Wake Up Young Americans

I believe with hard work, all ambition Americans have the opportunity to succeed. Does that mean I want to help the poor? Of course I do! Programs like WIC keep food on the table for many needy families, and there is no shame in seeking help if you need it. However, what happens when the needy families aren’t needy at all- they are college educated young people just drowning in student debt with no way to repay it? I was blessed enough to be graduating college with no debt thanks to the sacrifices my parents made. My fellow young Americans? Not so lucky. Google tells me that the class of 2012’s average student debt was $29,400, which is almost six grand MORE than the class of 2008’s average debt which is $23,450, and nearly DOUBLE the class of 2004’s average debt at a mere $18,750.

 What’s going on guys? Is our generation really just lazy bums too busy poppin molly and twerkin to be adults like the media says?

I’ll tell you what I think… it doesn’t sound too pretty, but numbers don’t lie: The old are quite literally eating the young. America used to be a place where with a high school degree and some hard work, a person could provide for their family, put a little money away for retirement, and have a pretty comfortable life. They wouldn’t be rich, but they would be okay.

Today? LOL at saving money. Millennial are called the “boomerang generation” because entirely too many young people either cant find a job, or the only job available is waiting tables or bartending. In fact, of college educated 18-34 year olds, a full SIXTY ONE PERCENT MORE were living with their parents in 2011 than in 2001 according to The Atlantic. It’s disgusting. We are literally negative value.....

Lazy, entitled narcissists who live with their parents...

Did you know that our congressional representatives are getting older? The 111^th congress (we’re in the 113^th right now) was the oldest in history. How can our lawmakers be advocating for the interest of young Americans when they themselves are 20 years older than the people they represent? They can’t. Our leaders are more concerned about helping the old die comfortably than the young get established and be productive members of society.

While eating lunch with Tommy, we were talking about his paycheck….a full QUARTER of it was taken out for taxes….. will he or I ever see a cent of social security benefits? No. How can young people ever ever ever get ahead and do things like buy houses, start families, or IDK pay off $30,000 worth of student debt when all we’re getting as jobs is unpaid internships or being stuck at lowly entry level jobs for the first 10 years of employment? Even the grocery stores are switching to automated check-outs rather than have cashiers....

Did you know that 92% of Congress is over age 40? The average age of the Senate is 62, and the average age of the House is 57…..Do you think middle-aged white rich guys have the same interests as 20 year old middle class people just getting started? Absolutely not. In the 1970's there was a movement to age restrict congress members to 65 or 70... not a bad idea considering you have to be 25 to run for the house. So while the 113^th congress was busy writing 10 different bills to rename post offices, I decided I want to run for office; You have to be at least 21 to run for Texas Representative and wuddyaknow Im 22. Sadly, I missed the deadline to get on the ballot by a few months, but I promise you I will do my damnedest to fix this country when I have the opportunity. How can 80 year old congress members even be awake to hear the arguments? Ive seen senate hearings on CSPAN it looks so so boring!!! You know there must be some serious napping going on in Washington by our esteemed older representatives....

Fun fact- student loans must be paid back with interest. Who sets the interest? Congress. The 62 year old senators, for example, who grew up in the 1950's in the days of  Leave it to Beaver. Right now, you can quite literally finance a house, a car, almost anything with less interest than the student loan interest rates:

Loan Type	First Disbursed between July 1, 2013, and June 30, 2014
Direct Subsidized Loans (Undergraduate Students)	Fixed at 3.86%
Direct Unsubsidized Loans (Undergraduate Students)	Fixed at 3.86%
Direct Unsubsidized Loans (Graduate or Professional Students)	Fixed at 5.41%
Direct PLUS Loans (Parents and Graduate or Professional Students)	Fixed at 6.41%
Perkins Loans (Undergraduate and Graduate or Professional Students)	Fixed at 5%

 

More fun news coming off the studentaid.ed.gov website? 

“Most federal student loans have loan fees that are deducted proportionately from each loan disbursement you receive. This means the money you receive will be less than the amount you actually borrow. You're responsible for repaying the entire amount you borrowed and not just the amount you received.

Here are the loan fees for federal student loans first disbursed on or after Dec. 1, 2013:

•   1.072% for Direct Subsidized Loans and Direct Unsubsidized Loans
4.288% for Direct PLUS Loans for parents and graduate and professional students”

Raise Your Voice- Vote!!!!

Don't think I'm saying we should all go kill our grandparents- not at all! I just want you all to realize the situation we are facing as a generation.... and we aren't exactly being helped out by our lovely baby boomer congress. 

In 2020, the youngest of the millennials will be reaching voting age; at that time, we will have a full 40% of the voting block. Get involved, do your research, and together we really can turn this around.

Wake up Young America…. Before its too late.

Brooke

Flying Pigs and Eating Crows

Its pretty difficult for most people to admit that they were misinformed, misguided, or just plain wrong.... myself included! Consider this me eating crow about how I was completely wrong about feminism, and that the world is-right now- just as it should be. And yes... that was a pig flying by your apartment window ;)

WOW! How could I be so wrong about a gender balance that favors men? Women can be anything they want to be. With the right motivation and education can't we all?

Facts:

• Since 1964, male voters outnumbered female voters in every presidential election.
• BJ Gallagher (author of "The World's Best Advice from the World's Wisest Man) says men make great bosses because they are 
• better coachers 
• better mentors
• better problem solvers
• Men hold 98 of 535 (18%) seats in the 113th Congress
• 79 House Representative are male 
• 20 Senators (plus 3 delegates) are men 
• Of the 100 largest American Cities, 12 have male mayors.
• Men have better aim throwing a baseball at all ages.
• 2012 elections saw 5 male state governors elected.
• multitasking test had 50 men and 50 women do four tasks in 8 minutes: results show men better able to reflect on problems while also doing others tasks 
• men are better at multitasking
• James Flynn is a researcher that found the IQs of men in the US, Europe, Canada are higher than women's
• men are smarter
• Bureau of Labor Statistics says that since the Recession hit in 2007, 80% of the workers who lost their jobs were women.
• men are recession proof
• Harvard Business Review recently published a study on male to female leadership ability. The study says that leadership is quantified by 16 central personality traits
•  men are judged to be better than women on 12 of the traits (10 showed a statistical significance). 
• men better leaders
• Men are judged in employee evaluations to be more positively perceived at:
• Executive Management (Men 57, Women 52) 
• Senior Managers (Men 56, Women 50) 
• Middle Managers (55 Men, 51 Women).
• US Census Burea says 17 million men and 12 million women live in poverty in the United States, which is the highest level since 1993.
• Rothstein Kass finance shows that male hedge fund managers outperform female competition.
• 48% of all men experience psychological aggression in their lifetime
• 37% of families led by single fathers nationwide live in poverty.
• only 6.8% of married parent families do (2009 Heritage Foundation Study)

Clearly, men make better leaders, are smarter, and are generally more valuable and have more to offer than women in the workplace. Most of you shouldn't be surprised... Americans just "know" these facts to be true: males as a group are supreme to the weaker, more fragile feminine sex.

April Foolsssss :)

All the above "truths?" Just replace every man/male/masculine word from the above quotes with woman/female/feminine to switch the statement. Every single fact originally was written to be the exact opposite...for example "37% of families led by single mothers nationwide live in poverty" is the true information.

They are exactly opposite of what the data from many studies are finding when comparing the average man to the average woman.

As in- studies are showing that women in general have more leadership skills, higher IQs, vote more,  are rated higher in employee evaluations, and are more educated as a group than male peers.

Surprised yet?

How can a congress of 82% rich white men know anything about making laws that govern the contraceptive and maternity rights of 51% of the population? It can't.

Although feminism is geared to helping girls and women reach the equality that males are privileged with from birth, feminism at its core promotes equality of all people regardless of gender, sex, race, or class. The movement is about not about being better than men, its about women being valued by the world as more than a "slam-piece;" more valuable than the sum of her curves. Women are human, too.

I hate to have tricked you reader, but with all the "Men's Rights Movement" propaganda floating around, I wanted to make sure you realize that we all still need feminism. I am so about helping men-central issues like the high suicide rate of teen boys, the male problem of homelessness, and the constant societal pressure to be an alpha male. Such a shame that legitimate concerns like the above (and many more) are being ignored to solely bring down the feminist movement.

Make tomorrow better,
Brooke

YOU Are Wonderful; Act like it

Do you believe in fate? In God? In the mystical power of the universe?

I believe that everything happens for a reason. I believe that so many twists of fate-so many marriages and so many babies before me-had to have happened for Brooke Trahan to even exist, to live in America, to live in the present day....I am lucky and I am thankful. I believe I have a purpose to fulfill in life, just like you do.

This is why I really have no sympathy for people who commit suicide.
Before you just assume I have no soul, at least hear me out.

Never forget how very special you are

Are you depressed?

Seek help.

There is nothing wrong with needing medical treatment; you wouldn't feel ashamed to go get insulin for your diabetes, would you? Depression is simply a chemical imbalance in your brain, treatable with medication and time.

Still feel worthless?

Kindly stop taking up space and make room for those of us who actually want to be here.

If you are not starving to death, have a roof over your head, and are not living in constant fear for your life-- you are doing better than a lot of people in this world. How selfish can you really be?

I cheated death Saturday night.

Because I am a little darling and like to stand up for those who won't do it themselves, I am here today.

Over spring break, myself and Tommy and another couple spent the weekend in Corpus Christi. Saturday night after going out, the other man-who was raised in Corpus- wanted to show us the Lexington battleship, which they light up at night and is apparently super cool.

On the way there, the other woman wanted to stop and take a picture with the Selena memorial tribute for her mother, a huge Selena fan. Apparently she has been trying to stop for months to take this picture, but the guy is kind of an actual jerk and never would stop... it was always "next time" or "someday." It was always an excuse.

It won't be easy, but it'll be worth it!

When she said "OH! We're going to pass right by it!!! PLEASEEEE?" and he said "No? Tomorrow during the day!" I, being the absolute peach of a little lady that you all know and love, insisted that we take the time.

I mean? C'mon! We were just going to go sit in the hotel anyways? What else can you possibly do at 2 in the morning with out getting arrested?

So he grudgingly pulls over, she snaps a picture or two, and the entire ordeal takes maybe two minutes... but those two minutes probably saved our lives.

We continued toward the Lexington and came around a curve.... where a major car wreck had just happened. There were bodies that had been pulled out of the crumpled vehicles laying in the grass. The crash had happened so soon before we had arrived to that certain spot on the way to the Lexington that the ambulance was not even there yet. 

Two minutes....

I am lucky to be alive. We all are.

Its funny what a near-death experience does to a person...I have never felt more full of purpose or hopeful about my future or more driven to make a change in this world. I am important. I am worthy of love and success and respect and safety and any other good thing that exists on this Earth... just like you are. 

Do not waste a MOMENT 

So if you are having a bad day, make a bad grade, over-sleep for work... just remember all the little things that had to have happened for you to be able to have a bad day.

Take a breathe. Count to 10. Know that I am here if you ever, ever need me.

What will you accomplish when you start living?

"Be thankful for this moment, for this moment is your life"

Love you all!
Brooke

Stop Teaching Us "Happily Ever After"

This is my scholarly paper for a young adult literature class that required an essay on fairy tales. Pretty long, but pretty interesting if you care to read it. (I made a 95 on it if you happen to doubt my intelligence on the subject)

Crying Wolf:

Fairy Tale’s Promotion of Rape Culture

           

If a two year old were asked what she wants to be when she grows up, the answer would likely be a shrieked, “ prin-thess!” Toddler’s rudimentary grasp on the English language does not deter parents from teaching their little darlings about gendered behavior, even using enforcers such as cartoons, clothing, and popular media. The “happily ever after’s” of fairy tales, however, are the sugar coated ideas that dictate societal expectations of the alpha males and submissive females. Francesca Lia Block’s short story, Wolf, is a feminist-inspired reworking of the traditionally geared, androgynous fairy tale, “Little Red Riding Hood.“ Wolf is meant to celebrate women, their strengths, and the love of community that defines them. Although girls are taught by The Grimm Brother’s “Little Red Cap” that safety is gained through male protection, Block’s first person narrative Wolf’s portrayal of a teenage rape survivor’s story rejects female trivialization as portrayed in fairy talks, and by putting the reader into the victim’s shoes, Block argues thematically against victim blaming and other myths surrounding American Rape Culture’s ideology.

The Grimm’s story, “Little Red Cap” features a hunter that saves the lives of Red and Grandmother from being lost in the wolf’s belly. (Grimm, 30). Folk and Fairy Tale’s Little Red section claims that the Grimm’s version to be the “ most balanced” to contemporary audiences because of the parallel structuring of good men versus bad men (Hallett & Karasek, 23). The lesson being taught of man-as-protector is dangerous. Father-like figures are absent from most fairy tales, and when present, fathers are linked to daughter-directed incest more frequently than not. Block’s writing rejects the idea of the paternalistic good guy by placing her Wolf in the domestic realm: the protagonist’s emotionally and physically abusive step-father whom she cannot escape.

The story’s title, Wolf, carries a clever double meaning that established Block’s tone from the first word. Firstly, the title refers to the story’s heritage stemming from traditional Red Riding Hood and the Wolf stories. The more sinister, secondary usage is in reference to the disturbing trend of sexual assault victims being accused of faking an attack, or “crying wolf.” The title is an allusion to Aesop’s Fable, “The Boy Who Cried Wolf.” The first words in the story are two sentences from Red saying, “They don’t believe me. They think I’m crazy,” confirming the intended double meaning (Block, 40).

Even more troubling, friends of attackers frequently harass victims of rape and assault, both verbally and away through social media or text messaging. The victim is pressured to admit that the act was consensual, and she originally was just upset. Women particularly find it easier to assume the victim is making up the incident than to admit that such a heinous attack could happen to a woman they are acquainted with. Daily Mail’s article about victim blaming reports that “of 1000 adults surveyed, fifty four percent agree with the statement ‘rape victims should be held accountable for their attacks”’ (Camber, Web).

Researchers and psychologists agree that rape is about power, rather than about sex. Before the physical violence of an attack can occur between two groups of people that are separated by race, sex, religion or other area’s of exclusive group membership, there has to be a complete separation in the perception of the aggressor that ranks his or her group’s worth much higher than the value of the secondary group’s worth. To illustrate, consider the kidnapping and enslavement of African tribesmen that resulted in later slave trading on plantations around the world; slavery could not morally have been as widespread if the tribal Africans were seen as equals to people of European decent. By viewing a specific human characteristic that varies between the two groups, here the skin tones and cultural differences between white people and black people, the group that feels they are worth more on the scale of human value feels justified in any persecution or violence that occurs between them, especially acts which benefit the dominant group. Southern plantation owner’s excuse for owning slaves used to be “because people from Africa are not as fully human as white Americans,” so using slaves like you would use a cow or oxen for labor purposes was “justified” in their own minds.

Similarly, Westernized countries value aggression and passion in men, and demand passivity and obedience in women. Popular culture components including fashion trends, media, and advertisements- among others- all serve to systematically dehumanize women by reducing the value of a woman to a purely sexual existence. Because a woman is now less than human, merely an object to be used for sexual exploitation, harassment in the form of sexual violence is “justified” to certain types of men. Traditional fairy tales that depict women as hopelessly incapable or passively wasting time until the arrival of the prince characterize women as less valuable than men, yet again. The message that women “need” men is internalized by both boys and girls, beginning on the laps of their parents during story-time: little girls hear stories of beautiful princesses waiting for rescue, and little boys hear stories of the beautiful princess he earns by scaling the tower or slaying the dragon.

 The only types of women present in fairy tale literature are the very good or the very bad, and either category’s mother. There is, of course, the beautiful young girl that embodies all male expectations of feminine virtue and who will be rewarded for playing the game, as she was expected, with a handsome prince. The undesirable women are banished to the realms of the ugly step-sisters, the jealous step-mothers, and the evil old witches. The fairy tale characters serve as warnings to girls, with their ugly names and the missing happily ever after’s, to either play the game or suffer the consequences.

Block challenges the female-as-villain casting that is so prevalent in children’s stories, including in young adult literature. The male characters of fairy tales assume the role of the hero: the Grimm Brother’s hunter that saves Little Red from the wolf’s belly, the stereotypical Prince Charming character, and the father who is absent for unknown reasons, but sometimes portrayed as away on business providing for his family. Block challenges the convention of men as female protectors by making the villain of Wolf into Red’s step-father, a rapist turned murderer.

Instead of the backstabbing and plotting that are trademarks in most fairy tale stories, Block chooses to show love instead of the usual hatred aimed toward women, by women. Traditional Little Red Riding Hood stories are missing the attention, either overly positive or overly negative, between the family members. In Wolf, Block’s addition of loving, intergenerational relationships adds texture to the characters and believability to the story. Red loves her mother so much that she claims her mother is her best friend, one so great that “I didn’t really even need any other friend” (Block, 40). Red also lets us know that the reason she cannot simply flee from her abusive situation is because she is scared to abandon her mother.

To conclude, kids are growing up being taught unattainable standards of perfection that will never be reached. A son that tap-dances and a daughter that welds both deserve the love of their family, the respect of their peers, and the right to feel safe in this world. By ending the brainwashing of whatever “normal” is, and teaching kids about respect and kindness, perhaps the days of victim blaming will end; its hard to have a victim with out any perpetrators.

Works Cited:

1.     Block, Francesca Lia. “Wolf.” The Rose and the Beast. New York: Harper Collins, 2000.

2.     Camber, Rebecca. “Rape? It’s the fault of the victims, say 50 % of women.” Daily Mail Online.  Associated Newspapers, LTD. 15 Feb 2010. Web. 16 Feb 2014.

3.     Marshall, Elizabeth. “Girlhood, Sexual Violence, and Agency in Francesca Lia Block’s ‘Wolf.’” Children’s Literature in Education. Springer Science+Business Media, LLC. 18 Feb 2009. Web. 18 Feb 2014.

The Pen is Mightier Than The Sword

I am too opinionated for my own good.

Well that's what my "friends" on FaceBook like to let me know, at least. "Friends" because I certainly do NOT know 2000 people.

That I am not always politically correct or "lady-like"...whatever that is.... with my thoughts. 

That I should post kittens and rainbows and statuses like:

"What a blessed day! I cannot believe how amazingly perfect life is!!!! Love you all!!!!!!!"

Probably me very shortly...
Definitely me eventually.

That I should just stop.

Well, Internet that leads me to my next point.... here I am starting my first blog so that my poor, poor FB friends can get a break from all of this sass ;) Bear with me cause I hear its a learning experience!

Wheeler's quote "The pen is mightier than the sword" is perfection because it. is. truth! Did you know that China actually PAID workers to find blogs with negative comments about communism and switch up the conversation? 

After WWII and especially after the Cold War, America was THE world power, but now we really have become just a country of complacency...

We're too worried about poppin' molly and learning how to twerk. 

About raising minimum wage when we should be lowering the price of an education.

About what's trending instead of what matters.

As a millennial, I've always had information right at my finger-tips, so why would I waste my brain power on publicity-stunting celebrities and their gossip? These people earn MILLIONS to speak words that are not their own and to almost physically become someone they are not. I really just don't get the hype.

I'm new here to the blogosphere (that's a thing....right?.....) but I want to hear and be heard! 

I want to have lively debates here about the things my friends are sick of hearing me talk about.

Like I said, new here! I just want to express my thoughts and hear what each of you have to say!  Any blogging tips you'd like the share? They would be accepted VERY graciously. Any topic ideas? I'd give it a stab. 

Until next time beautiful people,

Brooke