"Keep America a Christian Nation."

I babysit for three different families, and they all live in the same general direction. I take route 43 up to route 14. To paint a better picture, route 43 is a windy, two-lane, get-stuck-behind-someone-slow-you're-screwed, kind of road. Each time I drive this dreadful road, I see something new and interesting; like a structurally appealing house that I never noticed, roadkill that is bigger than the one last week, or a patio that the Tavern at Twin Lake is building. But, despite all of these new findings, the church on the left hand side caught my eye first. They have a sign near the road that reads, "Keep America a Christian Nation." I have never wanted to spray paint over something more in my life. Each time I pass this sign, I think of some clever, witty remark that I could paint in neon green, over the black that I cover the entire picture in.

Ignorance is something that I have a horrible time dealing with; and to me, that sign is a display of the type of people that enter that church. America is supposed to be a land of diversity, yet each day I am faced with hate toward anyone that "isn't one of our own." What is our own? The man from Georgia that flies the confederate flag and doesn't have any front teeth?

I read in the news today that a Christian group is boycotting GAP for their new commercial that includes all religious holidays. ARE YOU SERIOUS? When I read that, my heart sank and fell onto my purple-striped rug. It boggles my mind that people have the time to protest a corporation for embracing all types of people. Is that very Christian-like?

I am not a very religious person, because I do not necessarily believe in all of the rules that certain religions put into play, but I do strongly believe in the freedom of religion (or lack thereof). Isn't that one of the reasons that America was founded? And now, different religions are scrutinized for disagreeing with the greater populous. I know that I am just a dreamer and I picture a place where all can be accepted, but at the very least it would be nice if people didn't protest other people being accepting.

I hope that the generations to come can make this problem a little less of one, but until then have a Happy and Merry Chrismahanukwanzakah!!

"Nobody wants to live forever, and if they do they're crazy."

(One of the oldest women in the world.)

I never realized how important a living will is until recently. It's a scary thought, death. I don't want to think about getting into a horrific car accident or becoming terminally ill, but it happens to people everyday, and everyday these people's families are left with the difficult decision; "life" or death? It's a hard decision to make for someone, live longer on a feeding tube or die sooner with less pain?

What is the definition of life anyway? Google tells me it is the experience of being alive. So what if you can't experience being alive? Is that life? I've been in the sunshine state of Florida all week, but my Grandpa can't experience anything that the sun has to offer. Instead, he lays on his air mattress (because he has bed sores), gets fed a liquid diet of soup and pudding, mutters a few "me too"s and "bye bye"s, and sleeps. At times he looks comfortable and at others he doesn't. I want so badly to shake him and for him to snap out of it, but I know it can't happen.

He was 6'4" and about as funny as they come. He had a sense of humor like I have never seen on someone 55 and better and had more zeal than I have at 20. He is definitely where I got my fire from because he was always making change around his community. Crossword puzzles were his specialty and his engineer mind was never at rest. He could run circles around me and beat Venus at tennis and Tiger at golf, all the way up until his first stroke.

His feeding tube came out yesterday because he would not have wanted it in the first place. Watching my mom and grandma make that decision was not easy. How do you decide someone else's fate? My grandma was called an executioner by her own son, and that was not easy to hear either. I can't understand why people are so selfish. Life is meant to be lived, not vegetated away. He is a great man and he lived a healthy life. He is remembered by many and has made a lot of change in the world around him. I hope he is comfortable, and that is about all that we can hope at this point.

"Oh Lord, it's hard to be humble, when you're perfect in every way. Every time I look in the mirror, I get better lookin' each day." --A song frequently sang by the man I am proud to call Gramps.

"I don't even know what drugs are"

As I have probably stated before, I babysit. My most long-term family consists of a 5-year-old red-headed little boy, a seven-year old girl that can slip into a 15-year-old mindset, and two wonderfully quirky and accepting parents. I love this family, and their kids I sometimes talk about as if they were my own. I fit in here because there is no judgment being made and whether or not I get drunk on the weekends is never a concern, as long as the little rascals are taken care of.

It was a typical Friday after-school routine: get kids off bus, walk kids up driveway, feed snack, talk about school, and so on. During the "talk about school" portion of the day, Lily pulls out a pretty red ribbon that flaps so beautifully in her hand. She shines it over my way and it reads "Drug free 24/7 365." Lily holds it proudly, then her pride-filled face transfers to a bit of confusion.

"I don't even know what drugs are," She states as she seemingly regrets being so prideful about something she didn't really understand. Then from the background I hear, "They are making you promise not to do drugs when you don't even know what they are?" This statement is coming from the bedroom of the most understanding and accepting mother out there. (Read her blog, and find out for yourself why I think so highly of her... chagrinandbearitall.blogspot.com)

This little exchange of words made me think even more about the drug education system in our schools. Being a future teacher, it bothers me that schools are letting children make these promises that they don't even realize they are making. A drug, according to the true definition is, "any substance that, when absorbed into the body of a living organism, alters normal bodily function." I am wondering what kind of promise the DARE program hopes to get out of 2nd grade children; that they will never drink coffee? eat too much sugar? take the medications their doctors prescribed them? What is it that DARE is looking for?

It is proven that the DARE program is not working and has no affect on whether or not a child is going to use drugs in the future, so why not present the facts? I am not saying that there are not drugs out there that are definitely scary and life-threatening, but instead of using scare tactics, why don't we have a little faith in the children of our nation and tell them the truth. "Just Say No" is not realistic and has proven this throughout the years. Good try Nancy, but the truth is, people are curious, and by not telling them the whole truth it makes them want to experience it and find out for themselves.

Students for Sensible Drug Policy (ssdp.org), takes a "Just Say Know" approach. Why don't we teach about the actual drug, what it does to your body, how much is too much, the addiction level, and so on and so forth. Why don't we get rid of what doesn't work and try something new. Worst case scenario, it'll turn out just like our current DARE program, unsuccessful.

A Day of Rememberance.

Today was the 39th anniversary of May 4, 1970. It tends to be a pretty important day around here, but my recent feeling is that it is not important enough. I found out that the marble memorial at the top of the hill is only 7% completed. 7%? Disappointment. I have a lot of pride in my school most of the time, but I feel as though their efforts for May 4th are lacking. I am in no way speaking of the citizens of Kent or the other people that come out each year for the commemoration, but I am speaking solely of the University itself. Next year is the official opening of the May 4th Visitor Center. Forty years later is better than nothing I guess.

Each year on May 4th I think about the abuse of power that took place that day and the four people that were killed as an example of it. It gives me the chills to walk around the candle-lit, individual memorials of where the four students fell. Why weren't more Kent students there to feel this? Disappointment.

As I sat in the commons today watching all of the speakers reflect, I became reminded once again of how important this day should be. The speakers were wonderful and full of emotion. The grass was covered by blankets filled with students, faculty, staff, community members, family members, and those that feel the need to remember May 4th each year. As I looked around, I was satisfied with the number of people that were there, but where were all of the students? Classes were canceled during the hours of the commemoration, so where were all of the students? Kent State University consists of approximately 22,700 students and I'd say about 150 of them, and that is a generous estimate, gathered their blankets and dedicated their time. Disappointment.

After the commemoration, the Kent State Anti-War committee organized a march from the commons to Sheetz, stopping at the ROTC and recruitment buildings. The reason Sheetz was the culminating pit stop is because of their greed that has become apparent in the city of Kent. The corporation already has a store on Maine Street, across from the Acme plaza, and now wants to build another store two miles up the road, smack dab in the middle of downtown Kent. Mind you, Kent's "downtown" is mostly comprised of local businesses, bars, and the river overlook. No place for a corporate giant. In these building plans that Sheetz presented, many zoning laws were being broken, so the city of Kent turned down their proprosal for a second Sheetz in Kent. Instead of taking the loss respectably, they decided to sue the city. This is the reason that we graced Sheetz with our presence. There were about twenty-five of us that made it to the Sheetz parking lot and argued with the Portage County Sheriffs about our right to peacefully assemble, especially when we are paying customers. Again my question seems to be, where was everyone? The city of Kent, citizens and students, all love to go down to the river on a warm summer day to escape the responsibilites of life for just a moment. If Sheetz is able to build, the river will be robbed of its quality and serenity. So why were there only twenty-five people standing in the bays trying to save our small town appeal? Disappointment.

My hope from this blog is that someone will read it and decide to stand up for what they believe in, in honor of May 4, 1970. It saddens me that the people have lost their passion. Nobody fights for anything, if everything is handed to them anyways. People do not care unless it direcly effects themselves. Why is this? Very few people do things out of the goodness of their hearts anymore. What ever happened to looking out for your fellow man? Chivalry is dead. Yet again, another disappointment.


Whose streets? Not Sheetz.

Where do we go from here?

Wow, what a week!!

Thursday, Gwen, Chris and I left for the 10th annual SSDP conference at the University of Maryland. We arrived pretty late and we were too exhausted to stay up and party, so we met some people and went to bed. Friday we lobbied our congressional representatives, which was amazing. I felt like I was really making a difference for a cause that is so important. Friday night got a little crazy, it was a true definition of a Hotel Party! The night manager, Nancy, was awesome and partied with us all night long. I met some super awesome people that I hope to stay in touch with. Saturday was a little rough because of the night before, but we made it through. Sunday we did some chapter training and got a lot of ideas on how to make our chapter grow. We left UMD Sunday night and got back home around 11:30. It was a really inspirational weekend.

Monday was the Tom Gabel show. CRAZY. That is all I really have to say about it. Because of Against Me!'s status on the celebrity charts, I do not think that they will every be able to have a show like that again, but Tom Gabel brought back what a real show should be. Even after the whole crowd rushed the stage and his guitar got unplugged, he still kept strumming and singing to the off pitch cue of the audience. It was hands down the best show of my life.

Today is Thanksgiving, and I have so much to give thanks to. I have been realizing lately how truly lucky I am. I have a very supportive family, a loving boyfriend, and the best friends that I could ask for. My mom is especially amazing, and would do absolutely anything she could to help me out. Tonight will be filled with some drinks, guitar hero, and good company.

This weekend is my last weekend at Damon's. I felt like this day was never going to come. :D

The rest of break should include lots of math homework, decorating and cleaning the homestead, getting ready for tabling next week, shooting some photos for my group project, and a little relaxation. Just what I needed.

We'll see what's in store.

This weekend Chris, Gwen and I are headed to Washington D.C. for the annual SSDP conference. I am excited, but not excited at the same time. I'm sad to leave the snow, my friends, and my kitten. I am excited to visit Gallaudet (which I really hope we do), talk to our Congressional reps and swim. I have a lot of homework to do this weekend, so hopefully I'll get it done.

The fight broke out again, and I am so sad that it did. Straight happiness can't last for too long I guess right? I feel like things are getting better, but I hate that someone has interfered so much without even knowing it. Why do I let people mess with my happiness way more than I should? I guess I just want everyone else to be happy, so I do what I can to make that happen, no matter how it makes me feel.

In 3 weeks, fall semester will be over and Christmas break will be beginning. The first day of break happens to be my birthday, for which we are having a "song themed" party for. It should be a rockin time. The next day is a day of solidarity for those who are being convicted from the Republican National Convention protests. I want to let them know that people appreciate their cause and are backing them up. The rest of break is going to be filled with hot chocolate, movies, fun winter time activities, family visits, and much more relaxation time. I can't wait to start a fresh semester. It's not that I'm doing badly this semester, I just have a lot to get done before the end.

I hope we get to D.C. safe. The weather is starting to get frightful.

Through all these years, we've perserviered

And we rock because its us against them, we found our own reasons to sing, and its so much less confussing when lines are drawn like that, when people are either consumers or revolutionaries, enemies or friends hanging on the fringes of the cogs in the system,its just about knowing where everyone stands, and all of a sudden, people start talking bout guns talking like there going to war, cause they found something to die for start taking back what they stole sure beats every other option. But does it make a difference how we get it? Well do you really fucking get it? No....

Best band ever! I've loved them for so long, and they are still number one for me. Even though people say they have sold out, no other songs make me as happy as theirs do. There will never be another band that we sing along to as much, turn up as loud, or go fucking nuts at shows for.

As for Tom Gabel, I cannot wait to see what you have planned for us at the Grog Shop by yourself. I hope that this does not mean the end of Against Me!