be more specific school shootings.I perfectly agree with this, people cannot and should not blame their actions on others because ultimately in the end it is our own decision to do what we do regardless of what we play, read, or watch. Pelosi says that video games and things of this nature are not the cause of these outbreaks of violence and her plan calls for scientific testing and studying so that they can wright and hopefully pass "the best legislation possible". Now I'm not disagreeing with Pelosi, but why even test it? For one it has already been tested countless times and the results may vary, either cause everyone is different or the results match the testers beliefs as needed, but there is no need for another test. And two, these so called effects of twisting a person's mind into a rage filled monster bent on rape, murder, and destruction on all he or she can get there claws on doesn't really seem to be a problem in other countries, where the games are the same or in some cases even more violent. Chris Wallace challenged Pelosi on this, stating that she should "simply go to her "friends in Hollywood" and "shame them" into action." That is completely pointless and a stupid thing to say, video games and violent movies are obviously not to blame for violence, most of these games and movies reflect society to begin with. While Pelosi's plan isn't the best it is a step in the right direction.
     So the question is who do we blame... dare I say... ourselves, or human nature to be more specific if it isn't obvious from our history of war after war and violence through out the ages. If that doesn't prove that there isn't a little bit of violence in human nature I don't know what will, cause I can assure you during the Holocaust Hitler wasn't playing Mortal Combat or watching Saw 3D. So what do we do now about all this current violence and shootings? According to Pelosi "in Japan, for example, they have the most violent games and the lowest death -- mortality -- from guns." Japan, the kings of the weird and masters of violent media, has the lowest death rate from guns and we, who have much less violent media and forms of entertainment, have a much higher rate. Dose there seem to be any correlation there, because I think there is, they have more violent games and TV but lower rate of death by guns but we have a higher rate but less violent media. Could it be the difference in gun control  or is it that Americans are just stupider. Well considering that a lot of Americans blame it on the games and TV probably the second, when the real answer is to just come up with better gun control and safety laws.She goes on to say "I don't know what the explanation is for that except they may have good gun laws." Which is exactly what we need, better gun control laws. We need to stop pussy footing around the subject and blaming other things instead of our own incompetence. Violence is apart of human nature just as any other part is, it is not caused by our forms of entertainment, those forms of entertainment are created from our natures not the other way around. But we can prevent these acts of violence from happening and to do that we as a nation must devise better gun control and safety laws instead of blaming video games and TV.


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/10/nancy-pelosi-video-games_n_2657169.html?utm_hp_ref=mostpopular#slide=1991818  

Scouting out the Future of Gay Rights

     In a recent article on the postponement of the vote on the admittance of gay scouts and troop leaders into the  Boy Scouts of America until annual meeting in May. I feel that the very fact that they're decision on waiting to decide is stupid and bad for themselves to begin with, because the longer this situation goes on the more negative publicity they get from gay right sympathizers and  non-sympathizers alike. But that's not what bothers me the most, what really gets underneath my skin is the fact that there is anything to discuss, people of the homosexual nature have rights of life and freedom just as any heterosexual man, woman, or child. The article states, "The decision disappointed critics who had hoped to see the organization end its ban despite a 2000 Supreme Court ruling saying it had the right to keep it." While there are quite a few people who are against gay rights, there is a equal and rising number of people who are for these rights of equality, if they do decide on continuing the ban on gay members it will greatly hurt themselves. But not only that it will be a big strike on the gay community, not only excluding them but very well striping them of there rights to freedom by birth and that is a greater travesty than that which caused it.  Human Rights Campaign President Chad Griffin remarked that "Every day that the Boy Scouts of America delay action is another day that discrimination prevails". I couldn't agree more with this statement, discrimination is a vile thing that none should experience be they black or white, skinny or fat, or in this case gay or straight. I believe that the real abomination in this situation is the mistreatment of  there  fellow man based solely on there sexual preference.
     Understandably there are some things that can cause delay to this issue and it's passing or not, but that still doesn't  excuse the fact that their current exclusion is discrimination  pure and simple. Within the article it was said  "The Boy Scouts announced last month that the organization would consider changing the policy, a sharp reversal of its previous support for excluding openly gay members and scout leaders." While this is a step in the right direction, if and maybes won't get the job done and as Chad said earlier the longer this goes on the longer discrimination remains in power. The postponement will only cause dissent within the ranks of the organisation of boy scouts and within the gay community among the fact that this will also lead to more protesting on both sides leading to the possibilities of acts of violence against either side. In response to the possibility of the ban being lifted "Brandy Pryde, a troop leader who participated in a prayer vigil outside the Boy Scouts headquarters Wednesday, said her church would pull support from scouting if the change goes through."  Responses like this is why, assuming they intend to lift the ban, they are stalling but that shouldn't matter, homosexuals have the right to join them if they do so chose. And  these people who do so cling on to so vigorously the part of the bible that says homosexuality is wrong are themselves sinful creatures in there own ways, also they are quite obviously ignoring the part that says though shalt not judge.
    This ban on homosexuals in scouting is wrong and demeaning to the gay community. Also the delay on lifting or leaving the ban is only leading to more discrimination and dissent among the people. The longer they wait the more problems will arise. They should just settle it now and lift the ban winning a huge victory for gay rights and paving the road for many more in there fight for equality. 



http://www.cnn.com/2013/02/06/us/boy-scouts-policy/index.html?hpt=hp_t3     

Social Networking

     Today in society social medias hold great influence, if not complete control in some cases, on our life's.  In our every growing and advancing life's social medias such as Facebook, Twitter, and Myspace have grown to  be a thing of normalcy and complacence, but the question that begs to be answered is when is it to much? When we spend more time interacting with people on Facebook rather than real life, when we're inside in the dark trolling friends online rather than enjoying the outdoors, when we let the content of theses sites to greatly affect our moods or decisions when they should clearly stay where they are on the internet. Recently a study was conducted by Humboldt University in Berlin and Technical University in Darmstadt on the effects of Facebook on our moods, one effect observed within this study was how "women were more likely to obsess over physical appearance and social standing" in response to  others posts or comments.  In my personal experience this is especially true, I couldn't tell you how many times I've seen a fight break out because of something someone said on Facebook or because they were jealous of their looks in pictures they had taken and posted on Facebook. While it's true envy is a natural thing, but people who are so engrossed by these social networks it becomes worse according to the study. Also another interesting detail came up during this study on how those who read through others post but never really posted them selves began to show signs of depression. This is defiantly when you know that you've past the point of too much and should take a few steps back into non-digitized reality.  Spending so much time following the life's of others of course they're depressed, there not out living their own lives. So while social networking is alright in moderation, we mustn't let it dictate our lives and instead go out and live them ourselves.

http://shine.yahoo.com/healthy-living/facebook-making-feel-bad-yourself-181600314.html