Fighting for Red WITH Black, Yellow, White.

I can not describe how angry some pictures made me the other day.

I live in a place that is very close to the University of N**** D*****. In fact, I have a few friends that attend that institution.

I have a problem with their mascot. As you know, it is a 'Fighting Sioux'. Now what is a Sioux, that is a name that white settlers gave to the indigenous tribes that lived around that area when America's colonization was happening.

This mascot is at least doubly offensive to me. First of all, the Sioux is not what those tribes choose to call themselves, they are the Lakota or Dakota people. Second of all, Sioux is a french word derived from a word that translates to enemy.

oh wait, it is more than doubly offensive because the title of the mascot also includes the adverb: FIGHTING.

Now if it was just the Sioux, I think I would be less angry about this. If this was halfway across the world, I probably wouldn't lift a finger to type.

But the Lakota and Dakota people are still around, even in that area, there are some. I consider myself European American, and there is no way that I would think it was funny if someone paraded my ethnicity around in a negative 'fighting' way. Even if it was just for fun, it gives some people the wrong impression of where I could have come from and I want people to judge me for how I act or what I do, not the ethnicity I identifies with in past, present or future. Definitely not because some mascot represented it in a sports game.

Now, a few years ago, it went through the process of getting rid of the name and calling them something unoffensive like the rabbits or you know, concrete rocks. (Man can you imagine playing a team called the concrete rocks---now that's intimidating!)

But so far,it hasn't happened. Some say it is because of the arena that they built for millions of dollars and how it had 'fighting Sioux' all over it. It is also controversial because an Indian tribe approved the name.

Now, just because a tribe approved it, doesn't mean they agree with the terminology, maybe they are hoping for publicity time or education of the students about these issues. Maybe they do not want any negative publicity when they do not approve it. because trust me, I can see some angry college kids doing some damage because of that.

It's still not right to me. Every time I see 'fighting Sioux', I think of the devastation that goes in to the Sioux communities and the negative stereotypes that will affect these communities.

And a lot of people ask me why I care--a white American. And it is an easy answer for me.

Because if it weren't because of the Dakota and the Lakota sacrifices to their culture, population and land, as well as every other tribe in the Americas, I would not be here today. And today, I will stand for them for they are part of me, and I am part of them. Tomorrow I hope my children and grandchildren will continue to fight for tribal recognition and individual rights.

Shoes

One of my greatest faults in my personality is that I am constantly placing myself in other people's shoes.

A fault? How is that a fault?

I know, most of you think that being compassionate to others is a good trait. That trying to understand other people's lifestyles is a good trait.

And usually it would be that.

I empathize with the good guy. I empathize with the bad guy. This makes me conflicted IN EVERY ARGUMENT.

It gets rather annoying. I blame my parents. My father is conservative, my mother a liberal. Do not ask me how it worked. But it has. And they raised me. I don't vote for either party.

I vote though because I like my rights. A hundred years ago, I wouldn't be able to vote. So I am voting now.

Waste of a vote when I vote independent? It probably is. But I disagree with the two party system. I think we need different eyes. Eventually people are going to see that and vote independent with me. Maybe they will vote for me. Who knows?

There is no black and white to any issue. Any one who tells you differently has not looked close enough.

Hear me out: there is no right or wrong. I doubt there ever was.

I can see that. Forgive me for not choosing sides.

Ashamed of Living in this State

I grew up in the greatest state in the United States.

The greatest state until last night, of course.

We think everything is so black and white, democrat and republican, we ignore that their is a lot of grey areas in every issue.

What am I talking about? If you must ask, you should be reading the newspaper.

I'll tell you anyway. Minnesota (my beloved home state) passed an amendment to make marriage between a man and a woman. I can no longer call this my beloved state because I am ashamed of living here. Of being in a state that encourages such definition.

I'm not gonna pretend to know about what is gonna happen. My friends say I can vote no on it in the elections. I will vote no. I will. I will. I will. I don't know much about politics and I vote independent because I see the grey areas in all issues, not the black and white politics. Some say this is a waste of a vote. But I sleep better at not knowing that I didn't vote for the people who make the hateful laws.

I like all people I meet. Yes, I do. In some ways even the most negative encounter I have experienced has made me a better person and I am grateful for that person for helping me become the best person I can be.

And I love my gays. I love my straights. I love my closeted and uncloseted friends.

Here is my video reaction to the amendment. I thought it was suiting that I would have it on my first youtube video. =]

Even after this horrible amendment was passed to the next stage, I still believe that all people are good. Don't get me wrong.

Women As Leaders

What I love about being a woman is that I can care.

A lot of people all over the world say that women can not be a excellent leader because women care too much.

I'm sorry if you think I can not be a leader because I care about the people I lead...Wait, what? I can't comprehend why you think me caring is a bad thing?

I don't know about you, but I want to be working for a leader that has my back. That truly cares about my life.

In politics, I am not going to vote for an individual who does not care about the population of people she is going to represent. Even after I changed the pronoun 'he' to a 'she' in the sentence all I could see was a male figure.

The gender of a person does not matter to me in leaders. As long as she has the people she is representing in mind of that time, that's what matters to me. Those people is what should come first to an individual as a leader. Whether those people be employees, populations, students, residents, clients, whatever it doesn't matter.

What I am trying to say is that leaders need to be more like women. They need to care, they need to have emotions and they need to clean up after themselves and others.

If men started being more caring about others and having more emotions, (and yes, the cleaning does help, too) then our world would be a much better place.

There is a reason why feminism has evolved to be inclusive of so many different issues that may or may not relate to women. It's not because we are women trying to find a cause to fight for, it's because we truly care about people. This is cultural feminism at it's finest. This is what makes feminism so alluring to me, because I'm not just fighting for the rights of women, but I am trying to make every individual's world better.

The thing that is just so ironic about this: Women were born to be caring, they learned it. What is more controversial is that some people who state these views are women as well.

But that's a different post.

Miss Representation

This is what I have been thinking about lately. The fact that women can not be intellectual and be famous. Think of Jersey Shore (though I can argue that neither gender is portrayed as smart in that) and the views of Sarah Palin and other political leaders.

I don't want to dumb myself down in order to be heard. That's just stupid. I'm really excited to see this documentary. I can't wait to tell my own story!

Women can be smart and be famous. Women can do what they want to do. Reach for the moon, ladies. It starts with us.

P.S. At 2 minutes I had to stop. That was not a funny joke!