Because Teenage Life Is Such A Fairytale (NOT)

Today I happened to come across something, that ceased to amaze me on how ignorant people can be. It was a review essay published in Wall Street Journal book section, for a book called "Darkness Too Visible" by Meghan Cox Gurdon. Basically the book takes up a prejudice against YA fiction, and why is that you may ask? Because of its dark themes things like macabre, suicide, rape, drug use, and other real life themes. Gurdon fears that it is harmful for teens to read about such things. My response to this is what is this a society, where teens live in a fairytale land where there are pink frosted cupcakes and sparkly unicorns? Obviously that's not how life works, and not every teen has a happy go lucky life. I'm not even sure those, who don't go through as harsh times have a grand lifestyle either way. But that doesn't mean that teens shouldn't be able to read about real life situations, because in reality bad things happen. Shielding a kid may keep them from seeing the harshness of the world, at the same time it will only make them unprepared for such situations. Its not the genre that's bad, it does nothing to shape how a young adult person will turn out.

For reading does not make a person do something, its the person that chooses what they do not the book. Take for instance a book about a girl cutting and say another girl reads it and is not a cutter like the main character. Its not suddenly going to make the reader start cutting, the book has no such power. It would be the girl's decision to pick up a razor, and mark her own skin. In certain instances the books on real life, can actually help those who are going through hard times. It gives them the sense, that they are not alone in the world. Sometimes the only thing a person has is a book, as a method of help because no one else can help, even if they want to. But its not just about helping, there should also be a freedom to read what one wants to read. I can understand a parent not wanting their child to read, certain books and that's their decision. What I do not agree is bashing the genre as a whole, especially not for covering darker themes in life. Cause frankly things like this happen every day, its a simple matter of fact. Young adults knowing this isn't going to warp them, yet instead they wont get a naive vision of life.

Whether its to help or just to tell a damn good story, the author creates the book because they want readers to read the book. Whatever message they are trying to send, is not to 'harm' teens but to entrance them into their world. When I say entrance I don't simply mean, that they want the teens to go out and be like their characters. But simply get something from the book, whether its a new insight on life, or just enjoying the book because really that's the fundamental reason why authors write. For others to enjoy them, in whatever way they might. In conclusion what I have to say is, face it this world isn't perfect. By trying to ban the books, replacing them with ones only certain persons want to read, isn't help anyone. All its doing is trying to create a perfect world, which hate to break it to you does not exist.

Unhappy Endings in LGBT fiction

I'm a big fan of the LGBT genre, more often than not I prefer it to heterosexual based books. The only problem I have with some of these books, is not the content for most are well written. Its the fact that most end with unhappy endings, whether the two in the end don't end up together. I do understand that in life, things don't always turn out how we want them too. That bad things do happen, and we have to get through them. However why do authors feel the need, to always end the LGBT genre with such an unfortunate end? Its like the author is sending out a personal message of his or her own, saying that it'll only end in ruin.

I don't like the thought of that, for everyone deserves their own happiness, even fictional characters. Plus young teens, and young adults, or even adults who identity themselves as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, or even Transsexual. I believe they need a source to the turn to that's not completely negative. Now I'm not saying that someone should not read books, that have bad endings. Because obviously in reality relationships don't work out sometimes. What I am getting out there should be a good source to turn to, to show the person(s) that its possible to end up happy with your own sex. Even if the road to being with them is a hard one. Truthfully if someones looking for proof, that relationships of the same sex can last. Then its only natural they'd want to read about, someones (even if fictional) experience at having it work out. The reason for this post, is mainly just my own thoughts rather than to sound as if I'm complaining. I do realize that there are a few with happy endings, but not quite enough as there should be.

Especially when someone does not have anyone they could turn to. Due to not being able to come out, for fear of family, and or friends abandoning them. Books are a great reference to let an adolescent, or even an adult know that its okay to be who they are. Also to let them know that just because, they love their own gender that not everything will always end badly. In the earlier years of when I had come to terms, that I liked woman instead of men. Often I wanted an outlet to let me know, that it was all okay that it might not work out, but there was hope that I could find someone in my own gender and make it work. Now reading some of these fictions, with unhappy endings it just makes me wonder, what others are thinking when they read the same books. Its not much but below is a list I've complied of the books I've read, that have happy endings, and might help someone who have had similar thoughts to my own.

Ash by Malina Lo

Boy meets Boy by David Levithan

Naomi and Ely's No Kiss List by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

(When I can think of more, I'll update this list.)

Xmas this year!!

Even though its not technically Christmas anyone, I still wanted to write about it anyway. It was actually one of the best xmas's I've had in quite a while. Although it first started out not so well, my phone ended up breaking. Its been giving me hell for quite a while, blanking out half the screen. Just the other day a piece of the hinge broke off, and just yesterday I accidentally bumped it off the bed, and it snapped. It really drove me crazy, one of the reasons being that I've had this phone for three years. It was the first phone my mother got me, and I made it last when my dad and sister had to get new phones. So it was naturally something really special to me, and now that its broke it just really depresses me. The other reason was that I was texting my girlfriend at the time, and had planned to text well into the morning. Luckily though my dad's allowing me to use his phone, until I can get another phone. Now onto my Christmas morning, it took a bit to get to where we opened gifts. I actually couldn't sleep very well, because I was so excited to open gifts XD

Every year our grandparents come out to watch us open gifts, and open their gifts. It was around eight in the morning, when I finally called grandma to ask to see when she would come out. They ended up coming about around nine, which made me antsy I must say XD I was really that excited, which is a new thing for me! Once they came out, we opened gifts, which was quite fun mostly because,I got to watch my sister's reaction to what she got. After we opened we gifts me and Heaven, cleaned the room and talk for a bit, before getting dinner on. Luckily we didn't have to rush around like we did on Thanksgiving, although most turned out well, other dishes could have been better. Nonetheless being able to chat and eat with our grandparents was a nice touch. Not much more to say, but I thought I'd list what I got, that way I don't have to repeat what I got XD

What g-mom & g-pa got me:



Two hats



A skeleton shirt



Crochet hooks



Latch hook, and latch hook rug



Rug yarn



Pajama set



A box of chocolate covered cherries



Two books and two manga (The Curse of the Wendigo by Rick Yancy, Hero by Perry Moore. Otomen vol 3, M & N vol 2.)



Bras (Just in case y'all were dying to know XD)



Fairy blanket



Laptop (A way early xmas gift)

....



What Dad got me:



Three Books and three manga (Perchance to Dream by Lisa Mantchev, The Monstrumologist by Rick Yancy, and Keeping You a Secret by Julie Anne Peters. The Wallflower vol 2, Boy Princess vol 3, and Yellow vol 2.)



Alice in Wonderland (DVD)



From Hell (DVD)



Howl's Moving Castle (DVD)



Blackveilbrides (Perfect Weapon)



My Chemical Romance ( Danger Days)



A book light



40 $ Booksamillion gift card



Nana messenger bag



Chinese horoscope necklace (Snake)



Stereo



Kingdom hearts: Birth by sleep (Got that early ... PSP)



Printer (Its both mine and my sisters)



Odin Sphere (Ps2)



Castlevania: Lamont of Innocence (Ps2)





What my girl got me <3



....



A gift card to B&N, and a manga!!


I'd also like to say that I'm pleased with,the passing of the bill doing away with Don't ask don't tell! Its about time if you ask me, it just shows the government, is actually using its common sense for once.

I'll write again when I have something more to say.

Fifiteen Year Old Girl Gets Suspended For T-shirt!!

This evening when I was watching the local news a story in particular caught my eye. Normally I'm not a big fan of the news, however I felt compelled to watch this particular story. It was about a fifteen year old girl who got suspended for wearing a shirt to school. What was so wrong with this shirt? Nothing as far as I'm concerned. However according to the Fort Smith Arkansas school district this particular shirt disrupted the education process. Now that I have your attention let me explain what it was that the shirt had on it. Fifteen year old Sommer Collins wore a homemade shirt to school, in which displays gay pride. As you can see in the picture the words 'Proud to be a Lesbian' and 'Support Homosexual Love.' are written on the t-shirt itself. These are what initially got her suspended.

In no way is the shirt offensive it contains no slandering on the school's part nor any sexual content. Collins was speaking out against an act previous to her deciding to make the shirt. The day before her teacher made her take off a rainbow bracelet, which has become a symbol for the LGBT community. The teacher claimed it supported an immoral cause, and what right does that give her to judge what's moral and what's not? It doesn't. Are rainbows suddenly going to become outlawed, just because one group or the other decides to use it as a symbol? Will there come a day when Lucky Charms will no longer be available, simply because there's rainbow marsh mellows?! I'd hope to think not. There is no right in the action the bracelet was harmless, the shirt was harmless. Therefore the girl should not have been suspended for three days, along with not being able to make up the work she missed. Which was one of the 'consequences' of her suspension. Collin's own mother who was appalled by the action asked the teacher in question, what was so wrong with the shirt.

The teacher went on to reply that the word: Homosexual referred to a sexual act. For those who know that this is not the truth, that homosexuality refers to person who likes a member of the same sex, rather than the opposite. In no way does it have anything to do with the act itself, obviously this teacher needs to go get the dictionary to look up the definition. This girl has done nothing wrong as far as reasons go they are unjustified and invalid. The school obviously just wants an excuse to nip any support for homosexuality in the bud. Showing that they are obviously homophobic persons who care more about what they think is not right. Rather than their students who just so happen to be gay or lesbian. This is the message they are sending out with having suspended Collins. Furthermore her shirt didn't even violate the school dress code!

No where in the handbook does it say that it is against school policies to wear an article of clothing, or accessories pertaining to the support of homosexual love. Collins parents both have filed a formal complaint against the school. The board is looking into the matter as we speak, one can only hope that the right thing is done in the end. All I have left to say is that people need to come to their senses,this right here is only displaying how ignorant humans can be. A petition has been started to tell Arkansas schools that supporting gay pride doesn't merit suspension. If you'd like to become a part of the petition follow the link below.

http://gayrights.change.org/blog/view/arkansas_ninth_grader_suspended_for_wearing_a_gay_t-shirt

Wear Purple on October 20th!!

Lets face it bullying on any level is just plain wrong. No matter what the reason, there is never any justified excuse to bully a fellow human being(s) As it can be said just because its not right, doesn't mean someone's not going to do it. My thoughts on this is that when bullying does happen, for those who know its going on to speak out! Just sitting around hoping the problem will go away, or better yet hoping someone else will step up to the plate isn't going to solve anything! This could be equally addressed to school principals, who have been faced with the issues of students letting it be known that he or she is being bullied. Yet instead of getting the root of the problem, all that was done was a stern 'talking to' and a mere slap on the wrist. Merely talking with the bully, and writing it off as a warning does not solve the problem more often than not. Nor is giving a lunch detention, in hopes of reprimanding the bullies behavior, by taking away the right to sit with their friends at school.

The fact of it is more needs to be done, so that bullying can be put a stop to in schools along with anywhere else it might arise. The main focal point of my blog post involves the recent topic of five young boys who committed suicide due to homophobic bullying. When I heard about this I couldn't help but feel disgusted, with how it came to the point in these boys lives, where they felt they had no choice. They were picked on and pushed around so harshly, all because of the gender they chose to love. That's what it is people its a gender nothing more!! Who they were didn't change, just because they preferred boys to girls. To me loving a person isn't about gender, its about loving a person for who they really are on the inside. No matter what anyone's beliefs no one has the right to bully, a person to the point where they'd rather choose death, over having to face one more day of bullying.

When it gets to that point honestly, its horrid to think that someone has been through that much. Nevertheless it does happen, and what's more its happened to five young boys who didn't deserve a life of being harassed. After reading about the details of what happened with each boy, there was a factor I noticed about each. The problem was reported to the school's principal, only to have nothing being done in the end. Basically the message that was sent to me was, that the schools involved couldn't be bothered to solve the problem. My reaction to this is what the hell?! Here you have a student, and in this case a group of students who are crying out for help! Yet because of their sexual orientation, the case wasn't addressed because no one saw fit to do anything about it.

This really irks me how anyone can just sit back, little lone a school educator who is suppose to reach out to its students and do nothing about the bullying. What's more is these boys were so young, two of which who were only thirteen! Thirteen! They were barely starting to experience the world, and already they faced such situations, that no one especially not someone so young should ever have to go through. I urge my fellow human beings to stand up for those who they know, someone whose being bullied. Because no one should have to face being bullied all by themselves.

Getting to the point of the title on this blog post, I'd like to tell everyone about an event that Facebook has going on right now. There has been a day selected solely for the purpose of honoring these boys, as a way to speak out against homophobic bulling. All you have to do is wear the color purple on the 20th of this month, simple huh? The following is a link to the facebook page in case anyone wants more information on the event. ://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=130718953645848

For now I leave you with these thoughts in mind to really think about. If you saw someone who was being tormented everyday, for simply choosing to love who they loved. Would you honestly have the courage to stand up for them?

Banned Books Week

It has come to my attention that this week is Banned Book Week, an event that stands up for the first amendment in our constitution. Lately a few key choice books have been targeted to be put up for ban. Just to list a few Laurie Anderson's Speak,Alice Walker's The Color Purple,and Sarah Ockler's Twenty Boy Summer There are several more books, that are up for ban however,these were the titles that caught my eye the most. Especially Speak which tells the story of a young girl, who has to cope with being raped. Associate collage professor of management at Missouri State University Wesley Scroggins wishes to ban the book,based on what he believes to be 'soft pornography.' My response is excuse my foul language here, but what the hell? Rape has nothing to do with feeling desire, its a sexual act against someone's will. How anyone can call it pornography is beyond me, to be incredibly blunt here. Pornography is something you watch to get your jollies off, and rape is not.

No one likes to hear about the sensitive subject, at the same time these girls never asked to be defiled in such a way. The fact of it is its not pretty, its not just but this is reality, and unfortunately it does happen. The world in return shouldn't turn its head to pretend it doesn't exist because the sad fact it does. If anything books that deal with the subject matter are there for a reason. To help rape victims and to bring attention to the public, that this isn't something that they should be ignore. Its not easy writing about such a topic, especially if the writer knows from experience what its like. Honestly what they must be reliving, as they spin the tale that they are writing, I couldn't begin to imagine what its like for them. Nevertheless these woman have survived as they do with each passing day. To relate porn and this book in the same sentence is like a slap in the face, for all those who have read this book and found hope. Speak is a book, like many it makes people face the part of reality that they'd rather not.

In some ways I understand a parent's decision not to allow their child to read a certain book. Why not simply tell them that they cannot read the certain book, instead of taking away from the other students who want to be informed? On the other hand I don't see why a parent, wouldn't want their children to know about the harsh ways of reality. That life isn't a bowel of ice cream with sprinkles on top, they can still be a kid and know what's out there. Anderson has my full support as do the other authors,who have had their books put up for ban for unjust reasons. Books are a freedom of expression, take that away and you might as well be breaking the first amendment that our forefathers fought for. No I have not read Speak, now I find myself compelled to do so. I will not allow the ignorant ways of a man, who puts rape with being something to get off on. To put a damper on what I read, reality is what it is and the people deserve a chance to read for themselves. Putting a ban on a book, just because you don't wish to accept something, doesn't mean that what the story is about will disappear from the world.

In this way the world is naive thinking that, if you just ban something then it wont be true. On a closing note I'd just like to say, stand up and speak out for books that have been wrongly banned! Blog, write letters, tweet, anything to get the message across! I'll be speaking up and I hope those who read this blog will be too.

Intro to Moi

First off if your reading this then you must be at least somewhat interested in what I'm going to write about in here. Normally I'm a down to earth person once you get to know me that is, until then I tend to be quiet and don't say all that much. Though once you do get to know me, then I'll have you wishing I'd shut up already! I have more of a introverted personality, unless of course I'm with friends and then I'm more outgoing and daring. So I figured since the about me section is sort of cramped, I'd write my own first entry/about me section here. I tend to be blunt no lies, I sugar coat nothing if it needs to be said, I'll tell you like it is, especially if I don't like you, or what your doing. I see it this way life isn't going to sugar coat anything for you, so why should you sugar coat life? If anyone doesn't like my brutal honesty, then oh well it doesn't matter to me either way. I'm a big history nerd hands down, if its ancient and filled with intrigue then I'm on it! I tend to like World history better than my own countries history, because I find it to be dull as hell save a few time periods, and events. While I like a vast amount of time periods, and certain events my two favorite eras are the Victorian era, and the Sengoku era or Warring states era as its known in Japan.

The Victorian era was utterly morbid with how everything was so gruesome, I like this aspect because its far more interesting this way. Although the people in this time period, probably wouldn't agree with me. As for the Sengoku era it was time in Japan, where constant battles were on the rage amazing men, all fighting for what they believed in and some dying for it. Some other things I'm into would be writing,anime,manga,photography,art, and reading. I love writing its a passion of mine that I've had since a young age, its a passion that has yet to go away. I'd like to some day become a published author, its just a goal for now but if at all possible its going to become a reality!! As far as anime and manga I enjoy watching it and reading it, its addicting and sometimes even aspiring. Anime I like: Fushigi Yuugi, Nabari no Ou, Yu Yu Hakusho, Junjo Romantica, InuYasha, Strawberry Panic,Loveless, 07 Ghost, Fruits Basket, and Blood +. I like way more but if I was to sit here and list them all I'd still be here when I was thirty!! Manga I like: Fushig Yuugi Genbu Kaiden, Junjo Romantica, Our Kingdom, Me and my brothers, High School Debut, Girl Friends, Tail of the Moon, The Gentleman's alliance, Crimson Spell, Kuroshitsuji. Again if I listed all the manga I liked I'd be here for a while. Note that I also like yaoi and yuri to me its down right hot, and well love is love, but we'll get to that in a bit.

Reading is another great passion of mine I've always been an avid reader of books, and it will continue to stay this way for a very long time. I like authors like Nora Roberts, Lynsay Sands, James Patterson, Suzanne Collins, Maggie Shayne, Anne Rice, and a whole lot more. Some things I dislike would be: Math,Mustard, Liars,Cheaters, Alcohol,Smoking, Homophobs, Fake people, Rudeness, Egoists, etc .. One last factor that I'll touch up on I am bisexual and I do prefer girls over guys, and I'm not afraid to admit it. I'd go so far as to claim to say that I'm bordering on calling myself a lesbian. To me guys have lost their appeal for numerous amount of reasons, though mostly because I'm sick of their ways and I'm hardly attracted to them anymore. They do nothing for me, and nothing gets me pissed off quicker than a arrogant guy who thinks he can get any girl he wants. NEWS FLASH GUYS NOT ALL GIRLS WANT YOU!! Lol okay I better stop there, or else I'll be ranting on guys this could go on for hours. Anyways I believe that love is love, and if your going to preach about the bible to me telling me its wrong, its sinful, I'll go to hell then I'm likely to pop off with a smart remark you wont like. There is nothing wrong with loving a person, gender really doesn't matter people love the person not because their a certain gender. But because that person has a unique quality about them, that sets them apart from most people.

Adieu for now my lovelies XD