Michael Jackson and Dr. Martin Luther King

A great song -- Black or White. Or in this case, Black or White/Mexican? Or is it just Black or Mexican? I have honestly never cared about the color of someone's skin. I have dated men of all races actually...with the exception of an Asian man. I never could find one that made me ooh and ahh. But black, white, latino, whatever....all of them are beautiful. What is not beautiful is when a particular race has a faction of people who believe that their race defines them as individuals. If you remove the skin...we are all the same. We are all God's children, above everything else.

The Trayvon Martin case has bothered me. A lot actually. Because the Black community seems to be rallying behind a story that is a fairy tale. Trayvon was not an innocent kid who was just walking by and a Mexican/White man said, "Look! Let me shoot that black kid for no reason!". The pictures of him that were blasted on the news were pictures of him much younger than he was when the crime took place. He was a juvenile delinquent who had been suspended from school, was prone to violence, and fit the stereotypical hood kid. Why is ANY community supporting this kind of behavior? I wouldn't support a kid that was shot if he was white, and shot by a black man if he was doing the same things Trayvon was doing at the time when he was shot. That is what frustrated me most. And to call it a hate crime? Or a civil rights case? It bothers me. I personally feel, as a white woman, that there is a faction of the black community who think that they should not be discriminated against or judged by the color of their skin -- but then have a whole weekend celebration to celebrate being different or being black. I appreciate celebrating your heritage, or your family. I also know that for a LONG time, unfortunately, that people were treated poorly based on the color of their skin. It is unacceptable. But civil rights laws were passed 60 years ago. So which one should be, as a white community, pay attention to? Should we treat you like everyone else and not care that you are black? Or should you receive special treatment because you are black? I'm just your average white girl...born and raised in midwestern suburbia but I was raised around a lot of different cultures and races. I don't have a "racist" bone in my body until someone reminds me that I'm white and they are black and that they should be recognized and treated differently because of it. It is frustrating and heartbreaking. I know hate crimes still occur. There are still some really ridiculous people who judge you just by looking at the color of your skin...however, I believe it is safe to say that racism occurs commonly between all races, not just from white folks onto other races. So why are we making such a big deal out of this case?

 I think we are making a big deal out of it because the media told us too. They jumped on it, twisted it, and created it to be the story it is. We had plenty of political scandal happening to try and dig into...but the news is no longer about information...it is about ratings and getting the best story. I enjoyed this video...not all of it I completely agree with but it sums up much of what I have felt about the situation.

To be or not to be....a college graduate.

Now, before you assume what my answer is to this question -- let me allow you in to the fact that I really haven't the slightest idea. I'm writing this mainly to help my brain maybe have a surge of enlightenment.

A college education is considered "important" in modern day society and most well paid jobs are rare without one. I understand this. If you want to be a doctor, lawyer, engineer, or even have a slightly better salary at whatever job you choose, a college degree will get you there.

If you know me well, then you probably know one of my (I feel) largest flaws is my fickle nature. I change my mind. I do that because I have a hard time sticking with a decision. Maybe I am a "grass is greener" girl? I don't doubt it a little. My experience with how I found the LDS church could actually show a bit of my nature. I was seeking a final answer on religion. What is THE church that Christ looks at says, "That is my Church and it is led by people that I speak to". So maybe I'm an absolutist (is that a word? If not, it is now!) I want to know the answers to questions. The right answers. I like to know things. I'm sure my childhood friends can attest to the fact that I've always been a bit of a know-it-all. It is a blessing and curse, I assure you.

But with life in general, there are very little solid, right and true answers. Although, God does provide us with absolutes, but if you don't believe in God...where do you get your choices? There are so many choices. And those choices all have consequences, whether good or bad. At the end of the day, I think I would rather have someone tell me what the right answer is, instead of guessing and hoping that it doesn't flop. That's where the college education comes in. Am I spending thousands of dollars of mine (and other's) money for nothing? Do I really need the piece of paper? I only have a year or year and a half left of school, so I know it would be really dumb to stop now, but on the same token, would it really be that dumb? Won't college always be there if I need it to be? Am I not credible without it?

I've always been one to take my own path, and that path has taken me some interesting places. As things naturally take their course, aren't we supposed to do what makes us the healthiest and happiest? I like to be in charge. I like to take care of people. I like to be needed but not depended on. The older I get the more I realize I have more to learn. I don't know it all, but I do depend on God's inspiration and instruction on where to find the right answers.

So, I know the piece of paper for me is more about finishing something that I started. But the question still remains...is being a college graduate essential in our society for success? According to an article in the NY times:

"Last year, 33.5 percent of Americans ages 25 to 29 had at least a bachelor’s degree, compared with 24.7 percent in 1995, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. In 1975, the share was 21.9 percent. The number of two-year college degrees, master’s degrees and doctorates has also risen recently." 

That still leaves well over the majority of American's without one. In an article by Huff Post, it gives us a list of 11 successful people who never graduate college. You might find some of these interesting. 

1. Rachael Ray
2. John D. Rockefeller
3. Simon Cowell
4. Abraham Lincoln
5. Julie Andrews
6. Michael J. Fox
7. Sean Connery
8. Wolfgang Puck
9. Walt Disney
10. Dave Thomas
11. Halle Berry

Sidenote: Here are a couple of other major ones - Bill Gates and Steve Jobs

I don't really count anyone in show business as someone who gets big props for never going to college...and the list of actors and musicians who dropped out of college are long. So, in my case, maybe I didn't need college and my money might have been better spent on a really good private teacher. You don't need a college degree to be famous. The people on this list who aren't professional actors or singers are above and beyond in their fields. Bill Gates didn't graduate from college, but I bet most of the people who work for him did. True leaders, like Lincoln and Disney, are born that way. But for those who want to enter the workforce in a traditional environment, the college experience is ideal. My experience at a large state university proved to be a lot of late nights and not a whole lot of actual studying. It was more about being away from home and less about learning and growing. However, my second go at college has proved much different. I was also much older. It has been about truly learning...and learning how to overcome obstacles more than anything. Online universities and opportunities for adults to go to school while they are working full time have allowed more to obtain higher education.

So the question...to be or not to be a college graduate? My answer: Be one. 

Unless you're really really really smart and inventive or exceptionally talented and driven. In that case...you probably don't need one.