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ayyjax
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Name: A.J.
Country: United States
State: Missouri
Metro: St. Louis
Birthday: 10/23/1985
Gender: Male
Interests: enjoying others, the sun, being a son and brother, my friends, Thumper, trance music, rain, government, biking, planting things, taking pictures, Jesus, jazz, fashion, service, swimming, green, the sky, dogs, random internet ads, astrobright colors, beautiful people, snow, the country, water
Occupation: Student
Message: message meEmail: email me
Website: visit my website
AIM:  ayyjacks
MSN: ayyjax@hotmail.com
Member Since:
3/20/2005
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| Surprise! This is my last Xanga entry. My new blog is at:
http://arthurjack.blogspot.com
It's much easier to manage on that server. Talk with you soon.
Best-
A.J.
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| "Progressive" is a term that is loosely adopted by many college
students across the country nowadays. Radio pundits (mostly
conservatives) are labeling the expanding, largely grassroots movement
as the "far left extreme." Major (conservative) think-tanks
and family values groups say that these "far left loons" (O'Reilly, of
course) are hijacking America and taking it down the wrong
course. These individuals and groups will be left behind in the
future of politics and viewed as ignorant, just as racist Wallace-era
conservatives from the mid-century are viewed today.
Beware,
the definition of 'progressive' that most of the conservative base
would like you to believe in false. In fact, progressivism was
coined to refer to the reformists of left-wing politics advocating
gradual social improvement and to differentiate themselves from the
more radial revolutionaries or radicals. The movement formed out
of a response to the many horrors that accompanied U.S.
industrialization, advocating for workers' rights and social
justice--remember your history book excerpts of 12 year-olds working
16+ hour days with no job protection? The first major political
accomplishments of the progressive movement was breaking monopolies
with anti-trust laws and expanding the conservation movement
(interesting word choice) to form the American National Park system and
delineate Wildlife Refuges. Later, progressive politics shaped
agencies such as social security, welfare, and government work programs
such as the TVA that helped America revive itself from the Great
Depression. The principle leaders in this early movement were
Teddy Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, FDR, and Eleanor Roosevelt.
I
am not a democrat and most definitely not a conservative, but I do
identify as a traditional progressive. I believe the
controversial yet ethically sound issues of today will be tomorrow's
celebrated accomplishments, much like the early- and mid-century
progressive accomplishments are viewed today. After an era
of the rich becoming richer and the poor becoming poorer, stronger
protection and support will be developed for the middle class.
Social security will be reformed and available to future
generations. All citizens will be afforded the same fundamental
rights and freedoms to live their lives as the individuals they are,
and the American family will be defined by commitment and love, not
false gender binaries. The American economy will continue to
improve, but not at the expense of the American worker. America
will support governments that value human rights and work to sustain a
global political atmosphere. Environmental protection will become
a priority, and eco-friendly business practices will become the
demanded norm. All citizens, regardless of backgrounds or
location, will receive a quality and equitable K-12 education and have
access to a post-secondary school experience.
To imagine
anything less is to underestimate the power of a rising
generation. The world will change for the better, as history has
shown. The path to a brighter future isn't paved smooth, but the
human work ethic coupled with a spark of idealism will guide us to the
mountain top.
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| At this point, I am pretty much settled into my room in Danforth as a freshman RA. And, let me just say, that I absolutely love it! My residents are the greatest kids ever, and I know this year will be spectacular.
RA Training was actually a great experience. Coming into the training about 3 weeks ago, I was not completely excited about actual training. I thought that the last few weeks would consist of random and unnecessary information that would bore me to tears. Yes, a few of those sessions were present, and instead of tears they bored me to sleep. BUT, a much greater experience surprised me. The first few days of training were "Diversity Training," which was definitely a rewarding experience. We discussed issues both close to our own hearts as well as issues that affect the country on the whole, and how really interconnected the issues actually are. I thought going into the training that I was an open-minded person, and I still do to a large extent. However, one thing that a good diversity training should do is open your eyes to hidden prejudices inside you that you may not realize exist. No one is perfect; everyone has internal struggles and experiences that affect their interactions with others, and it's important that we attempt to extract those issues in order to deal better with those around us.
After d-training came CAMP, which was, I just have to say, the highlight of all of training. There were very few 'training-training' sessions, and to be quite honest they weren't exactly thrilling (sorry Career Center). BUT, the team-building activities and overall bonding that took place over the three days at Camp Lakewood definitely made up for any lagging sessions. One of my favorite moments of camp was laying out under the stars with the WGE staff and watching shooting stars for hours. I love WGE staff!
Classes started last week, but the 'real' stuff gets going this week. Who's excited?! I'm not too sure how I feel about classes just yet. I'm taking a very heavy load (*ahem* of courses), but my classes are interesting. Since I had a very busy summer, I never really had the 'break' that most students have, so I'm not overly ready to jump back into the rigors of the fall semester. We'll see... sink or swim, I guess!
Speaking of which, my agenda list is getting increasingly longer... and I should get started. Good luck with work, school, or whatever you're spending time on!
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World War III
I've always thought World War III would start in the Middle East. I just never thought it would happen
with other parts of the world falling apart, as well. Dub-yah has a huge
task ahead of him, balancing Asia and the
Mid-East. Now, I'm not a huge history buff concerning the Middle East, but I think there are some pretty basic
underlying principles in the conflicts. I think it's difficult for
countries to engage in the peace process when governments and parties are
oftentimes based either (a) on a religious belief, or (b) the hatred of another
group of people.
One of the best concepts America's founding fathers included
in our country is the separation of church and state. Now, I know this is
debatable, from the inclusion of God in the Pledge of Allegiance and our
currency, but our country on the whole does not govern out policy and practices
in the name of the Christian God. Now, I know certain politicians or
political parties/movements may seem to have a Christian drive, but our country
does not exist to appease this silent majority of America.
Could you imagine living in a state where this is the
case? Hezbollah, the terrorist militant group and Lebanese political
party literally translates into "party of God"... in their case,
Allah. In Lebanon,
only 20-something of a few hundred Parliament seats are held by Hezbollah, so
the party isn't the political majority. However, since they get their
weapons from Syria (who gets
their weapons from Iran,
which is basically a theocracy), then it's pretty obvious that whoever has the
'might' has the 'right'. And, in this unfortunate case, those with the
'might' want Israel
off the map.
Again, it's pretty transparent that most Arab states in the
Middle East feel that their land was taken from them to make the state of Israel.
And, I'm not at all arguing with that assumption. While I could get far
in to history and really get into a "who had it first" conversation,
I don't feel it's relevant here. What matters is that for a historically
significant amount of time, Israel
has been a sovereign state, no matter its origin. Political parties or
even whole countries developing their ideology based on the destruction of the
"Zionist enemy" will only lead to more bloodshed.
So, my thought process is obviously not complete here. In
short, I think that a war with Palestine, or
even Syria or Iran would be more warranted that the invasion
of Iraq
was. A war would be especially warranted if Iran were to about to develop
nuclear weapons. How do we know they're not just waiting for nuclear
development to strike?
Of course, diplomacy is the desired solution to this
problem. But, has diplomacy worked for the past couple thousand years?
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| I believe that someone can honestly look at themselves and decide if they are not ready for a deep relationship. Personal issues, past experiences, or external factors may affect one's ability to emotionally invest. This, of course, can change over time... but I think it's wise for that type of person to not be in a relationship that may cause further pain to the one they love.
"My Wish" by Rascal Flatts conveys some of my thoughts.
I hope that days come easy and moments pass slow,
And each road leads you where you want to go,
And if you're faced with a choice, and you have to choose,
I hope you choose the one that means the most to you.
And if one door opens to another door closed,
I hope you keep on walkin' till you find the window,
If it's cold outside, show the world the warmth of your smile,
More than anything, more than anything,
My wish, for you, is that this life becomes all that you want it,
To your dreams stay big, and your worries stay small,
You never need to carry more than you can hold,
And while you're out there getting where you're getting to,
I hope you know somebody loves you, and wants the same things too,
Yeah, this, is my wish.
I hope you never look back, but ya never forget,
All the ones who love you, in the place you left,
I hope you always forgive, and you never regret,
And you help somebody every chance you get,
Oh, you find God's grace, in every mistake,
And you always give more than you take.
Oh More than anything, Yeah, and more than anything,
My wish, for you, is that this life becomes all that you want it,
To your dreams stay big, and your worries stay small,
You never need to carry more than you can hold,
And while you're out there getting where you're getting to,
I hope you know somebody loves you, and wants the same things too,
Yeah, this, is my wish.
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