Last night, I was very depressed. For a few days now, I have been feeling down. All of the negativity I have been exposed to was just too much for me. I turn on the news and there’s death, murder, violence and hate. I open the newspaper and there’s a ton of bad stuff going on. I get on the computer and people share links to a child being murdered, another ISIS attack somewhere in which thousands of people were slain/beheaded or something about government corruption (the poor getting poorer, the sick getting sicker and the hungry getting hungrier). It doesn’t help that I recently read a true crime book in which people killed a young, innocent girl and basically walked free after serving time. (After I finished reading that book, I lost all hope in humanity. I was so upset and outraged. I guess people can get away with murder now!)
And even with politics, there’s so much hatred and violence going around. Even candidates encouraging people to be violent or hateful towards our fellow human beings. They WANT religion to divide us. They WANT race to divide us. They WANT our nationality to divide us. They are not interested in bringing people together, only in dividing them and encouraging them to adopt the same hateful, discriminating mindset they have. I have grown disgusted with politics because of all the lying, hypocrisy and selfish agendas in every single politician.
It was just too much. Of course, I was also upset about my own personal problems, but I’m not going to get into that.
The world is a huge gigantic mess. It is all so messed up. I have written a book of poems about the negative things in this world and it was hard to write because it made my heart hurt so much.
So I was really upset about it all. And I have just given up hope for the world. I have given up ON the world entirely.
But then I had a dream last night. And to some people, maybe it didn’t mean anything, but it meant something to me.
In the dream, I saw different images of different parts of the world. And during that entire montage, I heard Gene Wilder singing part of that song he sang in Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory: “If you want a view of paradise, simply look around and view it. If you want to, do it. Want to change the world, there’s nothing to it.”
Now I realize that song is about being creative and using your imagination to make your dreams come true. It’s also about believing in yourself to accomplish your dreams.
However, given my recent depressive episode, I saw the lines of that song differently. I interpreted them differently.
As so:
“If you want a view of paradise, simply look around and view it.”
This basically means if you are not happy with the state of things, have a clear idea of how you want them to be – what kind of changes you want to make – and keep that as your focus as you work to try to make it happen.
“If you want to, do it.”
I know one person cannot change the world. And with so much bad stuff going on in the world, it may seem overwhelming. Like nobody will care if you do something GOOD for the world or for people. Or it won’t make much difference.
Do it, anyway. It’s enough that you want to. Volunteer at a soup kitchen, donate to a food service for the poor, help the unfortunate, start a program that helps the homeless. If you want to do it, then do it!
“Want to change the world, there’s nothing to it.”
What this line said to me is that it can be the simplest thing that could make a positive difference in the world. Some people may think, “Oh, I’m not smart enough. I need money. I can’t do it alone. I don’t know where to start.” Etc. But really, it’s not that complicated to make a difference. Do a random act of kindness like paying for someone’s lunch or holding a door open for someone. Spread the word about a lost dog or share information about a missing child. The littlest and simplest things can make a positive difference.
Used to be I’d get so upset over the horrible state of our world that I would pray for it. Just pray for the world. But now I know I can take action and do things, too. Positive things. Things that can make a difference. It may not seem like much and I am only one person, but I think if we put more good things out there in the world, all of the bad things will not seem as terrible anymore.
Showing posts with label politics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label politics. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 06, 2016
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Rape and unwanted pregnancies
Sometimes I think I really SHOULD take a break from reading the news. Specifically, anything that has to do with politics.
I say that because I think maybe the whole debate over "rape rarely resulting in a pregnancy" has affected me too much. When all that fuss happened and it was in the news, I just shrugged it off like I do most of the stupid ideas politicians throw around. But it turned into a BIG issue and soon everyone everywhere was talking about it. It got to the point where I didn’t so much fume over the idiocy of it all (because, YES, a pregnancy CAN result from a rape! Rape is STILL sex!), I got angry over how men thought they had the power to decide what a woman could and could not do with her body (since all of this had to do with the issue of birth control and abortions).
Well, I really think that was getting to me. Especially after what I read in a book yesterday.
In a book I am currently reading, a woman shared a story of how a man came to her house and told her she was pregnant. He also told her the baby would be a boy. The woman did not know if she was pregnant but, after this, she went to the doctor and he confirmed she was less than a month pregnant. This made me wonder if the woman had been trying to get pregnant – maybe she would have known? But what if she hadn’t been trying? What if she and her husband had not been having intercourse and she was not expecting to get pregnant? What if she had been impregnated without being aware of this?
Well, as a writer, I always wonder such things. “What if, what if.”
Then last night, I had a strange dream. I dreamed about a bunch of women who HAD been impregnated without their consent. Somehow or another, they had been impregnated, and all of them were about to give birth. But something was wrong; the babies weren’t right. The pregnancies had put them at a serious health risk and had made their bodies EXTREMELY sensitive to the touch.
And somehow I knew these babies had been created for the sole purpose of genetic testing. Whoever was in charge of all of this were going to use the babies for research and testing, and that some of them might not live. These people were not there, but the women’s families were with them and supporting them as they cried out in pain before delivery.
That dream was really creepy. But it was scary, too. These women had unwillingly become pregnant. And it made me think of how some women are forced to become pregnant when they don’t want to be pregnant – like through a rape, for example.
I know that some women would choose to abort the pregnancy that resulted from a rape, but not a lot of women would do this. Some of them CAN’T do this. I know I would not do this, but only because I’m pro-life. They say that a child should not be blamed for a rape. It’s not the baby’s fault if it is the result of a rape, and should not be punished by having its life ended. Of course, putting the baby up for adoption is a very good alternative, especially with so many women out there who CAN’T have children but want a baby so desperately.
The dream made me think about that, especially with that issue going on in the news. What happens when a woman is impregnated against her will? Is it better to keep the baby or give it up?
I thought about that a lot today, especially asking myself what I would do. It really is a personal decision. And because I come from a family with siblings from a different father, I would not be against keeping the baby. Some people might think this is a bad idea, because what if the kid grows up to be a rapist like Daddy? Are we able to break that cycle?
As far as I know, I don’t know anyone who is the product of a rape. I know of a fictional someone, though: Olivia Benson of Law & Order:SVU. Then I think about that and how maybe a child who is the result of a rape may actually grow up to be a good person. Maybe we CAN stop the cycle. Stop the damage.
Or, here’s an idea: Get to the root of the problem and make it easier for a woman to avoid becoming pregnant because of a rape. Make it possible for women to ensure that such a thing will not happen to them. I like that idea even better.
I say that because I think maybe the whole debate over "rape rarely resulting in a pregnancy" has affected me too much. When all that fuss happened and it was in the news, I just shrugged it off like I do most of the stupid ideas politicians throw around. But it turned into a BIG issue and soon everyone everywhere was talking about it. It got to the point where I didn’t so much fume over the idiocy of it all (because, YES, a pregnancy CAN result from a rape! Rape is STILL sex!), I got angry over how men thought they had the power to decide what a woman could and could not do with her body (since all of this had to do with the issue of birth control and abortions).
Well, I really think that was getting to me. Especially after what I read in a book yesterday.
In a book I am currently reading, a woman shared a story of how a man came to her house and told her she was pregnant. He also told her the baby would be a boy. The woman did not know if she was pregnant but, after this, she went to the doctor and he confirmed she was less than a month pregnant. This made me wonder if the woman had been trying to get pregnant – maybe she would have known? But what if she hadn’t been trying? What if she and her husband had not been having intercourse and she was not expecting to get pregnant? What if she had been impregnated without being aware of this?
Well, as a writer, I always wonder such things. “What if, what if.”
Then last night, I had a strange dream. I dreamed about a bunch of women who HAD been impregnated without their consent. Somehow or another, they had been impregnated, and all of them were about to give birth. But something was wrong; the babies weren’t right. The pregnancies had put them at a serious health risk and had made their bodies EXTREMELY sensitive to the touch.
And somehow I knew these babies had been created for the sole purpose of genetic testing. Whoever was in charge of all of this were going to use the babies for research and testing, and that some of them might not live. These people were not there, but the women’s families were with them and supporting them as they cried out in pain before delivery.
That dream was really creepy. But it was scary, too. These women had unwillingly become pregnant. And it made me think of how some women are forced to become pregnant when they don’t want to be pregnant – like through a rape, for example.
I know that some women would choose to abort the pregnancy that resulted from a rape, but not a lot of women would do this. Some of them CAN’T do this. I know I would not do this, but only because I’m pro-life. They say that a child should not be blamed for a rape. It’s not the baby’s fault if it is the result of a rape, and should not be punished by having its life ended. Of course, putting the baby up for adoption is a very good alternative, especially with so many women out there who CAN’T have children but want a baby so desperately.
The dream made me think about that, especially with that issue going on in the news. What happens when a woman is impregnated against her will? Is it better to keep the baby or give it up?
I thought about that a lot today, especially asking myself what I would do. It really is a personal decision. And because I come from a family with siblings from a different father, I would not be against keeping the baby. Some people might think this is a bad idea, because what if the kid grows up to be a rapist like Daddy? Are we able to break that cycle?
As far as I know, I don’t know anyone who is the product of a rape. I know of a fictional someone, though: Olivia Benson of Law & Order:SVU. Then I think about that and how maybe a child who is the result of a rape may actually grow up to be a good person. Maybe we CAN stop the cycle. Stop the damage.
Or, here’s an idea: Get to the root of the problem and make it easier for a woman to avoid becoming pregnant because of a rape. Make it possible for women to ensure that such a thing will not happen to them. I like that idea even better.
Tuesday, November 04, 2008
Me, a first-time voter? Not this year
Today is Election Day!
Up until recently, I didn't care for politics. Oh, sure, I had my opinions and decisions about candidates and measures on the ballot, but I never made politics a big thing with me. I commented on one thing concerning a vice presidential candidate, but that's it. I felt that a person's decisions are their own private business and, even though I felt strongly on certain issues, I didn't try to tell people who or what to vote on. You know? It's their business.
But recently, I DID take an interest in politics. As Election Day grew closer and closer, I felt that I really SHOULD take advantage of my RIGHT to vote and get out there to vote! Besides, there were things I REALLY wanted to vote "no" on. Before, I would think, 'What good is it to vote? They'll just fix the results, anyway.' I also felt that MY vote wouldn't matter. That a yea or a nay from little ol' me won't make any difference.
But you know what? I'm beginning to think differently. I am beginning to think that every vote DOES count. That even if who I want to win doesn't win, it's not because I cast a vote. Maybe it's because I DIDN'T cast a vote. MY vote could've made the differemce. MY vote could've been a tie-breaker!
And, heck, women fought good and hard for us to have that right to vote! Let's not allow that fight to be in vain!
So I headed for the Election Office all charged up and ready to vote. Before I sat out, I took notes on everything to vote for and what I should vote "yes" or "no" on. Then I confidently went to the Election Office and excitedly stood in line, revelling in my VERY FIRST voting experience. Here I was, voting in an election for vthe VERY first time in my life! Me, a voter!
But I didn't get to vote. They ended up turning me away, because I wasn't registered. And I didn't know I HAD to be registered before the deadline 3 weeks ago in order to vote in this election. Nobody told me this. No news article reminded me of as much. No flyer came in the mail reminding all first-time voters to register to vote before a deadline. Nothing. Maybe it was something taught in middle grade, and of course I forgot about it. Maybe it was on someone's blog post or on a message board. Or maybe it was in the newspaper and I happened to miss reading that particular day's paper. Nevertheless, I...did not get the memo. I just didn't know, and so I couldn't vote.
And after I had to leave the Office, I was just so upset and disappointed. I just wanted to stand there in the pouring rain, thinking how unfair that was. And wondering why nobody ever told me about that.
They gave me a form to fill out for next year's election. Would've been nice if I could've voted in THIS election, though. Could you imagine, turning away someone who WANTS to vote? A potential voter? Good grief!
Well, we'll see what happens next year. At least now I know I have a deadline to keep my eyes peeled for.
Up until recently, I didn't care for politics. Oh, sure, I had my opinions and decisions about candidates and measures on the ballot, but I never made politics a big thing with me. I commented on one thing concerning a vice presidential candidate, but that's it. I felt that a person's decisions are their own private business and, even though I felt strongly on certain issues, I didn't try to tell people who or what to vote on. You know? It's their business.
But recently, I DID take an interest in politics. As Election Day grew closer and closer, I felt that I really SHOULD take advantage of my RIGHT to vote and get out there to vote! Besides, there were things I REALLY wanted to vote "no" on. Before, I would think, 'What good is it to vote? They'll just fix the results, anyway.' I also felt that MY vote wouldn't matter. That a yea or a nay from little ol' me won't make any difference.
But you know what? I'm beginning to think differently. I am beginning to think that every vote DOES count. That even if who I want to win doesn't win, it's not because I cast a vote. Maybe it's because I DIDN'T cast a vote. MY vote could've made the differemce. MY vote could've been a tie-breaker!
And, heck, women fought good and hard for us to have that right to vote! Let's not allow that fight to be in vain!
So I headed for the Election Office all charged up and ready to vote. Before I sat out, I took notes on everything to vote for and what I should vote "yes" or "no" on. Then I confidently went to the Election Office and excitedly stood in line, revelling in my VERY FIRST voting experience. Here I was, voting in an election for vthe VERY first time in my life! Me, a voter!
But I didn't get to vote. They ended up turning me away, because I wasn't registered. And I didn't know I HAD to be registered before the deadline 3 weeks ago in order to vote in this election. Nobody told me this. No news article reminded me of as much. No flyer came in the mail reminding all first-time voters to register to vote before a deadline. Nothing. Maybe it was something taught in middle grade, and of course I forgot about it. Maybe it was on someone's blog post or on a message board. Or maybe it was in the newspaper and I happened to miss reading that particular day's paper. Nevertheless, I...did not get the memo. I just didn't know, and so I couldn't vote.
And after I had to leave the Office, I was just so upset and disappointed. I just wanted to stand there in the pouring rain, thinking how unfair that was. And wondering why nobody ever told me about that.
They gave me a form to fill out for next year's election. Would've been nice if I could've voted in THIS election, though. Could you imagine, turning away someone who WANTS to vote? A potential voter? Good grief!
Well, we'll see what happens next year. At least now I know I have a deadline to keep my eyes peeled for.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Can we handle the truth?
Yesterday, I saw the movie Iron Man. GOOD MOVIE! I loved it. The ending of this movie really threw me off guard, though. I'm not going to give it away, but I walked away from it thinking, 'Aren't superheroes supposed to keep their identity a secret?' I thought that was the whole part of being a superhero. No one REALLY knows the true identity of the man or woman behind the mask. Save one or two people (but it's usually one). Clark Kent kept his superhero alter ego a secret. So did David Banner and Bruce Wayne. The world at large didn't know who they REALLY were. Except for a couple of people who they felt they could trust.
I can understand wanting at least one person to know the superhero's real identity. Amid all the chaos and craziness, they NEED someone to know the truth. To know who they really are. They need that person to turn to, to lean on, to share things with. But anything more than just one or two people...well, that's really blowing the whole "secret shoulder to lean on" thing out of the picture.
Then I consider this: Maybe it's more a matter of being honest, being truthful. Maybe it's honesty that would compel someone, even a superhero, to reveal who they truly are.
When it was discovered that our president made some false allegations to get the war in Iraq started, it made a whole lot of people furious. Outraged protestors took to the street and it wasn't long before we started seeing bumper stickers reading "Bush lied" and angry diatribes in the newspapers speaking out against him. But this started a whole 'nother revolution. We didn't want to be lied to anymore. We didn't trust everything we were told so easily anymore. People started outing politicians who had lied, too. (Gee, a lying politician. How novel!) They started to reveal politicians who had been caught fibbing to the public. Then broadcasters started being called on their lies. Movie stars, journalists, musicians, writers, law enforcement officials and just about anyone else in the public spotlight with a sounding board -- ALL of them started to be called on their little mistruths.
People just weren't comfortable living in denial anymore. People didn't want little white lies, false assumptions or even fantasies just because the truth was too much for them to deal with. THEY WANTED THE TRUTH! The people have spoken. Their message is clear: GIVE US THE TRUTH!
And, apparently, we CAN handle the truth. You know why? Because the truth is better. Telling the truth, coming clean, stepping up and being honest is what we want and how we want it. We don't want to live in bubbles anymore. We want the facts. We want the truth.
And there's a lot to be said about people who embrace telling the truth. Who embrace being honest and have the courage of admitting to something.
I recently read an article in People magazine, in which new dad, Clay Aiken, admitted he is gay. He said he is telling the whole world the truth about his sexual orientation because he doesn't want his son to grow up "living a lie." But you know what? I think he did this more than just to protect his son's moral standing. I think he did this because, as a father, he realizes he is a role model now. How he lives his life is an example to his child on how his child should live life. Being honest with people is just one character he wants to instill in his child. I was shocked that he did this. You know, he has a lot to lose just because some IGNORANT people have a problem with someone who is gay. (My opinion, though, is that his personal life is REALLY none of anybody's business.) But at the same time, I had respect for him for doing this. Now I don't know this man and I have NEVER met him. I DON'T KNOW HIM! Don't send me any mail to give to him, or anything! But I respected the courage he had in doing this, in coming forward to be so honest about something so private.
And that kind of respect is deserving of someone who does step forward to tell the truth, no matter what is on the line. No matter what that person stands to lose. It is better to be honest and trustworthy, no matter how things have been done in the past. Because from now on, things are going to be done differently. That includes refusing to live a lie, refusing to indulge in fantasy, and stepping up to tell the truth.
I can understand wanting at least one person to know the superhero's real identity. Amid all the chaos and craziness, they NEED someone to know the truth. To know who they really are. They need that person to turn to, to lean on, to share things with. But anything more than just one or two people...well, that's really blowing the whole "secret shoulder to lean on" thing out of the picture.
Then I consider this: Maybe it's more a matter of being honest, being truthful. Maybe it's honesty that would compel someone, even a superhero, to reveal who they truly are.
When it was discovered that our president made some false allegations to get the war in Iraq started, it made a whole lot of people furious. Outraged protestors took to the street and it wasn't long before we started seeing bumper stickers reading "Bush lied" and angry diatribes in the newspapers speaking out against him. But this started a whole 'nother revolution. We didn't want to be lied to anymore. We didn't trust everything we were told so easily anymore. People started outing politicians who had lied, too. (Gee, a lying politician. How novel!) They started to reveal politicians who had been caught fibbing to the public. Then broadcasters started being called on their lies. Movie stars, journalists, musicians, writers, law enforcement officials and just about anyone else in the public spotlight with a sounding board -- ALL of them started to be called on their little mistruths.
People just weren't comfortable living in denial anymore. People didn't want little white lies, false assumptions or even fantasies just because the truth was too much for them to deal with. THEY WANTED THE TRUTH! The people have spoken. Their message is clear: GIVE US THE TRUTH!
And, apparently, we CAN handle the truth. You know why? Because the truth is better. Telling the truth, coming clean, stepping up and being honest is what we want and how we want it. We don't want to live in bubbles anymore. We want the facts. We want the truth.
And there's a lot to be said about people who embrace telling the truth. Who embrace being honest and have the courage of admitting to something.
I recently read an article in People magazine, in which new dad, Clay Aiken, admitted he is gay. He said he is telling the whole world the truth about his sexual orientation because he doesn't want his son to grow up "living a lie." But you know what? I think he did this more than just to protect his son's moral standing. I think he did this because, as a father, he realizes he is a role model now. How he lives his life is an example to his child on how his child should live life. Being honest with people is just one character he wants to instill in his child. I was shocked that he did this. You know, he has a lot to lose just because some IGNORANT people have a problem with someone who is gay. (My opinion, though, is that his personal life is REALLY none of anybody's business.) But at the same time, I had respect for him for doing this. Now I don't know this man and I have NEVER met him. I DON'T KNOW HIM! Don't send me any mail to give to him, or anything! But I respected the courage he had in doing this, in coming forward to be so honest about something so private.
And that kind of respect is deserving of someone who does step forward to tell the truth, no matter what is on the line. No matter what that person stands to lose. It is better to be honest and trustworthy, no matter how things have been done in the past. Because from now on, things are going to be done differently. That includes refusing to live a lie, refusing to indulge in fantasy, and stepping up to tell the truth.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
