Thursday, October 15, 2009

Fund Education for Women NOW

Jodie Evans says that the war solely affects women. When you think about it, it is true. Who is dying? Whose husband walks into a field to farm (or whatever they do in Afghanistan) and gets blown up by a misguided rocket? Whose child is taught to be a martyr for their country by walking into an open, crowded area and blowing themselves up? As long as they have a place in the after-life that's what matters right? Wrong. Who are you leaving behind? Your mother, your wife, your daughters, your grandchildren and sisters and nieces and girlfriends. Over the years, as we send more and more troops into Afghanistan, the death toll rises. Leaving women child-less, father-less and family-less. It's a horrible phenomenon that has become so ordinary that it has seeped into our everyday life. No wonder we as a country don't keep track of the death toll of Afghani civilians and soldiers.

"All these innocent farmers leave wives and children with no means of support"

Although there has been some change in the way Afghani men and women view the female sex as a gender, they are still decades behind in rightful equality. Evans argues that to make a real change and start the long road to peace, you have to change the way women think. You have to provide them with a history and a future. You have to give them a luxury that we as Americans so humbly ignore; the right to an education. An unbiased education, which maybe that's taking it too far. And education would be good enough.

"It will take the women of the world to rise up and say militarism is not working. It will take the women of the world to force Obama and Congress to do the right thing and invest in the women instead. Militarism is a fire that is spreading across borders, and we need to find a new language. We need to meet not in rooms without windows but in the majesty of the mountains of this once beautiful country. Everyone has to be at the table. As the minister of women told us, “We have a mouth and a brain, we should talk.” Transparency, justice and real investment in the women of Afghanistan will bring peace and we need to start now." - Jodie Evans

So what is the point of this article you ask? Well first ask yourself, "why did we get into this war anyway?" Initially to bring democracy to a country who sorely needed it? Well how do you teach democracy by forcing peace through heavy arsenal? Do you think seeing armed foreign soldiers and tanks bombard your little town and walk through the town square like they own the place make you feel any more safe? Do you think forcing new ideals on a country who runs their government by decades of tradition is going to make them see their ways are wrong?

Listen, I am not a journalist and I am not trying to be. This is my personal blog and I don't expect anyone to actually read it. And I'm certainly not going to force my ideas and values down your throat. Just think about it.

see Jody Evan's article and others concerning women on http://womensmediacenter.com/ex/100709.html

PS There is a really good artice about a new study on women's national status headed by a Washington think-tank and Maria Shriver called, "A Woman's Nation Changes Everything". OH AND IT IS WRITTEN BY GLORIA STEINEM

Monday, October 12, 2009

New Era and other crap

So I was thinking. I haven't made a post, an actual zine-related post, in months. And that saddens me. Because I set out to post something every day. EVERY DAMN DAY. And I failed. It doesn't surprise me really. I give up on nearly every project I start. But not this one. Not today. Today is the start of a new beginning. A new era in the Mad Babe Zine's short lifetime.

I love blogging, don't get me wrong. I just don't always see the point if nobody is going to read this shiz. But I will keep on it. Despite all the nay-sayers (or however you spell that word, you know I don't think I have ever actually seen that word be written.) Anyway . .

I have been feeling kind of down lately. And I can't really put my finger on what is wrong. I mean there are a lot of things wrong in my life, but I have gotten so used to things being shitty that I have learned to roll with the punches (what is with all the stupid puns today??) and not let every single thing get to me. Then again it just might be my mental disorder that makes me feel this way. Last year I was diagnosed with severe recurring depression and Borderline Personality Disorder. And for a long time I thought it was the kiss of death (fun with puns). I was convinced that when I die it would be at my own doings, ie. suicide. I want to talk about it because I am not the only one this illness and other similar mental illnesses affect. Depression affects so many knowing and unknowing people all around this sweet world. It is a terrible, awful feeling when you don't want to wake up the next day. I don't ever want to feel like that again, but I know it will inevitably happen again because that is the one constant in my life. THUS FAR. I am not saying I am the poster child for "Counseling Works" because I quit that too. But it does help some people. And I don't think I have completely given up on it. You never know. All I know is that I was told that prescription drugs are not a permanent fix. Which makes sense if they actually helped me. Which from the latter you can tell that they didn't help me. I guess for a while I felt they were helping. Or maybe it was that if I quit taking them something bad would happen. I don't know. It's beyond me. All I know is everyone is different. EVERYONE.

"Today is going to be a good day. Today is going to be a good day . ." I keep repeating that in my head. I truly believe in the power of positive thoughts/thinking. It is amazing what you can accomplish when you believe you will do a good job.

Here is a poem I wrote in class:

Pen

too tired to feel
pain and its cousin
mass made appeal
held tight and shut in

don't wanna live
don't wanna die
fight just to feel
the pain of a lie

lies like prayers
proudly attained
kept in layers
mildly stained

stains empowered
by child-like man
collect all the flowers
created with pen