North Carolina, what the heck are you doing?

It's 2016. I'm going to start with that. It's 2016, it's about damn time that we realize trans is ok!

North Carolina's state legislature just passed HB2, or more officially, The Public Facilities Privacy and Secure Act. This law basically states that unless a transgender has made surgical or legal steps to change their sex or legal sex, they have to right to use the bathroom in public spaces that they best relate to.

How ridiculous is that? I'm not going to sit here and pretend that I know what it's like to be transgender. I've never wanted to be a boy, or never felt that my body didn't accurately express my sexuality and gender preference. But, I do know that if a man feels in every bone, blood cell and nerve end that they are a woman, that is their feeling. I have no right to limit them, or in any way hinder the way they want to or need to live their life.

North Carolina is doing that. It's supporters are saying that it is to protect the safety of all citizens. I don't think I'd ever feel unsafe if a transgender woman walked into the restroom after me. Why? Because we're both going in the same three stalled room to do our business. Their business is their business and my business is my business, the only way we may have an interaction in the midst of our businesses is if one of us runs out of toilet paper. God forbid one of us runs out of toiler paper. Can you imagine? Having to ask a transgender woman to pass the Charmin?? (note the sarcasm I am in NO WAY being serious here.)

I've actually kind of had an experience like this, but not quite. I was in the restroom at a restaurant just chillin, doing my thing. Then I hear male voices and I freak out. Not because I was scared, I just literally thought I walked into the wrong bathroom. I was worried about being caught and looking stupid, so I wait until they leave, wash my hands and walk out the door. But not without checking to see if it's a dress or a regular stick person on the door. It was a dress, and they two men were drag queens. I wasn't scared because of who they were, I was nervous that I had been extremely stupid and made a huge mistake.

The point is, this law is dumb. It plays into transphobia and only promotes the further discrimination harsh judgment that transgender individuals will face. Get over yourself, North Carolina, it's just a pee/poop room.

stay peaceful (and make a change)!!

Happy Happy Earth Day!!

We have one Earth, and unless we change our ways, we won't have it for long. It's crazy to think of everything our planet has been through, isn't it? Generations and generations of our family members have lived here, that's crazy!! The first Earth Day was celebrated on April 22nd, 1970, which launched the modern Earth movement.

Earth Day is so much more than celebrating the Earth. It's about planning and taking action, to protect our planet. Earth Day Network (EDN) is the world's largest in the environmental movement, working in more than 196 countries. They work through campaigns, education and public policy, making sure their work makes it to everyone.

Earth Day Network's (EDN) main mission is to broaden and diversify the environmental movement and mobilize their mission to countries all over the world. They broaden by expanding the meaning on "environment", extending it to our daily lives and our health. They mobilize by creating innovative programs, to tackle new environmental issues.

Many people aren't educated on the specifics on environmental issues. How can they be? When we have candidates running for president that deny Global Warming? Global Warming is most definitely an issue, there's no use in denying it.

Nature Is Speaking is a collection of extremely powerful videos, narrated by well-known celebrities. There's videos on the Ocean narrated by Harrison Ford, Liam Neeson does Ice and Reece Witherspoon does Home. If you have just five minutes I greatly suggest that you click the link and watch a couple of these videos. They're more powerful than you would think.

Each video is different, there's Mountains, Ice, Home and Sky. These narrators bring voice to all of the parts of the world that sustain us. The first one I watched was "Ocean". Harrison Ford exuded the strength and might that the ocean possesses. He says that we take and take without any care. And get angry when the ocean doesn't provide. I think that's the main reason we have so many issues. Humans are selfish.

Each one of these "Nature Is Speaking" videos ends the same. With the phrase, "Nature Doesn't Need People" spelled across the screen. Nature doesn't need people, but people need nature, and unless we do something about our own actions, there won't be anything left for our future generations.

stay peaceful (and conserve)!!

Harriet Tubman on the $20 Bill

I, as many others are overjoyed. Harriet Tubman will be the next face on the $20 bill. This is amazing news. It's 2016, about time we see a woman so gloriously recognized, and there's no better way to start this transition in society, than with Harriet Tubman.

For those of you who don't know, Harriet Tubman was an outrageously strong woman. She was born into slavery, but escaped and became the leading "conductor" of the Underground Railroad, which was a series of safe houses leading hundreds of enslaved individuals to freedom in the north.

Today, treasury secretary, Jacob J. Lew, announced the switch of $20 bill face. Harriet Tubman, the strong abolitionist will replace Andrew Jackson. Andrew Jackson, slave-owning, president greatly known for his pushing out of the Native Americans.

Sojourner Truth, Lucretia Mott, Susan B. Anthony, Alice Paul and Elizabeth Cady Stanton will be featured on the back of the new $10 bill. These women were extremely strong advocates for women's rights and equality. Eleanor Roosevelt, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Marian Anderson will be depicted on the back of the new $5 bill. These changes will be huge landmarks in the way our country is run, and how society views certain people.

Some people don't really understand the change. What was wrong with the old $20 bill? Nothing was necessarily wrong with it, but change isn't bad. Change should be embraced and celebrated, especially if it's the addition of a woman onto such a powerful aspect of our country.

The addition of Harriet Tubman to the $20 bill came with great political response, especially form ours truly, Donald Trump. Now, when I read his thought on the change, I was rather surprised. He stated that this change represented, "political correctness." He also made sure to let everyone know that he loves Harriet Tubman, but he also wanted to keep Andrew Jackson, and add Tubman to a $2 bill or another denomination.

The response on social media is overwhelming. More people than not are celebrating this change. My twitter feed was full on celebrative tweets and smiley face emojis.

This change does come as a surprise though, as many thought Andrew Hamilton on the $10 was going to be changed. But the hit broadway rap-musical has made Hamilton, the United State's first treasury secretary outrageously popular.

The main point of this blog is to celebrate the change that our country will experience in 2020 when the new bills begin to cycle in for use. The addition of Tubman to the $20 bill is such a large step for women, African Americans and other minority groups who are starting to have their voices heard.

"Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world."  -Harriet Tubman
                
stay peaceful (and open-minded)!!

Why can't he speak Arabic on a plane?

Islamophobia is no joke, especially in the United States. It's frustrating, and frankly, I'm tired of people jumping to conclusions about others simply because of the language they are speaking or the religion that they practice.

Earlier this month, Khairuldeen Makhzoomi a college student at the University of California Berkley, was removed from a South West Airlines flight after another passenger had overheard him speaking Arabic.

Makhzoomi had recently attended an event and listened to a speech by the United Nations Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon. He was speaking Arabic so he could tell his uncle, who lives in Baghdad, about the chicken they ate at dinner and how he was able to speak to the secretary general.

He was literally talking about chicken, but because he was speaking in Arabic it was suspicious. Another passenger on the overheard him and was immediately alarmed because he was speaking Arabic.

Islamophobia is real and it's a problem. If it wasn't a thing, or it wasn't real, an innocent man speaking about chicken would have made his flight. He wouldn't have been embarrassingly escorted off of a plane.

Things won't change until we realize that radical Islam is the problem, not solely Islam. Read the full article here!

stay peaceful (and know the difference)

Therapy??

Therapy is a foreign concept for some, and for others it can be a saving grace.

What do you think of when you hear the word, "therapy"? Do you think of a cold room? A couch? Ink images where you say what first comes to mind? A man or woman sitting behind a legal pad with their glasses at the tip of their nose, asking the occasional, "and how does that make you feel?"?

If so, you're probably at the same level as most Americans, who don't really understand the concept behind therapy and how much it can actually help someone.

I've written semi-personal pieces on this blog. And this one will probably be another one, but it's not as difficult for me to talk about as some other topics.

I go to a psychiatrist. I think a lot of teenagers probably do, they're just scared to admit it. It helps a lot actually. It's hard for me to talk about what's upsetting me, most of the time. Then other times it all rambles out and I can't stop talking, but that's not good either.

I tried therapy before and it never really helped. But this time I'm talking to a man, I'm not sure if that's why it's easier but it does help. It might also be because I just need it more, either way, it's helping.

This blog post isn't just about me though, it's about people that knowingly, or unknowingly make light of therapy. Most people probably don't know that they're making fun of it.

"I need therapy, I'm going crazy." or "I need therapy, I'm stressed." I'm not saying therapy is the same for everyone, but it's certainly usually more than a one time deal. I go once every other week. You may go once and feel better, but either way. It's not something to make light of.

Therapy is serious and can be the only thing keeping a person afloat. They don't get asked how various scenarios make them feel, or if they're happy or sad. They get asked questions, about them, about how they think, and about the people in their life.

Keep this in mind the next time someone tells you they've just been or they're going to therapy.

stay peaceful (and considerate)!!

Equal Pay Day

Scrolling through my Instagram feed I came across a post, in big bold letters it said, "Celebrate Equal Pay Day!" This was posted by the account "UNWOMEN", I highly suggest you give them a follow. However, when I saw this post and read the caption I was kind of upset. When I read, "equal pay" I thought it meant that we had finally gained equality. We had finally made the extra 21 cents and were finally considered equal. I was wrong.

Equal Pay Day signifies the day that marks how far into the year women had to work to make the same amount of money that men had made the previous year. So essentially, if I was part of a full time workforce, I would have to work sixteen months and twelve days instead of twelve months for me to make the same amount of money as my male counterpart.

Equal pay is such a large step towards equality that would not only benefit women, but everyone. What's wrong with women being paid the same? Absolutely nothing. If you can stand in front of me, look me straight in the eyes and tell me why women who do the exact same job should get paid less than their male counterparts, solely because they have two X chromosomes and not an X and a Y, I'll give you a round of applause. Because I firmly believe you can't.

There has been a little step up towards equality. The wage gap was previously 78 cents for every one dollar earned and it has jumped to 79. It's not a big step, but hopefully it leads to strides. This is only the average for all women though. Women of different races make far less, and sometimes more than white women. Asian-American women make $0.84 for every dollar a man earns, while African-American women make $0.60 per every dollar. And women of Hispanic ethnicities make only $0.55 per every dollar. In Germany, women can only expect to make 49% less than men throughout their lifetime.

Women aren't the only population being harmed by this inequality. Families aren't able thrive as much as they should be. Children aren't provided for as best as they could be, especially in single-mother homes. By having equal pay between genders, we would only be increasing the standard of living for families all over the United States, and the world.

Some people like to dispute the wage gap, by saying that there is no wage gap, women make less because they take off family time and even that women make less because they are less educated.

1. There definitely is a wage gap and if you dispute if you're an ignorant coward. Some people claim that women just choose jobs that don't make as much as men. I call bullcrap. When you break down salaries inside certain industries, women still make less than men. Research released last month showed that in the tech industry, specifically dentistry, men earned roughly 28% more than the women in their fields.
2. Women don't earn less because they're having children. Companies and large corporations assume that women will prioritize their families over their work. The, "Motherhood Penalty" as it's known is proved by the fact that men's wages go up when they have children, while married women's wages go down when they children.
3. FALSE. There are actually more women graduation college and more women receiving masters, doctorates and other degrees. A higher education doesn't get rid of the wage gap, it still remains the same.

The wage gap is annoying. For everyone. If you deny it and still don't believe it's true, read through those facts again and again until you realize how dumb you sound. Hopefully next April, we're celebrating the closure of the wage gap, one can only dream.

facts taken from Cosmopolitan and UNWomen
stay peaceful (and close the gap)!!

feminist vs. misandrist

There is a difference between feminism and misandry, a rather large difference actually.

Merriam-Webster defines misandry as the hatred of men. Essentially, misandry is the exact opposite of misogyny, which is the hatred of women.

Unfortunately, many uneducated men (and women) believe feminism and misandry go hand in hand. They don't. Feminists don't hate men. They advocate for equality of everyone, women and men. But because feminists want women to be equal to men, it automatically makes them a misandrist and an avid "man-hater".

If anyone considers themselves a feminist, they shouldn't also say that they hate men. They shouldn't constantly call all men pigs and rapists. They shouldn't constantly degrade and attack all men, just because they are men. That is not the definition of a true feminist.

A true feminist aims to educate those men that don't "understand" feminism, even though equality shouldn't be that confusing. A true feminist aims to work with men to create a more equal society for everyone. Every man and woman of every race, religion, gender and sexual orientation. Equality is equality.

I'm a feminist. I'm pretty kicka$$ feminist too. I don't hate all men, some men and boys get on my nerves, but I don't hate them. I don't think all men are evil, and sure as heck don't think all men are rapists.

There's a fine line between feminism and misandry and we can't work together for equality until that line is defined and we get rid of misandry and misogyny.

stay peaceful (and fight for equality)!!

one in three

One in three women will experience domestic violence in their life time. That's 33%. Thirty freaking three percent. That's ridiculous.

That means, if you're sitting in a room with your sister, your mother, and your grandmother, statistically one of them will or have experienced domestic violence. That puts it into perspective. We can all say we don't know someone who has experienced domestic violence, but I think we know that's a myth.

Many women experience violence from spouses and loved ones, it's about whether they speak up or not. Women who don't speak up are not any less brave than the women who do. They're scared though, and we can't ignore that.

A couple of weeks ago, I was talking to an acquaintance. We aren't really friends but have (or had) a mutual "friend". This acquaintance is sixteen and pregnant, and I believe she is being brainwashed. That's a big claim, I know, but listen. Her boyfriend has cheated on her with three girls. THREE and that was all at the same time. He blatantly disrespects her, I've seen screenshots of the texts he sends her. But the thing that got me the most was the fact that she was scared of him. Of him yelling at her. Of him raising his hand and almost hitting her. Of him balling up his fists and almost throwing a punch.

I told her to get out, but she didn't listen. He loves her, or that's what he says. I'm not judging, I just hope she gets out from under his controlling grip before she or her baby are hurt.

I'd like to think I'd have the courage to leave a relationship like that. I just hope I'm never in a relationship like that. I hope I never feel so controlled that I'm literally scared of my husband or boyfriend every time he moves.

Some terrifying statistics provided by the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence:

• Every 9 seconds in the US a woman is assaulted or beaten
• On a typical day, there are more than 20,000 phone calls placed to domestic violence hotlines nationwide
• Women between the ages of 18-24 are most commonly abused by an intimate partner
• Domestic victimization is correlated with a higher rate of depression and suicidal behavior
• Only 34% of people who are injured by intimate partners receive medical care for their injuries
• The presence of a gun in a domestic violence situation increases the risk of homicide by 500%
• 1 in 4 men have been victims or some form of physical violence by an intimate partner within in their lifetime

This last statistic doesn't get talked about enough. Yes, women are most affected by domestic violence. And when I hear about domestic violence, I usually associate it with women, but men are also victims. Whether that be in heterosexual or homosexual relationships. Men are rape victims as well. We can't forget that, we need to advocate for everyone if we're ever going to eliminate or decrease domestic violence.

We need to stand together, or things will only get worse.

When looking up domestic violence hotline number on my phone, a scary warning popped up. It was a pop up that could block me from visiting the website because many abusers monitor computer and internet history. That's terrifying.

Domestic Violence hotline: 1-800-799-7233

stay peaceful (and safe)!!

Brussels

It's been a couple weeks since the Brussels bombing. It's a tough subject to blog about. Bombing, that is. I don't know why they keep happening and I don't really know if my voice will make a difference, but maybe it can.

All I ask is why? Why do we feel the need to repeatedly bomb each other? To terrorize? I know the world will never be 100% peaceful. We won't always get along. I know there are politicians who are corrupt and politicians who don't get along. I know all of this. And I am still flabbergasted at how we can be so terrorizing.

These attacks were during rush hour, obviously planned to affect the most people at once. More than 30 people were left dead and 200 wounded.

In Brussels' Zeventem Airport, a suicide bomber struck around 8 am. The bomb collapsed ceilings and broke glass everywhere. People fled from the smoking building carrying whatever they could. Videos and photos are all over the internet. They show images that may be difficult to look at, I know I struggled.

The Maelbeek Station was also hit. This explosion caused chaos that was close to the European Union headquarters in the center of the city. Were these explosions sending a message to the European Union? Images from this explosion were difficult to look at as well, but what can you expect? When you're told of an explosion happening and terrorist attacks spread throughout Brussels you can't expect decent images.

After the attacks most of Belgium shut down. Children were ordered to stay in school. Transit systems were shut down, most tunnels were closed to traffic. Lock down was lifted eventually, but Belgium stayed under a level 4 threat, warning citizens and all people to be vigilant and pay attention. Be careful and safe.

France and Germany stepped up vigilance. Doing the best they can to keep their citizens safe.

I used to not be scared of terrorism. You know? I didn't think it would affect me, I thought I was safe, I thought because I live in America I was safe. I feel safer than people in Europe probably do. They're closer to the middle east and certain organizations. But we're slowly learning that oceans don't necessarily mean you're safe. Watching the news and seeing new terrorist attacks almost everyday doesn't do much to keep a person in the safe mentality.

I offer my condolences to all of the families affected by these horrible attacks. Even if it's two weeks late, I still care the same. We need to unite. To come together as a world, to fight against terrorism.

stay peaceful!!

Best Fake Smile

James Bay, or "Bae", whichever you prefer. He's my newfound love. Truly.

I listen to his deluxe album almost everyday. And all of the songs are truly beautiful, some make me cry and some make me have a mini-dance party on the way to school in the morning. One of my favorite songs of his is "Best Fake Smile".

No you don't have to wear your best fake smile
Don't have to stand there and burn inside

These lyrics are so good and straight to the point. If you're not happy, leave. If a situation makes you mad, upset, uncomfortable or sad, leave. Don't fake a smile and don't fake being happy for the sake of others, because they probably won't do the same things for you.

Don't burn inside, if you're hurting, let it out! Let it go and express your feelings, that's the only way you'll ever feel better, truly, let it out. Don't burn inside, be free outside.

And you don't have to care so don't pretend
Nobody needs a best fake friend

You don't have to care, and if you don't, don't act like you do! Don't be insincere for the sake of sparing someone's feelings because it'll only hurt them more in the end. Be real and don't feel bad for being real!

You don't need a best fake friend! You need sincere people, if you're not happy with a friendship or someone isn't being an ideal support for you, take some time and cut them out. Toxic people create toxic situations and those are never good.

This song is awesome, and I definitely recommend any other James Bay song because they are all so incredibly beautiful. If You Ever Want To Be In Love is my second favorite, just in case you wanted to know!

stay peaceful (and have a real smile, not a fake one)!!

He's a Lesson, and It's Good He's In The Past

Heart break is a thing, a very sucky thing, that we will all probably experience, unfortunately. It hurts, and you don't know why. You know it's because you liked this person, you really liked this person. You trusted them, and you thought that they'd never lie to you. But you were wrong.

This post is going to be personal. Because it's a thing that so many people go through. It may not be related to civil rights or social justice, but I think it deserves to be talked about. Coming from a situation that happened to me about two weeks ago, I have some unfortunate experience in the department of heartbreak.

My situation is difficult. I was naïve, I knew what I was getting into. I mean, what can you expect when the boy you're "talking" to tells you his "ex" girlfriend is pregnant? I know, I know. Don't judge me. I didn't know they were still dating, and get this, there was a third girl. He had a pregnant girlfriend, a "friends with benefits", and me, the girl he kept stringing along.

This is going to be rough, I'll be honest. I knew this kid for a long time, since middle school. We'd lost touch because we went to different high schools, but reconnected a couple of months ago. I thought he was still the same fun-loving blue-eyed boy I had a crush on in eighth grade. I was smitten.

But people change. The worst part of it all was realizing that it was all a lie. When he wasn't talking to you, he was talking to her. When he wasn't telling you he liked you, he was telling her he loves her. It was all a lie, and I was a fool for believing it.

We'd been talking for two months when he told me he loved me. I know, I thought the same thing. Too soon. He wouldn't even define the relationship, but that makes sense now that I know he was already in one. Two huge red flags.

I found out when his girlfriend messaged me on twitter after she read his messages. In 24 hours, he had told me he loved me and broken my heart. It's crazy how fast things change.

I haven't talked to him in three weeks, but I saw him three days ago, at a soccer tournament. And dangit, all of those feelings came back. I went home and cried, not a cute cry, an ugly one, a "gasping for air" cry because I didn't know how else to express my emotions.

This whole situation has been sucky, but it's shown me how many amazing people I have in my life. Shout out to my best friend, Claire. You helped me realize how lucky I am that I got out of that situation when I did. Thank you for watching me cry and telling me I'm worth more than anything he ever deserved.

Thank you to my mom. You are definitely the strongest woman I know, and through everything, you're helping me become a strong woman. You hold me when I cry and help pick up the pieces. You listen to my angry rants and add in a few choice words and opinions, and I love you to the moon and back.

Thank you to my co-workers. For offering to egg his car and break his windows, however entertaining these actions would have been, they wouldn't have done anything. Thank you for holding me when I cry and wiping my tears. Telling me I'm worth so much more.  Thanks for the hugs, I truly love you guys.

If you've been through this, or you're going through this or you're scared of it. Don't be. You're strong. You're worth more than he (or she) deserves. Focus on you. Heartbreak is rough and it sucks and all you want to do is sit in bed and watch The Notebook while crying. Do that for one day. Then, you have to get up off of your butt and focus on you. Go get what you want, focus on school or friends or making more friends. Don't dwell on that dumb boy.

I need to realize it's not my fault. I'm not the one who messed up, he did. He's a lesson to me, but to him, I'm a loss. I'm freaking awesome, and he didn't realize that. So I feel bad for him. He's going to be a father in less than five months and I'll be applying to colleges.

If you're hurting, I know what it's like, but you'll survive. And you'll eventually find someone you "zing" with, I just know it.

stay peaceful (and learn)!!

I'm NOT Being a Bitch Because of My Period

It's such a stereotype:
"Are you moody because of your period?"
"Oh.. Did you receive your monthly gift?"

Yes. Because obviously the only time a woman can be rationally upset about something is when she's menstruating. It's annoying. We can't belittle a woman's feelings and moods to a 5-7 day period of each month. This might sound like a feminist rant, but I really don't care. I'm a feminist, if you don't like that, that's okay.

I don't like being belittled to my ovulation cycle. I already have enough pressures as a young woman, society's eyes are always watching, I'm always being judged. By myself, my peers, teachers, family. It never stops. I'm not always going to be happy or chipper. I'm going to have days where I'm grouchy. I try not to take it out on other people, but it happens.

It's not just men and boys who feed into this stereotype. Girls themselves do it. We are told that our hormones are out of whack. We may be moody and irritable. If you are told something long enough and consistently, you'll eventually believe it. You can't hide your true emotions behind a tampon, it's true, we can be more irritable, but if you're truly upset about something, don't push it aside and blame your period.

Periods are real. It's not a hoax. Cramps are real too, believe it or not! It's not a conspiracy. So, if a woman in your life is having period pain and she's tired and seems a bit more irritable than normal, don't make fun of her. Don't joke about it. That'll only make her upset.

I'm not being bitchy because of my period, I'm being bitchy because you asked if I was being because of my period.

stay peaceful (and considerate)!!

Alexis Isabel

Alexis Isabel is a high school senior who lives in Florida. I don't know her personally, but last summer I found her twitter. One of my friends retweeted her tweet and I thought it was funny, so I did some internet stalking, you know, the usual. What I found was really interesting.

I had never really looked at feminism or thought that my voice mattered. I didn't have a clear understanding of issues that we were dealing with as a society, I wasn't educated. Sure, I knew how to find the circumference of a circle and I had just spent 180 days talking about photosynthesis in AP Bio, but I didn't know what was going on in the world, I wasn't "in the loop".

Alexis is a strong young woman with an immensely bright future ahead of herself. She's writing bills and regularly visits her state capital to advocate for rights and causes that benefit multiple groups of people who are underrepresented. She speaks up for the poor, for transgender individuals, gays, rape victims, people effected by mental health, and most of all women.

It's so inspiring to see someone so young, only one year older than me, with such a strong platform. She's able to speak to 79.9 thousand people each and everyday with 140 characters. I think I would've realized that I'm a strong feminist, but Lexi showed me sooner which is nice.

She's so strong. Being in the public eye, even if it's just over twitter has it's downs. She faces hate every day. She's called names and is judged for her beliefs. She's outspoken and a woman, two things that some men don't think can go hand in hand. Newsflash:  they can, and they do.

Alexis is more successful than the people who feel the need to internet troll her. She's working on passing a bill, she's been featured on MTV and she's empowering young women and men around the world.

I like Alexis because we share a lot of the same opinions and viewpoints on certain issues. She's also respectful, if she doesn't agree with someone or something, she's respectful about it. I think that shows a lot about who she is as a person. It's one thing to hold your own opinion, but to respect other people even if they don't agree with you is something we all need to work on, even me.

She has her own personal twitter account which you should follow (@lexi4prez). On this account she tweets about her life, social issues spanning from the presidential race to recent world terror attacks. She also has a second twitter account (@FeministCulture). Feminist Culture is her twitter account dedicated to all things feminism, statistics and links to her blog, which she keeps regularly updated with teen writers like herself.

Check her out, even if you're skeptical. She's a bad a$$ who has a huge future ahead of her and I'm so happy she's helped me get to where I am today. Check out her blog, Feminist Culture by clicking here!

stay peaceful (and vote lexi4prez)!!!

Kinder Kennedy

Today, March 24th, 2016, my school held an assembly. It was an assembly about kindness, which we could all use a little more of.

Two weeks ago we suffered a loss. A freshman girl took her own life. It struck the school like a lightning bolt. There were tears and hugs and an overwhelmingly large amount of support to our freshman class and upperclassmen who knew the student. I didn't personally know her, but I wish I had. From what I've heard and read she was compassionate, kind and had a smile that could light up any room. I wish I had known her because maybe then I could have helped prevented this tragic event.

You can't focus on the "what ifs" in life, they drag you down, you can't go back and change the past. But we get stuck on them, especially when something this tragic happens to someone so young with such a bright life ahead of them.

Suicide is tragic, it affects everyone. Yesterday was the two year anniversary of my stepbrother committing suicide. I knew Jacob, but we didn't see each other often. I was with my mom more and he was with his dad more, so our paths didn't cross much, but when they did I always had fun. I think what hurts the most is seeing how it affects their loved ones. How his mother, my stepmom dealt with the pain and how my half-sister, his half-sister as well dealt with the pain. You just want to hold them and tell them everything is going to be okay. You can't do that though, not when there are so many unanswered questions. So many, "why?"s  and "what could I have done?"s.

This all ties into "Kinder Kennedy" because the student who committed suicide was bullied. Bullying is such an ugly word. It's evil and always has a bad ring to it, even if you're talking about preventing it. That's why we should focus on being kind. We need to focus on the love and the good in the world and not let the evil and hate bring us down.

It's so much easier to love in this world and choose to be happy than it is to focus on the bad and make an effort to be angry.

"It is not our job to play judge and jury, to determine who is worthy of our kindness and who is not. We just need to be kind, unconditionally and without ulterior motive, even- or rather, especially, when we'd prefer not to be." -Josh Radnor

I love this quote. It emphasizes the need to be just to be kind. Without any other motives or interests in mind. Be kind, be loving and be open-minded.

stay peaceful (and always be kind)!!

"No Homo"???

"Happy birthday man, you're the best friend I've ever had, I love you. No homo"

I saw this tweet earlier today and it made me think. Why do high school and middle school boys
(and some girls) feel the need to add "no homo" to the end of their sentence if they're telling someone they love them?

I'll admit, I said it in middle school. It was more of a peer influence than anything else. I didn't know what I was saying or even what it meant. I didn't know the context of the phrase and didn't realize it was unnecessary to add to my sentence. It's crazy how often we say stuff that we don't even know. We repeat what we hear because it makes people laugh or it's the cultural norm, that's how influential we are.

Being gay is being more socially acceptable but there are still definitely homophobic individuals everywhere you go. You may not be homophobic, but by using the phrase, "no homo" or "that's so gay" can be very offensive to many people in the gay community.

By saying, "no homo", the individuals is repeatedly reassuring his audience of his heterosexuality. They're so scared of having emotions that they have to constantly remind us that they're heterosexual, and not gay. But why is being gay so scary?

I don't speak from experience, but people are people. They just love someone different than you, and that's okay. It doesn't affect you. Be you, and they'll be them.

What I wanted to get across here is that we need to watch our words. They can hurt, even if it was meant as a joke or a last minute statement. Don't say a phrase or a word if you don't know what it means, you'll eventually just look dumb.

Stay peaceful (and watch your words)!!

Spring Break!!

It's Spring Break Season and you know what that means; road trips, parties and vacations. I'll be staying in Iowa, reading my AP United States History text book and venturing to Iowa City. But a lot of the kids at my school travel. To remote islands, Mexico and sunny states.

Spring break is fun, it gives us a hint of summer. We usually get a peek at the sun and get to break out the Birkenstocks a little early. Spring break is fun, but it's also dangerous.

The legal drinking age in Mexico and many Latin American countries is 18. I feel like some teenagers take advantage of this, especially if they're on a spring break trip with friends, and not their parents.

We all hear about drinks getting spiked, or girls getting roofied. It's scary to think about, and it's scary that I'm blogging about it, but it happens. So I have some tips to keep in mind if you're vacationing in unknown territory.

1. Stay in a group! Never go by yourself, especially at night. If you don't definitely know where you are and how to get where you're going it will be more secure and assuring to travel in a group

2. Never take a drink from someone you don't know. Anyone can spike a drink, but if someone offers to buy you one, take it from the bartender, or from the server themselves. Don't take it from a second party, it only takes thirty seconds to spike a drink.

3. Carry pepper spray. It sounds silly, but it can help in an attempted assault situation. It'll distract your harasser and give you time to run away and find help.

These are simple, pretty self-explanatory tips to help keep you safe. Spring break is definitely fun, but it can also be dangerous. So stay safe.

stay peaceful (and safe)!!

Kim Kardashian

It's kinda crazy. We still badger and judge a woman for posting a picture of herself where she feels comfortable and has the self-confidence any woman deserves to have.

This past Monday, March 7th, one day before International Women's Day, Kim Kardashian West posted a mirror selfie of herself with no clothes on. She wasn't fully nude however, she did cover her breasts and "private parts" with two thick black lines.

Yeah it's a controversial picture to post. But I really don't see anything wrong with it. "She's not even wearing clothes." She may not technically be wearing clothes but she's covered the body parts that are sexualized by society so it doesn't really concern you.

"Well, I don't want my children to see this." First off, if you don't want your kids to see "this kind of content", don't allow them to have social media profiles. I assume the age of the child is young if you're concerned about them knowing female anatomy and potentially seeing a little side boob. Children shouldn't be exposed to social media platforms at that young of an age.

That's my personal opinion. I was fourteen when I got my first social media page, good ole Facebook, and I had to beg for it. The only reason I didn't wait until I was older was because I gave my mom an ultimatum, hamster or Facebook (she really doesn't like "rodents"). That's pretty off topic though, I'm sorry.

Kim's selfie really shouldn't bother anyone, as far as I'm concerned. She's a thirty-something year old mother of two and she pretty amazing body. If she wants to show it off, that's her choice. I get that it may be offensive for that much of her body to be showing, but why?  Why does her body bother you? Or people on the internet? It shouldn't.

This also isn't the first time Kim Kardashian has faced controversy because of her body. Her claim to fame comes from a sex tape. But that's different, that was released without her knowledge, and without her consent. She didn't choose to have that leaked, but it happened. She's built an incredible career, life and family given how she was brought into the public's eye.

She's also gotten heat from her multiple selfies. She posts a lot, but if she's confident in her skin that shouldn't be a problem. When she was pregnant, she posted a mirror selfie with not clothes on, showing of her baby bump and nothing else. She got a lot of backlash for that post but I thought it was so beautiful! She was showing her growing body, the amazing things that women can do.

Chloe Grace Moretz, a talented actress who has been featured in multiple films felt the need to speak her opinion on this issue.

"@KimKardashian I truly hope you realize how important setting goals are for young women, teaching them we have so much more to offer than just our bodies."

I get where she's coming from. But why don't we also teach girls to embrace confidence. You can have a strong mind, intelligent brain and successful career, but posting a "sexy selfie" doesn't take away from that. That's where people go wrong. Just because she posts a risqué picture, doesn't take away from her intelligence.

Kim Kardashian is a beautiful mother of two, with a loving husband and a successful life. Given the cards she's been dealt I think she's made quite a name for herself.

We need to teach girls to embrace their confidence and not hide their sexuality. Kim Kardashian is advocating for confidence and I stand behind her. Confidence is key to successful women!

stay peaceful (and don't judge)!!

International Women's Day

Women are kick ass. It's a fact, and if you don't realize that just hop off my blog. We make up about half of the world's population, no big deal. We resupply the world with tiny kick ass boys and girls, but eh, whatever..

It's about time we go some recognition. Yeah, there's mother's day. But that focuses on how amazing we are at raising kids and taking care of the home, *cough cough* themes instilled by the patriarchy. A day to recognize how frickin awesome women are was much needed.

So many celebrities have spoken out on International Women's Day, and it's so amazing. Women, men and teenage stars are speaking up about the recognition that the billions of women around the world need but rarely receive.

Matthew McGorry, an incredible actor and activist posted on his Instagram about International Women's Day! Matt McGorry is frankly, a dream guy. He's handsome, which is a plus, but looks aren't the only thing that matters. He's talented, in Orange Is The New Black and How To Get Away With Murder. But most of all, he's a feminist!!! A male feminist, how crazy?! Who knew they existed? He's pro-choice, pro-woman and speaks up about what he believes in and wants to fight for.

Women are amazing. We carry tiny humans in our bodies for 9 months. Without a woman, you wouldn't be reading my amazing blog! So many women are taken for granted. Women are so incredibly strong.

"Why isn't there an International Men's Day?" Stupid question, every other day is a man's day. The last 2,000 years have consisted of men being worshipped and placed on a pedestal. It's annoying. Annoying how easy it is for people to forget history. To forget that men have constantly been on top. Feeling threatened by a day for women makes you look weak, and portrays an egotistical snob instead of a caring individual who respects the women in their life.

International Men's Day can actually be celebrated on November 19th.

Recognize the single moms. Recognize the working mothers who are married. Recognize your mother, your sister, you grandmother and your wife. Be a #HeForShe and be a #SheForShe because the only way we can achieve equality is by working together.

stay peaceful (and celebrate International Women's Day)!!

Michael Scott is an A$$hole

I've just started the emotional journey that is also known as The Office. You can find it on your local Netflix account, all nine seasons, right at your fingertips. My blog isn't about pop culture or new television shows. It's about civil rights and social issues. This may lead to the question: Sydney, why the heck are you writing a blog post about Michael Scott, the manager in this series?

I'm writing a blog post about Michael Scott because he is an utter major douche lord who does not consider anyone else's feelings. Yeah it's scripted and I totally get that. I'm not bashing the office. I love Michael's character, but that doesn't take away the fact that he's a booty-hole sometimes.

He makes jabs at all of the characters. If you haven't seen The Office yet, leave, right now. There may be spoilers, but probably not because I'm only on season two.

-He says women's issues aren't real issues
-He doesn't take Jan's "no" seriously and continuously tries to pursue a relationship with her after she's stated her want
-He's racist, and islamophobic
-He pretends to have a disability after he grilled his foot (sounds horrible, but I laughed until I cried, and that lasted for a solid seven minutes) this insults individuals who actually have a disability
-He's a bully. He doesn't have a filter, he lacks social skills and constantly jabs people about their looks and beliefs

These are all traits that at least one person in our life actually possesses. That's crazy. Michael's character is easy to laugh at, but if you take a step back and actually listen to what he's saying it's offensive.

I'm not upset about his character, it makes me laugh, but only because I know it's not serious.

stay peaceful (and peep The Office)!!

The Dangerous Ways Ads See Women

Jean Kilbourne is an amazing activist and cultural theorist who has studied the image of women in advertising for over forty years. Kilbourne speaks about the affect advertisements have on everyone and how they can alter the way our minds see certain people and groups of people.

At the age of six-months, babies are able to recognize the logos of large corporations, this has now shifted the target audience of advertisements to younger ages. Ads affect people regardless of how they think they perceive them. You may say you don't pay attention to certain aspects of the advertising world, but your subconscious definitely picks up on these messages.

Photoshop seems to be the main culprit of these advertisement woes. Eliminating thigh gaps, but also taking away a very important female reproductive organ on accident. In a Ralph Lauren advertisement, Kilbourne shows the audience that the models head seems to be bigger than her pelvis which is an anatomical impossibility. She also lets us know that this extremely thin model was fired from her job for being "too fat". She was probably a size 0 model, there is no situation where anyone should be fired from a job because of their size.

The following picture to the right is an ad for hair gel, but it seems to focus on other aspects of a woman's body. It reads:

"Your breasts may be too big, too saggy, too perky, too flat, too full, too far apart, too close together, too A cup, too lopsided, too jiggly, too pale, too padded, too pointy, too pendulous or just too mosquito bites. But with Dep styling products, at least you can have your hair the way you want it."

Now obviously this ad isn't cerca 2014, when the TEDx talk aired. It's probably from the fifties or sixties. It's still shocking to see how sexualized women are in advertisements. Put in unnecessary positions and postures to sell jeans, or a sandwich. A Burger King advertisement mentioned by Kilbourne contains highly sexual suggestions for a sandwich. A sandwich of all things.

Little girls are being hired to model for padded bras and thong panties when they haven't even hit puberty yet. It's upsetting how sexualized women are in advertisements and the media. It definitely shapes the way everyone views women. Weak, vulnerable, for male consumption, wherever and whenever they want it. This fuels rape culture and misogyny and only increases the need for feminism and equal treatment.

Yes, I know men are sexualized in ads too. An advertisement for a cologne doesn't need a wet man sitting in the shower in his underwear. Advertisements that sexualize males teach them how to be sexual and how to view women, not portraying them as sexual objects.

If you love TEDx talks as much as I do and are interested in listening to more of Jean Kilbourne's amazing work, click here!

stay peaceful (and be wary of the media)!!

Kesha

The music industry is huge. There's competition and drama around every corner, but I've never heard of anything as devastating as what is happening with Kesha right now.

A law suit filed in October of 2014 has just received it's verdict or decision. The suit is looking to void Kesha's contracts with Dr. Luke, her producer and manager. For ten years, Kesha claims Dr. Luke sexually, verbally, physically and emotionally abused her. Her manager, who she should have been able to trust controlled her in unimaginable ways. Kesha developed an eating disorder and nearly died to the stress she was under.

Kesha didn't bring this up to anyone or talk about it for ten years because of the power that Dr. Luke has. He's a successful producer and has worked with stars such as Kelly Clarkson and P!NK. He has monetary power and power of recognition. If Kesha came forward with these accusations, she feared that he would destroy her, with both her career and her mental health.

With these accusations, Dr. Luke countersued Kesha and her team for defamation and breach of contract. Also claiming that Kesha's "false" accusations and refusal to record music are near extortion. But who would want to record music with their abuser? Their rapist? The one man who controlled her for so many years? People are claiming that Kesha has no case because she's had a chance to record music. I don't blame her at all for wanting to get the hell away from this controlling man.

Judge Kornreich, who oversaw the case has decided to wait to announce her decision about dismissing the case or not. Kornreich wants to hear the California Courts' decision and hear more substantial evidence before setting her decision in stone.

Kesha is not alone in this battle. Her multitude of fans have come forward to support her, standing outside the courthouse as the case proceeded. Holding signs that say "Free Kesha!" Multiple other artists have stepped forward in support for Kesha. Taylor Swift gave the artist $250,000 to help her financially during this difficult time. Last night at the Brit Awards, Adele received her award and publicly stated her support for Kesha. Artists such as Demi Lovato and Miley Cyrus have also posted on social media, showing their support for Kesha.

I don't care if Kesha's able to record right now and choosing not to, she still deserves to put her attacker and personal terrorist behind bars. He abused her in every way imagineable. That's unacceptable. I don't care if he's a well known producer and a major player in the music industry. He's a monster that doesn't deserve to life a normal life while his victim can't.

Read more about the case here, at Rolling Stone!

stay peaceful (and support Kesha)!!

It's Valentine's Day

February 14th. Valentine's Day. The day of love and celebration with your spouse, partner, boyfriend, girlfriend, galpals and family. It's kind of overrated. Just saying.

Am I saying this because I'm single? Most likely. This may be too personal, but yolo. A lot of the things I blog about are "too personal" and semi-controversial. Love is a silly thing. In today's world it's advertised everywhere.

Social media has consumed us. If I open twitter I constantly see tweets about relationships. "Omg you guys are so goals" or "Omg I wish my boyfriend loved me this much!! #jealous". Yeah, I'm guilty. Seeing pictures of cute couples being together and smiling make me jealous. Who wouldn't be jealous? Everyone wants to be loved, don't they?

The tricky thing with today's relationships is that they might not all be true relationships. Society puts constant pressure on couples everyday. Be cute together, have matching clothes, the guy HAS to spoil the girl, the girl can't talk to any other guys, constant PDA is a must. All of these are obvious necessities or else the relationship is pointless and not real, right?!

HA NO! If you're in a relationship, you're with one other person. Disregard polygamy and polyamorous relationships for now. Young people, and adults, are too consumed with the opinions of others and how they're perceived to be truly invested in their own relationships, which brings me back to Valentine's Day.

Valentine's Day puts too much pressure on everyone. "Cuffing season" was developed so that people would have someone to date by Valentine's Day, but also break up with if they weren't "right enough".  That's stupid. Men, or women, shouldn't be expected to spend hundreds of dollars on their partner. That's not true love if you have to buy gifts to show how you love someone. Spending time with that person should be more than enough.

Valentine's Day also puts emphasis on those people that aren't married or don't have a boyfriend/girlfriend. You shouldn't depend on another person to make you happy. You have to make yourself happy before you can be with anyone else. Depending on others is stupid, especially when there's such a huge chance of getting hurt.

So go out there, get a heart shaped pizza and a box of Russell Stover's. Live your life, if you love someone tell them. If you don't, love yourself. Valentine's Day is fun for everyone if you celebrate it the correct way.

stay peaceful (and love yourself)!!

"Like a Girl"

"You run like a girl"
"You hit like a girl"
"Why are you crying? That's so girly"

Yep, I run like a girl, because I'm a girl. Mhmm, I hit like a girl, because I am a girl. Yeah, I'm crying, but it's not girly. It's human. When did "like a girl" become an insult?

You wish you could run like a girl. We jump through obstacles and face problems everyday just because we have two X chromosomes.

Just because I'm a girl doesn't mean I always have to be happy or that I need to wait for a  boy to save me. I can save myself. Girls are seen as bossy, weak, ditsy and overdramatic. Society limits us and what we can do by placing these stereotypes on us.

Always, the feminine hygiene brand, has made it their personal mission to get rid of the lack of confidence that girls in society face. Their main goal is to build confidence in young girls throughout the world. During puberty, a young girls confidence levels plummet. They fall off the face of the earth, and feeling limited by society only helps them fall further.

Always hasn't just started this movement. For the past thirty years they have worked with educators and administrators throughout the world to educate young girls on puberty and cycles. Education doesn't stop at just "period talk" for Always. They're determined to teach little girls how to retain confidence and even grow confidence in themselves.

72% of girls feel like society limits them. Only 28% do not. That's not cool or acceptable. We need to make an effort to change that.

Watching the videos on Always' YouTube channel is inspiring. These little girls know their limitations, they know how they've been limited but they're not just going to take it. They're going to show the world how strong they are and how unacceptable it is to be limited.

I'm excited that Always is making an effort to change society, and to change the way girls view themselves. Little girls know how strong they are or how strong they can be. If these girls don't realize this when they're young and before puberty, they won't be able to easily teach themselves how truly amazing they are.

What about boys? Yeah, boys lack self confidence. They feel the need to be strong, protective and the "alpha male". But I don't think they are nearly as limited as girls are. They're not told they have to act a certain way. They're not necessarily criticized for being who they are. If a girl doesn't wear makeup, she may not be considered "girly" enough. But if a girl does wear makeup, she may be considered a liar for "false advertising". That's disgusting.

I hope you learned a little bit today. If anything, watch Always' videos on YouTube, they're amazing. I encourage more people to use #LikeAGirl in the good context that it should be used in.

Check out the Always webpage and learn more about how much effort they're making in the battle to raise girls' confidence! Click here!

stay peaceful (and #LikeAGirl)!!

Bernie Is A Lot Stronger Than You Think

Presidential elections are complicated and very confusing. Caucuses and primaries are even more confusing. A lot of people disregard Bernie Sanders as a frontrunner in the 2016 elections. That's stupid.

Just because Hillary's last name is Clinton, or because she is in fact a woman doesn't mean that she'll automatically win all female votes. Bernie is coming in hot and much stronger than a majority of the country believed he would.

The Iowa Caucuses on February 1st acted as a foreshadow of the elections we're just getting into. Hillary Clinton was the predicted winner, as expected. Bernie has a lot of support in Iowa, but most people didn't expect him to come as close as he did. Some people didn't know who Martin O'Malley was until he announced he wouldn't be running for President anymore.

Hillary Clinton only won the Iowa Caucuses by .3% of the votes. Less than 1% of the votes determined the winner of the caucus. In one precinct they even resorted to tossing a coin. (This was controversial. In the caucus rule book it states that the winner of the coin toss must give up a delegate. Hillary was crowned the winner of the caucus and the coin toss, but she should have lost a delegate. Politics, man. Crazy stuff.)

The caucuses were also exciting because Donald Trump didn't win. He accused Ted Cruz, the actual winner, of stealing votes and tricking caucus-goers. I'm glad that Trump didn't win, but Ted Cruz isn't much better. This is just my opinion. As I saw on the #IowaCaucus twitter handle, "Saying Ted Cruz is better than Donald Trump is like saying gonorrhea is better than chlamydia." That's definitely one of the best tweets I've ever seen.

Last night was the New Hampshire primary. Bernie won by a landslide, receiving 60.4% of the votes to Hillary's 38%. That leaves Bernie with 36 delegates so far and Hillary with 32.

Elections are complicated and you can't fully forget about a candidate until all the primaries and caucuses are done. America is in search of a political revolution. Just because I'm a woman doesn't mean that I would vote for Hillary. That's stereotypical. I believe there are women who will vote for Hillary just because she's a woman, but that's immensely stupid.

stay peaceful (and vote)!!

Good Job, Barbie!!

Everyone knows Barbie. From Malibu Barbie to the catchy theme song they played during "girls skate" at the local skating rink. She's a staple in society and such a strong role model for young girls. Sure, her body isn't realistic but her goals and her multiple established jobs that she's possessed can be an inspiration to little girls (and boys) around the world.

Barbie was a staple for me growing up. I remember at my fifth birthday party I got at least three Barbie dolls and I was beyond excited. There was something about her bleach blonde hair and perfect blue eyes that intrigued me. I wanted to be her. This is kinda scary actually. Little girls grow up with this idea of a tiny waist, big blue eyes, bleach blonde hair and glossy pink lips. It knock down their self confidence and messes with their self image.

Hopefully, things will change soon. Barbie has recently come out with a tall, petite and curvy doll. These designs are more realistic to everyday girls and women's body types. There are tall curvy girls and short curvy girls, but at least Barbie is not only tall and skinny with blonde hair. Barbie influences girls all around the world to be strong and independent. To follow their dreams. Have courage, bravery and stick up for their friends and themselves.

If you don't believe me that Barbie strongly influences people, you will after I tell you this. Go on google images and search "Real Life Barbie", you'll be astonished. Valeria Lukyanova was never really happy with just playing with Barbie's, she wanted to be one. She denies having any plastic surgery to maintain her physique, but she does remain on an almost all liquid diet. She's living her own life and that is totally okay with me. I just wonder what kind of message this is sending to little girls around the world? Will this greatly influence how they portray themselves and how they want to be seen by the world?

Barbie also did something pretty amazingly awesome this past week. They've released their first technical lesbian Barbie doll. This doll comes in the form of retired soccer champion, Abby Wambach.

Toys and dolls, regardless of which gender plays with them are the medium for kids to express their dreams and craziest ideas. Little girls get to portray their sky high goals and ambitions and so do little boys. It's only fair that they have dolls and toys that they can identify with as they do that.

The fact that Barbie now has four different body types and eight different skin tones means that more little girls (and boys) will be able to live out their wildest dreams in the comfort of their own home.

I'm proud of you, Barbie, thanks for showing me how awesome I can be.

stay peaceful (and buy a Barbie)!!

It's Okay to Cry

It's okay to cry, trust me. I cry a lot. Sometimes over stupid situation and other times over very serious situations. You can call me a "cry baby", I really don't care. Crying helps me relieve stress. I feel one hundred times better after I cry.

I keep things bottled up sometimes, which only makes the cries more intense. Sometimes their quiet and only a couple tears fall, other times they're loud, obnoxious cries with weird breathing and snot coming out of my nose. It's gross, but true.

This may not be a "civil rights" issue. But it's definitely a social situation that puts stress on men and women. I feel like when women are in touch with their emotions and choose to cry, they're seen as drama queens. Or attention seekers. It's annoying. Sometimes you start to cry and you can't stop, you can't choose where you're going to cry sometimes and that's okay.

Crying is also tough for boys and men in today's world. When men cry, they can be perceived as wimps. For any reason. It's not wimpy for men to cry, it's healthy. One cannot simply go about their life without expressing sadness and heartache. It's a part of life, deal with it. Men who can connect with their emotions and who can express them are not any less masculine than a guy who scowls all day and wears "bro-tanks" to school.

Crying also has multiple health benefits.

It relieves stress! I don't think this will come as a big surprise, but crying helps to relieve stress and release pent up emotions. Even if the circumstances of that situation are still the same, having a good cry allows to you to "come to terms" with it, in a way.

Crying actually releases toxins from your body! Of course, tears that are sparked by irritants help to get rid of the irritant from your eye. But tears that are sparked from stress help your body get rid of nasty chemicals that can raise cortisol (stress hormone) levels.

For more info, click here!

stay peaceful (and have a good cry)

Return of Kings

Return of Kings, also known as ROK, is terrifying. ROK is a group of men (and possibly maybe women?) Their website is filled with misogynistic, racist and homophobic articles. I can't even read through an entire article without being offended and annoyed.

I didn't go on the internet in hopes of finding an offensive website. The website kind of found me. I went on twitter this morning and a girl that I followed retweeted a tweet that shared a link to the ROK website. The page I opened was horrifying.

ROK is a men's rights movement. They probably associate with meninists and they probably expect their wives and other women to be subordinate. Let's be honest, do men really need to congregate and fight for rights? I think not. Women have been held back and pushed around since the beginning of time. Men weren't expecting us to ever open our mouths and speak out but we did and it pissed some of them off.

The reason ROK was brought to my attention is quite horrifying actually. I got on twitter this morning and a tweet appeared on my screen. The first thing I ready was, "If anyone's near these places, stay safe or kick ass." There was a link attached so of course I opened it. It popped up to a page of meeting places for ROK activists. Forty-three countries are involved, FOURTY-THREE! There is even a meeting place for my city, a semi-large city in Iowa. That means there has got to be enough "members" of this organization living in or around my area who don't believe women should have rights. I honestly wouldn't be surprised if some of the boys from my school show up at the meeting. The meeting was set for Saturday February 6th.

Just now I went to check the page and look at the list of meeting places. The meeting has been cancelled.

"The world is moving against us. I’ve gotten reports of over a dozen organized protests at our meeting points. Dozens more are being organized privately. Since this meetup was never intended as a confrontation with unattractive women and their enablers.."

This statement was recently posted by the organization's founder, Roosh Valizadeh.

This organization is full of uncultured and uneducated individuals who don't think of anyone besides themselves. They support Trump (misogynist) and they want to make rape legal, can you believe that? No one in their RIGHT MIND would try to legalize rape.

Watch out for yourself, whether you're a woman or not. It sounds like these men would do anything in their power to get their point across.

stay peaceful (and safe)!!

What's Going On in Flint, Michigan?

About two years ago the state of Michigan decided to change Flint, Michigan's water supply from Lake Huron to the Flint River. This river is locally notorious for its filth. This was all to save money. The switch was only supposed to be temporary, for about two years, while a new state line supply line was being developed.

The river was known for it's filth, and with good reason. Flint river water is nineteen times more corrosive than water taken from Lake Huron. There was so much iron in the water, that it turned brown and have a distinct and gross odor. 

The worst part about the water issue is this: because the water wasn't properly treated, lead began to seep into the water. This started two years ago, and up until September, local and state authorities told residents that everything was fine.

Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha, a locally known and well-loved pediatrician. Dr. Attisha noticed that lead levels began to double and triple in children after the switch to Flint River. After Dr. Attisha's office went public with their findings, state authorities badgered them for a week before they acknowledged that her findings were in fact true. That's annoying. Why would a doctor who cares about her patients make up this information?

A few weeks after Dr. Attisha's findings, the city reverted back to Lake Huron's water supply. But the damage of lead poisoning is irreversible and pipes used to transport the water still contained lead. Even with properly treated water, lead levels were still detectable in the water flowing through the pipes.

Lead poisoning is irreversible and affects children more easily than it does adults. The affects of lead poisoning are life long. It affects IQ, behavior, can be linked to criminality and even has multigenerational effects.

So whose fault is it? Multiple people were behind the "cover-up". But most residents and officials are blaming the Department of Environmental Quality. The DEQ knew was to do with Flint River's water. They chose not to. It would cost $100 a day to improve the quality of water and overall life of these residents. Dan Wyant, the former director of the DEQ recently resigned. Dayne Walling the former mayor of Flint, Michigan recently lost his re-election bid. No surprise.

It's inhumane. It's not fair. It's wrong. Authorities chose not to correctly treat the water because of the cost. Because of their insensitive choices, many families are suffering the consequences. State agencies are now handing out bottled water and filters to the families of Flint.

read more about it here!

stay peaceful (and filter your water)!!

Shut Up, Donald.

It's no surprise that I don't like Donald Trump, and most of the people that I'm friends with don't like him either. Twitter has definitely been used to help candidates, but it's also being used to ruin their campaigns. Everyone says that what you post online never goes away and that seems to be the case with our pal (lol jk), Mr. Trump.

In a tweet from 2013, Donald Trump said,

 

"26,000 unreported sexual assaults in the military- only 238 convictions. What did these geniuses expect when they put men and women together?"

 

Okay first off, I should mention that Donald Trump makes me really mad. He thinks women are moody because of their periods, when the one thing that pisses us off the most are rich privileged white men telling us what to do. He doesn't believe in climate change, what even? He's annoying and misogynistic and I could rant all afternoon, but I don't have time.

 

His tweet is offensive to multiple people. First off, military men and women. He doesn't know what they do. He hasn't put on a uniform and fought to defend our country. All Donald Trump has done is sit in his New York office and increase his bank account numbers.

 

He is also offending women with this statement, which he's done multiple times before. Women are not "moody" because of their periods. A reporter who asks you questions that make you uncomfortable is a good reporter because you're campaigning to be the president of the United States. You're going to have to get used to uncomfortable questions, whether they be from a woman or a man.

For someone campaigning to be President of The United States, it is UNACCEPTABLE for him to make an excuse about the horrific action of rape. No excuses for a man or woman who speaks this way. Rape is rape. Whether men and women are together serving our country, or a little intoxicated at a local bar.

I'm astonished people still support him. I frankly don't understand it. It scares me. What does my future hold if Donald Trump is elected to be president? How will that affect my future?

I only hope we never find out.

stay peaceful (and don't vote 4 Trump)!!

 



Kids Against Hunger

My school is pretty awesome. Last week we started our Penny War, which is a fundraiser to help feeds starving children throughout the world, through the organization Kids Against Hunger. Each third hour class collects coins and money and "converts" them to penny points. It's a school-wide competition that gives the winning class a party and feeds hundreds of hungry people around the world.

Kids Against Hunger is an amazing organization and I'm so proud that my school is apart of such an amazing organization. KAH provides highly nutritious and life-saving meals to starving children and their families to developing countries and even the United States. KAH meals have a shelf life of 3 years, which is how long it took them to develop their formula of life-saving meals. Each package of food contains rice, vegetables, soy and a vitamin sauce. Twenty-one vitamins are packed into each meals helping to fuel and heal the starving bodies of malnourished children and their families.

Nearly 1.02 billion people around the world do not have enough to eat. That's unfathomable. The rising prices of food costs are also causing the numbers of undernourished people to rise. I don't know many people who are starved or undernourished. My uncle doesn't like to eat leftovers, so he throws extra food away. I know you can't mail that food to Africa or Haiti, but those leftovers could've been the only meal a small child got all week long. That makes me so incredibly sad.

I'm part of the ONE Campaign at my school and it is definitely one of the best things I've done in my high school career. We work to raise money for Kids Against Hunger. Fundraisers such and the Penny War, ONE-Foot Run, and multiple movie nights throughout the year are helping us raise money for Kids Against Hunger.

At the end of the year we fill our small gym with people and package these life-saving meals. Being able to actually package meals that may save someone's life is the greatest feeling. Knowing that their life is literally in your hands and you have the power to save them is so incredible.

Helping Kids Against Hunger is so simple. A donation of one dollar feeds four people. 5.6 millions meals were packaged in 2013. That's amazing. All meals are package by volunteers and KAH keeps minimal staff to maximize the number of families they can help.

Kids Against Hunger is an amazing organization. One dollar feeds four people at 25 cents/meal. Remember how many starving children there are when you throw out leftovers or complain about not liking the food you have.

To make a donation visit: http://kidsagainsthunger.org/donate

stay peaceful (and thankful)!!

Not Sorry

Apologizing is a funny thing. When I was younger, I was taught that saying sorry meant you wouldn't do that action again. I'd apologize to my mom for having a tantrum, did that mean I would never be a brat again? No. It just meant that I realized I had done something wrong and I realized I needed to apologize and show the person I felt bad for my actions.

So when a Pantene commercial for hair care came to my attention, I started thinking. Why do women apologize so much?

My cousin, Katie, is one of the strongest women I know. She's been through a lot. She's works hard at school, coaches high school softball and spends and immense amount of time teaching our grandpa how to use his iPhone. She also apologizes a lot. One memory comes to mind. We were eating dinner as a family and she asked for something and apologized right after. My aunt called her out on it and told her to "stop apologizing for things you have no reason apologizing for." What do you think Katie's response was..? "Oh, Sorry."

It seems kind of redundant but apologizing isn't new to women. In the Pantene commercial, a woman apologizes before she asks a question during a business meeting. Another woman apologizes to a man after HE bumped her elbow off of the arm rest and another woman even apologizes while she was getting dinner ready because she had to hand her son over to her husband.

 

 

I'm not trying to turn this into a "feminism" issue. But it kind of is an issue. Women need to stop apologizing for working hard, feeling offended or having a damn opinion (sorry for my language). But don't you see?! That parenthesis was a prime example. Why should I apologize for using a strong word with a strong subject?

 

Women have been put on the backburners and our opinions have been turned away for centuries. Most men don't think women apologize too much but I think that's because they're so accustomed to hearing it. I'm not a man hater. But I do hate society some times.

 

Apologizing should be for wrong actions. Calling someone a name, or getting into a ridiculous argument with someone you love. NOT having an opinion.

 

stay peaceful and (DON'T APOLOGIZE FOR YOUR OPINIONS)

High School is Incredibly Stressful

My school week is incredibly busy. I'm usually not home until around 6. During sports seasons I'm even busier. I spend roughly four days a week bowling and during golf season we have practices every day after school. Now add on homework, family time and regular everyday things. How am I supposed to get a full nine hours of sleep?

27% of students say they are "extremely" stressed during the school year as opposed to only 13% during summer break. I'm not surprised. I don't think adults realize how many different ways teenagers are pulled and how many responsibilities we have, which is frustrating.

I'm in my junior year of high school which is known to be the most stressful year for teenagers. I'm constantly logging into PowerSchool, our online gradebook, to check my grades and check that they are still the best they can be. I get letters in the mail from colleges and I'm planning visits for schools that I may attend in roughly two years. It's scary and it definitely gets to me. Sometime I don't want to deal with it, but I know that I have to. It's just exhausting.

It's a well known fact that teenagers and in fact most adults don't get the recommended hours of sleep they should. A teenager should get between eight and ten hours of sleep to develop the best way possible. Only 15% of teens have reported getting eight hours of sleep a night. I know I don't get hours of sleep a night. On a good night I get seven, which isn't too far off, but it could definitely be better.

Irregular sleep patterns and sleeping in late after staying up late can mess up our biological clocks. Irregular sleep can also contribute to a harder time learning and concentrating, increasing your chances of acne, being more prone to snapping and lashing out at friends and family and increase your chance of getting sick.

Sleep is more important than most people realize, which is why we need to make it a priority. Avoid the television and most electronics within the hour of your desired bed time. Have a bedtime routine that you stick to each night so your body realizes that it is getting ready for bed. Make sure your room feels like a sleep haven. Make sure it is dark when you're trying to fall asleep and make it bright when you wake up, signaling the start of a new day to your body.

Some adults don't believe students are stressed. They believe we use it as an excuse to avoid responsibilities. I think this is true in some cases, but in most I believe students truly are stressed. It's a lot of work being a teenager, have responsibilities with family, school, work, after school activities and future college planning.

Being stressed is normal, but actively contributing to your stress is not ok. Make sure you get enough sleep and make sure you relax. Take time to breathe, meditate if you need to. Anything to make sure you stay sane.

Check out more information at these websites:
http://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2014/02/teen-stress.aspx

https://sleepfoundation.org/sleep-topics/teens-and-sleep

stay peaceful (and well-rested)!!

Martin Luther King Jr.

Today is MLK day. Martin Luther King Jr. was an incredibly brave man. I think we all know that, but I don't think we all appreciate it. I, being a white teenage girl in urban Iowa may not appreciate his movement as much as a seventy year old living in South Carolina, but I do know the significance.

When most people think of Martin Luther King Jr. they think of "I have a dream.." or of magnificent marches across cities to fight the injustice that many African Americans were enduring. MLK began his civil rights activism with a city-wide bus boycott initiated by Rosa Parks.

King was arrested 29 times for misdemeanor offenses related to his civil rights protested, often having to pay a fine. King was a religious man and would do anything to get rid of the "separate yet equal" laws that occupied the nation.

What causes me to admire King was his perseverance. He had so many times that he could've given up and resorted to violence as an act of protest, but he knew that would only set the civil rights and equality movement back.

I don't think MLK day is appreciated like it should be. I think for some high school students it's just another day off of school, which truly is unfortunate because our schools and our education would be completely different if Martin Luther King Jr. had never advocated for the rights of African Americans.

However, this afternoon I saw a tweet from a high school student that particularly bothered me. An African American teenage boy posted, "MLK would be proud of all the booty I get." This is insensitive and disrespectful to all of the work that MLK organized and completed. All of the protests he marched through and posters he held. All of the times he was arrested and thrown in jail. And his assassination. It's heartbreaking to think that people still don't realize how important MLK truly was and still is to this day.

"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." -Martin Luther King Jr.

stay peaceful (and grateful)!!