A wise man once told me that no war is won with rage, passion yes…rage, no. To this day, I question that wisdom. Time and time again I have watched as human rights are crushed across the world….In Africa we pay with the lives of children, in Russia with iron rulers, in the Middle East human beings blow themselves up for some grotesque religious belief that they will be remembered. Here in America though we claim to be the land of the free and the home of the brave we find it impossible to overcome decades of hatred and in a supposedly LIBERAL state we vote to deny two people who love each other the RIGHT to marry. One would think that we were justified in our rage and anger towards those that allow these affronts to human dignity.
But, then again what purpose does rage truly serve us, if not to blind us from our goals and let us instead go after those who we see as standing in our way?
Would we not be better served to stand tall and reach high towards our goals?
It has been said that if you goal seems unattainable, adjust your steps, I would take that one step further and say that if our goal seems unattainable adjust your steps and your attitudes.
Californians, remember…we stand best when we stand together, not against something but for something.
So let us not be quick to anger, or quick to violence….let us not join in the battle of hatred, remember the wise words of Martin Luther King jr. “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”
"Change does not roll in on the wheels of inevitability, but comes through continuous struggle. And so we must straighten our backs and work for our freedom. A man can't ride you unless your back is bent." ~MLK
Remember that while the war for human rights is far from over, every day we work together, every day we stand up and straighten our backs to work for freedom, is one day closer to our victory.
So I, a humble 20 year old ask you…stand with me, stand with me today, tomorrow and 20 years from now to fight against hatred. The fight against the injustices perpetrated against our rights by Proposition 8 should not end with the victory we will fight so hard for….it should not end with people turning their backs and heading home…because if you remember as I do the feeling of optimism the night before the election, and the crushing disappointment of a loss so wretchedly won then you cannot in good conscience sit by and watch those children die in africa, or the quashing of political opinions in the colder parts of the world…Because their fight is our fight, as much as our fight is theirs.
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Sean : Yes! Are involved in HIV detection/prevention/treatment? USA? Africa? Asia?
ljkid22 : hi im new i wanted to know if you can be an activist in hiv and aids
mdhippy :
ratgirl : hey, out of curiosity, how many members are there on the site?
ratgirl : i think everyone should check out this site, especially if you are into the subject of trying to get rid of absinence-only sex ed. www.scarleteen.com
ratgirl : you've got to be kidding me - there are no feminist projects? ok whats going on? come on girls! we need to get rid of negative body imaging and objectifying of women! where is the spirit of 40 years ago? im currently working on makind t-shirts (or at least t-shirt ideas) for getting rid of the cultural taboo on menstrual cycles....anyone interseted?!?!
cooyah : 8)this website have made me interested in teenagers rights to be open minded about their surroundings because they are a huge part of their environment and they are important.
cooyah : i belive that what teenagers have to say in this society is important and people should take notice
Allison6463 : Welcome JunkTeen and RecyclingLove. You two should check out the forums. They are a great way to connect with other members. Also, you can post a journal telling of some of the activism you partake in, as well as announcements and links. Be sure to check all of those out! :]
Allison6463 : For the new kids that don't know what to do, I would suggest the Forums. It would be a really nice way to get people connected. We just need to use them more. :
