Stop The Insanity, Your Vote Counts

It is our moral obligation as American citizens to stop the insanity known as Donald Trump. It is mind-boggling that despite his rampant bigotry and insane remarks, he continues to have the constant support of at least one third of the Republican party, and if you think that you are immune to his racism and warped view of the world, think again.

Image Courtesy of Yahoo News

We all know Donald Trump has said some extremely ludicrous things throughout both his campaign and recent history. He began his streak of ignorant statements when he bashed the entire Mexican population.When asked about Mexican immigrants, he said, "They're bringing crime. They're bringing drugs. They're rapists. And some, I assume, are good people." Having annihilated and alienated Mexican-Americans, he then proposed this: "I will build a great wall-and nobody builds walls better than me, believe me- and I'll build them very inexpensively. I will build a great, great wall on our southern border, and I will make Mexico pay for that wall. Mark my words." Great idea Donald! Publicly humiliate and insult an entire nation, and then expect them to build a wall for you! Donald Trump is also a big promoter of the fallacy that all Muslims are terrorists or members of ISIS. He even said that as President, he wouldn't even let Muslims into the country. "Donald Trump is calling for a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States,
 said Trump the egotistic manic talking in third person. He honestly believes that every Muslim that enters this country is going to end up bombing a building, and it is shocking to me that someone running for President can actually be that ignorant. As if that were not enough, Trump constantly insults women, and he basically sees them as property and eye candy. At one of his rallies, he claimed that Hillary Clinton "got schlonged" in her 2008 Democratic Primary race. Trump has also compared women to inanimate pieces of objects and said that "a young and beautiful piece of ass" is all that you need in life as a man.

Image Courtesy of GQIndia

What bothers me most about Donald Trump, however, is that he is being deliberately cruel to many of the people that he meets. When he says these hurtful and mean things, I don't believe he is being honest or blunt. When someone returns the favor and gives him a piece of their mind, he results to childish insults. He never just simply disagrees, but always attacks someone when he feels challenged. He would never be fit to lead this country.

As citizens, we all have the power to make a change. Our power is in our ability to cast a vote. This election cycle, anyone who stands by and watches a racist dictator potentially become the President of the most powerful nation in the world, has no one to blame but themselves. In Utah, we get to voice our opinions on who becomes our nominee for President of the United States, on Tuesday, March 22. Let's make sure we get out as many people as possible to go to the caucuses to cast their ballot for anyone but Donald Trump. The Democratic Caucuses will be held at Ecker Hill Middle School at 6 pm and the Republican Caucuses will be held at Park City High School at 6 pm. Talk to your parents and anyone you know that is eligible to vote to go out there and make a difference. Let us hope that the person that will represent the United States is someone who believes in the values of our founding fathers, that were based on the premise that our country is made up of immigrants and that we are open to all schools of thought. Racist, sexist, and ignorant bigots do not make for good leaders, let alone President of the United States.

If you want anymore information on the Democratic or Republican Caucuses, you can click on their respective links.

My First Battle With The Flu

Body aches, tissues, Advil, and no desire to do anything whatsoever. If you've ever had the flu, you'll know exactly what I'm talking about. I recently just recovered from my first battle with the flu, and let me tell you, it is definitely not a fun experience.

The flu isn't just your average sniffle and cough. On top of those usually annoying symptoms, your body is either burning like hell, or as cold as the North Pole. I recall waking up randomly in the middle of the night, sweating profusely, shaking, and not quite sure where I was. Having mustered all the energy I could find, a voice I hardly recognized as my own squealed, "Mom! Help me! I have no idea what's going on! I'm burning up." These are the moments when even an adolescent such as myself is grateful for the wealth of knowledge and the comforting voice of a mother who reassuringly says, "Everything is going to be okay." Two doses of Advil and Theraflu and fifteen minutes of cold presses on my forehead that felt more like ice buckets, given my 105 degree fever, and I finally began to feel a semblance of relief. Although the fever had subsided, your average cold symptoms did not. I went through what felt like two thousand boxes of tissues, and coughed my guts out; not to mention the missing skin under my nose. What's that all about? As if the body aches were not enough, you also have to feel a burning sensation on your raw nostrils from blowing your nose. You can read more about my terrible symptoms here.

Image Courtesy of The Glow

All this made me start to think, what did people do before the invention of Advil, Theraflu, cough syrup, tissues, and Vicks? How did their aching bodies, runny noses, and congested lungs heal without modern medicine? Did they just sit there and wait to be cured?

Another downside to the flu and being sick in general is that if you're sick enough and that thermometer reads a high temperature, you're going to miss some school. Missing school means mountains and mountains of homework and tests that you have to make up. Usually, the work is overwhelming in quantity, but is pretty simple to do. Unfortunately, I missed three days of school leading up to finals week, so I'm going to have to make up the work as I study and take my finals which make or break my GPA for the quarter.

All in all, when it comes to being sick, the flu was probably one of my worst experiences yet. Now if you'll excuse me, I have ten more assignments to catch up on.

Gratitude

Parents. Can't live with them, and can't live without them. As teens, many of us tend to distance ourselves from our beloved parents. They annoy us, they embarrass us, and they always manage to say exactly the wrong thing at the wrong time. The truth is, regardless of the raging hormones and emotional ups and downs, when I'm really honest with myself, I couldn't be more grateful for having two people in my life who always put my needs before their own.

My mom and dad are truly selfless when it comes to my sister and I. They exemplify the meaning of unconditional love. I always know that they have my back no matter what I've done, and if I have a moment of self doubt, they are always there to let me know that anything is possible and they will be by my side. This morning I was looking at childhood photo albums. It warmed my heart to see photos of my parents fully engaged in everything I did. My father gave up his time to coach my soccer team with patience and kindness. My mother was my biggest cheerleader (though at times embarrassing) and never missed a game. Growing up, and even now, I have always depended on their wisdom and great advice when it came to school. My father, the math wiz, and my mother, the writing guru, have helped me throughout my educational career.

My Family

Sometimes I feel like instead of making life difficult for our parents, criticizing them for the smallest things they say, rolling our eyes, and slamming our doors, we should take a moment of self reflection, to think about those who don't have doting parents fulfilling their every need. Instead of taking our parents for granted, we should appreciate their love and compassion, and treat them with the respect they deserve. Being a parent is not an easy task, and believe me, we can be a handful at our age to say the least. I suppose the next time we have the urge to roll our eyes or talk back or ignore a request, we should take a deep breath and instead practice gratitude and compassion. 

I, for one, am grateful to have two of the most loving, caring, understanding, and dedicated parents on the planet. My mom always says,"That it's not a popularity contest; that at times she may say things that I don't like or may even believe are unfair. But someday, I will realize that she's doing it for my best interest." That day is now, for I am truly aware that they have my best interest at heart and I am forever grateful for their presence in my life.

I love you Mom and Dad. Thank you for being you.