THOSE crazy parents try it again...

I personally have never read or heard of those books, but they seem pretty interesting especially for a Juniors honor class. I remember in my honor classes, we read the most difficult books ever! However, it was just for our advantage for more challenging reading when we got to college. So I find that this teacher at this high school, is only looking out for the future of these students. You can't pop a picture book in front of a 17yr old and expect him or her to be ready for college level reading and understanding. (:

As for the citizens' committee, I think that these people have more of an advantage to fighting the issues that arise when parents as these challenge certain books, due to the fact that the committees are made up of prior administrators and teachers that have been in the same dilemma. The people of these committees are used to issues like these, and are more knowledgeable than the parents who are challenging the novels. They have obviously read the literary works before assigning them to their students, and know exactly what the contents are. Even though sometimes parents know more whats best for their children, in a classroom, a teacher knows best!

So if it were up to me, I'd have parents teach their children their own beliefs at home, and when it comes to school, let the teacher do the teaching. (:

Those 3 things . .

3 Things. . .

Three Things that Scare Me:

1. spiders!

2. suffering a horrific death.

3. living alone.

Three People Who Make Me Laugh:

1. My boyfriend.

2. Myself (i'm clumsy sometimes. lol)

3. Kevin James. (King of Queens)

Three Things I Love:

1. Friends/family.

2. The smell of rain when the storm first starts.

3. Chocolate!! (I love to bake!)

Three Things I Hate:

1. People who can't drive.

2. closed minded people

3. George Bush!

Three Things I Don't Understand:

1. Stupidity.

2. Cruelty to animals.

3. Life, sometimes.

Three Things on My Desk:

1. Picture frames

2. Margarita glasses

3. bills! :[

Three Things I'm Doing Right Now:

1. Watching The Wedding Planner

2. laying in bed

3. listening to my puppies snore next to me.

Three Things I Want to Do Before I Die:

1. Travel! (Peru, Europe & parts of Mexico)

2. Get married & have some babies. ha!

3. Make a difference.

Three Things I Can Do:

1. Bake, Bake Bake!

2. Make people laugh. (cheesy, I know)

3. Lift MORE weight than the skinny boy next to me at the gym!

Three Things I Can't Do:

1. Swim like a dolphin.

2. Speak French.

3. Have 8 babies like our fellow peer. =/

Three Things or People I Think You Should Listen To:

1. Birds singing on a Sunday morning.

2. The Laugh of a child.

3. Your mother, she knows what is best. :]

Three Things or People You Should Never Listen To:

1. Bad advice.

2. Horoscopes.

3. Corrupt politicians.

Three Things I'd Like to Learn:

1. How to snowboard.

2. How to change my own oil.

3. A 3rd language.

Three Shows I Watched as a Kid:

1. Bobby's World

2. Power Rangers

3. Harry & the Hendersons or BLOSSOM!

Three Things I Regret:

1. Not answering my best friends phone call an hour before his car accident that took his life. =/

2. Letting someone know how I really felt before it was too late.

3. Hanging with certain crowds that led me to make idiotic decisions, however, WE LIVE & WE LEARN! :]

Tyranny of the majority.

A few months ago, we experience another Presidential election. Yes, it is serious stuff, not only do we choose the next individual to run our country for the next 4 years but we also vote on other important issues; propositions.

There was ONE proposition that I was all for. The most controversial of them all in fact.

Prop. 8

Now, this issue for many was indeed a topic that was being discussed daily, on the hour every hour before the big election day. I tried restraining myself from speaking my mind when this topic arose, however, with the ignorance that surrounded me at the moment I had to bare all.

Prop. 8 was either a yes or no vote.

Yes, based upon religious views, that marriage was sacred & should only be between a man and woman.

No, if you believe every individual breathing is equal & deserves the same rights as every one else.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9T7ux8M4Go

Unfortunately, to my dismay, this proposition passed with a yes vote of a little more than 50% of Californian votes.

A series of ridiculous ads were aired on television and the radio that obviously brainwashed thousands of ignorant minds. And because of such results, homosexual men and women are stripped of their rights to marry the one they love.

Yet, who are we to judge?

Who are we to control another individual's life?

What difference does it make to you, who your friend or relative marries?

SILENCE?

I thought so.

Majority rules... right?

Sure, and in some cases for all the WRONG and nauseating reasons.

it's sad but true, in this Nation we live in.

Yes, WE can all speak our minds, yet, those in favor seem to speak for the rest of us and there is nothing we can do about it.

=/

Conformity & Tradition

-Conformity: behavior or thought that is socially acceptable or expected.

-Tradition: a long-established action or pattern of behavior in a community or group of people, often one that has been handed down from generation to generation.


A society is built around several or few traditions based upon the amount of different people who live there. Each individual has their own culture that supports certain traditions and are against others. If an individual migrates into a completely new society, sometimes it is expected for them to adhere to other traditions that what they are already used to. At times, older traditions are forgotten about and people are forced to follow others.

When individuals aren't open to new traditions it causes people to become close minded and unable to grow as a person. An individual should be able to think for themselves and follow their own traditions that are possibly frowned upon by others because that is what makes each person unique in this diverse world.

Every individual should expose themselves to other cultures to learn how those people conform with one another based upon their own traditions.

As an individual living in the U.S. you are exposed to hundreds of traditions and one must respect each one; not necessarily by celebrating each holiday or what not, but by allowing individuals to express themselves freely in whatever manner they celebrate it.

Censor this.

Omission, Suppression, Opression. . .

When it comes to censorship, I believe that OMISSION is a little worse than the other two.

According to the Encarta Dictionary, Omission is stated as follows:

something that has been deliberately or accidentally left out or not done

which implies that those who try and censor others tend to leave out important related facts that at times tell the REAL truth or can persuade that person into believing in something that is factual. By leaving out ONE KEY ELEMENT or ONE KEY WORD can and WILL definitely change your view or another person's view on a particular issue. Helpful & sufficient information is always needed upon making a final decision in a situation. Censorship does what it can to make sure that everyone is smelling the same roses as they are.

Yet, we all come from different gardens and are raised as different flowers, causing us to smell our own scent, yet at the same time able to go on and smell a new one. This is what allows young minds to grow.

Omission is only half the battle in our case when it comes to censorship.

Blog #1

What is the one book you'd want to have on a deserted island? Why?

Wow, I would have to say, Island of the Blue Dolphins, so that I can build my courage and strength living on my own like the young girl in the book did. :]

Name a movie that you have seen more than twice. What do you like about it?

There's too many! :] umm, 50 First dates! I am a huge fan of Adam Sandler, and the whole love story between him and Drew Barrymore is just too cute! I know every line from that movie!
Turn on your iPod or MP3 player and set it to shuffle. What are the first five songs that play?

ok, I JUST turned it off, let me see.

1. Common: "I want you"

2. Andre 3000: "Hey ya"

3. Bob Marley: : "I shot the Sheriff"

4. Green Day: "Wake me up when September ends"

5. Lupe Fiasco: "Sunshine"

What is your best personality trait? Your worst?

I am SUPER outgoing, and everyone likes that about me.

My worst, hmm, idk. =/

What is the last thing you wrote?

=/
Name five possessions you can't live without.

1. Cell phone

2. Laptop

3. Gym Membership lol

4. Ipod

5. Family & friends. (yes they belong to me) lol

When in a group, do you lead or follow?

Depends who is in the group, if its my friends, I tend to lead, at work, I lead, and at school I do both. :]

You received a gift of $1,000. What do you do with it?

Pay off my credit card bills!!

What is the best advice you've ever gotten, and who gave it to you?

My best friend Marty who past away about 3 years ago, always told me that I was the smartest and most beautiful person he had ever met, and to not let anyone ever make me feel less than what or who I am. He also said to always keep a smile on my face and to walk high with my head facing up into the sky because with the drive that I have to succeed in life I will get far. -And to this day I keep those words close to my heart, where his memory now stays.

Are you a reader, a writer, or a speaker?

I am more of a writer, I used to keep a journal and would write poems about how I felt at that moment. However, I have learned to be more open with friends and relatives, and speak my mind when I am able to or when the time calls.