Bullying Stops Here

 

As I was sitting through my lecture today for my child development class, we were studying the effects of bullying and the role it plays in our schools and the effects it has on our youth. I couldn't help but wonder, why we put so much emphasis in our schools to "Stop the Bullying" when the emphasis should be in our society as a whole. Our society bully's the Gay community everyday by denying us our born given rights. We are forced to pay more money in taxes, which compares to a bully stealing lunch money from a student. We are beaten down everyday by the reminder that we can not legally marry, which can compare to a gay student being beaten for holding his partner's hand. So as we continue to make the school safer for our LGBTQ youth, shouldn't or don't we owe them the right as well as ourselves to put pressure on our government and society to "Stop The Bullying" in life in general. It's commonly noted that bully's do so because they are afraid, or feel less than others, and the only way to receive any sort of social value is to devalue those that are different. Well when you look at the world we live in, we as a Gay community are being bullied, and I'm sick of it. Just because I love with in the same sex, my love is not any different than anyone else. My heart beats just like yours, I bleed just as you bleed, and I hurt just as you hurt. It saddens me to know that it took the lives of so many of our youth to finally send a message out that this kind of behavior will not be tolerated any longer. And we as adults, should continue to take the stand, and fight against our Government's bullying against us. That we will no longer be considered less than, that we will not deny ourselves of the same privileges heterosexuals are guaranteed, solely because they love the opposite sex. We work just as hard and yet we pay more of a price. We're given freedom and yet we're confined to a cage of what's socially acceptable. We're literally chained by our ankles and wrists to keep from living a fulling life, because "Big Brother" is threatened by our lifestyle. We sing songs, we write books, and we televise of one day having the freedom to live life in all it's fulfillment, to be FREE ! A right that is given to us by birth. To be Bully FREE! Free of the chains, of the cage, of the restrictions, and of devalue. We are equals, and only as equals will we be at peace ! "Let My People Go!"

*TAKE A STAND *STOP THE BULLYING *

Wipe the Shit Off the Walls

At College of the Sequoias we're not only getting an education but we're getting a life lesson as well. As I make my way to my morning class I stop by the men's room to use the facility,since it happens to be a long walk from my car to my class. As I stand in the stall I'm greeted by messages written by gang members, hateful people, and people simply leaving their names behind as a momentum in time. But one word stands out in particular, "Fag It", this enrages me further. Not only am I disappointed in the fact that these markings have been up all semester, but the fact that not one school official has bothered to clean these markings up, regardless of the fact that every morning I'm offended. I'm offended and I'm reminded that my value as a person is domineered, I'm reminded to stand up and be heard. It's been months, and every morning that men's room is clean and is evident by the schedule on the door with signatures of the staff who cleaned it. Why the negligence over this ?  is it because California had to cut back on staff and hire students to be the janitorial service at minimum wage. Or simply because, THEY DON'T CARE. I personally have had enough ! I'm not spending my hard earned money at a school that does not carry the responsibility to manage these kinds of indiscretions or offenses. Why does it bother me so? Who's to say one morning as I make my way to may class the man who wrote that awful word and misspelled it, decides he's had enough with "Fag It's" and decides to cause harm. Will someone even hear me or find me since it's clear no one cares about that men's room. Am I safe? NO. And the disappointing part is that it's not only that particular men's room. I traveled all campus in search of a men's room where I would not be offended and I found one. One, in a building that has less than a year on campus, and even then I found a marking of gang affiliation. But the others, Oh the others, were practically written on from ceiling to floor, corner to corner in graffiti. I've even found an empty beer bottle in one about a month ago. I've had enough ! I'm posting this on my blog because I'm standing up and stating that I should not have to face these circumstances everyday. I'm sorry our budget was cut, but we can't afford to have someone paint that wall, then Mr. President, to maintain your students in your school, I suggest you slip into a jumper's suit and grab a brush. Because if your school continues to offend people as it has offended me, you are going to one major event in your quad... So I leave with saying this... "WIPE THE SHIT OFF THE WALLS, literally. "