I woke up this morning and my twitter timeline was all abuzz about a 14 year old girl giving oral sex near her school. Sadly to say I was not shocked that this was going on but what I was shocked about was there was apparent video of the sexual act posted on this social networking site. I couldn't believe that people actually wanted to see this. In fact, I was disgusted. I would never watch a sexually explicit video if it is presumed that either party is under the age of 18 (legal adult). If you would, I just want to warn you that you would be watching child porn.
I would like to address several things about this entire situation. First, she is 14 years old and she is a child. She obviously needs to seek counseling either from her parents or some kind of adult figure and not publicly humiliated. The unfortunate thing is that she is not the only young person that is going through something like this. This little girl, like so many others, is being sexually abused and for us to sit around and not speak up for her is shameful. I don't know this little girl but we all know a young person who is having sex. It's so easy for us to sit around and live our lives and not worry about the next generation. If you would go to a school and ask the kids, of all ages, how many of them are or have been sexually active, the answer may or may not surprise you but it should wake you up. We are living in a world that glorifies sex and instead of educating these kids, we are letting these kids educate themselves. THEY ARE FAILING AND SO ARE WE. I know some of you will say it's not our problem to talk to these kids but I would have to disagree with you. If we don't tell them the hard truth then we will not only see a rise in STD cases and pregnancies but also in death among our teenagers.
It has to be said that I don't know this child's story but the fact that she is apparently performing sexual acts near her school makes me want to question her parents. Where in the heck are the parents while your child is participating in such adult behavior? I understand that you can't be in all places but this begins at home. I'm a new parent and I worry about my kids even when I know exactly where they are and who they are with. That will not stop for me because it will always be my responsibility to know where they are until they are adults and out of my home. I am not naive to think the kids don't lie and sneak around. I was a teenager and I had teenage friends. I just knew that sex was not an option at that age. Kissing, hugging and hand holding was fine but having sex was not on my radar because I had someone to talk to about sex. Parents assume talking to their kids about sex will encourage them to have it. I believe that it is opposite. Your kids are learning about sex whether from you or someone but trust me they are learning. They want to know what sex is all about and if you are not willing to tell them they will find another source. I have never been afraid to talk about sex. When I was 14, I read plenty of books about sex and I saw plenty of images about sex but I didn't have sex until I felt I was ready for the responsibility that sex will surely bring. My friends and I talked about sex but we made our own decisions about when to have it. I have never let anything my friends did influence my decision because I knew that I had parents to answer to. I was, by no means, a perfect teenager. I just didn't let pressures of my peers affect my choices.
There is also that fact that the little girl is not the only person that was in the video. There was a boy who was on the receiving end of the oral sex and a group of kids who was watching. This is not okay. Sadly, the young boy will probably be the "big man on campus" while the girl is perceived as a whore, slut or nasty. They are equally responsible for what is wrong with our youth today. The boy should be reprimanded just as much as the girl. I mean he participated in the act and he needs to be talked to by an adult. What's really going on when something like this is going on in front of a group of kids and not one of them speak up against it.
The worst part about this whole thing is the fact that adults have viewed the video and actually blamed the girl. They talked about what kind of shoes she was wearing. They talked about the actual act that she performed. They seem to have fail to realize that they have committed a serious crime. Child pornography is a crime punishable by imprisonment and having to register as a sex offender. Instead of watching a video, you should try and talk to a teenager about sex and what can happen if you put yourself in situations like this. These are kids and although they need to be punished for bad behavior they need to seek counseling so that the behavior does not continue. I would never watch a video if I even suspect the person performing a sexual act is underage. Not only is it a crime, but it is disgusting.
I Speak Thoughts
Monday, October 17, 2011
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
What's In A Word
What's in a word? I have always loved words. I love to read and educate myself through words. I believe that words have an undeniable power. The fact that people can use words either to help or hurt another person shows the power of words. Words can be used to comfort someone or to spread hate. Sometimes a word hits harder than any fist could. I have been told, by more than one person, that I am serious. When I initially heard the word it made me upset because I know the meaning of the word and I wondered why anyone would say that I was serious. I think I'm mature but serious, I just couldn't wrap my mind around that. I think I can be reserved but being serious just wouldn't register for me. I have realized that maybe I am a little serious but initially, I must admit, I was upset. I think I understood that serious is not just a word to me, it is what people think about me. That's how powerful words are and can be.
As I listen to the news, read twitter and facebook posts, I know the power of words all too well. There have been barrage of words aimed at the President since he first started his campaign for office. He has been called words that no other president has ever had to endure but black people have been hearing our entire lives. That fact alone proves the power in words. Word are lasting. They can shift the way you view others and yourself. Words can end relationships and begin alliances. Words can tear families apart and destroy marriages. I love words so much that I rarely use what they call "text talk". I just like saying and spelling the word in it's entirety. I have such a fascination with words that if I see a word I don't know, I will actually look it up in a dictionary and try to use it in a sentence. I think the relationship I have with words have been because of several great teachers I had beginning in Headstart.
The power of words transcend to every human emotion. I have to say certain words that I have used in the past I no longer use. I have a passion for words and to use words that have a deep history with hate, I have no reason to use. With that being said, I do not use that word that begins with the letter N and carries an extreme history of hate to describe or converse with anyone. I would like to say that no matter how you use it or when and with whom you use that word carries too much hate to ignore. I have used the word in the past but after listening to testimonies from black people who have been deeply affected by the word, I made a very conscious and easy decision never to use the word again. I have to confess...when I hear the word it upsets me. I think the new generation of people have decided to ignore the power behind that word. It doesn't matter what you say about taking power over a word with such hate, it does not negate the fact where the word was born. It was born out of hate and changing the spelling does not transfer the power. It has to be said that when black people use the word in the presence of people of a different race, especially white people, not only do you disrespect your ancestors but you release the power you THINK you have over the word. The discussion could be long and have many different points of views but, for me, I can find plenty of other words to use without even thinking about using that one.
I do think that the connotation in which a word is used plays a major role in any conversation. We are all different people so there is always a possibility that we will interpret words differently. You have to be willing to listen and hear what someone is saying. We need to understand that they way speak words are direct reflection of who we are. I hate it when someone says, "you're talking white" or "you're talking black". There is absolutely no such thing as talking a certain race. The way you use words can have an effect on the way people treat you. I like the fact that I can use my words the same way with any person I speak to. I like the fact that I don't have to use elaborate words to prove anything to anyone. But don't think because I don't use the words all the time, that I have no idea what they mean...I'm just saying!! I challenge everyone just to simply think about what words you choose to use before you speak them.
What's in a word? POWER
I Speak Thoughts
As I listen to the news, read twitter and facebook posts, I know the power of words all too well. There have been barrage of words aimed at the President since he first started his campaign for office. He has been called words that no other president has ever had to endure but black people have been hearing our entire lives. That fact alone proves the power in words. Word are lasting. They can shift the way you view others and yourself. Words can end relationships and begin alliances. Words can tear families apart and destroy marriages. I love words so much that I rarely use what they call "text talk". I just like saying and spelling the word in it's entirety. I have such a fascination with words that if I see a word I don't know, I will actually look it up in a dictionary and try to use it in a sentence. I think the relationship I have with words have been because of several great teachers I had beginning in Headstart.
The power of words transcend to every human emotion. I have to say certain words that I have used in the past I no longer use. I have a passion for words and to use words that have a deep history with hate, I have no reason to use. With that being said, I do not use that word that begins with the letter N and carries an extreme history of hate to describe or converse with anyone. I would like to say that no matter how you use it or when and with whom you use that word carries too much hate to ignore. I have used the word in the past but after listening to testimonies from black people who have been deeply affected by the word, I made a very conscious and easy decision never to use the word again. I have to confess...when I hear the word it upsets me. I think the new generation of people have decided to ignore the power behind that word. It doesn't matter what you say about taking power over a word with such hate, it does not negate the fact where the word was born. It was born out of hate and changing the spelling does not transfer the power. It has to be said that when black people use the word in the presence of people of a different race, especially white people, not only do you disrespect your ancestors but you release the power you THINK you have over the word. The discussion could be long and have many different points of views but, for me, I can find plenty of other words to use without even thinking about using that one.
I do think that the connotation in which a word is used plays a major role in any conversation. We are all different people so there is always a possibility that we will interpret words differently. You have to be willing to listen and hear what someone is saying. We need to understand that they way speak words are direct reflection of who we are. I hate it when someone says, "you're talking white" or "you're talking black". There is absolutely no such thing as talking a certain race. The way you use words can have an effect on the way people treat you. I like the fact that I can use my words the same way with any person I speak to. I like the fact that I don't have to use elaborate words to prove anything to anyone. But don't think because I don't use the words all the time, that I have no idea what they mean...I'm just saying!! I challenge everyone just to simply think about what words you choose to use before you speak them.
What's in a word? POWER
I Speak Thoughts
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