Gender

THE gender "conflict" is incredibly controversial today. There are men who want to be women and women who want to be men. There are men who want to be men that act like women and women that want to be women that act like men. It is like the whole world is going topsy-turvy. When discussing gender my religious beliefs have an incredibly strong influence on my stand. I am a Christian and with my beliefs I do not agree with homosexuality. You often hear people say that "God created Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve." When thinking about gender and homosexuality I often wonder and ask myself, "How can a man possibly want to be with another man when there are so many fine women out there?" A question that I'' never be able to answer. Yet, when discussing the topic I also find myself disgusted with the outlooks of other Christians. I understand that as Christians I should want to bring people into the Faith and witness, but to me beating people up with a Bible and telling people, "You know you're going to Hell 'cuz you're a faggot, right?" just doesn't seem to be the right way to go about it to me. Many people will say they don't care if a person is gay as long as the "gayness" doesn't show up in their presence. But let's be real followers of Christ. In the eyes of God all sins are the same. So, in God's eyes the person who calls in "sick" to work when they are not is just as guilty of sin as the gay couple who acts on their idea that an act of sodomy a day keeps the doctor away. The fact of the matter is that my agreeing or disagreeing with gender switching and homosexuality is irrelevant because there is only one with the true right to judge and it certainly is not me. Being gay or transgender does not make a person non-human. I've been raised and taught in my beliefs to love any and everyone; red, yellow, black, white, gay, or straight. I also hold the belief that people who are "in the closet" need to bring their happy behinds on out... it's for their own good (once again stemming from my own personal beliefs). The way I see it, homosexuals are already committing sin just by being gay. When I say that I don't mean it with cruelty either because I'm a sinner also. Now, for a homosexual to be in the closet, that is the equivalent to lying, thus you are stacking one sin on top of another. However, if homosexuals are out of the closet, then that is only one sin. I'm sure I have a host of people out there who disagree, but that's just how I see. No matter what you are you should be proud of it and love yourself regardless. Just do you!

"This above all: to thine own self be true, And it must follow, as the night the day, Thou canst not then be false to any man."
-William Shakespeare

Genetics

GENERALLY, I am a very open-minded person, but something about genetic discussion makes me cringe. I think back to when I was younger and replay events where I had performed well. Often times my dad would shout out, "I know ya'll saw that! It's in his genes!" So, it may sound weird, but my genetic make-up is something that I have been proud of, therefore I can not imagine any artificial alterations being taken to it. Frankly, the idea of genetic alteration alone concerns me. It never sits right with me when people take it amongst themselves to play God. My belief is that God made us the way we are for a reason. Now, clearly I do not mean that people cancers and other illnesses should not seek treatment. My problem lies with those who use science to reinvent what God has created just for the heck of it. Why can't they just develop a computer some sort of simulator that let's people clone and and make genetic alterations all they want... at least that way, the natural order of things would remain in tact. It requires so much intelligence to tweak and alter genetic make-ups and it is just my opinion that all of that intelligence could be put to better use.

"I have observed that the world has suffered far less from ignorance than from pretensions to knowledge. It is not skeptics or explorers but fanatics and ideologues who menace decency and progress."
- Daniel J. Boorstin

Cultural Identities

CULTURE is alive in every human being on the planet whether they are in touch with it or not. However, taking the time to get in touch with ones own cultural identity can be a very enlightening process that promotes self worth, self pride, self knowledge, and self love. Sadly, I do not know as much about my own culture as I would like to, but as I have grown and matured so has my interest it. Cultural identity can live in many things, including, but not limited to, clothing, food, and habitat. It is unfortunate that the United States is a place that destroys much of its cultural beauties for a buck. Much of the history in the nation has been bulldozed and covered up for parking garages and office complexes. This is why it is important that we soak up as much of the culture and history as possible, but soon it will be replaced with the new culture and that of the past will be a culture lost. I have found that some of the best ways to gain a better knowledge of my own culture is through books and asking family members. I know it's a long shot, but perhaps if more people knew more about where they were from then more would be done to carry on in a positive direction because there is so much negative energy in the world that it is absolutely ridiculous!

"What would it be like to have not only color vision but culture vision, the ability to see the multiple worlds of others."
- Mary Catherine Bateson

Social Networking

TODAY, social networking websites such as Myspace, Facebook, and many others are the craze of the internet. Such sites allow people to create an online profile and connect with people all across the globe. It truly is a wonderful concept, for what better way for people to connect and reconnect with friends, old and new? Unfortunately, as it seems with any good thing, people have found a way to manipulate the websites for their own twisted and dastardly deeds. Lately, social networking websites have come under fire because sex predators have flooded them in attempts to lure young boys and girls and feed their perverse addictions. While the companies that run social networking sites do what they can to provide an essentially safe online environment, there is no way they can fence all offenders. With that in mind it is up to people to be responsible users of the websites. Furthermore, it is up to parents to keep a close watch of their children's online activities. As far as I am concerned, social networking sites are of great benefits, especially as it relates to my endeavours in the music industry. Such websites allow me to connect with fans, artists, and other industry decision makers all across the world with a few clicks of a mouse. This makes it possible for me to reach and share my music with far more people than would generally be possible.

"Your network determines your net worth."
- Joseph 'Rev. Run' Simmons

Body Image

EVERY morning newsstands are stocked with magazines that flaunt the world's "most beautiful" people on their covers; thin runway models, muscular athletes, and our favorite silver screen dudes and darlings. Often times the pages of these magazines contain tips to have the physique, hair style, and fashion sense of the aforementioned figures. However, everyone is not meant to have blond hair, blue eyes, and high cheek bones, thus more and more people are beginning to lose confidence in themselves as they do not fit the mold of the prescribed notion of beauty. I personally feel that people should have confidence in themselves and believe in their own beauty whether they look like a Cover Girl/GQ model or not because beauty is so much more than fair skin and a slim waist. People should not make changes to their physical selves because it is what the world deems beautiful. A person should make physical changes for two reasons: because it is something that he/she genuinely wants to do and/or because it is for the good of his/her health.

"Character contributes to beauty. It fortifies a woman as her youth fades. A mode of conduct, a standard of courage, discipline, fortitude and integrity can do a great deal to make a woman beautiful."
- Jacqueline Bisset