Freedom of Speech Should Have Purpose

right now, i'm pissed.
right now, i'm sad.
right now, i really don't even know where to begin.

this entry is about politics. so if you want to stop reading now i'll understand, but i hope you read it to the very end.

i am not ashamed of my political views so i'll just say upfront for those of you who are reading and don't personally know me.
i'm a democrat. i'm a liberal. but most importantly, i think for myself.

i come from a catholic family.
i went to PSR, i had my first communion...i hated it. to be fair, i've come to dislike most religion, not just catholicism, but that's a different story.

my mom is not very religious anymore, but my dad still is. i'm giving all this background so i can firmly say that i did not just follow my parent's political ideologies. my mom is a democrat, my dad is a republican.

i have lived in missouri, illinois, and tennessee and have been exposed to many differing political views. having said that however, i'd like to say that TN has been the most different. (different doesn't mean bad...just for clarification lol)

the one thing i've noticed, no matter where i am, is that there is always ignorance. BOTH in democrats and republicans. what i, and probably tons of other people, find irritation is when those people make an ass of themselves and give their respective parties a bad image. EDUCATE yourselves people! i don't care if we have different views or similar views, all i care is that you have REASON to back it up. please don't just rely on mean comments. i'm STILL talking to everyone, regardless of party affiliation.

currently, i've been hearing and reading "the president is a douchebag" or "the president is sooo stupid"---THESE TYPES OF COMMENTS DON'T PROVE ANYTHING. if you think the president isn't doing a good job at least state something factual, name-calling is just incredibly pointless. and yes, i know just as many democrats were saying similar things during the Bush administration--but i don't approve of them either.

i think EVERYONE who chooses to speak without thinking is not worth hearing.

just this morning i saw a Fan page on facebook called "i hate it when i wake up in the morning and Barack Obama is president."
as much as i hate to see things like this, i can't do anything about it. it's freedom of speech, just like me writing this blog right now.
however, being the curious person i am, i wanted to see what types of things were being said in said group.
the majority of what i read was just what i was afraid of.

here were a few things i read:

Alex G. says: "Of course hes still blameing Mr. Bush! All him and his "people" can do is blame others for their problems!"

Ryan W. says: "is it possible to just slap the hell out of Obama, i just want to full swing bitch slap Obama. Slap that SOB so hard god damn bob dole feels it."

Bartolo Z. says: "f*** obama...tht piece of sh**"

Justin A. says: "i just know we got a N***er in office and he did what ll of em would do bribery,mafia type shit and people act like he is God well in my own mind F**k that!!!!"

@Justin A., Hunter H. says: "i agree justin .. i mean come on look at JFK he was fckin russian mafia and he got his head blown off .. im just surpised the kkk hasnt knocked him yet"

@Hunter H., Jan B. says: "yeah the good ole boys might be ridiing some time, just sayin!"

Alicia P. says: "people only wanted him president because hes black, now that he is president everyone hates him and they feel stupid as hell."


i do believe that people who voted for Obama solely because of his race were in the wrong--however, people who did NOT vote for Obama solely because of his race are just as much in the wrong.

all of these comments really made me sad/angry, but the comments that pushed me overboard, however, were in regards to sexual orientation.

in response to the so-called idiocy of "fixing something that isn't broken (don't ask, don't tell)" this is what was said:

Sam H. says: "All the social studies show that outward homosexuals throw a wrench in the combat effectiveness of close quarter squads. Being sensitive and politically correct isn't worth risking lives."

@Sam H., Joe T. says: "maybe the answer is to put the outward homos on the first wave during an attack"


this was the straw that broke my back and that literally brought tears to my eyes. i'm ashamed, appalled, and offended by the people who can say such nasty things about fellow Americans.

please, please, please--think before you speak. educate yourself--this only makes you sound more credible and intelligent!
it's almost expected to offend certain people because of differing views, but please do not offend people just because you think you have the right. it's rude, and only makes those people want to lash out and find a way to hurt you like you hurt them--and that is NOT the way to stand united.

talking shit about a politician, political group, or any group of people for that matter, doesn't prove a point or validate your opinion in any way.

don't abuse your right to freedom of speech.

if we, AS A WHOLE, do not stop firing hurtful words at each other, we will NEVER be able to save our country from the racism, sexism, heterosexism, ageism, etc that enables our division.

pusshej,
jules

Vienna waits

Slow down you crazy child
You're so ambitious for a juvenile
But then if you're so smart tell me why
Are you still so afraid?
Where's the fire, what's the hurry about?
You better cool it off before you burn it out
You got so much to do and only
So many hours in a day

But you know that when the truth is told
That you can get what you want
Or you can just get old
You're gonna kick off before you even get halfway through
When will you realize...Vienna waits for you

Song: Vienna by Billy Joel

below is a link to the song. the background has nothing to do with it, i just figured it's better than watching lyrics scroll up.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CbSg4yVLd_I&feature=related

this is one of my all-time favorite songs. it also happens to be a song i feel like i can relate to fairly often. this may not hold true for everyone, but this song calms me down. it's soothing, and i sometimes listen to it on repeat for god knows how long.

currently, i have it on repeat.

it is the beginning of the semester and i feel like i have jumped into the deep end of the pool that is education (and i'm not much of a swimmer).

for those of you who don't know...i am a women studies major. i had planned to add english as my 2nd major in order to teach at a high school level after graduation, however something changed last week.

when i received the news friday that i would NOT be acquiring extra financial aid this semester i was a wreck.
i was told that i would be receiving a little over $2,000 for which i planned to pay sorority dues, pay off my credit card (from books), and pay my roommate back.

however, i have found that this email was a mistake. in fact, i owe UT $100 still.

in my attempt to NOT break down in tears while crossing campus i headed towards the theater for a informational meeting about the happenings of this semester.

i could tell right away that i was the only non-theater major in attendance, but it did not bother me. i felt comfortable and at ease. these have always been my kind of people.

by the end of the meeting i spoke with a faculty member about the possibility of minoring or majoring in theater.

what i noticed, was that my mood changed instantly once i entered that theater. and my mood changed instantly when i considered adding theater to my education. i had not entirely forgotten my money woes, however, for the time being, i felt content.

i have since decided (with the help and encouragement of my mom, brother, and best friends) that theater will be my 2nd major, not english.

i have a full 18-hour schedule this semester (including intro to theater) and could not be happier...well, about school.

as for money, that's a different story.

i am hoping to get a job at my apartment complex which would provide me with free rent (and would be a huge life saver). i should find out by the end of the month, so keep your fingers crossed.

all in all, i am trying to cut out as much of the unnecessary costs in my life as possible.

which means Kappa.

i have come to terms with the fact that i have to drop Kappa. i am behind on dues as it is and i see no light at the end of my money tunnel. i will miss most things about Kappa, however, at the same time, i will have more time for the job (possibly making me more eligible) and for my 2nd major.

i know that the handful of girls i have gotten close with in kappa will still be around, so, i think i will be alright.
it just always seems that i am making decisions based on what i SHOULD do, and not what i WANT to do.
i am ruled by practicality.
however, i think this is why i am so excited about theater. it is not practical at all. i have no clue what i'll do with women's studies and theater, but i'm equally passionate about both areas, and for once i am doing what i WANT, and it feels great (combined with paralyzing fear of what i'll do upon graduating...).

so for those of you who make the logical decisions every day of their life like me, please--do yourself a favor, try doing what you want for once. it's terrifying but so worth it. now i'm not saying base every decision off of want! that'd be crazy!!! lol

just test the waters.

pusshej,
in limbo jules