Same Love: Macklemore

As I read and analysed the song lyrics of "Same Love", written and sang by Macklemore, is a song about same sex marriage and stereotypes. He starts off the song explaining that in the third grade he thought he was gay. He talks about how our society abuses the word "gay". He says, "Have you read the YouTube comments lately."Man, that’s gay" gets dropped on the daily". The word gay is being used for hate, and thats not what it should be used for. He wants people to know that it is okay to be yourslef and there is no difference between being gay or straight because a person is a person and everyone should be treated the same. He wants people to know that he supports same sex marriage, with one of the lines saying, "No freedom till we’re equal, damn right I support it".

Today, words that assosiate with same sex marriage are being used to make jokes or say it because because they can. Why is words like gay being associated with bad things? Being gay is not a bad thing, like Macklemore says. People are who they are and society should not bring them down. Macklemore wants us to realize the harm the word can do and he wants us to fight until there is freedom by law. He also wants us to know what it can cause. In his song, he sings, "A world so hateful some would rather die than be who they are". People are willing to kill themselves because of what our world has come to in terms of same-sex relationships. Bascially, this song wants to show awareness of same sex relationships. He also explains how passing a law won't change evrything, "And a certificate on paper isn’t gonna solve it all". Although gay marriage was passed, people are still going to fight against it.

It is important for people to stay true to themselves because ultimately, you cannot change who you are and how you feel about certain things. Even if there is controversy about it, there is no reason to stop loving someone just because some one else disagrees on the idea. Mackelmore writes, "Live on and be yourself". I think he mean that keep going in life and don't change who you are because your decision is yours not somebody elses. He says, "Underneath it’s all the same love". This line stood out to me because it really sums up the song. He wants us to know that after all the fighting and contoversy, that love is love and you can love anybody. The ones fighting against it should not be against it because who are they to tell somebody they cannot love.

Although this topic is not relateable to a lot of people, it is an important message to keep in mind. I know some people who are in same-sex relationships and when I see words like "gay" being used for jokes and in daily comments from teenagers, it makes me annoyed to think people would use that word negatively. It should not be associated with the bad. I wonder how people in those relationships feel when they are constantly discriminated by some people of our society.  Macklemore wants us to know, feel, and think that same sex relationships are acceptable, and at the end, it is the "Same Love".

Body Image: a sensitive topic

I recently read an article on NY Times called "BODY AND IMAGE; How to Talk to Teenage Girls about Weight? Very Carefully." This article is mostly about how the topic of weight affects teenage girls (and boys.) Many girls, as they enter and go through their teenage years, are finding ways to become the perfect weight. They are dieting, fasting, or smoking cigarettes to lose weight. Some girls are going the extreme way and taking diet pills, and throwing up anything in their system. But when it comes up to talking about the topic, girls can be very sensitive about it. Parents are trying to bring up the subject in the kindest way, but the reactions can be negative. This article gives some ideas about how to bring up the topic in a polite way without having the teen storm off. So how are you supposed to address a self-conscious teen?

I think the author, Erica Goode, answers this question in a lot of ways. She uses tips on how to talk to the teen politely and addressing the problem without them storming off into their room. One thing that parents have to realize is that the way that they think of themselves can affect the way a teenage girl or boy will judge themself. For example if a mother tries on a dress and says, "Ugh, I look so fat, I need to go on a diet", then the daughter might try on a dress and say, "We, I need to go on a diet, I look terrible in this dress." Also instead of a mother or father just straight out telling their child that they are overweight, they could simply offer them a healthier choice to eat or drink. I think the author wants us to realize that weight is a touchy subject and cannot just be brought up in any way or anytime because teenagers will react, and most likely they will not be willing to easily talk about it. Erica Goode wants us to feel knowledgeable about the topic, and make us realize how teenagers feel when they are going through rough times (losing weight.)

I agree that weight and weight loss is a very sensitive subject. Although I feel like that, I think it is necessary for teenagers to talk about the problem. Some people are very self-conscious about their weight and will do anything to lose a couple of pounds. I think that if some girls are willing to do extreme things, they should be able to have a conversation about it with their parents. I agree with Erica Goode, when she explains that there are certain ways to bring up body image and weight loss. I know that the topic can be sensitive because sometimes I get annoyed when people bring up my body weight. A lot of people say I am too skinny and hearing that over and over can be annoying, even if I'm not dealing with dieting. So many teenagers around the world have to deal with the subject of weight and body image. It is a topic that people take seriously, so it should be addressed the right way.

Criminals as teenagers: Deserves a second chance?

The article "Lifers as Teenagers, Now Seeking Second Chance" from the NY Times is about a 14 year old girl who planned to murder 4 people, and killed 2. Now, court is deciding whether she deserves a second chance or not. According to NY Times there are 73 Americans that are now serving time for a crime they commited at the age 13 or 14. Some people believe that they were young, and did not have a conscience. But others believe that they knew what they were doing, and they made the wrong decision, therefore they have to do the time. Do teen criminals deserve a second chance?

I believe that they do not deserve a second chance. It was their choice to do the bad things they did. They deserve the punishment. I think that by the age 13 or 14 you are old enough to understand what it means to commit such crimes. It's not like they are 5 years old and they accidently shot their victim. No, they planned to do it. I feel like anybody that put someone's life at risk, or hurt/killed them does not deserve a second chance at being free. Although some people might learn their lesson during their time, I still think that crimes are unforgivable. You cannot escape from something you caused, whether it was as a child or as an adult, you still caused damage to someone or something.

Some teens might commit a crime because of peer pressure, or the feeling of power, but really, where you are going to end up, it in jail. And once you are in there, there is no going back and erasing what you did. I feel like in our society, teens feel like they can do what ever they want and then they decide one day that they are going to go and do crimes. In the past couple of years, there have been about 2 fairly big shootings by teenagers. As much as this has to do with kids and thier decisions it also has to do with our security, but that is a whole nother topic.

I think that if you do the crime, you do the time, no matter what age it was commited. I do not believe that teen criminals should get a second chance because they ruined their lives for themselves.