snow, snow and MORE SNOW

So in approximately one month and two days, I will be in London. Can we take a moment and think about how that is absolutely fantastic? Not to mention between now and then I get to be with my best friend AND the entirety of my family in Abu Dhabi. I was planning on packing for temperatures between 40 and 70, but now I find out, the United Kingdom is freezing over for the second year in a row. I suppose I will now actually have to put a bag under the plane. Please, Jesus, let it not be lost in transit on the way to Abu Dhabi or London. I don't mind as much if it's on the way back.

Also, snow in Spokane. In november, we had a good 14 inches, apparently. At school I'd say it was a good foot, maybe 14, but probably not. The trees were covered, and I spent the majority of Thanksgiving break frolicking in the snow with my good friends and roommate. Not to mention some quality time in front of the fireplace pretending to do homework with those same wonderful people :)

Of late, much of my time has been taken up by classes. Something that becomes more and more fascinating to me is city planning. The way that people in the cities interact and how the development of sidewalks and public spaces as well as the downtown has a great affect on the health of a city. I personally would love to live in a city above a coffee shop or restaurant (maybe one I own? That'd be sweet). The redesign of a dying city is an incredible gamble, but I've seen ways that it can pay off, especially through the use of smart growth; the reorganization of downtowns involving planting trees, building with pedestrians in mind first, then public transportation, then cars. It is a way to make cities people-friendly, trying to draw in consumers.

Also, random fact, Cour d'Alene is an area in Idaho about 40 minutes away from school and latest new article coming from there is a snowman shaped like a KKK member holding a noose. I looked up Hate Groups in google after Race and Ethnicity one day out of curiosity to see how prevalent hate groups in the USA are, and I found this map, put up by the Southern Poverty Law Center  which really opened my  eyes to discrimination and prejudice that still exists. So many people think that racism does not exist in the United States anymore. Reality shows us that it most definitely still existent, though now it is more structural racism rather than that found in de jure, lawful, segregation. On my trip to Louisiana, I realized that racism most definitely is present and quite prevalent.

Have you ever wondered why African Americans still make up the majority of the lowest economic classes in America? Pretty much, the system screwed them over. They have less of a wealth base to start off from (based not only on inherited wealth but also educational heritage, oppression, discrimination, racism, etc.) and thus have to work that much harder to reach a lifestyle that most white, middle-class Americans take for granted. I mean, how many times do you get in an elevator and an African American man walks on and you realize that you just clutched your purse  a little bit tighter. That is called internalized stereotyping. My suggestion - get to know someone who is different from you. Maybe you'll be a bit uncomfortable, but don't try and rationalize why 'they' are in their situation and why you are 'better' than them. I know this is something I need to do, and it's not easy. Really learn to appreciate the differences in experience and be willing to find yourself having difficult conversations with people. No one wants to talk about discrimination. It's not fun to know about people having suffered unjust arrests, suspicion from people of the 'majority' or mental and physical violence that they are unnecessarily subjected too, but be willing to listen and learn as well as review your own lifestyle. Accept where there is inequality in privilege and let that spur you to help others find their full potential and more in life. Sometimes, people just want to share their stories but can't find anyone who will really listen.

the amazing things happening in life

This weekend is going to be crazy.

1) Mollie is coming to visit. Ok, main purpose is to go to a wedding, but I'm stoked to see her again
2) Michelle is coming from Lynden! Yeah! SO EXCITED. This is the first time anyone in my family is going to visit me while I'm at school!

Also, today I've been working on a 'Vocational Portfolio' for one of my classes which involves me doing some research on grad schools and career options for sociology majors. I have definitely discovered how stinking excited I am about the possibilities of grad school now. Especially because I found absolutely the perfect program for me at the University of Glasgow: a Masters of Letters in Tourism, Heritage and Development. It covers so many areas that are incredibly interesting to me and I'm pretty sure people can't understand just how stinking excited I am. While I was looking at these programs my thoughts were along the lines of 'holy crap grad school is terrifying' and not exciting at all but now I've found one that isn't just interesting, but it is really, REALLY making me excited about learning!


YES. GOD IS GOOD.

oh to have your school picketed by radicals

So today's big news is this: a not to be named (I'd rather not have hateful comments posted on my blog) institution is going to picket Whitworth, along with Eastern, a Jewish synagogue, Rodgers High School, Gonzaga, Moody Bible Institute and a few other schools/churches in Spokane. I would like to talk about how incredibly ludicrous this is. Their reasoning for picketing Whitworth is this:

*** will picket the allegedly Christian Whitworth University to remind
them that this current generation of young adults were raised to serve
their lusts rather than their Lord.

These college students spend more time pursuing their drunken sins
than their academic studies. Their professors happily teach them the
ubiquitous lie that "it's OK to be gay" and its just fine to flip off
God and mock His servants. The full time occupation of both the
professors and students is to make provision for the flesh, all day,
everyday.

I would like those of you who just read that and got really pissed off to read it again, and then laugh. Because whoever wrote this really, really did not do their homework on Whitworth. Also, they have the vocabulary of a middle schooler "fine to flip off God". The also, in their descriptions of Rodgers, called the students there "brats". It just makes me laugh. And also very sad. I have read many peoples' comments about this and one person was writing (on a facebook group wall) to "remember that they are Christians". As I found out by doing a bit of research, they in fact are technically a cult. Those Christian groups that they like to affiliate themselves with, one being the Primitive Baptists have pretty much all but denounced the group that has broken off of them. You want to talk about extremists giving a bad rap for a religion? Islamists have their militants and Christianity has plenty of people who claim to be a part of the religion that are crazies too. And these people are what the world sees of the base religion - lets think this over and stop making stereotypical assumptions, por favor.

Also, for those people who are deciding to take this as a personal affront to Whitworth: please don't. If you go on their website (which is down right now - hopefully for longer than they would like) and read the reasons for picketing the other places that they will be picketing, it is pretty much the same as Whitworth. In some cases, directly copied and pasted. For this reason, it is obvious that they are saying, and their reasons for picketing Whitworth, they are picketing not because this is truly what Whitworth is supposed to be like, but rather a statement. They get their money off of suing the people that they picket if there is retaliation. So let us all sit and pray that somehow they get the sense knocked into them and their eyes are opened to the wonder that is 'loving your neighbor as you would be loved'.

Good solutions: I like John Stewart's approach. People have talked about how they might carry mirrors out and sit facing the people who are protesting (which is most likely under 10 people) without speaking.  Any other ideas my friends?