Faith.

I just caught the last bit of the Q&A Faith special (polly free!) - must find the repeat somewhere and watch it in full. And I also watched tonight's episode of Can of Worms. Oh, and I also watched Masterchef :) I swear, they're setting it up to make it look like Ellie and Hayden seriously have something going on - whether that's the case or no I'm in the dark as much as you are.

Anyway, so the two main arguments from Q&A concerned Children and Religion and Women and Islam - two very controversial topics.

I am an advocate of secular education and I believe that religious education is completely inappropriate for government-funded, supposedly secular multicultural public schools. I also think that school prayers, etc. are completely out of whack too - and I speak from personal experience. Private schools here offer sex-segregated, religious-based education, and that's fine - because, after all, that is what a private school is and is marketed to be. But as an atheist, a second-generation immigrant and, particularly, a non-Christian, I was offended by the religious (Christian and televangical) undertones of my school. Religious people have no right to preach their religion to anyone, especially the young impressionable minds of children that are so easily indoctrinated, brainwashed and intimidated.

Children do not understand religion, and I believe it is unfair that children are expected to blindly follow whatever religion that they are born into via the family and the community. Religion, or the lack of it, is a choice; a choice that must be made when the time is right. Religion is dangerous when misunderstood or followed blindly; and the innocence/ignorance of childhood cannot mix properly with the complexity of spirituality. There have been things in my life that has persuaded me to turn my back on religion entirely, and I have absolutely no qualms doing so - religious freedom, like so many other things, is a right that I deserve to have. I've grown up in a largely Christian Anglo-Saxon community, but I reserve my right to be an atheist. My family is Asian and non-religious Buddhists, but I still reserve my right to be an atheist. Even though I am underaged and living in this community, living in this family. Because despite our membership and our allegiance to our kin and to society as a whole, we are all individuals regardless of who we are and how old we are. Whilst it is impossible to remove family impact on religion and religious choices, parents should always keep in mind that at all stages of childhood and adulthood, your child is an independent human being and the most precious gift you can give them is choice.

As for the other matter, perhaps it is more complex. Islam has garnered a reputation for misogyny and the suppression of women's rights, and I believe that this reputation is not wholly deserved or undeserved. The nature of Islam certainly has the potential to lead to the mistreatment of women (and humans in general) and this is certainly the case during the Taliban regime and other times and places; but then, this holds true for almost all religions. During my short life I have not known many Muslims, but the girls I do/have know/n are perfectly normal and aren't mistreated at all - so it is a very foolish assumption that all Islamic women are treated badly, especially here in Australia. As for the wearing of headgear and facial covering for religious reasons, I don't agree with it, but I understand the logic behind it and I respect everybody's right to wear whatever they want for whatever reason. As for the Islamic headscarf in particular, as a feminist I don't think that wearing it purely so that God will love you or others will love you or you think that people will only think well of you if you wear it is right, and I certainly don't agree with the wearing of any religious gear being forced upon anyone, especially onto women by men. If women feel obliged to cover up because of the sexualisation of society and the increasingly lewd behaviour of men, well, that's a sad reflection on the world, isn't it? But if any garments, religious or otherwise, are worn as a free and independent choice then, as a feminist and as a person, why not?

I have pretty strong religious opinions...actually, I have pretty strong opinions about everything. But above everything I am a humanist, and I believe human rights should be respected above everything. And so, I believe that everyone is allowed to do anything they want, as long as they do not impinge on the rights and freedoms of others.

Third-Wave Feminism.

I know men are scared of feminism.

Everything from homosexuality to the Carbon Tax is muddled with misconceptions - anything remotely controversial has sprouted almost every myth and legend possible. Men do not fear women, or the empowerment of women per se - they fear the unknown. We all do.

We've lived a particular way for milennia - we've always lived in a world where men rule. Men still rule, even though they've taken to pretending otherwise. The fact remains that the sex war is, my friends, far from over.

Nobody asks 'what is feminism?' anymore, because we all think we know it. But the truth is, hardly anybody I talk to truly knows the pure goal of feminism. Feminists, such as myself, aim to discover an equal society based on mutual respect between men and women. We don't want to see a shift in power; we want to see a balance of power.

See, now, that isn't so radical, is it?

Equality is not exactly doing the exact same thing, or being counted as one and the same. Of course the sexes are distinc, separate and...beautiful in their own way. But difference should not lead to inequality as it has done across the time and geography of history.

People often ask why, if given the opportunity, I would not be in favour of a heavily matriarchal or gynocentric society. The answer is simple: power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. We can quibble as to which sex, if any, is more resilient towards power and corruption; but we must agree that we will all eventually fall to the forbidden fruit. Equity, fair distribution of power, equal rights and societal respect of the genders is the only way forward.

I feel that laws may have changed in our favour, but societal values have not. I'm still more an object than a person, and I feel as if women have no socially acceptable way to express their sexuality without being labled in ways that men are not subjected to. I feel almost as if we have a predisposition to favour female purity and turn a blind eye at male promiscuity. Puberty hits us all, you know. At the moment this is the main reason why I consider myself a feminist - the inequality in the societal expectations of male and female sexuality is astounding in a community that considers itself liberal and sophisticated.

I've been attacked fairly often for my feminist stance, but more often than not it's not because of what I believe in and what I stand for, but because they think I subscribe to some lesbian female domination theory etc. etc. I'm not a feminazi, and it's unfair that I am treated as such. I am only trying to stand up for my legal and societal rights. I have the right to be equal to any man who thinks he can better me.

Not so long ago suffragettes were faced with imprisonment and torture for standing up for what is right. Now we the third-wave feminists suffer utter indifference. I feel as if nobody cares about the thousands of women, every day, who are objectified, suppressed, raped, denied their basic rights. Even I, as a relatively well-off, educated girl in a wealthy society, face the senseless discrimination just because I am a woman and proud of it. Not only do we not care about this, we pretend that the situation is otherwise. We are far from equality, so why do we say we are? Look me in the eye and tell me that we've reached what is obviously a far-off goal. We the mothers of humankind should not have to put up with this - I have the right to be what I am and not be branded as a slut, or a feminazi. I am not a nun; I am not made of stone. I have the right to be human.

Good Music for the Holidays :)

Blue King Brown feat. Queen Ifrica: Women's Revolution (Reggae)



"in our resistance freedom finds a place to dream..."

Queen: Bohemian Rhapsody (Rock)



"I don't wanna die, but sometimes I wish I'd never been born at all..."

The Masterchef Holy Pickle

Yes, I am one of those people who watches Masterchef.

It really shouldn't be a big deal, but I go to a school where everything mainstream is being shunned for the sake of being mainstream. Like, seriously, I think we're gonna start shitting in the park because too many people use toilets.

Anyway, the Dalai Lama is set to appear on an upcoming episode, and the challenge is to cook a vegetarian dish for him and Kylie Kwong - vegetarianism is a part of strict Buddhism, which is kind of expected of His Holiness. But what's even more wacko than the Dalai Lama appearing on Masterchef is the fact that one of the contestants refused to address the Dalai Lama as 'His Holiness'.

I no longer consider myself a Buddhist, but it would nonetheless be an honour to meet the Dalai Lama and I would of course observe all the formalities.You just have to refer to the Dalai Lama as 'His Holiness', just like you refer to the Queen as 'Her Majesty'. You can't call the Dalai Lama 'Dalai'. It just doesn't work. It's like calling the Queen 'Lizzy' in public.

It has been a personal choice to consider myself an atheist and I firmly believe that there is no God, no karma, nothing up there smiling down. But I have always prided myself in my respect for religion and I always try to respect the religious freedom and rights of others. Religious leaders may stand behind Gods and deities and holy philosophies, but at the core of every religion is the pursuit of truth, peace and serenity, and I respect that goal even if I agree with nothing else. Unlike Kate from Masterchef, my personal religious beliefs never interfere with common courtesy. Kate was not just disrespectful to the Dalai Lama himself, but the whole Buddhist community, and by referring to the Dalai Lama as 'His Holiness' she would be saying, in effect, 'I think this and you think that, but let's just agree to disagree, okay?' But no, apparently that's too hard. The title of 'His Holiness' is not proof of one deity or another, it's recognising that this person is in pursuit of truth and happiness through religion, and I respect that. It's something I could never do.

We all have the right to believe in whatever we believe in. Whether you pray to God, or to Jesus, or to the Buddha and the Dalai Lama really, in the end, should we quibble over names? Whatever makes you happy, I say, but just don't piss off the world whilst you do it.

Bloodties.

You could just say sorry.
You walk with the wounded pride of a fallen soldier.
But
Even though it's knives out we
Can never be enemies.
I can write you out but
Bloodties weigh me down.

I've never seen you cry.
Even though we've tired of your constant seige.
But
Even though we speak poison we
Can never be enemies.
I can drown you out but
Bloodties weigh me down.

I know you better than you think.
Sometimes I wonder whether you're made of stone.
But
Even though I don't love you we
Can never be enemies.
I can't bleed you out;
Bloodties weigh me down.

It's hard to see you through
Tears.
Too many years of bloodstained marching
I've had enough.
Bent double with
Guilt and pain.
Because I should and I shouldn't.
I could and I can't.
For every smile
I have shed ten tears for you.
Love and blood have failed me.

Fear cannot manifest love:
If I protect you from the Devil
Beelzebub has it in for me.
Bloodties connect us
Underwater.
Cut
or
Die.

Can of Worms #1

There's a new show on Channel Ten called Can of Worms, which is an interesting concept, even if the presentation is a little shaky. I'm not sold on the unfunny host and the guests are a little strange, and the twitter feed...let's say that the QandA twitter feed is a little more active. But the topics that are discussed are really interesting, so I'm going to experiment and post my own responses here, on the original Lady Sovereign Word Vomit Dump.

Worm #1: Is porn just a healthy part of a normal life?
The long and short of it: No. 

My say: I'm saying no on this one because I don't know of many people who openly indulge in pornography - then again, I am a fifteen year old at quite a prudish school. I don't see anything wrong with pornography, not that I'm addicted to porn or that my ambition is to become a porn star, but I do think that we are a little too prudish when it comes to sex in general - porn is, after all, just entertainment. I don't think there should be restrictions to porn access for adults but of course it's not really an appropriate medium of entertainment for children. Like any addiction, porn addiction is neither normal nor healthy, but the crowd that I hang out with (read: underaged and nerdy) aren't really into that kind of thing, so from my POW there's nothing wrong with porn, but it's not normal and has the potential to be unhealthy.


Worm #2: Is it okay to spy on your kids online?
The long and short of it: No. 

My say: On the show it was specifically 'is it okay to spy on your teens online', so I'm saying no, you cannot spy on teenagers online. Why? The answer is simple: in this day and age, children are introduced to computers and the internet at a very young age, and you have more than enough time before the teen years to drill in the basics of internet safety. If the message hasn't sunk in by the double digits then you've failed as a parent or you've got a dud kid. Simple. I think that anything you can do from another computer, such as looking at a facebook or twitter page, a blog etc., is fine because after all: that is internet publishing and your child is putting this information out to the world. What's not fine is if you actually use your child's computer and internet identity to snoop around: that means checking internet history, word documents, emails, etc. And whilst we're on the topic, snooping around phones and other private paraphernalia is also a no-no. My logic behind this is simple: adolescence is a time when children grow up and start to depend less and less on their parents, and this in turn means that trust between parents and children is a little shaky. By going behind a teenager's back is automatically assuming that they're doing the dodgy, and is one surefire way to ensure your kid becomes dodgy. I know all parents are concerned about their children's safety (or, at least...they should...) but adolescence is that funny time when you have to start respecting your kids as well as loving them to pieces, and the consequences of not doing so can be as potentially deadly as negligence or abuse. So, no, please do not spy on kids, especially teenagers, online.

Worm #3: Is it offensive to call someone a bogan?
The long and short of it: Yes.

My say: I have called people bogan before (cough Sam Worthington) and I have privately labelled many people as bogans, but it's not something I would say to a stranger or even somebody that I just didn't know really really well. It's a very touchy thing, especially here in Australia, where we're supposed to be classless but we're anything but. And I would be offended if someone called me a bogan, because I don't think I am one: although I have spent the last four days in my pyjamas, so you may beg to differ. So I wouldn't use the word too freely, no.

Worm #4: Is the burqa out of place in Australia?
The long and short of it: Yes.

My say: Yes, but it shouldn't be. For a country as multicultural and supposedly tolerant as we're meant to be, we are a rather racist, sexist, xenophobic lot. The only burqa-wearers I have a problem with are those who don't like non-burqa-wearers, or those who are forced to wear the burqa or niqab against their will. But we all have the right to chose what to wear and what not to wear, and this includes the burqa. I don't agree with the religious aspect of it, but I also believe in religious freedom, which is more of a preach but not practice thing in some places. So, I wouldn't wear a burqa, but if you want to wear one (want to, not have to) then wear one, but this is'nt really the voice of the people. Just a note: I'm slightly on the fence when it comes to court rooms and such.

Worm #5: Do Australians swear too much?
The long and short of it: Yes.

My say: I don't have a problem with swearing, and I personally swear on a regular basis. I draw a line at the c-bomb though; I don't think it's ever an appropriate word at all. Aside from that, I don't see the problem with swearing: I'm an angry person, and swear words are angry words, so it makes sense. Anyway, bad language is subjective and it's almost impossible to open your mouth and not piss of somebody, so I've kinda given up on the whole notion. But when you spend most of your time amongst highly obnoxious year eights and various other potty-mouthed individuals where every second word is 'fuck' (example: hello fuck you fuck this fuck that where the fuck is my fucking pencil etc.) then you realize a whole new meaning of OTT.

Boat People.

If you are reading this, right now, I'm assuming that you have internet access. I'm assuming you have clothes on your back and a roof over your head. I'm assuming that when you get thirsty, the water you drink won't kill you. I'm assuming that when you get hungry, there's food in a fridge that belongs to you, and works. Stupid assumptions, you may say. But there are people in this world of which those most basic assumptions would prove to be false.

We, as Australians, have no right to turn down refugees as we do. We are so cold-hearted and narrow-minded. We dehumanize refugees, we process them like we might process meat, we fear what they will take when we have everything to give. We have to stop thinking of this as a war between the races, between the nations, between the classes. This is not a black vs white game, this is not rich vs poor. This is man to man. From the moment we are born we have the responsibilities to help our brothers and sisters across the globe and save humanity. At least, that's what I was taught. How has the world failed you, that you refuse to do God's work? That you refuse to do the work that is our responsibility? We must help others because we all know that if we were them, we would like to think others would help us. What's mine is ours, that is the oath we take when we come into this world and we are only released from it when we depart this life. What's mine is yours. I have given everything to this world, and you know why? Because none of us, man or woman, rich or poor, black or white, gets out of this alive. So we have to stick together.

The Music War.

I studied music for nearly ten years, since I was five. Now I no longer study formally, but music is still a huge part of my life.

I love classical music. I love Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry. I love Queen and Paramore and Blue King Brown and the Black Eyed Peas. I love the Phantom of the Opera and Yiruma. Some bands I only like one or two songs: Evernescence (or however you spell it), The Goo Goo Dolls, The Calling, Lady Antebellum. My music love spans, literally, centuries.

I can't stand people from other eras picking on 'modern music'. Modern music is always crap to old ears. I'm not a cheaper or a tackier or a shallower person for listening to Katy Perry and Queen and loving them both. Taylor Swift is just as romantic as Grieg.

Music is the must beautiful and subjective art. We can't be expected to love it all, but I shouldn't be made to feel like I shouldn't be listening to what I love.

Love is...
Love is hoping
Love is dreaming
Love is praying
Love is wanting
Love is crying
Love is bleeding
Love is dying
Love is...

Love should be flowers
Love should be roses
Love should be sunshine and daisies and poems
Love should be bitter
Love should be sweet
Love should be you and
Love should be me.

Love is that equation that I've
Never been able to solve,
Love is that word that
I've always spelt wrong.
Love is the switch that
Keeps turning off,
Love is this poison that
Makes me think I'm in love.

i'm just gonna come out and say it.

i haven't been blogging For a little while because i've become too good foR my old Insecurities. you know whEn you've got something brilliaNt to say to people you love, but you're afraiD that you'll Sound stuck up? even when you've eArned what you've got, and you've eaRned thE right to Say it?

speaking Of that, have you eveR thought About how many people think of you? how many people dReam of you? i think of a lot of pEople, i dream oF a lOt of people; i wRite of a lot of people. if soMeone thought of mE, even for a heartbeat, it would be the greatest compliment. think of me, think of me fondly when we say goodbye; and i wonder if i ever croSs yOur mind, for me it happens all the time.

do you know what the most satisfying feeling is? it is i told you so. when one has many skeptics as i do, it is the most fuzziest feeling when you can say 'i told you i could do it'. when i die i think a lot of people will say 'i never thought she would Be ablE to do aLl that'.

so I'm on this incrEdible high at the moment, but i'Ve madE a lot of eneMies, and i've lost a lot of friEnds. it's a very lonely climb to the top, and sometimes i'm very very tired of solitude. but i live dreams, i eat dreams, i drink dreams. i am addicted to dreaming. the dreams, if nothing else...the dreams keep me going. there's a light at the end of the tunnel noW, and for tHe first timE all the tears, all the drama, all the sleepless Nights and heartbreak, all the math sums and faIled chemiStry tests All meant something. everYthing means somethIng, especiaLly in this wOrld where nothing really matters. 

i'Ve always known what i want. i've always had a plan. and so, this is whEre You and i differ; i've always fOund the impossible to be mUch more exciting. i've never overestimated myself, not in the granD schEme of things; i'm not in the hAbit of letting myself down. i'm good at taking Risks; i know how to pLaY this game. and there is nothing i do better than revenge.