The RAnts of RA

“Have you ever met one of those students, who, at age eighteen, has a completely different worldview than you, because their parents watch FOX News? It’s hard to tell them they are wrong, because they’ve been brainwashed.”

The whole class laughed.

One of my teachers actually said this just last week. He continued, “I mean, this might be some of you sitting in the class, and I’m sorry.” His tone was still sarcastic. Ugh, no you’re not. If you were sorry, why would you say it in the first place? I thought to myself.

I do not generally like talking about politics. However, I have needed to let this out for three years-since I started college. I am not going to beat around the bush, talk down how I really feel, or try to be polite. In fact, I am going to be blunt. This is my one chance to let this out in an academic setting.

I am a very Conservative Republican.

Before we go on, let’s clear the air. Yes, I have been raised in a Conservative town, with Conservative family members, who have Conservative values. But I know exactly what I believe in, and I know why I believe in these values and ideas. I know the opposing-side’s argument. I am not against hearing about Liberal, or Democrat ideals. I am not ignorant. I am not closed-minded. Most importantly, I am not a bad person. I just generally tend to find more logic (told you I would be blunt) in Conservative perspectives.

Being a Conservative Republican is not easy for a girl like me. I go to a public, liberal arts university in one of the most liberal areas of one of the most liberal states in America.

Sadly, last week was not the first time I heard a snarky remark from a teacher. In fact, I have learned to expect it. It does not surprise, shock, and appall me like it did when I first came to college.

These comments bother me not because I disagree with what my professors have said. Rather, the reason the comments upset me so much, is because the professors act like everyone else in the room agrees with them-or at least they should agree. They deliver their unnecessary opinions in a manner which make the students who have opposing viewpoints feel that they are stupid and ridiculous for believing what they believe. However, having to hear these comments has become the norm for me.

Not many college students have the same political beliefs I do-even if they have been raised with Conservative values. College students are stereotypically liberal. I have no problem with other students having differing views than myself. I am also fine with my professors holding different beliefs. What really rattles me is when the professors assume that their opinions need to be shared with the whole class-like the opinions are essential to the curriculum. I am sorry-I do not remember signing up for college to have the instructors shove their beliefs down my throat.

Professors, when you are teaching a history lesson, perhaps lecturing on the famous day of December 7, 1941, it is not necessary that you throw in your opinion on the current war in the middle-East. This leads to your opinions on the President, which connects to the supposedly mindless candidates for the 2013 election. This somehow triggers the whole class to start discussing taxes, government entitlements, welfare, abortion, legalizing marijuana-cultural issues which can be very touchy for many people on both sides of the fence.

Now there are a few outspoken students in the class who are are inconsiderately rambling on and on about how stupid they think the government, the world, the Republican party, or the state of California is, and the proud professor is praising their rambling. Instead of re-directing the attention back to Pearl Harbor (did you even remember what we were talking about?), the professor is now agreeing with the students and bashing people who disagree with them.

While all of this is happening, I am sitting in my desk and looking down, so that my looks of disgust and disbelief are not seen by anyone else in the room. How can they NOT realize that some of us may not agree with them? Do they even know that other people might believe something different? Why am I sitting here taking all of this? Should I be defending myself? No-that would cause the whole class to look down on me. I wonder if the professor would lower my grade if I tried to share the opposite view of this issue with the class. Can we just stop? This is irrelevant. Stop talking about it-this is so pathetic. Stop. Stop. Stop. Ugh. Disagree. No. Stop. Please.

Last spring, I had an experience with a professor who gave me a tough time for trying to say what I believe. We had to write an opinion-based paper related to issues in the war, and I decided to write about the issue of the treatment of war criminals. When I received my graded paper, I found that my professor had graded me based on my beliefs. Her hand-written comments filled the margins and they were certainly about her opinions versus mine. I could see her disagreement and anger in her handwriting. She asked me to re-write the paper four times and had me address different issues within the topic each time.

Her “suggestions” were merely comments which made me feel idiotic for saying what I had said. “Well, you need to talk about…” and “You do not understand what I am asking you! It is imperative that you address this issue!”

All I could do was re-write the paper like she asked. I worked so hard to simply defend myself and what I was saying. I would not give in. I was livid. Not because she disagreed with me-I expected that. What I did not expect, was her disrespectfulness and unprofessionalism in forcing me to question my own beliefs after I had opened up and shared. Her class was the last one I took in the department before changing my major to English.

Being conservative in a liberal community is not easy. I have found eight or ten people who share my beliefs here at Sonoma State. Finding a conservative friend at this university is like finding an English-speaking person in a foreign country where you do not understand the native language. In a foreign country, you are away from home and the people who believe and understand the same way you do. When I find someone who agrees with my political beliefs here at SSU, I am so relieved. Someone finally understands and agrees with me. Someone else is insulted by the students who preach their opinions in class, and disappointed by the professors who unprofessionally fail to discourage the ridicule. I am not the only one. Someone else get me.

Professor, I am the FOX news girl you were mocking last week.

And guess what, professors? We “FOX-newsers” have feelings too. Did that ever cross your highly educated minds? Probably not-brainwashed Republicans are heartless, right? We could argue just as much that you “CNN-er’s” are also brainwashed. There really are more of us than you realize. We are just too afraid to speak up. Maybe if you would be more respectful and open to hearing other viewpoints, the class could have a more well-rounded view of the issues our country and world face. Maybe if you were not too busy preaching your beliefs and mocking ours, you would learn something new. Maybe the class would have an intellectually stimulating, professional, and respectful discussion. Because of your ignorant and upsetting remarks, this is not possible.

I always stand up for what I believe in-except in these situations. In a public California university, a place where students go to get their degree-to become well educated and more aware of the world, I am pressured into silence. I am surrounded by closed-mindedness. And it is one of the most frustrating and upsetting feelings for us-the brainwashed victims.

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January 1st is right around the corner and with millions of Americans making their annual New Year’s resolutions, most experts will tell you things like “go slow” and “reward yourself.” Mental toughness expert Steve Siebold, author of the book 177 Mental Toughness Secrets of the World Class, says there’s much more to it than that – and he says if you follow this advice you’re guaranteed to make your resolutions a reality.

What will your resolution be?

Whether it’s losing weight, quitting smoking, getting organized or climbing out of debt, everyone CAN obtain their goals according to Siebold. He says people need to focus on their thoughts, beliefs, philosophies and attitudes – otherwise they are setting themselves up to fail before they even begin.

Here is his top-ten list for people who really want to achieve their 2012 resolutions:

• Winning isn’t everything, but wanting to win is. Winners have a “whatever it takes” attitude. They’ve made the decision to pay any price and bear any burden in the name of victory.
• Realize that 99% compliance is failure. You wouldn’t cheat on your spouse in a committed relationship, so don’t cheat on something as important as your resolutions.
• Expect to feel pain or suffer. Most people run into an obstacle and seek escape. Have a plan to push forward when this happens. If you’re not ready to suffer during adversity, you’re not going to be successful.
• Don’t focus on how to do it, but rather, why should I do it? Why do I want this goal to become a reality? The intensity of emotion with which this question is answered will determine whether the dream comes alive or dies.
• Get really clear about what you want to change. Don’t just say “I want to lose weight,” but get specific and say “By March 1 I want to lose 15 pounds. I’m going to eat well, exercise each day and get really committed to doing this once and for all.” Setting a timeline will help avoid procrastination.
• 77% of what we say to ourselves is negative, so don’t give into the negative thoughts that the goal is impossible. Keep asking yourself how can I make this happen?
• Feed your visions and starve your fears. The best way to do this is by creating a vision board. If you want to lose weight for example, cutout pictures of really fit people and tape them on a poster board. Hang the vision board in a very visible location. This will reinforce the goals into your subconscious.
• One of the biggest problems is that most people have no means of accountability or a support system in place. Go after your goals with a friend or spouse and keep each other on track.
• Avoid delusion and operate from objective reality. In other words, realize that making a change is going to be hard work, not a walk in the park.
• Take risks. Don’t always have a “play it safe” or “stay below the radar” mentality. Without risk, there can be no progress.

Stop caring about what other people think of your goals. Psychologists call it “approval addiction” and once you overcome it to any significant degree, you are free of the psychological chains that bind most people from ever experiencing world-class success.

For more information visit:   http://www.mentaltoughnesssecrets.com/

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Wednesday, June 29, 2011, as I sat under the gazebo watching my son practice his routine on the trampoline, a young buck, probably not more than a year old,  came wandering down the driveway nibbling at the tall grass as he came closer. He stopped for a few minutes to observe the activity as if amazed by the sight before him.

This young buck is standing just 10 feet from where he will die, 2 days later.

He was an enchanting creature with velvety antlers  that seemed to  enjoy the sound of my voice, as I spoke to him in soothing tones.   This was not his first visit, his mother brought him by when he was just a wee fawn. I can still remember their last visit together. It was a touching moment and I didn’t understand what was happening at the time.

One  afternoon,  around 4 p.m.,  I sat alone on the deck, as if entranced, while four older fawns haltingly approached our yard. They were nosing around in the grass and eating bird seed, of all things. They played around a little and moved along. As the fawns were leaving, 4 mothers followed not far behind, they were chatting each other up and sparring a little, all while keeping a watchful eye on the fawns.

That was the last time they visited as a large group. It was as if the mothers were showing them the rounds, so they could care for themselves once they were out on their own. Sure enough, a few days later, a couple of fawns wandered through the yard and my lovely young buck would make the rounds every 2 or 3 days.

Yesterday, the graceful buck was struck broadside by a passing motorist on the road, fracturing his left front shoulder and rear leg. My son and I were out for a walk, when he noticed the deer down a steep incline, on the side of the mountain overlooking our house. Under a great deal of brush –  he wasn’t moving.

He went to get his father (Shawn)  and I walked to the fireman’s house next door. I figured if anyone knew what to do, he would. He came down later to see what was wrong, but wasn’t able to help and left.

Shawn found the deer, amazingly enough, behind our house. It was obvious his leg and shoulder were broken, he was bleeding from his mouth and in undeniable distress. Shawn described him as  though he were a trout flopping around the boat, gasping for air.  Another neighbor, a former police officer from San Leandro, advised us to call animal control; so we did.

Fortunately, or unfortunately, as the case may be, I had the number handy. My cat disappeared only Wednesday evening and I had called to report her absence the day before. It was after hours at animal control. The recorded message told us to call the Sheriff’s dispatch, which  I did.

Dispatch informed us their officers were busy (4th of July weekend traffic stops), but  she would send someone out as soon as possible. Two hours and 30 minutes  later I called back and was apprised that an officer was in route and should arrive momentarily. Over 3 hours had passed from the time we discovered the deer until the Sheriff actually put  him down.

While I waited, I tried to comfort the suffering buck. I spoke to him as I always have, trying to help calm him. I sang to him, prayed for him and cried for him while we waited.

I mentioned yesterday,  in  Ohio Modern Day Heroes that I used to have a farm, we would kill and butcher most of the animals ourselves. Our animals led a happy life, with good healthy food, music, freedom to wander, kids to play with (if they wanted to) and when it was time to put them down, we did everything in our power to do the deed as quickly and painlessly as possible. We loved our animals. They brought us great joy and happiness: they were giving their lives for us and we respected them for that. That is the natural way of life. But it broke my heart to stand and watch this magnificent creature die a slow and agonizing death, while I could do little more than stand helplessly by and watch.

The Sheriff informed us of what he was going to do – he had to put the deer out of its misery, which all agreed was for the best, and he informed us that it was a holiday weekend; he could shoot the deer but he was going to leave it IN OUR YARD. (If you have never smelled a rotting carcass, consider yourself blessed beyond measure.) We were fine with that. I’ve always believed in using every part of an animal and not to waste anything. My son even  taught himself how to tan hides, a long and complicated process.

We were also informed by the Sheriff that he couldn’t give us permission to keep it. I’m not exactly sure  what  he thought we were going to do with it. I knew one thing for sure, he did not  give his life for nothing. We covered him in a sheet, moved him to another location and  started watching video’s on how to dress out a deer. Neither of us had ever cleaned a deer but we  didn’t have much choice did we?  After all, it was 9:00 p.m., the deer had been shot, IN OUR YARD and left to decay.

My patient husband spent the next five hours cleaning the buck and preparing it for  processing. We called Dee’s Meats in Galt,  after hearing our story, the woman  from Dee’s told us to bring it in, they were open until noon. Perfect! We cleaned up and finally made it to bed around  2:00 a.m.; we were all back up at  8:30 a.m.,  with just enough time to load up the SUV and  make the long drive to Galt.  We arrived just in time — we thought —  as we  pulled into the parking lot at  11:50 a.m., only to be told they  could be closed down for processing our  deer  because we needed a tag from the California Department of Fish and Game (DFG).

I was really getting worried now, the temperature in Galt was a sticky 102 °F, or more. Working as quickly as possible Shawn and I both began dialing our cell phones, trying to talk to someone — anyone — at the Department of Fish and Game, to no avail. It was Saturday afternoon on a busy holiday weekend. There were police everywhere, but we couldn’t reach one single human being at the DFG. How could that be? Aren’t they supposed to be on duty, especially when people  head to the mountains, streams, lakes and rivers  in droves?

Finally, we were given directions to  the house of a DFG  employee, who lived nearby. As luck (or not) would have it, he was home. The first thing he did was inform Shawn that he could charge him with taking a deer illegally, and that transporting it was yet another broken law. What? You’ve got to be kidding me! What kind of place is this? Who could be so cruel as to threaten to charge a man who had gone to such efforts; missing out on hours of work and sleep, to ensure that this deer was honored in his death.

I don’t blame this young DFG  employee. He was just doing his job, right? He was nice enough but just as quickly informed my husband that he couldn’t let us keep the deer. He continued that if a motorist hits a deer, he’s not allowed to keep it. They take that deer and donate it to the zoo or an animal refuge, like PAWS. Now, don’t misunderstand me, I love animals but this was our deer. He came here to our house to die or for comfort. He was shot here (by the Sheriff) and left IN OUR YARD. We didn’t keep the antlers because I couldn’t stand to look at them, knowing where they came from and their owner was dead but the meat would have provided for our family many nourishing meals. Aren’t people supposed to eat, too?

Why was no one available to help when this animal was suffering? We would have put the deer down ourselves, to keep him from suffering but we knew we would go to jail or at the very least be fined. We tried to do the right thing, but someone wasn’t on the job. This should not have happened and I don’t ever want to experience anything of this nature again. It’s  far too painful and completely unnecessary. I don’t want to live where people pay lip service about caring for animals and yet, a  living breathing animal is allowed to suffer for hours and die a painful death.

These asinine  laws must change. I can’t even claim that California cares more about its animals than it does people. It’s apparent that only caged animals deserve dignity, respect and care. I hate seeing animals in cages, it’s just plain cruel and any law that allows any animal to lie in pain is wrong. Please write your legislators and share my story if you care about the deer,  mountain lions, bears, cougars, etc…

Gee, I’m happy that the zoo animals will eat tonight but what about my family? Who will feed us? My husband works all night every Friday night, he took five hours out of his schedule and instead of sleeping, he cleaned a deer that was LEFT IN OUR YARD. We spent $60 in gas to drive to Galt to have the deer processed. That, California, is food that came out of my son’s mouth. Do we have to leave California to be treated fairly?

Update: It’s come to our attention that there’s a local organization, Rose Wolf Wildlife, that may have been able to assist us immediately with helping out this poor young buck. The next time this happens (and we’re sure it will), we’ll definitely give them a call.

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