The day that the guest speaker from Haiti came and talked to us about the earthquake was one of my favorite classes. I loved that for once we could hear about the event from someone who was there and personally effected, instead of hearing it from the news like usual. When I pictured Haiti now from what the guest speaker had said, I would have never imagined that they had developed tent cities and businesses. The speaker said that the government had advised everyone to build according to a plan that would keep them safe from earthquakes AND hurricanes. I know that it's going to take a long time to fix everything in Haiti but I dont think that tents are going to be very protective against earthquakes or hurricanes and hurricane season is coming soon. I wish that we could at least build every small city a safe house so that they could stay there when disaster strikes and be protected. It's great that they have developed so much when they have so little but if their government or Bill Clinton doesnt implement a plan to protect them from natural disasters soon to come then there are going to be even more causalities and they will lose everything all over again.
I can not even imagine the situation that they are in right now, i dont know what i would do if my house and my neighborhood were reduced to rubble and if any of my friends or family members went missing or died at the same time as me losing all of my possessions and shelter. I can not even imagine living how they do now, dozens of people confined in an old golf course...whole families living in tents without electricity...having absolutely nothing to do...and of course wondering when mother nature is going to turn their lives upside down once again. Their lives are so different from ours, even before the earthquake. Now its unimaginable to me how they could live and preserver after losing everything, it's great that they had developed businesses and small cities but they need to prepare and anticipate what may happen next so that they will be safe.

Its saying my first part must be approved by the site admins before it appears again...I'll save it again in case it doesnt work.

This story is very inspirational to me. She truly did try to take a step into someone elses shoes. In high school I had a friend in my class that was muslim and wore the hijab. Im sorry to say that it wasn't something I asked her about, why she wore it, how it felt, if she was ever able to take it off...all questions that I secretly wondered but never had the guts to ask because all i truly knew was that it was a part of her religion and it made her different. It was like a barrier that was between me and her that I was just too stupid and narrow minded to address because I didn't want to offend her. Instead of talking about anything important we chatted mindlessly about the weather and the gym teacher when I had a chance to learn about a whole new way of life probably very unlike my own. I assumed that because of her religion she was timid and restricted. I also thought that their culture and the domination of men in their country created this mysterious facade to them whenever they were covered with the hijab. I just stereotyped against her completely when she could have been way different than I expected.

I could've asked if everyone in school treats her differently because looking back I realize she didn't have many friends and probably by talking about it instead of putting up a barrier and becoming guarded I wouldn’t feel so ashamed of myself like how I do now and even then.
I really would like to try to do what she did and wear the hijab as well because it’s an amazing experiment but I don’t think im a strong enough person to deal with being treated differently than I am used to and having to realize and deal with the fact that I am one of those people that treat other people differently just because of their religion or because I am not used to them. Especially if I got an email like how she did, it is truly no laughing matter and terrible that people can joke about things like that.

This story is very inspirational to me. She truly did try to take a step into someone elses shoes. In high school I had a friend in my class that was muslim and wore the hijab. Im sorry to say that it wasn't something I asked her about, why she wore it, how it felt, if she was ever able to take it off...all questions that I secretly wondered but never had the guts to ask because all i truly knew was that it was a part of her religion and it made her different. It was like a barrier that was between me and her that I was just too stupid and narrow minded to address because I didn't want to offend her. Instead of talking about anything important we chatted mindlessly about the weather and the gym teacher when I had a chance to learn about a whole new way of life probably very unlike my own. I assumed that because of her religion she was timid and restricted. I also thought that their culture and the domination of men in their country created this mysterious facade to them whenever they were covered with the hijab. I just stereotyped against her completely when she could have been way different than I expected.

It's so fitting to start learning about war in class this past week when my neighborhood and high school friend was just deployed to Iraq last night. He was supposed to have been able to visit home one more time before being deployed but somehow that changed at the last minute and now hes gone without really even a proper goodbye. This video is really moving in itself because we always think of soldiers as so strong and we hear about them having problems adjusting to coming back after war no matter what war it is but its never really a topic that anyone talks about in length and it seems to be pushed under the carpet. I think that the statistics on the amount of suicides that take place after coming home are definitely hushed up because it would make less people join the military and the government doesn't want that. But if the families of the soldiers knew to look out for PTSD because of how common it is then maybe they could catch it.
Probably by saying that soldiers are seen as strong and disciplined I'm just adding to the stigma but it's great that the military is now having speakers to talk to the soldiers before they are deployed about PTSD so that it's hopefully more acceptable to get help and so they realize that they aren't the problem and it's the situation they were put into instead. This movie worries me because when I think of my friend Bobby who just left, he's strong and he's always wanted to be a solider but he's also funny and caring and I'm so afraid that when he comes back in 13 months he won't be the same. We've got plans for when he comes home to have a big party and be counselors for summer recreation like every summer and to play soccer...and now I don't know if he'll be the same person at all when he gets back and it's really sad because all I and anyone else can do is just be someone he can talk to if he needs to when he comes back but it's not just one person, it's thousands of soldiers out there right now who are seeing unimaginable things and being forever changed.

I think men can never understand unless they experience it and thats not about to happen. Many of them think its an excuse for us to not want to have sex or for when were crabby but theyll never understand how it changes us at that time of the month. If someone wants to make plans then we have to count the days and work around it because like Sam said were not going to happy out in the wilderness during a camping trip if were bleeding and in pain. Also a lot of girls arent even regular which pretty much makes it a surprise experience once, twice or sometimes not at all, in a month. I mean, being a girl, I cant imagine what its like to be turned on even half as much as most guys are because our sex drives are so different and I know I'm definitely okay at stopping at cuddling or kissing but Sam said for guys thats just the beginning and thats just something I cant relate to at all...just how they cant relate to our hormone changes and cramps once a month.

In response to "blopdyke"...If we all had AIDS it wouldnt make it any less of a big deal, you shouldnt ignore something just because it's not unusual, and it's different for each person, I had a best friend in high school who could NOT move out of her bed when she had her period, her cramps were insane and she went to the hospital about every other month because she couldnt handle it. Im not saying every case is extreme but they are different and maybe yours isnt as bad as other peoples, you shouldnt judge. I think that the problem isnt that girls complain about it all the time but more that it shapes our lives and decisions and causes us to think differently about the world. Laurie suggested that her life changed from a carefree confident kid to an embarrassed teenager because of her experience. Its like how Sam said in class, we pretty much get sick every single month and we have to shape our lives and plans around it....and sometimes its even worse than other times and I know I'll have days where I lay in bed in pain but I can't even predict that.

it says the other half of my comment must be approved by the site admins before it will appear publicly. i will save it in case it for some reason has not worked.

It is kind of really special how women have a special bond to other women that’s unlike how men are with other men. I think its how we all have the same circumstances that put us together and make us stand united as one. We all have the capability to be mothers and are nurturing by nature. We all have the same awful experience once a month which is a weird thing to bond over but about how many other occurrences happen to other very large groups on a regular basis like that? Most of all we all have to deal with the needy penis of men and just men in general. Whether we are straight or lesbian or bisexual, we experience catcalls and just disrespect that is initiated by the media and Hollywood. And no its not all the time but its happened to all of us at least once. And truthfully when im with other girls we mostly talk about guys because its just such a wide topic and so much to say, I’d say that my girlfriends and my experiences with guys is something we frequently share and totally bond over.