It's a wrap

This class had definitely brought to my attention many things going on around me that I had no clue about. Several things have sparked my interest and I want to have a serious role in making a difference. The birth control issue is probably first on my list, and I did do my power point project about it so I know different ways to get involved. Some of the other issues that we've covered have been eye opening for me, but the issue seems so complex and big that I don't even know where to begin! At this time in my life I am really focused on my marriage, school, and job, and I don't have much room or money to spare in light of what is going on in the world around me. I'd like to find a way to get involved, and I think that the internet is the best way to go about supporting a cause and not having to spend a great deal of time of money. It is pretty awesome that we have access to so many great causes at the tip of our fingers; all it takes it typing something in. I'm glad I've had the opportunity to enhance my role of womanhood and sense of self during this class. It was also a great experience to learn what our peers and other class mates had to say about these topics. It's been a wild ride and I don't regret the time, thought, or effort that has allowed me to see life in someone else's shoes.

it is a necessity in this day and age!

Reproductive rights is a big deal! The culture that is going on around us shows sex almost everywhere, and I feel like I have been grown up in a sex driven world. This is something that seriously concerns me when I have children, I certainly want to protect them from the obscenity that seems to have become a norm. The worst part of it all is that the government will not step in and say things have been taken too far, and yet they insist that abstinence is the key for these younger generations. Abstinence may have been the way to go in the 1950's, but if they hadn't noticed the world around them is encouraging sex to anyone of any age, and abstinence is like a long lost thought. Birth control and condoms should practically be thrown out on the streets the way teenagers have become so accustomed to sex. You cannot turn back what this society has become, instead you have to keep moving and do what is realistic. Sure, it would be nice if these generations were just so excited about abstinence and said no to sex, but that is certainly not the case, and statistics can prove that. The government needs to take a stand and stop worrying about promoting sex. I mean geeze, we've already had a president publicly have an affair, you can't get much worse than that. What is the harm in protecting these young generations that have grown up in a society that was produced by people such as the president Clinton and many others; and has tainted them with this sex crave anyhow? It is their duty to me to stand up and make the best of the situation and stop turning their backs to it.

not cool

Gendered violence is a scary situation. Considering the cultural ideals set in place by men that men are in control does not put any woman at ease. I am always on guard when out at night walking to my car or on campus by myself. It is sad that we have to live in fear for our lives. Men do not go through the kind of paranoia that most women have when it comes to simply trying to live out our lives in peace. You never know what power driven man is hiding in the bushes ready to pounce. It seriously creeps me out to even go running outside during the day by myself! Also the control within other cultures that is taken to serious degrees of control because of men. Watching the video our classmate posted online about the ten year old child married off was insane to think of! The parents insisted that they were doing what was best and that the husband promised not to touch her until she was twenty?! Do they really think that this forty year old man wants their ten year old child to raise as his own child, that is what it would honestly be if he wasn't having sex with her. Absolutely ridiculous! I blame the parents just as much as the husband. And then to find out that the husband got paid for it, wow, then you know it's a patriarchal society. It seems the women are just used and that is the extent of their lives. How do we stop this obscene abuse that occurs in every culture in some shape or form?

Not so sure

Welfare is an undecided issue for me. My thought is that it is a good idea that has greatly been taken advantage of, which really bothers me to think of some of the things my tax dollars are being wasted on. If it could be more closely monitored I think it would make me feel better about the program. Possibly the families, mothers, whomever could make a list of their monthly needs and someone could be sent out with them to buy the stuff, or the person could buy it and then bring it to their house; and when it comes to bills the checks should be written out monthly to cover the specific amount needed. Basically, I feel that a good deal of the people on welfare see it as free money and that doesn't motivate them to get out and look for a job when they know a check is coming their way. Also, people in poverty look for outlets to get away or numb themselves from life and end up turning to drugs, using the welfare money for it, instead of spending it on their children. I think that welfare should have some dramatic changes or a new program altogether should be created. Instead of sending out free money serious intervention needs to take place in many of these people's lives before you can trust them to spend money wisely. I feel that someone should be assigned to the people that are on welfare to talk with them, get to know their family and what aspects of intervention could motivate the mothers and open new doors of opportunities to move them forward and get them off of welfare as soon as possible, should be the ultimate goal. So many become content with living off of welfare and that is simply not acceptable. It should be there to lift you up, get you on your feet, and to make sure the kids are getting what is necessary for them to have what they need, and "needs" should be known and prioritized and not just assumed by those sending out the checks. These are my views anyway, any other outlooks on welfare?

whistle while you work

My background and life style has always had a pretty fair approach to housework. Since both of my parents worked neither one was at home all day with time to take care of the house. In fact, we all had different chores and responsibilities to take care. Both parents were always willing to use Saturday as time to set aside and get the house together and the children were expected to help out. Now days, since I am married I actually prefer to do most of the house work because he never seems get everything just how I want it, ha, but he is the cook of the house hold so it pretty much evens out. I can't see how house work should be considered paid labor. If you decided to get married and have a house hold it should simply be the responsibility of everyone living in that home to give their best efforts to keep it together. I can see how it must be frustrating for some women to be in a situation where they feel like the work they do is unappreciated and redundant, but that is more of a problem of the marriage relationship because the husband is not being supportive and thankful. It tends to happen in a lot of marriages, and that is why it is being categorized into an issue of unpaid
labor, where it doesn't necessarily belong, because the payment shouldn't be money, but love, respect, and gratitude from from the husband and children. I feel that some issues that are genderized are formed from a deeper level than gender alone, more so different life philosophies that haven't been discussed before marriage and the human nature of selfishness that tend to clash.

This goes out to women everywhere!

Nationality no doubt can define a woman's life based around the culture around her. Feminism has taken on a universal role of releasing women from oppression. It is obviously a necessary action when you can see that all over the world women seem to take a back seat. I would say that this all was initiated from men being the first to create governments during times when civilizations grew to be more complex. The women tended to always be occupied with continuing the human race and this left men with plenty of time to construct systems and laws that placed them as the number one priority which has continued for hundreds of thousands of year. Pretty scary from a woman's perspective to literally be born into a man constructed world of laws that will predetermine how she can live her life. I see this as extremely unfair, and it's not about changes only in my nation, but it needs to be addressed everywhere, so women can have their lives back! Once I get a job and can get settled into my own life I want to travel the world and do what I can to better the quality of life of women in particularly. Who knows how I will go about this, but I feel like so many women of the world that don't have technology in their homes can't see the changes happening else where around the world and therefore miss out on the motivation of helping your self out and getting out of bad situations. Women do not realize how strong and important they are, a little confidence and motivation can go a long way in revolutionizing this man driven existence. I hope I can be an asset to a new way of thinking for the lost souls of women around the world!

Touchy Subject

First off, I would like to state that homosexuality does not personally offend me, if that is what someone wants for their life and it does not affect me then I do not have anything against that person and their lifestyle. On the other hand, my religious beliefs do not condone it, so although I am not going to start a riot or anything against a lesbian or gay person I am agreeing to disagree.I see heterosexuality as what nature intended, man and woman equals the continuation of humanity, that is what God intended and that is why marriage was created. Being that marriage is a Godly creation and God specifically states that it is for man and woman in essence to represent God himself I do not see it appropriate for people of the same sex to be married. Now, in here lies the problem, because God was not the one to make up the laws that gives married couple all the special benefits in today's society, and that it is our government that indeed enforced those laws, that it should be the laws that are amended and added to cater to the homosexual population and that if they want to be a couple with these man given benefits that a new term should be coined and new procedures altogether for this style of partnership. America is the land of the free, where all religions are accepted, but that doesn't change that America was first created through Christianity that enabled this viewpoint of acceptance in the first place, and I think that it is disrespectful to try to change a huge part of Christianity that is honored by so many and considered bestowed on us by God because some people that may or may not be Christians do not follow the guidelines given. America does not try to change aspects of other religions so I do not see it necessary to change marriage, when the real change should be within the laws of the government. Yes, I think in all fairness homosexuals should have the same benefits that heterosexual married couples have, but in order for that to occur I think a new ceremony of partnership should be considered that does not interfere with Christianity.

This past year has been an eye opening experience for me when it comes to people with disabilities. Within the year I chose the major communication sciences and disorders because it is a job that works with people that have speech impairments for the most part, but also you come across a broad spectrum of many other disabilities that can can cause the speech impairments, and I felt that it would be a compassionate job that would benefit the quality of life of others. Choosing this major has placed me in several classes that have been specifically about disabilities, how to diagnose them, how to treat them, how to create opportunities to broaden their horizons, and how to not treat them as though having a disability makes them any less of a person. One of my classes was a special education class and it required volunteer hours, I chose to work my hours at the Woodrow Wilson Rehabilitation Center in Stanton, VA. It worked out rather perfectly because my roommate had just won the Miss. Greater Franklin County Pageant and her platform for Miss. Virginia was working with people with disabilities and she was also doing volunteer hours at Woodrow Wilson. It was a really special experience for both of us; because they had classes during the day to attend, we were asked to come in the late afternoon and to simply interact with the patients, that were mostly around are age. We had the chance to sit down and play board games, pool, watch movies, do arts and crafts, and go bowling. I had never interacted with people with disabilities on such a personal level, because in my field it is all about educating them and there are goals trying to be attained, so it was refreshing to become friends with so many of them and just to be in a laid back setting where they were all being themselves, not worried about the outside pressures of the world around them. I'll never forget the time I spent there and the impact they made on my outlook on life... enjoy what you have been given because you never know what someone else is going through, and try to be a friend to everyone.

It doesn't matter if you're black or white...or does it?

I think that white privilege definitely exists, and that it's pretty evident. Considering that the white man came over from Europe, claimed his land, fought numerous groups of people over it, and then made some laws to make sure it stayed that way, you'd better believe those laws were biased to whites specifically, and of course, as we've stated, to men in particular. The same laws that have given privilege to men also exist to make sure that it was the white man receiving those privileges, which is the very same reason that pretty much anyone that isn't a white man in America has had a heck of a time trying to be seen as an equal human being. Luckily the white men that wrote the laws left some loop holes that have allowed others to step back and reconsider what "All men are created equal" is supposed to mean and therefore question the American ideal freedom for all. Even though America has come such a long way there is still the underlying greed that has grown from having those privileges that some white men and even women now, do not want to give up, even if it is the fair thing to do. There have been so many lives that have been tormented from racism that time cannot take their pain away, and then it is passed down from generation to generation. It seems that their is so much hatred built up in people that they look only at color and forget that each person is totally different and has feelings that don't deserve to be hurt over something that happened in the past. I think that the younger generations are becoming better at looking past color and I can only hope that it will continue. For the mean time I agree that we should call out those that don't want change only for their own sake, never thinking of others. Always questioning society and aiming for the greater good of human kind, which I believe will lead to the greater good of America is a goal worth fighting for!