Teen bullying is a major issue today. Stories of bullying targets committing suicide are becoming so common in this day and age that it's horrifying. It shows that bullying can now follow you wherever you go, thanks to technology. Even since my generation was born, things have changed a lot. Facebook and other social media makes it so easy to bully people and spread rumors today, and there is almost nowhere to escape from it unless you plan on becoming a hermit or something ridiculous like that, which is totally out of the question for students still in school. The bullying is like constant mental battery.
Mean people can really take advantage of these sites to contact and harass their victims. It's nearly inpossible to save Facebook chats, making it so that the victims don't have proof of the bullying. People are far less trusting than in the past, and oftentimes they think the victim is just making stuff up. Bullying even happens right under the noses of teachers, who remain oblivious. More often than not, the classmates intervene before the teacher has even realized what's been going on. This usually comes fter several minutes worth of torment. Sometimes, the classmates just ignore what's going on and let a group of bullies gang up on someone. I know I've been in that situation several times as the victim.
Bullies' words really do affect their victims. Sticks and stones may break your bones, but simple words can kill you. The wrong remark at the wrong time can cause someone to commit suicide. Suicide is even more of a danger when the remark is something like "Go die" or "nobody cares". Remarks about appearance really hurt people.
Who are we to judge everyone else? We are not perfect, and neither is anyone else. We're human, we make mistakes. We can't help the situations that we are born into. You never know what may have happenned in someone's life that may make a remark of yours sting even more to them than to anyone else. When I see situations like the little Australian bully and his bigger victim who finally snapped after years of torment, I am more likely to sympathize with the victim. In that case, the victim is more believable in all the interviews. His reaction was not appropriate, but he had far more reason for taking the action he did than the bully, with the flimsy excuse of only being called "the class idiot". Well, in my book, you ARE the class idiot if you're bullying someone.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Government insanity
I feel like all the government is going pretty insane right now. All over the world, we have these revolutions occuring. I will repeat what I said back when Egypt was revolting: "If the leader does not step down, they are almost surely going to be killed." All of these countries are just repeating the processes. We have so many places where there are bombs dropping, bullets flying, fires burning and when it's all over, there will be massive numbers of people dead. It repeats itself without fail. It is ridiculous to assume that this is all going to solve itself peacefuly, despite the fact that I am an advocate of peace. All the revolutions are so out of control that there is no quick, clean end to them. Knowing how world history has gone, then there will be violence from at least one side of the revolution. Usually both sides, because we humans love to fight and see blood and gore.
I've noticed that humans always seem to fight with each other. We have so many problems with communication and just generally getting along with each other. It never ceases to amaze me that the human species has survived as long as we have, considering how violent we are and how we manipulate each other. I mean, look at it from a purely objective view. We love to kill each other, we have people fight each other who get famous for it, we love to cause fights, we yell at each other a bunch, and we don't like people messing with our ideas because we always want to get our own way. Look at the apes in comparison, and how similar our DNA is to theirs. You don't see any of them purposely killing groups of themselves. They fear the best fighters. They realize they have to work together. When you consider we're developing things that will endanger life on Earth for years, we're being kind of stupid. Maybe the monkeys think we're the dumb little hairless ones who are pretty much killing each other off.
Everything is kind of changing all at once. I don't agree with any of the apocalypse theories, but I will say that natural disasters are becoming more and more frequent. It's so bizarre. It makes me think of the song "The Circle of Life" from The Lion King. Our earth is always destroying old material and creating new material. Continents and different landmasses slam into each other. Yet life goes on, despite it all. Welcome to life on earth. We're going in a continuous circle.
I've noticed that humans always seem to fight with each other. We have so many problems with communication and just generally getting along with each other. It never ceases to amaze me that the human species has survived as long as we have, considering how violent we are and how we manipulate each other. I mean, look at it from a purely objective view. We love to kill each other, we have people fight each other who get famous for it, we love to cause fights, we yell at each other a bunch, and we don't like people messing with our ideas because we always want to get our own way. Look at the apes in comparison, and how similar our DNA is to theirs. You don't see any of them purposely killing groups of themselves. They fear the best fighters. They realize they have to work together. When you consider we're developing things that will endanger life on Earth for years, we're being kind of stupid. Maybe the monkeys think we're the dumb little hairless ones who are pretty much killing each other off.
Everything is kind of changing all at once. I don't agree with any of the apocalypse theories, but I will say that natural disasters are becoming more and more frequent. It's so bizarre. It makes me think of the song "The Circle of Life" from The Lion King. Our earth is always destroying old material and creating new material. Continents and different landmasses slam into each other. Yet life goes on, despite it all. Welcome to life on earth. We're going in a continuous circle.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
The Live Action Films Debate
As Congress gets ready to determine the fate of the Pence amendment, there has been a buzz about the youth pro-life group, Live Action. I would like to clear up some of the common misunderstandings of Live Action and the undercover videos they have filmed using hidden cameras at Planned Parenthood locations all over the nation. I work with Live Action and, in fact, help distribute their magazine, The Advocate. People seem not to understand the aim of this group.
Misunderstanding #1: "They're trying to take away all the title X family planning money that Planned Parenthood receives from the federal government."
Arguments of why Planned Parenthood is being targeted
Planned Parenthood, while it does provide family planning services using contraception, and advertise themselves as such, is the nation's most well-known abortion provider, since abortion became legal in 1973. There are plenty of less corrupt businesses and organizations that provide similar services, but are far more deserving of the millions of dollars in federal funds (tax-payer money) that Planned Parenthood receives each year. Live Action is trying to point out that abortion is not a form of birth control and therefore it should not be considered family planning.
Misunderstanding #2: "Their 'undercover' videos are modified and spliced. They shouldn't be trusted."
Planned Parenthood avoiding the issues videos pose
Planned Parenthood changes its tune
If Planned Parenthood is truly without blame, why are they skirting accusations? If they were innocent, they would come right out and say it and deny the accusations. They run away from confrontation by their opposition, waiting instead till the opposition has had its say before telling their side, avoiding a court-system reminiscent fact check. I would also like to point out that if the staff in the video were innocent, then why were they all promptly fired? And why, before April of this year, are all their staff working with young adults and teens being retrained? Something is obviously wrong with this picture.
There's a pattern here. Video is released, Planned Parenthood calls foul play, they realize the odds are stacked against them, they fire the employees that were incriminated, increase security measures, and they try to act like it was an isolated incident. Repeat.
Misunderstanding #3: "The videos were an elaborate hoax. They reported the cases to the FBI immediately. The videos were selectively edited."
Full, unedited video footage
First of all, other organizations do undercover stings all the time and federal authorities aren't called on them simply for conducting a sting. Planned Parenthood reported to the FBI that they suspected a sting or elaborate hoax. At that time, Planned Parenthood did not inform the FBI or any other authorities of the possible criminal activity that they heard about. Only after Live Action told the public time after time that it had not been reported did Planned Parenthood ever notify the authorities. By then, Live Action had already contacted the Department of Justice.
Misunderstanding #4: " Planned Parenthood's services are only 3% abortion related. They are trying to help low income women and they provide many services for women's health. These women won't have anywhere else to turn if Planned Parenthood was shut down."
What Planned Parenthood is hiding
Facts? This sounds more like an ad
Planned Parenthood knows they're in danger of losing federal funds. They have even gone so far as to ask a million people to stand by them and write to Congress. They haven't quite reached their goal yet, but I can say that many more people have written to Congress via the Expose Planned Parenthood site alone, not counting through other sources. http://exposeplannedparenthood.net/contact-congress/ This link proves that in 2009 alone, about 1,500,000 pro-life people contacted Congress and other government officials.
Planned Parenthood does not even offer the breast cancer detection and prevention services that they claim to offer. The evidence supporting this comes straight from Planned Parenthood's own website. What Planned Parenthood does to promote breast health
Planned Parenthood has a quiz on their website that they say will help you determine the best method(s) for birth control for you and your partner. But with the quiz answers, you have a limited number of options and they basically force certain methods upon you. Take the quiz and see for yourself the limitations
Planned Parenthood has more than four million activists, supporters, and donors nationwide. The Planned Parenthood Action Network enables online activists in all 50 states to stay on top of the issues and get involved with campaigns that advance and protect women’s rights and health. Also furthering Planned Parenthood’s mission are several advisory boards and initiatives.
The Planned Parenthood Action Fund is an independent, nonpartisan, not-for-profit organization formed as the advocacy and political arm of Planned Parenthood Federation of America. Fortifying our commitment to protect women’s health, educate teens, and prevent unintended pregnancies, the Action Fund engages in educational and electoral activity, including public education campaigns, grassroots organizing, and legislative advocacy.
I would like to point out several flaws in this statement. If PP is the nation's most trusted reproductive healthcare center, then why are so many of their own employees who quit of their own free will turning against them and helping the pro-life side expose their former employer? Second of all, if they really were so concerned about women's health, then they would tell them all the facts about abortion. They claim that abortion is a safe, legal procedure. While it may have been deemed legal, that doesn't mean it's safe. Women who have abortions are at risk for miscarriages, ectopic pregnancies, uterine scarring, and infertility. They don't tell you that on the website when they give you information about abortion.
Look at what Planned Parenthood claims about the fetus trying to avoid being aborted.
· CLAIM: The 12-week fetus makes
purposeful movements (e.g., agitated
movement in an attempt to avoid suction
cannula).
· FACTS: At this stage of pregnancy, all
fetal movement is reflexive in nature
rather than purposeful, since the latter
requires cognition, which is the ability to
perceive and know. For cognition to occur,
the cortex (gray matter covering the brain)
must be present, as well as myelinization
(covering sheath) of the spinal cord and
attached nerves, which is not the case.
An example of the reflex withdrawal without
pain occurs in an anencephalic (absent
brain) newborn. Another known example of
the reflex movement at this stage of human
pregnancy is thumb sucking in utero.
What is termed “frantic activity” by the fetus
is a reflex response of the fetus resulting
from movement of the uterus and its
contents induced by operator manipulation of
the suction curette or the ultrasound
transducer on the abdomen. This same type
of response would likely occur with any
external stimulus. A one-cell organism such
as an amoeba will reflexively move or display
a withdrawal reaction when touched.
In addition, experts in ultrasonography and
film technology have concluded that the
videotape of the abortion was deliberately
slowed down and subsequently speeded up
to create an impression of hyperactivity.
This just reinforces that any living creature put in those circumstances would try to escape, because they know they are in danger.
· CLAIM: A fetus is indistinguishable from any
of the rest of us.
· FACTS: A fetus of 12 weeks cannot in any
way be compared to a fully formed
functioning person. At this stage only
rudiments of the organ systems are present.
The fetus is unable to sustain life outside the
woman’s womb, it is incapable of conscious
thought; it is incapable of essential breathing.
It is instead an in utero fetus with the
potential of becoming a child.
When exactly do we become a person, Planned Parenthood? Even a baby born preterm is considered a person, so why not in the womb.
· CLAIM: Fetal head at 12 weeks requires the
use of “crushing instruments” for extraction.
· FACTS: At 12 weeks’ gestation (10 weeks’
fetal age) and even 1-2 weeks beyond,
instrumentation other than a suction
cannula is not required when abortion is
properly performed. Cannulas for
aspiration abortion come in varying sizes,
and the larger sizes are adequate for
withdrawing the contents of the uterus.
They say only one to two weeks beyond can suction be continued, and they purposefully avoid anything that would say the fetus is a person or living. The fact that crushing instruments and such are mentioned as part of some abortions but not in their information about abortion procedures should underline that they are not telling the whole truth. In legal terms, this is considered lying "by ommission".
Planned Parenthood
With over 850 abortion clinics in the U.S. and abroad, Planned Parenthood is the largest abortion business in the world. Founded by Margaret Sanger in 1921 as the American Birth Control League, Planned Parenthood was renamed in 1942. Sanger was a eugenicist and an avowed racist. Her goal as a leader in the birth control movement was to exterminate “the feeble-minded”, including non-whites, the disabled, and other targeted groups from society. In her publication Woman, Morality, and Birth Control, she wrote, “Birth control must ultimately lead to a cleaner race.” (1922, page 12) In Birth Control Review, she wrote, “The most urgent problem today is how to limit and discourage the over-fertility of the mentally and physically defective.” (Oct. 1921, page 5) In a 1939 letter to Dr. Clarence Gamble, she wrote, “We want to hire three or four colored ministers, preferably with social service backgrounds and engaging personalities. The most successful approach to the Negro is through a religious appeal. We don’t want the word to go out that we want to exterminate the Negro population, and the minister is the man who can straighten out that idea if it ever occurs to any of their more rebellious members.” Would you call this helping lower-income, minority women? The organization has been messed up from the start.
It's your turn to decide whether Congress should let Planned Parenthood continue to use our tax dollars. The continuing resolution just voted on by Congress proposed cuts to their funding- and it passed. The House of Representatives voted almost two to one to pass the Pence amendment.
The elected officials respond to unedited footage
If Planned Parenthood wants to continue acting like this, they should do it with their own money and that of the "donors" they claim to have.
Misunderstanding #1: "They're trying to take away all the title X family planning money that Planned Parenthood receives from the federal government."
Arguments of why Planned Parenthood is being targeted
Planned Parenthood, while it does provide family planning services using contraception, and advertise themselves as such, is the nation's most well-known abortion provider, since abortion became legal in 1973. There are plenty of less corrupt businesses and organizations that provide similar services, but are far more deserving of the millions of dollars in federal funds (tax-payer money) that Planned Parenthood receives each year. Live Action is trying to point out that abortion is not a form of birth control and therefore it should not be considered family planning.
Misunderstanding #2: "Their 'undercover' videos are modified and spliced. They shouldn't be trusted."
Planned Parenthood avoiding the issues videos pose
Planned Parenthood changes its tune
If Planned Parenthood is truly without blame, why are they skirting accusations? If they were innocent, they would come right out and say it and deny the accusations. They run away from confrontation by their opposition, waiting instead till the opposition has had its say before telling their side, avoiding a court-system reminiscent fact check. I would also like to point out that if the staff in the video were innocent, then why were they all promptly fired? And why, before April of this year, are all their staff working with young adults and teens being retrained? Something is obviously wrong with this picture.
There's a pattern here. Video is released, Planned Parenthood calls foul play, they realize the odds are stacked against them, they fire the employees that were incriminated, increase security measures, and they try to act like it was an isolated incident. Repeat.
Misunderstanding #3: "The videos were an elaborate hoax. They reported the cases to the FBI immediately. The videos were selectively edited."
Full, unedited video footage
First of all, other organizations do undercover stings all the time and federal authorities aren't called on them simply for conducting a sting. Planned Parenthood reported to the FBI that they suspected a sting or elaborate hoax. At that time, Planned Parenthood did not inform the FBI or any other authorities of the possible criminal activity that they heard about. Only after Live Action told the public time after time that it had not been reported did Planned Parenthood ever notify the authorities. By then, Live Action had already contacted the Department of Justice.
Misunderstanding #4: " Planned Parenthood's services are only 3% abortion related. They are trying to help low income women and they provide many services for women's health. These women won't have anywhere else to turn if Planned Parenthood was shut down."
What Planned Parenthood is hiding
Facts? This sounds more like an ad
Planned Parenthood knows they're in danger of losing federal funds. They have even gone so far as to ask a million people to stand by them and write to Congress. They haven't quite reached their goal yet, but I can say that many more people have written to Congress via the Expose Planned Parenthood site alone, not counting through other sources. http://exposeplannedparenthood.net/contact-congress/ This link proves that in 2009 alone, about 1,500,000 pro-life people contacted Congress and other government officials.
Planned Parenthood does not even offer the breast cancer detection and prevention services that they claim to offer. The evidence supporting this comes straight from Planned Parenthood's own website. What Planned Parenthood does to promote breast health
Planned Parenthood has a quiz on their website that they say will help you determine the best method(s) for birth control for you and your partner. But with the quiz answers, you have a limited number of options and they basically force certain methods upon you. Take the quiz and see for yourself the limitations
Planned Parenthood's claims (from PP website)
Leading the Reproductive Health and Rights Movement
On campuses and online, in statehouses and courts, in community settings, and in the media, Planned Parenthood is a visible and passionate advocate for policies that enable Americans to access comprehensive reproductive and sexual health care, education, and information. Whether talking with members of Congress, parents, or faith leaders, or arguing cases before the U.S. Supreme Court, we fight for commonsense policies that promote women’s health, allow individuals to prevent unintended pregnancies through access to affordable contraception, and protect the health of young people by providing them with comprehensive sex education.Planned Parenthood has more than four million activists, supporters, and donors nationwide. The Planned Parenthood Action Network enables online activists in all 50 states to stay on top of the issues and get involved with campaigns that advance and protect women’s rights and health. Also furthering Planned Parenthood’s mission are several advisory boards and initiatives.
The Planned Parenthood Action Fund is an independent, nonpartisan, not-for-profit organization formed as the advocacy and political arm of Planned Parenthood Federation of America. Fortifying our commitment to protect women’s health, educate teens, and prevent unintended pregnancies, the Action Fund engages in educational and electoral activity, including public education campaigns, grassroots organizing, and legislative advocacy.
I would like to point out several flaws in this statement. If PP is the nation's most trusted reproductive healthcare center, then why are so many of their own employees who quit of their own free will turning against them and helping the pro-life side expose their former employer? Second of all, if they really were so concerned about women's health, then they would tell them all the facts about abortion. They claim that abortion is a safe, legal procedure. While it may have been deemed legal, that doesn't mean it's safe. Women who have abortions are at risk for miscarriages, ectopic pregnancies, uterine scarring, and infertility. They don't tell you that on the website when they give you information about abortion.
Look at what Planned Parenthood claims about the fetus trying to avoid being aborted.
· CLAIM: The 12-week fetus makes
purposeful movements (e.g., agitated
movement in an attempt to avoid suction
cannula).
· FACTS: At this stage of pregnancy, all
fetal movement is reflexive in nature
rather than purposeful, since the latter
requires cognition, which is the ability to
perceive and know. For cognition to occur,
the cortex (gray matter covering the brain)
must be present, as well as myelinization
(covering sheath) of the spinal cord and
attached nerves, which is not the case.
An example of the reflex withdrawal without
pain occurs in an anencephalic (absent
brain) newborn. Another known example of
the reflex movement at this stage of human
pregnancy is thumb sucking in utero.
What is termed “frantic activity” by the fetus
is a reflex response of the fetus resulting
from movement of the uterus and its
contents induced by operator manipulation of
the suction curette or the ultrasound
transducer on the abdomen. This same type
of response would likely occur with any
external stimulus. A one-cell organism such
as an amoeba will reflexively move or display
a withdrawal reaction when touched.
In addition, experts in ultrasonography and
film technology have concluded that the
videotape of the abortion was deliberately
slowed down and subsequently speeded up
to create an impression of hyperactivity.
This just reinforces that any living creature put in those circumstances would try to escape, because they know they are in danger.
· CLAIM: A fetus is indistinguishable from any
of the rest of us.
· FACTS: A fetus of 12 weeks cannot in any
way be compared to a fully formed
functioning person. At this stage only
rudiments of the organ systems are present.
The fetus is unable to sustain life outside the
woman’s womb, it is incapable of conscious
thought; it is incapable of essential breathing.
It is instead an in utero fetus with the
potential of becoming a child.
When exactly do we become a person, Planned Parenthood? Even a baby born preterm is considered a person, so why not in the womb.
· CLAIM: Fetal head at 12 weeks requires the
use of “crushing instruments” for extraction.
· FACTS: At 12 weeks’ gestation (10 weeks’
fetal age) and even 1-2 weeks beyond,
instrumentation other than a suction
cannula is not required when abortion is
properly performed. Cannulas for
aspiration abortion come in varying sizes,
and the larger sizes are adequate for
withdrawing the contents of the uterus.
They say only one to two weeks beyond can suction be continued, and they purposefully avoid anything that would say the fetus is a person or living. The fact that crushing instruments and such are mentioned as part of some abortions but not in their information about abortion procedures should underline that they are not telling the whole truth. In legal terms, this is considered lying "by ommission".
Planned Parenthood
With over 850 abortion clinics in the U.S. and abroad, Planned Parenthood is the largest abortion business in the world. Founded by Margaret Sanger in 1921 as the American Birth Control League, Planned Parenthood was renamed in 1942. Sanger was a eugenicist and an avowed racist. Her goal as a leader in the birth control movement was to exterminate “the feeble-minded”, including non-whites, the disabled, and other targeted groups from society. In her publication Woman, Morality, and Birth Control, she wrote, “Birth control must ultimately lead to a cleaner race.” (1922, page 12) In Birth Control Review, she wrote, “The most urgent problem today is how to limit and discourage the over-fertility of the mentally and physically defective.” (Oct. 1921, page 5) In a 1939 letter to Dr. Clarence Gamble, she wrote, “We want to hire three or four colored ministers, preferably with social service backgrounds and engaging personalities. The most successful approach to the Negro is through a religious appeal. We don’t want the word to go out that we want to exterminate the Negro population, and the minister is the man who can straighten out that idea if it ever occurs to any of their more rebellious members.” Would you call this helping lower-income, minority women? The organization has been messed up from the start.
It's your turn to decide whether Congress should let Planned Parenthood continue to use our tax dollars. The continuing resolution just voted on by Congress proposed cuts to their funding- and it passed. The House of Representatives voted almost two to one to pass the Pence amendment.
The elected officials respond to unedited footage
If Planned Parenthood wants to continue acting like this, they should do it with their own money and that of the "donors" they claim to have.
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