Just a quick "hello, goodbye" before getting back to work. I have a 5-8 page paper due tomorrow for a Communications Law class that I need to finish up. Then, on Tuesday, my second paper for Feature Writing class (this paper is on homelessness). Two more short articles for Advanced Reporting (due by the 28th), a short report for Editing, as well as my third (and last) test in Communications Law, and I'll be finished for the semester.
One more year and I'll officially get my BA in Journalism. Wow. Doesn't seem possible, and yet, it feels like forever. I just wish my late SO was here to enjoy this. He was immensely proud of my accomplishments, and I know he'd be proud of this, too.
Periodically, I've asked myself, Why am I doing this (going to school)? But I know why: I want to be able to write about injustice, whether in the medical field (www.northsidehospitalproblems.blogspot.com), the government, or on the street.
We're all in this life together, folks. No one--not you, not me--inhabits their own little planet. We all occasionally have this mind-set that, well, I'm not hurting anyone, so why should what I do matter? If that is really true, great. Paint your house blue. Put little pink flamingos on your front lawn. May be tacky as all get-out, but that's fine.
But if the government makes it easier to hurt the environment (http://www.thenation.com/doc/20040308/kennedy; http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/3390901.stm; http://www.motherjones.com/news/qa/2004/10/09_402.html; http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/asection/la-ed-epa17mar17,1,431425.story), when hositals don't act responsibly (http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/sptimes/access/1433799461.html?dids=1433799461:1433799461&FMT=FT&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=Feb+23%2C+2008&author=LISA+GREENE&pub=St.+Petersburg+Times&edition=&startpage=1.B&desc=STATE+THREATENS+HOSPITAL), then we, as a people, need to responsibly bring this out into the open.
How do we fight injustices? We bring them to light. We can write those in power, whether our representatives in Congress and/or the Senate, both on the state and federal level. Write a letter to the editor. Go to a city council meeting. Make yourself heard. Organize.
But here's the deal: if you open your mouth, if you work for change, it MUST BE NON-VIOLENT!!! You can't affect positive change with violence. True, you may temporarily make people change their ways, but in the end, violence always begets violence. If you use violence, you will lose in the long run.
Why?
Stop for a minute. None of us wants someone to violently make us do anything. Hit me, I'm liable to hit back. On top of that, hit me often enough, I'll start thinking of you as a violent jerk, someone who just doesn't "get it." But talk to me like I'm an intelligent human being, give me your reasons logically, back them up with facts, and I'm more likely to listen. In the end, I may not agree with you, and, if not, then it'll be for my own logically thought of reasons.
Non-violent organization, non-violent protests, writing to those in power, lobbying for the rights of all of us...That, my friends, will help to bring about the changes that will help us all.
One more year and I'll officially get my BA in Journalism. Wow. Doesn't seem possible, and yet, it feels like forever. I just wish my late SO was here to enjoy this. He was immensely proud of my accomplishments, and I know he'd be proud of this, too.
Periodically, I've asked myself, Why am I doing this (going to school)? But I know why: I want to be able to write about injustice, whether in the medical field (www.northsidehospitalproblems.blogspot.com), the government, or on the street.
We're all in this life together, folks. No one--not you, not me--inhabits their own little planet. We all occasionally have this mind-set that, well, I'm not hurting anyone, so why should what I do matter? If that is really true, great. Paint your house blue. Put little pink flamingos on your front lawn. May be tacky as all get-out, but that's fine.
But if the government makes it easier to hurt the environment (http://www.thenation.com/doc/20040308/kennedy; http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/3390901.stm; http://www.motherjones.com/news/qa/2004/10/09_402.html; http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/asection/la-ed-epa17mar17,1,431425.story), when hositals don't act responsibly (http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/sptimes/access/1433799461.html?dids=1433799461:1433799461&FMT=FT&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=Feb+23%2C+2008&author=LISA+GREENE&pub=St.+Petersburg+Times&edition=&startpage=1.B&desc=STATE+THREATENS+HOSPITAL), then we, as a people, need to responsibly bring this out into the open.
How do we fight injustices? We bring them to light. We can write those in power, whether our representatives in Congress and/or the Senate, both on the state and federal level. Write a letter to the editor. Go to a city council meeting. Make yourself heard. Organize.
But here's the deal: if you open your mouth, if you work for change, it MUST BE NON-VIOLENT!!! You can't affect positive change with violence. True, you may temporarily make people change their ways, but in the end, violence always begets violence. If you use violence, you will lose in the long run.
Why?
Stop for a minute. None of us wants someone to violently make us do anything. Hit me, I'm liable to hit back. On top of that, hit me often enough, I'll start thinking of you as a violent jerk, someone who just doesn't "get it." But talk to me like I'm an intelligent human being, give me your reasons logically, back them up with facts, and I'm more likely to listen. In the end, I may not agree with you, and, if not, then it'll be for my own logically thought of reasons.
Non-violent organization, non-violent protests, writing to those in power, lobbying for the rights of all of us...That, my friends, will help to bring about the changes that will help us all.
posted by feminist writer - Robin Shwedo at 10:12 AM
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