So I have been slowly realizing lately that I have not been living my life. I mean I am living and doing things but I am NOT by any means living my life to the fullest. I see other people around me taking advantage of the fact that they can do pretty much anything they want to because they don;t have to worry about anything except classes and grades. Lots of my friends do tons of things on a whim and have wild, fun adventures. While they are living their lives to the fullest, I'm sitting in my dorm room watching TV and playing MyTown on facebook. I am not taking full advantage of being free of "adult" responsibilities. My brother once told me that college is a blink and to take full advantage of it while you can...I have epically failed doing so.
Next year, my junior year of college, I vow to try to get out more and try to get involved on campus. I need to get out there and experience as many different things as I can before *poof* its over. If anyone has any suggestions as to what I can or should do to live my life to the fullest while Im still in college please don't hesitate to let me know!
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Where has all the Self Control Gone?!?!
While laying in bed trying to fall asleep a thought hit me...how has it become the socially unacceptable thing to wait to be married to have sex and how sad it is that a lot of people feel that way about waiting to have sex and abstinence in general? i just want to tell the ladies to cover their cooches and cross their legs and guys to keep their hands and pee-pee's to themselves. lets practice some self control. its not that hard. i promise.
While my wording toward the end of the previous paragraph is, for some, a bit on the crude side for a friendly neighborhood blog, it fully describes my feelings about what i have seen around me. People these days give into their humanly wants and desires all to often and in all aspects of their lives. How often do we pig out and eat until we feel like we are going to pop like a tick? How often do we buy that shirt even when we know we have 7 shirts like it at home that we dont even wear? How often do we lash out at people for making us angry? If we just had a little bit of self control we could keep all of these things in check. But, we are taught to "do what makes us feel good" and "If it feels good, do it."
Im sorry to burst your bubble, and mine too, but as humans, we were made to obey the rules about self control...I think we all know the Bible story of Adam and Eve..'nough said. Unfortunately, like Adam and Eve, we have fallen victim to lack of self control. God wants us to have self control though. Sometimes Im not exactly sure why or how it will benefit us but trust me, if you live without self control I bet ya that you will an unsatisfying life.
From my observations of the college student, much of their "drama" comes from a lack of self control. For instance, a lack in controlling how much one drinks at a party results in doing things one cant remember doing and sometimes even "man" or "woman" stealing. (for those of you who arent aware of what that is let me let you in on the lingo...its when someone gets drunk and makes out with someone else's boyfriend/girlfriend who, most likely, is also drunk) You can end up making a lot of enemies and drama that could have been avoided if you had only 3 drinks instead of 8. Another area in which some college students lack self control is lust. I think its a little bit ridiculous when from your dorm room you can hear a girl say "i got my period!" and all of her friends reply with "YAY!" If the girl had just kept her lust in check and used a little self control she wouldnt have to go through the stress, anxiety and drama of possibly being pregnant. How many times to people regret drinking that much and regret sleeping with so and so? Im afraid it happens all to often.
Now you might be wondering why i am practically lecturing you on self control if i myself have issues with self control sometimes. The thing is i am aware that i need to keep myself in check. I know that i cant always do what i want. i have boundaries for myself about how far i "go" with my boyfriend and if i drink, how much i drink. With a little bit of self control i get to live a regretless and dramaless life. Thats not something many people can say. even though at the time when you are lacking self control and you think you are having fun and "living life," most of the time you end up with a big mess on your hands and you wish you could go back and redo things.
Personally, i would rather practice self control now instead of regretting my past. If that isnt enough for you to rethink how much self control you practice, i dont know what else i can say to change your mind. But then again, im not writing this to change your mind. im writing this to make you think a little. this might be a little cliche and something that your parents might have told you but "think before you act." take a second to control yourself in every situation that will, more than likely, end up in hurt and regret if you dont take that second to stop and think.
And yes, you can have fun, laugh, and live a full life while practicing self control. im a good example of it. and yes, i do have my slip ups. heck! i'm a human, too :)
While my wording toward the end of the previous paragraph is, for some, a bit on the crude side for a friendly neighborhood blog, it fully describes my feelings about what i have seen around me. People these days give into their humanly wants and desires all to often and in all aspects of their lives. How often do we pig out and eat until we feel like we are going to pop like a tick? How often do we buy that shirt even when we know we have 7 shirts like it at home that we dont even wear? How often do we lash out at people for making us angry? If we just had a little bit of self control we could keep all of these things in check. But, we are taught to "do what makes us feel good" and "If it feels good, do it."
Im sorry to burst your bubble, and mine too, but as humans, we were made to obey the rules about self control...I think we all know the Bible story of Adam and Eve..'nough said. Unfortunately, like Adam and Eve, we have fallen victim to lack of self control. God wants us to have self control though. Sometimes Im not exactly sure why or how it will benefit us but trust me, if you live without self control I bet ya that you will an unsatisfying life.
From my observations of the college student, much of their "drama" comes from a lack of self control. For instance, a lack in controlling how much one drinks at a party results in doing things one cant remember doing and sometimes even "man" or "woman" stealing. (for those of you who arent aware of what that is let me let you in on the lingo...its when someone gets drunk and makes out with someone else's boyfriend/girlfriend who, most likely, is also drunk) You can end up making a lot of enemies and drama that could have been avoided if you had only 3 drinks instead of 8. Another area in which some college students lack self control is lust. I think its a little bit ridiculous when from your dorm room you can hear a girl say "i got my period!" and all of her friends reply with "YAY!" If the girl had just kept her lust in check and used a little self control she wouldnt have to go through the stress, anxiety and drama of possibly being pregnant. How many times to people regret drinking that much and regret sleeping with so and so? Im afraid it happens all to often.
Now you might be wondering why i am practically lecturing you on self control if i myself have issues with self control sometimes. The thing is i am aware that i need to keep myself in check. I know that i cant always do what i want. i have boundaries for myself about how far i "go" with my boyfriend and if i drink, how much i drink. With a little bit of self control i get to live a regretless and dramaless life. Thats not something many people can say. even though at the time when you are lacking self control and you think you are having fun and "living life," most of the time you end up with a big mess on your hands and you wish you could go back and redo things.
Personally, i would rather practice self control now instead of regretting my past. If that isnt enough for you to rethink how much self control you practice, i dont know what else i can say to change your mind. But then again, im not writing this to change your mind. im writing this to make you think a little. this might be a little cliche and something that your parents might have told you but "think before you act." take a second to control yourself in every situation that will, more than likely, end up in hurt and regret if you dont take that second to stop and think.
And yes, you can have fun, laugh, and live a full life while practicing self control. im a good example of it. and yes, i do have my slip ups. heck! i'm a human, too :)
Monday, February 8, 2010
Make-over!
If you are a regular "viewer" of my blog, which im sure there arent many of, then you can tell that I have given my layout a make-over.
Make-0vers are typically though of as being a physical thing. When Tyra takes in new "top models" she gives them a hair and makeup make-over. She takes their tired, old, frumpy look and gives them a fresh, new look.
Make-overs, however, arent purely physical. I myself have been trying not only to make-over my outsides but my insides as well.
For the past month and a half at 630 a.m. you can find me at the gym workin' on my fitness. This is the outside part of my personal make-over. I have been working on losing the weight that I had gained from being lazy over the summer and last semester. I also chose to make-over my outsides to feel better on the inside. Before I started to work out on a daily basis I was a lazy fool watchin' tons of junk TV and doing nothing productive. Since I have been going to the gym, I find myself being more apt to doing my homework on time and sometimes even ahead of time. It wakes me up for the day and i am a happier person. Working out has also changed my thoughts about working out. Before I couldnt stand the thought of getting up at 630 am to go hurt and sweat, now I cant wait to do it! I actually look forward to making myself healthy on the outside. Its become a part of my daily routine that I couldnt live without. Eating healthy has also become part of my daily routine. Instead of going for the fries and cookies at dinner I head for the salad bar. Of course I cant go a week without eating some sort of fatty food, I am a human after all but I tend to keep those kinds of foods at a minimum. but dang they are soooo yummy!
(Now, I understand that working out isnt for everyone and people love their fast food so dont think that this is a post about going out and supporting your local gym. I could care less about that. But I do think its important to take care of your body and to feel good about yourself. (this is also not a post on self-esteem, either))
Conclusion
Make-0vers are typically though of as being a physical thing. When Tyra takes in new "top models" she gives them a hair and makeup make-over. She takes their tired, old, frumpy look and gives them a fresh, new look.
Make-overs, however, arent purely physical. I myself have been trying not only to make-over my outsides but my insides as well.
Outsides
(Now, I understand that working out isnt for everyone and people love their fast food so dont think that this is a post about going out and supporting your local gym. I could care less about that. But I do think its important to take care of your body and to feel good about yourself. (this is also not a post on self-esteem, either))
Insides
The other half of my make-over had been on the inside of my body. Now I'm not talking about having big muscles or healthy organs, the insides that I'm refering to is my soul. (Now i have been a little lax on this part lately as the new semester has begun but Im hoping to get back on track with it ASAP) Earlier, when I talked about being lazy not only did I mean that I had become a couch tater but I also meant that I had become lazy with my faith. Honestly, I have been lacking in the faith department for a few years now. Its only been jsut recently that I have mounted back on the horse again (I was never really off the horse, I love me my Jesus,but my body was just half on half off). A part of what got me back on the horse was my "college church's" new preacher. Dont get me wrong, their old preacher was really nice and O.K. but the new one. WOW. I have never seen a man cry while talking about Jesus' crucifixion (sp?). Every Sunday he delivers a message that touches right on to what has been bugging me all week. Its like he writes the sermons with my life in mind. I actually take notes on the important things he says.
I also have changed my lifestyle. I have tried to listen to a little more David Crowder and less Dave Matthews. I have tried to limit myself to what I watch 0n TV. Instead of the Jersey Shore, I watch iCarly. Taking those things out of my life has had an impact. I dont curse as much and I am more likely to be kind to people. It just goes to show that you are what you watch.
Conclusion
Yeah, physical make-overs are fun and make you feel prettier than before, but a soul make-over changes your whole lifestyle. It changes what you do and how you view the world. But most importanly it changes how you relate to God (I know I didnt really touch on this earlier, it just came to me). By changing your soul you open it up to God. You make it able for Him to come in and change it they way He wants it. Which, I have to keep reminding myself, is the way it should be.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Boyfriends
BOYFRIENDS....what is the definition of a boyfriend?
According to Dictionary.com a boyfriend is a frequent or favorite male companion; beau.
That definition, in my opinion, is lacking some key things. To me a boyfriend is a guy who is your best friend and who gives you butterflies in your tummy when you are with him. He is a guy that you aren't afraid to be yourself in front of. He isn't easily scared off just because you get a little crazy around "that time of the month," if you don't shave for awhile he could care less, if you enjoy sporting sweatpants and an old shirt he still thinks you are beautiful.
In my 19.75 years of life I have learned that girl should never change themselves just for a boy nor should they hide who they really are while they are with him. What is the point of spending weeks, months and even years with a guy who you can't fart in front of? Who only sees your good qualities? Who has the "edited" version of yourself?
As a younger teenage girl I never understood why none of the boys at school ever liked me. I never got asked out, never had a real date to a dance, never had a boyfriend. I would cry to my mom about it. I just didn't understand what was wrong with me. It wasn't until I came to college that I realized that having a boyfriend or having boys like me doesn't matter and that there really wasn't anything wrong with me. What matters is that I stay true to myself. If the guys don't like the real me then tough cookies. Why should I spend time trying to get a guy to like me? I could be doing much better things with that time. I shouldn't even have to be trying to get guys to like me. If the real me isn't good enough for them, then they aren't worth spending time and energy on.
After Fall Break of my freshman year of college I met Michael. At first he seemed like every other guy but for some reason I gave him a chance. I let myself get to know him and him to know me. Lets just say that I was not disappointed in the time spent with him.
Today is our 1 year anniversary. I have spent 365 days in an official relationship with him. I have stayed 100% myself around him since day 1 of those 365 days. There isn't one day that I can think of that I haven't stayed true to myself. The amazing thing is that he hasn't run away :) I haven't scared him off with my wild and loud tendencies. I can fart, burp, talk about poop, cry, scream, not shave for 5 weeks, not shower for 3 days and he still loves me the same, if not more. Sometimes he even gets sad when I shave my armpits and legs because he likes to pet the soft hair (a little creepy I know). I never thought that I would ever find a guy that would get upset that I had shaved my armpits. Prior to meeting Michael I always thought that guys were freaked out by hairy women. Not my Michael :)
Michael and I have very similar beliefs but we grew up very differently. This, I think, is how we get along so well. We agree on the important things like abortion, religion, divorce, premarital sex (or lack thereof) and the importance of family and hard work. But, we had very different experiences growing up. The different experiences makes us just different enough not to get tired of each other. Its the perfect balance.
We have also seemed to manage to have great communication. In my boyfriendless high school years I was able to see my friends relationships and learn what works and what doesn't work. This has helped me in my current relationship. I have been able to avoid doing the things that don't work and focus on doing healthy relationship things. Not blowing up at the little things, not jumping to conclusions, not getting jealous, respecting him and his beliefs, pretty much being a mature, dramaless person.
After these past 365 days I can definitely stand by the saying "everything happens for a reason." If I had dated in high school I wouldn't have been able to watch my friends and learn from their relationships. I would most likely have had pointless relationships with guys who I had to try to impress. I wouldn't be the girl I am today. I also wouldn't have met Michael, a guy who I don't have to try to be anything I'm not for.
So next time you have a "crush" on a guy make sure its on a guy who is worth your time (the same goes for the men too! Make sure the girl is worth it). Don't spend your time and energy on someone who won't appreciate or accept the real you. Don't compromise yourself for a man/woman. Don't give up who you are.
According to Dictionary.com a boyfriend is a frequent or favorite male companion; beau.
That definition, in my opinion, is lacking some key things. To me a boyfriend is a guy who is your best friend and who gives you butterflies in your tummy when you are with him. He is a guy that you aren't afraid to be yourself in front of. He isn't easily scared off just because you get a little crazy around "that time of the month," if you don't shave for awhile he could care less, if you enjoy sporting sweatpants and an old shirt he still thinks you are beautiful.
In my 19.75 years of life I have learned that girl should never change themselves just for a boy nor should they hide who they really are while they are with him. What is the point of spending weeks, months and even years with a guy who you can't fart in front of? Who only sees your good qualities? Who has the "edited" version of yourself?
As a younger teenage girl I never understood why none of the boys at school ever liked me. I never got asked out, never had a real date to a dance, never had a boyfriend. I would cry to my mom about it. I just didn't understand what was wrong with me. It wasn't until I came to college that I realized that having a boyfriend or having boys like me doesn't matter and that there really wasn't anything wrong with me. What matters is that I stay true to myself. If the guys don't like the real me then tough cookies. Why should I spend time trying to get a guy to like me? I could be doing much better things with that time. I shouldn't even have to be trying to get guys to like me. If the real me isn't good enough for them, then they aren't worth spending time and energy on.
After Fall Break of my freshman year of college I met Michael. At first he seemed like every other guy but for some reason I gave him a chance. I let myself get to know him and him to know me. Lets just say that I was not disappointed in the time spent with him.
Today is our 1 year anniversary. I have spent 365 days in an official relationship with him. I have stayed 100% myself around him since day 1 of those 365 days. There isn't one day that I can think of that I haven't stayed true to myself. The amazing thing is that he hasn't run away :) I haven't scared him off with my wild and loud tendencies. I can fart, burp, talk about poop, cry, scream, not shave for 5 weeks, not shower for 3 days and he still loves me the same, if not more. Sometimes he even gets sad when I shave my armpits and legs because he likes to pet the soft hair (a little creepy I know). I never thought that I would ever find a guy that would get upset that I had shaved my armpits. Prior to meeting Michael I always thought that guys were freaked out by hairy women. Not my Michael :)
Michael and I have very similar beliefs but we grew up very differently. This, I think, is how we get along so well. We agree on the important things like abortion, religion, divorce, premarital sex (or lack thereof) and the importance of family and hard work. But, we had very different experiences growing up. The different experiences makes us just different enough not to get tired of each other. Its the perfect balance.
We have also seemed to manage to have great communication. In my boyfriendless high school years I was able to see my friends relationships and learn what works and what doesn't work. This has helped me in my current relationship. I have been able to avoid doing the things that don't work and focus on doing healthy relationship things. Not blowing up at the little things, not jumping to conclusions, not getting jealous, respecting him and his beliefs, pretty much being a mature, dramaless person.
After these past 365 days I can definitely stand by the saying "everything happens for a reason." If I had dated in high school I wouldn't have been able to watch my friends and learn from their relationships. I would most likely have had pointless relationships with guys who I had to try to impress. I wouldn't be the girl I am today. I also wouldn't have met Michael, a guy who I don't have to try to be anything I'm not for.
So next time you have a "crush" on a guy make sure its on a guy who is worth your time (the same goes for the men too! Make sure the girl is worth it). Don't spend your time and energy on someone who won't appreciate or accept the real you. Don't compromise yourself for a man/woman. Don't give up who you are.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
A Movie Changed My Life.
I recently watched the movie "Taken."
WOW.
It wasn't the action and the twists and turns in the plot that had my nerves shaken. No. What got my attention was that they showed the very disturbing world of women trafficking.
I have always known in the back of my mind that women were being sold to be prostitutes but I don't think it ever hit me how truly ugly and disgusting it is. In the movie the main characters daughter flies, with her friend, to Europe to follow the U2 tour. They had met a man who shared a cab with them to where they were staying. The man they had met was secretly a scout for a women trafficking business that finds young tourist women, kidnaps them, addicts them to drugs, and make them prostitutes.
It may not sound too gross when its put into Lehman's terms but later in the movie you get a view on how disgusting it really is. The scene that hit me the hardest was when the main character is searching for his daughter. He finds clues of her whereabouts that lead him to construction site. He sees a line of workers getting numbers. He himself gets a number and is taken into a warehouse-looking room. In that room are blankets hung up to make smaller rooms. Above the opening to the blanket rooms are a number. In each of the rooms are a bed and a woman. The number the main character had gotten matched the number of one of the rooms that held a women he was supposed to have sex with. The woman was sweating, battered and exhausted from being forced to have sex with whichever man came to her room.
After seeing this movie I decided to do some searching about it. What I found out shocked me. These women, who are sold into women trafficking, are forced to have sex at least 15 times a day. They are expected to make a certain amount of money each month for their "owners." Whats even more shocking is that the women trafficking market made 3.2 BILLION dollars last year.
I cannot wrap my head around that stat. Its bad enough that these women are being bought and sold like cattle and are forced to have sex. It takes it to a whole new level to know that people are supporting this atrocity. They are supporting it 3.2 BILLION dollars worth. That is 3.2 BILLION dollars selling sex, something that is supposed to be shared between a man and his wife.
I was naive to think that this atrocity was only happening in places where prostitution was legal. I was very wrong. Women trafficking is happening right here in our own country. Yup thats right, America.
Women from other countries are led to think that they are coming to America to be nanny's and other related jobs. Little do they know they are going to be sold for sex. This is a long, but informative, excerpt from a research study done on the sex business in America by the Coalition Against Trafficking in Women:
Sex businesses in the five regions we investigated are prolific and diverse. Each region had
elements of operation that were both similar and unique. Sex businesses thrive in all areas - urban, suburban and rural, as well as in areas surrounding U.S. military bases. Internationally trafficked women are reported to be present in all of these diverse areas.
Some sex enterprises operate legally or are incorporated as legal. Others operate behind legal
front businesses, such as restaurants or nail salons. Yet others are makeshift ventures, operating out of mobile trailers or warehouses that are converted into brothels. Many sex entrepreneurs are constantly changing not only the location, but also the venues and ways of operating the businesses.
Sex businesses are advertised in a variety of ways including in print media such as mainstream English language newspapers and periodicals, non-English community newspapers and periodicals,pornographic magazines, sex guides, the Yellow Pages, and billboards. The industry is further advertised through electronic media such as television advertisements and on the internet, mobile advertising such as through billboards on trucks and in informal ways using business cards, flyers,matchbooks and word of mouth.
In the Northeast reported sex businesses include street prostitution, escort services, massage
parlors, health clubs, brothels in hotels, rented houses and apartments and legitimate front businesses.In Metro New York, reported sex businesses include street prostitution, strip clubs, go-go bars, peep or fantasy booth shows, massage parlors, after-hours clubs, private apartments, hotels, escort services and makeshift operations in beauty parlors, restaurants and warehouses. The Northern Midwest has high street prostitution activity, saunas, health clubs, strip clubs, escort services, "chicken shacks"(dwellings used for quick prostitution transactions) and brothels in migrant farm worker camps.
Metro San Francisco's sex industry includes street prostitution, strip clubs, bars, adult entertainment
theatres, pornography emporiums, massage parlors, escort services, private residences and rent-bythe-hour hotels. Sex businesses reported in the Southeast include massage parlors and brothels in urban and suburban areas as well as makeshift brothels in gambling halls, houses and trailers in isolated and rural farm worker camps.
U.S. military bases, especially in the South replicate the sexual rest and recreation (R&R) areas that proliferate near military bases abroad. This infrastructure of sex clubs, brothels and massage parlors has been recreated here, with inordinate numbers of Asian women especially trafficked and exploited in the sex industries surrounding the bases.
Controllers and operators of the sex industry vary. Some sex businesses are family owned and
others may be owned or backed by prominent local community members, including judges and
lawyers. Others are controlled or financed by organized crime groups. The majority of law
enforcement agents reported that 76-100 percent of the sex enterprises in the Northeast, Metro New York, the Southeast, and Metro San Francisco are controlled, financed, or backed by organized crime groups. In some cases, trafficking rings supply women to sex establishments.
When I thought that the selling of women for sex without their consent was only a thing in places like Amsterdam and Europe I had clearly been in doubt. This atrocity is happening in our own backyard. People know about it but aren't taking action against it. They are not setting these women free. To me, this shows how corrupt our world has become. The sex business owners are taking pride in forcing women to give up the precious gift that God gave them. They are being abused in every imaginable and conceivable way. Men who are buying these women for their pleasure are supporting women trafficking. Because of them the sex businesses are making huge profits and are thriving.
This is one of the reasons that I am ashamed to be a human being. Not only that but I myself, as a woman, am afraid to be alone and do things independently. I have to be aware of the constant threat of being sexually taken advantage of either by being sold into the sex trade or by being raped. This is not how the world was meant to be. No one should ever have to be afraid of walking down the street or traveling alone. They should not be afraid of living their lives to the fullest in fear of being attacked.
Not only has the movie "Taken" made me very aware of the atrocity of women trafficking, it has made me very very very appreciative of the life that I have been given. I am a free woman, not forced to do anything I am not comfortable with. I am not forced to give my body to strange men in a different country. I am able to protect my virginity. This movie has enforced my belief of only having sex after I am married. The thing that gets me is that I don't think that the director and writers of "Taken" are even aware what an impact their movie has made in my life and perhaps the lives of others.
WOW.
It wasn't the action and the twists and turns in the plot that had my nerves shaken. No. What got my attention was that they showed the very disturbing world of women trafficking.
I have always known in the back of my mind that women were being sold to be prostitutes but I don't think it ever hit me how truly ugly and disgusting it is. In the movie the main characters daughter flies, with her friend, to Europe to follow the U2 tour. They had met a man who shared a cab with them to where they were staying. The man they had met was secretly a scout for a women trafficking business that finds young tourist women, kidnaps them, addicts them to drugs, and make them prostitutes.
It may not sound too gross when its put into Lehman's terms but later in the movie you get a view on how disgusting it really is. The scene that hit me the hardest was when the main character is searching for his daughter. He finds clues of her whereabouts that lead him to construction site. He sees a line of workers getting numbers. He himself gets a number and is taken into a warehouse-looking room. In that room are blankets hung up to make smaller rooms. Above the opening to the blanket rooms are a number. In each of the rooms are a bed and a woman. The number the main character had gotten matched the number of one of the rooms that held a women he was supposed to have sex with. The woman was sweating, battered and exhausted from being forced to have sex with whichever man came to her room.
After seeing this movie I decided to do some searching about it. What I found out shocked me. These women, who are sold into women trafficking, are forced to have sex at least 15 times a day. They are expected to make a certain amount of money each month for their "owners." Whats even more shocking is that the women trafficking market made 3.2 BILLION dollars last year.
I cannot wrap my head around that stat. Its bad enough that these women are being bought and sold like cattle and are forced to have sex. It takes it to a whole new level to know that people are supporting this atrocity. They are supporting it 3.2 BILLION dollars worth. That is 3.2 BILLION dollars selling sex, something that is supposed to be shared between a man and his wife.
I was naive to think that this atrocity was only happening in places where prostitution was legal. I was very wrong. Women trafficking is happening right here in our own country. Yup thats right, America.
Women from other countries are led to think that they are coming to America to be nanny's and other related jobs. Little do they know they are going to be sold for sex. This is a long, but informative, excerpt from a research study done on the sex business in America by the Coalition Against Trafficking in Women:
Sex businesses in the five regions we investigated are prolific and diverse. Each region had
elements of operation that were both similar and unique. Sex businesses thrive in all areas - urban, suburban and rural, as well as in areas surrounding U.S. military bases. Internationally trafficked women are reported to be present in all of these diverse areas.
Some sex enterprises operate legally or are incorporated as legal. Others operate behind legal
front businesses, such as restaurants or nail salons. Yet others are makeshift ventures, operating out of mobile trailers or warehouses that are converted into brothels. Many sex entrepreneurs are constantly changing not only the location, but also the venues and ways of operating the businesses.
Sex businesses are advertised in a variety of ways including in print media such as mainstream English language newspapers and periodicals, non-English community newspapers and periodicals,pornographic magazines, sex guides, the Yellow Pages, and billboards. The industry is further advertised through electronic media such as television advertisements and on the internet, mobile advertising such as through billboards on trucks and in informal ways using business cards, flyers,matchbooks and word of mouth.
In the Northeast reported sex businesses include street prostitution, escort services, massage
parlors, health clubs, brothels in hotels, rented houses and apartments and legitimate front businesses.In Metro New York, reported sex businesses include street prostitution, strip clubs, go-go bars, peep or fantasy booth shows, massage parlors, after-hours clubs, private apartments, hotels, escort services and makeshift operations in beauty parlors, restaurants and warehouses. The Northern Midwest has high street prostitution activity, saunas, health clubs, strip clubs, escort services, "chicken shacks"(dwellings used for quick prostitution transactions) and brothels in migrant farm worker camps.
Metro San Francisco's sex industry includes street prostitution, strip clubs, bars, adult entertainment
theatres, pornography emporiums, massage parlors, escort services, private residences and rent-bythe-hour hotels. Sex businesses reported in the Southeast include massage parlors and brothels in urban and suburban areas as well as makeshift brothels in gambling halls, houses and trailers in isolated and rural farm worker camps.
U.S. military bases, especially in the South replicate the sexual rest and recreation (R&R) areas that proliferate near military bases abroad. This infrastructure of sex clubs, brothels and massage parlors has been recreated here, with inordinate numbers of Asian women especially trafficked and exploited in the sex industries surrounding the bases.
Controllers and operators of the sex industry vary. Some sex businesses are family owned and
others may be owned or backed by prominent local community members, including judges and
lawyers. Others are controlled or financed by organized crime groups. The majority of law
enforcement agents reported that 76-100 percent of the sex enterprises in the Northeast, Metro New York, the Southeast, and Metro San Francisco are controlled, financed, or backed by organized crime groups. In some cases, trafficking rings supply women to sex establishments.
When I thought that the selling of women for sex without their consent was only a thing in places like Amsterdam and Europe I had clearly been in doubt. This atrocity is happening in our own backyard. People know about it but aren't taking action against it. They are not setting these women free. To me, this shows how corrupt our world has become. The sex business owners are taking pride in forcing women to give up the precious gift that God gave them. They are being abused in every imaginable and conceivable way. Men who are buying these women for their pleasure are supporting women trafficking. Because of them the sex businesses are making huge profits and are thriving.
This is one of the reasons that I am ashamed to be a human being. Not only that but I myself, as a woman, am afraid to be alone and do things independently. I have to be aware of the constant threat of being sexually taken advantage of either by being sold into the sex trade or by being raped. This is not how the world was meant to be. No one should ever have to be afraid of walking down the street or traveling alone. They should not be afraid of living their lives to the fullest in fear of being attacked.
Not only has the movie "Taken" made me very aware of the atrocity of women trafficking, it has made me very very very appreciative of the life that I have been given. I am a free woman, not forced to do anything I am not comfortable with. I am not forced to give my body to strange men in a different country. I am able to protect my virginity. This movie has enforced my belief of only having sex after I am married. The thing that gets me is that I don't think that the director and writers of "Taken" are even aware what an impact their movie has made in my life and perhaps the lives of others.
Friday, March 27, 2009
A Wild Child?
what type of person do you imagine when you hear the term "wild child?" could it possibly be someone who is a rebel, smokes, drinks, and basically raises hell? well, thats what i used to think of when i heard that term. but i have grown to learn that a wild child isn't necessarily a negative term.
i would consider myself to be a wild child and i do none of the aforementioned things. my breed of wild child is the kind who doesn't give a poo what other people think of them. they aren't afraid to be their wild, crazy, enthusiastic selves wherever and whenever. they don't gray out their personalities just because they are afraid of being judged.
coming to college has taught me that i shouldn't be concerned with what others think of me. their opinions won't matter in the grand scheme of things anyway. they aren't the people that will be the ultimate judge of my character. so while i'm here on earth why not be who i am?
i have gotten many sideways glances from people on campus because of what i do. i laugh, sing, walk crazy, and do bizarre things. i have formed the habit of mooning my friends. they have become accustomed to seeing my white butt. while to them its simply betty just being betty, to people not in my circle of friends its a person being socially awkward. this has also happened at meal times. they play music in the KCC and my friends and i found ourselves singing to the tunes. it was a friday night at 6 o'clock. we weren't being too terribly loud but the guy behind us told us to "turn it down a few notches." we couldn't get over what he had said. true, we can get a little loud but in this instance we were simply being happy people enjoying our dinner and the music that was being played. this isn't the only instance of this happening.
later that day and the weeks after i found myself wondering why people hold back in public? why can't they just break down all of those barriers and be their true selves? we are supposed to blend in and not draw attention to ourselves. only in the confines of our secret lives are we allowed to be ourselves.
i think that a big part of this belief comes from the norms of our society. if you don't fit into the norms then you are a "freak." society wants us to fit into a mold where everyone acts and dresses alike and no one stands out. true, there are some magazines that tell us to create, for example, our own sense of fashion style but they always have rules to go along with it. they try to give us pointers on how to make our style unique. but if everyone follows those rules and tips it turns a unique style into the norm.
i find myself falling for some of the norms but i try to be myself 100% of the time. i want to show others who i truly am. i don't want to have a split personality. i don't want to have to be someone who i'm not in public. if that means that people think im weird or a freak then so be it. i'm not going to change who i am just so i can "fit in."
so when people look at me they might not think that i am a wild child. they simply thrust a disgusted look my way. but to me all of the crazy things i do make me happy. they make me who i am and i won't let society take that away from me.
i would consider myself to be a wild child and i do none of the aforementioned things. my breed of wild child is the kind who doesn't give a poo what other people think of them. they aren't afraid to be their wild, crazy, enthusiastic selves wherever and whenever. they don't gray out their personalities just because they are afraid of being judged.
coming to college has taught me that i shouldn't be concerned with what others think of me. their opinions won't matter in the grand scheme of things anyway. they aren't the people that will be the ultimate judge of my character. so while i'm here on earth why not be who i am?
i have gotten many sideways glances from people on campus because of what i do. i laugh, sing, walk crazy, and do bizarre things. i have formed the habit of mooning my friends. they have become accustomed to seeing my white butt. while to them its simply betty just being betty, to people not in my circle of friends its a person being socially awkward. this has also happened at meal times. they play music in the KCC and my friends and i found ourselves singing to the tunes. it was a friday night at 6 o'clock. we weren't being too terribly loud but the guy behind us told us to "turn it down a few notches." we couldn't get over what he had said. true, we can get a little loud but in this instance we were simply being happy people enjoying our dinner and the music that was being played. this isn't the only instance of this happening.
later that day and the weeks after i found myself wondering why people hold back in public? why can't they just break down all of those barriers and be their true selves? we are supposed to blend in and not draw attention to ourselves. only in the confines of our secret lives are we allowed to be ourselves.
i think that a big part of this belief comes from the norms of our society. if you don't fit into the norms then you are a "freak." society wants us to fit into a mold where everyone acts and dresses alike and no one stands out. true, there are some magazines that tell us to create, for example, our own sense of fashion style but they always have rules to go along with it. they try to give us pointers on how to make our style unique. but if everyone follows those rules and tips it turns a unique style into the norm.
i find myself falling for some of the norms but i try to be myself 100% of the time. i want to show others who i truly am. i don't want to have a split personality. i don't want to have to be someone who i'm not in public. if that means that people think im weird or a freak then so be it. i'm not going to change who i am just so i can "fit in."
so when people look at me they might not think that i am a wild child. they simply thrust a disgusted look my way. but to me all of the crazy things i do make me happy. they make me who i am and i won't let society take that away from me.
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