• Homophobia
• HUGS, KISSES AND BUBBLEGUM
• Kristy`s Story
• The Overexposed Life of a Celebrity
• Just Imagine
• Guns and Roses
• WHAT’S THE POINT?!
• War in Afghanistan

Matthew Shepard, age of death, 21, political science student, tied to a fence and beaten within an inch of his life.

Harvey Milk, city supervisor, assassinated November 27, 1978, shot five times, one of them directly in the forehead.

James Patrick Zappalorti, disabled veteran of the Vietnam War, date of death January 22, 1990 , stabbed four times in the chest and abdomen.

This is homophobia in its extremes. Death! Not just derogatory comments that are thrown around, but the actual extinguishing of a human flame. Now tell me, is this justified? Is this the kind of world we want to live in? Are we going to stand idly by as we see, hear and even experience this in our own lives?

We as humans strive to achieve world order, world peace, and worldwide equality. But can we achieve these goals when the poison that is homophobia dwells in the minds of so many? No! We cannot! One homophobic person is far too many. That is why we must band together to ensure that everyone no matter what sexual orientation is treated equally and is given the same rights that you and I have the privilege of every single day of our lives. We must rise up against homophobia, together, along side with the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered of the world. We must face homophobia and dispel its evil grasps on society, media, and ourselves. We must give birth to a new age of acceptance, equality, and freedom.

To reach this new age we must first free ourselves from the bonds of ignorance and extend our hands towards the light of knowledge. James Madison once said “Knowledge will forever govern ignorance; and a people who mean to be their own governors must arm themselves with the power which knowledge gives.” I am here today to give you these arms, in hopes that you will find a use for them to better our world.

Homosexuality, the sexual attraction to persons of the same sex. Homophobia, the irrational fear of, aversion to, or discrimination against homosexuality or homosexuals. Gay, a person whose sexual orientation is to persons of the same sex, a man whose sexual orientation is to men. Lesbian, a woman whose sexual orientation is to women. Bisexual, relating to or having a sexual orientation to persons of either sex. Transgender, appearing as, wishing to be considered as, or having undergone surgery to become a member the opposite sex. Now you know the meaning of these words and in which contexts they should be used. Listening to these definitions, did you hear anything that would suggest homosexuality is connected to HIVS or AIDS, or homosexuality is connected to the destruction of the human race? I don’t think so. What you may have heard was that homophobia is the irrational fear of, aversion to, or discrimination against homosexuality or homosexuals. That’s right! Irrational being the key word.

This irrationality has led to gay bashing, discrimination, and as I already mentioned bloody massacres. All this for what? Just for a difference in sexuality. Are we all not all born different? Are not our differences the things that set us apart, that makes us individuals, that makes the human race so diverse and great?

How many of you have been judged by the colour of your eyes, your race, your ethnic background, even your sex? Well, being judged by one’s sexual orientation is the same thing. It doesn’t feel the least bit great. One hears a lot about gay bashing and how innocent people, who have done no wrong, have been injured and even killed for being different. We do not discriminate against people with different coloured eyes or hair, then why should homosexuality be any different? By punishing individuals for being different, we are no better than Hitler who believed that only the “Aryans” were allowed to live on this earth and everything that deviated from his ideas of the perfect person should be wiped from the earth. By letting homophobia continue we are allowing another Hitler to be born into the world, to wreak havoc upon it. Are you going to let that happen? I hope not.

Homosexuality, the sexual attraction to persons of the same sex. What are your feelings towards it now? A baby born heterosexual and a baby born homosexual, would you love them equally?

The end of summer holidays when I was seven years old was spent in the hospital with my papa. My parents, sister and I would drive to Mississauga to see him as often as possible. I never really understood why my parents always looked so sad about it; I thought the trips were a good thing. After all, he and my grandma would always give Sammy and me lots of hugs and kisses and bubble gum every time we’d see them.

I can remember as if it was yesterday: me sitting on his hospital bed, legs crossed, listening to him tell me stories about when he was a kid and when my dad was a kid and about how chocolate bars used to cost only a nickel. He’d tell me stories about how he was a sailor aboard the Lady Anderson. My sister and I used to imagine being on a ship like my papa’s with the wind blowing in our hair and the permanent smell of saltwater on our skin. He’d tell me about happier days, like the days my sister and I were born or when my mom and dad were married. He always told us we were the prettiest little girls he’d ever seen. That made us smile every time.

I knew he was sick; my mom and dad explained that to me but I always thought he’d get better and go back home one day. I could recall being sick, and I always got better, so I figured he would too.

I remember thinking that Sammy and I would go back to spending March break with him and my grandma. We’d go back to helping him plant his vegetable garden every spring; we’d go back to walking to the candy store with him after dinnertime just like we did many times before. I couldn’t imagine not doing those things with my grandma and papa.

Summer vacation soon ended and Sammy went to pre-school and I went on to grade one. We’d drive to Mississauga to see my papa on weekends and we were always welcomed with lots of hugs, kisses and bubble gum.

One day after school in late October, my mom and dad sat my sister and me down in the living room and explained to us that papa was getting really sick. They were crying. My dad was sitting in a rose-coloured chair, bent over so his forearms were resting against his thighs. He was sadder than I have ever seen him, sadder than I have ever seen him since. It made me want to anything I could to make me feel better, but I knew I couldn’t do anything. Seeing my dad like that really hurt.

My mom and dad told me his body doesn’t like the medicine the doctor is giving him so his kidneys aren’t getting any better, that they are getting worse. Sammy and I were heartbroken; we were really sad but we didn’t understand it the way my mom and dad did. We never thought he was going to die. I was too busy waiting for the coming Saturday when we’d visit him again.

That week, Saturday didn’t come.

It wasn’t until many years later did I look back and realize why he told me what he did. After every visit he’d tell my sister and me that he was proud of us, that he loved us and that he’d love us forever.

During his last few weeks of living, he recognized the importance of leaving me with a part of him. I can recall his stories about when he was a kid and when my dad was a kid and how chocolate bars used to only cost a nickel. I can recall the stories of when he was a sailor aboard a huge ship. One day when I’m a mom I will tell the stories of my papa to my children and hopefully my children will dream about being a sailor like my papa; just like I did.

During those few months I learned a great deal about life and death and love and loving someone after you die. Looking back, I realize the importance of expressing to someone how you feel about him before it’s too late. I understand how a person’s words don’t disappear when they die; those words find a permanent place in your heart forever.

I know that my Papa loves me forever because he told me so.

Kristy was a normal teenage girl. She was an average student at her high school, she wasn’t exactly in the popular group or in the nerd group, she was a beautiful girl, and she had what she thought was a prefect boyfriend. Yet she didn’t know that there was no such thing as perfect.

Kristy was a student at a highschool close to mine, she was my friend, she was everybody`s friend. She was the nicest girl I knew, and she was happy.

If you’re not blind and you noticed that what I wrote was in past tense, then I’m sure you’re getting the jist of my story.

Ben was her boyfriend. When they started going out he was great to her. He brought her flowers, he asked her how she was everyday, and most of all he cared about her..so it seemed. After a while into the relationship I noticed different things about my friend. She was always paranoid when I would go to grab her hand or put my arm around her shoulder. I also noticed bruises on her legs and arms..I was scared for her. I knew someone was hurting her, at first I thought it might have been her father, I never thought of Ben, not once, he seemed so great. When I asked Kristy if something was up, she would always say no and just forget it. But I was not just going to forget it. So I invited her over for a night, and talked to her. She said Ben would never do anything to her at all, stormed off and screamed back at me, I hate you. It was the worst day of my life the following day. Kristy had been brutally killed..by her boyfriend. It was recorded that the night she stormed out of my house, she went to Ben’s, where he was having a party. He was drunk and not stable at all. Kristy tried to tell him that I knew what he was doing. He blew up at her, dragged her to the bathroom, and beat her to death.

Kristy could have saved herself by telling me what was wrong, or at least telling someone else she trusted.. from that day, Ive missed my friend so much.

They're unavoidable. You know who I'm talking about. Celebrities; they're on television, in magazines, on the radio, in the newspaper. Everywhere you look or listen, you're bound to come across something related to celebrities.

Many say that celebrities set a bad example for young children that look up to them. I partially agree with that opinion. So it's true that sometimes Christina Aguilera or Lil' Kim don't dress appropriately, or they're not all covered up. But it is a free country, and the way that you dress is the way that you express yourself. So if a normal person can dress that way, and nobody cares, then why should it be any different for those famous stars that we adore so much?

I blame the media. Nobody would care that Janet Jackson had a “wardrobe malfunction”, unless the media blew it way out of proportion. For the following months, the media preyed off that one event and made such a big deal of it. It was on national television and everything, and there probably were young children watching, but why do celebrities get more attention than something actually important?

Issues that the public deserves to know about, but don't find out about, or are not completely informed about, because the world is more focused on what Kobe Bryant is doing, rather that the people suffering in third world countries, or our economy. I don't know about the rest of the world, but it seems to me that when we start to make a bigger deal of what purse Martha Stewart is wearing, which doesn't effect us at all; compared to something like the flood in Peterborough , which will affect the Canadian economy, and citizens; we have a big problem. What we do to fix this problem is up to us. But for now, it's just going to get worse and worse unless we decide to do something about it.

It all started one faithful day, while I was watching the Liberal Party convention on T.V. Bono, the lead singer of the amazing band U2 was taking about something he truly cares about. He wasn't talking about his music, or money, or fame, or even his family. He was talking about the Aids epidemic that has spread throughout the world.

Some of the things he said were truly touching, and he really opened my eyes to a world that I never even knew I lived in. Yes, I knew about aids and poor countries, and homelessness, and I did always have a place in my heart for those less fortunate than I am. Yet, never in this way before.

Bono talked about parents dying, and leaving their children orphaned. He told people how first world countries haven't been doing their part in the fight against aids. And most importantly he said that lack of knowledge everywhere is why the Aids epidemic isn't being controlled.

That made me want to do something, it made me want to help. I thought, maybe this is how I could help? I could teach, inform people about the Aids epidemic. Now, I'm no expert or anything, but maybe if you here about the problem, you'll want to help too.

So, what is the Aids crisis really about? Well, in June of 1981 American scientists came out with evidence of a new disease. Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome aids. Which is caused by the disease HIV. Over the years this disease has rapidly spread across the globe. And over 22 million people have died from it since. Currently, about 36 million people are living with HIV. The extremely sad thing is that the parts of the world where Aids is most severe, Russia and Africa don't even have access to treatment.

Now that you know about all of this sadness and pain I hope you'd like to help too. Yet, you may feel a little overwhelmed. What could you, a single person do to help stop a disease that is out of control? Can it even be stopped in the first place?

Of course it ca be stopped. Several things have been done already to help fight the disease. For example Uganda is the only country in Africa that has managed to reverse the epidemic. But how was this possible? Ugandans have been doing their part, yet money has been a major factor too. Funding increased immensely and their campaign is still saving lives as we speak.

Isn't it stories like that make you want to make a difference in those people's lives? You could save a mother and prevent a child from becoming an orphan. Just imagine, for one second how that would feel. That alone is enough to make ME want to do something.

There are dozens of things you can do. From writing a letter to our Member of Parliament, to taking sometime to tell a family member to make a donation. It's pretty oblivious why one would make a donation, but what does a personal letter do. It encourages our 1rst world countries to DROP THE DEBT! That means that 3rd world countries, like countries in Africa wouldn't have to pay debts they have to our 1rst world countries. Their money can go to fighting aids in their countries, where it belongs.

Do you see how we can all make a difference? I do! Bono once said " in like 100 years time we could be remembered for an entire continent getting flushed down the toilet. OR, be remembered for the time when actually the whole world woke up to its responsibilities to our neighbours. Distance does not decide who your neighbour is."

So, what is it going to be? Will we win, or will we loose? Either way I don't want to sit back and watch it happen. If we loose, at least we tried, but then again we could win, we could beat aids. And wouldn't that be great, wouldn't that be amazing, wouldn't that be a miracle? If we did wake up like Bono says. We could forget about all of our differences, and we could find enough love in our hearts, and in turn save millions of lives! Just imagine!

Nine days ago, two kids were playing when they came across a gun in their older brother's bedroom. The kids were a boy named Michael James, age 6, and his sister, age 7. They began to play around. The girl pointed the gun at Michael's face, and it went off. He was dead by the time he reached the hospital……... ….Yes, my friends, this is a true story from the Globe & Mail.

Today I would like to tell you just how disastrous guns can be …& how popular too. Every little boy, some girls to, have a fascination for guns, crime, violence, action! My little brother has a collection of over 20 guns so we always have a huge collection of kids from our street at our house, all killing each other with fake guns! They draw pictures of guns, they search the Internet for pictures of guns, and we all play video games, which feature a variety of guns, killing, and destruction. Just what is our society coming to? Where will this lead us?

Will we grow up and buy guns under the pretext of protecting ourselves? How many people do you know who have guns as means of protection? Research shows that a firearm in your home is 18 times more likely to be used to kill or injure a family member than to be used for protection . Before buying or even handling a gun, one has to realize that it is something different than any other object in the sense that a gun can cause serious injury or death. Handling a gun makes you responsible for what happens with it at that time. If you own a gun, you are undertaking full responsibility for safety and security at all times. This means that you have to ensure that you or other people using your gun with your consent handle it properly. You have to make sure that nobody can steal or use your firearm without your consent. That's what little Michael's brother forgot…. he forgot the responsibility that comes with owning a gun. & It cost him the life of someone he loved. Now he must put roses at Mike's grave!

Which brings me to another case…remember the one where an innocent bystander was gunned down in Etobicoke? The unregistered gun was found in a bin near the crime but by the time the police could trace the gun, the shooter had escaped to Mexico .

So, tell me, people have to register cars, so why not require them to register guns? A national database would help us target gunrunners before a crime is committed, instead of waiting until after somebody is dead or crippled by gun violence. Our system of gun tracing today is ridiculously out-of-date. It's done by telephone and in-person visits to a store by a police detective-- not by computer.

Credit card companies can run instant credit checks for everyone, but it takes police weeks to trace a single gun. And it starts at the scene of a crime, when they find a gun. Then they call the manufacturer, find out the name of the dealer, go to the dealer, look at the gun purchase form, find the buyer, and then ask how the gun ended up at a crime scene. If we are serious about gun control, then we should establish a national database for gun sales so that we can identify gunrunners and target them for investigation.

One step further, we should file lawsuits not only after the crime is committed against the criminal, but also against gun dealers, gun manufacturers, and gun distributors. No one but law enforcement officers should own handguns, but I understand that it's impractical to pass a national ban.

And law enforcement officials nationwide say that any limit is better than no limit - which is what we have today: no limit, meaningless restrictions, and easy access to dangerous guns for anybody who wants them.

With over 35,000 people killed by guns last year in America , and about 1/3 that number in Canada , the gun industry cannot continue to ignore its responsibility to keep guns away from criminals. Innocent people are dying. Children are dying. And the gun industry is making money.

It's time for each one of us to play an important part in changing this era of guns into an era of roses. If you love life and people, replace your thoughts of guns with visions of roses…spread love around, not hate, is what I'm saying, fight violence with love, and some day, you will succeed.

Most teenagers will go to extreme extents to be noticed, become popular and to be the centre of attention. They will break the rules, drink until they can’t even stand and do what they believe “everybody else is doing.” The only problem about this is that they are damaging their bodies, hurting the people around them and in the end it really isn’t cool. When there is a party on the weekend, no doubt about it that they will be there, if they are going to be noticed, of course!

Drinking affects how your body operates. When alcohol is running through your blood, you don’t care how you look or how you’re behaving, it feels good. That feeling disappears in the morning. You wake up with a hangover; you’re grounded for a month and the only place you’ll be for a while is the toilet. Teens everywhere have been told by their teachers, parents, brothers and sisters that doing stupid things aren’t cool. But it goes right through them; they’ve heard the lecture too many times. But the truth is, doing stupid things isn’t going to make you any better of a person, if your peers can’t accept you for who you really are, forget about them, make them history! I’m a 15 year old teen and I accept me for me and if my peers can’t accept that, then that’s their problem. The problem with teens today is that they are trying to live up to the expectations of their peers and they don’t want to be themselves. They don’t have the self-respect or the self-confidence. Every high-school in Canada contains teenagers who skip their classes, smoke joints during their breaks with their friends or talk back to the teacher; give them attitude. But if they were at home they wouldn’t dare talk back to their parents or smoke illegal substances near their house. The reason they do it as school is because they want to look good in front of everyone else and be the centre of attention. They get a feeling of belonging and they are well known throughout the school.

But what I believe is that I should be myself, I’m not going to act like a fool to be noticed…WHAT’S THE POINT?!

When George Bush first announced the war in Afghanistan , I didn't think much about it. I mean, it was a war, so I was a little freaked out because so many people were going to die, but I just thought, there's been wars before. But now, I think the whole idea was stupid.

Americans thought they were justified in going to Afghanistan to fight, but they weren't. The wars started because of 9/11, an event where maybe 20 people from that country killed people from theirs. 20 bad people doesn't mean that everybody there would become a terrorist if they had the chance. It just means that's the life 20 of them choice. 20 people doesn't justify invading, and killing millions of innocents, women, children, and men who weren't terrorists.

And now in Iraq . Bush sent troops in to look for supposed "nuclear weapons". He should've just asked his father, considering George Bush Sr. is the one who probably was the one to give Iraq the weapons in the first place. He should've thought about the fact that almost every country in the world probably has nuclear weapons (including America ). He just invaded because they have wanted Saddam for the past however many years, and since they were already in war with Afghanistan , why not make up some excuse to invade Iraq .

And with all the press from Saddam's capture, you'd think they only went after him to give late night a couple good jokes. Bush doesn't care about the well being of Iraq or Afghanistan , which I've heard him claim is the reason they invaded to "help”. Bush invaded to try to get the Vietnam vets to vote for him in the next election.

War isn't a good thing. I mean, being a girl who will have never have to even think about fighting in a war and a girl who doesn't have anyone fighting right now, my opinion is probably very different from a lot of other peoples, but my great-uncle fought in two wars and I live in a world where I don't want there to be any wars, so my opinion is probably the same as a lot of peoples. It is scary to think what could've happened in the past if America hadn't fought in wars, and taken Canada with them. Maybe the Germans would've taken over or some other lame excuse almost every president has used since then to convince their country that fighting in a war is okay.

But since 9/11, I think wars have all gone too far. It just isn't fair to persecute a whole country for the mistakes of a few and to satisfy the ego of an overbearing, annoying president, who probably still living the lie that America won the Vietnam War.