We Have a Voice, Now Use It

It amazes me sometimes how teenagers today hide their voice when they disagree with things or issues. Teens, don’t be. We’re not afraid to give our parents a piece of our mind sometimes, why be afraid of giving others that same voicing opinion to? You should be proud of yourself when you take that plunge and speak up.

I recently encountered an issue at my new school. An issue concerning prom and where it was to be held at. I listened to a lot of bickering between students on how unfair it was to get their prom at what we call a ‘Officers Club’ on the Air Base here in Germany when they spent a lot of time and fundraising on getting last years prom to get it on a cruise boat. Here juniors plan the prom, the fundraising for it as well. But the only issue was, juniors this year weren’t doing a very good job as the seniors did last year.

All in all, even with prom around the corner, nobody said anything to anybody except the bickering between themselves. When I stepped up and finally said something, even being new to the school and the issue, I was amazed to see people actually scared to step up and say what they’ve said behind the scenes. Nobody wanted to step up because they believed in the short amount of time to prom, there was no changing it. Then why waste time bickering? If you want something changed, last minute or not, stand up and fight for that change. If you don’t agree with juniors running YOUR senior prom, whether it’s the day before prom or after prom, say something. Maybe in years to come, they can change it for other seniors. But if your going to sit there and bicker, but not voice your opinion to challenge change, what’s the point of bickering then? What’s the point of using your voice if your not going to stand up and actually use it? We were given this right were we not?

Whether you may think the issue is small, whether you think nobody will listen or understand, whether it’s an issue that’s been stuck on your mind for months or just something you want to express your concern about..use your voice and say it. Never be scared to voice your opinion or concern, you never know, the guy next to you may be thinking the same thing and grateful you said something.

Learn and Grow

The biggest regret is knowing you’ve made a mistake, but making that same mistake again. High school is a time where every teenager makes mistakes, college is where you grow and make some more. After college is where you process what you’ve learned and move forward to the future. It’s okay to make mistakes, but learn from them. 

Parents, I know it’s hard, especially this time of year where senior parents are now realizing that most of their seniors are heading off to college. This is where you need to let them be, and do their own thing. You cannot learn from a mistake if you don’t make the mistake yourself. Let them make their mistakes, let them learn from them. You gave them your advice, you’ve pushed them in what you thought was the right direction, taught them lessons you think they’ll need, but this is where they decide if they’ll use your advice and lessons or if they’ll make their own advice and their own lessons. You have to let them do that or what advice will they have of their own? I know it’s hard, heck I hear enough of it from my own parents. It’s okay to worry, you think we don’t see it, but we do. We’ve heard you those times where you think we don’t listen and continue typing on our phones. We’ve heard you when you tell us ‘I’m not making you do chores just to do ‘em, some day you’ll need to know this’ or the famous, ‘I was a teenager once too.’ We’ve heard your stories, your advice and your lessons that you’ve taught yourself. We understand you don’t want us to live through the mistakes you’ve made. But parents you have to understand, we can’t learn what you’ve learned if we don’t go out there making those mistakes too. 

The ‘college life’ is the part in your life that you can’t miss out on. It’s the biggest part of anybodies life. It’s where you learn just how important studying really and truly is, where you get invited to parties that don’t involve a bonfire and pick up truck in somebodies back yard, but in a dorm; where you learn how to really budget money because you don’t have that fast cash from your parents if you forget your lunch. It’s where you learn to make new friends, life lasting friends that are just as happy to get out of high school as you are. The same ones who are experiencing the same change just as you are. College is where you sit in a classroom with a professor who teaches not tutors and you realize just how important it is to really pay attention in class and not sneak texts here and there. College is all about mistakes and learning, but it’s up to us to make ‘em and grow from them. 

Learn from your mistakes teens, don’t be stupid enough to make the same ones. If you do, make sure theres a big a lesson you learned after it.

Gun Control

 

The most talked about, discussed, debated, picked apart topic of the year. Why is that? Under the Constitution, it clearly states, that we as American citizens are given the right to ‘bear arms.’ So why is gun control something to even discuss? Guns can’t pull the trigger themselves, the person behind it does. Those people, those suspects, rather die than face the actions they’ve made. How will we know why then? Isn’t that what we all want? Somebody to put forth the blame, but the suspects never tell or live to tell, so the blame is put forth towards the weapon used. Guns, most often used weapon. We’ve had tragic events happen lately, ones that you can’t even stomach to think about.

There is a time where we morn, a time where we weep, a time where we reflect. Columbine High School 1999, Auroa Colorado 2012, Newtown Connecticut 2012, Chicago (nearly 90 homicides just this year), Kansas City 2012 (drive by shooting 2 people killed), Toronto 2012 (owning an unauthorized gun), North Oakwood 2013 (32nd homicide this year), Las Vegas 2012 (shooting that killed 3 people), Brooklyn 2012 ( 5 men killed), Chicago 2012(7 wounded from shooting), Charlotte 2012(5 injured from a house shooting), and much much more.  These towns, these cities, these states; all have a time of mourning, of weeping, of reflection; they deserve that time when tragic events strike. They have time to figure out the answer as to why, even if they can’t find it. We, as a nation, are quick to put forth blame when tragedy strikes. We did it on 9/11 with muslims; we’re doing it now with guns. When one or two people think they have the right to inflict pain onto others; that folks is something that needs to be stopped. But we need to start putting the blame where blame needs to be put.

Three shootings that have gone national are the first three that I mentioned.  That is the blame right there and we don’t even see it. Why? I ask why because I want to know why we are making suspects more famous than celebrities? Why we are putting so much effort and focus on gun control and not more focus on law enforcement? The police officers and detectives who seek out the bad guys but can only do so much with the funds and boundaries they have. We can’t fix gun laws, nor change them, it’s our constitutional right and that cannot be taken away. But the guys controlling the trigger in means to make harm, that we can control. That we can do something about instead of wasting out time putting blame where blame does not need to be.

I know there are those out there who believe gun control will fix all kinds of violence, will be the end to all tragedy and pain. I mean think of the victims and innocence that have been violated. Take a moment and think. Will gun control really fix things? Three things we don’t allow in this country, drugs, prostitution and human trafficking. Big ‘no no’s. But where can you get all that stuff? Mexico and the black market. It seems to be quite easy too, can it not be just as easy when we put guns in the mix? Those who sell and smuggle these illegal things will now have guns along with it. You give em that, we have a bigger issue on our hands, if we don’t already. You see, we make guns illegal, just as we do with these other illegal things, then we won’t know who has what gun just like we do with drugs, prostitution and human trafficking. ‘Oh, but of course not, that won’t happen’ is probably what most people who are for gun control are thinking. Sad to say and stomach, but quite frankly, if it’s this easy to get drugs, it’ll be even more easy to get guns.

Now there’s the question of limiting who has the right to guns. Why is that even an option again? America, it is our constitutional right. We need to stop focusing on the inevitable and focus on what we CAN do. What we can do is make legislation to better pay law enforcement, to get them better equipment, better services and boundaries more spread out. We as the people are the only ones who can help this, like I said before, it is not the gun that pulls their own trigger, it’ the person behind it that does. Let’s focus more on catching those people rather than catching the gun.

Drinking Age

The basic towns in Germany. Very pretty at night. Also a great site at the common festivals they have (i.e. this night picture in one town was at a wine festival).

As you all know, I’ve spent the last 7 months here in Germany. I’ve failed to keep my articles running, due to the busy senior year and exploring I’ve encountered here. Once you’ve lived in a different country, you come to see things differently than you would just passing by on vacation. Things like, how there aren’t many police officers driving around, but speed signs with cameras to keep your speed in check. The fact that ALL stores are closed on Sundays because it is considered ‘Gods Day.’ No exceptions. How taxes in Germany are so outrageous, but many benefits come from it. How Germans focus more on the economy, such as recycling and green energy, that no matter where you go you’ll see a solar panel, wind mill or three different types of recycling garbage cans. (They take it seriously too, if the garbage truck guys find food in the ‘plastic’ bin, they’ll be sure to let you know the next morning!) What catches my eye the most though is the drinking age.

In America the legal age to drink is 21, although most teenagers don’t follow that law and I know, the anticipation of reaching that age is just too much that in turn, we have underage drinking. Why is that? In Germany, the legal age to drink beer is 16 and for liquor 18. Germans grow up with the idea that drinking is just that, drinking. It’s just another drink that quenches your thirst. Not a big thing, not a party when you reach 16, not excitement when you reach 21, not a drunken night when you reach 18; it’s just that, a drink. You walk in the airport, grocery store or even Church, you’ll find people with a beer in their hand. Like I’ve said, it’s just a drink to them. When you go to the bars here or the clubs, what you see is the Americans here that visit or from around the area who can’t seem to handle their drink and go crazy because well, their legal here! What I see when I go to high school parties here, is the same exact thing. Why is that? Why is it that Germans seem to have it under control, not have too many ‘DUI’s’ or problems with people drinking? Is it the philosophy they seem to have discovered that America is missing out on? Should we lower the drinking age, not put such a concern on it and let teenagers drink at the age 16? Do you think the anticipation and rebellion will stop then? Would teenagers stop looking forward to it if we stop making it a big deal? Germans seem to have it under control, can we follow in their foot steps and get America under control as well?

America is Hanging By a Thread

Our ancestors before us created a flag to represent our freedom, a Constitution to amend by, the Bill of Rights to ensure our rights, a Pledge of Allegiance to say, and a National Anthem to sing. How many people actually know word for word the Pledge of Allegiance or even the National Anthem? How many schools today actually have their students say the Pledge of Allegiance every morning? How many don’t? How many times has our Supreme Court or President changed or created amendments that do not follow our Constitution? Our founding fathers and our ancestors sacrificed many things in order for the United States to have and to uphold these freedoms and yet, today we are ignoring the more important freedoms. Soon, freedoms such as freedom of speech and religion will dwindle down to ‘you keep it in your head.’ Bill of Rights: Freedom of Religion, Press and Expression: ‘Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or the press, or the right the people peaceably to assemble and to petition the Government for a redress of grievance.’ Oh, sure have freedom of Religion and Speech, just not in schools right? Sure, write and say what you want, just make sure it is what we want to hear. Why do people lie in newspapers and on the news channels? Because if they do tell the truth, quite frankly America, it won’t be what you want to hear or what Congress and the President want you to hear.  Freedom of Press will soon become, ‘don’t really say the truth, and just tell America what they really want to hear.’ What are we doing America? Our ancestors and Founding Fathers created these documents to ensure Americas people the freedoms and rights in the future. The future is today folks, and what has happened to our freedoms?

Bill of Rights: Right to Bear Arms. ‘A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.’ We have military today that sacrifice just as much, if not more, than our ancestors did. We are fighting a fight, not just to fight it, but to keep fights from happening in our land; in our country. You may disagree and want our military men and women to come back home, but let me ask you something. If that is the case, do you want another 9/11 to happen? Do you want other countries now coming at us on our land? Do you want the fight to happen here rather than there or elsewhere? Because that is EXACTLY what will happen and you don’t even realize it. We would be basically giving other countries the opportunity to create another 9/11..and if that happens then what? We went and fought again after the twin towers had fallen to the ground.  America was all for that! But now that the fight has gone on longer than America expected; we got scared and want to back out. If we back out now, what other towers will fall? What other people will get killed? I am thankful for our military, thankful that they have the guts and respect for our country to be out there sacrificing their life for people like the Supreme Court and the Government who are trying to change our freedoms today. Who think it is okay that kids today don’t know the Pledge of Allegiance in schools every morning? That it’s okay that if you do say the Pledge of Allegiance, you can skip the word ‘God.’ That it’s not okay to have freedom of speech when you are ‘bashing’ or saying the truth about what is really going on with not just the government, but school or town officials. That it’s not okay that you write something in a newspaper or online that bashes the authority class. That it’s not okay to say the truth if somebody’s reputation will be affected, and yes folks, that is not allowed and you can go to jail for that (defamation-persons reputation protected by laws). That finally, it is okay to change and make amendments to our Constitution or create laws that ignore our freedoms. Are we seriously allowing this? Are people today so far into taking the word ‘freedom’ and making it mean so many other things than what it really entitles. Come on folks, this is our country that was founded on freedom alone and yet, we are actually allowing these freedoms to be taken away from us right from under our noses? Or allowing laws to happen that people say give us more freedom, when in reality it does just the opposite. Students, wake up. Actually realize what is going on around you because this, my friends, is our future and it will only keep getting worse if we don’t change it. Generations before us have failed us in allowing this to go on, it is our generation to change it or the United States of America as we know it, will be in a quite a big pickle. How many more years will we let this go on? Will it be until we bring home all of our troops and realize oh, wait who’s out there defending us now? Will it be until the Congress and President have full control over what freedoms we have and what rights are given out? Wake up American students and even adults, this is 2013 and unless you want to make it to the year 2014 with all our freedoms and rights in hand, I suggest we get off our butts and speak up. Do something, say something, or else this will not change. We will keep allowing the ones who already have too much control, have even more until they have it all.

Goodbye America!

Yes, that’s right. Goodbye American, hello Germany! It’s not what you think though, I won’t be going as an exchange student or going for a vacation, I’ll be going for a year to live with my family at an active duty Amerian airbase.

                My step dad got offered a job in Germany at an airbase and not wanting to pass up this once in a life time opportunity, I decided to go with them (my step dad, mom, and some of my brothers).  Although, I’m not too happy about missing out on my senior year with my friends, I think it’s the perfect time to get away.

                I may be gone for a year, but I’ve discussed with my editor about still writing for the paper. I will still write about teen issues but, the difference in teen issues over there compared to Milan. I will also write about the experience I will be having there, such as culture and differences between America and Germany. I’ll be writing two columns which means I’ll also have two different blogs.  One of the columbs will be called ‘An American Teen in Germany’ (where I will be writing about the differences in school and teen issues), while the other will still be ‘Big Red Country.’ That column will be all about the experience!

                To all my readers, I hope you continue reading my columns! You might actually get a feel of what it’s like in Germany. So, keep an eye out for me in the newspaper!

Suicide Awareness Day

This Monday, September 10, 2012; we celebrated a ‘Suicide Awareness Day.’ Suicide Awareness Day is suppose to be a day where basically you remember those who’ve taken their lives, and you try to think about ways to prevent suicide…but really shouldn’t we be doing this everyday? Having a close friend whose taken their life, you don’t ever forget that friend. You also have questions that you wish they answered for you before they took their life. Questions like why? How? How couldn’t you see it coming? How could you have prevented it? Why did they do this? What must have they felt in order to do that to themselves? Why…What…How? Those questions we never know and they will never be answered. But one can be how to prevent it.

Nobody knows what goes on in somebody else’s head, what they must be thinking or how they must feel. To take your life, they must have felt and thought something that they assumed nobody could help them with. Nobody could fix. It’s a scary thing, to know that somebody close to you thought or felt that way. It’s hard to ask yourself if you could have helped, could have fixed it…if they only came to you and asked. But more often then not, they don’t ask. They hide and that’s when you should start asking them questions.

Preventing something that’s sky rocketed within the last few years seems hard to do. But I have faith that we can do it. We, as a community and possibly as a Nation, need to open our eyes and ears. We need to open our eyes when we see somebody sulking in a corner, sulking in their bedroom, see how distant they become from us, see how little interest they start having in things you thought they use to love, see the change in them before you can’t anymore. Hear what words they use, the anger that might come out of them, hear the silence when they create it, hear the silent pleas or the loud ones that you ignore and say it’s nothing. Hear, and listen. That’s how we can prevent it and that’s how we can stop it.

            It’s always simple to listen to somebody when it’s something you want to hear. The hard thing is, when it’s something you don’t want to hear. That is when we stop listening and we start ignoring. We can’t do that anymore, in order to prevent something this extreme from happening we need to open our eyes and ears…not close them when we see fit.

            To most, suicide is a ‘hush hush’ topic, but this topic is one of the highest topics that NEED to be talked about. Please, keep your ears open and your eyes acute to those who are pleading for somebody to see and listen to them. Because we may be able to answer their questions before we aren’t able to get an answer and when that happens, be proud of yourself for stepping in when you did…you just prevented an on going cause.

We are living in the “now”

Future-teens rather live in the present and ignore planning for the future. We think about “now,” live in the “moment,” and we should. We’re young and allowed to have that mindset. But, when you get older and take a step into the “future”- you’re gonna’ wish you had a plan for it. You can do the first step plan- deciding if your going to college or not. That in itself is not only a big plan, but it’s a big issue. Not all of us who graduate high school plan on going to college. That’s okay!

   Another big step is deciding what your career is going to be. We all have dreams and things we wish to be. They range from following in your parents footsteps or taking a big leap in joining the military. Down this road, you’ll change what you want to do many times. You’ll discover your talents, you’ll realize what your good at and what your not. You’ll see the options that are out there, but always keep in mind, the career that you do choose to stick with in the end…make sure it’s the one YOU want and enjoy doing.

   Although were young and for most still naive, it’s not a bad thing to keep in mind a plan for the future. Listen to your parents, come to find out most of the time they are right. But don’t give them the satisfaction of knowing that of course.

Texting Rumors

     For the most part, every teenager has a cell phone that has texting on it. It’s quick and easy to send something to someone without spending more time picking up the phone and calling them. With texting as good as it is to have it quick and easy- you need to be careful. It’s so easy to speak something about somebody else through casual talk just as easy as it is to blurt out words on a text message. Once it’s written down on paper or a text message-you can’t take back. No matter how many JK’s (just kidding) you might say..that doesn’t erase what you’ve sent. In either circumstance you can’t take those words back, but with texting you are now subject to having that message forever out there.

     Texting is another piece of technology out there that has created another opportunity for bullying to happen. How?  Because teens find it easier to write something offensive and mean to somebody they don’t see. So, they don’t have to say it to their face. Bullying has now become ‘quick’ and ‘easy.’ Am I right? Every teenager is guilty of this. It is so much easier to start a rumor with the click of a button. We have heard something somebody else said,believe it’s the truth, and instantly rely on a text message to solve it. I think whats worse than bullying face to face is bullying through text messaging. At least having it done face to face gives the option of others around you to see it go on. Bullying through text messaging-most of the time go un-seen. Do you know that your awful action caused someone so much pain they resorted to end their life because of one text you sent. One word you might have said. One look you might have given. You just never know how somebody else could take it, so why take that risk? Is it worth it? True, not everybody will resort to that, but do you want to be the one to push them over the edge? Would you want somebody to say or do what you do to others to yourself? How would you feel?How would you take it?

    Words hurt and it’s words you can’t ever take back. Be careful of what you say or what you ‘text.’ Treat others how you yourself would want to be treated. It’s that simple.

Texting Rumors

     For the most part, every teenager has a cell phone that has texting on it. It’s quick and easy to send something to someone without spending more time picking up the phone and calling them. With texting as good as it is to have it quick and easy- you need to be careful. It’s so easy to speak something about somebody else through casual talk just as easy as it is to blurt out words on a text message. Once it’s written down on paper or a text message-you can’t take back. No matter how many JK’s (just kidding) you might say..that doesn’t erase what you’ve sent. In either circumstance you can’t take those words back, but with texting you are now subject to having that message forever out there.

     Texting is another piece of technology out there that has created another opportunity for bullying to happen. How?  Because teens find it easier to write something offensive and mean to somebody they don’t see. So, they don’t have to say it to their face. Bullying has now become ‘quick’ and ‘easy.’ Am I right? Every teenager is guilty of this. It is so much easier to start a rumor with the click of a button. We have heard something somebody else said,believe it’s the truth, and instantly rely on a text message to solve it. I think whats worse than bullying face to face is bullying through text messaging. At least having it done face to face gives the option of others around you to see it go on. Bullying through text messaging-most of the time go un-seen. Do you know that your awful action caused someone so much pain they resorted to end their life because of one text you sent. One word you might have said. One look you might have given. You just never know how somebody else could take it, so why take that risk? Is it worth it? True, not everybody will resort to that, but do you want to be the one to push them over the edge? Would you want somebody to say or do what you do to others to yourself? How would you feel?How would you take it?

    Words hurt and it’s words you can’t ever take back. Be careful of what you say or what you ‘text.’ Treat others how you yourself would want to be treated. It’s that simple.