Chapter 12 - Discrimination

Discrimination of Gays and Lesbians
I chose this topic from the chapter because it hits home for me. Many of my co-workers are gay and I have heard and seen stories of discrimination against gays and lesbians first hand. Discrimination against any minority is wrong. In the case of gays and lesbians, discrimination can turn extremely violent as the past has shown us, many gays are being bullied and physically harmed when they come out. Gays and lesbians face discrimination in employment and housing, for example, being disadvantaged because of their sexual orientation. As Western society is progressing and developing, it is a shame that people are still singled out because of their same sex partner preference. With recent military events, a step was taken into the direction of more tolerance and acceptance towards gays and lesbians in the US. I realize this is a sensitive subject and people have very different opinions about this. I chose this topic because I want to create awareness about it.


Link 1
This first link gives a good overview of the challenges that gays and lesbians face in the US today. Unlike race, gender, age, ethnicity, and religion, sexual orientation is not protected by federal civil rights law.  As some of the surveys show in this article, discrimination towards gays and lesbians is still widely spread among US citizens. It also shows some of the lawsuits based on sexual orientation discrimination that have made headlines.
http://www.civilrights.org/resources/civilrights101/sexualorientation.html

Photo

 

The rainbow flag, the gay and lesbian community symbol and an international symbol for inclusiveness, diversity, and hope.

Link 2

The repeal of the Don't Ask Don't Tell policy for gays in the military is still ongoing. This article talks about the difficulties of making it legal for gays and lesbians to serve in the US military. It might take up to a year until the law is passed and gay and lesbian service members are legally accepted by their military services. 

http://www.politicsdaily.com/2010/12/18/gays-in-the-military-still-illegal-for-time-being/ 

Link 3

Violence against gays happens every day all over the world. This New York Times article describes the face of violence against gays as it happened in New York City's district of Chelsea.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/05/nyregion/05stonewall.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=antigay%20attacks%20reported%20at%20stonewall%20and%20in%20chelsea&st=cse

Link 4

This letter to the New York Times by a reader reflects my thoughts on the issue of violence against gays. Why does it still happen? Because we let it happen! Laws won't change attitudes but we can all do something everyday to practice acceptance and tolerance.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/14/opinion/lweb14gay.html

Video 1

Below is an interesting and heated discussion of whether same sex marriage is right or wrong on the popular Dr. Phil show. 

Video 2
Just wanted to share this short video with you that sheds some light on which states in the US allow for same sex marriage, which ones don't, and which ones are in transition.

Song Lyrics

"Born this way"

by

Lada Gaga

It doesn't matter if you love him, or capital H-I-M

Just put your paws up

'Cause you were born this way, baby

My mama told me when I was young

We're all born superstars

She rolled my hair, put my lipstick on

In the glass of her boudoir

"There's nothin' wrong with lovin' who you are"

She said, "'Cause He made you perfect, babe"

"So hold your head up, girl and you'll go far,

Listen to me when I say"

I'm beautiful in my way,

'Cause God makes no mistakes

I'm on the right track, baby

I was born this way

Don't hide yourself in regret,

Just love yourself and you're set

I'm on the right track, baby

I was born this way

Give yourself prudence and love your friends

Subway kid, rejoice the truth

In the religion of the insecure

I must be myself, respect my youth

A different lover is not a sin

Believe capital H-I-M (hey, hey, hey)

I love my life, I love this record and

Mi amore vole fe yah

I'm beautiful in my way,

'Cause God makes no mistakes

I'm on the right track, baby

I was born this way

Don't hide yourself in regret,

Just love yourself and you're set

I'm on the right track, baby

I was born this way

Don't be a drag, just be a queen

Whether you're broke or evergreen

You're black, white, beige, chola descent

You're lebanese, you're orient

Whether life's disabilities

Left you outcast, bullied or teased

Rejoice and love yourself today

'Cause baby, you were born this way

No matter gay, straight or bi

lesbian, transgendered life

I'm on the right track, baby

I was born to survive

No matter black, white or beige

chola or orient made

I'm on the right track, baby

I was born to be brave

I'm beautiful in my way

'Cause God makes no mistakes

I'm on the right track, baby

I was born this way

Chapter 9 - Religion

Buddhism

Buddhism is the most widespread religion in the East and developed out of early Hinduism in India.  Although the West has its own forms of practicing Buddhism, original Buddhism is the path to free oneself from the reincarnation cycle of Hinduism through enlightement. Over time, Buddhism spread from India to China, Japan, Southeast Asia, Thailand, Sri Lanka, and numerous other Asian countries. Most of them still practice Buddhism and it has become an integral part of Asian culture. Below you will find links about the history of Buddhism in Asia as well as the Western world. I chose Buddhism as a topic for this blog entry because I have been a practicing Buddhism myself for three years and I have been fascinated by it ever since.  

Link 1

This article by the Buddhist Society of Western Australia gives a great overview of what Buddhism is. It talks about the story of Siddhatta Gotama and how he became Buddha, his teachings, and the different kinds of Buddhism. It also explains the meaning of Buddhism in different parts of the world today.

http://www.buddhanet.net/budsas/ebud/ebdha030.htm

Photo

Buddha statue in Kamakura, Japan

Link 2

Many people think Buddhism is just about doing yoga and drinking chai tea but most don't even know where it came from and how it spread throughout Asia. See the link below for an overview of how Buddhism spread through China, Korea, and Japan. Note the reference to Kamakura, Japan, which is where I took the picture of the Buddha above.

 http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/buddhistworld/east-asia.htm

 

Link 3

This interesting web article explores how Buddhism came to the West and settled in Europe and America. First Buddhist texts were brought to Europe from Asia as early as the 18th century, when they caught the eye of European scholars. As people had more opportunities to travel, the word of Buddhism spread in the West and today, there are numerous Buddhist Societies and places of worship for practicing Buddhist all over the Western world.

http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/buddhistworld/to-west.htm

Link 4 

This link will take you to an article in National Geographic magazine. It talks a bit more about what Buddhism means in the Western world. There's an interesting photo gallery, a slide show, and a video for anyone who is interested.

http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0512/feature4/index.html

Video 1

I was surprised to learn about this international Buddhist temple in Richmond, British Columbia. It is open to anybody who is a practicing Buddhist or wants to learn more about Buddhism. I chose this video because it shows the beauty of Buddhist temples and the beauty of Buddhism itself. It also gives some more facts about the practices of Buddhism, such as prayer, chanting, and charity. For those of you who never get the opportunity to travel to Asia but want to have an authentic Buddhist temple experience, this is the place to go to.  

Video 2

For those of you you want to dive more into the topic of Buddhism, below you will find a summary of  lectures given by the Dalai Lama as part of a 5 day conference. After all, the Dalai Lama is probably the most important teacher of Buddhism of our times. In this introduction to a documentary of the 5 days, the Dalai Lama talks about how to overcome depression, stress, and fear by finding happiness through Buddhism.

Quote

"Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it. Do not believe in anything simply because it is spoken and rumored by many. Do not believe in anything simply because it is found written in your religious books. Do not believe in anything merely on the authority of your teachers and elders. Do not believe in traditions because they have been handed down for many generations. But after observation and analysis, when you find that anything agrees with reason and is conducive to the good and benefit of one and all, then accept it and live up to it."
Buddha
Kalama Sutta.

As you can see by my numerous links about this fascinating chapter, there is so much to be said and explored about Buddhism, its past, present, and future. The quote by Buddha sums up this chapter about religion for me. Although my religion of choice is Buddhism, there are no limits to what we may believe in. Any religion of believe works for an individual as long as it provides the spirituality to do good for people. I hope my links have sparked your interest to learn more about Buddhism. I think that it is important to find some kind of tranquility in our fast paced lifestyle today. Whether you find peace of mind in meditation, sports, or charity, I hope that this blog inspired you to learn more about Buddhism.

Chapter 7 - Psychology

I love psychology as a topic. Not only is it my major in college but it can really help us understand people, who they are, and what they do on a biological and psychological bases. I choose Sigmund Freud to be my topic for this post. Sigmund Freud was a physician, a neurologist, and became one of the biggest names in psychology until today. His development of psychoanalysis laid the basis for many psychological theories that are used by psychologists around the world. He also created much controversy with his focus on human sexuality as a means to understand a person's personality.

Link
The following website provides a short biography of Sigmund Feud, his life and his work.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/freud_sigmund.shtml

Photo

Video
Below is part I of a documentary about Sigmund Freud. Part II and III can also be found on YouTube

Link I
This link explains some of the basics of Freud's dream analysis. Freud believed that our dreams are repressed wishes by our unconscious that can be brought into consciousness by free association therapy.
http://dreaminterpretation.freudfile.org/freud_about_dreams.html

Photo
"Dream Caused by the Flight of a Bumble Bee" by Salvador Dali

Link 2
We all use defense mechanisms everyday to cope with stress. Below you will find a list and explanation of the defense mechanisms that Freud defined including sublimation, regression, denial, projection, and displacement.
http://psychology.jrank.org/pages/165/Defense-Mechanisms.html

Quote
by Sigmund Freud

"Illusions commend themselves to us because they save us pain and allow us to enjoy pleasure instead. We must therefore accept it without complaint when they sometimes collide with a bit of reality against which they are dashed to pieces."



There are so many more interesting things to be said about the works of Sigmund Freud. Many psychologists will say that they either love or hate Freud's concepts but the truth is that he contributed much of what is now an integral part of modern psychology, such as the principles of psychoanalysis, which is still used as a form of treatment for many patients. Without knowing it we use Freudian language everyday. Think about the last time you had a "Freudian slip"? It is true that his concepts reflected the time he lived in and many of his original theories might not be applicable to modern times. Nonetheless, he still is an important part of psychology and a fascinating historic figure.

Chapter 4 - Culture

What caught my eye in chapter 4 was the mentioning of female circumcision in non-Western cultures. I chose to provide more information on this topic not only because I believe people everywhere should be aware of this brutal tradition but also to show the differences in cultures across the globe. Most women will rightfully criticize the practice but many women born into the cultures that still practice it in Africa, Southeast Asia, and South America are willing to defend the custom because it is part of their culture. Much education needs to take place to end this tradition in every culture.

Video

Link 1

The following article explains in some more detail what exactly female circumcision is, where it is still practiced today, the social context in which it occurs, the different types of female circumcision, statistics, and individual cases. 

http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/journals/2313097.html

Link 2
The following link is a photo essay of a female circumcision in Indonesia.
http://www.viiphoto.com/showstory.php?nID=676

Photo

This picture is one of the stills taken from the photo essay, the little girl is crying after being circumcised. 

Poem 

by "Vanessa" 

Think of all the problems the world must face
So please stop the abuse in this horrible place
Poor children who may never see
What a wonderful place this could be
What I am trying to say is think of their pain
Do not think of your problems and complain
Unless you have visions of the alley
Because the Ambulance is still down in the valley" 

I chose this topic because it shows the cultural differences in understanding customs and traditions. Creating awareness about will hopefully contribute to a solution of this dispute for women everywhere. I am against this bloody custom but I do understand the point of view of women who believe it is necessary to have a fulfilled life according to their culture. How will their culture change if the custom is to be abolished everywhere? Do we have the right to tell other cultures what is right and what is wrong? If we can educate these women and people to adapt their point of view and realize that there are other ways, we can help them live a life less painful.