Today’s Summer Blog Challenge prompt is a difficult one to write to as well as read. My prayer is people read and respect other’s views, especially those that are completely different than yours AND those you don’t understand the reasoning. We may learn something from those opposing views, especially if we come together in conversation with minds that are willing to listen rather than shut themselves off.
The prompt:
July 19- If you were president or prime minister for a day, what's one law you would change? -Submitted by Hannah @ Baby Knows Best
I know some of you may be surprised by what I write about what laws I would change. Before you close your window and declare yourself unwilling to speak to me again, please read my why’s behind the what’s.
Here are a smattering of laws I would change:
Equality across the board – I knew of my first gay marriage back in 1990. I didn’t question the legality of it, I just thought it was great my friend Steve was getting married. It wasn’t until it was legalized (briefly) in California that I discovered, “You mean this isn’t legal?” My current research is to collect all the Biblical references regarding what Jesus actually SAID about this issue since I have a meeting with a fellow Christian about this topic next week. My children and I protested here in California and carried signs that said, "Christians Against H8." I had the best theological discussions that day.... and I was afraid my church friends might see me and tsk tsk. I also believe in equality in education – meaning all school districts should strive for excellence and serve their underserved populations like Special Ed students through mainstreaming as many kids as is appropriate and not just warehousing the “inconvenient” kids. And wouldn’t it be great if there really was a community where interracial friendships were the norm instead of the exception? How about straight people and the LGBTQ community hanging out together without women being called Fag Hags or straight women hanging out with lesbians being presumed lesbians. How would I create such a law? No idea, but I think if we created an environment of love and compassion, these outcomes would be like breathing. Maybe for our kid’s generation.
Get ready to spit out your coffee. I believe in legalized prostitution because I would prefer the women who are engaging in that profession be protected AS WELL AS the men who are purchasing their services. Imagine if we could be sure there aren’t all those diseases rolling around and imagine if we could get horrifyingly violent pimps off the street. Imagine if all the prostitutes were actually there by choice because they realized it was a way to make a decent living, support their families or whatever it is they are doing? Imagine if you couldn’t be drugged up to be a prostitute and you couldn’t have untreated STD’s to be a prostitute. Imagine if we could collect sales tax on prostitution to keep our infrastructure intact. (Some of our roads here in California are AWFUL!) Read here about how forward thinking parts of the US were in the 19th Century AND how women's rights were won first by Prostitutes and the WOMEN who employed them. I didn't write this, a scholar did....
Legalize and Monitor certain (now) illegal drugs. I say this as I am the biggest Carrie Nation style drug Prohibitionist you will ever meet. I have friends who, again here in California, have their Medical Marijuana cards, which is a joke. I hate it! People say “Oh, my fingers hurt from typing, I need a medical card” and they get one! And then they get HIGH and then they may lose their jobs because of the marijuana that stays in their system for a long, long, time! I know, look at all my exclamation points. I just found out last night there is a part of the marijuana plant that may be ingested (not smoked!) which actually HELPS with brain function. My thought with legalizing certain drugs is #1) Take away the power from the Drug Cartels #2) Empty our jails of bodies just wasting away and becoming bigger criminals from the culture on the inside #3) Again, build our infrastructure with tax revenues. #4) Actually minimize addiction instead of maximize it. Remember how awful it actually was during prohibition? All the crime, all the dirty activity caused because by it?
In the Education World (I mentioned a bit of this above) I would make sure all General Education teachers get training in Special Ed and with the huge Autism Epidemic, I would be sure the schools and the teachers are prepared. They would discover teaching a spectrum kid is actually helpful to their entire class. I would be sure all the administrators are educated in Special Ed law and if they BLOW IT by not helping a child they have the smallest inkling might have special needs, send those principals out of their offices and into special ed classrooms. Test them on laws and if they fail, they lose their income until the pass their legal exam. Can you tell it was administrators who failed my son? I realize this is more of a state-by-state and district by district thing, but I just wish all our children could be served AND that we, as a society, created a world where uniqueness was treasured rather than hidden off in the special needs ghettoes which exist on so many campuses today.
Julie Jordan Scott has been a Life & Creativity Coach, Writer, Facilitator and Teleclass Leader since 1999. She is also an award winning Actor, Director, Artist and Mother Extraordinaire. She was twice the StoryTelling Slam champion in Bakersfield. She leads Writing Camp with JJS & this Summer will be traveling throughout the US to bring this unique, fun filled creative experience to the people wherever she finds the passion & the interest.
Did you enjoyed this essay? Receive emails directly to your inbox for Free from Julie Jordan Scott via the Daily Passion Activator. One inspirational essay and poem (almost) every week day. Subscribe here now -
I hear dust from the days before the Vikings falling through the forest. I hear branches, creaking – born before the printing press – being torn from the body that had supported them for so long.
I see confusion.
I see stained glass.
I see awe on the faces of those who look upon her now.
I step into your veins and feel like I am stepping into every cavern I have ever visited. I become one with every nightmare and every pipedream I have ever breathed not into existence.
I feel my breasts fill with milk even though I have not had a baby in eleven years. I feel the urge to feed the babies, the ones who cannot speak or walk for whom there is only hope.
I see Moses’ mother and sister, waiting for safety for their little boy.
I see my mother and sister, giggling as I struggle to slide my feet into my short sheeted bed when I couldn’t translate their giggles and my complete confusion and heart pounding fear to be responding to the same thing.
I touch your protective coating – splintered and your inner coating, smooth. I notice the hands, the others, reaching out, and another other, speaking as if expert but knowing nothing, after all.
I touch inside you with my camera.
I feel miniscule.
I feel incapable to communicate who, what, how you are.
I want to bring people here, to sit with you, to engage with you, to come to know you intimately instead of sitting back and looking at photos or watching videos or thinking they know when they don’t know what it is like to touch the inside of a Sequoia’s bloodstream and suddenly understand how similar you are, only the tree is infinitely wiser and infinitely more capable to communicate even without the benefit of translatable language.
“All afternoon it rained, then
such a power came down from the clouds
on a yellow thread,
as authoritative as God is supposed to be.
When it hit the tree, her body
opened forever.”
In the spring it rained and the stream, as always, moved alongside these twin trees, standing tall like the twin towers had before they fell.
Somehow, they surmise, the life blood of the trees brought death to these two. Like all grief, it isn’t completely understandable yet how it happened. Scientists are in wonder, still now – and don’t logically try to explain it all away.
What I know is the tree and her innards touched me, my mind, my heart, my chest, my fingers, my awe has now opened forever.
Julie Jordan Scott has been a Life & Creativity Coach, Writer, Facilitator and Teleclass Leader since 1999. She is also an award winning Actor, Director, Artist and Mother Extraordinaire. She was twice the StoryTelling Slam champion in Bakersfield. She leads Writing Camp with JJS & this Summer will be traveling throughout the US to bring this unique, fun filled creative experience to the people wherever she finds the passion & the interest.
Did you enjoyed this essay? Receive emails directly to your inbox for Free from Julie Jordan Scott via the Daily Passion Activator. One inspirational essay and poem (almost) every week day. Subscribe here now -
Usually when I read stuff like I am about to say, I growl and frown, shaking my head. “Cop out!” I say. “Can’t you either say the things everyone expects you to say or just for once not be so cliché?”
I could write about the births of my children – they are my greatest single works of art.
My personally philosophy though is this: every day is a celebration of what has been, what is to be and most of all, what is NOW.
Therefore, every day is the Best Day of My Life.
No one clunk me over the head with a huge dictionary.
I will love reading stories of births and weddings and ephiphanys.
I love writing those stories.
To be truthful, though… I have to stick with THIS is the best day.
How will you spend this twenty four hour gift? What would change if you woke up each morning thinking "Wow, this is the best day of my life!" I bet it would make a difference in how you feel. I know it does for me. I know my life is richer and more optimistic now than it used to be.
Many blessings to each of my Summer Blog Challenge friends!
Did you enjoyed this essay? Receive emails directly to your inbox for Free from Julie Jordan Scott via the Daily Passion Activator. One inspirational essay and poem (almost) every week day. Subscribe here now -
didn’t question the legality of it, I just thought it was great my friend Steve was getting married. It wasn’t until it was legalized (briefly) in California that I discovered, “You mean this isn’t legal?” My current research is to collect all the Biblical references regarding what Jesus actually SAID about this issue since I have a meeting with a fellow Christian about this topic next week. My children and I protested here in California and carried signs that said, "Christians Against H8." I had the best theological discussions that day.... and I was afraid my church friends might see me and tsk tsk. I also believe in equality in education – meaning all school districts should strive for excellence and serve their underserved populations like Special Ed students through mainstreaming as many kids as is appropriate and not just warehousing the “inconvenient” kids. And wouldn’t it be great if there really was a community where interracial friendships were the norm instead of the exception? How about straight people and the LGBTQ community hanging out together without women being called Fag Hags or straight women hanging out with lesbians being presumed lesbians. How would I create such a law? No idea, but I think if we created an environment of love and compassion, these outcomes would be like breathing. Maybe for our kid’s generation.
would prefer the women who are engaging in that profession be protected AS WELL AS the men who are purchasing their services. Imagine if we could be sure there aren’t all those diseases rolling around and imagine if we could get horrifyingly violent pimps off the street. Imagine if all the prostitutes were actually there by choice because they realized it was a way to make a decent living, support their families or whatever it is they are doing? Imagine if you couldn’t be drugged up to be a prostitute and you couldn’t have untreated STD’s to be a prostitute. Imagine if we could collect sales tax on prostitution to keep our infrastructure intact. (Some of our roads here in California are AWFUL!) Read here about how forward thinking parts of the US were in the 19th Century AND how women's rights were won first by Prostitutes and the WOMEN who employed them. I didn't write this, a scholar did....
biggest Carrie Nation style drug Prohibitionist you will ever meet. I have friends who, again here in California, have their Medical Marijuana cards, which is a joke. I hate it! People say “Oh, my fingers hurt from typing, I need a medical card” and they get one! And then they get HIGH and then they may lose their jobs because of the marijuana that stays in their system for a long, long, time! I know, look at all my exclamation points. I just found out last night there is a part of the marijuana plant that may be ingested (not smoked!) which actually HELPS with brain function. My thought with legalizing certain drugs is #1) Take away the power from the Drug Cartels #2) Empty our jails of bodies just wasting away and becoming bigger criminals from the culture on the inside #3) Again, build our infrastructure with tax revenues. #4) Actually minimize addiction instead of maximize it. Remember how awful it actually was during prohibition? All the crime, all the dirty activity caused because by it?
all General Education teachers get training in Special Ed and with the huge Autism Epidemic, I would be sure the schools and the teachers are prepared. They would discover teaching a spectrum kid is actually helpful to their entire class. I would be sure all the administrators are educated in Special Ed law and if they BLOW IT by not helping a child they have the smallest inkling might have special needs, send those principals out of their offices and into special ed classrooms. Test them on laws and if they fail, they lose their income until the pass their legal exam. Can you tell it was administrators who failed my son? I realize this is more of a state-by-state and district by district thing, but I just wish all our children could be served AND that we, as a society, created a world where uniqueness was treasured rather than hidden off in the special needs ghettoes which exist on so many campuses today.
Recent Comments