Child Vaccinations

Ok, chill out for a second and let me explain. 

I understand. 

There is a big debate on the ethics, health benefits and the choice of parents to vaccinate their children. There are many many arguments made for both sides. I understand some made on the side of not vaccinating children. Parents have gotten their children vaccinated that have resulted in horrible side effect* (*Vaccines never have nor ever will cause autism.... and honestly would you rather have a child who is alive that need extra care or a child 6 feet underground because of a deadly disease?) From personal experience I agree with not vaccinating your children with certain vaccines because of the known side effects. When I was around the age of 4 I was given the yearly flu shot. Not long after, I broke out. Not just like acne break out or around the punctured area of my arm. No, I had big, semi-painful red rash all over my body. It was very splotchy and it covered from my face to my back, all down my arms, down to my toes. My mom took me to the doctor and he said that it was a reaction to the vaccine because I am allergic to it. He recommended me not receive it anymore and I have not had it since (14+ years). So I understand parents being worried about the side effects of a vaccine. That is completely reasonable and also very responsible of parents. 

So? Just do some research. Instead of saying no to all vaccines because they have side effects, keep in mind that everything has side effects. Over the counter medication, birth, raising children, getting a job, etc. Nothing in life is ever going to be simple. So, if your pediatrician suggests a vaccine, do some research. Why would your child need this vaccine? How susceptible is your child without it? Does it have anything your child is allergic to? What are the side effects? 

Just make sure you know what you are going to put into your child and why. The why is the ringer here. Is the disease potentially fatal, can it result in future damage to your child (i.e. chicken pox can lead to the shingles virus which is exponentially worse than small annoying itchy bumps on your 3-year-old) or is it just a simple annoyance like the flu?

Now. I am not saying that you need to vaccinate your child with all the vaccines available. Just do your research. You read books, took classes, and talked with experts (your own parents) about how to raise a child so why wouldn't you do some real research on vaccines instead of just listening to the easily spreadable and most likely fake propaganda that is spread through social media by those who have no idea what they are actually talking about. 

With all that being said, here is why I am on the side of vaccinating my children. 

Now, keep in mind I haven't been eligible to vote for a long time, I am still quite young and still learning a lot of things about the world. I am not married at this current date (2017) and I am not a mother either. The only experience I have had in "raising" a child is babysitter my siblings and other's children. So, not a lot of experience. But I know that as a mother I will care about my child's well being with all the fiber of my being. So if there are deadly diseases my children are susceptible to, I will take every step to protect my children from them.    

But... I understand that it is a parents choice on how to raise a child and it is not my place to judge others parenting styles and abilities. So if you don't what to vaccinate your children because of (x) reasons, that is your choice. And many of those that argue on the side of not vaccinating use a very common, social media, argument that goes like this, "If your child is vaccinated, why do you care that mine is not. Your child won't get the disease from mine because they are vaccinated. Right?" 

True. I will not argue with that logic. But that logic has many holes... those holes being other children. You are right. If my 3-grade child is vaccinated then they cannot get whooping cough from your 3-grade child. Now whooping cough is a very horrible disease. I wouldn't want any child to have that let alone my own. But people only look at those addressed in that simple hole filled argument. Your child and my child. No one ever thinks about the reality of children. 

Think about this. Your 1-grade son named Willaim was not vaccinated from whooping cough and thus contracts it. Now, at the age of 6 or 7, William's immune system is strong enough to fight this disease and survive. William is best friends with my daughter Emily. Emily is vaccinated so William cannot possibly give Emily whooping cough. Yay, hurray, problem solved right? Wrong. Because Emily is not my old child. Just a few days before William get sick with pertussis I gave birth to my other child Jack. William has a runny nose and a cough, (typical symptoms of a cold, but he doesn't just have a cold). William goes to school with his "cold" and plays with my daughter Emily at recess. They play ring around the Rosies, patty cake with those songs about lemonade, and all the other fun games that children play where they make physical contact. And as much as we would love our kids to be vigilant at washing their hands before meals, after they use the bathroom, and after they have coughed into their hand, let's be honest, they don't. Most kids at that age don't thinking about how germs travel like we do as educated parents. 

So William coughs into hands while running on the play ground then touches Emily's hand while playing patty cake, Emily doesn't wash her hands all day, thus eats a hamburger for lunch with her hands, touches her clothes, etc. Now, as established, Emily will not get sick because of this. Great. But then Emily comes home to Mommy and Jack, her newborn baby brother. Now Jack, as a new born, cannot get the vaccine for whooping cough, and if he were to get the disease his immune system isn't strong enough to fight it. So Emily kisses Jack, she holds him, and lets him suck on her fingers (the germs are on both her hands and her clothes) and now Emily has passed on those germs from your sick child William to my new born son Jack. Now my new born baby has the very high, almost guaranteed, risk of dying because you chose not to vaccinate your child from whooping cough. If you don't believe that my new born could die from this disease because you have no idea what it is, just watch this video explaining it. 

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/newborn-dies-whooping-cough/story?id=15067360

Ok, so using whooping cough as an example in this scenario is a bit extreme. But replace this with any other disease that is preventable by a simple vaccine and is a danger to new borns and this situation remains the same. This is how easily germs spread. The events of this scenario are 100% plausible and are happening in today's socitey. The germs from your unvaccinated children are passed to other's children and are then brought home.

Now it may sound like I am blaming this all on parents that don't vaccinate, which is part of the problem, but I am not doing so to be judging or to put myself on a pedestal of my hypothetical better parenting. I am just trying to get people to realize that there are more people in the equation than just your unvaccinated child and my vaccinated child. And that was all just a hypothetical situation based on facts that young children are not as sanitary as parents wish and how easily germs spread. 

My Biggest Argument.

For myself personally, here is my biggest reason as to why I believe that parents should not only be educated about vaccines but also should actively vaccinate their children.

At this point in my life (2017) I am in a serious relationship with someone I intend to marry when the time comes that we are ready to take that next step. So I think about our future together. I think about our jobs, where we are going to live (city, state) and how many kids we are going to have, our future children's names (our first born son will be named Toby Eric, no exceptions!!!!!). But I also think about the more practical aspects as well, like the medical ones. My boyfriend has an auto-immune disorder. Long story short, he cannot produce working antibodies. He cannot fight off diseases as easily as the rest of us can, he gets sick quite often, he coughs so much there are times I don't notice it anymore, and if he gets a small paper cut it will almost always get infected and take longer to heal. He also has other medical problems along with the immune deficiency. 

So, because my boyfriend doesn't produce antibodies, vaccines are useless. As I hope you are aware, vaccines are a sample of the disease that is combined with chemicals that prevent the disease from fully infecting the recipient. Now, the body's white blood cells and antibodies use this sample of the disease to learn how to fight it. It is a test run, a boot camp if you will, of the possible war it will fight when the body is infected with the real disease. This "boot camp" provides knowledge your body needs to know how to fight the war and WIN! Without antibodies to fight the "disease battle" daily, how could the body learn to fight disease from vaccines. 

So, with vaccines basically useless, my boyfriend cannot get vaccinated. It is not that he chooses not to, it's just pointless to do so. So now, if your whooping cough infected son William was to come over on a play date with my future son Toby and end up also come into contact with my future husband (who has no immune system) then my husband will be infected with this now horribly painful disease that could also lead to other diseases like pneumonia. Again, using whooping cough is extreme but just replace it with any other disease and it is still dangerous and harmful to my boyfriend, or future husband in this scenario.    

Even more so, my son Toby could have the same immune deficiency as his father. If you were to look up the deficiency that my boyfriend has, you will learn that it is basically not genetic. It cannot be passed down to our children. So now you can argue that our children will not have the same problems their father has. But my boyfriend has 3 siblings, all brothers, and they all have the same auto-immune disorder, and their father also has this disorder. It is not "technically" genetic but for this family, it is. They are some weird genetic anomaly. So, with this knowledge, explain to me the chances our children will have of also having this same immune problem. If all our children do, which is very likely, then not only do I have to worry about diseases I can spread to them, but also what the children at school can spread.

What is the main point?

Think about all those involved... which is everyone. Anyone and everyone you and your children have any contact with, and who those people have contact with, etc. etc. Everyone, from newborns to elderly, has the potential to be infected by this disease spread by your child because they were not vaccinated. And what about all those that have immune disorders, or have gone through surgeries, or have siblings and family members that have immune disorders or gone through surgeries and are more susceptible to diseases. You don't know who is and who isn't. You cannot assume that everyone can be vaccinated. Those fellow classmates of your children may be allergic to vaccines like I was with the flu vaccine or that their bodies don't fight diseases as well as they should, or at all. 

Please. Keep in mind that it isn't just your child that is impacted by your choice to vaccinate them or not. It is every child, from new borns, to cancerous, to immune deficient. Just because it is our choice doesn't mean the consequences, good and bad, fall solely only us. It impacts all those around us. The world doesn't revolve around you. It doesn't revolve around me. WE REVOLVE AROUND THE SUN WHILE STANDING ON THE EARTH INTERACTING WITH ONE ANOTHER. We impact other's lives, in both good ways and bad, whether we mean to or not. We do not get to choose the consequences that befall our choices, but we can choose which paths to take, and learn ahead of time the consequences that can befall those choices. 

Just be educated. The biggest issue with society today is we have stopped learning. We have stopped challenging our minds in college, we have stopped learning about the past, and, most importantly, we have stopped learning from each other. We have stopped listening and trying to understand other's points of view, even though they differ from ours. We have stopped learning about who our neighbors are, stopped learning about the different cultures of our own society. We have simply stopped learning and started focusing inward on ourselves. This isn't just the modern generation. Everyone that is alive right now, from the baby boomers to the silent generation and including millennials. We don't care about learning about others, we only care about what happens to ourselves. 

Just remeber that you are only 1 person in an equation that is over 7 billion people long.   

Against White People

I'm going to get into a sticky topic here. 

There is so much hate going around to everyone. Racism still exists, but practiced by more people than you think. You see, racism against black people is evident but also a little iffy. See, because of history, black people get a privilege that white people don't.

My White Privilege

As you know, I am white. 150,000 times white. I am not a decedent of anyone who is black withing the last two centuries. I have some privilege because of the color of my skin. Key word being some. I didn't get a free pass in life because I am white. I worked hard in school. I am even struggling to find scholarships that I can apply to because there are a lot out their for Native American, Latino, Black, mixed etc. etc. Both of my parents when to college so I am not a first generation, I am 100% white, and I have no physical or mental disabilities. But I'm still fairly poor. My parents tried to apply for food stamps but my father made $40 too much. Forty dollars when they have 5 kids, one in college, one in high school, one in middle school, and two in elementary school. Not to mention one kid has physical and mental problems which cost a lot of time and money. I wasn't huge into sports, I am not gay or transgender. I got one scholarship that was from my religion ($200) and the Pel-grant. I applied for other scholarships but I was limited because I was never discriminated against or skilled enough.

Just because I don't have to worry about not getting a job because of skin color doesn't mean I don't have to worry about not getting a job. I'm broke, I lack job skills, and I'm in college. Hooray for me.

But, just how there is white privilege there is also black privilege.

I already mentioned the scholarships, but lets talk about Hollywood. Big things with that topic is that people are angry that Hollywood white washes everything. That is true. But when you think about the lack of non white people in Hollywood, its a good thing for those who are, or are trying to get into that business. When there is a roll Hollywood is trying to cast for Hispanic or black, they are limited on their choices. If you are a minority in Hollywood, when casting directors are looking for your ethnicity, you don't have to fight as many people because everyone who is not that ethnicity is out. Less competition.

There is also the fact that is my main topic. If you are a minority, mainly black, you can shout racism and people believe you, even if the event isn't racist at all. There is a "crying wolf" epidemic going around. There is so much real racism and fake racism that it is hard to tell the difference and everyone is shouting it all the time. But lately racism is only given to (mainly) the blacks. Even the definition is all screwed around for other benefits. In the movie "Dear White People" (I will get to the name in a second) a black girl was called racist because her radio show titled Dear White People talks about all the stupid things white people do. She tells the principal who called her racists (and he is black himself) that black people cannot be racist because "racism describes a system of disadvantage  based on race. Black people cannot be racist since we don't stand to benefit from such a system." While other definitions are saying that if you hate on someone based on their racist and believe your race is superior. With so many contradicting definitions it is hard to understand it all. Especially for someone who has ever experienced discrimination at school or work because of the color of my skin.    

There are so many videos all over Youtube that talk about these sort of topics, cultural appropriations, racism, etc. What is the bad part. They are directed toward white people. And people call some of them out saying things along the lines of "They hate white people. They are saying screw white people." Those Youtubers then try to argue saying "I have never said I hated white people."

No they didn't. But a lot of people think that certain directors are racist and hate black people because one of their movies are entirely cast of white people. The director never said they hate black people, so where is this message coming from?

In between the lines.  

People assume or infer something based on the fact and situations around it. If someone you were once friends with stop talking to you and blatantly ignores you to your face, one can infer that they are angry with you. They never said it or yelled at you, but their silent message came through.

So when a video talks about cultural appropriation and the picture examples are all of white people dressed or "appropriating" a MINORITY race (*Big on minority because if a white person who is 99% German dresses like a stereotypical Frenchman, both predominantly white races, and they have no close relation to French, it is not appropriation according to the media) people infer that they think that only white people commit cultural appropriation.

Now her is my biggest issue I want to get very serious with. I'm not here to talk about cultural appropriation. That was an example of reading between the lines. What I am here to talk about is the racism against white people, and here is where the black (or minority) privilege come into play. That video I explained was one example. Another big example is the countless videos about white people pronouncing words, specifically names. There are videos titled "American Pronounce Latino Names" (Americans meaning white)  or "Dear Teacher: learn how to pronounce ethnic students names" (the thumbnail says "Dear White Teacher") and "Vlog 5: Dear White People: Y U Can't Pronounce Foreign Names?! // Joon Lee."

I'm going to answer that last video's question. 

I grew up learning things like this.

J makes this sound.

H makes this sound.

X makes this sound.

Q is always followed by U and makes this sound.

CH makes this sound.

So on and so on an so on.

English is a weird language. The comedian Brain Reagan perfectly demonstration  this.

He explains the I before E rule (with tons of sarcasm).

I before E except after C and when sounding like A as in neighbor and weigh, and on weekends and holidays and all throughout May, and you'll always be wrong no matter what you say.

Here is where the trouble comes in. In general the "Dear white people" is directed towards stupid white Americans. When we are told all our lives that J makes a hard sound, then we meet someone names Jose where the J is basically non existent (makes a sound) then we are going to pronounce it wrong on our first try (in some cases 2-5 tries). But most kids learn Juan and Jose. But what about names like Nian, Saoirse, Quvenzhane, Aguirregaray, Harikiran, Acel, Tea, Teasha, Xing, Akihito, Agoston, Agnieska, or Hadassah. Read them with English phonetics, they will be wrong almost 100% of the time. Different languages pronounce the sounds of letters differently, have their own letters, or ad symbols over and around the words that differentiate the sounds like in Pena (Carlos Pena) and Peña (Peña Nieto). Now people from other countries may not have this problem because they grew up learning their native tongue and English so they have learned the differences. But lately there are so many names that are spelled one way in English (and it is a white American with that name) but you must pronounce it differently. One of the best (yet very sad) examples is the name Female. Now most of you read that as the gender. But there was a story about a woman who names her daughter Female because it was already on the basket that the nurse brought her in. The name is pronounces Fuh-mall-ee, which isn't a bad name, but it really should be spelled more like Femily, like Emily but with an F at the beginning.

See, you don't know how to pronounce something unless someone tells you how. That is the basics to learning how to speak in any language, learning to speak in general. With teacher, I have had some be able to pronounce names that I often heard in class pronounced wrong, but most of the time, the student had to correct them. In elementary school the kids were annoyed by this because their family members all pronounced their names right (this isn't just with first names, one that was often said wrong was Dalrumple). But in high school, it was a normal thing for teachers to get names wrong and kids correct them. With substitutes some didn't even bother correcting them, they just said "here"
when the teacher said a name that was often how other teachers have mispronounced them. The mispronunciation of their name was just part of life, like those who lose their arms learn to live with that and it's extra challenges. Teacher were often nice and would give a disclaimer before hand saying, "I am terrible with names, so I apologize if I butcher it. Just correct me" and when the student did, they wrote the phonetics in the margins. Teachers in high school have over 200 names to memorize so sometimes it took about a week to put names to faces and remember how to say names that are foreign to teacher. 

By foreign I don't always mean names from other countries. Names that are English sounding names but spelled very weird. Sometimes teacher once knew a Quvenzhane, but had never seen nor heard the name Xing before. It just depends on their name background and education. 

So why do people not know how to pronounce your name? Because it is not spelled phonetically in their language and they have never been told how to spell it. 

And lets stop hating white people. Mainly American white people. Every ethnicity can be jerks and every ethnicity can be racist. But racism is wrong. No one has control over their natural skin tone, where they were born, or who they were raised by. We should judge people by their choices, because that is what they do have control over, and it is what shows us who they truly are. Not their different pigmented skin.       
 

Holy Bible vs. The Book Of Mormon

Bible vs. Book of Mormon

Widely considered the Mormon Bible, the Book of Mormon is a very misunderstood book. First, it isn’t the Mormon Bible. They are alike in a few ways however.

1.       They are grammatically structured very similarly
2.          They contain a story that happens in Jerusalem
3.          They contain accounts of prophets that are called by God
4.         Christ is not only mentioned but appears in both texts
5.         They hold an account of the people of God
6.          They teach the doctrine of God

How are they different…. That is a very long list because you can mention all the different prophets and stories and events, etc. But here is the biggest detail of how they are different.

Bible

The history of the Bible includes the original writers of the books within the text. The Bible is basically the notes, journals and records kept by the people who followed god, or in some cases didn’t follow his teaching, piled into one big religious text book. Now as most people know, the Bible wasn’t always readily available for anyone seeking the word of god after its complete compilation (old and/or new testament). Pastors, priests, popes and other religious heads were the only ones with the literacy knowledge and access to read and study these books. Being human, they all had flaws. If one were the only person to view the important text and preach it to the masses, they could interpret the Bible any way they wish. They can even claim messages to come from the book (even if they don’t) just to fit whatever belief or theory they have, true or not.

Just like with any poetic text or quote or any group of words really, there can be multiple meanings derived. While a young child can read the phrase “Tom looked at the blue curtains and cried” and get “A man looked at curtains then proceeded to cry” while an educated scholar will understand that the blue curtains represent the sadness in Tom’s life. Tom realizes this and begins to cry to release all those emotions.” While both meanings are true, they mean different things to different people depending on age, experience, and even the circumstances that they read that passage.

Because of the multiple interpretations of a single passage and the changing or adding of passages to the Bible to fit one’s own beliefs or theories, there came many versions of the Bible. More came into existence when the Bible was able to be mass printed for the world. Translations came about. Those translations can be edited through the straining of multiple languages. If one were to take a passage from the Bible in Hebrew, translate that into Egyptian, translate that into Greek, then into Spanish, then French, Latin, German and then back into Hebrew, the passage will be completely altered with the original meaning all twisted around or lost completely.

Many versions of the Bible have been published to try an eradicate all the lost meanings that have come about because of the translating errors and preachers altered copies. All of this has caused over 100,000 versions of the Bible to be translated and published.

With so many versions of the Bible and so many different yet similar sects of Christianity, which version is the original. Which translation of the Bible is the most like what the was written down by Moses, Samuel, the apostles, and other prophets with their original meanings still intact? Hard game to navigate, right?

While the many versions of the Bible are similar in many ways, there are lots of big differences between verses along with small ones as well that change the message originally intended by God. It is the same with the sects of Christianity. There is the constant belief in heaven, but the difference in who gets to go to heaven and how one and get to heaven. All this confusion can cause many to explore different sects and even religions to see which one they believe to be the intended gospel and teaching of God and Jesus. Some may even not claim one religion and study different versions of the scripture to decide for themselves what they wish to believe in.

This confusion was evident in a young 14-year-old boy living Manchester New York. I will talk about him more in a second. For now, let’s go into the history of the Book of Mormon text.

Book Of Mormon 

Now the Book of Mormon was also written by many prophets called by god, but this time, they all inhabited a land which is now called the Americas.  So while the Bible is the account of God’s people in Jerusalem and its surrounding counties (the old land) the Book of Mormon is an account of the people in the Americas (the new land). Just like the Bible, it contains multiple books written by different people that was all joined together into one book. But while speculations arise with the Bible as to who was the person that combined all those journals and records together into one book and if any other journals and records were not included for other speculated reasons, the Book of Mormon in fact, has that very information within its own text.

There were many records kept in a few different languages and on either paper or brass plates. There was a general and a prophet of God by the name of Mormon. He lived many years after Christ, (so there is an account of Christ and his teachings in the Book of Mormon). He was tasked by his mentor to continue the work of compiling those journals and records together. He would trust in the lord and follow revelation given to him about what records to add into this compilation and what to leave out. The things that were added in where only what was important to God to have known to the future generations that would read this text (cough us cough). So, things such as, “I’m Daniel and today I met this beautiful girl names Sarah who has the prettiest hair and eyes and her smile is just gorgeous and I wish I could kiss her and marry her. Hey Daniel again, turned out that Sarah wasn’t very nice so I am now in love with this other girl named Tanya…” were left out because they have no significance to the truths that God wants his children to know.

Mormon completed a lot of work in compiling those important journals and text, but he died before it was completed. His son, Moroni, was the one to not only complete that work, but was also the last surviving person of his people, the Nephites (see Chapter 9 of the Book of Moroni in The Book of Mormon). Once the book was completed Moroni traveled long and far to be able to keep that record safe from anyone that would wish to destroy it before it could reach the future generations that would need it’s teaching and information (cough cough US cough cough). He buried it in the ground along with a few other spiritual artifacts of his people and soon died.

Fast forward to 1820. Many different Christian religions are preaching similar yet vastly different doctrines. A 14 year old boy by the name of Joseph Smith Jr., living in Manchester New York, is confused by the “war of words” (verse 10 of Joseph Smith – History in the Pear of Great Price). He studies the words of God in his family’s copy of the Bible, prays, studies and counsels with different religious leaders and studies and studies and studies to find the answer to which Christian sect was the correct one, the one that was uses the true word of God and nothing else.

Finally, after a wondrous experience involving God, Christ, and prayer, (see verses 14-20 of Joseph Smith-History in the Pearl of Great Price for the full story of what happened to Joseph in 1820.) Joseph received revelation that none of the sects of the Christian church were correct. In fact, the true and FULL gospel and teaching of Christ and God didn’t exist in any of the religions that were on the earth.

Joseph proceeded to join none of the churches in his youth. But in the year 1823 (three years after Joseph received that revelation) he was visited by the angel Moroni late at night (yes the same Moroni who finished the Book or Mormon and hid it in the ground). 

Moroni revealed to Joseph that there was a record of the people that once lived in the Americas (his people). Moroni continued to tell Joseph where the record was buried (Shocker! It is a hill or drumlin in Manchester, the town in which Joseph lived). While Joseph was told of this book and its location, he was even taken to the site as well, it would be many years before he would be allowed to take the record from its resting place and begin the proper translation of the records into English.

Now that I have laid out the history of the each book, let’s compare.

The Bible when through many translations and editing’s before it was mass produced to the public after its final compilation. Who compiled it is unknown. Why is unknown and if other such records were not included is unknown. There are many people who contribute to the multiple versions of this sacred religious text. Which version is correct is a frequently asked question about the book.

The Book of Mormon was translated directly from its original language to English through the power of God (so it’s the real true word). Who compiled the original text is known (mostly Mormon). It is known that there are a lot of other records that were not included because they were not as important to God for future followers (US) to learn and understand. The frequently asked questions about the book isn’t whether which version of the book is true (because there is only one version that has been properly translated into multiple languages from its original source). The question that is asked about the book is “Is the Book of Mormon true?”

There is more detail as to the history of the Book of Mormon and its history isn’t messy and results in many, many, many, versions of the text unlike the Bible.

Does this mean the Bible isn’t true? Do Mormons even read the Bible and follow its teachings?  

As an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (aka Mormon) I can tell you that I own a copy of both the Bible and the Book of Mormon and I read both when studying the gospel.

Joseph Smith once wrote a letter to John Wentworth  explaining, very simply, the Mormon religion’s basic beliefs. They are called the Articles of Faith. The young children have fun throughout their youth trying to memorize these articles. Just like memorizing Bible verses, memories the 13 Articles of Faith can help children, teens, and even adult tell other about what they believe.

The 8^th Article of Faith goes as follows:

We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly; we also believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God.

The key point that is made is that while the Book of Mormon IS the word of God, the Bible is only the word of God when it is TRANSLATED CORRECTLY.

So, which version do Mormons believe is the most true. Key word most, Joseph still when back through the Bible with the power of God and added foots notes and even full true translations/corrections to it in an appendix of the Bible that can be purchased through any LDS associated store (mainly Deserate Book). The version of the Bible that I own is the King James Version with the added footnotes and correct translations/corrections made by the Prophet Joseph Smith.

You know, Stokes, this is all great to know, but how do you even know the Book of Mormon and that version of the Bible are even true?

Great question. For one, at the end of the Book of Mormon, Moroni challenges the reader of the book to seek out the truths for themselves. Don’t just blindly believe what everyone tells you without proof basically. How do you find proof of stuff that has no evidence (there is a lot of evidence that the events in the Book of Mormon are true, I suggest researching that, it’s one of my favorite topics!) As readers, we are asked to pray with an open heart and mind about whether or not the book we just finished reading was true or not. I have done that and felt an over whelming feeling that of course this book is true.

Now I am not just a blind believer that trusts whatever she sees feels and reads all the time. No. Throughout school I loved the subject of science. There are truths about science that I cannot argue with, thus are true. I am a very logical thinking person. I won’t believe something unless I understand it and it is very, very, logical. So why do I believe that this silly book is true just from a prayer and a feeling? I don’t. In fact, the first time I actually took that challenge and prayed about the book after finishing reading it, I not only felt its truth a but a voice in my head told me “You know it’s true.” I was 17 when that happened. I had been a member of the church my entire life and I didn’t fully read the Book of Mormon and pray about its truth until I was 8 months away from becoming a legal adult. So how did I already know it was true?

Logic. One, I have done research on the historical evidence about the truth of the event of the Book of Mormon such as battles fought, people that lived and so on (I definitely suggest doing that research!). So logically if these wars depicted in the book actually happened then the rest of the book should be true as well. Yes, but not necessarily.

Did you know that the Bible mentions the people in the Book of Mormon along with the Book of Mormon its self? Don’t believe it? Read John 10:16. Christ mentions having other sheep then his followers there in Jerusalem. He will also visit them. Now, his apostles and followers understood the other sheep which are not of this fold to be the gentiles surround Jerusalem. But the Bible and history shows that Christ never visited them. So did Christ just lie?

No, Christ never lies, it is a sin, and he is sinless.

But in the book of 3^rd Nephi of the Book of Mormon, Christ ministered among the people of the America’s (chapters 11-26). He also said a similar line to the Nephites there.

3^rd Nephi 15:21 – And Verily I say unto you, that ye are they of whom I said: Other sheep I have which are not of this fold;

Christ also explains how his followers depicted in the Bible misinterpreted that line in verses 22-24

So, with the evidence of the event in the Book of Mormon, the feeling I received when I prayed to God with an open heart, and the verses in 3^rd Nephi Chapter 15 that fulfill the statement made by Christ in St. John Chapter 10, I KNOW that the Book of Mormon is the true word of the Lord through my feelings, research, and logic. Because if the verse in the Bible is true, then the account in the Book of Mormon is true as well. 

What is life?

Abortion. 

Yes, I have decided to talk about this controversial topic. The big question of Pro-Life or Pro-Choice. 

Now, first off let's get one thing straight. I am always for the right to choose. Having free agency is something people don't value enough. We used to with the right to choose which ever religion we wanted to worship in. Because of this, no matter how much I would love abortions to be illegal, I wont protest for a law because that only limits peoples choices. But here is why I am Pro-Life over Pro-Abortion. See how I said abortion. I'm not against a woman's right to choose, I'm against the act itself and here is why. 

When I had found out that you could terminate a pregnancy before birth, I was appalled. I was taught from a young age that e every soul waits in the pre-mortal existence (similar to heaven but different) for their birth. I thought, "Why would I every stop one of my spiritual siblings from having the chance to have a body? Why would I make them wait longer to come to Earth and experience so many wonderful things." 

As LDS members we value the existence of a body no matter what shape it comes to earth in. We value learning and this life on Earth is where we learn and grow to become better. But all that is another topic all together for another time. Back to the main point. 

For most of my life, I was against abortion for religious reasons. But as I got older, my views on anything in life were shaped by logic. How could I argue the existence of gravity? How could I claim that salt water freezes at a different temperature than fresh water? I couldn't. Those were facts. I enjoyed science in school. How could I not. Figure out the way the world works was fascinating, especially learning about how the human body works. I loved everything about human anatomy. 

Now while my opinion on abortion started with religion, that is the only aspect about my opinion that is religious. The rest is all based on science. 

It is in both the 10 commandments and in the laws of the country that killing people is wrong. It is a common value shared throughout the world that taking a life is an extreme offence, punishable with life sentences or (ironically) punishable by death. We are all in agreement that ending a human life is bad. a huge "no-no." 

Well here is the truth (explained by science). 

Abortion = Murder

Whoa! That is a big statement to make. Many would argue that abortion isn't murder because the fetus isn't alive. It hasn't been born yet, sometimes it is only a clump of cells. And when abortion occurs, the fetus doesn't suffer. 

On Facebook, an article was posted that I just had to read. A formerly Pro-Choice nurse, Cynthia Isabell explains to her med students her view on abortion. They ask her questions that are blasted by the media and she has them help her answer them by making them think back to their basic lessons of biology. Here are some excerpts. 

- "Without fail, my students ask me the questions that they hear argued in the media. My students ask these questions even though they, having studied biology, human anatomy, and physiology, already know the answers.

"They ask, “When does life begin?”  I respond with, “You know the answer to this question.  How do you tell if something, such as a cell, is alive or not?”  The students answer correctly that “living cells grow and multiply.”  And so of course I must remind them of what they already know: that growth and multiplication is exactly what is happening after the egg and the sperm join to form the zygote. Within twenty-four hours of conception the zygote is dividing rapidly into many cells which will differentiate to form different parts of the human body.

"Dead things do not do this... Life begins at conception, when the fertilized egg begins to grow" (Isabell).  

So from this we learned that cells that multiply are, in fact, living things. So when they don't multiply they are dead. When an abortion occurs, it stops the multiplication of those cells. Thus abortion ending life. 

But not all cells are human right? People kill spiders, they go hunting and fishing, and eat bacon all the time. Those are not considered murder. True, but let's let Cynthia Isabell answer that one again.  

- "The next question they ask is “When can it be considered a human?”  I answer, “What determines whether we are a human, rather than a bird or a zucchini?”  The answer to this is simple and they correctly reply that it is “our genetics, our DNA.”  When the egg and the sperm join, this is the beginning of a new human, with its own set of DNA which also includes hair color, eye color, skin tone, fingerprints, and a multitude of other individual characteristics.  The baby is genetically different from the mother, having only half of the DNA coming from her, and half from the father; a distinct human being.

“So now we all can agree that we have established that abortion is killing a living human" (Isabell).

Couldn't have said it better. Now, to the final argument between Pro-Life and Pro-Choice. 

- "Why shouldn’t a woman be able to do what she wants with her body?”

“The woman has every right to be in control of and responsible for her body,” I answer.  She has the right and responsibility to use methods to prevent conception if she does not want to become pregnant.  Being in control also would include not engaging in activity which is known to lead to pregnancy, which is sexual intercourse. There are a variety of other, easily accessible methods which can be used to prevent conception from occurring.

“However, once a pregnancy occurs, it is no longer only the woman’s body that is in question, as the baby is not a part of her body,” I explain.  “Tell me how we know that the baby is not a part of the woman’s body.”

The students then explain to me that the placenta and the umbilical cord are what separate the baby from the mother... it’s the placenta and umbilical cord which separate the mother from the baby and prove that the fetus was never part of its mother’s body.  This is because the placenta and umbilical cord exist precisely because the baby has a different and separate circulatory system from the mother and their blood must not intermingle.  If something happens, such as a traumatic injury, that causes their blood to mix, it can cause serious complications.

If the fetus were not a separate human being but were only another part of its mother’s body, it would not need a placenta and umbilical cord to separate them.  It could simply grow inside one of her body cavities like a tumor without any barriers between the two to protect each of them... And even though the placenta is attached to the uterus, it is no more a part of her body than an earring or a watch is when you wear them.  So now we have determined that the baby is a genetically distinct human, not a part of the woman’s body, and that it is alive, growing, and developing” (Isabell). 

That was a lot longer, but it is all information that people need to know when understanding and talking about abortion in general. Isabell goes on to talk about the ethics of abortion with rape victims. I believe that with rape victims, adoption is the best options when not wanting to raise the child yourself because you are not ready. Now if you want all the ethics she discusses, please go read the article. I will link it below. But I only want to talk about the science behind abortions and not the ethics surrounding abortions and rape victims.  

So scientifically speaking, abortion is ending innocent human life (innocent because the fetus has done nothing by multiply and grow) thus abortion is murder. Isabell also talks about her experiences when helping with abortions. She would help the mother, not actually perform the abortion, but she did assist. She gives two accounts which are hard for he to talk about many years later. 

One abortion was with the use of saline injected inside the mother. Isabell explains that she saw the fetus in the ultra sound "recoil in pain" when the saline reached it because it was burning the fetus's skin. How is that not suffering?

Another is called "theraputic" and it is when "labor is induced and the woman delivers an intact baby which will then slowly die by suffocation"(Isabell). Many patients want to hold the baby wrapped in a blanket and bond with it as it slowly suffocates believing the lie that it isn't suffering. Isabell explains that she arrived after one of those procedure and she was tasked with wrapping the baby in a blanket and taking it to the morgue. She took it into another room and proceeded to cry while holding the dead baby. She never aided in another abortion again. 

To Conclude:

So, while I hate abortions, a woman still has the right to choose to carry the child or not. I believe that if a woman is considering abortion, she should know, not only the risks for herself, but all the facts on what happens in the surgery. Just like with any other surgery. The doctors explain what they are going to do and the risk factor. I believe women should do research on abortions before just ending the life. The whole point of this post is not only to express my opinions about abortions, but to inform other's about how scientifically, abortion is murder, the intentional act of ending a human life. Please be informed about abortions before you decided it is what you want to do. There are other options if you are no ready to raise a baby. Many couples wish to adopt because they cannot have children of their own, because they cannot physically or because they are a married gay couple wishing to start a family. Know the facts before any kind of surgery. 

Religious people can be Pro-Life for more reasons than religious ones. 

*Isabell, Cynthia. "How a Formerly Pro-Choice Nursing Instructor Discusses Abortion with her Sutdents." The Torch. 12 August, 2016. http://thetorchblog.net/?p=996. 26 January, 2017. 

  

      

White But Not Racist

Why I am not racist. 

The Basic Reasons: 1&2

First off I'm not racist because I was not raised by racist people. My parents taught me to be kind to everyone. Just because someone has a different skin tone and ethnic background doesn't mean they don't deserve kindness.

Second, I grew up knowing and being friends with those of different skin colors and ethnic backgrounds. I believe that if you grow up knowing and being friends with people of a different skin color to yourself, you don't buy into the stereotypes that you are taught when you are older.

See, when humans are young. we notice a different color in skin tone. That is fact. What we don't know is the history behind that color (white, black, Asian, Latino, etc.). Children ask why someone has a different color because they are curious. Its new and possibly exciting and they want to find out why. Children are born wanting to learn and grow and explore. I know I was eager to roam and explore my house when I was young. People become racist because they are taught that way growing up. Their parents could have taught them to hate those of Japanese decent, or they had very bad, scaring, experiences with those of white European decent. Whatever the case may be, I believe that we grow up and learn to be racist, we are not born that way.

So because I went to church and school with those who were black, Asian, Latino, etc. I know that any of those stereotypes are false.

The Big Reason

Third, and possibly the biggest reason why I am not racist, if because I have no culture. Now before you start arguing, let me explain. Yes I was born in America. Yes I have lived by a small plot of farm for almost all my life. Yes I am white. Yes I was born and raised in the Mormon Church. But........ That's it. I am not a farmer. I am not a decedent of a white politician (or any other famous person). So what do I have?

1. I have my white privilege (which isn't much but it's there).
2. I have my religion (which is a huge part of my life and a culture but that isn't what I am talking about).
3. I have my curiosity (which is considered by society to be very rude and I will explain in a second)

So that is about it.

Why does this make me not racist?  

Curiosity...... 

Let's talk about my curiosity. Why does society think it is rude?

For one, I do not have a way with words.... well, when I have time to think about them and type them out in this blog then yes I can spew poetry. But when I am out in public, my foot is always in my mouth. And if it isn't then I am speaking literal gibberish. So when I ask questions, I don't mean them to be rude... but sometimes they come out that way.

Two, I love learning. Hate school, love learning. See I love watching educational YouTube videos or reading articles I think is awesome. I love knowing weird facts about things. If I want to know sometime, I love the thrill of searching for the answer. Force feeding me facts I may or may not want to know (or need to know: stupid pre-calc) is not present... and it is called school.

But I always want to know things I am curious about. But they tend to be like this in my head:

Me in my head when I meet someone new and different:
Wow..... You are someone who is different than me. That is so cool. I am curious as to what makes you You. Why does this aspect of your life make you happy? How has your up bringing shaped you are a person? I just want to learn everything about you because you are different than me and that is just so interesting! The world doesn't revolve around me, so I want to learn things about you that I have never experienced! It's new and exciting and I just want to know more.

Very intellectually stimulating right? So many questions. The reasons to why I ask those questions. All of that goes through my head (adding in the specifics to fit the situations) within a millisecond of meeting someone new and different in any way shape or form. All of that is socially acceptable.

Here is where the problem arise...... none of that makes it to my mouth after that millisecond. Its like the difference between a botanist and a child. The botanist thinks about all these amazing things about a daisy, all the facts and uses and why and hows.... That is my brain when I meet someone new (very intellectual and insightful) while the child goes "Ooo pretty!!!!!!!!" and picks the flower thus killing it..................... That is my mouth.

So while my mind is thinking all of those previously mentioned thoughts... what happens is basically this scene from Mean Girls:

I sound like some idiot who was curious about something they didn't know about, while the rest of the world tells me to shut up because I'm stupid. Yup...... that is what happens. 

Take for example Winnie Harlow. If you don't know who that is it is this beautiful lady here: 

She is a model from Canada who was on the TV show America's Next Top Model. To be honest I don't watch that show.... too much drama for me..... but I love Winnie. She is so confident and beautiful. She has what is called vitiligo. Basically is is when your skin becomes significantly lighter bit by bit causing that weird discoloration. My cousin has it and she is a naturally fair person... I mean very fair, so her's isn't as prominent and noticeable compared to Winnie who is naturally black.

So when I discovered Winnie's existence a while back, I started researching who she was, finding out more about her... the natural thing to do when you discover someone who is famous. But there is a question I would love to ask her because I'm curious as to her way of life.... while everyone is asking all the important intellectual questions, I want to know how she does her make up. Mostly I'm curious as to her foundation process. Does she use foundation at all? Does she only use foundation on her skin that hasn't been affected by the skin condition? Or does she use two different tones of foundation for both? 

Now, if I were to ask her that if I ever got the impossible chance, I would sound really really really rude. One because I wouldn't phrase the question correctly in the moment and two because of her past bullies and how she has overcome them, plus the mass cultural sensitivity of society. So while she may think that that is a perfectly reasonable question and answer it honestly and not think of me as rude.... every other person on the face of the earth would. 

Now that we have established my socially rude curiosity... back to the main point. 

No culture. 

The promotion of culture pride is huge today. Everyone is proud of their roots and cultural traditions. I have neither. I'm American.... I was born here, I was raised here, and it is very probable that I will die here. Same with the generations before me. My heritage goes back to America and the first settlement. I'm no second generation, third generation, or even 7 generation American.... I go back a long ways. And I'm white. So there is no famous cultural struggle for my people here in america and I'm not related to anyone important to my race's history. 

Now, while that is true.... there is also this horrible little thing that I am proud of. I am Irish. Now, why is that horrible. For starters, I love the Irish accent, I love the culture and everything about Ireland. But I don't have any Irish customs or even celebrate Saint Patrick's Day (I wear green like the rest of America but I have no idea as to why that date is important to the Irish and I don't celebrate it like they do). Now I'm not even distantly related to Irish immigrants. In fact I am only the 7th generation on my mother's side. Why the Irish heritage isn't important in my family is because my immigrant relative disowned his son.......... who went on to disown his son......... who went on to disown his son... who when on to have my grandfather, who had my mother, who had me. So in those ellipses of my Irish history, all the customs, traditions, celebrations, the culture basically, was all lost to disowning. Why pass on those traditions taught to you by a father who disowned you? 

So there you have it. I have no big important heritage tradition. Any traditions I have are fully the common American ones: kissing at midnight on New Years, celebrating Christmas (I'm am a christian), throwing your grad cap in the air when graduating high school, having your prom date first see you in your prom dress when you walk down the stairs, and taking the first day of school pictures while walking out the door with your new backpack. Nothing that relates to a foreign culture like Quinceaneras. 

So when someone who is like me and has no historical unique culture and is very curious to new things and why people are who they are, we can be mistaken for someone who is racist. Asking someone why they are white. Just know that we aren't asking to be rude, to shun your way of life, your culture or you. We just want to learn new things, but we may not have a way with words and often put out foot in out mouth because we don't think about the phrasing of our questions. 

Yes I realize I have a Mormon culture plus an American culture, but those are nothing compared to the Irish culture or Mexican culture or even the Japanese culture. 

Yes, I am white and I realize and acknowledge my white privilege.

Yes I often have my foot in my mouth.

No I am not racist.  

Respect Part 2: Stereotypes

Respect Part 2

What are Stereotypes? 

Google dictionary says that a Stereotype is "a widely held but fixed and oversimplified image or idea of a particular type of person or thing."

Notice it doesn't say a widely held image or idea about anyone who is not white. White people have stereotypes about them just as much as blacks, Asians, Hispanics, etc. 

Now! I am not going to say how all white people are bad, or all black people are bad, or all Asian people are bad, etc. etc. I just want to talk about and issue in American (and lots of other non American) societies. This isn't about racism. Lots of people will equate stereotypes with racism. They are a factor, yes, but just because you believe a stereotype doesn't mean you are racist. It just means you are uneducated. (And in extreme cases you a racist because you don't care if it is true or not.) 

Lets list the stereotypes of today that I have heard or *experienced myself. 

1. Men are strong and do all the work. 
2. Women are not good at sports.
3.  All Mexicans came to America illegally
4. All black and Mexican teens and adult males are drug deals, drug users, or are in gangs, 
5. All Jews are greedy. 
6. Blondes are unintelligent.
7. All lesbians are extremely masculine.
8. All gays are extremely feminine.
9. All Mormons are polygamist.*
10. All Muslims are terrorists.
11. Asians are super smart and are talented with instruments.
12. All white people do not know how to move their hips.*
13. All Latina women can move their hips.
14. All black and Mexican men can rap.
15. All white men cannot rap.

Now those are stereotypes about specific races or genders. But even people from different states have stereotypes. 

1. All Texan's are loud and ride horse.
2. All New Yorkers are rude.
3. All Californians are surfers
4. Anyone from Utah is Mormon.
5. All Idahoans are potato farmers.*
6. Everyone from Nevada gambles.
7. Everyone is Colorado ski's all the time.

And there are plenty more... I only names 7 states out of 50. 

Stereotype's effect on others.

Are stereotypes bad? No. Before you go all hateful at me because they are bad because a, b, and c, first think about your argument and what you are saying. One argument will be, "The stereotype that all Muslims are terrorist is bad because then everyone who believes it will treat anyone who is Muslim badly because of it."

Let me break this argument down. 

1. This argument is based on everyone believing this stereotype
2. And, its bad because of how someone treats you because of it
3. This is a degrading stereotype.

So yes, because of those reasons that stereotype is bad. (The 3rd reason is the biggest). 

But what about the stereotype that Idahoans are potato farmers. That isn't degrading. How else will humans grow potatoes if they aren't farmed. And saying all Asians are super smart is a compliment correct? 

While those stereotypes are not degrading, the second can cause problems for multiple reasons. 

1. Those who are Asian will feel like failures if they get B's instead of A+'s 
2. It can be insulting when those who aren't Asian say to someone who is of that descent "You can't play an instrument? But you're Asian?" 

So we've established that degrading stereotypes are bad. But not all stereotypes are. I am an Idahoan and I don't grow potatoes. In fact the city I grew up in isn't even popular for that. Nampa is known (mostly by those who know who and where we are) for it's huge job creating Sugar Beat Factory. (Sugar beets are one source for... you guessed it... sugar). 

But, I could be offended for being called a potato farmer every time someone calls me that. But I am not. I laugh it off because there is no need to be offended because of ignorance. Not everyone was raised in Idaho (or even knows where it is for that matter). So, me being raised there, it is my job to do so. Now, I've hear people on the internet say it isn't their job to educate people on their culture or experiences or whatever, they can just look stuff up on google.

I disagree. Now, I don't mean go start a blog or a Youtube channel about your little hometown to educate people. What I mean is, if someone refers to a stereotype about your race, religion, hometown (state) or culture, don't get pissed off or offended or yell in their face at how ignorant they are. 

What I mean, is most people that ask you questions or mention an offending stereotype, don't tell them to go look it up, because chances are they wont, or they don't want to hear computer facts. It's not believable to them if they look it up on Google. 

Fixing the Effect on Stereotypes

My solution. Correct them in the moment. Say respectfully, "Hey, not everyone from Idaho is a farmer. While I did live by a cow farm my entire life, I lived in a 4 bed room house in a subdivision."

See simple education irradiated ignorance. Not yelling in people's faces, or cussing them out for being stupid, or telling them to go educate themselves. 

Stereotypes are always going to be around. Ignorance will always be a problem. Don't let either drag you down. Don't let's someone else's belief ruin your life. Don't let ignorance go untreated. Respectfully educate. I stress the Respect because you don't want other's to be yelling and forcing their beliefs on you, so don't be yelling and forcing your's on other. Just simply state facts. You cannot change other people. You can influence them to make a change in themselves but you cannot change them. They have to make that choice on their own and people are more willing to listen to those who treat them with respect than those who get into other's face. 

From personal experience, I would rather listen to people like Comedian Katarina Vrana or Youtuber iisuperwomanii. They are funny, they tell the truth, and they don't yell at other people to believe in something. They can become passionate, but they don't yell at other people. They are kind and honest. If the world was kind, respectful and honest, less problems would happen in society.   

Respect: Part 1

Respect

Part 1 November 30, 2016

Let's talk about respect.  

What does the internet have to say about it. Here is the definition:

1. a feeling of deep admiration for someone or something elicited by their abilities, qualities, or achievements

• the state of being admired or respected.
• due regard for the feelings, wishes, rights, or traditions of others
• a person's polite greetings

So here we see the few ways respect can be shown. I can be admiring someone who you think is successful, talented, trust worthy, etc. Or it can be just saying thank you to the person who holds the door open for you. Those are not huge problems society faces today. People can easily get over the fact that someone didn't hold the door open for them, or even when someone doesn't say thank you when you hold the door open for them. Those are personal issues that can easily be fixed or just plain ignored. No big deal. But, if you are on Facebook, Twitter, youtube, or you watch shows like The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, you know that there is a huge lack of respect "due regards for the feelings, wishes, rights or traditions of others." 

Before you go all SJW or BLM on me, it's not just about race, sex, or sexual orientation. Here is an example of one I say today that has nothing to do with any of those. 

This bumper sticker was on the back of a truck that was next to me at a stop light. What it is saying is that if someone is republican, or supports the republican party, then they were raised right. It doesn't blatantly state it, like other things I will talk about, but because its saying that republicans (and their supporters) were raised right, it is blatantly implying that if you are not (mainly democratic) that you were not raised right. 

What is the real issue here? Is it the implied hate of democrats? The pride of a republican? 

No. 

The problem is lack of respect. 

Now, I am a very understanding and empathetic person so I naturally give people the benefit of the doubt. I find this a joy and an issue in watching movies. While other movie goers notice the common fill styles and skills used to foreshadow events or reveals, I miss them. I want the the filmmakers and writers to give me a brand new story that blows my socks off. So while my brain picks up on the foreshadowed death of a character, I ignore it because I want either the character to live or for the filmmakers to give me a new twist, new story.  

So looking at this sticker, I can see how to a proud republican can see that and thinks its funny and take it as a good slapstick verbal joke. Whether that is the case or not, here is the issue. They didn't take into consideration the full meaning and effect the sticker has. Those are are proud democrats will take offense to that sticker believing it is aimed towards them. But it's not just aimed towards them. There are other political parties out their. There are people who even claim to not belong to any political party or want no part in politics. Their are even people from other countries who are part of their own political party or their government does have any parties at all. So this sticker says that those who are not republican (democrat or not) were not raised right. 

Here is the other issue. There are people who are or were part of the Republican party that most will argue were not raised right. President Richard Nixon is a president who is widely hates, distrusted, (insert what ever word you wish to use). Overall he is someone who we are not proud to have once had as president. 

But, what does that even mean. Raised right. What is right? 

That is all a matter of opinion. And in my opinion it is someone who, because of how they were raised, is an overall good human being (key word overall because everyone makes mistakes and has their own personality flaws). Now this could mean that they had a wonderful childhood and their parents taught them right from wrong, etc. or it could mean that they had an awful childhood and abusive parents and they learned to be strong willed and to treat other kindly because they understand how it feels not to be treated that way.      

Am I saying that that person doesn't have the right to show pride in their political party or speak their opinions. No. What I am merely doing is pointing out a flaw that others can fix in their own lives. You have the right to be proud of whoever you are and what you believe in. But you must show respect. How? 

Well, instead of saying that you were raised right because you are a republican (thus implying those who aren't were not raised right), try just simply stating that you are a republican. If you support our current President Elect, then have a sticker simply saying Trump. Those are not (and should not) be taken offensively. They are not putting themselves above others, they are not saying that the person you voted for is the devil and should be burned at the stake. They are simple statements of pride or support. 

People today get so upset by simple things that they can easily ignore. I could get mad at the person driving in front of me because they have a bumper sticker that says they support the opposing candidate that I am voting for. This only waste time. I could be thinking about more important things: what do I need to get from the store to make my family dinner, did I do all my homework, what am I going to do for my sales pitch for my boss that is due tomorrow. 

People can think whatever they want about anything. But, to adapt a quote my J.K Rowling "It is not our abilities (or opinions/thoughts) that show who we truly are. It is our choices." 

Now, I could not agree with my neighbor dressing her daughter up in pink clothes all the time because I do not believe in gender stereotyping. That is my right to believe in that and think that. But it is not my right to go insulting my neighbor, yelling at her to put her daughter in gender neutral clothes, call her a many number of offensive words. That is rude, inconsiderate, and disrespectful. I could either be a good neighbor because I don't agree with her but still respect her as a mother and a human being saying "so what that she believes that, I thinks it's wrong but I am not controlling my neighbor's life." Or I could be an awful neighbor my cussing at her, slamming the door in her face, vandalizing her property, etc just because we don't agree on something. 

I am not saying that we should all be the same by believe in the same religious values, cultural values, whatever. What I am saying is that we should all be decent human beings by showing respect to what other's believe. 

Treat people kindly. This applies to everyone, not just political stance, racism beliefs and sexual orientation, religion, what ever other huge issues that are going on today.  Just because they think that gay marriage is wrong/right or because their ancestor treated your ancestor poorly (or stole a pig... Hatfields and McCoys anyone?) doesn't mean they don't have feelings or any similarities at all to yourself. Just accept that they have a different opinion than you and move on, or you will forever stand holding a door waiting for that person to turn around and come say a simple thank you. Its a waste of energy and time and utterly futile.

*This is titled in parts because I believe that more issues will come up for me to talk about respect again. 

Please don't judge my message on my beliefs. Any I have stated to be an example such as the gender stereotypes is completely hypothetical. I am not saying whether that is my own belief or not, I am simply stating that my only belief/opinion that matters here is about respect, not my political, social, or religious stance.

Please do not be offended and miss my ultimate message. Thank you.