What the world has come to

I read the newspaper almost everyday and the horrors that have been brought up these past few weeks amaze me. Casey Anthony declared innocent, the president suggesting to give a Mexican rapist and murderer a pardon from death row, the list goes on and on.

Crime seems to haunt even my own home town. Two major robberies have recently been unveiled. One that has been harboring for years by a local and trusted man, the other by two masked gunmen.

The most recent horror is that of murder of a young Brooklyn boy by the name of Leiby Kletzky. 

Leiby was a young boy who lost his way as he walked home from camp. Innocelt and naive, he asks a stranger for direction. However, it is just his luck, if that's what we can call it, that the man he asked is a child predator. Instead of guiding Leiby in the right direction, this man, Levi Aron, took Leiby home, murdered him, and dismembered his body.

Is that what this boy deserved? Is that way anybody deserves?

And to think that we are all human, one in the same, yet we wrong each other so? Is this what the human race has come to?

Sure, we don't all murder (thank God that is the extreme) but we do wrong one another in many other ways.

I think it's time this be a wake up call. We may not be one of the "Levi Arons" of this world but we do have our faults. In memory of young, innocent Leiby Kletzky it's time we work on those faults and strive to become better people. 

Monster I've Become

 A year or two ago, I wrote a short poem after being continuously antagonized. I was known as the "selfish one" and was called selfish so often that even I started to believe it was true.

That is the power of words, yet some seem to forget it. Words are powerful tools that can be used as weapons if mistreated and misused. One must be extremely careful with speech because the impact can be everlasting and may never be taken back.

Selfishness runs in my blood
It flows through my veins like hot lava
It seethes in my mind like burning coal
It rips through my flesh like tiny serpents
It's made me the monster I am today

Osama bin Laden: Gone for Good.

This past Sunday, President Obama made a very brief and unexpected statement in an address to the nation. He stated that U.S forces killed Osama bin Laden. Now, news as crazy as this travels like wildfire. Within hours joyful souls were dancing on ground zero in victory.

My sister and I were talking to an acquaintance, ecstatic about the news and eager to discuss it. The woman looked at us blankly and shook her head. "Aren't you just a little curious as to where the body is?" she asked us. "Don't you think it sounds just a little over planned and sketchy?"

"They dumped the body in the ocean because they don't want to portray him as a martyr," I said, as if the fact were clear as day.

The woman scoffed, "And you seriously believe that? I'll tell you what I think," she continued, "I think bin Laden was dead for years. He couldn't possibly live for so long doing dialysis in a cave. By the time America found him he was dead but since Obama needs the publicity votes for his next election, he lied and said his Navy Seals murdered the terrorist. That is why the body won't be shown."

I think about what the woman just told me, "Why would Obama do that?"

"Because news about his birth certificate is going around again and he needs a distraction that will earn him votes," she told me simply.

The longer I ponder over her words, the longer I think she may be telling some truth. I'm not saying that I believe everything she says but I definitely agree that the details are shady and not everything about the story of Osama bin Laden's death makes sense. I think a picture of his dead body would appease all those who still have even the smallest inkling of doubt. I mean, why is his death that different from Saddam Hussein's death? After all, Hussein's execution is publicized on youtube. Why can't we have one picture to satisfy our needs in regards to Osama bin Laden?

article about Osama bin Laden's death- click here

And the crowd went wild....literally.

Last night I had the first of hopefully many rock memories because last night I attended my first rock concert. The concert, The Dirty Work Tour, consisted of four bands: the Summer Set, Hey Monday, Yellowcard, and All Time Low. Personally, I enjoyed Hey Monday the most but that is not the purpose of my post. Unlike most people, I'd rather talk about the crowd than the actual performers.

The crowd was an act of its own. Fans on top of one another trying to push through to the front. Sweat dripping down their bodies as they nudge and squirm, attempting to move this way and that. One person moves one inch too far to the right and the whole crowd falls in a domino affect. It is like a sea of fish getting swept away by a ferocious wave. Bear in mind that this was all BEFORE the show even started.

Once the show did start, there was absolutely no way of getting any closer to the stage unless you crowd surfed. Yes, there was plenty of crowd surfing during last night's show. You'd actually be surprised if two minutes passed without being kicked by a crowd surfer.

And the cheering. My God, the cheering was music in it of itself. Loud and in sync! The excitement of the fans reflected off the performance of the bands and in all, the atmosphere of the night was wild! Jumping, pushing, crowd surfing, and mosh-pit fighting. All in all, it was a night never to be forgotten.

Lazy Days

I have a theory that lazy days/ pajama days/ whatever-you-want-to-call-not-doing-anything days just get people in a sour mood.

So why do we do it? What's the appeal to do absolutely nothing? Honestly, I have no idea. I think it stems from our fear of what lies ahead of us; whether it be a sports tournament, job interview, or SAT exam. Preparing for that "fright" only makes it that much more a reality (and that is something we definitely don't want).

However, lazying around does absolutely no good for us whatsoever. In fact, I think it actually causes a lot of negative energy and annoyance. Personally, I'd rather face that fear prepared than face it in a bad mood and with a headache (which I always tend to get from doing nothing).

So laziness, your days are over- or at least until I forget how unappealing you are and fall right back into your trap.

A trip to remember

Yesterday I returned from my week long trip to Israel. I went with an advocacy group and attended many pro-Zionism lectures. It was fascinating and definitely the best trip I've ever been on.

Not only is the country beautifully green and lush during the month of February, but its culture and meaning is  clearly displayed for everyone to see. Its history goes back thousands of years and as you walk the streets, dirt paths, and hilltops you can almost see its predecessors walking ahead of you. You can feel the presence of important individuals, such as Abraham or David, haunt the scene and remind you of the holiness of the land.

I know it sounds cliche but I completely fell in love with the land  and I hope to return soon. Israel really is my home away from home and I'm glad this trip opened my eyes to the importance and specialness of my homeland.

Respect

A few days ago my sister gave me a black wristband with thick white letters that read RESPECT. At first I thought the gift was some shallow way of her hinting to my lack of respect but then realized that this band symbolized something bigger than just me and her (even if she didn't know it).

As I glanced at the band a second time I began to wonder if respect and obedience were synonymous or not.

Whenever my siblings or I misbehave my parents call us disobedient. But isn't obedience more of a "blind listening" type of thing? Isn't it done without thinking or without choice? Whenever I think of obedience I think of the good little trained puppy who sits when his owner commands him to and is rewarded with a pet on the head or, if he's lucky, a doggie biscuit.

I don't want to be the obedient little trained puppy. I want to have my own thoughts and not only do what's right because I want a treat or reward. I want to do the right thing because it falls under my system of beliefs; whether that means following a fundamental belief without trouble (like listening to my parents because I agree with them) or letting that fundamental belief supersede a surfacing belief that may seem of utmost importance at the moment (listening to my parents even though I completely disagree). The dilemma regarding my parents comes with a great deal of uncertainty and failure, especially since I often confuse my fundamental and surfacing beliefs. However, once I succeed I know I will elevate myself to the status of respectful daughter. And respect, the act of standing strong to my fundamental beliefs even if it disregards the ones on my surface, is what I strive to live by.

So thank you sister for the wristband. Those white-on-black letters opened my mind to the difference between obedience and respect: one is for a doggie while the other is for me.