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Thursday, November 22, 2012
And still, we give thanks
Posted By Ailen Arreaza on Thu, Nov 22, 2012 at 9:46 AM
Whenever I see ads for Black Friday on television, I feel sick to my stomach - and not only because America's consumerism disgusts me. Black Friday has a very negative connotation for me. On Black Friday three years ago, my father had an accident that resulted in his death. It was, by far, the darkest day of my life.
My dad fought for his life while shoppers at Walmart fought over a limited number of deeply discounted laptops, and for some illogical reason, part of me that resents those shoppers. I know my father's death wasn't their fault and that there's nothing they could have done to prevent it, but the thought of so many others being engrossed in something so trivial while my family was crumbling makes me angry. I want to yell at those shoppers. I want to tell them that none of it matters, that I would trade every single Christmas present in the world just for the chance to have one more Thanksgiving with my father.
Friday, November 9, 2012
Dear Luki and Pau,
Posted By Ailen Arreaza on Fri, Nov 9, 2012 at 10:08 AM
President Barack Obama was just re-elected. That means he will lead our nation until 2016 and you boys will be 7 and 4 by the time his second term ends. When you are adults and think back to the first president of your lifetimes, you will remember him. And I think it’s amazing that your first memory of the president of the United States will be of a man who doesn't look anything like those who came before him. Your image of who can have power in this country will be drastically different from the image previous generations have held. And that makes me so, so happy.
But what makes me even happier than Obama’s victory is that I was able to vote. Not that I was able to vote for him, but simply that I was able to vote.
