Economic Problems: Who To Blame?

The recent economic problems in the United States and throughout the world are devastating. However, they did not arrive without some warning. One must not blame the politicians, the banks, the auto-industry, etc. The finger of blame should be pointed at the sullen face in the mirror. Yes, that's right...YOU!

Most Americans tend to live their life without a care in the world. They buy what they want, as much as they want, and could care less about how their decisions tend to affect other people. People have forgotten how to take care of themselves and now require assistance from the government in order to live day-to-day. The government only exists because we are too lazy and greedy. Do you get along with your neighbor? Do you break into each other's house and take things that aren't yours? Do you get along with your ex-wife/ex-husband? Do you work together in order to raise your kid? Okay. I rest my case. So, why the need for government?

Human beings used to be able to grow their own food, build their own homes, provide their own transportation, trade with others for goods that they did not have, etc. We still do that today, however, we have other people do it for us. The business industry exists because people provide services that we refuse to do and would rather pay other people to do. Although it has made life easier for people, it has inevitably made us lazy and unable to fend for ourselves. People see a way to make a quick dollar and they exploit it until the bubble bursts ruining it for everyone (look at baseball cards and homes). We used to be able to be able to provide all of our own necessities and work out difficulties diplomatically. Because of our laziness, we have created ways to improve our lives and, at the same time, make us more vulnerable than we have ever been.

Why do car mechanics exist? Because people are too lazy to learn the functions of their own car and learn how to take care of it and keep it running efficiently. Now, we have auto mechanics who take advantage of uneducated (in terms of cars) people in order to make a profit. Not all auto mechanics are like this, but it does help them gain a financial edge on other competing businesses.

Why do restaurants exist? Fast-food is terrible for us, however, we consume more of that garbage now than we ever have in our history. Why? Because we're too lazy to do it ourselves.

"But I don't have enough time to shop, cook, and clean." Well, you're working at a job that has created that stress in your life. You have no one else to blame for your current financial and occupational situation.

"But I had kids". Well, nobody told you to have kids. You had plenty of opportunities to get a great education and better yourself, but you didn't do it.

"But my parents didn't raise me properly". Well, what makes you think that you're making things better for your kids by acting in the same manner that your parents did? You see, we all have excuses and we're all lazy. Yet, when faced with financial hardships such as the current one, we scream "foul!" and immediately find someone else to blame for our current situation. This is wrong and does not go to the root of the problem.

I argue that cars are a luxury and not a necessity. If you were able to separate your mind from your current situation and view the world from mine, you'd understand what I mean. When you really think about it, we really don't need to work at a job. The only reason we work is to pay for things that we don't need. We don't need to buy homes because we can build our own homes if we just learned how to do it on our own. We could feed ourselves if we learned how to properly farm our land. We could communicate with each other if we didn't expect instant gratification and responses. You see? All of our problems are created based upon OUR OWN laziness. We have nobody to blame but ourselves.

People who love their iPods, cars, computers, etc. all love something that was once a part of the Earth. Everything that we can touch comes from the Earth. What we consider to be wonderful and fun are usually things that are not necessary for the sake of living. We don't need televisions, we don't need chemical plants, we don't need computers, and certainly don't need people telling us what we need and what we don't need.

Human beings only need food, water, compassion (friends and family), shelter, and an education to fully take care of themselves and have the ability to teach their children what they know. There is nothing more than that. What you may consider a necessity, is simply not. The reason that you may think that certain things are a necessity are because of your personal choices and your laziness.

Sure, the internet has allowed for us to research topics, have an abundance of information at our fingertips, find love in another state or country, etc. However, those are all things that exist without the internet. You can fall in love without the internet and you can keep in touch with him/her without emails and/or webcams. You can find information without the internet, you just have to read more books or go to the library. Technology only makes us more lazy and more dependent on it. We have forgotten how to be human. We have forgotten how to exist as we once did. Life was hard back then, but one person's problem didn't tend to affect the lives of others. If someone couldn't build a home, they were left to not have a home. If they couldn't fish, tend cattle, or grow fruits and vegetables they starved. By embracing technology we are, in fact, regressing as a society.

Granted, technology has made life easier and allowed us to see and experience things that we probably never see or experience if that technology didn't exist. However, I believe that technological advances have taken away from many things. The beauty of a sunset on the beach is now available to anyone with a camera phone and/or a computer. Rare occurrences are now less impressive because of cameras and video cams. Love is now taken for granted because meeting someone else is so easy that it can be done by turning on a computer and paying for a bride from a foreign country. The experience of a game-winning homerun is now something that can be documented. When Babe Ruth called his shot in the World Series only the people at the game were able to see whether he did or not. Nowadays, everything is documented and the power of kid's bedtime stories are reduced into nothing. The experience of a Led Zeppelin, TOOL, or Pink Floyd concert is no longer limited to those to pay for the tickets to the show. Now, we have DVDs, camera phones, and video clips that we can watch to experience "somewhat" what an attendee experienced. Technology has decreased the value of things that were once held to be sacred and once-in-a-lifetime experiences.

We refuse to cook for ourselves, fix our own means of transportation, educate ourselves and/or our children, and dispose of our own waste. Everything that we can do for ourselves is contracted out to someone else. We now, at least in our own confused little heads, can blame other people for not adequately performing a duty that we are very capable of doing but are too lazy to do. What happened to self-perseverance and the ability to take care of ourselves? We are now weak, pathetic excuses for human beings. We deserve this financial crisis and we only have ourselves to blame for it.

Proposition 8: My Thoughts

I understand and respect both sides of the Proposition 8 issue. However, if marriage was traditionally a Christian practice then why are we rewarding that practice with tax breaks, benefits, etc. for married couples? If couples really loved each other and wanted to spend the rest of their lives together, they should be able to do it and not expect financial benefits. I believe that two people, regardless of their sex or sexual orientation, are capable of loving each other. Heterosexual couples marry each other for many reasons other than love. We see television shows about marrying a millionaire, a gorgeous bachelor/bachelorette, and couples marrying because of an unplanned pregnancy, etc. Who is to say that marriage itself is a "sacred" institution that should only be between a man and a woman? Why would any logical person be eager and willing to have the government get involved in their private affairs?

The problem at hand is this: many aspects of our current legal and tax system were created based upon this Christian practice known as marriage. I have no problem welcoming gay marriage and various other gay rights. However, there will need to be massive changes done to our current legal and tax laws. Who will be responsible for paying for that massive change?

I know how we can fund these changes. Since these laws exist based upon the historical Christian practice known as marriage, we should revoke every religion's 501(c)(3). A 501(c)(3) is a federal tax exemption for mostly charities, research organizations and various other organizations that are of some benefit to society. However, how many charitable organizations have the same massive buildings that religious organizations have? Do we see scientists with Armani suits, lavish homes, and flashy automobiles? No. We only see this within religious organizations.

Despite it being a Christian practice, all religious (heterosexual) marriages can enjoy the financial benefits of being married. With that being said, the 501(c)(3) tax exemption for all religions should be revoked. The funds that are created from the taxing of religious institutions should go towards fixing our legal system and tax codes so that people who truly want to get married should be able to do so and do it for the reason that it was originally intended: love.

Want "Change"? Come Get It!

Despite the excitement that surrounded this year's Democratic and Republican primaries, I believe that presidential primaries are detrimental to the American electoral process. Now, you might be wondering as to why I would say such a thing. If you're thinking that, I'm glad and I would be more than happy to explain my reasoning for feeling this way.

The excitement surrounding both the Democratic and Republican primaries swells and comes to a head right before the Iowa caucuses. There are a number of things that I notice around this time; 1) the excitement each candidate carries with them especially among their supporters, 2) how exciting and interesting the debates tend to be, 3) the vast number of different opinions on each debatable topic, 4) how open people are to discussing topics with other interested people regardless of political affiliation, and 5) the lack of political "mudslinging" between the candidates, their campaign staff, the media, and their supporters.

I think that it's an exciting time to see the United States elect the first African American president despite not having voted for him. To be honest, I don't feel that the Democratic or the Republican party represent the "change" that they both constantly remind us about whenever they get a microphone in their face. How can real change come from two political parties that are more stubborn than they are visionary? The truth is, it can't. Wait! Why is this so?

After the primaries are over both of the major party candidates need only to worry about the other candidate. They only need to dodge the attack that comes at them from one general direction. This forces each candidate to merely deny the other parties allegations and repeat over and over again what they have been saying for the last few months or so. The American public has been deprived from real change and the opportunity to experience a truly political revolution. The Democrats and the Republicans are both to blame for the current wretched state of politics in the United States.

People in the United States were excited to see Barack Obama elected President. They wanted change and they feel that change is possible with him as Commander in Chief. However, it's funny how similar Obama's current cabinet appears to be to that of Bill Clinton's from 1992-2000. I want what is best for my country and I feel that the American people have been duped into believing that they have only two choices each and every presidential election.

Let's say, hypothetically, that the United States got rid of its Democratic and Republican primaries. Let's evaluate the positives that this could bring to the American people: 1) choice (so many candidates to choose from), 2) variety of ideas (you'll hear so many different ideas that you'd be forced to listen), 3) lack of negative politics (each of the candidates will have to focus on their political platform and avoid looking unintelligent besides slinging mud at the other candidates), 4) more focus on the issues (forget the candidates religion, habits, etc.), 5) more excitement for a vast number of candidates (people will support their candidate; not the candidate that the party that they most likely vote for supports or nominates), 6) reduce the need for millions and billions of campaign financing that could go towards helping the American people (health insurance, intelligence, schools, etc.), 7) opens the door for anyone to run, regardless of socioeconomic status (if you're smart and understand the political process...there is no reason that you shouldn't run and challenge others to debate the issues with you), 8) forces candidates to argue their position against a number of different potential views on a number of topics (don't like either candidates position? Listen to the other candidates!), 9) allows more important domestic/international news to make the headlines besides those like "Does Race Matter?" and "Mitt Romney and Faith: What is Mormonism?" (the media LOVES gossip and garbage...let them start doing their job by investigative reporting, etc. NO MEDIA ENDORSEMENTS! Hold them to the same tax exemption status as religious figures...let the people decide for themselves), 10) allows the American people to make a decision that isn't affected or driven by useless and numerous polls, annoying/nagging phone calls, and allows them not be over-saturated in political non-sense. Sounds great, doesn't it? However, this will never happen as long as the American people continue to allow themselves to be forced to vote for a candidate that they didn't support at first.

How many people do you know who supported a candidate that didn't get nominated for their party? How exciting is it to vote for someone who you didn't initially support? Why do we continually allow our country and our elected officials to merely see things in black and white? What happens when you mix black and white together? You get grey. You really can't get much else mixing those two colors. What happens when you mix black, white, and any other color? You get something different. You get something brighter. You get change. Real change.

The United States is my home. I love my country and I'm willing to die for it. It aches me to see people swallow their pride in order to vote for a candidate that they didn't initially support and expect to see their country change for the better. Why do we accept that? How have we become so complacent?

Before the Iowa caucus, people can be seen discussing the political platform of their candidate and listening to two other people discuss their candidates positions and possibly, just possibly, hearing a position or view that they never really considered. This different opinion or position intrigues them. What is this? This, my friends, is how change comes about.

"How come my candidate does/doesn't support this?" or, "Why does my candidate feel so strongly about this, but neglects to consider this"? This is what political discussions are supposed to be like. It's supposed to challenge you, to challenge others, to make you think, to make others think, and to allow ourselves and others to hear a variety of different opinions. We used to be able to discuss politics in schools, at church, at the dinner table, and at work. However, because we have allowed ourselves to be pushed into a corner...we have now deprived ourselves of this luxury. A luxury that allows a nation and a people to be progressive and open to new ideas. We have robbed ourselves of these experiences, but there may still be hope for the next generation.

Conclusion: The American presidential primary is detrimental. It forces voters to support candidates that they didn't initially support, allows candidates to just appear electable and not really have a political platform to stand on, and tires the American people out before the actual election. Also, take this into account: a winning candidate receives roughly 49-55% of the total vote, which means that roughly 45-51% of the voters don't like and/or didn't vote for the winner. Primaries also have a history of upsetting people to the point of voting for the other candidate or simply not voting again. This alienates people and creates a huge pool of people who simply "don't care". As the most efficient and functional democracy on the planet, we sure don't have enough of our people voting. A large number of people choose to not vote because they could care less about either of the names on the ballot. People enjoy variety and choices. The American presidential primaries deprive us of this luxury.

My Plan: Get rid of the primaries. Limit campaign funding to only what they can raise from door to door campaigning, online fund raising, etc. We must limit the amount of money that major corporations donate to each candidate. Campaigns should be funded BY THE PEOPLE. If I donate $50 to a candidate and the owner of a major corporation donates thousands upon millions of dollars to that same candidate...who do you think that candidate will listen to more? Exactly my point. Money and financing should still serve somewhat of a purpose, but should not be the guiding force behind a campaign or provide a candidate an upper hand over another simply because they have more money.

What My Plan Will Accomplish: My plan will introduce a new breed of politics to the American people. Politics of change, politics of progress, and politics motivated by the will of the people and not by the amount of money in the candidates campaign account. People will hear new ideas, they will debate with people, they will get their children involved, and they will vote for who they want...not who they think will win. America's problems will not be solved with black and white ideas. Solutions and different visions come from the introduction of other colors (ideas).

"Voting for the lesser of two evils means that you're still voting for evil."

Brenden Foster

I saw a news story about an 11 year old boy named Brenden Foster. This extraordinary kid was and is facing death in the face. Brenden has leukemia and it has overtaken his body. However, it hasn't overtaken his heart and his ability to influence other people. His dying wish was to compel others to help feed the homeless. Because his weakened frame had prevented him to participate physically, his strengthened heart motivated other people to act on his behalf. People from all over the area decided to come together and make hundreds of sandwiches for the homeless. They did this because they wanted to help make this young man's dying wish come true. Brenden, at the current time, is still alive and smiling. He lives in Lynwood. His story touched my soul and made me realize that certain situations bring out the best in certain people and that it sometimes compels us to act in a selfless manner. Because of his wish to help those less fortunate than us, I want to write something for him so that his life and his message of compassion for others shall live on. Brenden, this is for you.

You may not know me, but I know you,
Your story touched me in ways that I cannot explain,
Many years separate the two of us, but your maturity surpasses mine,
Your last wish was to help those less fortunate,
A completely selfless act of compassion, you touched my soul,
You seem older than your age,
Because of your maturity and ability to put others first,
You urged others not to cry for you,
It was hard, but I managed not to cry,
You didn't want leukemia to cause another tear,
Such a brave young man,
You also wished to become an angel to watch over those you love,
I hope that your dream comes true,
Because you deserve it,
You deserve so much more,
Many of us complain about numerous things,
Your problem was much greater than ours,
And yet, you found it in your heart to help others,
When we complain, we're only thinking about ourselves,
You were faced with leukemia,
All you could think about was to help those less fortunate,
It makes me think,
It makes me wonder where you find your strength,
You are much braver than I,
You are stronger than I will ever be,
Thank you for your message,
Thank you for your courage,
Thank you for being who you are and always were,
A young man with a huge heart,
A heart capable of loving without biases,
A heart unable to withhold love for anyone, regardless of who they were,
A heart that grew stronger as your body grew weaker,
When you go, I want you to know,
That your family loves you dearly,
Know that everyday that you were on this Earth...that you were loved,
And I want you to also know,
That although you may not know who I am,
I love you.

A Night At the Falls

Driving on a dark highway,
I am alone,
However, not for long,
Going to meet someone,
Haven't done anything like this in a long time,
Very nervous, don't know what to expect,
I pull up front, she gets in and the first thing that hits me...
She smells amazing,
She's gorgeous, trying very hard not to look,
Focus on the road, you'll see her soon enough,
Small talk; wow, her voice sounds so innocent...so sweet,
Park the car, start walking towards Snoqualmie Falls,
She nudges me, begin to feel better,
Finally reach the look-out point, I finally get a good look at her,
Absolutely speechless, she's amazing, sweet, beautiful, and adorable,
Slowly get closer, her smell still potent, still effective,
She teases me by getting really close,
Is this a kiss? No, she's playing a little game,
God, I want to taste her lips, come try that again,
She gives in, our lips meet, describe the situation?
Heart racing, goosebumps, butterflies gone, overly-stimulated,
Amazing kiss, that was the first and definitely won't be the last,
Pulling back, her beauty leaves me absolutely speechless,
"What?" she says as my eyes feast upon her beauty and her eyes,
Her eyes...so blue, her smile...so warm, her kiss...so fulfilling,
Her touch...so satisfying, her skin...so soft, her face...so beautiful,
Is this really happening? She's amazing,
Mind is completely blank...she is all that I see, feel, taste, touch, and hear,
Never met anyone like her before, she's so sweet,
Her skin satisfies every part of my palate,
Her kiss quenches my thirst and my longing for perfection,
Her eye's gaze pulls me in and makes me feel helpless,
The sound of the waterfall is barely audible,
Everything about her has consumed me,
We remain close the entire evening, I cannot get enough of her,
Every kiss is as great as the first,
The entire night: 3 1/2 total hours,
The best 3 1/2 hours of my entire life,
As she walks back to her door, I finally breathe,
On the drive home, everything about that night is so very vivid,
Every noise, every taste, every kiss, every touch, every glance,
She is the epitome of everything that I've ever wanted but could never have,
She brought back feelings that I haven't felt in years,
I felt so alive that night, everything was so...well...perfect,
She was absolutely perfect,
If I never experience another night like that for the rest of my life...
I'll die a happy man,
To just be that close to something that perfect...
Is enough for me,
That night was amazing in every sense of the word,
She awoke something inside of me that has been dormant for so long,
She made all of these feelings possible,
As I lay in bed, I smile; so this is what it feels like...
This is what it feels like to be absolutely happy,
So fulfilled, so satisfied, so giddy, and so excited,
All of this possible because of her,
The most amazing woman that I have ever met.

Who Am I?

I often ask myself, "Who am I?"
The answer lies within my soul,
I am what I have always been,
I am what I will forever be,
I am me and nothing more,
A broken heart in need of mending,
A smile that breaks through tears,
A warm embrace that caresses,
A kiss that shatters self-loathing,
A smirk from the executioner,
Glimmer of light in the shark's eye,
All part of me, but I am me,
I am the smile of the graduate,
I am the laughter of a child,
I am the face of a first Christmas,
I am a first kiss' goosebumps,
I am a woman's lingering perfume,
I am the sound of the crashing waves,
I am the smell of the beach,
I am the crack of the bat,
I am the roar of the crowd,
I am the first glimpse shared by a newlywed couple,
I am the face of a new parent,
I am hope, I am free,
I am everything that I want to be,
I am me and nobody can take that way,
I am me despite what other people say,
I am every dream that eventually came true,
I am me and I am the dream that comes true for you,
I am the light at the dark tunnel's end,
I am me and I am your friend.

Abysmal Return

Spiral into me, take me beyond the barriers,
I feel it now, deeper than it has ever been,
Here is the darkness, watch me disappear,
Take another step, watch the colors melt,
Feel the anger, the pain lying deep within,
I'm no longer myself, shapeshifter I've become,
The dark overwhelms the light, sucks me under,
The grasp so tight, the tenacity so unbearable,
Reach beyond the limits, feel me fall further,
Fallen too far, begging to be empty,
Given up all hope, yet something beckons,
Sharp edges tear into flesh, pain is pleasure,
Lifeless I've become, another drink of night,
Pitch black is my soul, feel its tightened grip,
One last glimpse, before I close my eyes,
To see the light just once, to feel the warmth,
Free me from this pain, I've become it,
It has enveloped me, I'm fully surrounded,
Gnashing teeth, dig deeply into me,
Start to descend, feeling at home,
Hopeless and lifeless, limp existence,
Vow to never return, complete transcendence,
Metamorphosis, vengeful darkness,
Drag me into the nothing, take me,
Move into the abyss, suck me in,
Further down the spiral, I am complete.

About A Woman

What is it about a woman that brings a man back down to Earth?
How can a woman be everything to one person?
Those who criticize other men have never felt this,
They have never become vulnerable and fully opened up,
They laugh at other men for being happy,
They walk around without a care in the world,
They think that they know it all and that they're always in control,
Yet they long for a woman's touch and the warmth of her lips,
They miss it because they, too, once had what other men now have,
They realize the wrongs they did, but blame others for their faults,
They cringe at public displays of affection, yet wish that it was them,
Who holds hands? Not a real man, but a weaker one,
When was the last time your hand held the hand of a woman?
Why is your heart so cold? Why do you barricade others out?
Have you created this world or are you truly a victim?
There are no victims in the game of love,
Love has global compatibility, all who breathe can experience it,
I breathe, yet find myself unable to open up to become vulnerable,
Why is that? Have I been hurt in the past? Do I fear getting hurt again?
I'll tell you what I miss about a woman,
I miss lying in bed on a rainy Saturday talking the day away,
I miss the smile on the other side of the bed every morning,
I miss the hearing the phrase, "I love you",
I miss knowing so much about someone and returning the favor,
I miss eating ice cream after a walk in the park on a warm summer day,
I miss sitting on a blanket on the beach discussing the meaning of life,
I miss having someone to challenge me and make me question my own beliefs,
I miss having someone else tell me that I have bad breath in the morning,
I miss telling someone else that they have bad morning breath too, but that it doesn't matter,
I miss deep, passionate kisses that seem to leave a lasting impact,
That's for sure because I'm still feeling the effects of them,
I miss not being alone and knowing that someone is always close,
I miss having someone in bed to discuss my dreams and to tell me her dreams as well,
I miss first kisses, camping trips, and ventures into the unknown,
I miss deep, penetrating eyes that can level me,
I miss the taste of a woman, the smell she leaves after taking a shower,
I miss her bad cooking and her criticizing my terrible cooking as well,
I miss growing closer to someone and allowing them access into your soul,
However, I miss one thing more than anything else,
I miss who I used to be when I was with her,
I miss the times I would kiss her hand, her forehead, and her soft, subtle lips,
I miss the times that I would make her feel as if she was the only woman in the world,
I miss making her smile, especially when she was having a bad day,
I miss asking her questions that would lead to eventual discussions,
I miss making her oatmeal on a cold, winter day,
I miss making love to her and the goofiness that follows such a session,
I miss washing her clothes and smelling her perfume,
I miss buying her things other than flowers because I tried to be original,
I miss forgetting a Valentine's Day and having to apologize for it,
I miss arguing with her and having to apologize for it later,
I miss caressing her face and I miss her underwear that I despised,
I miss her getting upset at me for forgetting something,
I miss her sleeping in the car because I miscalculated the travel time,
I miss her trying to keep me awake on the road after a concert at the Gorge,
I miss her negatives and all of the things that I swore I would never miss,
Why is that, you may ask?
It's because I miss her.
I miss everything that she was, is, and ever will be,
I miss the things that I loved about her and the things that I hated about her.
I miss double dates and walks along the waterfront.
I miss the things that only she could give me.
She was special and I didn't realize that until now.
I'm living the life that I made for myself and I'm the only one to blame.
I may walk around laughing at guys in jewelry stores, but the bottom line is...
I wish that it was me.
I wish I had someone that I loved that much.
I wish I loved someone more than 3 months pay.
I wish I had someone to hold and to protect.
I wish I knew how to fix it all.
I wish I could have it all back.
I wish I knew and understood that that isn't possible.
I wish I was who I once was, but no longer am.
I miss how she made me feel.
I miss how her eyes would make me forget about a mistake.
I miss how her morning breath, although bad, made me laugh in the morning.
I'm sorry for who I have become.
I'm sorry for what I have done and how I now act.
You have moved on and I have moved on.
I haven't really, but I act like it.
You were wonderful and remain that way today.
I missed out and pushed you beyond the point of return.
I want you to find happiness because you deserve that much.
I deserve what I have brought upon myself.
I deserve writing poems like this at one o'clock in the morning.
I deserve missing what we once had.
I deserve the emptiness within my soul that you once filled.
I deserve everything that an insecure man has.
I am an insecure man.
However, I can say this with honesty and conviction.
I truly did love you more than anything else in the world.
I loved you so much it hurt to see you drive away.
I loved you so much that I had to let you go.
It was for your own good.
We truly, deeply loved each other and nobody can take that away from us.

Through the Eyes of A Child

The eyes of a child, innocent, ignorant, and yet so full of wonder,
Nearly every experience is a "first", every day brings something new,
Amazement, horror, bright, honest, and full of life,
The gaze of a child carries much energy and electricity,
Impossible to ignore and eager to learn,
What do I look like to a child?
What happened to those eyes that I once had?
A child...
Life's most absorbent sponge waiting to suck it all in,
As we sit by and only suck in what we want, what we can,
We age and we create channels. Channels with biases,
Children know no biases, only from what they're taught,
What if they were never taught biases? Would they be different?
What does it take for them to maintain their absorbency?
To be so young and vulnerable, yet amaze with their intelligence,
To make crucial decisions as an adult, but to do them through the eyes of a child,
What would be different? Would it be better? Would it be worse?
What if learning is its own punishment? What if children understand more than we do?
The first tickle, the first sight of fireworks, the first taste of lemons,
All amaze and bewilder a child,
How often do we experience situations or events like that?
The more we do and experience the fuller our "sponges" become,
Learning is the pursuit of answers,
Answers to questions only learning brings,
I miss the simpleness of being a child and the joy of experimenting,
Maturity is synonymous with pain, aggravation, and loss,
Loss of innocence, loss of life, loss of love, and loss of inner-joy,
The more I learn the more I become disgusted with the world,
The more I learn the more I feel helpless in a world full of uncontrollable situations,
The more I learn the more I feel in control yet not, all at the same time,
The more I control the more I feel lost and unable to grasp basic concepts,
Through the eyes of a child, what have I done wrong?
Do I need to regress and allow myself to be carried?
Too old to be carried by my parents, who shall carry me until I die?
God? The existence of a God is troublesome for me and has given me no comfort,
A child...taken care of by his/her parents, a child...taken care of by the world,
An adult...cared for by his/her family/loved ones, an adult...neglected by the world,
As we age the world gets smaller and more complex,
I fear complexity and wonder about the complications that accompany it,
What happened to simple? The simplicity once felt as a child, simplicity as a whole,
My entire world was simple, black and white, easier to enjoy,
Enjoyment as an adult is much harder and not as easy to come by,
Is this inevitable or is it a fault unto myself? Where, if even, did I go wrong?
I wish to close my eyes and open them to see the world through the eyes of a child,
To love what I hate and to embrace what I have always rejected and avoided,
To hug those I dislike and to find laughter at every difficult situation,
The eyes of a child, I miss the closeness we used to share,
Everything was 50/50, nothing was ever taken for granted,
If you miss me as well, meet me in my favorite childhood memory,
You remember, don't you? It is a memory only you and I shared,
As I close my eyes tonight I'll be calling for you, beckoning for your return,
I've missed you as I'm sure you have missed me, please return with haste,
You won't have to look very hard, it's quite obvious where I'll be,
I'll be sitting there, waiting to unlearn what I've learned,
We'll have much to talk about, catching up is always enjoyable,
Out of everything in my life there is only one thing that I miss,
The view that I once saw through the eyes of an eager and innocent child.

What One Must Fully Understand

I tend to get into debates with people regarding the use of US military forces and the relations between various other nation-states. In order to allow a very good debate or discussion to take place a few things must be made clear between the two arguing sides:

1) I believe in the "democratic peace theory". I believe that countries that function like democracies diminish the possibilities of war. Democratic states are those that: the regime is held accountable during elections, they recognize basic human rights, have a free and open press, provide basic social services for those who desperately need them, have a functioning police and military force that enforces the stability of that state and the protection of their people, and that function within a capitalistic economic system.

2) "Democratic peace theory" is the belief that conflicts and wars will occur less and less as more and more countries become democratic. Throughout history, very few, if any, wars have taken place between countries that were considered to be democratic. Democracies do not fight each other; they work with each other and realize that hostile actions can have profound consequences on them because they are democratic and function economically by free and open capitalistic markets.

3) Peace, although desired by all, cannot always be attained by diplomacy and non-violent intervention. The stronger hold a leader has on his/her people the harder it will be to change, alter, or remove them from power.

4) The United Nations, though being a "toothless tiger", must re-legitimate itself by punishing those that fail to meet the guidelines of UN Resolutions. They must also become more apt to use military intervention when needed and do so with an overwhelming military presence. Case in point: Iraq after Desert Storm. The UN did nothing but impose economic sanctions to punish Saddam for his failure to comply with UN Resolutions. Those sanctions only hurt the people of Iraq and not Saddam himself. A leader who is not held accountable of his/her actions by the institution of open and free elections cannot be properly punished by economic sanctions. The only way to ensure proper punishment is to either remove that leader via military intervention and/or forcing the leaders of that country to become democratic. Saddam didn't comply with UN Resolutions because he was never held accountable for his actions due to his extremely oppressive control and rule by his Ba'thist Party for 40+ years. Being a democratic state ensures that the will of the people can remove that leader and replace him/her with one who will help them modernize and will do so by following the rules and respecting basic human rights.


5) Restricting basic human rights by any leader should be frowned upon and immediate action should take place. A society without a free and open press, free and open elections, respect for women's rights, freedom of religion, etc. is not a democratic state. Countries that do not fulfill basic human rights will be forced to do so either by threat of military intervention and/or regime change. A countries leader cannot be held accountable and in check by a citizenry that is weakened by lessened human rights.

6) The United States cannot accurately be called a "democracy". We also must critically look at ourselves just as we look at other countries and realize what we need to do to promote democracy and human rights worldwide. Each state must be willing and able to adjust themselves to ensure that we are practicing what we are preaching. There will be no actions that can be seen as hypocritical.

After this is fully understood by the other person, a positive and progressive discussion can now take place.

The unilateral decision to invade Iraq has weakened the United States' reputation across the globe, but more so in the Middle East. This could have and should have been prevented. How?

I argue that the decision to militarily remove Saddam Hussein was justified and very much needed in order to promote the "democratic peace theory". The United States chose to act because the UN chose not to act. Saddam remained in power for 12-13 years because the UN failed to strictly enforce the consequences of non-compliance by Saddam to their numerous UN Resolutions. I don't encourage the use of military force or violence. However, I feel that military action is needed especially when the leader of a particular country continues to mock various international organizations and various other states. Hostile actions by any leader must be looked down upon and handled immediately to prevent worse actions or atrocities.

People think that peace can be obtained by allowing other states to function on their own and that any aggressive military action is preventable. This view, despite sounding great in theory, is not possible in the world in which we now live in. World peace cannot and will not be possible until each and every country practices democracy, promotes and observes basic human rights, and allows its elected government to function under a fair system of checks and balances. Until this happens, war, violence, and military intervention will be a commonality in international affairs.

The United Nations must also regain legitimacy by taking an active role in preventing genocide and oppression on any group of individuals. How can this come about? There are a few things that need to take place:

1) All countries that have a seat at the UN must appropriate a certain amount of soldiers to assist in humanitarian interventions. For example: the current situation in Sudan must be handled immediately and without hesitation. The combined forces will enter the country prepared to imprison or kill any person holding a weapon. After the country has been intervened, the two sides must sit down and work out an agreement to end the violent hostilities within that country and across other borders, if need be. If an agreement cannot be worked out, the countries with intervening forces within Sudan will come up with their own agreement that will be unfair to both sides and will be strictly enforced by the UN's new aggressive military forces. Once an agreement is created and signed by both parties the government of Sudan will be held accountable of enforcing those rules. If the Sudanese government fails to do so, they will be threatened with a military intervention and possible regime change. If they still do not comply, an invasion will take place and a fair and accountable regime will be put into place. A constitution will also need to be created, followed by the creation of a police force and military force.

People will feel that the country should be able to come up with their set of rules and ruling regime. Very true and I agree with this statement very much. However, if a country really wanted to do this they would have done so already. Democracy must spread throughout the world like wildfire and countries must be run by legitimate leaders who are held accountable for their actions by fair and frequent elections. If they fail to even attempt to do any of this, they will be faced with a possible military intervention and regime change. If a state shows signs of progress, but is unable to fulfill expectations on time they can apply for an extension. However, this extension will only be granted once and will only last one year or, if during a leader change, one year after the new leaders first day.

If a country does not want to be interfered upon than this deadline will force them to get along to work out the future of their own country. If they can't get along now, they will never get along anytime in the near future. Participation in this process will be mandatory and given one year to work out the creation of democratic institutions. After one year, each country will be evaluated based upon their progress and participation. Each case will be handled on a case-by-case basis.

2) UN participation should be highly encouraged and heavily promoted. If states can't financially afford some way to contribute to certain causes they can help out in other ways. However, being democratic and capitalist will only hinder some excuses that some countries may make.

3) Every action will be debated in an open forum and must include every member of the UN. Each member must contribute to the discussion in some way and one, two, or three members MAY NOT dominate the discussion in any way. Listening should occur more than speaking.

Unilateral military intervention should be eventually phased out over time and legitimizing the UN and the heavy promotion of global democracy will help make this happen. Violence, although not desired, is and will be needed at some point down the line and no state should opposed to the possibility of this. Diplomacy can happen, but powerful, unchecked leaders make diplomatic solutions less likely.

We will fight global oppression by providing (collectively) computers and internet access to every town across the entire globe. The lessened amounts of money spent on military build-ups for all countries will go towards making information and knowledge much more easily accessible. Oppression, preventable diseases, and ethnic hatred comes with the lack of information and knowledge. The world will only move forward if we actively promote education and the wonders of the internet and technology. This technology will allow immediate notification of any problem taking place. The horrors of Myanmar only continued because of the control of the internet, information, and the oppression of the people. Having worldwide internet access will make situations like this less likely and easier to address immediately. Technology, unlike what George Orwell wrongly predicted, is our best weapon for fighting global ignorance and for promoting education and democracy. Intelligence and education are an oppressing powers kryptonite. The time to act is now.


The world can experience world peace and global participation. This will provide a much more stable planet that can collectively focus on climate change, genocide, natural disasters, and the betterment of humankind. We can one day hold hands with each other knowing that we worked together to fight oppression, preventable diseases, global hunger, climate change, and promote basic human rights in order to make the world a better place for all people. The United States knows that we cannot make this happen on our own and unilateral commitments only weaken our ability to defend ourselves and extend a helping hand elsewhere. Our respect for basic human rights and our example of a democratic government will help lead the way to a brighter future, not only for us, but for the entire planet. Individual success will come with collected success. The future of the world lies within our inner desires for peace and tranquility.

HUB Subway Employees

My military interventions course starts at noon and ends at 2:15pm. After sitting for two hours in a hot classroom I like to sit down and enjoy a Subway sandwich before sitting in the library to read and study. I've always enjoyed eating Subway and usually like the people working there. However, the Subway in the University of Washington's HUB (Husky Union Building) is the worst one I've ever been to. The quality of the food isn't really the issue, although I have noticed that there is an obvious difference in how they portion certain condiments. The employees that work there are terrible, with one exception. There are two employees there that have been making my sandwich for the last year that I've been attending the UofW. These two ladies (both Asian and around 50 years old) are always grumpy, ill-tempered, and neither one of them ever smile. I don't accept the notion that not smiling is a "cultural thing" because it just doesn't fly here in the United States. If these two ladies genuinely dislike their line of work then they need to find another line of work. As a paying customer, I refuse to feel as if I'm wasting their time and making their day more stressful. They applied for that position knowing the details of the job and they should either suck it up and accept it or get out and let someone who really needs a job fill their spot. There are plenty of hardworking people out there that would gladly work a stressful, high-intensity job just so that they could put food on their table, pay their bills, and pay all of their other living expenses.

Here is my point: businesses take themselves too seriously. They honestly believe that "even though we may not provide the best customer service or the best overall product, the customers will always come back". Sadly, their philosophy has held to be quite true. People may really hate going to Walmart, but because of their low prices and numerous store locations many people don't have many other options. If people have the option to not go back to a business after experiencing very poor service they should do it. I understand that not everyone can exercise this option and I respect that. However, you should file a complaint against that employee. I have filed a complaint with Subway and I hope to never see those two grumpy, old, crusty women again. Instead, Subway should hire two young kids who need extra money to pay their tuition, rent, or to give them some extra spending money to enjoy their college life more and stress their parents out less.

I'm tired of people always complaining about their job and where they work. If it's so terrible...quit. Nobody is keeping you there. If you have an easy job and are barely scraping by you should have nothing to complain about. If you're in that position you have no one else to blame but yourself. Quit making other people feel guilty for your poor choices. You should accept that you are fortunate enough to have a job, bottle your emotions, and act like nothing is wrong. Those are the perfect ingredients for a great spicy Italian Subway sandwich.

If you receive poor service you're probably not the only one. If you complain and others complain action will have to be taken on behalf of that particular business. They would rather keep you as an on-going customer than to keep a grumpy employee that makes customers feel like crap. I hope these two ladies get a wake-up call and realize that they are no longer living in their former country. They chose to come to the United States to improve their quality of life. We didn't ask you to come here and you weren't taken from your home by force. You chose to come here so you have to adapt to our customs. We like great service and our money speaks volumes. We will not accept the excuse that your grumpiness is a "cultural difference". Yes, we respect and encourage people to hold on to their cultures and we want to learn about other cultures and learn from them, but we will not allow our money to go waste to support a grumpy employee.

Barack Obama

I remember watching the 2004 Democratic Convention on TV. After Barack Obama gave his speech, in the same way that Ronald Reagan gave his speech in 1968 for Barry Goldwater, I remember saying, "This guy is going to be the first black president of the United States". At the time, I wanted to know much more about him; I was hooked. I bought his first book "Dreams of My Father" and I read most of it. I'll be the first to admit it, I liked him. As a person, I liked him. He sounded like an average person. However, I changed a lot over the last 4 years. I started off as a communist/socialist, experimented with the far right and read everything ever written by Barry Goldwater, went out with a liberal group that drank beer and discussed politics called "Drinking Liberally", drifted towards the middle, and finally made my transition to a more conservative stance. Now, I'm not one of these radical conservatives that refuses to challenge his own beliefs, but I tend to be quite conservative...at least financially/economically. I, personally, think abortion is a disgusting act; however, I feel that it is and always should remain a woman's choice. I support welfare, but only to help people get back on their feet. I've seen it work and I believe that it is necessary to help hard-working people who run into difficult times. I believe that international issues are America's business and we should intervene when it's necessary and if it's possible financially and militarily. I believe that the United States should start raising taxes to start paying off the war in Iraq. The majority of people in America have not and do not feel the effects of living in a country in a state of war; this needs to change. I support the war in Iraq because of the vital need of having another functioning, self-sufficient democracy in the Middle East. Aside from all of that, I am hard to pin down politically.

Barack Obama, in 2007, began showing his true colors and those colors are more obvious now than they ever were. The Obama that we see now can't stand behind a podium and give magnificent speeches and call it a day. He must now be placed in the pressure cooker and face the hostilities that many politicians face on a daily basis. To date, Obama carried his far-left beliefs through the primaries to finally defeat Hillary Clinton for the Democratic Party nomination. Since then, we have all seen how much Obama has changed. He changed his stance on the Iraqi troop withdrawal, his non-support for the troop surge (which has and continues to work), his stance on campaign finance, and has not put any focus on the black and hispanic communities. He rearranges the truth to fit what he has said in the past. When faced with criticism on his past stances, he dances around the issue and refuses to admit that he has, in fact, changed positions. My question to Obama supporters is, "How can you trust someone who can't stand firm on anything?" How do you know what he stands for if he keeps changing his views and positions? A person can only dance so much before he gets tired and gets caught sleeping. Case in point: John Edwards. We all felt bad for John and the rest of the Edwards' family after hearing that Elizabeth had breast cancer. We saw how compassionate John was for his wife and we felt warm inside for seeing a husband stand by his wife in her time of greatest need. However, we now see how much we were fooled...myself included.

Not only had John gone out and had an affair, but he, most likely, also conceived an illegitimate child from this affair. From this day on, John Edwards has no moral ground to stand on. Any future chance of running for president is shot and any future doing anything else is pretty much shot. John was the democrat that I supported the most despite not being a democrat. He was a great politician, but he sure comes up short in the morality department.

Barack Obama is now what Michael Jackson was to the 1980s. He's a token black guy that has a lot of white friends and can be black when he wants to be black and can be white when he wants to be white. People in the media that keep asking if race will have anything to do with this upcoming election are beating a dead horse. Of course race will play a huge factor in this election. This election may be historical on an age and color basis, but it will have no redeeming value to it. The GOP has done a fairly poor job running this country the last 8 years and it has forced the American public to nominate an inexperienced black guy and an over-the-hill crusty, white guy who sold himself out just to finally get his name on the ballot. The John McCain from 2000 was a real political machine: military experience, maverick, called out the conservative Christian leaders as "wacko", and ran the campaign that he wanted to run. However, because of the current political climate, he has failed to stay the same politically. The conservatives wanted Romney, but the independents wanted McCain. The Bush Administration pushed a lot of their voting base to the middle and this could have a lot to do with the fact that a real conservative politician wouldn't stand a chance against either Obama or Clinton.

I feel that Obama is doing what he doesn't want to do, but is being forced to do...gravitate towards the middle. If Romney would have gotten the nomination for the Republican Party Obama could have easily kept a lot of his leftist leanings because of the political polarity of the two candidates. However, there appears to be a developing trend in American politics. Romney once ran against Kennedy as a Democrat. He was against the NRA, supported abortion, and supported gay marriage. However, he lost an election standing on those grounds. Despite his defeat, American politics allows politicians to "reinvent" themselves politically and are able to do so with little hostility.

I then feel inclined to ask this question, "What good are political beliefs if they can constantly change without criticism?" I have faced much criticism because of my change in political view, but that tends to happen to young men and women during their mid-twenties and early thirties. We tend to accomplish more, get paid more, get better jobs, and enjoy living better lifestyles. We support welfare when we're young, but oppose it as we get older and become more successful. It's like not having an opinion on abortion or being pro-choice until a woman chooses to abort the child that you and her created together. You see, we experience different things in life and those experiences change how we see the world. You may vote against school levies in the beginning, but vote for them when your children's education is affected by the outcome of that initiative. You may vote against an initiative to provide more money to the public library, but when you have a child who loves to read and study at the library you see how important those extra funds really are. I hope you see where I'm going with this.

Political changes are common for most people. The only political group that doesn't change that often are senior citizens. They're on a limited budget as it is and they overwhelmingly vote against any initiative that further deprives them of their monthly income. However, the young generations of people constantly change because of changes within their own lives. Social security is never an issue until you're old enough to collect or know someone personally who benefits from it after becoming physically handicapped or have lost a parent or spouse. You see, core values aren't core values because life isn't consistent. Once you get married and have all of the children you'll ever have you might begin to develop a sense of core values. Property taxes, school levies, marriage/child tax credits, etc. will affect how you vote, but this is in no way permanent. This could change the second a particular issue hits close to home for you.

After much thought and consideration, I'm still not voting for Obama or McCain. I'm still voting for Ron Paul. However, I'm pretty sure that my political views will change as I graduate college, begin my career, get married, start a family, see my parents grow older, and prepare for my own retirement days. A lot can happen and nothing is for certain. That is why I understand why Obama and McCain have altered their political views, but I do not support them. They're not doing it for anything else besides trying to get elected. I understand how someone can change politically because of a personal issue or a life-altering situation. The United States will continue to see this political pendulum that has existed for hundreds of years. People in the 1980s loved Ronald Reagan, but were disgusted of George H.W. Bush's handling of the economy and voted in William Jefferson Clinton. The economy flourished with Clinton because of the dot-com boom, but he failed horribly in his foreign policies. George W. Bush has done a poor job domestically, but has possibly created a very important democratic state in the Middle East. Before you criticize how Bush "lied" to get us into the war in Iraq, consider how history has explained this decision. Kennedy sent troops to Vietnam after failing horribly with the Bay of Pigs. Saddam sent his troops into Kuwait in the attempt to raise their hopes after fighting Iran for 8 bloody years. Clinton bombed Iraq amidst his political scandal with Monica Lewinsky. Bush used 9/11 as a motivating force to get troops into Iraq to establish a democratic state in the Middle East. The whole issue of "weapons of mass destruction" was just an excuse to get us into a war with unlimited funding appropriations. The American public and the UN Council would never buy the excuse of democracy promotion or regime change and that is why they chose to "create" a reason to invade. They knew that Saddam wouldn't back down and publicly state that Iraq didn't have weapons of mass destruction. He wouldn't do that because he would be viewed as a weak leader in the Middle East and face a possible Iranian attack. For example, let's use the American Pie example with the girl spreading rumors that Finch had a massively large "member". He didn't deny it and whether or not it was true was regardless. It was only what people were told and believed that mattered. No guy would admit to having a less than average size penis and this is a great analogy to the psychology behind Saddam's refusal to deny that Iraq did, in fact, possess weapons of mass destruction.

We are now seeing how poorly the GOP has left this country and how little the democrat controlled Congress has done to correct it. That's the beauty of politics: it's always changing. So, if you find yourself changing your political beliefs it's okay. However, try to understand why they're changing and try to understand that people can indeed change. People who refuse to change despite learning new facts, are a rarity. A politician changing their political stances and views should be understood, but ridiculed as well. They, unlike you, have a motive for changing and it's important for you and the rest of the citizens to find out why and hold them accountable. Every action a politician makes should be reviewed and taken into account. As Ghandi once said, "Be the change that you see". It's up to you to decide what that change is and what needs to happen in order for that change to take place.

Dark Knight

I just got back from watching the highly anticipated sequel to Batman Returns titled Dark Knight. I'm going to set aside the Heath Ledger comments for now because that seems to be all that anyone is talking about right now. Wow, where to begin. I feel as though I had just finished watching a rarity in American cinema. Not only was this film extremely rewarding, it was also very well done. It broke off from what viewers typically expect from an action/hero film.

The one thing that stands out about this movie was Christian Bale's noticeable size difference. One recommendation for Mr. Bale in the future: don't act in a role as demanding as The Machinist if you're planning on doing an action film following that. In Batman Begins, Bale is very large and tone. In Dark Knight, Bale has a more frail appearance. I don't know if this was Chistopher Nolan's intention, but Christian Bale's performance was actually quite grounded. Dark Knight focuses a lot more on Morgan Freeman, Aaron Eckhart, and Gary Oldman's roles. As hard as it is for me to say this, I really wasn't feeling an on screen presence from Maggie Gyllenhaal.

As for the action, I was actually expecting a lot more action. Don't get me wrong, the action scenes were plentiful, but I was expecting much more.

All of the characters really developed themselves and came into their own. I can't do this for much longer, I need to talk about Heath Ledger.

If you put me down to watch Dark Knight I couldn't tell you who was playing the Joker. Heath Ledger was that good. He was creepy, funny, and as convincing as you'll ever see someone play a character. From the very beginning you knew that the Joker was the worst kind of criminal you could ever deal with. I've got to get to bed, but this movie was great and was worth the lack of sleep that I'll have tonight. Cheers!

Poor Grammar

If there is one thing that upsets me about American society today, it's how poor we have become in regards to our own written and spoken language. There is one word that is constantly spelled incorrectly and can alter the entire meaning of a particular sentence or paragraph. Of course the reader can distinguish the correct version based on reading experience, but the writer needs to be held accountable for not knowing their own language.

The words that I'm specifically talking about are "your" and "you're". If you don't understand what each word means and what context it is used, I suggest you start reading more. I see it all of the time in text messages, emails, blogs, etc. A recent study on CNN stated that incorrect spellings and grammar in text messages, emails, and on blogs doesn't not transpose or reflect a person's actual ability, or inability, to spell or how intelligent they are. I don't believe this...not in the least bit. I have seen it and I know many of you have seen it...our country has embraced ignorance.

If you truly don't care whether your grammar is accurate or not, you have done more than disappoint me. Your actions reflect upon your teachers, your parents, yourself, your loved ones, and most importantly American society. How is the rest of the world supposed to respect us and take us seriosly when our own citizens misspell words and use incorrect grammar? When we pay more attention to blonde airheads in Hollywood than to our own Executive Branch of government? It sickens me to even be associated with people who are "fine" or "cool" with being ignorant. If you think that spelling and grammar are small problems you're gravely mistaken.

When you drive down the road you might see signs for businesses and certain advertisers. The replacement of the letter "s" by the letter "z" is one of the worst examples in recent times (Good Times VS Good TIMEZ). We are setting poor examples to young, vulnerable children that misspelling words is not only cool, but lucrative as well. It has a much bigger impact than you may possibly fathom.

I was playing basketball with this young 18, 19 year old kid. He had a tattoo that immediately grabbed my attention. I asked him, "What's Geto? Is that a name of a lost friend or something"?
He responded, "What? Hell nah man! Do you know how to spell"?
I then asked him, "What does it mean"?
"You can't read? It says geto (ghetto)," he snapped back.
"Well, if that's what it's supposed to say, it doesn't. It's spelled wrong. Ghetto has an "H" after the "G"".
He responded, "No it doesn't. Hey, Darrell! Come over here! This guy thinks that my tat is spelled wrong. Tell me, what does that say"? as he points to his tattoo.
"It says GHETTO baby! Hell yeah! What? This dude can't read"? laughed Darrell.
I looked for someone who appeared to have a brain and I asked them to read it aloud for me. It was some guy from the exercise bikes and he read it like I did, "Geto? What the hell is a GETO"?
"Wait, what? Are you guys sure"? he said.
"Yeah man. I'm sorry bro, but your tattoo is spelled wrong. Wow. You paid for that"? I asked.
"Yeah, I did. I told him to write GHETTO on my arm and told him what style of lettering to use. Damn man. Are you sure it's spelled wrong"? he asked.
"Yeah man. Sorry," I responded.

You see what I mean? I was ridiculed and laughed at because I knew the actual spelling of a very simple word and this guy didn't. Why do we ridicule intelligence and embrace stupidity? Some of you might say that this is not a real problem and that I shouldn't worry. I'm sorry, but I disagree. For as advanced as we are for a country, we have failed to properly and accurately educate ourselves. Knowledge and information is everywhere. It is available to almost every person in the United States; there is no excuse for lack of an educated citizenry.

As Americans, we need to quit making excuses for mistakes and shortcomings and we need to man up. Admit fault and correct that fault so that it doesn't happen again. We need to correct each other irregardless of how it makes the other person feel. They'll be a better person for it, trust me. Stop ignoring problems simply to "be nice". If you care about this country and the people living here, you need to encourage people to take responsibility for their actions. Ignorance is not bliss; it is the failure as a society to properly educate one another. If you care about this country as much as I do you'll decide to take action. Being indifferent merely adds to the problem.

Matt Fyalka

Matthew Paul Fyalka Dec. 14, 1979-July 13, 2008 Matt, Matthew, Maneuw: Our Love, son, brother, nephew, cousin and friend. Today, we lost his smile, his wit, his laughter, his love. July 13, 2008: Matt was tragically lost to an automobile accident, leaving one of his elk scouting spots. Matt Fyalka was undoubtedly connected to the outdoors. He was a bit of a Fir, a moment at sunrise and the call of anything wild, including himself. He will live on through memories: a "Grizzly" hug, an "Avalanche" grin, laughter that rolled over rocks like his waded rivers, a mountainous heart that encompassed us all. Matthew will forever reflect in the majesty that surrounds us. Matt echoes in mountains, bugles with elk, glances in silver rivers, stops our ears with rain (like his wet-willies), dusts our face with snow. Matt will whisper each morning an affirmation: "Live it, Love it, Share it.", and we will continue one We will miss you, Buddy. Matt is survived by his "hero": father, Paul Fyalka; his step-mother, Sharon Fyalka; his mother: Robin Fink; his Love: Jenn Strickling; his brother: Jacob Fyalka; his sister: Tashia Heckard; his grandparents: Robert and Elaine Fyalka; maternal grandmother: Ann White, uncles, aunties, a herd of cousins, friends, and his dog: Trigger. Please, join us in a celebration of his life: Memorial Reception- Date: Saturday, July 19th, 2008 at 2:00 PM Location: 8111 Waller Rd.


This has been an ongoing trend for many young men from Puyallup schools in my age range. I remember the first time that a fellow student passed away that I personally knew. His name was Kevin Jackowski and he and I were always cool with each other. We were both in choir and, sadly, made fun of the same people. I still remember how the entire event played out as if it happened yesterday. Our teacher stepped into class and looked at all of us for about 15 seconds in total and complete silence. "Class, I have something very important to say to you. Our fellow classmate and friend, Kevin Jackowski, died in a tragic car accident over the weekend. If any of you need help in grieving, the school counselor has set aside additional time to help many of you during this difficult process. We should all remember Kevin and pray for his family". For the first time in my life someone I knew had died. It wasn't a grandparent, one of my parents, or even one of my close family members. This was a young man, much like myself at that time. It was at that time that I remember understanding how truly delicate our life really is and how quickly it can be taken away from us. From what we all knew, Kevin was in the back of a truck bed when it rolled over, thus crushing him. I don't know if this is actually what happened, but I never doubted it until I experienced another loss later in my high school years.
In the 8th grade, it happened again. I had a young man in my history class whom I joked around with and discussed music and girls from time to time. His name was Jessie Smith. He was fairly tall and was built like a football player. He and I were on the 7th and 8th grade football teams at Aylen Junior High. When I think of Jessie, I always remember his braces when he smiled. He was, from my recollection, a well mannered young man with a good head on his shoulders. However, I, like most people at school, were way off in our judgment of Jessie. I came to school one day and I was suddenly approached by my group of friends asking me if I had heard about Jessie Smith. I told them that I hadn't heard anything and to tell me because I knew it was killing them to tell me. "Jessie killed himself last night. Apparently shot himself in the head". At that very moment, I learned that not only were young men like me vulnerable to death by auto accidents, but by fragile emotional states as well. Nobody, including me, ever saw how truly sad Jessie was and how much he had going on in his personal life. The only thing that I remember about Jessie is that he was having a hard time dealing with his Dad either dying or actually being dead. I'm not 100% sure on which one that it was, but I'm more certain that it was about his Dad who was dying of cancer. Jessie Smith, a young and vibrant young man had taken his own life for reasons that many of us didn't understand and will probably never understand. Jessie's suicide took place right after I had fully recovered from Kurt Cobain's suicide in 1994. The day that I heard about Kurt dying was one of the worst days of my life. I mourned his death for nearly a year. I was fairly advanced when it came to music. I started listening to music from the older kids' generation starting in the 6th grade beginning with the Beastie Boys and Duran Duran. How many 6th graders do you know who even know who Duran Duran are? My Dad noticed how much stress I was going through and how depressed I had become because of Kurt's untimely death. I remember him telling me how pathetic of a man Kurt was for being greedy and taking his own life. He told me that he should have considered how his fans, especially the younger ones like me, would take his death. I remember a lot of memories from that period of my life, but from what my Mom has told me, I struggled quite heavily after Kurt's death.

By the time I had finished junior high, I had personally known 2 kids that had passed away. However, there were many, many more to come during my time at Puyallup High School.

The death that stands out the most to me during my days in high school are Aaron Duscharme and Justin Martinson. Justin was a close, personal friend of mine and we spent the night at each others houses and with mutual friends. He and my friend Travis were really into BMX racing and that is how we met. It was at one of the many sleep-overs that we had at Travis' house during 8th and 9th grade. Of course, many of us, including me, would make an extra effort to encourage Travis' younger sister to have a sleep-over the same night as we had ours. There were so many nights where we had pillow fights, hot tub conversations, and camping trips. Man, I still remember those days quite vividly.
Funny side story: I used to ride my bike over to Travis' house in the morning so that we could ride to school together. One morning, he was late getting ready. I told him that I had left a video game upstairs and that I was going to go grab it. In reality, I knew that his sister was in the shower and her room was right next to his. Well, my one and only attempt as a "peeping Tom" worked. I had strategically placed myself behind his door that had an angle that I could see into her room as well. I stood there refusing to breathe and she walked out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around her. I remember her taking off the towel and standing there...naked. There has never been a "peeping Tom" experience better than the one that I was currently experiencing. To this day, not Travis or his sister know that I had done what I did. Do I regret it? Maybe. I, mean, what can I say? I was 13 or 14 and had raging hormones.
Back to the Justin story. I remember playing basketball and video games with Justin at his house which was about 2 or 3 blocks from Puyallup High School. I remember meeting his Dad, who was injured during the Vietnam War and was paralyzed from the waist down. He was the most motivated person I have ever met. Despite his physical setbacks, he excelled in wheelchair athletics and has several gold medals from the handicapped Olympics. In fact, he was the one who invented skies for people in wheelchairs and received a large chunk of money for his patent.
I remember his older brother and how much he looked like Justin. I think I met his sister once, too, but I'm unsure where or when that occurred. Justin's Mom, from my recollection, had either divorced his Dad or had passed away. All I know is that his Mom was never around and his Dad was single.
I saw Justin all throughout high school and we hung out less and less as time progressed. People fall into certain social groups and get separated by hobbies and music tastes. I fell into the jock scene, listened to hip-hop, and attracted a small portion of females. Justin, however, was still in the alternative music scene, rode his BMX and skateboard often, and attracted far more females than I. The last memory that I have of Justin was while I was working at Toys R Us. He came in and recognized me right away. I ran up to him, gave him some old school love, and gave him a hug. We talked about how our lives were, how our lives were after graduating from high school, and what we planned on doing with the rest of our lives. His hair had gotten much longer than what I remember it being and he was there getting something childish to play with. As he left, I waved to him not knowing that that was the last that I would ever see Justin alive. Shortly after that, Justin died in a car crash. I was told us that he had ran into a tree going roughly 70 mph. I was heartbroken and our little group of friends that had since grew apart, were once again brought together by the loss of one of our friends. It wasn't until I worked the night-shift at Tacoma General Hospital in the morgue that I found out the truth behind Justin's untimely death. I won't elaborate on it, but I cried for hours upon hours after reading what I wasn't supposed to be reading. I'll miss you Justin and every one of your chuckles and smiles that are engraved in my memory forever. I still regret reading the truth about his death, but at the same time, I'm glad I did read it.

The funniest thing that I remember about playing football was what Aaron Ducharme did to me. We were watching scrimmage footage that my (still) good friend David was filming for his 9th grade project. Aaron got the ball on a sweep and I was the pursuing linebacker coming in for a mid-level tackle. Aaron reached his hand out, grabbed my facemask, and threw me to the ground. The entire team laughed at the footage and I remember coach telling Aaron, "Man, that's funny as hell. But Aaron, you can't do that. It's a penalty. Poor Matt over there got to experience one of the easiest penalties to avoid. Aaron, from now on, be nice to Matt". He turned around and smiled at me so as to say, "Sorry man, but that was funny as hell". I had the Rudy reputation on that team because, although I was built like a football player, I was really short. Aaron always hung out with his fullback, Derek Keough. They were always cool with me, but never with the people that I hung around with...particularly Scott Maib.

I came home on March 9th, 1998 telling my Mom about a fight that was about to take place downtown and how much I wanted to go. The fight, as it went, was between the "skaters" and the "gangsters". My friend James wanted to go down there and help out the "gangsters" because James had and still has, to some degree, an anti-white complex. My Mom became worried and told neither of us to go and ran us down to rent a movie to keep us occupied.

The next day, all hell broke loose. The second I walked onto campus, there were news crews all over the campus. Not knowing what happened, I refused to discuss anything with any of the news crews. My friend James walked up to me and told me that Aaron had died last night during the fight that we both wanted to go watch. Apparently, a friend of mine for a number of years, Jeffrey Pennick, got into a fist fight with Aaron in a parking lot. Each person had roughly 5 or 6 friends each behind them cheering them on. What Aaron and everyone else didn't know was that Jeff had something up his sleeve...literally. While fighting, Jeff had pulled out a knife and had stabbed Aaron over 18 times in the face, head, and neck. Aaron shortly after and Jeff received 23 years in prison for his crime. I always hung out with Jeff and I had to witness a friend of mine being taken away to prison.

Jeff and I first met in 5th grade shortly after he arrived in Puyallup. I went over to my friend Shawna Needham's place to hang out with her and her brother Ryan. When I showed up, there was a black kid there. Now, you have to understand how rare black people were in Puyallup in the 90s. We started talking and Jeff managed to talk how great of a fighter he was. I called him out on it and we ended up fighting, with boxing gloves on, in Ryan's front yard.

I ended up having 5th and 6th grade with Jeff. In 5th grade, we had some beef. We would always play each other at basketball and challenge each other. One day, things reached a boiling point. Jeff was unable to play basketball because he has broken his hand/wrist a few weeks ago after a bike accident. Something happened and words were exchanged between he and I. I ended up calling him a "pussy". Jeff immediately got into my face and we both glared at each other for about 15 seconds. He then stepped back and hit me with his casted hand. After getting hit, I just glared at him until it was time to go into class. I didn't say a word to anyone for the rest of the day. After class, Jeff walked up to me in the hall and apologized for hitting me. I told him that I was sorry for calling him a "pussy" and we shook hands and hugged. After that, we were pretty close friends.

We hung out quite often and I started to get in my "I'm white, but I feel black phase" of my life. We would hang out, listen to gangsta rap, and chill. In 6th grade, he and I were voted "class clowns" and there was a picture of him laughing and me hanging upside down on a chain-link fence making a hand sign that had grown to become a class joke...the Jason Kidd triangle. I made the sign and made the goofy noise during the picture. Jeff had the biggest laugh on his face and that is the way that I will always remember Jeff. Even after he brutally stabbed Aaron, I only remember his softer, funny side.

Aaron was a huge loss to our school and put our school into the spotlight. During my senior year, we had news crews on campus for roughly 2 weeks during what was called the "race case". Because of the low number of black kids at Puyallup High School, many of them felt singled out and not taken seriously. A few things happened and the Thomas family ended up suing the school district for $6 million dollars...which they ended up winning after a year or so of deliberation.

After high school, many more of my fellow Puyallup High School alums came to pass away: Billy Stocking, Brandon Sensky, Derek Keough, Jake McQuade, and Matt Fyalka.

I remember having a few classes with Matt Fyalka because he had to finish a few more classes in order to graduate, but not because he was a bad student. He was involved in another auto accident that had killed a couple of people and the others had a long road to recovery. Matt would stroll into class with that pimp-like strut and tell me to crack a freestyle. He and I would rap in class to each other and it would piss the hell out of our English teacher. I remember him sitting next to Ryan and telling him to tell "the story". Ryan told him, "no way, dude. It's funny, but only to you and me". Matt told him that it was a great story for everyone to hear. It was about Ryan getting back at a teacher.

Ryan got into trouble and was forced to stay after school to discuss things with his history teacher Miss Beal. She told him to stay in the class and to feed her fish while she left to grab some coffee from the lounge. What Ryan did was one of the funniest things I have ever heard. Instead of feeding Miss Beal's fish fish-food, he masturbated into the fish bowl. Apparently she never questioned what he did. After Ryan finished that story, Matt and I were rolling on the ground laughing. I, at the time, had Miss Beal and how much she loved her fish. That was a great moment.

I remember running into his grandparents while I was working at St. Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma, WA. I noticed their last name and asked them if they were related to Matt. They told me that he was their grandson. They went on to tell me how proud they were of him and how he was pursuing a degree in forestry from the University of Montana in Missoula (he did graduate with a bachelor's degree in forestry). They told me how proud they were that he chose to stay motivated in his career while still doing what he loved. I gave them a hug and wished them well. They were glad to meet someone who their grandson had touched and I was glad to learn a little bit more about him.

Matt always had a smile on his face and was a guy very few could find a reason to dislike. Besides, who would want to? Matt was a warm soul with the ability to find the goodness in everyone that he met. He loved the forest, he loved nature, he loved people, he loved his family and friends, and he loved life. Matt touched a lot of lives during his 28 years on this planet including mine. Rest in peace Matt.

"I Hate Politics!"

I love discussing politics. Whether I'm on break at work, at school, with a group of friends, on a date, having dinner, or standing in line for something, I love discussing politics. I have come in to contact with a few people who claim that they "hate politics". I always tell them that politics is, in fact, everything that goes on in your life. Hating politics is, in my view, a lazy excuse for not paying attention to things of important matter. If you go to the gas station to fuel up, the price of that gasoline and the taxes on your Sobe drink are all determined by politics. If you legally get married, politics played a part in your tax filing status and your tax exemptions. If you go to a park or a state park, politics plays a role as to what rules exist on that land, how much, if at all, it costs to enter, and whether that land exists or not. You see, politics just isn't what you see on CSPAN or observe on your local city council channel. Politics is "the art or science concerned with guiding or influencing governmental policy". Governmental policy, in actuality, is everything that occurs in your daily life whether you like to admit it or not. If you buy a house and some property, you have to vote whether to approve higher taxes on your property to fund a new local library, a new school or school improvements, and are directly influenced by the increasing/decreasing value of your property. Politics is everywhere. So, with that being said, why do people hate discussing it and avoid the subject altogether? Well, to me, it's an issue of how much someone knows. I'll admit that I'm not the person to discuss botany with or how many square feet of material is needed for the production of a pair of jeans or a dress. However, those things are merely hobbies and not something that affects a vast number of people. Politics is something that exists for everyone and, therefore, affects everyone along some line. Here is where I come to my main argument. Feeling uncomfortable/non-interest while discussing politics means you haven't done your responsibility as a citizen. People complain about the price of gas, the price of food, etc. and yet do nothing to improve the situation. I can't explain why some people gripe and complain, yet do nothing about it. People complain that life is hard and that things are getting more and more expensive. Yet, I fail to see many of these people making decisions that would either help their situation or improve their overall quality of life.
Politics plays a role in your life whether you like it or not. I have no respect for people who avoid getting involved and merely complain about things as a means to their end. If I'm at a table eating a meal and the subject of politics comes up, I listen and, when I can, provide a response. If someone proposes a change of subject, that should be denied by others at the table. Political discussion is very important to the bettering of society and the future of this country. It's crucial that people start paying attention and learning as much as they possibly can about as many subjects as they possibly can.
I propose this solution: The hardest part is the start of your ambition to get involved in any political discussion. Start by merely listening. Listen to each person's point of view and listen to other people's responses or criticisms. This will allow you to see at least two different sides to the story and allow you to start developing your own point of view. A lot of the subjects covered during discussions are merely rhetorical. Stating a particular point, whatever it may be, can be persuaded with evidence. This is where research and reading come into play. I remember how difficult the Israeli-Palestinian situation was and how much I hated hearing people talk about it. However, all it took on my part was listening and a steady balance of reading current events and the history of the conflict. It all starts with listening.
Listening is the most important thing that you can do. The feeling of discomfort will happen, but it will happen less and less the more you learn and engage with discussions with other people. Nobody can hop onto a bicycle for the first time and ride without some struggle. This is a part of life and learning. You will slowly develop a level of comfort about certain subjects and may become bored or uninterested. This is where you can move on to another subject or propose the changing of the discussion subject. This will allow other people to discuss alternatives or a subject that they might know less about than you. Here is where you can influence other people and make an impression on them.
The process of learning never ends and is strengthened by people exchanging ideas and facts with each other.
What if someone refuses to discuss a topic? This is where listening is most important. If someone says that the current discussion of religion is making them uncomfortable, simply and nicely ask them, "Why"? Sometimes allowing someone to discuss their reasons for being uncomfortable towards a particular subject will allow them to get more comfortable with discussing the subject. After listening to them, state how much you appreciate their input. Approach your response with caution and try to strengthen what they said while, at the same time, formulating your own response. The most important thing that you must remember is to make the conversation as positive and constructive as possible. This possibility of this person engaging in discussions in the future relies on how well you handle what they say and how you respond.
You see, political discussion is extremely important for all people. Many people refuse to engage in it because of a lack of general knowledge on the subject, their discomfort of debating, or for fear of being proven wrong. These are many of the humps that I have had to overcome and it was a long and grueling process. However, it was only grueling for me because I choose to learn as much as I possibly could about as much as I could. This probably wasn't the best thing to do, but it allowed me to feel comfortable in almost all possible discussions.
Discussing Britney Spears, Pitt and Jolie's baby, etc. may pass time, but does nothing to improve the state of the world or your intellectual capacity. In actuality, it's rather quite regressive to your overall intellectual level. This is why I refuse to watch television. Sure, it helps to pass time and to entertain you, but its entire future and level of success depends on every one's continued and increased attention. This, in reality, decreases the time that could be devoting towards your family or to improving your intellectual capacity. I want you to learn as much as you possibly can and I feel that it is important for me to help you in that path. I would like to help out as many people as I possibly can and I understand what many of you are going through.
It is commonly known that the discussion of politics and religion are dangerous grounds to walk on at work and in the beginning of a relationship. However, I feel that it could be easily improved if people were able to accept some else's point of view while being able to state their own. This is one of the many reasons that the freedom of speech exists. Formulated ideas come from discussion and the challenging of one's own point of view. Challenging a view or belief can lead to a solution and the overall improvement of that person's life. There are drawbacks to this.
Not everything said is truthful and is merely rhetorical. That is why it is important to advance your level of understanding so that you can challenge another person's view. This will require you to read news and information that you may not typically agree with.
With the accessibility of information in this day in age, it is a sorry excuse to not know what is important. Sometimes doing what makes you happy and what you enjoy isn't beneficial to you or society. The progression of humankind relies on the ability of the people to expand their intellectual capacity, to challenge themselves, and to meet and exceed expectations. There is no excuse for not becoming an integral part of society and being a part of the motivating force behind its change. The future is not guaranteed...we must earn it by constantly challenging ourselves and doing what we can to improve the overall state of the world. Thank you and I urge you to get involved.

Being Critical and Realistic

I have been and still remain a Ron Paul supporter. I feel that I, unlike many people in this country, still support him despite certain ideological differences. I agree with him on the eradication of the IRS, the decriminalization of certain drugs, and his views on helping the current state of the economy. However, there remains a difference between Dr. Paul and myself. I refused to comment on how I felt about his foreign policy until I read some of his book "A Foreign Policy of Freedom". I've read a lot of this book and see how consistent he has been during his time in office. He, unlike most or all politicians, has never swayed back and forth on his political views based on the current state of things in America. He goes by what the Constitution says and lays out. From reading his numerous speeches, I have to say that he is very well read and very intelligent. However, I disagree with him on one very crucial aspect: American foreign policy and intervention. Dr. Paul believes that the world would run efficiently if countries only had economic relations with each other and did not intervene in each other's autonomy. That sounds great, but it won't work in today's world. Why do I say that? Take a look at WWII. Both Germany and Japan were imperialistic powers looking to broaden their influence and their hegemony. Being a pacifist, isolated world superpower would not have worked. Other countries have shown their quest for more power and look to war as a means to their ends...more land and power. Dr. Paul's assessment would work if every country and every leader were to sign a global treaty promising that each country only be involved in their own business and not to intervene in others. However, this would do great damage to what the United States is and represents. Many people criticize the US government for a number of things that it has done in the past. What many people fail to recognize is that they are living in a country that is only what it is today because of those choices in the past. Sure, training Afghanistan to fight the Soviet invasion backfired on us. But doing this prevented the deaths of many US soldiers and the possible declaration of war between the US and the Soviet Union. In other words, it could have been a lot worse. Making a decision during the climax of a situation isn't easy and could ultimately be wrong. However, I would rather choose to get involved to deter a possible problem than to deal with it after it has become extremely powerful and detrimental to the interests of the United States. That is why I disagree with Dr. Paul on this issue. President Harry Truman, on March 12th, 1947, stated, 'I believe that it must be the policy of the United States to support free peoples who are resisting attempted subjugation by armed minorities or by outside pressures". This was the beginning of American intervention throughout the world in the name of freedom. It was also the end of what Dr. Paul and the forefathers believed, no entangling alliances. Sure, this aggressive foreign policy hasn't worked 100% of the time, but then again, what foreign policy has? The answer to that is none.
McCain has flip-flopped on his stance on torture, his view towards the Christian elites, etc. Obama has flip-flopped on his stance on gun control, Israel, foreign policy, and campaign funding. If any of this is confusing, you haven't been paying attention and fulfilling your duty as a citizen. You see, neither of these candidates have stuck to their guns. Each of them have swallowed their pride and gone against their beliefs in order to gain electoral support. History tends to repeat itself. With that in mind, I ask "How do you know that Obama or McCain will follow through on their promises and their policies when both of them have a history of flip-flopping"? I still think that Dr. Paul is the best candidate that is running for president and I wish that other voters were just as critical towards their candidate as I am with mine.