Monthly Archives: February 2012

Welcome to Life?

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An exerpt from the article on: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/27/michelle-ugenti-arizona-rep-justifies-tuition-hike_n_1304731.html

“An Arizona House committee passed a bill last week that would require every student at a public college in the state, regardless of economic status, to pay a minimum of $2,000 in tuition.
As Think Progress noted, nearly 100 Arizona students attended the committee hearing to speak out against the bill, HB 2675, expressing concern that it would make it more difficult for many students to afford college. Rep. Michelle Ugenti (R-Scottsdale) responded bluntly in favor of the new measure: ‘Welcome to life.’”

I read this article a day after reading an article in TIME Magazine’s latest issue regarding Latinos (in Arizona) potentially “electing” president. (proper sourcing to come) In this article TIME was detailing the potential force behind the Latino vote and this potential is greatest in states like Arizona. Arizona is largely a Republican State with an abundance in the Latino population. The population of Latinos here feel they are Republicans on paper but that the Republicans don’t want them (their vote) and that they aren’t Democrats on paper, but that the Democrats do want them (this is a paraphrase of a statement by a Latino community member in Arizona).

Now, I’m not a political person. I vote yes. I believe it is important. If I want to voice my opinions well I better cast my ballot vote… so of course I follow things going on politically, but I don’t consider myself to be a largely political person. (Though I admit from my blog people often consider me political. But to me, this is just human nature. It goes beyond politics… it’s.. well this is something that should be ingrained in every human…I talk about things that are rights and equality based and that shouldn’t be political. It shouldn’t be up to a Republican or Democrat…it should…well it should just be.)

I digressed… now after reading the article in TIME and reading the article from Huffington Post I think to myself… well isn’t this pushing the Latino voter further to the fringes? The statement, “welcome to life” was made by a Republican representative. These are the sort of things that push people away. I won’t openly admit if I am Democratic or Republican because to be honest I don’t believe I fit neatly into either box. The vote should be based on who is the better person for the job, not necessarily by party. BUT what I will say is, if the Republicans are out-casting a HUGE number of voters it sure doesn’t look good for them.

Furthermore, on the equality side…really, welcome to life? Who says that, besides a mother to a child? The fact of the matter is $2000 a semester is unaffordable for some people and yet people believe there is equal opportunity for everyone. What gets me is, sure the opportunity is there, but how could it be equal when it’s out of the reach of many people?

notjustmythoughts.

Girl Scouts

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Most of us are familiar with the organization Girl Scouts. The Girl Scouts represent an age range of girls boasting leadership and instilling a number of different skill sets in young women to help them positively through their life both in youth and into adulthood. I myself was a Girl Scout for a number of years of my childhood and though a Girl Scout is most known for their cookies there is a lot more that comes with it. I am an only child and this organization helped me garner different social skills by interacting with other children my age. They held events, ceremonies, trips, and different activities to teach a range of skill sets – many of which I carry with me today. I, as a former Girl Scout, was happy to find out that the organization does not discriminate against the transgender female. For those of you who are not aware, there is a growing number of children who are born one sex but feel completely opposite to their born gender. In the case of the Girl Scout, you can be an accepted member of the organization even if you were born male. There are certain things that must come along with this and there are provisions in place to handle such situations, but the underlying fact is that a little boy, who believes himself female and lives his life as a girl is accepted into the community of Girl Scouts and can learn (along with other young girls) all the positive things the Girl Scouts instill in children.

So, my issue here isn’t with the Girl Scouts, it’s with Rep. Bob Morris from Fort Wayne, IN. The Girl Scouts are hitting their 100th anniversary (I would’ve thought more!) and there is a proclamation in place to honor the group for their service and dedication to young women and the community. Morris could not sign the petition to have the Girl Scouts honored because of their attitudes to transgender and even abortion rights.

Personally, I do believe EVERYONE is entitled to their own opinion. However, I do not believe personal opinions should interfere with the good of the overall population. The fact is, who cares what you think -there are people in the world who ARE transgender who DO practice abortion, who HAVE different religions, and cultures, and ethnicities, etc and they TOO should have the same rights as any one else. They should be ALLOWED to live life freely and in the form they believe is most natural too them without infringing on anyone’s rights and without violence.

Check out the article on globalpost: http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/americas/united-states/120221/lawmaker-says-girl-scouts-destroying-american-fa

Also, check out the Girl Scouts website and see for yourself what they are all about: http://www.girlscouts.org/

notjustmythoughts

Stop and Frisk

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from 2007, but look at the %s for the races... the difference is vast.Interesting that even in this sketch it's white and black...

It does not surprise most New Yorkers that the NYPD are often malicious, aggressive, brash, and racist both as an individuals and in the tactics they implement to “fight” crime. This can be seen in Abner Louima, Amadou Diallo, Sean Bell, and many others who were forcibly killed or tortured in the name of “defense” and “crime” fighting. These are the extreme [and common] scenerios. However, there are other tactics used that aren’t as aggressive or overtly racial that overlooked. They get overlooked probably because there are such extreme cases that exist on a more frequent basis than ever necessary, but they shouldn’t be. All unfairness, inequality, and racial tactics of anyone ESPECIALLY the police should be looked at and encite reaction and outrage from the community. One of the most recent police procedures to seep into the media is the “stop and frisk” method. This is not a new tactic used by any means, but the number of stop and frisks are on the rise. The problem being, minorities are being targeted at an alarming rate. NYPD says it’s an important tool in fighting crime. I don’t believe this to be true. Sure there is a chance cops might stop and frisk someone who has a gun and actually be fighting crime, but most people stopped only recieve a summons for small amounts of marijuana or they recieve nothing at all because they were law abiding citizens. I see this is as an Apartheid policy creating an atmosphere of a second class citizen and subjecting them to unfair searches warrented only by the color of their skin, the neighborhood, or their clothing. It’s shameful and disgraceful. The police are their to respect, protect, and serve… I’m not sure who those things apply to, but I can tell you that doesn’t apply to my community…

To read the article about stop and frisk, click the link or copy and paste into your web broswer: http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/Stop-and-Frisk-Police-Arrest-Color-Civil-Rights-139275573.html

notjustmythoughts

p.s. if you Google Image “stop and frisk” most pictures show white cops frisking black men and minorities… tells me something, what about you?