Racism

I know I probably already did a previous blog on my thoughts and opinions of racism, but I really need to get my opinions out.


I have a computer class here at Gateway and recently had to do a PowerPoint presentation on something, so I did mine on racism/discrimination. It horrified me to see and read what stereotypes people have for everyone. It horrified me to read that some people assume bad things about others. Thank God I'm not like this, I'm very tolerant of EVERYONE! I did a slide about stereotypes from one place where I didn't think stereotypes existed- England! Yeah, there are mean stereotypes of the nice and lovely people of this awesome place. For some reason, my dad always assumes people from England got bad teeth like Michael Caine, no one from England has bad teeth. I do not assume this. My dad does. I hate racism as I've said in blogs before.


In high school, I had to deal with the issue of discrimination. This one classmate had thought that it was funny to do the Nazi salute to everyone. OMG! He did it to me and I almost knocked his lights out right then and there. You see, I'm part Jewish, very small part, and even that's enough to know I don't like people Nazi saluting everyone. They think it's funny, but it's not. This classmate also had thought it was funny to racially insult my step dad because of his Italian ancestry. He knows it gets a rise out of me to insult him, he knows I love my family very deeply and he has he balls to insult my step dad? NO WAY!


And my aunt, don't even get me started! She is nice, but very biased about people. But she can be very rude and mean towards people. There was this one guy she usually went out with, he was a nice older man named Roger, he was a nice older Italian gentleman, he was sweet as could be, and when he dressed up, nothing against him, but he always wore pinstripe suits that made him look like a mobster. Anyway she didn't want to go out with him anymore when she found out that his mother lives with him so he can take care of her. How ridiculous is that? But she's the type of person who will openly speak her opinion and not care who she hurts. When me, my sister, dad and her went to Cynthiana, Ky, for a family reunion, omg, it was like the Deliverance Family Reunion. Funny name, huh? Anyway, my dad has family down there and nothing against them, they are nice, but they are pure country and hate anyone of another race/ethnicity. Anyway, we went to see them and I think maybe I made the mistake of wearing a Rolling Stones tee with their picture on it. About an hour into this literal racist nightmare, people start talking about how we have to learn Spanish in school. I hear various comments like "This is America! If those illegal immigrants want to come into our country, then they better learn English" or "I don't get why we have to learn Spanish". Then they started talking about stuff they seen in People Magazine, and unfortunately, they started talking about this picture of Jet Li that was in there because this was right around the time The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor came out and my aunt Lois said they should ship him back to China. How rude is that? And then they started talking about this picture of Mick Jagger that was in there because it showed him walking around with his son Lucas and daughter Georgia, my aunt Lisa said he's the most hideous man she's ever laid eyes on. I actually had to sit there and not say a thing. If I spoke my mind about what I thought about this, I'd get a dirty look from my dad or aunt, like I just committed murder or something,  my life is almost controlled by my dad or aunt.


But basically racism is something I hate. I thought we were all past the point of hating others because of skin color or race? It's not the 1950s anymore, no one cares about the fact that someone is black, Asian, Italian, Jewish, British, etc. We all need to MOVE ON! 

Music and more!

Ah, sweet glorious music, an international language everyone can connect on. I'm not really into any certain type of music, but I will absolutely not listen to rap. It doesn't make any sense to me, and sometimes I hear lyrics for these rap songs and sometimes they are about raping/killing someone, someone stealing a girlfriend, stealing or something bad. No one wants to hear a song that has to do with drugs, rape/murder, or something like that, and no one definitely wants to hear a song that uses racial/ethnic slurs and bad words.


I also must say something important-- Today is the anniversary of Rosa Parks refusing to give up her seat to a white man. It's the anniversary of the Montgomery Bus Boycotts. I say to Rosa Parks, way to go! I love hearing and learning about people like Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King Jr, etc. All they wanted was equality, and look what happens- Martin Luther King Jr, gets assassinated for believing in a world where blacks people and white people and everyone live together in perfect harmony, Rosa Parks gets arrested for refusing to give her seat to a white man, Nelson Mandela gets convicted of political treason just because he believed in a world united and almost spends half his life in prison for what he believes in, I say it's high time for a change. I say that people need to stop the hate before it gets out of control. I know this blog is supposed to be about music, but I think this is a reason for celebrating. Rosa Parks is a wonderful person, she did what she believed in, and she gets arrested? No way, totally unfair.


Here are some links to some music videos of Aerosmith, a band I listen to:
http://new.music.yahoo.com/videos/--2138674-Aerosmith: Rag Doll
http://new.music.yahoo.com/videos/--2165470-Aerosmith: The Other Side
http://new.music.yahoo.com/videos/--2164165-Aerosmith: Eat the Rich. This video starts out a little weird, and some of the lyrics have bad words, but it's an overall good song
http://new.music.yahoo.com/videos/--2138672-Aerosmith: Fallin' in Love(Is Hard on the Knees). It's a suggestive song, and some of the lyrics are gross, but it's a good song
http://new.music.yahoo.com/videos/--2138669-Aerosmith: I Don't Want to Miss a Thing. This is PERFECT for couples because it talks about being romantic


Here are some Rolling Stones music videos:
http://new.music.yahoo.com/videos/--23166918-The Rolling Stones:Shattered
http://new.music.yahoo.com/videos/--9151332-The Rolling Stones: It's Only Rock and Roll(Live)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdJzLpWFYJ4-The Rolling Stones:Mixed Emotions


Here is a video of the song Try Again by Aaliyah:
http://new.music.yahoo.com/videos/--2138592


Here are some Rihanna videos:
http://new.music.yahoo.com/videos/--218717037-Rihanna: Only Girl in the World, from her new Loud album
http://new.music.yahoo.com/videos/--159484907-Rihanna:Disturbia
http://new.music.yahoo.com/videos/--45562928-Rihanna:Don't Stop the Music, definite party song




Here are some Shakira videos:
http://new.music.yahoo.com/videos/--217265600-She Wolf
http://new.music.yahoo.com/videos/--30658140-Hips Don't Lie
http://new.music.yahoo.com/videos/--2154744-Whenever, Wherever




If it seems like alot of links and stuff, I do apologize. I think the links to the music videos will show what kind of music I'm into. And music seems to be an international language almost, everyone somehow connects with music. And I usually figure music is something everyone can connect to.