Graceland

There is a girl in New York City, Who calls herself the human trampoline,
And sometimes when I'm falling flying, Or tumbling in turmoil I say-
Whoa so this is what she means.

Paul Simon

Sunday, July 25, 2010

Wednesday, April 2nd 2003

Dear Journal,
I still can't believe how much fun I had with my mom last night! Drinking with her at Carmine's was just too funny! She really is cool, I can tell her stuff, like real stuff. It's nice to have such a good relationship with her. It's gonna be hard up at school next year, having to really be an adult, having no mommy around when I don't feel good - it's scary!
Today at the shelter we met some new kids and they were absolutely the sweetest kids! Some of the children there impress me so much but I can't help worrying about them.
We also finished watching American History X today in my Great Moral Issues class. It was an absolutely amazing movie. Once it ended it was one of those movies where you had to just kind of sit there and absorb everything you had just seen.
"Hate is baggage." It really was an amazing movie, about a white supremacist who realize that hate is really just a vicious cycle that can never end, especially not peacefully. Another topic the movie touched upon slightly was affirmative action, something we have also been discussing in class. What scares me is how ignorant some people are. I'm a white girl living in suburban Long Island with so much opportunity at my fingertips. White kids act like affirmative action is oppressing us and that is such whiney bullshit. I see the children at the shelter and the fact is, most of them are black of hispanic and their parents are ignorant. They have so much potential yet very little chance in this world. Affirmative action is for children like them who need that extra hand. They need help. We see them once a week and it's just not enough at all. Someone needs to reach them but chances are, nobody will. So because of this oppression they will be under-qualified. That's why we have affirmative action. It shouldn't be about race it should be about poverty, education and living conditions, but it is far too often that poor living conditions and race go hand-in-hand. I don't know a single white kid whose life has gone down the drain because affirmative action somehow fucked them over. Everyone needs to stop whining and understand that something needs to be done and unless they have a better idea they should shut their mouths.

Laura Leigh

I was much more idealistic as a teenager. Some might say a little more naive. I even liked children back then. Oh well.

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