A VERY Important Day

[Ayla of Duluth]

Hello mernetwork. I'd like to bring your attention to an important event that is occurring today. The Day Of Silence.
Many of our friends, family, or aquaintances have been brutally beaten and murdered, because of their sexual orientation. Sometimes their sexual orientation had nothing to do with it. People have been bullied, killed, or convinced to commit suicide because of things they did that other people thought were strange, or different. Things they didn't like.
This is NOT okay.
I ask you all to participate in the Day of Silence to honor those who are no longer with us today because of who they were. The Day of Silence is a day to bring awareness to this brutality and try to put an end to the hatred.
The way we participate today is by wearing all black clothing, and refusing to speak. We are remembering the dead and representing the people who were silenced by these hate crimes. If you cannot stay silent today for whatever reason, I ask that you wear all black and talk in a solemn tone. We are respecting the people we lost. If you do not wish to dress all black, then you can wear a bandana of any color to represent the unity of all of us coming together to raise awareness.
At the end of the day around 5:00 there is something called "breaking the silence." if you have been silent all day, you go outside and you end your quiet spell by letting out a yell. In this you are representing a new age of awareness and acceptance.
Today is the Day of Silence. Let's stop the hatred.

[Gem Stone]

i am wearing black but because of my work, i will speak in solemn tones. whoever made this day has the right idea

[Ayla of Duluth]

Thank you gem. People all over my city are participating. We have a memorial etched in stone on one of the city blocks that was made because of this day. And at the end of the day for breaking the silence, we have a huge concert by the lake and everyone screams at once and then we party. Lol

[Nemefish]

i did this last friday at my school because it was the last day of school before spring break, ill do int again today :D

[Ayla of Duluth]

Thanks nemefish :) I go to a school full of juvenile delinquents =,,= and they've been acting pretty immature about it. Glad my mouth is duct taped shut so I can't run my mouth off at them. Their behavior gets old.

[babsannee]

I did this yesterday because my school has an even today. I have a french exchange student so instead of being completely silent I wore the shirt in support and tried to speak mostly in french. (Which I'm not terribly good at)

[Mermaid Dottie]

My Brother was a victim of hate. He was in a prominent position in the Gay/Lesbian community here in Utah, and was murdered in January. By someone who thought it was somehow possible to make 10X the amount of meth needed for an overdose look like suicide. It's not even possible to put that much into a syringe. :mad:
I am Participating today. I will even turn my facebook page black all day until 5:00pm.

[Ayla of Duluth]

I'm so sorry to hear that mermaid Dottie. I'm fortunate enough to not have any of my lgbtq friends being murdered. But I really feel for all the people who have lost loved ones. It's a sad day when somebody is hated for standing out. I hope one day we can all accept each other for who they are.

[Mermaid Dottie]

Can I just say, I really don't like how I look or sound in this video?



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=14b7xfpP-Lo

[Ayla of Duluth]

I think you look wonderful and that message made me feel loved <3 thank you for your support.

[Mermaasai]

oooo girl dont even start me up.
I know how you feel.
Every time I make a vid I feel like I sound like a 13 year old and look like an EPIC dweeb.
Thank god it's all in our heads ;)

[Ayla of Duluth]

Today I went to school with duct tape on my mouth and a sign on my shirt that explained what day of silence was. I was disappointed to discover that no one took me seriously. The students took advantage of the fact that I couldn't talk, throwing insults at me, calling me things like "retarded," "stupid," and "weak." kids did everything they could do to get me to talk, interrogating me about the duct tape and how I would go the whole day without talking. They said things like no one cares about me, I'm only making things worse, and gay people are so dramatic and over sensitive. The teachers supported my cause but they did nothing to stop the kids from being so hateful, even when it was happening right in front of them. Around lunch time people started asking me how I was going to eat with the duct tape over my mouth. Other kids came back with saying that the duct tape was good for me, I'm way too fat to be eating anyways. (for the record, I'm 19 years old and I weigh 105 pounds. I don't have an eating disorder either.) just when I was starting to think I shouldn't be participating in this event, one of the special Ed students walked up to me with duct tape on his mouth and a wrinkled old sign taped to his shirt that said "shh! It's day of silents!" this gave me new hope. But that was just one student. Through the rest of the day the kids continued to throw hatred at me every chance they could. By the time 5:00 rolled around I had plenty of emotion pent up in me. I went to the breaking the silence event and let out the loudest scream I ever have. I'm suprised such a loud noise came out of a little thing like me. Needless to say, now I don't got a voice again, I broke my throat screaming. xD
that was my Day of Silence experience, next up: Take Back The Night. A women's protest for safe streets.
With that, I go to bed. Today was hard work.

[Nemefish]

Can I just say, I really don't like how I look or sound in this video?



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=14b7xfpP-Lo

awww thats so sweet dottie :3 <3

[Nemefish]

Thanks nemefish :) I go to a school full of juvenile delinquents =,,= and they've been acting pretty immature about it. Glad my mouth is duct taped shut so I can't run my mouth off at them. Their behavior gets old.

no problem,anything for anti hate. im a victim of hate myself... ehhh what can i say, high scool right? thank god im a senior and its almost over ;D

[Nemefish]

Today I went to school with duct tape on my mouth and a sign on my shirt that explained what day of silence was. I was disappointed to discover that no one took me seriously. The students took advantage of the fact that I couldn't talk, throwing insults at me, calling me things like "retarded," "stupid," and "weak." kids did everything they could do to get me to talk, interrogating me about the duct tape and how I would go the whole day without talking. They said things like no one cares about me, I'm only making things worse, and gay people are so dramatic and over sensitive. The teachers supported my cause but they did nothing to stop the kids from being so hateful, even when it was happening right in front of them. Around lunch time people started asking me how I was going to eat with the duct tape over my mouth. Other kids came back with saying that the duct tape was good for me, I'm way too fat to be eating anyways. (for the record, I'm 19 years old and I weigh 105 pounds. I don't have an eating disorder either.) just when I was starting to think I shouldn't be participating in this event, one of the special Ed students walked up to me with duct tape on his mouth and a wrinkled old sign taped to his shirt that said "shh! It's day of silents!" this gave me new hope. But that was just one student. Through the rest of the day the kids continued to throw hatred at me every chance they could. By the time 5:00 rolled around I had plenty of emotion pent up in me. I went to the breaking the silence event and let out the loudest scream I ever have. I'm suprised such a loud noise came out of a little thing like me. Needless to say, now I don't got a voice again, I broke my throat screaming. xD
that was my Day of Silence experience, next up: Take Back The Night. A women's protest for safe streets.
With that, I go to bed. Today was hard work.

Thats most of humanity for you, but there are those few that see the world in a better perspective and have a true enlightened is=dea bout things, like the special ed student, and of course like all of you supporting the day of silent. thank you so much waterwolf for bringing this ti mernetworks awareness the world needs more people like you, and like all of you supporters ;) <3

[Ayla of Duluth]

Daww :3

[Bellasea]

I didn't participate yesterday, but most of my friends did. All were made fun of and ridiculed. I even saw a teacher join in. The teacher said something along the lines of ' you are all stupid for doing that, and it do anything'.

[Ayla of Duluth]

That's just wrong. A teacher joining in? They could file a harassment report on the teacher.

[LittleTreasure]

Darnit. I wish I had seen this on the 20th. Then I would have participated! :(

On another note, I would hate to have that teacher. How awful that even some adults won't open their eyes to what's going on around them...or they just don't care.

[Bellasea]

That teacher is the worst at my school. Also, we just got a new superintendent and principal, and both are all about acceptance and making orur school a safe place. So, all the teachers are supposeed to be promoting that, and he is not.

[Mermaid Rillia]

Worst. Teacher. Everrrr!

I really loath closed minded people. I think everyone should have the chance to be accepted.

[Bellasea]

Me too! My step-dad's family is a bunch of racist rednecks. I can't stand attending any family function, for all I hear is rude, insensitive comment after comment. :mad:

[Ayla of Duluth]

I'm racist too, -holds up a swat shield for protection- but I'm only racist against uneducated people. And it's not uneducated as in "you don't have a college degree" kind of thing. See, my city used to be really nice. You could walk through my city and never have a worry in the world. But lately it's become overrun by druggies. We have a Last Place on Earth store here and one day the police raided it. (they sell synthetic drugs for those of you who don't have a last place in your town.) ever since the raid, druggies from all over the city have swarmed the downtown area. The city isn't safe anymore. People have dropped out of school and spent all their money on these drugs. I'm sure you know how it goes. I could go on forever, but long story short I'm racist against the black people in my town because they make the entire city dangerous and unpleasant. And I know people hate racists, but when you're taking your 68 year old parents out to dinner and you drive by a group of black kids who are sitting on the corner and basically pretending to have sex with the air, you can't help but feel disgusted by their lack of maturity. I know I shouldn't be going around telling people stuff like that, but I feel comfy here. I should probably also mention that I grew up in a completely racist family, but at least I'm not completely racist.

[Mermaid Dottie]

With all Races, there are good people, and there are bad people. I think stereotypes just make stereotypes worse. A lot of it is culture, too. Ex. I went to school with a lot of hispanic kids. some were really nice. Then again, a lot of them were stupid immature jerkwads or sassy, uptight, trashy biznatches. The Dudes feel like they need to dominate the women because that is what has been drilled into their cultural memory. Not Happy. Even one of the sweetest mexican guys I know feels the need to be "the Pants" in his marriage, and it's sad that he doesn't realize that it's hurting his wife.

[Alveric]

It's not the race it's the upbringing. That's why it's important to judge (if you have to judge at all) by the individual not the group.

[Ayla of Duluth]

Yeah. After I posted that I started thinking about how racist might not be the right word for it. Maturist? Lol I don't know. But I have a general distaste for all the icky people.

[Kanti]

The fact that we need a day for this sort of thing is sad ): People should be aware that things like
this happen and that it's completely wrong. They should be aware of this everyday. It's sad sometimes
to know things like that happen and society is so oblivious to it.

Also about that teacher, how sad is that? Having essentially a potential role model for kids acting like
a 5 year old and calling out a day that's supposed to RESPECT people. I can't believe there's a TEACHER
like that influencing kids. Sad to know a lot of teachers aren't such great role models -__-
Why can't we regulate teachers when it comes to this stuff but we sure as hell can sue them, fire them, and
lay them off when it comes to things like teaching evolution -__-

[Spindrift]

I'm sorry that you didn't have a pleasant experience for your day of silence event. The high school I went to hosted one as well, but no one ever got ridiculed for it or made fun of. Everyone was instead very supportive.
Maybe it's a cultural problem.

[Ayla of Duluth]

Could be. The school I go to is an adult learning center. People come here to get their GEDs or make up credits that they need to graduate. It's basically a school for dropouts. The people in this area are young and undiciplined. We're basically in the ghetto. When I used to go to a regular school, we never had problems with harassment.

[Mermaid Dottie]

Awe, Dang WW... That's awful. I'm sorry you have to go to school with morons and delinquents, but Good on you for valuing your education enough to put up with that.