Sports and RAPE

Ok, so I am watching the super bowl, for no apparent reason but to watch the commercials because I am not that big of a sports fan. And my aunt tells me she wants the Green Bay to win, specifically because the Pittsburgh’s quarterback Roethlisberger "Big Ben" has had 3 different rape charges. (Just google his name, they come up).

I am beyond angry with this, because this god forsaken society will support an alleged rapist, because he can throw and catch a ball and win a few bucks for his peeps. Seriously? That is beyond upsetting. The first accusation got swept under the rug, though many fans claimed it didn't happened. And off course the issue of money comes up, where people start saying that the alleged victim only wants money and the act was consensual.

Yet, there has been 3 THREE accusations against him, now that is alarming. I am just pissed because after I Googled him, I found so many articles of people supporting him and dismissing the victims as gold diggers. I even read that someone says "he is such a nice guy, no way he can rape someone" HELLO are you listening to yourself? People are so stupid, I swear.

The way our society is so easy to defend someone who was been accused of a crime, especially something as serious and harmful as rape, is disgusting. There is always very minimal support towards the victims/survivors. And that is unacceptable. The disregard of victims/survivors is something that needs to change, be abolished. Victims/survivors need to have more support, and so many don’t come forward because of the way they are treated. This is such a shame and I hate living in a society that is a rape culture, and will support the accused before a victim/survivor. Let’s hope this starts changing soon. Ugh

Ask questions!!

Something that I have been struggling with is dealing with people who are clueless; people who are so comfortable in their bubble that they don’t stop and question ANYTHING. They don’t stop and READ beyond what they need too and they don’t understand the correlations that can be made between the past and present, between Capitalism and Colonial rule, and how EVERYTHING we do AFFECTS someone else, somewhere out there.

In class today, one of my professors said “Americans know the price of everything, but the value of nothing”. This is completely true. We, and yes, I am speaking of myself as well, are not aware of what it means to be a consumer. How being a mass consumer affects workers in factories overseas, affects the environment of our nation as well as other nations, how demanding has caused so much poverty across the world. We don’t stop to ASK, because we have been conditioned to NOT question. And that is a huge problem.

We don’t stop and question, why are nations of Africa so poor? I read a comment today from an article I read that someone stated that “we” as in the United States, need to help the Mexican government control their people especially their drug policies, because drugs are always being smuggled into the US and consequently affecting the economy and human life. Yet, no one is aware that the drug smuggling comes from all nations in South and Central America, as well as Mexico. That some farmers in the global south find it more beneficial to plant drug crops in order to SURVIVE. The trade market has made it impossible for farmers to get enough money to eat, send their kids to school, and maintain a healthy life.

I’m just saying, before we judge, let’s just take a step back and become more aware of the situations that other countries have to face. And another important thing to keep in mind, the US is not GOD and the US is not GREAT. We are a capitalist country that strives on making profit for ourselves…individually. And because of this, and COLONIALISM, GLOBALIZATION, and other factors, most nations across the world are dramatically suffering.

Also, my friend Sean just brought to my attention that I shouldn’t say global south, but instead countries ready for takeoff!! Which I think it is awesome, and which I think does represent many of the countries.

Just take this in consideration, before the invasion of the US Army into the Dominican Republic because of fear that DR will not pay in debts, the country was doing pretty well on its own. Yet here comes the US army and puts Trujillo in power and down the drain the development of DR goes. And why did America feel the need to “colonize” Puerto Rico? Just keep in mind to NOT ACCEPT situations the way they are, QUESTION them, READ as much as you can, and be MORE AWARE in being a GLOBAL CITIZEN and knowing how you are involved in this structure.

FYI...the photo is not mine, I got it from http://tivate.com/articles/why

Getting away with hateful speech

This blog is dedicated to the young men of DKE fraternity at Yale University. Not saying they are the only ones with this mind set and saying this harmful things, but they recently have gotten caught.

Now for these young men to go around saying hateful speech, words that can lead to crime, such as the rape of a woman and the degrading factors that concern that language, it is despicable.

Now what I am most upset about is the fact that the fraternity "apologized" for their words. So by apologizing it makes it ok to say "No mean yes, and yes means anal" and "My name is Jack, I'm a necrophiliac, I f--- dead women."? I definitely don't think it makes it OK or justifiable. What were they thinking when they said it? And lets not mention, this was said publicly, lets not think about what goes on behind close doors in that fraternity and others.

Fraternities don't have a very good reputation when it comes to sexual assaults, date rape, and rape. These is a large stigma with most frats and sometimes it is not far off. Not to say that all frats are this way, but I have personally seen and heard things about various frats and know people who have experienced sexual assaults at frat parties.

This is absurd. The fraternity should be held to a higher standard, and they should be able to realize that what was said, is unacceptable. The school should have taken serious measures and made DKE along with all the frats on their campus take sexual assaults seminars, and be exposed to the consequences of sexual assault, rape, and violence. These students go to one of the "best" schools in the country, now I know this wasn't a lapse in judgment. They knew what they were saying and had no problem expressing it publicly. They apologized solely because they got caught. Because they apologize, does it mean that they will stop thinking this way? No, they need to be taught better. They need to feel the connection they have as being perpetrators of sexual violence.

I honestly don't know if educating these young men, the future of our country will get them to think any differently. I would like to think it would. But where in our society did we go wrong when these men felt it acceptable the chant these words? And what message is Yale University sending out to the broader audience, especially women when they let these students go with a slap on the wrist?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/10/15/yale-fraternitys-hate-spe_n_763878.html

Starting New

Haven't written a blog in about two years. I started writing the blog (2 posts) as a way of trying to gather my feelings, express myself and my opinions and slowly started forgetting that I had one; sophomore year and junior passed by more in a hazed with so many problems and losing a lot of who I am. But now I am a senior and I have started finally finding where I fit in this world and my purpose. Even though my purpose might change, but right now I think it is to make a difference. Whether this difference is in form of giving someone a new form of thinking by exposing them to new ideas or concepts they have never explored or by helping someone through a difficult time. I feel no task is too small and sometimes, regardless of what others say, is the small things that count.

I have been struggling a lot this semester with my ideas, with my opinions, where I stand within feminism, where I stand with certain issues and what I’m going to do about them. It hasn’t been easy exposing myself to criticism, to the opinions and viewpoints of others and accepting them even though I may not agree with their view point. What I am planning with this blog is to use it as a form of expressing myself on important issues I come across, and hopefully with this I can find my way in this maze I’ve been put in. Hope it helps!

Life's difficult moments

Lately, I have not been myself. I feel that I am slowly slipping away and pushing people away from me. I know that my inner demons are dealing with many things at one time but I can't quite put my hand and which of these demons is making me so frustrated with my life. I feel hopeless and useless and as if I am on cliff, ALONE, just waiting for the right moment to jump. In that moment that I jump, I fantasy that someone will catch me, no matter how long I have been falling for, but I feel that those hands will let me slip right through. It's not easy dealing with so much, and I am such in a slump when it comes to school. I'm losing my drive and the purpose of why I am studying. I feel that if I want to make a change and enjoy my life, I don't need book experience, I need hands on experience. I just don't know whats the whole point any more.

There is so much negativity in the world, and people are going through so much more than I am yet I feel so bad. I know that I have much to be thankful for yet I can't help but feel this way. Many people say that its the sophomore slump, and many people go through it...maybe...its just life. I want to change this and I want to be able to be someone better, but how do I fix it. How do I change all of it? I guess I'll figure it out eventually.

Importance

How important is being lectured when I learn more about my interest by actually being involved? I don't understand why school has to be so stressful and demending when in reality is not really preparing us for much. I mean what ever job I do end up doing, I know for sure it won't require 100 pages of reading per night.

I just want to make a difference. I want to have an impact on others. I want to set an example. Yet how do I go about these things? Especially when I feel as if everything I do is wrong. I try harder than I should, but its because I really want to change someone's life or perspective for the better. And not my better, but their idea of what is good or right for them.

Yet I find myself so eager to please others that I forget about pleasing myself, which often leaves me unhappy. Always thought that I would need someone in my life, such as a man to make me feel significant. But I have come to realize that I can make myself feel significant and I have my friends to help me do the same. I think they count more than any guy, no matter how bad I want to cuddle. lol :D

But that's besides the point. I mean I feel as many things we have to deal with in school are irrelevant to anything in our lives. And think we only have ONE life, and its not about all this money making angery corporate people junk. It's about real life, feelings, sincere happiness and love. What has the meaning of life changed so much?