Love who you love.

A day of silence. It happens every year for one day, intentionally. And what about the other 364 days in the year that people are still sitting in silence.
Who are these people? Your next door neighbor? Your history teacher? Maybe one of your family members? How about even possibly yourself? People are shamed to secrecy, even hipocracy, and they feel like they are forced to hide their true feelings for someone because that is what the world is nowadays.
The "goal" of life is to marry and have children to continue the population. Well people are doing that! Maybe with the "wrong" people according to society, by who cares? At least they are happy! And they have someone!
There is no reason not to love someone.
Man.
Woman.
Old.
Young.
Sick.
Healthy.
Rich.
Poor.
And everything and anything else.
It does not matter.
Ask yourself. Are you happy? Yes? Okay. Do you love the person you are with? Yes? Okay! Then do not let anyone tell you or make you believe any other thing differently. Love who you love. Raise hell if you have to but don't let the love you have go because of society.

Randy Pausch. *317*

“I have an engineering problem. While for the most part I’m in terrific physical shape, I have ten tumors in my liver and I only have a few months left to live.” This sentence is the first line of The Last Lecture, by Randy Pausch. Pausch was a professor at Carnegie Mellon, who had a wife and three kids and was only 47. He was dying, he knew it, but even though he was dealing with depression of having to leave his friends and family, Randy decided he wasn’t going to dwell too much, and he was going to do all he could with the time he had left. Which brought him to have a “last lecture” at Carnegie Mellon about “How to achieve your Childhood Dreams” and “Two Main Head-fakes.” The head-fakes were “1) This lecture is about how to lead your life. If you lead your life the right way, the karma will take care of itself. 2) The lecture was not for you in the audience, it was for my children.” This book was decided to teach his children about his life and how to live there since he can’t be the father he would like to be.

            The audience is anyone who will listen, but was mainly for his kids. The source is a little advanced for me, but that was because he was a college professor and an intellectual human being. The information is valid and well-researched. The ideas are his life and his beliefs, it is an autobiography, and Pausch wrote this himself. Which makes it correct and he was not bias about himself. No it does not update other sources.

Pausch, Randy. "Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams." Lecture. Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams. Carnegie Mellon University: McConomy Auditorium,, Pittsburgh, PA. 18 Sept. 2007. Randy Pausch: Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams. Carnegie Mellon University, 30 Sept. 2007. Web. 7 Nov. 2013.

Bill Spencer. *596*

In 1966, Bill Spencer graduated in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, being only the second class to graduate. Similar to Mr. Jim he decided there wasn’t much for him to do after high-school, thought unlike Mr. Jim, Bill really could not afford to go to college either. With those factors at hand, Bill enlisted in the Marine Corps. As he was enlisted, he was sent to boot camp for 8 weeks. Typically, boot camp was 12 weeks long, but as the war in Vietnam increased; the length of boot camp decreased. After he completed boot camp, he was allowed to come home. However, it was only for 20 days. Prior to the 20 days back home, he was then transferred to California. In California, Bill completed the last stages of his training and gained some knowledge to what the future might hold for him and the other marines. On October 10th, 1967, Bill Spencer was flown to Vietnam.
As he arrived to Vietnam, he explained to us, that nothing really happened in the beginning of his time there. In January of 1968, the Marine Corps were forced into a 77 day battle. Bill told us about how there were only 5,680 marines. In an article that Bill had read by the head of the Vietnam soldiers, General Giaup, he expressed that there were more than 100,000 Vietnamese men surrounding the marines. Also in the article, General Giaup explained how if the marines would have gone one more week of bombing them, the Vietnamese soldiers were going to go to the General Peace Assembly and surrender.
In Spencer’s “free time”, he and the other marines were told to write letters as much as possible to their loved ones. There were sometimes that Spencer’s family would go months without hearing from him. From time to time, the supplies helicopters could not land and give the items the men needed because they would be gunned down on the landing strip. Another time Bill had recalled in his preparation time, was a time that the marines needed to go wash up in a creek nearby. In that creek, being most of the men were only 19 at the time, they played like kids while washing up. It was one thing they got to enjoy in their time in that horrid place.
Today being 67, he is married and has two kids, a son and a daughter. But also in the present Bill suffers from an acute case of PTSD (Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that's triggered by a terrifying event — either experiencing it or witnessing it. Symptoms may include flashbacks, nightmares and severe anxiety, as well as uncontrollable thoughts about the event (http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/post-traumatic-stress-disorder/basics/definition/con-20022540)). Bill finds it to take a nap, he just can’t. He voiced to us that he gets angry and irritable, that it’s sometimes too hard to concentrate. He described that he really doesn’t know why. Bill believed that it could be that he is just afraid something is going to happen or rather. Bill says that he still has nightmares and wakes up at night, that when he lays down at night he is always wide awake and alert. Also he expressed to us, that he goes to a support group, because it really helps. When Bill was asked if he would go back knowing what he knew now, he told us that he probably would. His father was his idol and his father was in the war, and he wanted to follow in his footsteps. Bill Spencer is a very good and brave man.

Gay Adoption *387*

            In the 2000 census about 65,000 children lived with same sex parents, but now the statistics in 2012 is at 110,000 children which is over a 100% increase. Studies conducted by the Princeton Survey Research Associates International show that 53% of people agree with giving children to gay couples. 39% oppose the fact of reality. And 8% of people are unsure how they see their views and beliefs on gay adoption. Under the Iowa Supreme Court’s ruling legalizing same sex marriages, a married same sex couple may now petition to jointly adopt a child who is not biologically related to other of the parent, just like straight couples can. Also lesbian/gay adults may petition individually to adopt a child who is either biologically related to or already adopted by a same sex partner. Gay adoption should be legal and there are many reasons why.

            Children deserve parents no matter if your parents are straight or gay. It is important that the child is raised in a good home. The affirmative wants you to think that children in gay/lesbian homes get mentally, emotionally, and sexually abused more than a child in a straight home. That is not the case. According to the PSRAI, kids with same sex parents get abused 45% more than children with gay parents. If the United States adopts the proposition from the affirmative it would take a lot of children from good homes and parents. Plus when a parent loses a child they have a part of their brain that causes them to think of suicide. 3 out of every 7 parents who lose their child do committee suicide. Chances are that it would only make things worse for families.

A child with no parents would much prefer to have two parents that love and care for them no matter the gender of their parents. Studies for the PSRAI show that children with same sex parents are more open minded and happy with themselves.

Jim. *556*

                In 1965, Jim’s life was altered for good. Jim graduated that year in Illinois, and with the knowledge that he couldn’t do much more with his life, he went down to the Draft Board and signed up. (Draft Board - A local board of civilians in charge of the selection of persons for compulsory military service. (http://www.thefreedictionary.com/draft+board)) He was drafted immediately to Fort Knox in Kentucky, in which he spent 10 days there. During those 10 days he was taught the lowest basics and training of the military. Once he passed that, he advanced to the next stage of being a student of the military. Jim was transferred to Fort Louis for 10 months to finish the training and gain knowledge of the military technology. As soon as he exceeded the drills, he was sent home to see his family for the last time before embarking to Vietnam. Though most arrived to Vietnam by plane, Jim and his military family were shipped. He arrived in the Southern part of the China Sea. His job was to be on the Central Islands in Southern Vietnam and form a blockade so the Vietnam soldiers could not pass and breach their forces. In September 1967, Jim came home.

                That was the story this man gave us, he kept it brief. However he was willing to answer questions. Some other knowledge about this man is he was married in 1970 to a woman named Linda. But while in Vietnam, he had a girlfriend. He received a letter from her starting with “Dear John…”, his girlfriend forgot his name. In her letter she described how she couldn’t stand the stress, plus there was someone else. This girl got married to someone else, and Jim laughed and said, “To this day I know where she lives, though I won’t do anything to her, I still know.”

                Another moment he experience was a time he thought he got him by a round. Jim believed he was hit, though he didn’t feel anything. When he called about a medic and was checked thoroughly, the medic told him a can of meatballs saved him. What Jim felt was just the juice of the meatballs, warm, on his back. 

When Jim was released to come home, he described how he wanted to re-enlist and go back. He talked about how he and some other men from Vietnam were put in a room and asked who wanted to go back. Jim raised his hand. Though when Jim raised hand, he inquired if he could change his M.O.S. (A United States military occupation code, or a Military Occupational Specialty code (MOS code), is a nine character code used in the United States Army and United States Marines to identify a specific job. In the United States Air Force, a system of Air Force Specialty Codes (AFSC) is used. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_military_occupation_code)). Jim was told he could not, and he knew he was done.

When asked, “Knowing what you know now, would you go back and do it again if you had the chance?” Jim answered, “Hell no.” He described how especially from what he knows now that being there is lie after lie after lie, that he has had enough. Jim said that even though you’re there fighting for your country, you are more fighting for yourself, and the will to stay alive. He said he had learned his lesson.

Cell Phone Policy. *310*

“Put your phone away or I am going to take it and you can pick it up with your parent after school.” We have all heard this shit repeatedly. You just want to look at the teacher and be like “Do you pay my phone bill? No? Oh yeah that is right, well you probably are not getting my phone then.”

When I hear teachers say these stupid things, I honestly want to punch them in their faces, and I KNOW I am not alone.

What I think should really happen is that, teachers just need to calm down about the use of cellular devices and not worry so much.

Reason One: If the student checks their phone and responds to a text every so often, just let it ago. Teachers do not know what is going on in a student’s life, what they are texting, or who they are texting. It is another thing if a student is on it the whole time playing Trivia Crack or something, which leads me to reason two.

Reason Two: If a student is on their phone the whole time playing Trivia Crack or something, they obviously do not care. Therefore a teacher cannot force them to care then. JUST LET IT GO! When a teacher mentions it and distracts the class, it honestly is just a waste of time, especially for students who are trying to learn.

I sincerely believe that students have a right to their phones, especially considering that teachers do not pay for the students cellular devices. Also in addition to that, teachers are on their phone during class, so that makes them hypocrites.

Shouldn’t they lead by example?

Well that is just my opinion however. 

Freedom Of Speech. *357*

We all know the Constitution. We are all born with our rights in America. Or so 'they' tell us.
But what really happens?  
We are born into a world in the United States that is controlled by capitalism and the government. 
(And well who can really trust those things?)
Now. The United States of America is the greatest country in the world. I would not want to live in any of part of the world. But even though we have the most equality and (for the most part) our constitutional rights. 
I say for the most part for many reasons. One of the easiest examples to explain would be freedom of speech in the workplace or school. 
Okay so a little sub-story to my point, I have a potty mouth. I swear like a sailor. It does not bother me however. It has gotten me in trouble though. I have even been suspended for it. 
Which brings me back to my main point. Even though it happened long ago, I do not feel that was reason to suspend me, or any child for that reason, nor to fire people (because that happens in this world). That is a violation of our rights though! Just because you say the word fuck does not mean a child should be suspended from school. 
It is something that has always bothered me that someone can get in trouble for saying a "curse" word. Which to me, that is not even a real thing. That is just stupid. People and society just gave those words more meaning then needed to where people can not say a word like fuck or shit without being shunned. Even though we are giving that right the second sperm and egg create a fetus. 
I really wish this was not even a problem. Sometimes you just need a word like that to make your point and you should not be shunned for exercising your freedom of speech.

School Cheer. *440*

     This year I have faced a problem that has severely pissed me off. The funding for cheer here was cut.
Meaning now there is only one squad and it is just ONE Varsity squad. No freshman at all. Sophomores on varsity. And the normal junior and seniors still.
     Now yes the younger ones that made it on the team are good. I am not saying they are not. Yet, one of my main problems is that I have been in cheer since my freshman year way back when, and this is MY first year on a varsity squad as a JUNIOR. I have worked for it. I have gone through the "phases". I have earned my years for my spot on the squad, just like most of the older girls on the squad. And once again, the younger ones do have skill, I am not doubting that, but it absolutely frustrates me that these girls (even though they do work hard and have skill) just got their spots on a varsity squad handed to them. I do not mean that in the sense the failed at tryouts but still got it, no, I mean the years leading up to it.
    Another problem to me is they cut the teams for "no funding" yet we got new warm ups and new uniforms. To me that does not make sense at all, because it was thousands of dollars to get them, but we can't keep two other teams that cost nothing? I am sorry but that sounds ludicrous to me.

    If it was a problem with time and coaches, why couldn't we have kept the teams and hired another coach, which we did anyways...

So that does not make sense to me at all, in no shape or form.
   It also irritates me that girls that have been doing cheer longer than I have been got their spots taken by the younger. Almost all the younger girls tumble too. Which adds to extra points. So when a lot of our scores came out for who was on which squad or for who was not on the squad at all, the younger girls beat most of us by two..
  Also being one varsity squad, we got split up travel and non-travel for football season. Which as if the squad was not clearly divided enough, it made it worse.
  I love cheer. It is my home. I miss how it used to be. There has been quite a few issues this year and it has been a little unfortunate, but the juniors have already had some ideas to make the best of next year.  

Atomic Bomb. *247*

Should the Atomic Bomb (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/atomic+bomb) have been dropped or not?
Many problems arose when the question of the atomic bomb hit the news.
When looking at the facts, there are so many reasons why we shouldn't have dropped the Atom bomb. The main reason is the Japanese WERE trying to surrender to us. Yes, the did want to have conditions,  but it wasn't appeasement. It wasn't anything close to how we treated Hitler, for example. They were trying to surrender and we still bombed them...twice. Also, after we dropped the atomic bomb, WE GAVE INTO THEM! We let them keep their leader! So the United States basically dropped the atomic bomb to be arrogant.
From dropping the atomic bomb in Nagasaki and Hiroshima, America killed 220,000 Japanese civilians. Really...
Not to mention nor forget that American had just put about 120,000 Japanese-American's in retention camps after Pearl Harbor, accusing them of being spies and taking everything they had.
I understand that America wanted some sort of justice after Pearl Harbor, but this was not the way to go about it at all.
ESPECIALLY WITH THE JAPANESE TRYING TO SURRENDER!!!!
Maybe I don't know the full story, but this is what I am being taught in my US History Class.
America murdered. Instead of being the bigger country and being the Superpower nation that we became to be during World War II, we failed and we murder.
What happened to not fighting fire with fire.

School. *522*

Math in schools. Is it really necessary?
Why?
What does knowing how to do proofs help you in life?
It doesn't.
Now, if you ask a math teacher they will make up some bullfrog answer of the meaning of math, well, of course they will they are a math teacher. (Not saying math teachers are horrible, I dislike all teachers equally).
But honestly. Why do we need to know these useless skills?
Well, sad fact, I can't answer that.
When you go look at something like that Board of Education and what they say about subjects and why it is important it is a lie. Those people are trained to bullshit everything they say. That is why the school systems suck so bad.
If you go and type into Google, "school makes me" you will get answers like cry, kill myself, stressed, smoke, all of these horrible answers.
I am a person who loves school. Mostly. There are somethings I do not really dig about it, but for the most part I enjoy school.
Yet.
I don't.
Why?
Well because school nowadays puts a ridiculous amount of stress and pressure on children. Teachers, administrators, parents, other students, the school board itself, all of these are factors that make school worse.
How?
Let's start with an example, I had 3 AP classes at the beginning of this school year, 2 regular classes, a full time job, and a demanding sport. I wouldn't get to sleep until about 2 a.m. I would get out of school at 2:45, pick up my little sister at about 3:15, go home to drop her off and change for either work or cheer have to be there at about four wouldn't get home until 8-8:30, shower, eat (if I had time) and then do my homework (which was something for each class every night) I would get done with homework about 1:30-2 a.m., sleep (if I could) and be up at 7:00 that morning, then repeat. My grades fell. I came to school overly tired. I almost never ate because I never had time. I was stressed and very depressed. I never wanted to get out of bed anymore because of school.
My point being, I am not the only one.
These problems are problems over half the kids in the school system face.
Major question is why is nothing being done about it?
Why is something like the School Board or the educators we see everyday, not realizing these problems and try to do something about it?
I don't have that answer, even though I wish I did. Maybe one day though kids will stand up for their rights as students in the system.
Also to bring my opening back to play, why aren't we be taught things that'll help us in life? Something that would take the stress down a little instead of the pointless shit such as, natural logarithms. What about how to balance a check book, how to prep for families, how to budget you money, stuff about maintaining a car. THINGS THAT WE COULD USE!
The school system is heavily flawed.