tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-92115455199509311232024-03-14T04:00:38.675-07:00Coral J. BearOpinionated College StudentCoraljbearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06897748869813583167noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9211545519950931123.post-54169226032824524532018-07-18T12:41:00.000-07:002020-02-02T16:04:14.285-08:00Catalyst<p>Recently I went to a summer program for young activists. This program was put on by the Kentucky Student Environmental Coalition (KSEC) and was to focus on envrionmental politics and activism. While there, I met some amazing people, learned a lot of necessary things for my career as an activist, and grew so much as a person. This is the story of how that program, Catalyst, changed my life.</p><p>As most of you may know, I have the pleasure (haha) of living my life with anxiety and depression. So even going to this place, without knowing anyone before hand, was a HUGE step in the right direction for me. What happpened while I was there was even better and I could not have expected any of it. At first I was my usual scared self who just kind of stayed to myself. It was extremely hard for me to open up to this group of complete strangers. I mean, I guess all friends were at some point strangers but like this was different. I was surrounded by people I knew nothing about for an entire week. I was scared I was going to annoy them and scare them away and have an awful week stuck in the middle of nowhere with no one to talk to. Then something changed. We did an activity called the Identity Walk where we wrote down all of our identities, such as sexuality, gender, etc. This activity was so nerve wracking for me because I’m not much of one to like putting labels on myself, but it was honestly so empowering to be able to write down who you are without someone else trying to fit you into some version of a box that just doesn’t suit you. After this I realized we were obviously all different people and I shouldn’t be scared to be me because none of them would judge me.</p><p>This was an ENTIRELY new experience for me. I was in a safer place for an entire week. I felt like I was a part of a family that I got to choose. I wasn’t left out for being something different. I wasn’t looked down upon for having feelings and expressing them. I was just allowed to be me in a space where everyone was wholeheartedly loving of every difference. I made some really amazing connections with a lot of the people there and I will forever be grateful for being able to meet them and having them in my life now. These people mean the world to me and I wish I never had to leave them but because of the lessons I learned there I know for a fact that we’re all going to do amazing things.</p><p>I learned SOOOO much while I was there. This wasn’t your average class-like lessons either. These trainings taught me not only how to be a better activist, but also how to be a better me. They taught us everything from how to organize a campaign to proper self care. I met people who are making change in the real world NOW. I met young people who know that their voices need to be heard and won’t allow anyone to silence them. It was so empowering as a college student to learn that I have power too. I’ve always been very vocal about the problems in our society and I’ve always tried to create change, but until Catalyst I didn’t know how to or that it was actually even a possibility. After Catalyst, I’ve already started recruiting people for an organization I want to start in NKY and I’m so ready to get back to Louisville in less than a month and really raise some hell for the politicians who won’t listen to us.</p><p>While at Catalyst, I felt loved, like I had never been loved before. I made friends with people that otherwise, I would’ve never met. My life would be so much worse off if I had never met them. Catalyst is one big family that I know will always have my back. I love each and every person that I met there with my entire heart and I know they’re going to do amazing things. I learned so much from all of them. They taught me how to feel confident in who I am. They taught me how to love myself despite all of the flaws. They taught me that I deserve so much more than a toxic relationship that’s always bringing me down. They taught me how to be a better activist, friend, and person in general. I will never forget this experience because it lead me to the person I know I can be and it gave me a family that I can truly be myself around. Thank you so much KSEC and the Catalyst trainers for everything you’ve done for me!</p><p><a href="https://www.facebook.com/KSECforOurFuture/">Like KSEC on Facebook</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/_KSEC_">Follow KSEC on Twitter</a></p><p><a href="https://www.instagram.com/ky_student_enviro_coalition/">Follow KSEC on Instagram </a> <a href="https://www.kystudentenvironmentalcoalition.org/donate.html"> Donate</a></p><div id="attachment_394" style="width: 310px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="http://coraljbear.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Catalyst.jpg"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-394" class="size-medium wp-image-394" src="http://coraljbear.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Catalyst-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" srcset="http://coraljbear.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Catalyst-300x225.jpg 300w, http://coraljbear.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Catalyst-768x576.jpg 768w, http://coraljbear.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Catalyst-624x468.jpg 624w, http://coraljbear.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Catalyst.jpg 960w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /></a><p id="caption-attachment-394" class="wp-caption-text">Part of my Catalyst Family! Photo Creds belong to Libby Kelly! <3</p></div><p>Catalyst: 45887453/10 recommend ~Nicole W.</p>Coraljbearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06897748869813583167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9211545519950931123.post-40567294405248712452018-05-22T17:52:00.000-07:002020-02-02T16:04:14.407-08:00You're Not Listening<p>In todays society it’s sad to see the children having to beg for their lives when they can’t vote to save their lives. We’ve been screaming for gun control for years no and recently it’s all I see on Twitter after all of the shootings because these victims are being vocal and are not going away. We have a problem when an Elementary school student is more informed than our politicians. We have a problem when students and teachers are afraid to go to schools due to the past shootings. We have a problem when a gun has more worth to people than our childrens’ lives. WE HAVE A PROBLEM. I’m so fed up with turning on the news or opening Twitter and hearing about more lives being taken. And obviously right down the road you’ll hear “there’s nothing we can do, people kill people.” Stop and listen.</p><ol><li>People are the core of the problem, yes, but if you want to decrease deaths, decrease the amount of “tools” used for ONLY death. “Guns don’t kill people; people kill people.” OBVIOUSLY. We’re not trying to tell you otherwise but a part of the problem is how many military grade guns we allow civilians to purchase. Part of the problem is how many people with mental illnesses and a violent past can obtain ANY gun. The problem is that an 18 year old who isn’t even allowed to drink alcohol is allowed to purchase a gun and a legitimate minor is allowed to own one.</li><li>WE ARE NOT TRYING TO TAKE YOUR GUNS AWAY! Gun Control and a ban on guns are NOT the same thing. We want to make obvious laws to help lower the amount of dangerous people who own guns. As long as you are a law abiding citizen, your guns won’t be touched unless you shouldn’t be having a gun in the first place or you own some crazy unnecessary assault rifle. Let’s say it together now, WE ARE NOT TRYING TO TAKE AWAY YOUR GUNS!</li><li>My favorite argument against gun control is “bad people won’t follow the law.” OKAY BUT DOES THAT MEAN WE DON’T MAKE LAWS? Saying that is like saying if bad people are going to murder anyway let’s not make murdering people illegal. Do you listen to yourself when you say that? It’s absolutely insane that you think that’s a valid argument against gun control. Gun control WILL cause a decrease in deaths caused by gun violence. Gun control WILL help lower mass shootings. Gun control WILL be the answer that lawmakers have been looking for but don’t want to find.</li><li>Adding more guns to a situation is not going to help. Giving teachers guns is not going to help. Arming students with rocks is not going to help. The people who shoot up schools are usually people who know the school well. They will know what to expect. They will know about what they’re doing and how it will affect them and most of them don’t care enough not to get caught or killed. They’re mentally ill, extremely mentally ill. They’re not gonna care about your guns, they’re not gonna care about your rocks, but they won’t be able to do as much damage if they can’t get guns.</li></ol><p>In conclusion, we shouldn’t be banning trenchcoats or more than one door in a school. We shouldn’t be focusing on arming teachers or making schools prison-like. We shouldn’t be listening to the NRA and putting money before our children’s lives. We are worth more than whatever amount you’re getting for your campaign from the NRA. We are worth more and we will fight until you understand that. Gun-control is the next logical step.</p><p>Fighting for change everyday. ~Nicole W.</p>Coraljbearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06897748869813583167noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9211545519950931123.post-31424341810738640532018-03-19T11:13:00.000-07:002020-02-02T16:04:14.536-08:00Wishing<blockquote><p>When I was little I wished for unicorns.</p></blockquote><p>I wished to see Santa Claus coming down the chimney.</p><p>I wished the monsters under my bed would disappear.</p><p>I wished to be a doctor, a vet, or a popstar.</p><p>I wished for my prince that would one day come and save me.</p><blockquote><p>When I was in high school I wished for you.</p></blockquote><p>I wished that I could sleep through the entire night.</p><p>I wished the monsters in my head would disappear.</p><p>I wished I could eat without feeling disgusting.</p><p>I wished I could save myself.</p><blockquote><p>Now I wish for me.</p></blockquote><p>I wish to find the woman I’m meant to be.</p><p>I wish the monsters in the streets would disappear.</p><p>I wish to love the person in the mirror.</p><p>I wish I could save everyone.</p><blockquote><p>In the future I see myself wishing for life.</p></blockquote><p>Wishing for more time.</p><p>Wishing the monsters in my body would disappear.</p><p>Wishing for someone to laugh with.</p><p>Wishing I could be saved yet again. ~Nicole W.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>Coraljbearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06897748869813583167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9211545519950931123.post-21850234202019991372018-02-12T11:14:00.000-08:002020-02-02T16:04:14.604-08:00One Year<p>There’s a lot that can happen in a year. We all know this. Every year starts on January 1st and ends on December 31st (for some of us it ends on December 25th because who cares after that, right?), but we all have our days that we remember for whatever reason that represents a whole year passed since something big happened. Birthdays represent a year older. Anniversaries represent a year longer in some situation whether, with ot without someone in your life. Well today is a big landmark for me. February 12th is such an arbitrary day to everyone else but this date represents the one year mark of realizing I needed help…</p><p>One year ago, today, I was at my all time low. I was so numb that if you told me a person I loved had die, I don’t think I could have shown any emotion about it. I tried my best to hide this. Mental illnesses have a lot of stigma around them and I didn’t want to be just another sad person. I thought this feeling would go away, ya know because teenage depression is really common and obviously that’s all it was… But I was wrong.</p><p>For about two years before this day, I had been stuggling with depression severely. For about two months before this day, I was pushing everyone I loved away because I didn’t want to hurt them. For about two days before this day, I was contemplating dropping off the face of the earth. I don’t really know if anyone else around me noticed but something changed in me this day. I remember sitting down and writing in my journal that I didn’t want to be here anymore and that everyone would just be better if I wasn’t; and for the first time in a long time I cried… Like truly cried. Seeing those words written down broke me more than anything else ever could. I didn’t realize just how bad it had gotten until then.</p><p>After I finally stopped crying and could actually understand the weight that had just been taken off my shoulders, I realized I needed to change. I started letting people in more, I talked to my parents about getting on medication, and I really just started realizing that all of my past thoughts of self-hate were not just normal teenage depression and that I needed help that I couldn’t give myself.</p><p>Now, I cannot tell you the day I started medication for my depression, I can’t tell you the first day I told my parents I needed help, and I can’t tell you the first day I started feeling a little less helpless but I can tell you this day because it’s one of the most emotional days I’ve ever had in my life.</p><p>Ever since that day I have worked so hard towards self-love. I’ve been on a couple different medications and I’m still looking for the right one. I’m taking multiple vitamins to try to help with the side affects of not only my meds but also my depression itself. I’ve recently started working out and really trying to better my entire self, all around. Just like any other illness, relapses occur. I’ve been in a mental rut recently. Not everyday is perfect. But everyday is getting me closer and closer to my goal of true happiness and self-love and I could not be more excited to reach that goal.</p><p>So, with part of my story of my mental struggles finally put out there, I have a few things I want to say to everyone:</p><ol><li>If you feel the way I did; hopeless, unworthy, unloveable, unsaveable, etc… Don’t be afraid to reach out for help. Talk to your parents, friends, doctors, etc. If you don’t feel comfortable talking to any of them and you think talking to a stranger would be easier, go see a therapist or even contact me through any of my socials, by leaving a comment, or emailing me through the contact page. Call 1-800-273-8255 if you need help!</li><li>To everyone that believes mental illnesses can be turned on and off like a light switch, you need to educate yourselves because you’re part of the reason why people, like me, don’t want to seek help. They feel like they’re being overdrammatic or annoying when in reality they have a real issue that needs to be helped. Stop looking down on people for sharing their stories, seeking help, or acting strange. It’s not a choice, its an illness.</li><li>To everyone that has someone in their lives struggling with mental illnesses, love them for who they are and don’t be afraid to be upfront with them. If you see someone you love drifting apart for what seems like no reason, talk to them because they might need help. Don’t give up on them and don’t take suicide jokes lightly. But also do not treat them like they’re fragile. We don’t want to be seen as lesser-than because of our illness, we want to try to work through it and be seen as normal even though we’ll never quite be normal. Try to include them in social outings but don’t push them if they don’t want to. Just be there for them because they’re probably just as clueless as you when it comes to what they’re going through.</li><li>DONATE DONATE DONATE! If you have the ability to donate to foundations and organizations that support people with mental illnesses and help spread awareness, please do! We really need to make the stigma around these disorders disappear.</li></ol><p>I have depression but I’m not gonna let that stop me and neither should you! Spread love <3 ~ Nicole W.</p>Coraljbearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06897748869813583167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9211545519950931123.post-26189781161095607072017-10-25T09:00:00.000-07:002020-02-02T16:04:14.671-08:00Blind<p>My entire life I’ve been taught that you can’t explain colors to a blind man</p><p>But until you walked into my life I was stuck in a never ending cycle of <em>darkness</em></p><p>When we first started talking I could see the <em>definition</em> of colors</p><p>They started out with reds, oranges and yellows because you were the<em> light</em> of my life</p><p>I slowly fell in <em>love </em>with the way the world looked when I was with you</p><p><em>You</em> made me see colors</p><p>And <em>you</em> were the only one who could take them away…</p><p>We started drifting further <em>and</em> further apart</p><p>And they started fading into <em>darker</em> versions of themselves</p><p>Now I can <em>only</em> see in black and white and I don’t know when I’ll finally get to see the colors I long for again</p><p>But every now and then you’ll <em>smile</em> and your lips will look red for a split second</p><p>And I’ll cry because red was <em>always</em> my favorite color ~Nicole W.</p>Coraljbearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06897748869813583167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9211545519950931123.post-81282038067644571062017-10-11T09:00:00.000-07:002020-02-02T16:04:14.737-08:00Social Life in College as an Introvert<p>College is literally the place where a lot of people open up and find their true identities but as an introvert with depression and anxiety I have found that this is not the case with me. I have become an even bigger introvert in some ways and in others I have opened up too much. Don’t get me wrong, I love college. It definitely has a lot of awesome things and amazing people but for me it’s really causing a lot of stress and anxiety.</p><p>I want to say that it’s the most amazing time of my life, and I can but It’s also the loneliest. I have one friend at Louisville with me and trying to make friends is not my strong suit. Everytime I leave to go somewhere where I could possibly make friends, I end up having a lot of anxiety and just not going or showing up and leaving two minutes later. This is not a good strategy if you actually want to make friends.</p><p>I do have people that I talk to while I’m here. My calc classmates are really chill and the people from my Hon 101 class were literally the most awesome people I’ve met. I just wouldn’t call any of them my friends. Now while I’ve been here, the one friend that I do have on campus, Jonathan, has quickly become my saving grace. He’s always there for me if I need him and he REALLY pushes me out of my comfort zone. I tend to lean on him and my friends back home a lot right now.</p><p>Making friends shouldn’t be that hard. Jonathan literally messaged people from our Hon 101 class and was like “you wanna hang?” and apparently that’s all it takes. I on the other hand have no clue how that worked because I would get so anxious messaging someone I don’t know. I can never continue a conversation through texts with people I don’t know if they don’t give me something to build off of. I can’t even really start a conversation through texts which is a bad thing if you don’t have friends in real life…</p><p>The shocking thing out of all of this though is I have found a way to have a social life without being able to do normal human things. I participate in the model UN and i applied for an SOSer position and I still hang our with Jonathan every chance I get. It’s just the normal college things that I feel like I’m missing out on. Like I don’t go to parties because I have no one to go with or I don’t go to events put on by the university because I don’t know anyone going and being alone frightens me.</p><p>I miss out on a lot and I’m trying to fix that. I’m really putting in the effort to be more outgoing even though it’s my chemical makeup that’s holding me back. I HAVE signed up for more leadership positions, I HAVE started getting involved with things that make me excited, and I HAVE been leaving my dorm more often. I just want to work towards a day where I don’t leave something that I think would be fun just because I have no friends there. I want to work towards a day where I’m a name and a face that people know in a good way. I want to work towards a day where I can message people and say “you wanna hang?” without having a mini panic attack and then just not sending it. I want to work and I am working towards a day where I just live my life without fear and I hope that you reading this already is capable of that and if not, you’re working towards that day too.</p><p>I’m wokring on myself, one day at a time. ~Nicole W.</p>Coraljbearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06897748869813583167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9211545519950931123.post-91742249136355450782017-10-11T07:49:00.000-07:002020-02-02T16:04:14.826-08:00My PhotosCoraljbearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06897748869813583167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9211545519950931123.post-91809943187112338882017-10-08T09:00:00.000-07:002020-02-02T16:04:14.893-08:00Late Night Music Adventures<p>As promised, this is something different than my normal post. This is for my music lovers out there. A little less than a week ago I decided to go out of my comfort zone and try some new music. I kept seeing tweets on Twitter mentioning I Fall Apart by Post Malone. Up until then I had listened to like one of his songs and hated it so I wasn’t too interested in checking him out again. That was until I actually stopped and listened to one of the various videos posted on Twitter. I instantly fell in LOVE with his voice. This act started a journey and this post is all about how I got from there to new Falling in Reverse songs.</p><p>To give you some background information, I am normally a person that likes anything and everything when it comes to music. I have everything from Adele to Hollywood undead, from Thomas Rhett to Lemonade Mouth. I’m not one to hate any type of music (except Opera but that’s another topic for another time) but I’m not usually one to go so diverse in one night either but that’s definitely gonna change after this night.</p><p>Like I said, it all started with I Fall Apart and then I ended up listening to the whole Stoney album by him. I highly recommend doing that if you haven’t already. He reminds me a lot of Blackbear which has been one of my favorites for a while now. I just recently started getting into rap/hip-hop like last year because before that I was purely a pop and rock type of girl. But ever since Blackbear I have slowly become addicted. Blackbear, Logic, Post Malone, Khalid, you name it and I have them in my playlist somewhere.</p><p>After this new discovery I ended up deciding to go to the new music list on Napster (which I also highly recommend, it’s better than spotify in my opinion) which contained Pink’s new single and Demi Lovato’s new album. I cried to both and couldn’t help but listen to everything. Seriously, if you haven’t heard Instructions, Games, or Hitchhiker by Demi yet, what are you doing with your life???</p><p>All of this lead me to the popular section on Napster where I made a huge realization. Up until this night I would have never in my entire life called me a country music lover. I still don’t but I definitely don’t hate it anymore either. What Ifs by Kane Brown is literally so beautiful. And like the entire Thomas Rett album is just phenomenal. I have no idea why I’ve been convinced that I hated all country except Carrie Underwood. I was ignorant but now I’ve seen the light and I will never go back.</p><p>To end my music adventure I decided to look up some old favorites: Hollywood Undead and Falling in Reverse. I have a very hard time explaining why I like these bands to people. There not what most people like because they’re “emo” or whatever you use for that type of music. These two bands happen to technically be hardcore rap but I also like bands like I See Stars and BMTH so not all of it is like that. Anyway, I ended up looking up HU first because they were my first love (Three Days Grace and Hollywood Undead were the ones that started my love for this genre) and they had NEW singles out. I was not expecting that and listened to all of them and fell in love all over again. Now, if you know anything about Hollywood Undead and Falling in Reverse you’ll know that they are kind of in a rival because they have really similar styles so I decided to check and see if they came out with anything new and sure enough they also had some new singles out and they were so amazing in my opinion.</p><p>Now, if you know me at all you know that when I find new music that I like, I love to scream it to the world. I’ll constantly be tweeting about it and tweeting song lyrics from them. I get so happy and my days are usually just all around better when I have new music to listen to. So I’ve decided to sit down and write about this today instead of whatever political events are happening because I just needed to share my love!</p><p>Music makes the world go round. ~ Nicole W.</p>Coraljbearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06897748869813583167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9211545519950931123.post-4463820389485302462017-10-04T09:00:00.000-07:002020-02-02T16:04:14.965-08:00How You Can Help<p> </p><p>I am saddened by the events that took place Sunday night. I am appalled that I have to write this today but this is something that has been weighing on my heart. I was originally going to write about how all of this is our fault, but at this point, the anger has subsided and I am left with nothing but grief. Grief for the ones who have died. Grief for the family members that lost loved ones. Grief for this country as another tragedy has struck. So instead of blaming groups of people and spreading hatred, I want to share hope and to do that I’m going to list things that you can do to help in a time like this.</p><ol><li>A simple way to help after any devastation such as this one is to donate blood. This isn’t controversial and it’s something that is quick and easy and everyone can be involved (except for homosexual men, but that’s an issue for another time). No matter where you are, go to a nearby blood drive or go to a hospital and donate blood. They all connect to each other and help get the blood everywhere, so no matter where you are, you can help by doing this small act if it’s safe for you to do so. Disclaimer: not everyone is physically able to give blood so if you have any hesitation about it, talk to your doctor first, of course.</li><li>Warning: this one is controversial but it’s something I strongly believe in. Contact your representatives and tell them you want stricter gun laws. The guns he used were bought in multiple different states and none of them, so far, were actually automatic weapons when he bought them. He bought these guns legally and he bought the parts to make the guns act like an automatic legally too. This needs to change. The only way we can change this in the face of everything and everyone pushing against us is by voicing the need for change to the people who are in the power positions. Call your local reps. Call your senators. Call Trump himself if you want/have to. Make it known that you are not okay with the gun laws that are currently in place that would allow a man such as the shooter to obtain these weapons LEGALLY.</li><li>If you are religious, pray for the injured and the family members of the deceased. While this can be seen as controversial as well, if you have faith make sure to keep these people in your prayers. Keep our country in your prayers too as we are going to need all the help we can get to stop events like this from happening as often as they do.</li><li>Get involved in your communities. Everyone has a voice, use yours to help people and not to belittle or divide. Start peaceful protests for things you find important. Join organizations that could benefit others in your community as well as the nation. We need as many people as possible to join together and make this world a better place. Become one of those people.</li><li>Start a conversation about mental illness in your community. While I don’t believe the shooter should be humanized by saying he was mentally ill or anything of that nature, it is true that anyone who would kill 58 people, injure 500+, and then go on to kill themselves was in need of help. We need to start more conversations about mental illnesses. That won’t stop gun violence. That won’t stop the evil in the world from continuing to be what it is. But it could, in fact, start spreading a movement that could help a lot of people and maybe one day make an impact on the amount of mass killings that happen in America every year.</li><li>Lastly, spread love in everything you do. You may not be a political person, and that’s fine, but at least be a good person. Don’t spread hate and lies. Don’t be part of the problem. Be kind and open to change. Be loving. You never know how a single compliment or smile could brighten someone’s day and help them get through a bad situation. Spread that. Spread love. Spread joy. Spread life.</li></ol><p>To end this I just want to say a few things. There will be a lot of you that don’t agree with some of the things I have to say in this post. There will also be a lot that agree wholeheartedly. I just want to say thank you for taking the time to read it anyway. Whether you agree or disagree I hope you realize that I just want to spread hope and love to everyone and give everyone the chance to use the voice they already have. At the beginning of this writing I was angry and I didn’t think I would ever have the right words to talk about this devastation but I hope that while they may not be perfect, the words I have found (at like 1am) are uplifting in a time of despair.</p><p>Hug your families a little bit tighter tonight and spread life everywhere you go. ~ Nicole W.</p>Coraljbearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06897748869813583167noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9211545519950931123.post-63874591978771311022017-10-01T09:00:00.000-07:002020-02-02T16:04:15.033-08:00My Views<p>If this is the first time you’re seeing this lovely purple bear, hello and welcome. I’m Nicole and I am a Die-Hard Liberal (#FeelTheBern #Warren2020) and this is just a quick introduction to what you’ll see as my posts start flowing.</p><p>Healthcare: I’m extremely against Trumpcare and fighting for universal everyday. Why in the world is universal not a thing in America yet?</p><p>President: I miss the Obama administration and Trump has done nothing but cause me to break-out due to stress ever since he was elected. Also, as an American, you are allowed and should speak out against what you feel is wrong so don’t give be the bull about getting over it because there’s nothing you can do. There’s always something you can do.</p><p>Abortion: Pro-choice obviously. It’s their bodies and you can’t legislate morality.</p><p>Religion: I am Christian but I do not believe your religion should dictate how everyone around you acts. I will witness if you ask but I am not here to preach at you.</p><p>LGBTQ+: I am extremely for every form of equality when talking about the LGBTQ+ community. And religion shouldn’t be a factor when it comes to BASIC human rights.</p><p>Environmental Policies: GLOBAL WARMING IS REAL. We are killing our planet as we speak and this is not a drill. Take care of your environment and make sure you vote for bills that can help that happen!</p><p>Education: Should be free at all levels and we should start making students learn a second language in Kindergarten. Also, equality outside of school should relate to equality inside of school. Lastly, dress codes suck.</p><p>Economy: Making the rich pay less and the poor pay more is an ignorant view and should have disappeared a long time ago, but some how it keeps coming back. Also Obama is the cause of the Economy getting better, not Trump, he hasn’t put anything into law that would affect the economy yet.</p><p>Gun Rights: Yes, we have the second amendment but it is outdated. We need stricter gun laws. You have the right to carry firearms but a mentally ill individual should not have ANY access to guns. Guns should be harder to obtain in general and until they are we’re going to continue expereince mass shootings.</p><p>Feminism: I’m a huge feminist because it’s a movement for all, not just women, and everyone deserves equal rights.</p><p>Social Inequalities: I will fight for equality until the day I die because everyone should have the same opportunities and should not have to deal with the harrasment that can come from being different.</p><p>I know I’m probably missing some big ones, but if there’s something you would like to know about, comment down below and let me know or contact me through Twitter, Instagram or the contact page.</p><p>The list is long, the opinions are subjective, but the facts can and will be shown later on. – Nicole W.</p><p> </p>Coraljbearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06897748869813583167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9211545519950931123.post-10472727515209772302017-09-24T20:00:00.000-07:002020-02-02T16:04:15.097-08:00Take a Knee<p>While I have not posted my official coming back post yet, I have to comment on the recent events that have been happening in our country.</p><p>To preface this, I do want to point out that I love America. We are an amazingly free country but I am not afraid to stand up against bigotry, or I guess in this case, sit down. There is not a problem with voicing your discomfort when a situation has wronged you, especially in America.</p><p>Taking a knee during the national athem instead of standing is just one way that these people have deemed necessary to voice their opinions and I will support them until the day comes where Trump does not call them a “son of a bitch” while calling white supremacists “very fine people.” I will support them every step of the way until one day everyone is seen as equal. I’m not sure that’s going to happen in my life time but I will work until I can’t any longer and every thing I do will be to get closer to that goal.</p><p>So to Trump this is what I have to say: Maybe you should be focusing on helping Puerto Rico after the devastation that occured due to hurricane Maria and maybe stay out of social affairs since you seem to not know how to deal with them very well. Maybe deal with the fact that your tweets might start a war with North Korea before you go complaining about a non-violent protest. Maybe find a way to come up with a healthcare program that won’t throw millions off of insurance instead of yelling at athletes for doing something that they feel strongly about. And maybe, just maybe, research what disrespecting the flag actually means because I promise you that you do it on a daily basis.</p><p>To the other people who also believe this is disrespectful: disrespectful is wearing the flag. Disrespectful is writing symbols or changing the colors of the flag. Disrespectful is advertisement that depicts the flag. Disrespectful is laying the flag flat instead of waving it proudly. Disrespectful is having the flag put on various household items. No where is it stated that you have to stand during the national athem to be respectful. But it does consistently say that you are constantly disrespecting the flag without even thinking about. Do not tell me that these young men and women who sit or take a knee during the national athem or pledge of allegiance or whatever it happens to be are being disrespectful when all they’re trying to do is make a change that is greatly needed to make America the best possible version of itself.</p><p>To everyone that took a knee today and will continue to do so: Thank you for fighting for what you believe. Thank you for not allowing other people to make your decsions and opinions. Thank you for trying to make a better future for generations to come. Thank you.</p><p>#TakeAKnee ~Nicole W.</p><p> </p>Coraljbearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06897748869813583167noreply@blogger.com0