Rock the vote...don't tip the vote over!

Let me begin by saying that it's amazing, the changes that I've undergone in such a relatively short period of time. Around this time last year I was a senior in high school and to be frank, I couldn't care less about politics. I've matured in ways that have come as a surprise to me. Who would've thought that at the young age of 20 [recently turned] I'd be worrying about political issues...not me that's for sure! As I begin to write this i realize that I look at embarking on my first vote as a right of passage. I begin to think that by voting for the first time it'll be like earning a place in this world that I live in, I will be participating in creating a better living for myself and those around me. I know it sounds corny but that's how I feel.

Anyways, with that out of the way there's just one thing that I want to say: OBAMA FOR PRESIDENT!! lol I know you've all heard this from time and time again but it's definitely time for a change, not just physically but in general. Particularly there is one issue that is very close to me as a college student and that's the issue on higher education and how high college costs are nowadays for college students. In the last five years college costs have grown nearly 40 percent. First of all, how are we expected to go to college and make something of ourselves when we can't even afford it! This issue directly affects me because i'm currently a college student who has to make ends meet because i can barely afford school. That is why Obama plans to create the American Opportunity Tax credit. What this is is a fully refundable tax credit for college students that ensures the first $4,000 of your college education free and it'll cover two thirds the cost of tuition at the average public college or university. This proposal will definitely alleviate some of the financial headaches that college debt leaves us with. In addition to this, Obama will also minimize the difficulty of applying for financial aid by eliminating the FAFSA form and simply creating a box that you can check if you wish to apply for financial aid. By checking the box you're simply authorizing them to use your tax returns as reference. He also plans on increasing the Pell Grant through out the next couple of years for low income students. I believe in Obama's honesty when he says that he plans to make a change.

Have we been blinded?

As I sit here after watching that clip, i can barely contain all the thoughts that are running through my head. I think me, just like everyone else out there saw the attack on 9/11 for what it literally was: a horrible attack on the World Trade Center. We tuned into the news and we saw the horrible images of the planes crashing into the buildings, we saw the ashes consume the city and we saw the weeping faces of those who lost loved ones. But over all this we saw countless speeches from our president, letting the nation know that he was going to do everything it took to find those responsible. Basically, what we saw was what we were given to see. I for one never bothered to take a deeper look into things.
The god-honest truth is that this clip has left me speechless because it makes a very good point. All of the compelling evidence in those clips points to the possibility that the we might have been behind our own attack! Why wasn't the nation put on high alert when all those other countries warned the US about possible ominous threats? If asked that question what would the answer be?
The clip also shows an extensive amount of eye witnesses who heard bomb related explosions going off inside the building right before the building collapsed. Why wasn't this further investigated? If the buildings were getting crashed overhead then why the hell were bombs going off inside? Though it isn't proven, the amount of people claiming to have heard the same thing isn't just a coincidence.
But you see, all of this has just simply led me to ask the simple question: why? Why would the US do this to itself? What would the reasoning behind it be? What did they gain from killing millions of people an leaving our nation in debt. I'll wait patiently for the answer...

I wanna be just like Paris when i grow up!

We all like to think of ourselves as single individuals. Individuals who are free to do what they want and act as they want because they're unique. Well, the sad truth is that we're all in denial!
Nowadays, celebrities are what we all look up to. We read magazines and watch shows that depict their lavish lifestyles and we try to mimic them as best as possible. We model our style behavior and even way of thinking after them. You don't realize it but suddenly you're onto the next fashion trend: scarves. Why? Because it was part of Cosmopolitans upcoming fashion trends and Hilary Duff was spotted wearing one. Duh! Suddenly everyone around you has a scarf of a different color and shade. Lol. You see, the media has become such a normal thing in our lives that we don't even see it's influences in our everyday lives.
Lets take a look at politics, most of us teenagers don't even know what the heck is going on in the world of politics. We don't know the deeper issues or even the reasons behind each candidates stance, but what we do know is that if Paris Hilton is a Democrat, then so are we! Lol. A lot of the times, we see celebrities on TV talking about politics, and we latch on to their views and make them ours. Though that's not a bad thing it just goes to show how quickly we're influenced by what we see on TV.
Regardless of the influence it has on our style, it has an even bigger influence on the way we think. For example, in English class we recently saw the movie "Fidel." All of my life I've been taught to think of Fidel as a horrible man who did inexplicable damage to his people. Yet I'm frightened to say that after watching what I saw of the movie, if i didn't know better I would've thought he was a good man who was simply misunderstood. The images and the way he was portrayed in the movie helped shape those thoughts.
That definitely serves as prime example of the media's extensive hold over us. But if we can't trust the media then who can we trust?

What does it feel like to be poor? Well till about a second ago, being poor for me was not having enough money to buy this cute Juicy wallet that I've been wanting. Wt eff was i thinking? Sitting here, i cannot even begin to conceive what it would be like for me to wake up in the morning, and know that i have to scavenge through dumpsters in order to put food on the table. I can only sit here and watch the goosebumps run down my arms as i think of how selfish I've been. I mean, I'm not alone. I'm sure most people on this side of the world complain about the water in the shower not being hot enough or the AC in your house not being cold in enough, but all it takes is few pictures to put it all into perspective for you. While you're out there taking your life for granted, one more person has died as a result of hunger or insufficient medical care due to no money.
When i was much younger ago i came into close contact with poverty on a trip to visit my late grandmother in The Dominican Republic. I remember walking down the street and noticing a pattern: there were a variety of young boys, some into their teens, dressed in tattered clothing. They were dirty and appeared homeless and they all carried wooden boxes with old shoe cleaning products. I remember looking at my mother and asking her what was wrong with those boys. She looked at me and told me those are "limpia-botas." As if on cue a young boy who looked like he was about 9 asked me if he can clean my shoes for a "peso," but before i could answer my mother just yanked me arm and kept walking. I know i was too young to understand but i old enough to know that i didn't want to be in their place. I look at it now and i wonder why their government hasn't done anything about that. These are young boys, who have no education and are forced to live on the streets, why not create housing for them or give them scholarships? But the sad truth is that sadly those who have the power to do something about this DON'T. Is there any hope for mankind?
I sit here, a lonely girl with a righteous opinion and i think about all that i can do to alleviate poverty in third world countries and the truth is: not much.

Let's get ready to rumble!

Religion and politics or any other big issue for that matter is always a touchy subject to get into as far as discussing it with family and friends. But I think that's because it's natural human nature to want your opinion and beliefs to be superior and correct over all others. That's why out of a simple "discussion" what ends up being the result is a screaming match amongst opposing teams. Lol. I know from personal experiences.
Though this is what mostly happens, i don't think it should hinder us from speaking out about important issues that affect us or our society. How else are we going to be heard? How else are different opinions and views going to be taken into consideration if we don't voice our opinions through whatever means possible? Tell me how else are we going to be able to show people that their way of thinking isn't the only correct way of viewing things?
I must admit, even I'm guilty of sometimes viewing things in just black and white with gray edges but I've surpassed that and seen the greater picture. I've absorbed bits and pieces of everyone else's beliefs and created my own. For example as of right now, I don't I believe there's a God out there. Some people say he did exist and died on the cross for us, yet some people believe that Jesus didn't exist only God did. Shrug. You wanna know what i believe in? I believe that there's I higher power out there, and i guess someday I'll find out who it is. I wouldn't of arrived at that religious conclusion without exposure to different people's opinions on what it real, what really exists and what doesn't.
On a different note, I think Palin is the prefect kick in the ass that America needed. I'm personally sick and tired of perfect suburban families being the only thing that you see in the White House. We need real people with real issues in the White House. I want to be able to relate to someone who's possibly going to be aiding in making decisions that affect my life later on in the future. We're not all perfect and the fact that she's dealing with a teen pregnancy at home makes her all the more real to me.
Now, does the boy have any say regarding Bristol's baby? I believe he does, but unfortunately not a large percentage. Lol. Ideally it should be 50/50 but the real reality is that though it was a 50/50 effort to make the baby it's going to be a 100% effort from the mother as far as carrying the baby for 9 months and giving birth to it. Thus, it's the ultimately the mother's decision whether she keeps the baby or not. Ya know, we live in such a technologically advanced world and it's still hard to believe that people are still having accidental pregnancies. Geez.

And the veridct is...

As I begin to write this I'm filled with both anticipation and apprehension at embarking on this new task. I must confess i am a virgin to blogging. Mhm. Sad but true. I never thought I'd be doing one of these but i guess sometimes the things you least think you're going to be doing are what you end up doing =x

Idealistically in my mind i wish i could just write down my thoughts on this blog easily. I wish ideas could flow freely and just float onto the page, but the truth is that I find this task awkward. The thought of expressing personal thoughts and occurrences in my life on this page is thrilling yet a bit frightening. It makes me wonder who's going to read my blog and either relate to my opinions and beliefs or be completely opposed to everything I write. To me this feels like waiting for the verdict in a packed courtroom. Lol.

Truthfully, I find the whole idea of blogging has a very voyeuristic sense to it. Think about it, you don't always know who reads your blogs and in a way they're kind of spying on you because they're reading your private thoughts made true on paper. In this for me lies the challenge: opening myself up to possible strangers. Not just simply that, but opening myself up to those who know nothing about me yet will freely make up their own opinion of who I am based on what they read.

As I sit here with my laptop on my lap, I repeatedly read over what I've written and I think to myself: is it good enough? Is my teacher going to like it? Are my viewers gonna find it interesting? If it's just supposed to be an opinion then why do i care if it's good enough? Lol. Yet here i find myself slightly dreading/anticipating pressing the "Publish Post" button. Oh well, here goes nothing!