Are We Too Punchy For Our Own Good?

In light of recent events, I thought people might find the link to the Foreign Terrorist Organizations Website interesting. Looking at it is educational to say the very least. Through viewing this, where there are 47 listed organizations, it becomes clear that this war is not over, for the war on terrorism penetrates deeper than we know. This is a war on fear, it is not pretentious, nor is it exclusive, it is within our reach and we as individuals are affected by it. In some circles, terrorism can be seen as being a reaction to our lifestyle choices and our support of "exploitative" foreign policy that adds fuel to the extremist fire. Shakespeare once said, "a rose by any other name would smell as sweet." Like roses and let's call them unidentified breed of flower #1, Terrorism and fear are indeed the same thing, and I guarantee you that this war is not over today. In the Global war on terror there are thousands of other names and organizations and each must be considered to fully comprehend the unique predicament we are in as a global community and the fear we all face.

As said by all news anchors last night, "this marks a new chapter" but I assure you it is not the end. War is not over. Let us use the death of this particular man to spark a new era of recognition of what is truly going on and the circularity that has molded the "global war on terror." It is only through this recognition that peace and reconciliation can be achieved. In the matter of addressing terrorism, violence is the easy way out. However, understanding and the reformulation of ideologies on both sides rather than the death of an ideology on one side is what will eventually bring sustaining peace. We have heard over and over again in every Hollywood script and rolled off politician's tongues that "we do not negotiate with terrorists," Tonight I question, is this a good thing? I am not saying we need to give them the ransom they ask for or automatically forgive people for mass atrocities in order to play nice, but rather I am asking that we look to ourselves as much as we look at them -- It is my firm believe that mirror will reveal what we most desperately need to see.

I believe acts of terrorism can be defensive or reactionary, not all but some of course. The relation between terrorism and the state is Political Realism at its very best -- (sorry if you don't study international relations you may want to google this.) The death of one man may give our nation hope, but we must not turn away from the issue of terrorism or god forbid think it is over. The issues concerning it are pertinent to us all and we must understand underlying motivations first in order to combat terrorism successfully. Furthermore, we must comprehend motivations in order to see why and if acts of terrorism were reactionary and how we can change our own methods as a preventative tactic for furthering peace and preventing acts of aggression or extremism in the future. Swaths of global anti-American sentiment has manifested world wide, part of understanding terrorism is being able to ask ourselves "why this sentiment has been created." It is a scary question to ask as it requires someone on our side or all of us in general possibly having to take responsibility for some role in the circularity of the cycle of modern "terrorism."

This unique war (The Global War on Terror) is a difference in ideology and thought that has spiraled into violence because we have delayed peaceful acts of reconciliation which in the end will do a better job of ending "terrorism" "fear" (whatever you want to call it) around the word than more violence ever will. We must simultaneously look inwardly and outwardly to see reactions and work to make changes in our policies and expect the same from our "enemies." War has been the answer for centuries, someone punches us and we punch back, it has always been the case, yet in this modern world this is not what we need. The back and forth punching has been going on long enough, let it end, let anthropological views take some precedence and let understanding thus be created. I am not saying this will be easy or even always achievable but it must be a process on our moral and political radar. I have no doubt that there are some evil people in the world, but I firmly believe that with understanding, we as a society can move beyond the days of violence and back and forth retaliation. Idealist I may be but nevertheless, my faith in people will never halt and the faith that we have the power to change lets me know that world peace is not a pipe dream. It is real and we can reach it, if only we all give it our collective effort.

All my Wishes,

Stitches

no facts, just heart. hoping that it will someday be enough

The tears started streaming down my face last Friday afternoon at my work-study job at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. Somehow the world had become too much to bear for the lowly student that I am. Today, I look out into the world and I see no future, no light at the end of the tunnel, no hope, and I am in no way talking about homework or petty college drama. Instead, I am talking about the world I live in or rather, the world WE live in. I live in fear, not for my own personal security or national security or homeland security but rather, I live in fear for the direction both this planet and humanity are heading. Our willingness to take a road without once looking at our destination or a map for that matter installs a great fear in me and indifference and ignorance become my greatest temptations. The potential to waste my life unsuccessfully fighting for human progress gives new meaning to the phrase "Ignorance is Bliss." Boy does it ever. I wish for hope and faith that I will never become so hopeless as to stop fighting for dignity, justice, and a world that not only sees when something is morally wrong, but acts on it.

My parents and grandparents mistakes Post WWII and my generation's perpetuation of the ingrained problems those mistakes gave birth to is sickening, and I truly hate that I am just as much a part of it as any. Ignorance, consumerism, environmental degradation, war, nuclear meltdowns, climate change, unemployment, human rights, genocide, poverty, drugs, thugs and the fierce debate over a looming government shutdown over Planned Parenthood above all else, is a huge stress in my life as typical college student. I am angered that senators and representatives act like children. I am angered that there are not morals in politics and that the long-range moral repercussions are rarely considered and I am angered at myself for my helplessness. Morality must drive human action. Consciously considering all options and repercussions is necessary towards maintaining America’s national security both domestically and internationally. The stalemate between the house and senate right now is stoicism at its very best, it is heartless, childish, and it is not what we need as nation or as a part of the global community.

I consider myself liberal, if that hasn’t become obvious already, but that shouldn’t matter, and the fact that it probably does to you dear readers, whoever you are, is just another example of childish behavior that we should have been rid long ago. This country is in trouble and we need to have fiscal responsibility now more than ever. Yet, part of responsibility means taking care of our people and ensuring that they are safe. We are not doing that. Providing social services is part of our national security too. It is standing up for injustice, and part of simply having a heart. We have fallen behind as a nation in having a heart, the world is polluted, dirty, violent, and there are just as many human rights violations in our own country of our own people that are happing overseas. These humans rights violations at home come in the form of pollution that gives children the highest rate of Asthma ever, as well as in the form of homeless veterans with chemical dependencies stemming from never treated PTSD, and finally comes in the form of pregnant women without access to healthcare. This is what we face, these are people that have hearts and their situations and situations like them demand that our governments have hearts as well. Deficit aside, we are guilty of so much as a nation and as people in general. Despite this negativity, I have faith in our abilities. We are innovative and I know in my heart that we can find ways to be moral in politics and reduce the debt at the same time.

My name is Anna, I am 21, and I am guilty. Admitting we did something wrong must be the first step. I contribute to our deteriorating planet and I am sorry. I will try my best to do better. I don’t always recycle, I buy fast fashion, and when my computer started getting a little slow I got a new one. I will try to have a heart both for people and for the planet. When will people realize that all the world problems are correlated? That one is a direct cause of the other? The path we are on both nationally and globally is like a game of dominoes and we are falling one after another after another. This must be stopped and admitting we aren’t acting in moral interests is the first step.

That same Friday that tears welled up in my eyes at the office, two girls outside of the office I work in were talking about going to the infamous "Mall of America" this weekend to purchase some new "spring clothes." I was listening intently to their conversation about what stores are the cheapest. "Charlotte Russe? No, Forever 21, they have 10 tank tops for 10 dollars. Really? What a good deal!" I found this troubling because there is no way those clothes are made fairly or that the companies themselves act in any moral way. However, even more troubling was the fact that I have a closet stuffed full of designer denim, and that is overflowing with brand name goods. I realized then how similar this situation was to what we need to do as a nation. It is time to clean out my closet and time for the country to clean out its closet as well. We must purge entitlement and stubbornness and finally embrace morality and heart so we can see the future more clearly and make smart fiscal, environmental, and social decisions. If we first see, we will then be able to care with our hearts and this will both save the planet and simultaneously save the people who live on it.

All my Wishes,

Stitches

Black + White = Grey

Dear ---,

Returning home always brings a slew of emotion up from the depths. Memories reside on every surface here. I am never quite as happy or nostalgic as I am here in my room. I sit here quietly with the stream of light that comes from a lonely streetlight falling gently on my feet. Sitting on my bed, I can look across the rooftops of the bungalows of the neighborhood below and see that small mountain that is and has always been just within my arms reach. This house is everything to me, this street, the kitten at my feet, and that mountain. They are home and they represent the most complicated of emotions, the brightest of smiles, and the biggest puddle of tears. These are the material constant in my life. This home contains my ugliest past but also contains more love than I have ever known, perhaps more than I ever will know. My mother is just down across hall, she is snoring after a day of striving for perfection, I am sure she is exhausted. My sister is possibly awake I can hear her stirring down the hall. This is home.

It is officially Christmas, it is now 12:14 PM and I just finished reading the night before Christmas to myself. This book was a gift that first Christmas after the storm. Little did I know at the time that the storm had only just begun. There is a letter folded in the first page and it brings me to tears now. The words are written in the most permanent of ink with love from my mother. “The sun will shine brightly again for all of us. We just need to hang on to each happy moment we have now and glue them together and then moments will become hours, then days…. Merry Christmas Anna. I love you. Love always, Momma.

Tonight I think about how far things have come. It is a distance you cannot measure with time or inches. It is only represented in the mere evaluation of what was and what is. Of course this is the case with most growth. We tend to eliminate the middle once we reach the end. Making life just a series of beginnings and endings instead of a middle grey area, where let’s face it, most of us are chronically stuck. I prefer grey but admittedly forget that daily. Once this week is over, this day, this job, this night, this relationship, this year. I wish it away hoping to move away from where I am. We have goals, but I wonder if running towards goals can be running away from the present, running away from that rarely appreciated time in between. If you stay there too long you become a failure, but if you don’t stay there long enough and enjoy it are you also a failure? Who knows?

Tonight in the bi-yearly church service I attend, I sat next to a man I have never known but have known my entire life. Going to Catholic school I became familiar with this gentleman who attended every service, every day, every week, every month always sitting near the back, always with a hunched back and a pained grimace that could shake you to your core. When I was girl I feared him, but tonight I shook his hand in an offering of peace just before communion, just after alleluia and somehow no longer felt afraid. Perhaps its because I’m grown or perhaps, he is different. His grimace is gone, he is still stoic but no longer frightening and that’s comforting. I know he has nothing, the stocking cap he wore tonight was the same he has worn every winter I have “known” him. His grimace is justified I’m sure. His loneliness emanates and holding his hand even though it was only for a mere moment I felt it, that Electric connection, electric loneliness and it became my own. In an instant, his loneliness temporarily vanished, and swept over me. There I was surrounded and lonelier than I have ever been. I wanted to cry and wanted to hug him. If just for second, we were connected and I knew more about him and his pain than I probably do about myself and then it vanished. Tonight I find myself wondering if he lives from beginning to end and forgets the middle or if he is simply caught in the middle. Maybe he looking for answers in his regiment of prayer or maybe he is just looking to accept the answers he already has.

This Christmas I feel lucky but lonely, maybe it is because I took some of his loneliness away in that electric moment but I really can’t flatter myself with that. I am lonely because I have become caught in a regiment myself. This is the regiment of not appreciating the moments that become hours, then days. Rather, I have allowed myself to become absorbed in success and forgotten what I need to survive in the first place. My friendships mean everything to me, much like this house does. Just as the light filters into this very bedroom from the street and gives me the security it always has, I need my friendships to keep moving and feel safe.

Last semester was far from easy, emotions, were purposefully stifled by work and then spewed at the most inopportune of moments. Next semester, I have planned will be worse, 19 credits of classes which I am actually excited for… Crazy I know. However, despite my excitement for Arabic, international relations and Advanced Painting, I am rushing to finish, rushing to rush, and running towards the end, when in truth I have absolutely no Idea what the finish line looks like. Death… that’s one answer. I have two years of a bachelor’s degree left because I spent two years chasing a childhood dream to become a famous fashion designer. Pff right… I am beginning to wonder if the race is worth it. It’s the beginning and the end but what’s in between? Marathoners forget what their doing and strive to finish, but life’s not a marathon or at least it shouldn’t be even if your goal is to eventually reach the finish line. We do have to take time and smell the roses, the most neglected of all things in this world. It is really hard to remember though, I’ll give you that.

I have ignored people out of necessity because I have become over involved and over achieved to the breaking point. Next year could bring great things, great on paper at least. I could spend part of the summer in DC in training, the next part in Cairo, and then the following year in Iraq. These are applications that I am waiting on. Security clearance that I’m hoping for, Funding that I am praying for, and loneliness that I anticipate. I could not get accepted and it would all go down the drain… or get approved and get thrown into a world with no beginnings and no ends, where the personal good moments to be glued together might be few and far between. Granted, hearing bombs go off blocks away no doubt would warrant personal growth but would it be worth it? It would be leaving behind my personal in between for a professional finish line in an area of the world so deeply caught in the in between that the there are wars going on to attempt to again make things black and white. Does this even make sense? What the fuck am I talking about? I have no idea. All I can do is wait here. Waiting for answers, waiting for permission to finish, permission to begin, and permission to wait. Permission from myself, permission from the state department, and permission from whoever stumbles into my life between now and then as I wait here in the chronic in between.

All my wishes,

Stitches

word vomit, about 3 posts in 1. Too LONG to Read, yeah whatever.

Throughout my life, I have been away from you. Gone like the wind from fleeting moments. Realizing how fleeting they are at the time, I run before depth can be in anyway established. I am distractable for protection's sake. Distraction takes form in my absolutism and the perception of my contradictions is distorted by both myself and others. For the most part, I am just an observer, Both of your life and of my own. My judgemental opinions are fervent but generally kept to myself... well... sometimes.. On superficial matters, regarding the arts my judgement is unending.

Despite this, I also know that the superficiality of our surfaces should never determine the depth of our souls. For they can only be seen in time. I inevitably pass judgements, (I am human after all) however, the line that separates my life from yours is not based on these. I am not attracted to your interests, humor and your accomplishments and dreams, though lets face it, these are in fact, what bring us together and indeed keep us apart. However, at the very bottom of it, it is about heart, it always has been and always will be.

Reading minds is impossible for me, reading hearts, however, is something I have always been fairly adept at. This was always the most important thing growing up. In my house, we judged character first and foremost. My mother is perhaps the best judge of character you will ever meet. She has this ability of being able to read people before they read themselves and can spit out exactly who someone is and in one sentence change a life. She has the kindest heart and with it, she actually does save the world. Currently she is on a Reservation giving free health care to people in poverty. Talk about heart. I only hope someday I can make a fraction of the impact she has made.

Aside from that little tangent (I really do look up to my Mom) my point is this, it is from her that I learned judgement. Who I keep closest to me is completely based on my judgement of heart. Interests, careers, hobbies, etc are what will bring people together, but they are only commodities and are only a small fraction of what keeps us alive. Human relationships are what keep us here. Without them, the world would physically end. People's hearts are what will keep us together in friendship, in relationships, and as a local and global community. Well hearts and of course the acceptance of each other's commodified surfaces. And sacrifice, but that is obvious... I hope. I am fully aware of my idealism. It is rare when someone with headphones blaring ICP will fall for someone with headphones blaring Taylor Swift. A strange example but I guess that's the ugly truth. However, my personal Vie en Rose keeps me introspective and thus content with the moments that come to stay and the moments that come to pass.

Chances are, if we are close, we are actually close, but if we are distant, you have no idea how indeed distant we are. I take pride in the fact that few people know me. It is impossible to maintain many friendships that are all based on absolute compassion and honesty. These are rare, but they are also the most important. Our surface of comodities make up the other 90% of friendships we hold and there is nothing wrong with that.

Superficiality of surface is a river that floods only too often, yet, sometimes it is the driving force behind our hearts and is indeed what keeps one foot walking in front of the other. The commodities we hold dearly, our personalities and interests, and activities, are what keep us alive. I tire easily of philosophical debate, but love it nevertheless. I also tire easily of the word "I" but it may indeed be the most frequently used world in the world. أنا, 窩, je.... especially when it comes out of my own mouth. It is the most frequently used word at least in our own worlds, a world which we all maintain prim and proper. hell I am doing it right now! It is a word more dangerous than you would think. It speaks for us when we both use it and when we don't. This word is Anti-Silence and suggests self circulation.

I apologize...this is mostly just a rant of a sort, one that a small glass of wine no doubt aided in producing, that along with the desire to procrastinate. This is me though, not nearly as raw as it could be but definitely as open as I'll get for you, dear reader ( if indeed there is a reader.)

This year has perhaps been the most interesting year to date. More has changed than ever before in my life and that is saying something. As a person that has gone through a lot but never been quite vocal about things that actually matter, I have realized that my past is who I am and directly shapes every decision I make. I have begun fighting this and feel myself growing away from misguided decisions that were once made on a regular basis. I am not anywhere near the person I was 12 months ago. Nostalgia reminds me of last year's autumn but the thought that I am a completely different person than I was then, gives me hope that I am walking away successfully from what was and moving towards what will be.

I am headed in a direction that will no doubt lead me wherever I end up, and even though that is quite obvious, it is clarity like you wouldn't belief. I will end up at the destination I am headed to. Simple right? not so much, at least not all the time. Life is only lived once, I plan on not wasting it. Fulfillment is what the introspective look for and it does indeed come in the least expected of ways. Temporary regrets aside, at the end when the band-aid is removed, I hope not to have any lasting regrets. We are headed towards where we are walking, therefore, if you are walking towards a cliff, you will eventually walk off. It's common sense.

I have too many dreams for my own good. Separating them from each other is incredibly difficult, dreams of law school, of Baghdad, of burquas, of paintings, of New York Fashion week, of floods to prevent, sunsets to see in deserts, mountains to climb, languages to learn, of pianos, songs to sing, stages to dance on, and asses to kick.

Despite this I mostly have dreams of finding the person that actually understands the complexities that spiderweb through life. These webs leave only luminescent lines visible in the most particular of afternoon suns. Some dreams are not realized, it's just the way it is, we move on and achieve others. If I could choose just one, it would be the fairytale. It's not an uncommon wish, but more often than it seems to be one that is torn away or is screwed up to begin with. Sorry It is.

How rare it is, that we find the person where silence has just as much meaning as words and words are said in purity of spirit and honesty. If you have it, I would advise you to hold on to it. Idealism or not I don't care. I consider myself lucky to retain idealism, therefore, my best guess is that my lack of realism and almost awkward abundance of hope is here to stay, at least for a while. With everything that I will do, and with the steps I take forward I know there will indeed be something waiting for me, I know I'm not walking towards a cliff and sometimes that has to be enough.

It is easier to fall in love without someone, than it is with someone. It should be a joint effort, if not? what is the point. If you are not going to put yourself in a position to be taken, don't take. Romantic relationships or not, Leave them be if you can't share in an equal partnership. In order to learn if you are capable, we are required to look at ourselves in a mirror that reveals more than just complexion. Too often, the mirror is buried and lost by our own deliberate action.

This past weekend has brought up a slew of feeling. Friday night was an interesting night, I saw a dream I once pursued disappear down the runway at Minneapolis fashion week and also realized that I was in the position to gain a really good friend. Someone, who has one of the best hearts I have ever encountered. Upon returning home, I realized that someone I care very much about was in the hospital and my worry just escalated both for them and for their significant other. This simply reinforced the idea, that at the base of it, the relationships we hold are what keep us alive.

Sue is a grandparent of a sort, she is someone I have always viewed as such. I look to her because she has a fire that doesn't die and that is what keeps her relationship both with life in general and with Al, A grandfather of a sort, strong and unwavering. It is not unusual to hear laughter wafting up through the vents along with accordion music, or the quiet humming of a grateful dead tune. They have a relationship that is strengthened every single day and hardship comes with honesty, fear, tears, and love. I guess that is what I want. They are not traditional, Not at all. If you want to know you have to meet them, But my love for them as individuals and as a couple grows as well as my respect and desire to someday have what they do.

I guess that is enough word vomit for now.

All my wishes,

-stitches

On a recent rainy Saturday afternoon, I picked up the communist manifesto off the floor near my bookcase in a state of contemplation. What else to do on a Saturday afternoon than this. Whilst contemplating mostly relationships, Friends and lovers, past, present and future, I felt myself ask if this 120 page political ramble could somehow solve all my problems. The conclusion I came to was a solid no, but nevertheless it made me think about politics and relationships, and of course the politics of relationships.

Appearing to be be a novella from a distance, the manifesto by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels is short but not necessarily sweet, as in the case with most relationships of mine. Flipping through the pages, I tried to remember where and when I had read it. It must of been high school. It was.... Alas I remember, It was not assigned, I remember I was trying to look smart by reading the communist manifesto in commons (Study Hall). My guess it that it mostly probably just made me look like a jack ass.

Jackass or not, after recently seeing Inception, I question this... If the most powerful Idea is indeed a virus, Was this manifesto simply a new idea that spread like a virus after it's birth or was it just part of a virus to begin with? Was communism, a tale as old as time, a reflection of innate human feeling, or was it a new idea?

Communism relates to nearly every relationship I have ever been in. To me, communism in an ideal world would consist of partnerships stretching around the world in geometric shapes that just grow and grow in a kaleidoscope of equal shapes. This unfalterable idea of equality and balance in theory it is not quite likely to take the world by storm. However, equality in a sense seems to be borderline innate. Not always on grand political and classical scale but in some senses it is and has always and will always be present.

The idea of a partnership has existed in most relationships from the beginning of time. Men hunted, women cooked, Hunters, Gathers, we each had roles. However, Social orders have inevitably distorted levels of equality and made us question what indeed equality actually means. Nevertheless, in a sense, it has still existed since the beginning. Isn't that what Marx is striving for to begin with... is it possible he was just trying show us ourselves in a manner of speaking? The capability we have to all stand on level ground. Spirals and circles are around us everywhere, why not frame our society and thus our relationships based on this equality. Marx did say this after all "we have nothing to lose but our chains."

Both in society and in relationships I guess we have to know that there are chains there to begin with.

Equality can not be a facade for long, therefore it makes the necessity of it's enforcement comprehensible. Did the ideas of the manifesto inspire people or would they simply have recognized their chains and flocked together based on their breadth of commonalities. Is it inevitable that something sometime would have been written or a declaration made if indeed a philosophy like communism and the idea of equality are embedded within humans or would we have simply flocked towards these philosophies when the social order hit rock bottom or in a personal case.. when a relationship hit rock bottom.


Colonialism, neo-colonialism, domination, submission, break down, build-up and so on and so forth. Let's face it it exists even if we don't admit it. Someone gets their way more than the other, and someone always allows it. I know this because I have been on both sides and know full well why relationships that don't follow a manifesto don't work. Sometimes it really does just come down to a relationship's execution rather than compatibility. Hell most of us probably know this. There seems to always be a dominant and they generally know who they are. In politics and in relationships we always play the familiar roles until something or someone hits bottom and it either ends or balance and equality are built into the frame with which the relationship is rebuilt. I guess like traditional social orders and relationships should stay as far away from this system as possible. This system is only another chain for us to break free from.

Just thinking on a Saturday,

wishes,
-Stitches

Humanistic Entropy

Recent hype regarding the Burqa causes opinions to arise and people to vehemently defend it or condemn it. One can not know of this issue and remain indifferent, one must decide whether to be pro or con because the heart of the issue is based solely on humanistic motive and commonality of consciousness that we all share. The lack of indifference is comforting and the difficulty to reside with a sense of political numbness can almost be defined as charming. People have opinions.... hmmm how quaint? So what causes this charming uproar? It is incorrigible charm no doubt, yet this issue speaks directly to societal and individual values regarding freedom. It speaks to peoples opinions about religious and cultural boundaries and concepts. Islamic, Christian, Atheist, Jew, whatever you are, this is an issue about freedom first and foremost before it can ever be an issue about politics, religion, or national security. However, it's not wishy washy, it is not easy to formulate solid opinions or stand your ground without considering both sides.

The opinions we form on this issue identify the way we live our lives and speaks to the philosophies we each hold regarding freedom. At the heart of the issue, it divides without supports from either of the two sides. One must formulate an opinion on the legality of the ban based on personal ideals rather than the factuality and constructed arguments that each side presents.

I can not help but think of John Locke and also the statement by Jean Paul Sartre again pounds in my head, it is undeniable... again... "it is we who are the zombies." Lockean philosophy would would have refuted the pro side. Despite the fact that Locke supported a type of conformity, he also understood that coercing religious uniformity would lead to more social disorder than allowing diversity in the first place. Nevertheless, I have no doubt that preaching equality and freedom through a codified type of "sameness" could rally many, (it has already, after all.) However, Roger Williams (of the Rhode Island variety) would argue that something such as this can be categorized as "soul Rape" which he so boldly defined as being forced to affirm convictions you do not hold. I have to question if a woman who has worn a burqa the entirety of her life is forced to unveil would define the action as affirming a conviction she does not hold. Is it affirming anything, Or.. will it simply enhance social disorder as Locke would predict? At the moment Spain, along with a slew of other European countries are considering banning this religious statement.

I have contemplated this for the past few months, thinking and desperately trying to see both sides, however, the more I consider banning it, for reasons that do make sense i.e. the suppression of women and security, the more I see that it doesn't make sense.

I don't live and breath for feminism as some women do, but I do believe in equality and justice and have come to the conclusion that creating a law banning such an expression goes against the ethical fabric of mankind ( given that we all have some ethics in common.) This is also the case with requiring the Veil. It should be a personal decision and people should be educated to make decisions on their own instead of ingraining a "there's no other way" policy. This I believe increases happiness and a sense that one has the ability to control their own life and make their own decisions.

Furthermore, contrary to popular belief, this veiling does not represent oppression from a woman's partner. However, it is an ingrained oppression of women, that has been so long a tradition that when labeled as such, even women behind the veil will disagree. It can be defined as a type of structural violence that is buried and resurfaced again and again.

Reason #1 that people give for the ban is security. People are incapable of seeing someones face which immediately instigates fear. This is a fear of the unknown, it creeps and can not quite be defined as a phobia in certainty but rather is the basis for all fears. However, if we give into this fear, it seems we might as well be afraid to live in general, because as we move forward we are constantly crossing from the unknown to the known. Nevertheless this fear of the unknown, is the main reason I hate clowns after all. However, even with that said, the contemplation to ban the burqa is of much greater importance because banning it is not only a political move but is a symbolic move for a society. Banning the Burqa is a move that shows humans moving backward retreating back to dark age mentality and enhances the lack of appreciation for our differences. Differences are becoming less and less in the modern world, and as much as we emphasise diversity, it is disappearing with each MC Donald's Big Mac and Forever 21 pair of shoes.

Forcing people to unveil through law will create more sameness and has repercussions that will reverberate through what is now our future history. Perhaps this is a new Human Law of Entropy, at this point it's hard to tell where exactly we're heading but it is clear that we are heading there together integrated and flowing downhill at a record pace. At this point, I don't know what to believe is better, trying to uphold differences or coming together. It is possible that only time will tell but investigations are necessary and we must continue to question societal movement to determine where we are going and if it is indeed what we want.


yours in wanting to predict what lies in the unknown but allowing it to be so,

wishes,

-stitches

people cometh, people goeth

There are always going to be people that come and go in our lives, that's life I guess, "Friends becoming strangers...." it is no new concept and the sting is indeed familiar to all of us. It happens and will continue to happen throughout our lives. I have no doubt that people I consider close now, will drift away later, and that people who have drifted away now always have the possibility of returning. This is something every human must come to terms with. We morph and change and so do others. drifting apart with some in order drift together with others. This is how the story goes.

Quiet contemplation is and has always been the best kind. From time to time additional opinions are needed when coming from honest souls with whom the connection is both electrifying and possesses an insistence on rawness. However, sitting alone with the thoughts that have passed by throughout the day in both the most stagnated and the most fleeting moments is an individualized and caramelized high. These moments, however fleeting, create new lows and new highs and this sensation of knowing, seeing, tasting, feeling... these exact moments, can not be known otherwise.
It can not be expressively felt in other ways other than with the self and the self alone. Coming into the know, is contingent on what you allow yourself to know. The abyss that is the whole and the one and only self, is shiveringly deep and gets black where surface light can no longer reach. We only hope this abyss is a tunnel rather than a hole. We will spend lifetimes upon lifetimes illuminated by the lamps lighting the way searching for the light at the end of the tunnel. If not careful here in darkness, drowning is probable, darkness is possible, but just as possible as light is. It is after all the most unbalanced balance known to man. The self in itself is foreboding, knowing thy self is a fear we tread upon ever so lightly. We must know ourselves, if we don't, chances are we probably should or at least give being your own person a shot. And then I think maybe we shouldn't. What's wrong with the surface anyhow? The human surface is deep somewhat, but is it enough?

Despite the doubt, If we knew ourselves, our common mistakes, our lies, and divisions, mishaps and falterings would become much more rare. The tumble of mistakes and the journey of the unknown, makes for highs so high fed by the lows so low. So I guess all what is common to ourselves, our flaws do make things interesting and complicated simultaneously. Without lies and divisions and tears we are nothing other than flat planes in the most mathematical of senses. However, Oedipus like tragic flaws are in existence, Flaws that are so ingrained we are blinded by our own reflections. I will strive to know each and every one to the best of my ability. We must become aware of these flaws, hold the mirror for ourselves and see what is really there. So often we look in mirrors but do we see what we want to, or do we see what we need to?

That is question I can't even answer for myself. I know only this, there are people in this world that stare through others in front of them to the mirror hanging on the wall behind their friends, family, acquaintances, etc. I wonder what they/we are looking at. We all do it. Let's recognize it accept it, let us not embrace it. It's human. Is it innate? maybe. However, if there's a mirror on the wall, we are going to look at ourselves, the only question is "what will we see?" I am a failure, I am self-centered, brash, successful, dedicated, insensitive, sensitive, alone, together, and the list goes on and on. What are you? We all have personalities that define us, and oddly we categorize people's personalities, but are we all really that different? we are all capable of expressing something whether it is good or bad, and show ourselves differently to different people unknowingly based on some comfort level. It is strange but happens every day. I have always thought that dating is just an arena to lie to each other and themselves. So... why not cut the bull shit? It seems that it will make drifting together and then drifting apart less likely. In the realm of new relationships, We show what's best about ourselves until we can't anymore and it will happen again and again. Then it will end or continue depending on good outweighing the bad. It is simply about a type of personal scale... tolerance for the faults of others and the acknowledgment of our own faults. Perhaps it would be a smart rule on a first date to say first off the 3 worst things about yourself, granted you know them and see what develops. A relationship in reverse... what a concept.

For instance someone could say this..
A) I'm jealous until I trust you.
B) I'm clingy until you bother me in which case, I will then become distant.
C) I eat McDonald's A LOT and I may be tiny now but chances are if we get married, I will not stop even if you want me to and I won't look like this forever. Or "i"ll just resent you for trying to control everything about my diet among other things."

Furthermore someone could say...
A) I'm controlling
B)I'm a workaholic and it will come first 50% of the time
C) I'm Bad in bed... but willing to work on it. :)


That's it.

yours in sharing confusion for what the hell I'm talking about,

wishes,

-stitches