just a thought.

you know what I think? I think everyone has the right to be accepted and love. I think no one on this earth should ever be afraid to be themselves. It's just crazy. People are just sitting here fighting their hardest to try to live their lives and there are people that just make it hard for them. What's extremely sad is that a lot of people lose that fight. A lot of people unfortunately don't make it through those rough days.

To the victims, don't give up. Please find the courage to keep going. I've been in those hard places and I know that it's not a great place but I've also seen it from the other side and I know that you can make it out. Don't worry about falling again, we'll get there when you get there. You're amazing and phenomenal and I know that you can make it. The courage I see in you to reach out and change your life just makes you so much more special. I know it's a bad word but, Fuck those people who are holding you down. While they hold you down, they're keeping themselves down also.

To the bad guys, When are you going to get it? I'm sorry but FUCK you. You don't have to treat people the way that you do. Is your satisfaction really worth all of their pain?

I'm not perfect. These are just my thoughts. I'm not trying to change any laws. I'm just letting you know how I feel. We can't live in a world like this where people are killing themselves because of the way others are treating them. We all have rights and I know for sure that I have the right to be respected. I deserve respect. We all do.

"It's a sin to kill a mockingbird."

Tunnel of Opression

What it is a series of skits. It was dark, deep, serious, heartbreaking, there were endless was to describe. It is meant to bring awareness to the what really happens. Events that take place in the world that hurt so many people. I really loved it because it showed me that people actually care. Even though it was so intense, I felt like I didn't have to feel so alone anymore because there are people who actually believe that this is an issue that needs to be addressed. I loved that it was serious because I've seen so many people turn issues like these into jokes and it's not funny at all.

• The first skit was about domestic violence.It was in a really small area. I felt like I was there and seeing it and a part of it. It was really life-like
• There was one where a girl's roommate's where making fun of her because of her weight. I easily related to that. It was so sad. They were saying things like "I only want to take her because guys will want to dance with me because I look better by comparison" and things like "she looks like a pregnant whale." It was crazy.
• There was an Autistic student being made fun of. It was so sad. In this particular skit, I was right behind him and I wanted to hug him.
  

It was wonderful. eye-opening. It just makes me want to take action. We can't judge people because we don't know what they're going through. Life is hard. We don't need to be hurt by others on top of it all. We NEED to be respectful!

Love is louder. This world is brutal enough as it is. The least we can do is make sure that love is all around and that we respect each other.

It hurts everyone.

It hurts the little girl that has to sit between her two angry parents on the long ride home.
It hurts the little girl when her dad takes out his anger on her.
It hurts when the parents and make a huge horrible public display of their "anger" in the middle of the gas station while the little girls cry because of how much it hurts.

It hurts everyone. Love is Louder. Hate and anger hurts too much. When the cycle end?

walk a mile in her shoes♥

I was lucky enough to experience something truly wonderful today! October is domestic violence awareness month. Here at USF, over a hundred REAL men walked in heels to raise awareness for the victims and survivors of sexual assault and rape. The event is called walk a mile in her shoes. What's better than guys in heels? Guys in heels who care about women and are willing to pledge to respect women. They took a beautiful pledge to respect women, to always have consent, and to overall know that REAL men listen, ask, and always get consent.

There is no excuse for abuse. Voices need to be heard. Every step we take for awareness allows one silenced voice to be heard. Rape hurts everyone. It was amazing to see how many men care to make a difference. It was amazing to see how many people in general care and are willing to make a difference.

It exemplifies something that I'm always saying, when we believe in ourselves, we're making the world a better place just by living in it.

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=444367204092&set=a.444367069092.241956.131614279092#!/LetsBeREAL

http://www.walkamileinhershoes.org

peace and violence do not mix!

My baby, this blog, is almost a year old already! My first post was on April 23, 2009 and the subject was Domestic Violence. (http://bit.ly/5t6Od) Since it's almost birthday time, I figured I would do another domestic violence post.

I wrote about it last year because I chose to wrote a research paper on it last year and with doing all of the research, I really became passionate about the topic. I've done more research and of course I have to share what I've learned here.

here are some simple facts on Domestic Violence; it's real, it's out there, and it happens more then we realize. It's not just physical abuse. It includes, emotional, psychological, social, financial, sexual, and physical abuse. It includes stalking, intimidation, talking down to, emotional blackmail, pushing, shoving, hitting, slapping, victim being kept away from family and friends, victim being forced to participate in sexual acts against their will, keeping the victim from having job and not allowing them to have any money, punching, kicking, etc. It's also important to know that it happens to both men and women. Over one billion Americans have been affected by domestic violence at some point in their life time.

Here are some more facts from a resource guide provided by Avon.

• Many women will not leave an abusive relationship because she fears the safety of herself and her children
• Women ages 16 to 24 experience the highest per capita rates of partner violence.
• Those who participate in dating violence are more likely to participate in binge drinking, fighting and/or smoking, and are at an increased risk of suffering from mental illness.
• Every 9 seconds in the U.S. a person is woman is assaulted or beaten.
• Up to 10 million children witness some form of domestic violence annually
  
• Victims of domestic violence lose nearly 8 million days of paid work per year in the U.S.
• The cost of intimate partner violence exceeds 5.4 billion dollars per year.
• Men who witnessed their parents' violence as children were twice as likely to abuse their own partners than sons of nonviolent parents.

Violence doesn't have a face, we can't always see it when it's coming our way. However, together we can get rid of all this violence. We can help stop the violence that is hurting so many people. If you see abuse, say something, try to help before it gets worse. No one deserves to die from abuse. Teach others the statistics. Look out for the warning sign. Make posters. Let's try to do whatever it takes to help.

Here are several resources that can help you join the mission against domestic violence:

• http://seeitandstopit.org
• http://safeyouth.org
• http://chooserespect.org
• http://breakthecycle.org
• http://loveisrespect.org
• http://dosomething.org
• http://avonfoundation.org
• http://ndvh.com
• http://endabuse.com
• http://ncadv.org
• http://nnedv.com
• http://ncvc.com
• http://ncdsv.org
• http://ncvc.org
• http://childhelp.org
• http://childwitenesstoviolence.org
• http://preventchildabuse.org

Remember that peace is possible. You've probably seen it a million times but violence is never the answer. Take a stand and demand respect. No one has the right to hurt you. Stand up against violence. Let's find some peace and love in this world. It's impossible for the world to have both. Let's put violence to an end! We can do it!

11 facts about domestic violence

11 Facts about Domestic/Dating Violence (via http://www.dosomething.org/)

1. Domestic/dating violence (also known as intimate partner violence) is a pattern of controlling behaviors that one partner uses to get power over the other. It includes:
   -any kind of physical violence or threat of physical violence to get control
   -emotional or mental abuse, such as playing mind games, making you feel crazy, or constantly putting you down or criticizing you
   -Sexual abuse, including making you do anything you don’t want to do, refusing to have safe sex or making you feel badly about yourself sexually


2. About 95% of all domestic violence victims are female. And the majority of male victims are assaulted by other men.


3. One third of American women and one quarter of women worldwide will experience domestic/dating violence in their lifetime.


4. An estimated 1.3 million women are victims of physical assault by an intimate partner each year. Some studies say the numbers are even greater – up to 5.3 million – since most assaults go unreported.


5. Only 25% of all physical assaults perpetuated by intimate partners are reported to the police.


6. Females who are 20-24 years of age are at the greatest risk for intimate partner violence.


7. On average, more than three women are murdered by their husbands or boyfriends in this country every day. That’s more than 1100 women a year.


8. Domestic violence is the leading cause of injury to women – more than car accidents, muggings, and rapes combined.


9. One half of all homeless women in the country are fleeing from domestic violence.


10. Women are more likely to be attacked by someone they know rather than by a stranger.


11. Domestic/Dating violence costs the US $5.8 billion annually in health related costs, with $4.1 bil for victims needing medical and mental health services

failed affairs and harsh actions

Domestic Violence...

• Domestic violence is the control of one partner by another in a marital, dating, or live-in relationship. It includes physical, mental, and economic abuse, threats and isolation. It is a major problem in the United States, affecting over 30 million Americans.

Domestic violence is one of my most major causes. I had to do a research paper on this topic in English a while back and through my research, I've discovered that Domestic Violence is a horrible problem that needs to be brought to attention to people everywhere. It's worse then most people realize. I think we should pay more attention to this topic, not just because it was hot in the media, but because it affects an estimated 30 million Americans and one of them could be you or someone close to you.

How can this probelm be solved?

Here are some of my thoughts on possible solutions to bring the number of domestic violence victims down to a much lower number:

I think that the problem can be solved but the solution has to begin with educators, victims, and potential victims. Domestic violence can be reduced if victims, educators and survivors taught people about the cycle of abuse and the characteristics of an abusive person or partner. It would also help if counseling and therapy was available for individuals who have been marked as potentially abusive according to the known characteristics of an abusive partner.

The cycle of abuse is like an un-merry-go-round. It starts off with an unbelievable, special romance. Then, out of nowhere, one partner, the abusive partner, begins to get moody while the other partner tries to console them. The abusive partner will then go off, harming the other verbally or physically. The abusive partner promises that it will never happen again but the cycle repeats itself. Hopefully, if more people begin relationships knowing the cycle, they will be able to identify the parts of the cycle and get out of the relationship before the cycle can reach its worst part or even repeat itself.

Aside from the cycle of abuse, people should also be very familiar with the characteristics of abusive partners so that they can identify an abusive partner before they have the chance to be abused. If abusive partners can be identified before they actually harm someone, they get therapy to prevent it from ever happening. That would decrease the number of domestic violence cases and the number of victims.

I think that for a problem, there is a solution and this problem will be solved. Together we can stomp out domestic violence by raising awareness. visit http://dosomething.org/ for more info and other ways you can help raise awareness. Awareness leads to action so anything you can do will always help! :)

Here are some views on domestic violence from some awesome people (feel free to add yours):

• C.R. female, 17: Domestic Violence is a harsh reality that is ignored. The people that have the power to change the situation often don't because of numerous, crazy reasons, like denial or "love." Domestic violence affects everyone, especially children who have to watch their parents be be abused or be involved in the abuse themselves. Those situations emotionally scar many and cause problems that may not show until later, such as attachment issues and trust issues. No matter what, if not stopped, horrible effects will be caused which will follow someone affected by the abuse for a short period of time, or worse, a lifetime.
• G.B. female, 16: My view on domestic violence is that there is absolutely no need for an individual to withstand any abuse from another individual . It should be severely punished by law and not easily pardoned. Domestic violence should be brought to awareness!
• K.A. male, 16: Well I would never hit my girl or abuse her in anyway that she's not comfortable with and I don't think that it is right for anyone to do it whether it be man or woman.

what do you think?

visit http://www.ndvh.org/ and join the million voices campaign

:)