Levels

I start school in three days.  So I should start packing up all the stuff I'm going to take from home to my apartment in Provo.  There's only one problem: I'm way too lazy to do anything but watch the Jazz game.  I think I feel a spurt of energy to do something, and then I get up, and it's gone.

There's levels of lazy.  There's the level where you aren't actually being lazy, but are just busy with stuff that isn't what you are supposed to be busy with.  One can say that they accomplished much in a day, but not the important stuff, ergo they were lazy.  Next comes the "I did two things today" kind of lazy.  You get one or two small things done, and then just lounge.  Finally, there's the extremely lazy.  You just relax all day and when you realize you need to do things so you won't be stressed the next day you simply don't care.  I'm in the don't care stage.

Also, I've been contemplating what level of failure in life is acceptable.  There's group failure, which can be collaborative; each person could fail in a small way, which brings the failure level up higher for the group.  Of course, there's always that time when one person in the group utterly fails to do what they have been assigned, and that just makes the group failure level soar.

Singular failure levels vary depending on what each person considers failure.  Some would consider stay at home moms failures because they didn't have successful careers in the world; most stay at home moms would disagree and say that those who don't have families and only focus on careers are failing in life.  It's all very subjective to individual beliefs, goals, and values.

Then there's my personal failure level.  How much of it can one squeeze by with?  How many classes can I withdraw from without disappointing my dad?  I have this calculus class that I'm retaking online; I passed it the first time, but just barely, and I was hoping for a better grade.  The textbook was all that I had to pull money out of my account for, but it was near 200 dollars for the textbook with the online mymathlab software.  I've already withdrawn from two other classes: one was paid for by the government, and the other my dad paid for.  Given, I've passed three other government paid for classes, so it all works out in the wash when it comes to my dad paying for one class.  I'm really not out any money there.

However, not withdrawing and stressing myself to finish this four credit hour class could destroy my ability to perform well this next semester.  Not withdrawing from the class would put me at 22 credit hours; the maximum amount of credit hours allowed by BYU is 18.  I would still have my English 292 class online if I withdrew, making my credit hour total 18.  Then I would be within limits for BYU and be better able to manage my schedule to do well in all of my classes.  That's most likely what I'll end up doing, but it'll definitely eat at me for the entire semester for not functioning those three months while I was getting my marriage annulled.  Complete failure to function; you can add that to my list.  The consequences of not being able to do so in a time of emotional trauma aren't very nice.  I guess it's only money.

Proposition 8 Overturning

As I listened to the news last night and heard that Proposition Eight in California had been overturned by a federal judge, I couldn't be angry.  Hearing the gay and lesbian celebrators shout, "separate church and state," it reminded me that no matter what happens, the church can discriminate against who they allow in the temples to be married.  Even if gay marriage rights are finally allowed in america, it won't force the LDS church allow gay marriages to be performed in our temples.

My mother was furious about the news, and I looked at her and said, "There's nothing within the constitution that defines gay marriage as legal or illegal, and making it illegal does, in fact, deny those people rights.  Under the first amendment our church is protected from legal attacks when we don't allow gays to be married in our temples.  I don't condone the practice of gay and lesbian relations, but I'm not going to condemn those people."  It calmed her right down.

One of my best friends is gay, and he was at that celebration last night.  I saw him on the news.  It hurt to know that he doesn't communicate with me as much anymore because I am LDS.  He thinks that I'll start to rag on his beliefs, I think, when in reality, all I want is for him to know that I respect his decision based on his beliefs, even if I don't condone it, and I want him to respect my beliefs in turn.

I think we forget sometimes that our church practices Christianity, which means we accept others and hope they come unto Christ.  We shouldn't be judging people, and should be, in fact, doing what our church leaders asked, that we "act in a spirit of mutual respect and civility."  I think that both sides are guilty of overlooking that statement, which was said many times before when the vote for Prop 8 was going on.  If we, as LDS christians, would show respect, love, and civility towards our brothers and sisters who are gay/lesbian, we would, I believe, in turn receive that.

The Sad State of the American People

I'm getting on here to rant at this point. I am sick of hearing people say that they won't let their kids watch Obama and that he is pushing socialist agenda. First, if he was at any time, it was revised because it was not what he needs to be telling school children. Second, if you aren't letting your kids watch this it is very obvious to me that you aren't letting them think for themselves and are afraid, therefore, that they will automatically believe and follow every word the president says. Which, considering the speech he gave today, wouldn't be a bad thing. However, it is sad that kids aren't being taught to think for themselves and to analyze what people say, accepting and rejecting different ideas. In essence, it is a pity that parents aren't teaching children to form their own opinions.

Second, I would like to say that it is obvious that these americans saying that Obama is going to create a czar to rule over children's education aren't aware of the form of government we live under. We live in a democracy with a huge number of checks and balances within the government system. Anyone who knows anything about our government knows that we have two houses in the legislative branch that make up congress: The House of Representatives and the Senate. A bill has to pass through both houses of congress to even be sent to the president to sign it. Then, after the president reviews the bill he can either sign it or veto it. If he vetoes the bill it goes back to congress and they have to have a super majority--2/3 vote--in both houses for the president's veto to be void. THEN you have the judicial branch, which reviews the laws and makes sure that things that are unconstitutional are thrown out of the government.

Oh, and just to top it off, in the Declaration of Independence it states: "That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. That whenever any form of government becomes destructive to these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shown that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such government, and to provide new guards for their future security."

Our government hasn't done anything, in my mind, that is so terrible that we need to abolish it and create a new one. We haven't suffered a long train of abuses from our government. In fact, we have been protected and helped by our government. However, the people are the power. Government cannot be had without the consent of the governed. It seems to me that parents aren't teaching their children these things, and so they are unaware of the power their voice holds when it comes to government. This causes all the whining and no action that is happening in America. If Americans want change, then they need to organize and tell their government. Women did it for their rights, and African Americans also rallied for change---and guess what! They got it! The power lies with the people. America needs to remember that.