http://www.cnn.com/2015/06/22/politics/obama-n-word-race-politics/index.html


The head figure of the U.S. has now said one of the most vile words found in the U.S. Somehow it is supposed to be acceptable? I find this hard to believe. Racism and the words it entails should be frowned upon from anyone at anytime. Philosopher Lawrence Blum expressed this phenomenon best when he stated "racial discrimination is unacceptable, no matter who expresses it, but "white" discrimination against people of color is worse than white discrimination by people of color because of the historical ramifications of oppression. Recent media stories will lead you to believe that racism is the only thing that is going around hurting people, when in reality it is the fact that racism is not allowed to die. I have been stationed with all different people from any place in the US and also from different races and religions. When the shit hits the fan no matter the differences Americans pull together. We love one another. We care and will take care of our own. No racism, no hatred, just caring about your fellow man or woman. America needs to wake up and see each other. See the real person inside. We all bleed red, need the white sunlight, and bruise blue. We are the same.

Bullies, Transgender teachers, and a daughterless family

http://www.cnn.com/videos/us/2015/06/15/transgender-teacher-suicide-dnt.wdjt


This article is full of ethical problems. Depending on where your thought process lies the fact that a transgender person was a teacher might ruffle your ethical feathers. Perhaps it is the fact that other teachers were bullying a peer when they are the ones that are expected to impose no bullying rules. Another problem is bullying a transgender person. The last ethical problem that I see is that the teacher commited suicide. The last problem is the one this blog is about.

Suicide is the plague that is wrecking families and friends across the world. Black, white, Asian, Hispanic, gay, straight, veteran, civilian...this problem affects every race, gender, religion, etc. I do not know when this infection started or how it has gotten so bad without going checked. Know that by committing suicide it doesn't hurt the bullies that are picking on you. It doesn't stop the world from going around and around. Who it does hurt are the people who aren't picking on you. The people it hurts are the ones that are deeply invested in your life. The ones who love you no matter what the outcome. Suicide is a permanent solution to very temporary problems. School is temporary, work is temporary, even being single...is temporary. Life gets difficult to push through at times. At those times the clock of life almost comes to a stop and the situation continues to go on and on forever...or so it seems. This however is just not true. Nothing slows time down. It will continue to press on and so will the ever changing situations in life. There is always someone that has gone through the same or a very similar situation and was able to come out on the other side. Those people are usually happy to share experiences and solutions to the temporary problems without doing the permanent, selfish solution that is suicide. Please do not accept this as an answer to your problems. Be the bravery the world needs and come out on the other side to help others and yourself. Your family needs you and your friends need you.

Bruce Caitlyn Jenner is back in the spotlight. Maybe not for reasons that many people could do themselves, but he(she) has the spotlight again. This time it isnt for a great feat of athleticism, but instead for a complete change of outer human features. This display goes against many moral beliefs that most people have. Many people would believe that however you are, that is exactly how you should be. This thought may come from Christianity roots, or may just be great parenting that input this thought of "be the best you that you can be". I cannot fathom wanting to be anyone other than the man I am today, but to each his(her) own. This thought goes against many beliefs that I have and is a very selfish move in my honest opinion. I cannot see how going from one sex to another could possibly benefit society or how it could even benefit yourself. Even with the tons of surgeries and makeup to cover the man that was Bruce Jenner, you can still tell that it is him...with womanly features. The human race cannot survive if everyone were to pull this stunt. The reproduction cycle would be ended and therefore we should not allow this kind of display to go on. What is good for the goose...is not necessarily good for the gander. More so in demonstrations like this.


http://www.cnn.com/2015/06/01/entertainment/bruce-caitlyn-jenner-vanity-fair-feat/index.html

Racism

http://www.cnn.com/videos/us/2015/05/25/pkg-racist-letter-new-york.wabc

"You don't belong" is the resounding part of this letter. What gives the right to anyone to belong somewhere more than any other family. If the people in this house can afford to pay for the house then why wouldn't they belong there. To me the person that doesn't belong in that neighborhood....or this country to be more precise is the person writing this letter. They have forgotten that this country is one of freedom. That this country has been fought for by people of every nationality and race. If they feel that they are more entitled to a patch of land more than the family that received this letter, then I have a very nice piece of property for them in Russia. I am sure they would get along with the type of thinking there.

Freedom of speech is the issue at hand this week.


http://www.cnn.com/2015/05/04/us/garland-mohammed-drawing-contest-shooting/index.html


There are radicals on every side of current issues and religions. In this case the radical Muslims that were killed didn't want the freedom of speech to include making fun of their "prophet". The question I have is why should it be allowed to turn our backs or Christianity or Buddhism, but not Islam? Or at least these radicals thought so.

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. (Bill of rights, Amendment I)

The downfall of this is that the people holding this absurd drawing competition were knowingly doing this to cause harm to followers of Islam. This is just as bad as the Muslim community burning American flags in other countries. Why should either side want to knowingly make the other side angry? These are childish tactics that have now resulted in the death of two men who took it to heart.  Another food for thought is how were the people at the drawing competition able to respond so quickly to such a threat? I am glad that no one else was harmed but the two men that were killed seemed to have been baited into action just so that the Muhammad hating people could cause harm. Referring back to my first blog...Live and let live.


The Bill of Rights: A Transcription. (n.d.). Retrieved May 4, 2015, from http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/bill_of_rights_transcript.html

http://www.cnn.com/2015/04/27/us/baltimore-unrest/index.html


I live by a very small set of rules. The main one being the one I took nearly 10 years ago, My Oath of enlistment.


"I, _____, do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God." (Title 10, US Code; Act of 5 May 1960 replacing the wording first adopted in 1789, with amendment effective 5 October 1962).

The second rule I follow is to Live and let Live. My ethical behavior surrounds these two motos of my life. I cannot understand how someone would want to pillage and plunder their own hometown due to a mishap from a police officer. This doesn't make any sense to me. How could you want everything that is surrounding your home to be in shambles? Why would you want to go out and destroy everything that you have worked so hard to keep in tact. Lastly why would you want to harm your brothers or sisters or neighbors? Morally I could not stand by and watch someone attempt to harm anything around me for any reason. There are ways to show unrest other than destroying things. Children throw tantrums and destroy their own belongings. This is not acceptable behavior for grown men and women. The main problem that I see in this is that people are being force fed that it is always blacks against whites, or some race or religion against another. This is not only wrong but absurd thinking. People do not normally react in ways that Mr. Freddie Gray reacted to the police. Also police officers do not commonly react to interactions the way that this police officer did. Both sides are in the wrong, but it has nothing to do with the buildings or any store owner that bases his lively hood on the business he runs. Why then do they want to go and destroy such valuable resources and potentially ruin the freedoms and liberties we have in a country that should be FREE.