I've been reading....

Britt

....

            Why are certain words offensive when members of a different group, race, or religion use them but not when a member of the same group uses them?  If they are going to be offensive shouldn’t they be off limits to everyone?  For example; girls walk around calling each other sluts or whores but as soon as guys say it, ALL HELL BREAKS LOOSE.  If we don’t like it when they say it shouldn’t we set the example ourselves and just avoid using those words to describe someone?  Same with the word nigger, I find it so offensive when it is used by anyone.  It is incredibly demeaning and the fact that rappers go throwing that word around in almost every song it gives the younger kids the idea that it is okay to say that, and it is not! 

            No one likes the double standard, and I feel like we use it all the time when it comes to offensive language.  In my mind, if something is offensive to one party all should avoid it. When language is thrown around it slowly starts pushing its way to acceptability in a society.  None of those words I mentioned above should ever be considered acceptable, they are rude and completely unnecessary.  Do we really need to start carrying around dictionaries to keep us from using those words or is this just going to become the new norm?

A Soldier's Homecoming

My cousin, Leslie, is married to a soldier who has been in Iraq for three years and during that time only coming home a few days. They have two children, Gracie a three year old and Christian a six year old. Gracie just started day care and Christian has finally gotten adjusted to the first grade. A few days ago, Leslie received news that her husband would be returning to the states and after three months at the Army base in Kansas he would be home for good. He has requested Leslie to pick up and move from their comfy home in Charlotte, North Carolina, where they are just a five minute drive from their grandparents, to Kansas for those months.
In my opinion, her husband is being extremely selfish. I understand that he wants to see his children, but it is not fair of him to ask them to put their lives on hold for him. The whole family agrees with this, they also have tried to talk Leslie into bringing the kids down every other weekend or so. Once these months are over, he has all the time in the world to spend with the children, in their home. My cousin, of course, is obeying is wishing despite the arguments being raised by all extended family members. Are we wrong about him being selfish? What would you do if you were in Leslie’s position?

Insight.

What is the world coming to if everything we do must be done in excess? I’ve started to notice that slowly all trends go from having a few of these or doing a little bit of these and then all of the sudden it turns into, we have to have all of this and do this ALL the time. From shoes to drugs, our country is slowly turning into a world of overindulgence.
It starts with the kids who abuse drugs to a point of killing their minds or even worse themselves. Why did they even start up to begin with? I know they consider addiction a disease now, but I really wonder if it really is a disease of if it is another one of our excuses. Having an older brother who has been in and out of rehab and jail since I was 12(he was 16) I have little sympathy for those who can do something so stupid and completely rip a family apart and still sit there and do the same thing. It completely baffles me. The doctors insist that it is his addiction doing this, but I just don’t buy it. Especailly now a days where doctors have basically made up a diagnosis for everything from boredom in class (or what they like to call ADD) to depression because people just aren't ALWAYS happy.
Drug addiction most often happens to the people who cannot deal with real life. They use drugs because they cannot handle real emotions, whatever they might be. They use and abuse until there is nothing left. They rip threw every relationship, family and friends, until they get what they need, but then there is no stopping it. It is a circle that never ends. I understand that life sucks sometimes, but seriously deal with it like everyone else by shopping, exercising, or screaming and crying, just stop with the stupid stuff that can kill you.