This was a very interesting article (copied on top) to me. It was written by a gay African-American and how he grew up praying every day for God to change him, or "...stop having crushes on boys..." As I read through this it caused me to put myself in his shoes. How difficult it must have been for him to not tell his parents, pretend to be something he didn't feel comfortable with, begging God for help but without feeling any answers coming. He must have felt alone; many times in his article he talks about how depressed he was because around the age of five years old he felt like he was going to Hell and that he was a sinner. I have had many friends in my life who are homosexual and none of them have ever presented themselves in a way to make me hate them or dislike them. In fact, I would even argue that they were more compassionate and likable than many heterosexuals. Of course, I understand that is a very small sample size to make such a comparison, but I feel it is substantial enough for me to think twice before I judge and categorize every living gay person. I think this article was well written and worth the read.
Saturday, January 28, 2012
Praying to stop being Gay
http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2011/05/22/my-faith-how-i-learned-to-stop-praying-away-the-gay/
Monday, January 16, 2012
My Battle, Our War
I believe pornography is a social issue. It will pervade our society or be absent according to our individual responses. I believe that each member of a community has the privilege and the right to surround themselves with that which is beautiful and compelling. That privilege starts in the privacy of our homes and extends to the public displays in our neighborhood and from there to society in general.
I have always tried to protect my home from pornography. I cut inappropriate pictures from the newspaper so my family could read it with safety and expurgated our sons’ high school art books so they could avoid as much nudity as possible. I taught my children to turn away from the TV when improper commercials came on and to “look for pennies” on the ground at school when skirts were too high or cleavage too low. Now my protecting also includes keeping our home internet connection a safe portal to the world.
The first time I fought public pornography was when a beauty shop next to my local bank put up over-sized signs that caused me embarrassment. I was a young mother and wasn’t brave in those days. I telephoned from home after my errands were done, knowing there was no caller I.D., and I would be completely anonymous in my request that the signs be removed. To my surprise, they were gone when I happened that way again and I felt somewhat gratified.
Recently I have felt I must do more. So when a family grocery store in my area displayed a six-foot cardboard model which made my husband blush, I asked to see the store manager. I inquired if she knew what was at the front of her store. She did not and when she returned, she was blushing. Apparently a vendor had put up the display without permission and for hours customers had been getting the wrong impression about the moral values of those who ran the establishment. The sign was removed and wasn’t replaced. Sometime later, I found bottles of root beer with nudity on the cardboard label in that same store. That visit with the manager produced the same results: the product was removed from the shelves.
So over time, and with some renewed conviction, I have learned I can make a difference in the visual context of society. It is mostly in my home, my neighborhood, and my community that I have tried to keep things clean and safe. But then, if every conscientious adult took the initiative to clean their home, neighborhood, and the areas where they run errands of visual filth, I don’t believe there would be any more dirt of that kind to clean up.
Some time ago I visited a recently opened “super store” near my home. On the main aisle was a display of calendars, complete with a “swimsuit edition.” I picked up the calendar that offended me, covered it with two more “friendly” calendars, and walked to the front of the store. (You never know what someone might think seeing you with a bikini calendar heading towards the registers.) I visited with the assistant manager because the manager wasn’t there. I spoke of a family-friendly store, how much I wanted to be safe when I shopped, and how much it would mean to me if this particular calendar wasn’t stocked. She concurred kindly and later told me that this item had been pulled and wouldn’t appear again. It was hard to speak out against pornography, and yet it was simple. Twenty minutes of my time and a whole lot of my courage bought an aisle at the store which will be safer for all future shoppers.
In speaking out against pornography in my community I haven’t always been treated kindly. I have been laughed at and sometimes even wondered if it will really make a difference in the long run. In one clothing store I couldn’t easily shop because of the distracting, over-sized, and inappropriate banners. The manager rudely declared she wasn’t in charge of the advertising in her store and that nothing I did could make a difference. It felt like defeat, and maybe for a moment it was, but even if I stood alone, I had stood for making society a visually safe.
This I know: I have tried; I have stood up; I have declared my values and held up a standard. I continue to believe that any kind of pornography does not belong in our lives. We must nurture the good, the clean, and the moral. We must clear our lives of evil and stand up against it when others seem to embrace this vice. We must do this one day, one experience, and one brave moment at a time. Together we can keep the world safe for our families, our neighbors, and anyone else who wants to grow up in a world of moral purity by speaking out against pornography.
In this way, social institutions will have a firmer foundation of morality. This, in my opinion, is a good first step towards a healthier and safer society.
~Marie Calder Ricks
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Landlord Defends "White Only" sign
http://www.cnn.com/2012/01/12/us/us-whites-only-pool/index.html?hpt=us_c2
When does learning about history cross the boundaries into inappropriate? In one way or another, most people (if not all) are haunted by their past. This is no exception to countries and cultures. Perhaps one of the most arguably darkest stain upon the cultural robes of America arise from African American intolerance, or racism. While politicians and legislative bodies across the country have attempted to wash out the malignant memory with amendments and laws, many people unfortunately continue to secretly harbor their intolerance--even to this day. Learning about history includes learning about both the roses and the thorns, the good days and the bad. But--coming back to my original question--to what extent do we allow historical details and facts play apart in our life? Many schools and educational institutions provide censorship requirements when teaching children about the holocaust, slavery, riots and rebellions, crimes, etc. Occasionally, we may be required to censor how people display historical artifacts regarding some of these historical incidents.
In Ohio, a landlord recently posted a sign that read "Public Swimming Pool: White Only" outside of her swimming pool. She claimed that this sign was a historical artifact and that her intention for posting it was not racial by any means. Earlier, she and one of her tenants had an argument concerning his biracial daughter. The landlord would not allow the tenant's daughter to enter the pool because she would "cloud the pool because of chemicals she used in her hair."After this argument the tenant claimed the sign was posted outside of the pool.
After reading this article and watching the video I am not convinced of her "historical artifact" rebuttal to the state's insistence for the sign's removal. How could anyone who has seen that sign assume that it was posted because of a historical significance? I imagine anyone who saw that sign would assume it was out of pure racial intolerance. However, on the other hand, asking the landlord to remove that sign might be considered unconstitutional based on free speech, if the landlord actually allowed African Americans into her pool and she did not enforce the sign's message (although it might not be the best advertising for prospective tenants).
--Collin Cannavo
Sunday, December 18, 2011
U.S. Finds Pervasive Bias Against Latinos by Arizona Sheriff
PHOENIX — In a strongly worded critique of the country’s best-known sheriff, the Justice Department on Thursday accused Sheriff Joe Arpaio of engaging in “unconstitutional policing” by unfairly targeting Latinos for detention and arrest and retaliating against those who complain.
After an investigation that lasted more than three years, the civil rights division of the Justice Department said in a 22-page report that the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office, which Mr. Arpaio leads, had “a pervasive culture of discriminatory bias against Latinos” that “reaches the highest levels of the agency.” The department interfered with the inquiry, the government said, prompting a lawsuit that eventually led Sheriff Arpaio and his deputies to cooperate.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/16/us/arizona-sheriffs-office-unfairly-targeted-latinos-justice-department-says.html?pagewanted=1&tntemail1=y&_r=1&emc=tnt
Thursday, December 8, 2011
"If you're gay or thought to be gay, life just isn't worth living."
This Article And Myself:
It hits close to home...
I come from a small town in Oregon. A tiny Farming community where everyone knew everyone. Men took pride in manly things, Woman in their homemade ribbons. A pretty calm community. Of course there were bullies, jocks, preps, and nerds but nobody ever mentioned "the gays" because, of course, that was because they didn't exist-- or so we thought.I grew up with the same 60 kids in my graduating class. new kids came and went and we never really noticed or cared much. difference didn't mean as much as it did when we got into high school. Finally a new door opened, gays and lesbians came out. No one in our school knew how to handle it so they did what humans normally do when dealing with change-- criticizes.
They mocked. They hazed. They bullied the few who were called the "fags". Unfortunately, among them was a dear friend of mine. She told me the things she went through. Depression. Cutting. Starving. All for what? Because no one could accept her for who she was.
sooner or later friends of gays or lesbians started to speak up. Even those who used to bully were changing because their cruelties were catching up to them. Support groups emerged and things got better. society and Lady Gaga made it clear that people like that were "Born this way" and we had to accept them. This idea has been greatly accepted, to no surprise of mine. Finally those who were "different" have a place.... But this still makes me wonder why, if being gay is so accepted now, there are still so many young people going through all the agony? Are we generalizing any sort of difference (same-sex attraction, sex-changes, ect..) as gay or lesbian? Is there any effective way of supporting the victims of bullying without being victimized by those against "supporting the gays"?
Tell Me What You Think? Has Anyone You Knew Or Loved Gone Through Anything Similar To This? How Did You Help Them?
How This Affects All of Us
September 9: Billy Lucas, age 15, of Greensburg, Indiana, hanged himself from the rafters of his family's barn. September 19: Seth Walsh, 13, of Tehachapi, California, hanged himself from a tree in his yard. September 22: Tyler Clementi, 18, a Rutgers University freshman, jumped off the George Washington Bridge in New York City. September 23: Asher Brown, 13, of Houston, Texas, shot himself in the head. These four boys didn't know each other, but they did have something in common. They'd been bullied at school, and one by one, they all apparently came to the same conclusion: If you're gay or thought to be gay, life just isn't worth living.
For most Americans the news reports were heartbreaking. They took us beyond our political arguments over gay marriage and "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" -- even past our deeper disagreements about homosexuality. For once we could all agree: Those kids should be in their classrooms, not in caskets.
September's gruesome trend raised pressing questions. Homosexuality appears to be more widely tolerated than ever: Fifty-two percent of Americans consider it morally acceptable, according to a recent Gallup poll. Kids can join gay-straight alliance groups at more than 4,000 high schools and more than 150 middle schools nationwide and find advice and support online. Yet according to the Journal of Adolescent Health, about one-third of gay, lesbian, and bisexual teens report an attempt at suicide. Why are so many still driven to try to take their own life?
"Despite recent cultural shifts, kids still get the overwhelming message from society that homosexuality is not acceptable," says Scott Quasha, PsyD, a professor of school psychology at Brooklyn College. It's not uncommon to hear fierce condemnation from politicians and preachers as they debate gay civil rights. Homosexuality is compared to incest, bestiality, even violent crime. "This trickles down into the schools, where bullying occurs," says Dr. Quasha. "A gay child is an easy target for classmates looking to make trouble."
Antigay bullying is something all parents should be concerned about, says Merle Bennett Buzzelli, who oversees the public school antiviolence program in Akron, Ohio. "The victims are not just students who are actually gay," she points out -- the abuse is also directed at straight kids who don't quite fit gender norms. Tomboyish girls and guys who show interest in, say, gymnastics or dance are often called the same names -- and subjected to the same ostracism and attacks -- as their gay and lesbian classmates. There's no evidence that Billy Lucas was gay, but he was "different," classmates said. Because of that, bullies called him "fag" and told him he didn't deserve to live. Of course, for kids who do experience same-sex attraction, the use of the word gay as an all-purpose put-down is just one more painful indication that they don't fit in, whether or not they look or act any different from their peers, says Dr. Quasha.
"Being a teenager is tough enough," says Jody M. Huckaby, executive director of Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG), a national organization. "There's so much peer pressure. And when you're constantly getting messages that you're not okay, the pressure can just be too much. For some kids, it's hard to imagine that life will ever get better."
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Two Lesbians Raised A Baby And This Is What They Got
I personally do not believe in gay or lesbian relations at all, but I have to admit, I found this a little bit interesting.
"Zach Wahls, a 19-year-old University of Iowa student spoke about the strength of his family during a public forum on House Joint Resolution 6 in the Iowa House of Representatives. Wahls has two mothers, and came to oppose House Joint Resolution 6 which would end civil unions in Iowa."
I personally believe in the LDS "Proclamation to the World" which states that marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God. However, I have to admit, Zach here has a very good argument. I never believed that it was possible for gay or lesbians parents to have zero side effects on childen. I agree with Zach when he states that no one has independently found him to be different and suspect lesbian parents. I never would have known myself had he not mentioned it.
Is this the case majority of the time? Or is Zach and exception? Does the majority of children raised by gay or lesbian parents have other issues? It is something that I would like to see more research into. I don't know! I just know that I always thought there to be bad side effects but this shows otherwise.
Comment! Tell me what you think!
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton Speaks on LGBT Rights
In a speech given at the United Nations' human rights agency headquaters in Geneva, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called for all nations to recognize LGBT rights.
"Being LGBT does not make you less human," Clinton said. "That is why gay rights are human rights and human rights are gay rights."
Although her speech focused mostly on countries where LGBT people face widespread violence or legal prosecution for being gay or transgendered, Clinton's remarks are relevant to the struggles faced by LGBT Americans as well. Using changes in LGBT rights in the United States as an example, she claims that progress in the fight for human rights often comes from changes in laws: "In many places, including my own country, legal protections have preceded, not followed, broader recognition of rights. Laws have a teaching effect. Laws that discriminate validate other kinds of discrimination. Laws that require equal protections reinforce the moral imperative of equality. And practically speaking, it is often the case that laws must change before fears about change dissipate."
I think it is important for the Unites States to take a strong position against LGBT-related discrimination and violence, so I was quite impressed with Secretary Clinton's speech. I also like how she calls for respectful conversation and discussion about LGBT rights, which needs to replace the often hateful and divisive statements we hear from politicians and pundits here in the U.S. What do you guys think?
P.S. If you don't want to watch the 30-minute video, you can take a look at the transcript of the speech HERE.
Salt Lake area resident to walk across America for the DREAM
December 1, 2011 - Like this? Subscribe to get instant updates.
On November 30, 2011, Raymi Gutierrez spoke at the Salt Lake Community College Taylorsville Redwood Campus about her intention to walk across the United States in support of the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act.
On March 10, 2012, five individuals, including Gutierrez, will set out from San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge to raise awareness of and support for the DREAM Act as part of the Campaign for an American DREAM. Those who would qualify under the DREAM act are called DREAMers; those who stand with the DREAMers are Allies.
“I want to keep hope alive in DREAMers and their families,” says Gutierrez, an ally.
Gutierrez says that she has always lived in fear of the authorities but never really understood why. Her parents were undocumented and have been threatened with deportation. Gutierrez was born in the United States
I really hope this demonstration brings a lot of attention to the DREAM Act so it can be passed. The DREAM Act is a bill that would grant citizenship to undocumented minors who were brought to the U.S. by their parents. It seems unfair for these youth to be punished for the decisions of their parents, which is why we should grant them conditional citizenship and allow them to be contributing members of our society. To be eligible for citizenship, these undocumented youth must have entered the U.S. before the age of sixteen, graduated from a U.S. high school, be of good moral character, among other qualifications. This bill would be very beneficial for the children of undocumented immigrants as well as the nation as a whole.
Mallory Fox Section 2
Sunday, December 4, 2011
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
GOP Presidential Candidate Newt Gingrich Outlines His Plan to Control Illegal Immigration
What do you think about Newt Gingrich's plan?
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Gay and Homeless
Here is a story that combines two of the key issues we discussed in class: poverty and sexual orientation:
In New York, Mexicans Lag in Education
Here is a sobering statistic:
About 41 percent of all Mexicans between ages 16 and 19 in the city have dropped out of school, according to census data.Here are a list of possible explanations (from the article):
Many Mexicans are poor and in the country illegally.
Parents, many of them uneducated, often work in multiple jobs, leaving little time for involvement in their children’s education.
Some are further isolated from their children’s school life because of language barriers or fear that contact with school officials may lead to deportation.
Unlike some other immigrant populations, like the Chinese, Mexicans have few programs for tutoring or mentoring.
Many young illegal immigrants in New York City say there is no point in staying in school because their lack of legal status limits their access to college scholarships and employment opportunities.
Some drop out under the erroneous belief that they are not eligible to attend college.
Mexicans in the city have shallower roots, less stable households and higher rates of illegal immigration.
Many young Mexicans were compelled to get jobs to help their families.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/25/nyregion/mexicans-in-new-york-city-lag-in-education.html?_r=1&emc=tnt&tntemail1=y
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