Quote of the Day 2/10/13

‎"Furthermore, human appetites are insatiable, for by nature we are so constituted that there is nothing we cannot long for, but by fortune we such that of these things we attain but few. The result is that the human mind is perpetually discontented, and of its possessions is apt to grow weary. This makes it find fault with the present, praise the past, and long for the future; though for its doing so no rational cause can be assigned."                     [Niccolo Machiavelli]

Chaos over cupcakes

Cupcakes. Who doesn't love cupcakes...? Berkeley students apparently. 

     Recently, a bill was passed by the California State legislature and currently sits on Governor Jerry Brown's desk. The now infamous bill, SB 185, would allow the UC and CSU systems to consider race and other factors in college admission decisions. The problem is that the bill is in defiance of Proposition 209. Approved in 1996, the proposition established that the state of California prohibits public institutions from considering race, sex or ethnicity in their decision making process. With the way the bill is currently written, universities could accept an applicant on the factor of race alone. The language of the bill is vague and confusing. It would “authorize the University of California and the California State University to consider race, gender, ethnicity, and national origin, along with other relevant factors, in undergraduate and graduate admissions.” Yet it does not define how the factors are considered and weighed and what are "relevant factors?" Talk about ambiguity. 

     There are more fundamental components in the arena of higher education. I would argue that socioeconomic status is more relevant than one's inherent genetics. The bill never mentions that. Those who are outraged and call the college republicans racist should observe that in between the lines of the bill, the legislature is essentially  determining socioeconomic status based on what you look like. 

     This is what the Berkeley college republican are protesting. You cannot assume how much money a person has based on what they look like. Just because you are white, does not mean you have millions of dollars and a trust fund and just because you are Latino, does not mean you are working 5 jobs to support yourself. There are many white people in the United States living below a normal standard of living and many Latino families living extravagant lifestyles. It is not fair to say that the color of your skin determines your personal financial situations. We all have our own struggles and hardships and are dealt a different hand. We are constantly challenged to rise above the hardships and push ourselves to be the best we can be, in the circumstances we are put in. When an individual applies to a university, that is what they must be judged upon; what they did, with the resources they had, with the circumstances surrounding them. 

     The irritating part is that the Berkeley college republicans were just demonstrating their first amendment rights. They felt that the state legislature was out of line and were voicing their disapproval. What bothers me the most was how much backlash they got and are still getting. Some form of protest or demonstrations happen every day in the US. We have the right to say where ever and whenever we want that we feel that the government is not acting in our best interests. What this has showed is how much political correctness still reigns in our society. Frankly, the college republicans were the conservative minority in a liberal majority and that just doesn't fly these days. They are now the ignorant, racist, closed minded individuals on campus because they simply spoke up and voiced their opinion. They are now receiving numerous hate mail and threats. They wanted to awaken the minds of other students. We as students get so into our studies, friends and social life, we forget what is going on in the world around us.

I applaud the Berkeley college republicans, and their brave efforts to awaken the community.

An Unalienable Right To Life

On the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, a local newspaper in Illinois refused to run this ad. The newspaper's ad department stated they were too "graphic." Since when are ultrasounds "graphic"? In fact, these ultrasound photos are beautiful. Parents proudly display them on their refrigerators, for goodness sakes. What's wrong with these pictures? Why is the mainstream media censoring the truth about preborn babies?

     
     When I think about what rights are given to me by this country, one line from our precious constitution comes to mind: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." 
     So what does the word "unalienable" mean? When I tried to find the world "unalienable" in the dictionary, nothing came back. So as I did my research, I stumbled upon this "The concept of "certain unalienable rights" is evidence that the Founding Fathers of the United States believed in God and for the most part we're strongly religious men with strong beliefs in entitlements bestowed by God upon men, and that these entitlements were so important that no earthly power can rightfully deny them. Therefore, no Government can deny these rights."
     I have never heard anyone say that we should not have the right to life, liberty or happiness. In fact, no one in America would ever even dare to challenge this. Yet, unfortunately, many individuals  are being stripped of this right and actually, some government officials are even willing to pay for this loss of rights. 
     Everyday approximately 115,000 babies are aborted worldwide and about 42 million every year. In the United States alone 3,700 innocents lives are taken everyday. Many argue that an embryo is not a human but even The Official Senate report on Senate Bill 158, the "Human Life Bill", summarized the issue this way: "Physicians, biologists, and other scientists agree that conception marks the beginning of the life of a human being - a being that is alive and a member of the human species. There is overwhelming agreement on this point in countless medical, biological, and scientific writings." I’ve heard many argue that a definition of a human being is one who can show emotion, who can laugh and cry. Yet what about those in a coma? A person in a coma displays no emotion, no laughing and no crying but we still view them as a human being with unalienable rights.
     Everything that determines the individuality and originality of a person is established at conception. The first single cell contains the entire genetic blueprint in all its complexity. We have even established that a woman with a child is considered two separate individuals. For example, when Scott Peterson was found guilty in the murder of his pregnant wife he was charged with double murder. One for her and one for the child she was carrying. 

     There are many arguments that abortion must be an option because there are many different scenarios and special circumstances that bring a woman to consider an abortion. But when you look the facts, it has been found that 95% of abortions occur because of social reasons or at the time being, the pregnancy was "inconvenient." Since when is it okay to take a life because you don’t have the time to deal with it?
     From an early age we have been taught to take responsibility for our actions. Unfortunately, our society has opted to find an easy way out. As a woman, I believe in the right to have the privacy to choose what I can and cannot do with my body. However, when it comes to a life, I or you cannot decide a persons fate for them. Obama was quoted saying "If my daughter was to make a mistake, I would not want her being punished by having a child." This statement breaks my heart. How much has our society fallen to consider a precious, innocent human being a punishment? Every child is a gift from God, not a punishment or an inconvenience. A child is a child, no matter how small she or he may be, and that child most definitely needs to have the unalienable right to liberty and happiness, but above all, life.

A Reflection on Life and Politics

     As long as I can remember I was always taunted by the question "Who do you want to be when you grow up?" I never had any clear ideas about what and who I actually wanted to be. In Kindergarden and first grade I wanted to be a bus driver. I always heard kids around me talking about how cranky and mean their bus drivers were and I wanted to be the coolest bus driver ever so that kids who had to take the bus home wouldn't feel bummed that they had to spend 2 hours getting home every day instead being picked up by a car like all the other cool kids. In 2nd grade I decided I wanted to be a teacher, but that didn't last long because I had finally decided what I wanted to be.. a dolphin trainer! Yes, that was it and I was finally content and at ease.

      As I transitioned from childhood to the preteen years, it dawned on me that my desire to train dolphins probably wouldn't pay many of my bills. And so the never ending quest to answer the horrifying question began. I couldn't figure out why nothing was coming to me. Somehow most of the people around me had some idea of their likes and dislikes while I was stuck. I knew I had grown a dislike to science and math and a like for history, reading and writing but other then that I was stuck. I yearned for something that would spark a fire in me. And I wanted something that would not only please and satisfy my desires but ultimately satisfy God and bring glory to him.

      When the college application process began, i wanted an answer more then ever. I mean I felt pressure, a lot of pressure.. people kept telling me I had time, but I felt like I needed to know sooner then later and at times I was confused and a bit irritated on why God wasn't give me an answer. I mean here I was, trying to follow His will, but nothing was happening. Senior year I was fortunate to take a Government class with a really inspiring teacher. And the more I learned, the more I wanted to learn even more. It was exciting to go to class, I might have skipped math every other day but American government, now that was worth coming to. I was also able to write for my high school newspaper and for the best section, Opinion. Some days I would walk up in the middle of the night and sit down to type out all my thoughts and ideas that were forming and circling. 

      Finally, one day, after all the stress, tears and prayers, it all clicked and somehow the answer had been there all along. I proudly declared Political Sciences on my college applications. Politics to me is so exciting and yet frustrating and complex and yet so simple. It brings me to life.

     The 4 days leading up to the elections in November, I have watched and listened to over 20 hours of news... and to answer a question I was asked recently, people do in fact still watch the news for fun and I applaud all of you who do. Nothing is worse then to be uniformed. Here in CA only 55% of people came out to vote. 55? Those brave men and women who fought long and hard for the right to vote would be ashamed to see that we are not using such a priceless and wonderful gift. Regardless of whether you are a Democrat, Republican, Libertarian, Green Party, etc, its better to stand for something then for nothing. Adolf Hitler once said "How fortunate for governments that the people they administer don't think," and sadly he has a point. Sometimes the government gets away with things because we let them. We find time to go to the movies, yet not the polls; we find time to watch Jersey Shore yet not the news; we find time to read People magazine, yet dont even pick up the newspaper laying in our driveway. 

     The more I learn about politics, the more I realize how much respect I have for politicians. I can only imagine how much pain, stress and hate mail they go through on a daily basis. I couldn't have a bumper sticker last on my car for more then a few days without getting stolen and that was regarding only one issue. They have to deal with anger on thousands of issues and yet know that no matter how hard they work to find a solution, no solution will ever please everyone. I am not saying that we should let politicians get away with their actions and they should always be held accountable but we should have some level of respect. You don't have to agree or support the policies but at least recognize that being a politician is one of the hardest jobs in the world because in the world of politics there will always be problems and there is absolutely no breaks or time outs; as long as the world keeps turning, politics will live.

      I am still full of emotion after all the election stuff. Election Day is honestly one of my favorite days of the year. I am glued to the the TV. People go crazy over the Superbowl, I go crazy over election broadcasting (oh and the World Cup). So many emotions and the suspense of what will happen and the "what ifs" and the "should've, could've, would've." Everything comes out, majestical gains and devastating losses. As my education continues, I grow more and more excited every day. I cannot wait to see what will happen in our government and our world, the good and the bad, the ugly and the pretty. Every day, a mystery unfolds and at the same time starts again. However, I owe a great thank you for my amazing family, friends and leaders who pushed me in the right direction and for their never-ending prayers but I owe my greatest gratitude to my heavenly father, for answering my prayers and guiding me on this crazy journey called life.