Stay classy, Milwaukee

(A bit late, but I only just transferred the pictures from my camera to my computer.)

Teehee

I just learned that there's a "Valhalla Cemetery" in Milwaukee. Awesome.

What is wrong with Wisconsin?

I mean, seriously. Wisconsin has issues with the Hostess company or something. You know, Hostess. The cupcake people.

I have yet to find either Ding Dongs or, more importantly, Hostess Old-Fashioned Glazed Donuts. I CRAVE those donuts more than I ever thought I could crave any type of sweet. And what kind of grocery store doesn't stock Ding Dongs? I thought they were a snack food staple?

What's the point of religion?

What's the point of religion? Is religion something you should just give your whole life over to? What about the lives of your children? I'm not talking about giving up your Sundays to church, or taking the time to pray 5 times a day. I'm talking about murder and torture.

In Wisconsin last week, an eleven year old girl died from Type One diabetes because her family believes in prayer over medicine. Dying from that type of diabetes means that you have been incredibly sick for weeks. It's being reported that she was barely more than a skeletal waif when the authorities found here. It's also important to note that the only reason the authorities went to her home, although they were sadly too late, is because relatives IN CALIFORNIA had heard how sick she was and knew that her parents wouldn't take her to see a doctor. After all, they hadn't taken her to the doctor since she was three. They had also pulled her out of school this semester.

Going on what I've been told, from someone with firsthand evidence, being sick with diabetes like that is extremely painful and a miserable and horrible experience. Those parents tortured their daughter to death because of religion. The thing that makes me the angriest was this quote:

"They said it was the course of action they would take again... They firmly believe even if they had taken her to a doctor, if this was the time God had chosen for her to die, she would die regardless of medical interference."

You know what, fuck that god of theirs. If that's what their god thinks, IT'S THE WRONG GOD. How any parent could ever feel like they shouldn't provide the most basic of care to their child because of religion, then THEY ARE WRONG. Type One diabetes is one of the most treatable illness in the world. Insulin injections and the right diet mean a long, healthy life. They took 50+ years off of their own daughters life because of their selfish religious beliefs.

So... if religion causes parents to torture their children to death... then what's the point of religion? I'm pretty agnostic at this point in my life, but I always thought of religion as something uplifting... something that fills your life with purpose, something that gives your respect for other people and for this planet. I suppose that's a pretty naive view of religion. Religion has been used to enslave people, start wars, murder, terrorize, etc. since recorded history. But... why? What's the point in believing in something bigger than yourself if that's the outcome?

Sometimes I feel that other people think they have no choice but to be religious, or to follow a certain religion. I don't think that's the case. A bad religion is like a bad marriage--it might be painful, and you might have to start over from scratch, but you can leave it. A few months ago, there were lots of stories about the polygamists in Utah/Arizona, and stories about how some people left that religion. It was hard for them. It was tough. But I don't think many people would argue that they aren't better off for doing it.

Maybe I just don't understand that level of religious devotion. Maybe I just don't understand the devotion to a belief that will let your child die when a simple trip to the doctor can save her. Maybe I just don't understand the conviction that a higher power will rain hellfire down on you if you drive your own car.

Maybe I'm better off this way.

Link to article about girl in Wisconsin.

Two of my favorite stories/songs: one, a Judea-Christian flavored very short story, the second, a humanist flavored song by Voltaire.

A man is sitting on top of his house during a flood, praying to God to save him from drowning. As the water rose up over the windows, a canoeist paddled by and offered a ride. The man demurred, saying he was confident his prayers would be answered. As the water came up over the gutters, rescuers in a speedboat stopped - and were told the same thing. As the water lapped at his feet, a helicopter hovered overhead, the pilot imploring him to save himself. He replied that God would take care of that, and was stunned when the waters finally submerged him.

At the end, the drowned man asks God why he hadn't answered his prayers. "I did," comes the response, "I sent you a canoe, a boat and a helicopter."


God Thinks
God thinks all blacks are obsolete farm equipment
God thinks the Jews killed his son and must be punished
God thinks the white man is Satan
God, they know what God thinks

God thinks we should all convert to Judaism
God thinks we must all be Christians and
God thinks we should all embrace Islam
God thinks the only true religion is Hinduism

And I
I know what God thinks
God thinks you're a waste of flesh
God prefers an Atheist

God God
God thinks all people like you are hateful
God thinks all people like you are an embarrassment to creation
self-righteous, judgmental, first to throw a stone
and using His name for your own protection

God thinks the sun revolves around the Earth
God thinks there was something very wrong with Copernicus
God thinks abortion is murder and
God thinks everything that science gave us is wrong
God thinks women deserve it
God thinks AIDS is a form of punishment

I hate people who blame the Devil for their own shortcomings and
I hate people who thank God when things go right

And I
I know what God thinks
God thinks you're an idiot
God prefers a heretic

God God
God thinks all people like you are hateful
God thinks all people like you are an embarrassment to creation
self-righteous, judgmental, first to throw the stone
and using His name for your own agenda

God is a liberal
God is a democrat
God wants you to vote republican
never trust a man who puts his words in the mouth of god
and says it's absolute truth
its lies and it smells like death
its all in a day's work taking money from the poor
Why do you think that God would need your dirty money
if you want to start a holy war?

self-righteous, judgmental, first to throw a stone
and using His name for your own protection

God thinks puppies need to die and
God thinks babies need to drown
'cause God is neither good nor bad
God is you and me
God is Everything

This is how I feel

And Yet They Complain...

about not being able to find (and keep!) qualified teachers:

http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=710766

This is honestly one of the dumbest things I have ever read about education.

He loves his job.
The kids love him.
And they're firing him.

Fun Fact: I live in the same ZIP code he does, only in the Milwaukee part.

A Side-Effect

Today I realized that as a side-effect of leaving my job, I no longer will look at the Journal Sentinel homepage, and see all the shootings that are within a half-mile of my work. The shootings won't stop, sadly, but I never have to come on this side of town again. Thank goodness. It is a bit nerve-wracking to see that most of the homicides and shootings in Milwaukee take place near my work.

The End of an Era

Today is my second to last day of work. I'm so relieved that it is amazing. I never thought much about how much stress my job put on me. It was never the "take your work home with you" type of stress. It was more of the "this is hard, it's not a good fit, I feel like throwing up" when I go to work type of stress. Quitting was the the best thing to do in my situation. My stress level will drop considerably, I can go to school full time and be done in just over a year, and I can pursue night-time activities that I otherwise would have missed (dance classes, for example--I've been wanted to learn belly dancing for years.) And, to be quite frank, me quitting was the best thing for the kids as well.

Last night, as we were getting ready to leave, a 6-year old boy look at me and said "You know, everyone's really glad that you're leaving." He ran away before I could give a response, but I probably would have said "You know, I'm glad too." I've never really made a connection with the kids. I'm not sure how I could have. Before when working with kids, I've always made connections through common ground. "Oh, you play Halo? I did the Library level last night, I love using the shotgun," or "Really? I enjoyed Final Fantasy VIII. I think it only gets a bad rap because of how much people adored VII." or "Of course I know who Korn is!" With this group of kids though... nothing.

I'm not into fashion and hair and make-up, which is what the little girls talk about most of the time. Fair enough, at previous jobs I've always connect with the boys much easier than the girls. Only these boys... not at all. I don't like sports. I don't like rap music. I don't like playing Def Jam Vendetta. I could not find anything in common with them.

They also seemed to resent me when I told them to do something, even if it was as simple as cleaning up their area. Last summer, one of the summer workers, a lady about my mom's age who was a teacher's aide during the school year, told me that in all probability, it honestly had something to do with my race. "They don't want to listen to you because you're white. They try to get away with more stuff." I can see how that could be true, as much as I hate to admit it. My boss or co-work tell the kids to do something, to them it's like a parent or aunt or uncle ordering them around. I tell them to do the same thing, all of a sudden it's this random white chick telling them to clean up after themselves.

I tried. I spent a year and a half trying, although to be quite truthful I wasn't trying very hard this past school year. But there's only so much one person can take. I tried to help the kids out. I tried to show them new stuff and expose them to new things. But I'm sick of trying. That might say something bad about me as a person, but if they don't want my help, it's time I help myself.

Gogo Packers fans...

I know that not all Packers fans are like this... but you never see child abuse over sports in the Northwest. At least, not anything that I've seen reported.

From the Journal Sentinal:

Charge: Dad made son wear Packers jersey
Portage - A 36-year-old man tied up his young son with tape for an hour after the boy refused to wear a Green Bay Packers jersey during the team's game on Saturday, local authorities said.Mathew Kowald, 36, was cited for disorderly conduct in connection with the incident with his 7-year-old son at their home in Pardeeville, Lt. Wayne Smith of the Columbia County Sheriff's Department said. Pardeeville is about 30 miles north of Madison.Kowald was arrested on Monday after the boy's mother, Kowald's wife, told authorities about the incident. Kowald was taken to the county jail and held until Wednesday, when he pleaded no contest, paid a fine of $186 and was released.Kowald's wife filed a restraining order on Wednesday, so Kowald will not be able to have contact with his family, Smith said. Smith said other domestic issues have surfaced, though he wouldn't elaborate.The boy refused to wear the jersey on Saturday, when the Packers beat the Seattle Seahawks in a playoff game, Smith said. The father was accused of restraining the boy for an hour with tape and also taped a jersey onto him during that time.Smith said the incident sounded strange when reported at first, but the mother took pictures with her cell phone and that type of evidence is difficult to dispute.The boy's refusal to wear the jersey may have just been rebellion, he said."We've been unable to uncover any evidence to suggest that this boy was not a Packers fan," Smith said.

Geek is Not an Insult

This is my last week as a literacy specialist at a community center in inner city Milwaukee, although in reality it had more to do with babysitting than literacy. I didn't always get along with the kids. I didn't really understand them, and they didn't really understand me. As I was reflecting about what wisdom might have come from me and creeped into their brains, nestled between the Bratz dolls and the rap music, I came to the conclusion that I hope it was the thing I often said "It's ok to be different." It sounds cheesy and cliche and obvious, but until I worked here, it never really dawned on me how important it was.

Most of these kids come from similar backgrounds. Most are low-income, several from single parent homes. They're all from similar neighborhoods. They're all African-American. They all have similar taste in music--they all like R&B, and then about half like gospel and half like rap. And they will all try to pick on you and try to find out how you're different. Being called a geek or a nerd is one of the biggest insults they use. Last year, a middle school aged boy came here. He was already different than all the kids because his mother was white. His sister blended in quickly with the younger girls--bonding over music and Bratz and jump rope. He had a bit more trouble.

He was smart. He didn't want to hide it, like some of the other kids do. He did well in school. He enjoyed working on the First Lego League team. And, while other the other kids barely knew who "Dark Vader" was, when I said Shaak-Ti, this boy knew who I was talking about. And was picked on mercilessly for it. He was picked on for being smart, for not liking basketball, for liking Star Wars, for his pale skin, for being himself.

You know, this kid was one of the only ones who figured it out. He had it figured out by age eleven. It doesn't matter what other people want you to be. It doesn't matter what everyone else likes. Too bad it's going to take his classmates year to figure that out, if they ever do.