September 21, 2000
For the past two weeks I've seen so many injustices happen right before my eyes. I am ashamed, and embarassed to have had any involvement in these events. In these student elections that's been going on, I've seen people tear down posters, talk badly about one another, spread rumors, talk about beating people up--I have learned the true meaning of "dirty politics". I think alot went on that shouldn't have, and if I had a chance to turn back the hands of time, I probably would have never gotten involved. But, one good thing did come out of this though; I learned who my true friends are, and honestly, that's all that counts! I've also made some new friends, so that's cool too. I think everything in life happens for a reason; and in that sense I'm glad I went through it all, because in life there's no joy without pain, and in the end I realized how fortunate I am , and I have now found my smile again...

October 3, 2000

I recently watched an episode of Oprah which not only moved but disturbed me greatly. The show was about the injustices that women still face around the world. Women are considered subordinate/inferior to men; they lack the right to vote; and are virtually seen and treated like garbage, filth, and scumb. These women are living hell on earth day in and day out. In India, if women are raped, not only are they not allowed to press charges against their violator(s), but they face going to jail, because in the community's eyes they must have done something to provoke the men in the first place. If these women aren't "lucky" enough to go to jail, the men in their family(father,uncle,brother,etc.) will murder them to spare the family name any dishonor or shame. If these men ever do face charges and are found guilty, they serve a maximum sentence of 6 months in jail. When these men are released, they are viewed as heroes in the eyes of their community. Also in India, if a girl refuses a marriage proposal or any other form of courting or term of endearment, the men will retaliate with acid attacks. They raid these womens' homes and throw acid at them in an attempt to teach these girls a lesson; leaving them with maimed, disfigured, and melted faces and bodies. I absolutely watched in horror as I saw a little girl being circumcised; her screams/cries are still echoing in my ears. In Africa it is traditional for women to be circumcised. They believe that a man will only want a woman who has been circumcised to ensure that she is still pure (a virgin). The process is an excruciating, dangerous, and sometime fatal one due to the lack of anasthesia and usage of dirty/rusty tools (razors,knifes,etc). They also believe that those women who die during the circumcision die because they are witches...if they survive, they are not. The thought of all af this sickens me! How did the world come to this? How come today, in the year 2000 this is still going on? Just as Oprah says, "There's another Holocaust happening before our eyes." Are we going to sit back and watch thousands if not millions of people die? I feel like I should be out there doing something--but what? What can we do?...