Just Wanted to Pop This Bubble

     I am writing this post because I really, really, really, really (I would type "really" forever but Sutherland may end up making me rewriting this whole post or he may not even count it as a completed post, so let's just pretend that I typed in "really" three hundred and fifty times) want to pop Andy's bubble. I just found what he wrote in his post really, really (I promise I will not to type "really" for the rest of this post Sutherland, so do not get angry) amusing because he did not lie in the post - he just didn't include all the information and he only wrote what he believed was true. For this post, allow me to add some of the missing details and to correct some of his beliefs. Sidenote: This post will be written as though it is directed towards Andy.
     One: Dad does not wake you up at 6:30. He gets up at 6:30 so he does not wake you up until 6:45. In addition, you stole my alarm clock, so get your butt out of bed yourself.
     Two: I think you forgot to include how much time you spend online playing MMOs every day after you get home from school/tutoring in your schedule so you should edit that.
     Three: Cyber bullying is bullying only if you think it is bullying. It wouldn't even be bullying if you pretend that the people talking about you are old women gossiping like chickens (I don't remember how the phrase goes) because they have nothing else better to do.
     Four: People can contact you online because you have an email account, remember?
     Five: "Chow Mein" is a verb - it just depends on how you use it because people generally like to use it as a noun. Because you are going to ask for an explanation later, I will just tell you why now. People can say that they are going to cream pie (I don't remember if there is an "e" behind "cream" or not, but whatever - you get what I mean) someone, so why can't anyone chow mein someone?
     Last, but not least, six: Technically, I wouldn't even call what you said to Yazen in Chipman cussing (Yes, I was there - it was during lunch, if not, then you must have "cussed" at him more than once). Saying "f*ck" and "b*tch" once or twice is not cussing (at least not to me), so you really have to work on that.
     *pop* goes the bubble

Cussing

After looking at the topics that popped up in this week's blogs, I just really wanted to respond to Vic's post on cussing.

I feel like, if you cuss so much to anyone it has no effect. [...] Dropping bad words is a bad habit to start and may not possibly end. If you get too adjusted to the words, they just pop out sometimes. Even to the most simple things, a cuss word may leak out because those are your usual "describing" words.Those bad words may even become compliments because everyone uses them to describe bad things, unique things, and crazy things.

I agree with Vic when he states that people eventually become immune to cuss words after hearing the phrases being directed towards them or used to describe someone or something else after certain periods of time. People begin to adapt and they may even pick up and begin using these words.
It is also true that cussing would eventually become a bad habit (personally, I have a habit of using such words everyday and I do not plan to stop using them anytime soon). In fact, people can think of it as a habit worse than smoking and getting addicted to alcohol, marijuana, pot, etc because people can be restricted from these additions by not allowing them to get near whatever the individuals are addicted to but no one can restrict people from using cuss words - people can still think cuss words even if they cannot or do not speak them aloud. This is because words are part of human society; they are a part of communication - a way to express ourselves.
Because I believe that cussing is a form of expressing, I do not think of cuss words as "bad" words. Let's say that everyone took a test yesterday and the teacher is handing back the test today. Someone looks and the grade he or she got and says "f*ck," or "sh*t." How different would it be if that person substituted those words with "jeez" or whatever word they might use that they do not consider as cuss words? Would the word they use be considered as cussing? Or is cussing limited to certain words? What is cussing? Is cussing really even that bad?

Alameda or Oakland Response

In his post, David sates that even though many people have their own opinions about whether Oakland is better than Alameda or vice versa, both cities are essentially equal:

There doesn't seem to be any difference on other areas. In both cities, the people are nice. In my school, there are many people that come from Oakland and I don't have a problem with them. They are actually pretty cool people to be with. Both educational environments are similar. There are those that drop out and those that continue to become successful.

Everyone has opinions about whether one location is or is not better than another location. When they are asked what makes that location better than the other location they are comparing to, some of the most popular responses may include: safer, cleaner, more peaceful, etc. However, there is no concrete evidence that would support their claim. Everything would only be opinions.

To me, Alameda is a much safer place to live and people are much more peaceful here. When I lived in Oakland, I got robbed and there were so many places in which people were hurt or raped. Oakland is much dirtier where I live and there are a lot of homeless people there. In Alameda, the streets are much cleaner and I don't see any homeless people around here. There are much more events in the city of Alameda compared to Oakland. 

David personally believes that Alameda is safer and more peaceful than Oakland because he has been robbed in Oakland before; however, some people believe that Alameda is safer simply because it is Alameda and Oakland is a dangerous, neighboring city where murder can happen at any moment. I do not have anything against what other people want to believe in, but I believe that these people should consider some factors before leaping to whatever conclusion they want to reach.
I do not have any statistics to back up these factors, but I think Oakland has a bigger population than Alameda. In addition, Oakland has Chinatown and many people from different locations go there is buy groceries and stuff they need. If there are more people wandering the streets of Oakland, accidents are bound to happen. On the other hand, Alameda barely has any shopping places except for South Shore and maybe Park Street, making accidents less possible.

Technology

     Crystal's post questions whether technology is a good or bad thing for human society:

In the modern society were technology is commonplace and accessible, many of our decisions are based off of what computers tell us. Even our identities are controlled through computers through our social security numbers or ID numbers. These numbers are assigned by society in order for computers to easily keep track of information about each citizen that resides in a particular state or country. On a more personal scale, whenever a person creates a social networking account, they identify themselves on the net by what they choose to reveal or say about themselves. Then people around the world will solely identify that person by what they see on their computer and not take the effort to know more about the person other than what is written on their screen.

     I believe that although technology cannot be seen as either a good or bad thing for human society, there are positive and negative effects that result from technology. What Crystal states above is true and it also support the claim that technology can be neither and/or either good or bad to society.
     In short, technology changes the way we live. As we become "more modernized," we no longer have to live the lives of farmers where prosperity depends on the quality and quantity of the crops. Instead, we now live the lives of convenience. We have cars that can take us to our destinations, we have supermarkets that allow us to get all the food we need without having to undergo the troublesome seasons and days of planting, plowing, and harvesting, we have phones that allow us to communicate with people halfway across the world if we take the time to make the call, and we have computers and the internet that allows us to gather all the information we need for research and projects. We can even choose to send email if we find calling and talking to bothersome.
     Technology has made lives in human society become more convenient; however, technology can also be seen as both positive and negative. I do not think there is a right or wrong answer if a debate arises.

Response to Phuong's "Jaejoong"

     To tell the truth, I don't know why I am responding to Phuong's post on Jaejoong. I guess it is because I want to make fun of Phuong due to her great preference towards Jaejoong and DBSK's group members.

I will dedicate my post to a korean idol that I have been stalking a few year ago: Kim Jaejoong. he is also known as Hero, Youngwoong, or Jejung.

     Like Phuong, I know who he and DBSK are and I also like many of their songs. Unlike Phuong, I do not make a habit of stalking him and DBSK, nor do I know much of their backgrounds since I do not wish to research them.

one of his comment on a variety show when he describes how a real man cry on the inside and that a real man must cry three times in his life. His humor caught me laughing hard on my stomach because his demonstration of a man crying inside was a sleeping post and his explanation on the three time that a man must cry was: when they were born, when the girlfriend broke up with them, and when their managers don't feed them. I laughed from the last comment because I thought that it would be something serious.

     I agree with Jaejoong two-thirds of the way. Not just a man, I think that everyone cries when they are born and that not being fed should be a good reason to cry. However, for a man, breaking up with a girlfriend should not be a reason to cry because there is a saying that "men should not cry" - unless Jaejoong does not see himself as a guy, then he can cry all he wants. Whether he cry or not, I still have to agree with Phuong that Jaejoong's third comment is funny.
     The one thing I do not know if I should or should not agree with is Jaejoong's comment that "men should cry in their hearts." I have no clue what this means since I do not know if I have ever cried in my heart. Then again, what does crying in your heart feel like? One thing I know for sure is that the heart cannot shed tears.I don't know, maybe it's something he made up on the spot.

Response to Future

     Shiyun's post about the future contain many points about how we are unable to fix and change our past; however, we can make decisions that would lead us to a better future.

There is no way I would know what my future will be like, for I have to decide that myself. For every decision that I make in life, there will be a result to things. No one can really change what they have done or go back to the past and start over again. We will also have to look at the road ahead and make better decisions.

     Here, Shiyun states that the future includes many possibilities and every decision we make can lead to a variety of outcomes. She also states that the past could not be changed no matter what we do, and the best solution is to move on and to make better decisions if the ones made in the past led to mistakes. Shiyun's indications are correct. Even if someone tries to remain in the past, they will have to sooner or later face reality and that time continues to move even though they wish that time can stop.
    There is a saying that I have heard of before and it was something similar to this: wounds heal as time pasts, whether they are scars on the body, heart, or soul. I think this somehow relates to the talk about the future because people move on. Even if they want to remain in the past, even if they do not want to face reality, even if they do not want to accept that something has changed, everyone will eventually have to make a decision in what they are going to do.
     On the other hand, trying to remain in the past can also be connected to the future because a future is basically the choices made by individuals when it comes to deciding about what they want to do. Although I do not know if there are things such as fate and destiny, I do not think anyone but the individuals themselves chooses their future.

Justice

     I found this post on David's blog and I thought that it was an interesting topic to comment on:

In the case of Johannes Mehserle shooting Oscar Grant at the Fruitvale Bart station back on New Year's Eve on 2008, Johannes Mehserle was only sentenced to the minimum jail time of 2 years. I thought that this case was not fair at all. Any form of murder should have resulted in at least moderate amount of time of about 8 years.

     I agree with David when he states that the sentencing Mehserle received at the end of the trial was unfair. Although I understand that there were still a lot of uncertainty, confusion, and controversy around the subject of what truly happened during the day the shooting of Grant at the Bart station took place, I do not believe that it is reasonable to only sentence Mehserle to a two year imprisonment. The reason for this belief is simple: I find that it is simply unfair for a man to lose only two years of his life and freedom in prison when he has taken away everything another individual was, is, and could have been due to a "mistake" made that could or could not have been avoided.
     In addition, the reinforcement of this sentencing is also unfair because Mehserle does not have to serve the full two years in prison. For his sentencing, the judge included the time Mehserle already spent in prison before the final decision for the sentence was made and the judge also rules in "good behavior" and "double credit" - where one day in prison is equal to two days - as factors to subtract the amount of days Mehserle has to remain in jail. I simply find this sentencing unjust; however, it is the final decision ruled by the count.
     There is a quote that states "an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, and a life for a life." If this theory was followed when this case was judged, then the sentencing that would be considered fair for Mehserle is if he received the death sentence or lifetime imprisonment penalty. Maybe then would I will think the sentencing is fair.

Response to Autumn

     In Crystal's post, she talks about her second-favored season, which is Autumn, and why she likes this season:

Autumn is also one of my favorite seasons of the year, next to winter. It is a time when the weather finally begins to cool down after a hot and humid summer. Autumn invokes a relaxing feeling, probably partly due to the typical landscape scenes associated with this season. When one thinks of autumn, one would think of brightly colored leaves slowly cascading down from trees, flooding the floor with red, orange, and yellow tones. I think that these landscapes are primarily the reason why I like autumn so much. 

     In a sense, I agree with her - Autumn is a season where the weather "begins to cool down" and "invokes a relaxing feeling". However, it is also a season where individuals are likely to catch the flu because of the unpredictable weather patterns and temperature changes that associate with this season.
     Autumn is s season of uncertainty - with Spring as its partner. The temperature for early mornings and late nights can be freezing cold while mid-afternoon can be smoking hot. This inconsistency in the weather is what cause individuals to become vulnerable to the seasonal flu since the body has to have its internal and body temperature balanced with the temperature of external factors.
     In addition, Crystal states her favored past-time during this season:

During these days, I feel like doing nothing else but curling up with a good book or taking a walk down the park while listening to relaxing music.

     I entirely agree with this quote. Autumn is usually one of the seasons where I do not wish to concentrate in school. I become lazy and do not wish to do anything except for staying at home and becoming lazy. The best thing to do in a season where the weather is becoming cooler is to simply enjoy life and the things I would do consists of sleeping in late, reading good books, listening to music, getting online, and finding time to think about questions you never think about. Maybe the late point only apply to me; however, I think it is both calming and interesting to just sit there and think about things I have never thought of - or never thought of thinking of - and just think.

Image

     For the past week or so, Mrs. Corbally has been showing videos in class about individuals who have problems with their eating habits and dilemma over their appearance. In her post, Shiyun states that the American criticism upon beauty and how individuals judge others derive from American culture:

I think that it is not largely their fault that they think that way. It is usually because of our culture and how we judge people. I don't blame people that want to be skinny just to fit in. I think I kind of understand how they feel, although I have never went through this experience before.

     Here, Shiyun hints that individuals often have a desire - a crave - to fit in with their peers and are willing to go through extreme methods - in this case, diets - in order to obtain their ideal body. Although she does not explain how culture impacts the way society judges individuals based upon their appearance, she notes that individuals are more often judged by their physical structure than not. In truth, no one wishes to be isolated from the "popular crowd" simply because they do not look a certain way, so individuals who were once rejected by others often end up trying to find a way to become popular even if it means risking their health.
     In addition, I agree with Shiyun when she states popularity is not necessarily gained through appearance but through a warm personality:

To me I don't think that appearance matters a lot to me and I would not judge someone without getting to know them first. I don't think people like you just because you are skinny, but rather it is your personality that really matters. Everyone is beautiful in their own way. We should never give ourselves put downs that make us feel bad about our body or even ourselves.

     Individuals all have various differences and this uniqueness often comes with the experiences the individual endures throughout their life. Some traits are determined at birth, like gender, while others or not, such as physical images and personalities. Either way, the decision of changing who that individual is and whether they wish to become "skinny" or not is decided by the individuals themselves.

What is the right response for society?

     Kristine's post on what society has come to is really interesting because is questions why America is unable to tolerate individuals with different sexual orientations:

At this moment, there are thousands of people fighting for equal treatment. These people are being constantly put down by society and everyone around them. Their rights are constantly being shot down and anything they try to do to gain their rights back lead to even more suppression and pain. These people are those who have different sexual orientations than everyone else. Whether someone is gay, lesbian, bisexual or anything else, they are still human beings. Nothing can change that. America is supposedly the country in which anyone is accepted and anyone has the same rights as everyone else. But look at where we are. Look at all the people around you anyone you know who has a different sexual orientation than the "norm" of society. They are not getting the rights they deserve.

     Kristine is making a very critical point when she states that America is a place when everyone is suppose to be tolerated because they are suppose to have equal and natural rights. Instead, there are people who are denied their rights because they have a different sexual orientation than the "general population" of people.
     Although it is understandable that individuals can be uncomfortable around others who are different from themselves, it is not correct to constraint those individuals from being who they really are. For individuals with a different sexual orientation, it is already hard enough for them to even choose to publicize their preferences because of the negativity the general society has towards them.
     I think sexual orientation is basically similar to an individual's gender. Whether the individual chooses to be what they want to be or if they were born that way, it is simply another choice or living style.
     If women and African-Americans were able to gain their rights through the changes in the Declaration of Independence when it was not included in the first place, why should individuals with different sexual orientations not be able to get their rights? The Declaration of Independence states that "all men are created equal" and not tolerating a certain group of people is not "equal" at all.

Is Jealousy good or bad?

     In Shiyun's blog, she talks about jealousy:

When we are jealous, we do some things that we would not normally do. I think that we should be more calm when this happens. We do not always have to have what others have. If we do, then doesn't it just make us all the same. I think we should just feel happy for what they have. Everyone is different and there are other problems that we have to worry about in life. We can't always face with these little problems that we have because if we don't learn how to over come them we can not face life problems that we have in life later on. We can not let the feeling of jealousy take over our minds and bother our everyday lives. I have not felt jealous for a long time and I think that no one should have the feeling of jealousy. We need to be more happy in life and just laugh with our friends.

     I agree with Shiyun: we feel jealousy because of our differences, but these differences are what make us unique. Although people often think that being jealous of someone else is a bad thing, it is actually not because wanting something another person has can push us to do better in order to gain the thing we wanted.
     For example, Person A may find out that Person B has received a scholarship to the school he or she wants to go to and Person A also wants a scholarship so that he or she doesn't have to pay as mush for college. Person A may realize that Person B got the scholarship because he or she has been studying everyday and tries really had in school when Person A has not. Subsequently, Person A may try to work harder in school so that he or she can also gain a scholarship.
     I don't think jealousy is a bad thing unless it leads to bad outcomes in which an individual chooses not to use his or her own strengths to fairly gain what they want. Jealously can push an individual in working harder or it can corrupt them, such as making them learn to steal what they want.

Response to Vincent's "Right and Wrong Part One"

     I read Vincent's post and it got me thinking about the meanings and my beliefs of right and wrong.

A person can't be right and wrong at the same time. However, these two words are more similar than you know. They can actually be the same thing. Right can be wrong and wrong can be right. How is this possible? The answer lies in the human mind. Person A can consider whatever they are doing is the right thing to do, while person B can think that person A is doing the wrong thing. This of course causes a collision of two different mind thinking about what is right and wrong. I came up with two theories on why people have different views on this. One of them is that the sense of what is right and wrong is shaped by a person's personal experiences in life such as the things that they learn from other people, the places they grew up in, and the good or bad experiences that they have to dealt with in their life. My second theory is that it is all shaped naturally accordingly to the individual specific mindset/personality which creates a certain regime for that specific individual.

     Is right and wrong what individuals believe is correct and incorrect or is there a set of rules that clarify what is accurate of mistaken? Is what individuals believe to be right and wrong true or erroneous? Is there a constraint to how much people can believe is true of false to be right and wrong? If an individual does something believing they are correct or incorrect and another person believes the opposite, is the individual right or wrong?

     After reading this post, I became aware of how vague society really is, not only is there words we cannot truly define, there are things we can't really explain like the use of marijuana. By law, marijuana is an illegal drug; however, for individuals who need to use it for medical purposes, it is legal. Therefore, does this make marijuana legal or illegal? Is it legal for those who require it for medical purposes and illegal for others? If so, it this right or wrong?

     For now, I think there is a right and wrong to everything, or is this also either right or wrong?

Response to David's "Ability or Attitude?"

I was browsing through Google Reader when I found this (interesting?) post on David's blog and I just wanted to talk about it:

In my opinion, a small amount of success comes from ability while a lot of success comes from attitude. The reason is that if a person does not put any effort into what he or she is doing, there is no point in using any sort of ability. It mainly relies on the attitude of the person. Even though a person does not have the ability to do something, as long as their heart is in the right place, they will be successful because they are willing to learn how it does even without the experience and knowledge.

I agree with David in a way because success usually derives from attitude. Although an individual can fail if they have the motivated attitude but lack the ability, they usually become unsuccessful because they overestimated their ability and lacked enthusiasm. This is one of David's examples:

One example was mathematics project that a teacher handed out to the entire class for them to individually do. Over that assignment, I thought that this assignment was going to be easy and that even though I procrastinated, I was going to pass. Therefore, I waited two weeks until it was the last three days to finish the project. It turns out that I needed a lot of materials and it took me an entire day to gather them. Soon enough, I had two days left. I had to use them wisely but I got off task. I became behind and I used the last day to rush it. I turned it in incomplete and received a “C” mark on it.

David states that he had the ability to do the project but was lazy, decided to rush at the last minute, and failed. He overestimated his ability to complete the project because he thought that the assignment would be easy to finish. This proves that an individual with the ability but lacks the motivation will be unsuccessful because they believe that they can finish the project on time even if they wait until the last minute.

Response to Phuong's "Free Write: My 'Best Friend'"

     I found this very funny story on Phuong's blog, and I couldn't help but laugh as I read it. She starts off by saying that she has three "best friends" and I thought she was actually referring to actual people:

          I have notice how much bad luck I have been getting these few days. My three "best friends" are The Sun, Plants, and Bad Luck. These past days, they were very attached to me, especially bad luck. I tried to avoid them but it's inevitable. We are magnets stuck together which is sad for me. 

     When I first started reading this post, I thought that each of these characters symbolized an individual she knew, so I was trying to figure out who she talking about. However, as I read on, I realized that the "friends" she mentioned were non-human characters and that they were truly are her "friends," in the negative way.
     I'm not sure when she acquired these three friends but I do know that they cause her a lot of trouble and torture her to no end and it is the worst when the three of them gang up on her all at once. Phuong even states that:

          These three tend to work together and create my life of torture. Two of them seem "normal" to most people, but beware, every pretty thing/being have a darker side that they don't reveal. I am now trying to ignore them although it failed because the more I try to ignore them, the more they come to me.

     The best way for them to torture Phuong is in the seasons subsequent to winter, either spring or summer. During that time, her allergies are at her worst due to pollen and the sun is at its brightest. In a sense, that is already bad enough but it gets even worse when "Bad Luck" takes a part in becoming one of the torturers.
     Although this may be mean, I somehow find it funny, but it is really messes up for Phuong because she is the one going through the pain. Then again, it;s kind of fun watching her being tortured by her three "friends."

Response to Andy Tsang's "Prologue"

     I found this interesting I-don't-know-what-to-call-it on Andy's blog and it really sticks to me:

John just couldn’t put on a smile today. But who could blame him. A funeral is no place to be happy, especially when you’re the husband or son. There she lay, her face at peace; an expression completely different to mine. It all felt so unreal, like a dream, or more of a nightmare. And as the service ended, people began to clear out, except for John and I. We couldn’t move; our feet were entangled by the roots of our grief. After we paid our final respects to her, and she was whisked away by the staff, we were released from our trance, and grimly walked to the civic; one hand holding the keys; the other holding the boy’s.

     This reminds me of the funeral I went to when I was a kid. It belonged to my grandfather and although I no longer remember much about him, I still remember the day I went to his funeral.
     Back then, in my childish four-year-old mind, I thought that it was just another marginal day, that it was simply another day where my parents forced me to wake up early in the morning to go to some uninteresting place. I only noticed that I was in a church after I was forced to sit on the hard benches and seeing the colorful windows high up on the wall.
     I didn't understand why I was surrounded by relatives: some sad, some teary, and some crying. I suppose I only realized it was a funeral after seeing my grandfather in the coffin, or maybe I didn't realize. I might have only understood what happened after learning what a funeral was years after.
     However, there is one sight I will always remember about that day: my grandmother sitting alone on the bench at the very front, crying silently. Trying to facilitate the pain, maybe.

Response to Shiyun's "The Rich and The Poor: Part 1"

This is the interesting quote I found on Shiyun's blog:

      Poor people and rich people are really different in a way. Although rich people may have lots of money, poor people seem to have a much better life. I noticed that poor people mostly have trustful friends, nice, and independent; while rich people don't have trustful friends, they are mean, and not independent. Either way, they still have some similarities; both will got to school, have a family, and the knowledge is equal.

     In a sense, I agree with parts of what Shiyun is saying, but I also disagree with her. True, rich people are different from poor people in various ways, and both rich and poor have similarities. However, I do not agree with the areas where Shiyun states that poor people have a "better life," trustful friends, and are nice and independent while rich people have distrustful friends and are mean and dependent.
     Shiyun does not really define the terms "rich people" and "poor people" so it is hard to determine which individuals she is talking about. The terms she uses can vary depending upon which individuals she is comparing. Millionaires would be considered as "poor" when compared to billionaires; however, these millionaires would also be considered as "rich" when compared to the regular "working class" or those in poverty. In addition, the terms "rich" and "poor" can even be used in areas where there is poverty. For example, someone who is able to make ten dollars a day will be considered "rich" compared to another who makes less than ten dollars a day.
     In addition, I do not agree with her statements about rich people having unfaithful friends, and are negative and dependent while poor people have loyal friends, and are positive and independent. For one, I do not believe friends can be accounted for as part of the argument because an individual cannot control the thoughts and behaviors of their friends: they are their own beings and have their own ways of thinking, whether a friend is loyal or not is decided by the friend themselves. Moreover, there is no absolute saying that a "rich" person's personality is necessarily negative while a "poor" person's attitude is positive because every individual's personality is unique. A rich person has every possibility to be positive just as a poor person has the possibility to be negative. Additionally, whether a person is dependent or independent depends on the opportunities given and experience gained or the course of their life. As an example, a person cannot live on their own if they do not know how to cook or how to take care of themselves just as a person cannot survive on their own if they are unable to receive enough income to support themselves. Therefore, being "rich" and "poor" does not determine who an individual is.

Response to 'Just Kidding' and 'Ganging Up' from Odd Girl Out by Rachel Simmons

This is an interesting quote I found on Crystal's blog:

When I do see bullying occur, there are three obvious options: to help the victim, to join in with the bullying or choose not to do anything and have the victim fend for themselves. Though I would sympathize the victim, I would choose not to interfere because sometimes to not get involved is the best method to protect yourself. The reason is, if I help the victim, I will most likely become the next target and I might not even have the capability to help the victim.

     I think this quote helps relate to the ASTI Constitution because everyone is given three choices whenever they happen to witness bullying. As Crystal explains, the three choices offered are to either help the victim, join the bullies, or to do neither and be a bystander. However, when these options are presented to an individual, he or she would often most likely choose the third choice because that entity would like to avoid becoming the next victim, being despised by others because he or she joined the bullies, or simply due to the fact that the individual does not want to become involved with the situation in the first place.
     However, because individuals often decide to choose the third choice rather than trying to help the individual being bullied, this is breaking the sixth and ninth rule in the ASTI Constitution: 'speak up for yourself and others' and 'make a positive impact on the people and environment around you'. First of all, when a person ignores and walks away from the bullying happening in front of them, it is certainly not speaking up for yourself or others because to speak up is to stand up to the bullies. Second of all, there is no way bullying will make a positive impact because bullying is negative to both people and the environment no matter which way the situation is seen from. Therefore, bullying is breaking the ASTI Constitution.

'Just Kidding' and 'Ganging Up' from Odd Girl Out by Rachel Simmons

     From what I remember, there has never been a time where I have been part of an alliance that made someone feel bad or have been harassed by a larger group, so I do not know haw that would make me feel. However, I do know and have the experience of what it is like to be a bystander.
     Although I do not remember a specific moment where I have been a bystander in a bullying incident, I do remember that every time these situations come up, I have been presented with choices. There are three options: to help the individual being bullied and take the risk of also being bullied, to join the bullies in bullying the individual, or to be a bystander who does nothing for or against the situation. Every time I see a group of kids ganging up on an individual, I always choose the third option because of four reasons. One, I was not interested in being a bully. Two, I did not want to be one of the bullied individuals. Three, it had nothing to do with me. Four, I simply did not care. I did not want to become involved in the incidents that may end up becoming more complicated and troublesome.
     As for why people bully, I believe that there are many reasons, some which may be complex while others that may be simple. One reason that I know of for why individuals may bully others is because they wish to feel superior when compared to their peers. They wish to feel as though they have the authority over others and the ability to command their colleagues. In short, it is possible to say that bullies want power. Another reason can be family problems. The individual does not know what to do and vents out their negative feeling upon others in the form of bullying. There are many other reasons such as revenge, peer pressure, or simply because the bully dislike a certain individual and wishes to make that person's life miserable.
     In the end, bullying may always continue to exist because of different motives, as mentioned above, and different forms of bullying such as physical, verbal, and pressurized bullying. As long as individuals do not see one another as equals, there will always be conflicts erupting and bullying is only one of the many. Bullying can happens both anywhere and anytime, even if you are unaware.