Time to Push for a Textbook Rental System

The Reflector

The Choice of Hazing?

Me and the roomates have actually talked about this before but I thought it would be a good topic to blog about, and get me out of this writing funk. Now, out of the roomates, a shocking majority of us (ok, all but 1) are greeks, particularly members of Kappa Kappa Psi. We still love Vic so we let him act like some sort of a Psi groupie, a Psi gent if you will. (Disclaimer: that was a joke, so if you take it seriously....get off my squirrel food).

Back from my digression, so at district we were told that the fraternity was currently being sued for hazing. Apparently a chapter that, of course, no longer exists, beat someone so bad that his kidneys shut down. In return, the chapter lost it's charter and had to pay for all medical bills. But it doesn't stop there. Being in lawsuit happy America, the person decided to sure the whole organization for copius amounts of money.

Now that I have told you the background information, now I shall tell you my view, as controversial as it may be. I believe hazing is a choice. That's right, I said it--a choice.

Why?

Well, being in two greek organizations, I have had my share of hazing policies being shoved down my throat. In fact, being VP of membership in one, I have actually participated in shoving it down others' throats as well. In both versions of the hazing policy, it clearly states that if you are being hazed, it is your responsibility to report.

Let me reiterate that: If you are being hazed, it is your responsibility to report.

So binomially speaking, the opposite of reporting it is consenting to it. The very second hazing begins and you neglect to report it, you, in essence, consent to it. And you can't consent to one thing but not the other, this is not a Build-A-Bear factory.

I'm not sure why this isn't legally so, but I'm sure it stems from the fact that Americans, and prbably people in genernal, do not like to be held accountable to any thing negative in their lives. Yeah, they beat the brakes off you, but I bet you met them somewhere. And I'm sure this wasn't the first time they lay hands on you.

Now, I am certainly not condoning the kidneys being beat off people. I feel if you want to blame people, blame the ones that touch you. It doesn't make sense for me, someone sitting pretty musikally at Mississippi State University to be blamed along with it. Either that or let me get my lick in.... But really, in the end, didn't you consent to it? Think about it.....

ASHLEY SPEAKS: VICK.BROWN.GATES.OBAMA..The state of American Blackness

I read one of my sisters notes on facebook and decided that i should post it in a place where anyone can read it, not just her friends. I believe in second chances probably more than others because we have 2 brothers who have been/are in jail. Our oldest brother was in jail for about 8 yrs. He has been out for a few years now and he has been able to rebuild his life....he has been able to move on. I hope that when my other brother gets out he is able to do the same. For some reason i can't seem to understand how some people have been so harsh with the whole MV case. Yes he was wrong; i undertstand some people care more about their precious pets than they do other people but goodness gracious the man deserves a second chance.....i've seen rapists go through less trouble than vick. Some of the same people who wish he could be put in a kennel and made to fight to his death are the same people who are oh so righteous and holy, but they are sleeping with someone elses boyfriend/girlfriend husband/wife. That, to me is just as wrong. I don't care to comment on her other topics right now because it would only make this post longer.....i'll add to this at another time.


ASHLEY SPEAKS: VICK.BROWN.GATES.OBAMA..The state of American Blackness

Today at 2:45pm

First and foremost, I am glad that America has a penal system, in order for people to be judged and punished to the fullest extent of the law...and so on and so forth and blah blah blah. I am continually baffled by the things I see in the news. As a naive little black girl, growing up in Mississippi, and going away to college, I felt that criminals are punished and people move on with life. So why are (Black) people's lives ruined by accusations whether they are proved true or not?

I begin by saying (shouting) LEAVE VICK ALONE!! In the severest of cases, yeah, everyone says it was him. He did it; he did it all. Despite the fact that as a professional athlete, most of his time is taken up by athlete-type stuff, and on the rare occasions that he may have gotten to visit ALL of his vacation homes the best thing he could think of to do with his time is to participate in the tom-foolery of his kinfolk and home-boys? I mean really, however many men were "charged" only Vick could afford to fight any charges, that is until ALL his people began saying that it was him. Either way, animal cruelty is a terrible thing; but why do an accusation of a harsh crime give people the right to think that he should be thrown in a kennel or any other stupid action? He is a HUMAN. Weirdly, all those people want to "fight the crusade for inHUMANE treatment of animals" but neglect the logic that if we don't want animals treated inHUMANEly, then why would they elect to punish a HUMAN with inHUMANE treatment.

Now I will move on to Chris Brown. He apologized. His career is already taken a blow. As long as people worship rappers, and Jay-Z has anything to say, Chris Breezy is DONE. How fair is that? So, Why don't they let fans decide? I was reading in one blog that a lady wanted him to be put under a prison? Kind of harsh. While I do understand that domestic violence is important business, why don't we find out what happened before we "put people under prisons"? That boy is just a boy after all of his celebrity is gone; he is just one of us. (for more of my opinion in regards to this matter, read ASHLEY SPEAKS: CHRIHANNA, YEAH I PULLED THE RACE CARD)

Most recently, Dr. Henry Louis Gates was arrested for disorderly conduct in a public space after being approached about BREAKING INTO HIS OWN HOUSE? While this irks me, I casually let it slide; I am black and happen to notice that there are many offenses against innocent black people on a daily basis and I have not the energy to take a personal notice to every single occurrence. What bothers me is this; yesterday I was reading a CNN article and the arresting officer refuses to apologize, stating that he acted within protocol, and he did not understand why Gates acted the way he did when questioned about the reported break in. Maybe he would understand if he had grown up and became a highly celebrated PhD, and even still he is black and still has to face the fact that even with proof that he was on his own property that he would still be asked out of his home and arrested? I, indeed, was not there, but obviously there's some untold business. How does a man, answer his door, answer questions about a possible break in, show proof that he is the owner of the property, and end up being arrested for "disorderly conduct in a public space"? HE WAS CLEARLY IN A PRIVATE SPACE! And the officer, he will NEVER be able to understand why Gates answered the questions he asked with hostility because when it's all said and done, Gates is still a black man in North America...

Obama has been in office not even a whole year, and people expect him to have solved every last crisis that he inherited from faulty governing of G.W. Bush. Nevermind the fact that the majority of Bush's presidency (both terms) were videographs of his many vacations, and the war that doesn't end never had a point. Let's be mad at Obama because he said he'd fix it and "it ain't fixed"? Come on. As a student at a HBCU I see this every day, we (Black people) have to work twice as hard at everything because we have to prove to ourselves (other Black people) and others that we are just as good as every one else.

I say all of this to pose the question: why is it that dead little girls have to be found in the under grown sex slave chamber of some pedophiles garage before he (intelligent non-black man) is suspected of wrong doings? No one will suspect anything of him until a girl gets away and tells of the horror she experienced. Or how can an Anti-American group (Montana Freemen) build an almost 1 million strong group to not only oppose the governing laws of America, but fight them off with weaponry and no one sees it coming? Because America is busy scrutinizing the actions of black people, unlawful traffic stops, illegal search and seizures, and a multitude of other things in which Black people are treated suspect while far worse offenses are ACTUALLY TAKING PLACE....


and that's all I got to say about that.

thats all i got to say about that......

I blame this on Bridal Barbie

Early this morning, as I was scanning facebook I noticed an album that my friend Nikonie "liked". Just being randomly nosy, I decided to look at it. Bah, another engagement. Small ring, chubby hands. I almost completely disregarded the occurence until I looked at the name. Chanel blahblahblah Harding. This was my ex-best friend a chic from Summer Bridge in 2006.

I'm not going to talk about her much, because it still hurts that she's engaged and I just got into a somewhat promising relationship. So I will move on to my intended point.

Flashback

1996. Starkville. It was probably a birthday or christmas or something and I unwrap the Barbie-box sized present. Inside the box, I recieved- you guessed it- a bridal barbie. White dress, veil, the works. This was....the beginning of the end.

From that day I played Barbie wedding and made up little ceremonies. I never owned a Ken doll so I cut off another Barbie's hair and she, poor unfortunate soul, was Barbie's groom/lesbian lover/life partner. (Which might explain my lack-of-sensitivity towards homosexuality....but that might be another post) Somewhere between then and now, I began planning ceremonies for myself and that is where the problems began.

According to my life plan, I was supposed to be engaged this year and marrying after I graduate. Which would be a swell plan, except it's not gonna happen. Boyfriend now is younger than me so if he was to be the terminal significant other I'd have to wait for him to graduate and join the NBA. Yet I'm sad to admit I've picked the dress, the bridesmaids, the flowers, first dance song...

I wonder why I do this, but I doubt this is a rare occurence. From random conversations with my friends, I have gathered alot of women have done this as well. So ladies, how much of your fantasy wedding have you planned? And men, do you plan your nuptials too?

Fabz yours,

Adii

um...yeah, this is about Harry Potter. Watcha gonna do about it?????

Why is everybody makin such a big deal out of harry potter being an older kid? Is he even 21 yet??? All these people complainin talkin bout the movies, but they haven't seen one or even read any of the books. Do one or the other before you want to criticize the whole franchise.....they are really good. I can't wait to see the new one, gotta wait tho...i may need money first to buy a ticket! But anyways, back to my original rant. Everybody(ignorant black people) want to talk about him being too old but nobody said anything about ole non actin Gabrielle Union playin a teenager when she was 28! Someone please make me understand.

**Black people...I'm one of em(duh), but i don't necessarily have to like all the things they say or do.**

KNOCK KNOCK!! No Ones Home!.......i think i need to change my tone.

This particular blog will probably branch off into two seperate topics, they are related but different nonetheless....just a warning before you get started.


Ok, so i'm the type that usually sits and wonders why i haven't found someone to share my time with. I always want to put it off on other people....THEY don't know what they want; THEY are just stupid; THEY are just confused. I have come to realize that i am not as open as i thought i was. It is and always has been me, I am my own problem...my own hinderance. I am so afraid to open up and let someone into my life that I end up shutting the door or closing off an opportunity before i even check it out. Why? I really don't know. Maybe because I have seen this thing called "love" turn some sane people slightly ignorant. I don't know what i am going to have to do to change this. I say that I'm going to try and work on it, but I know it's a lie before it even gets out of my mouth. I do know for sure that if I don't plan on being alone for the rest of my life, I'm going to have to change. Its kinda hard to form a family by yourself.....thats my ultimate goal ya know, to eventually have a loving caring family

*new topic*

so, I can't get this guy off my mind. I try so hard to ignore his existence but it is very hard.....damn near impossible. When i say he is everything I have ever prayed for in a man, trust and believe me and know that i am telling the truth. If i could find my letter I wrote to God around middle school, i'd have good solid proof. From his personality down to his beautiful teeth he is amazing.....and I won't even talk to him. WTF? This is how this lil section above connects to this. I can not open up to save my life. I refuse to tell someone how i feel because I fear rejection. I've been through that before and it took me a while to get over that....it's not good. And this 1st guy ain't even half of what I ever asked for so to be rejected by my very own requested "gift from God" would probably be the end of my self esteem as we know it.....which is not usually that high anyways but lately it's been off the friggin charts. Now to throw some real randomness into this, even thought he is all i ever asked for, he is not the person who always appears in my dreams. Yeah yeah, a dream is a dream so what? Well usually what i dream is only part of what i will actually experience. They tend to foreshadow whats to come....and he is not and has not been a part of my "dream future". I am pretty confused right now.

I have let enough random information flow from my mind today....goodbye.

Lord of War

So today I watched Lord of War (on Blueray, I would like to add....amazing, it's like the movie is right there beside you lolz). If you haven't seen the movie, I'll give you the briefest synopsis.

This guy pretty much sells illegal weapons in a seemingly legal to way to crime lords and dictators and the like. He even involves his brother in his business. He buys the woman of his dreams in a way with lies and much money and they marry. She finds out what he's doing and asks him to stop. He does. For a little. Then he begins again. She turns him in to the agent that has been trying to catch him for 30 years (Surprisingly nobody ages except their son the whole 30 years). Sadly for the agent guy, the US government lets him off because he sells weapons to the enemies of our enemies and therefore he is a necessary evil.

The part of the movie that really got to me was when they were showing genocide in Sierra Leone. (Sp?) The people had to stay in their tents and if they left they were killed. Yet, these weren't men being killed. These were women and children, people that probably didn't hurt anybody. This is a concept I cannot seem to grasp. So I ask the question, as a fellow African and a fellow human being.

Why must people shed blood to prove a point?

I cannot begin to fathom how and why it is ever acceptable to kill a child, to kill a future doctor or lawyer or humanitarian. And I often wonder why is it my people (not Nigerians, but Africans-- even though Nigerians have had a history of doing treacherous things) that seem to be the worst at doing it. I'm just shocked and confused. I can't wrap my mind around it....

Adii