Dear Momma

It's nice to be raised with morals, and standards, and such. Sunday school every Sunday since birth and praying at the dinner table. It gave me something to lean back on, structure and comfort. And thanks for that. Really, I got to see a way of life people don't always understand. But that's all it was, observation and knowledge. That's what I want to take from it. I don't want a lecture about god every single day for every single thing. It's exhausting. You gave me a foundation and now it's time for me to build my own way. To figure out things on my own, without god in every sentence. If I'm going to practice a religion, I want it to be because of a personal choice and not a family tradition. I feel like I can't talk to you without you shoving god down my throat. I just want to have a conversation with you, not "the word of god".

Love you always, Baptist or not,
Victoria

Civics

I cannot stand when people tease dogs through a fence, no, when people torture dogs through a fence. Little kids throwing fireworks in the yard, banging a stick against the gate, taunting them with food. It's disgusting. Kids did this to my uncle's dog, a huge Labrador, Golden Retriever, and Boxer mix. The poor thing is scared of loud noises and people now. Who ARE these kids? How can children so young become so desensitized? Obviously they didn't watch Lion King, or see Bambi's mom die, or any of the Black Beauty movies. Obviously. But seriously, this needs to stop. Torturing any living thing is wrong.

Is Poverty a Choice?

I think that poverty is something one is born into. But I also think that there is a time in each person's life where they can choose something better for themselves. Opportunities exist for everyone. The chance to work somewhere, the chance to go to school, the chance to get out of a bad situation. The problem is when people have no encouragement to do any of these things. It seems so simple to us, do this and you'll live like that. That's what most of us have been told growing up. Succeed, succeed, succeed. But what if no one told us we had a choice? Or that every choice we made had a consequence? What if no one is pushing them to make the right choice or even a choice at all? From an outside perspective things are black and white, but nobody's life is as clear as that. I also think that people can live with glimpses of poverty. That they can be comfortable one minute and then have an empty fridge the next. And people like that also have choices that have put them back into a bad position. Your mother has a good job, but doesn't make good decisions, and this week you only ate lunch twice. In this case, poverty was a choice.

Integration in America

Segregation. That was a long time ago. Long before my parents'  time, and before my grandparents' time.  And yet each generation has carried the burden of its leftovers. Because there is more to segregation than just it being illegal. Racism is carried through generations, rooted in families, and is still prevalent. It's sterotypes that are encouraged and shared over and over. It's my Hispanic dad saying never date black guys. And my polish grandpa who won't say it, but he's happy im not dating that "Mexican boy" anymore. It's my Mexican grandma against Puertoricans. Nobody wants to be at the bottom. There's always someone else to dislike. Throughout their lives they've been stereotyped and yet here they are, making assumptions about other people. It's going to be a long time until the people of America, whites AND minorities learn to accept integration. We separate in schools, in neighborhoods, in organizations. Because it's easier. It's easier to accept what's been embedded in our minds. And the moment we choose to go the more difficult route is the moment that integration will be a complete reality.

Malcolm X Chapters 1-12

Malcolm X. A civil rights activist. I knew that's what he was. And a civil rights activist is influential. They are good people, who do good things. But then we read this book. And I was shocked. Throughout these chapters Malcolm X sold reefers, took part in robberies, and went to prison. He didn't lead a perfect life. People like Malcolm X, they accomplished big things. But they aren't saints. They're just like us. And that's what makes them inspirational. He first worked to overcome his own personal flaws, and only then was he able to work towards overcoming the flaws in society.