Intolerance Will Not Be Accepted

Intolerance Will Not Be Accepted

Valerie Koury

Word Count: 298

I was drowning; he was unaware I was gone. I had no idea that the person who would become my best friend was letting me drown at the time. This created a strong friendship. He confided in me his secret sexuality; I confided that I had a homosexual sister. I never stopped accepting him for exactly who he was, but Sam neither accepted himself, nor did he allow others to accept him. He feared rejection and ostracism from his family and peers. It was not fair to me, nor was it fair to Sam that he felt it necessary to end his life because he could not bare the overburdening acts of bullying any longer. I panicked at the thought of Sam’s potential suicide. Would I lose my best friend to the discrimination that society imposes on those who love differently?

With Sam’s life in my hands as motivation, I took an enormous leap of courage and sought help. Without revealing his homosexuality, I informed his mother about the bullying Sam had undergone. Knowing he would be unbelievably upset with me for what seems an act of betrayal and risking our friendship, I attempted to save the world from a tremendous loss.

I lost Sam as a friend that day. But losing someone as a friend is better than losing them as a person. I accepted my moral obligation to help a friend in desperate need; I would not let my friend drown in the murky water he saw as life.  

Tolerance is an objective attitude; acceptance is a fully assenting attitude. “Each person deserves [my] respect. Everyone has the right to their own opinions, but not the right to hurt people and put them down because of who they are” (Nicole King). Intolerance will not be accepted.

Belief: Acceptance.

"Be the change you want to see in the world" (Gandhi): Generation Responsibility

Whether forced or longed for, today’s generation faces great responsibility. Teens are influenced and pressured in areas of responsibility from schooling to changing the world. Craving the freedom of adults, teens pressure their parents into giving them more freedom, in turn, responsibility. Caught up in the responsibilities of their own, it is easy for parents to distribute responsibilities to their still-maturing teenagers.

Our generation engages in the idea of molding an identity amongst our peers, exemplifying the title of responsible. We are maturing more rapidly than ever, showing we can handle the responsibility, whether it is forced or longed for.

"Be the change you want to see in the world" (Gandhi) 

 

Word Count: 100

Two Birds With One Stadium, Blog 5 repost

Black and orange; the colors swam through my blood stream while my mother, an Orioles fanatic, prepared me for my first baseball game. We traveled from Arkansas to Maryland to watch. Fans flock from all over the country to see “The Birds” play at Camden Yards. Thus, the Orioles stadium provides a nostalgic, family-friendly event, and an All-American tradition of watching baseball, in a stadium that has been around for as long as families remember.

You can see the stadium from a mile away; you’ve almost reached “Bird Land.”  Though every person has a different experience, each person shares one thing: walking through the stadium gate that awaits the magic. My mother and I walked through hand-in-hand; the energy was electrifying. This memory, along with countless others created with family and friends, is one reason how the Orioles stadium creates nostalgia. Not only do you remember the game itself, but you recall the path that paved that memory: the journey through the gate.

Camden Yards gathers people from all backgrounds because of the love for an All-American sport. Everyone energetically fills the stadium, feeding off of each other's energy. Camden Yards gives fans of all kinds a place to congregate and enjoy the game together.  

My mother and I rooted the Orioles to victory and we have been cheering ever since. Moments like these shape our lives. With all of the changes that people are challenged with, Camden Yards has remained, creating a sense of stability in an all-changing world.

Word Count: 250

Two Birds with one Stadium

Black and orange; the colors swam through my blood stream while my mother, an Orioles fanatic, prepared me for my first baseball game. We traveled from Arkansas to Maryland to watch. Fans flock from all over the country to see “The Birds” play at Ripken Stadium. Thus, the Orioles stadium provides a nostalgic, family-friendly event, and an All-American tradition of watching baseball, in a stadium that has been around for as long as families remember.

You can see the stadium from a mile away; you’ve almost reached “Bird Land.”  Though every person has a different experience, each person shares one thing: walking through the stadium gate that awaits the magic. This memory, along with countless others created with family and friends, is one reason how the Orioles stadium creates nostalgia. Your spirit heightens as you look for your seat; you look around to see fellow fans all ready to experience the Orioles.

Ripken Stadium gathers people from all backgrounds because of the love for an All-American sport. Toddlers who grow into the elderly that fill the stadium can enjoy a baseball game because the stadium welcomes everyone; giving fans a place to congregate and come together to feel part of the team that represents most fans’ hometown.                

These are important aspects to consider when thinking in terms of preservation because with all of the changes that people are challenged with; the Orioles stadium has always been there, creating a sense of stability in an all-changing world.

Word Count: 246