Check out the art and photography from my recent trip to Jordan, Turkey, Cyprus, and Greece

we victimize others based on their appearance, beliefs, religion, and being. 

Does that not then make us the terrorists? Challenge the stereotypes we are all soo comfortable with. 

Seven killed in Wisconsin Sikh temple shooting

At least seven people, including a gunman, have died in a shooting at a Sikh temple in Wisconsin in the US.

The attacker “ambushed” a policeman at the scene, shooting him multiple times, before a second officer returned fire, killing the gunman, said authorities.

The shot officer was among three men critically injured in the attack in Oak Creek, suburban Milwaukee.

Later local TV showed police vehicles at another suburb, near what is believed to be the gunman’s home.

Reports said the FBI and a bomb squad had gone to search the building, in Cudahy, about 2.5 miles (4km) north of the temple, and had evacuated several blocks.

Police said they believe there was only one shooter, despite initial witness reports of more than one gunman.

‘Terrorist-type incident’

President Barack Obama spoke of his sadness at the shooting, which comes just over two weeks after a gun massacre left 12 people dead at a Colorado cinema.

Hundreds of people turned out for an impromptu candlelit vigil in the nearby city of Milwaukee for the victims of the temple shooting on Sunday evening.

At a press conference, Oak Creek Police Chief John Edwards said they were treating the attack as a “domestic terrorist-type incident”, and that the FBI would take over the criminal investigation.

He said he could not release any information about the shooter, who local media reports said was a white male aged about 40.

Women and children hid in closets as the gunfire erupted shortly before 10:30 local time (15:30 GMT) on Sunday.

Four people were dead inside the temple and three outside - including the gunman, said the authorities.

“The best information is that there was only one gunman,” said Chief Edwards.

‘Shot in face’

He said the gunman had opened fire on one of the first officers to arrive at the scene, as the officer tended to a victim outside the temple.

Distraught family members gathered outside the temple waiting for news

The policeman was shot multiple times, before a second officer exchanged gunfire with the suspect, fatally shooting him, added Chief Edwards.

At least three critically injured men were being treated at Milwaukee’s Froedtert Hospital, said officials at that facility.

They included the shot police officer, although he was expected to survive, said Chief Edwards.

Local news station WISN 12 reported that one of the injured had gunshot wounds to the chest and abdomen, the second had shots to the face and the third had gunshot wounds to the neck.

Oak Creek is a town of about 30,000 people in the south-east corner of the state.

‘Insanity’

The website for the temple says it opened in 1999 and now has a congregation of 350-400. Sunday morning was the busiest time of worship, members of the congregation said.

Devendar Nagra, whose sister escaped injury by hiding in the temple’s kitchen, told the Associated Press: “We never thought this could happen to our community. We never did anything wrong to anyone.”

Suni Singh told Newsradio 620 WTMJ that he had spoken to a friend inside the temple at the time.

“My friend called and said, ‘I heard the shot, and two people falling down in the parking lot.’ He saw the shooter reloading the gun,” Mr Singh said.

Darshan Dhaliwal, who identified himself as a leader at the temple, told the Milwaukee-Wisconsin Journal Sentinel: “This is insanity.”

President Obama said he was “deeply saddened” by Sunday’s incident.

“Our hearts go out to the families and friends of those who were killed and wounded,” he said in statement released by the White House.

“As we mourn this loss which took place at a house of worship, we are reminded how much our country has been enriched by Sikhs, who are a part of our broader American family.”

Local politician Mark Honadel called the attack “craziness”.

The state representative told CNN: “Unfortunately, when this type of stuff hits your area, you say to yourself, ‘why?’ But in today’s society, I don’t think there’s any place that’s free from idiots.”

As the daughter of a US Marine rodeo clown and a singing Naval Officer English professor I’ve often contemplated who I am but also what I want to be, how I want to live, and where to go in life. I am discovering now that I it is privilege that allows me to ask myself those questions, and I see how fortunate I am to have such. I am not resentful towards my privilege, but I cannot help but be disappointed for denying itself to others. I want to be part of IHRE not only because I believe that my privilege should be a right to everyone, but that good intentions are not enough and action is required; my action. Helping those in need and devoting myself to world peace, justice, and cannot simply be labeled as an interest or extracurricular activity as it can be characterized as my vocation. I must abort my limits and rape my boundaries to learn, grow, and become a leader.

Being an Acting major pursuing a double minor in Womens and Gender Studies and Peace and Justice Studies, I aspire to fuse my passion for social justice. I will be studying and engaging in human rights at the University of Witwatersrand Johannesburg. I’ll be given the opportunity to work with NGOs and specialize in my field of theatre as a tool for social justice. Also, I will be starting a project once in South Africa.

*While in Johannesburg I will be creating a documentary that follows the lives of youth imprisoned in South Africa and their integration into society after imprisonment. The documentary will explore theatre as a tool for reconciliation within society exploring race, gender, and class in the post- Apartheid era. The documentary will then be submitted to numerous and various film festivals globally for consideration.

However, with rising cost of tuition and just of life it is difficult to pursue my dream that has been offered to me. Too often do we see today that we must sacrifice our dreams and aspirations because of our economic status and financial burden. I cannot so easily be defeated.

I look to you for help. Your donations and contributions are worth while and not being used in vain.

Because the program is an international program it does permit many expenses to follow. While I have been working my numerous jobs to collect the funds for this wonderful experience I know I will not be able to reach my full expenses potential without your help.

With your help and contribution I will be able to pay my deposit, airfare, tuition, and other expenses. Thank You.

Please help my footprints make their mark- every bit of aid helps <3

Click HERE to become a footprint in my life. 

I suppose it is because I am an idealist that I’ve fallen in love with this.

However I do not agree with the absolute lack of privacy and complete integration of surveillence into my life….but for now I am going to overlook that and admire the goodness in others rather and bask in the delight of knowing that we can all love than the oppression from some right now

Painting by John William Waterhouse.  Inspiration for my new tattoo

The Lady of Shalott by Alfred Lord Tennison

Part I.


On either side the river lie
Long fields of barley and of rye,
That clothe the wold and meet the sky;
And thro’ the field the road runs by
To many-tower’d Camelot;
And up and down the people go,
Gazing where the lilies blow
Round an island there below,
The island of Shalott.

Willows whiten, aspens quiver,
Little breezes dusk and shiver
Thro’ the wave that runs for ever
By the island in the river
Flowing down to Camelot.
Four gray walls, and four gray towers,
Overlook a space of flowers,
And the silent isle imbowers
The Lady of Shalott.

By the margin, willow-veil’d
Slide the heavy barges trail’d
By slow horses; and unhail’d
The shallop flitteth silken-sail’d
Skimming down to Camelot:
But who hath seen her wave her hand?
Or at the casement seen her stand?
Or is she known in all the land,
The Lady of Shalott?

Only reapers, reaping early
In among the bearded barley,
Hear a song that echoes cheerly
From the river winding clearly,
Down to tower’d Camelot:
And by the moon the reaper weary,
Piling sheaves in uplands airy,
Listening, whispers “‘Tis the fairy
Lady of Shalott.”


Part II.

There she weaves by night and day
A magic web with colours gay.
She has heard a whisper say,
A curse is on her if she stay
To look down to Camelot.
She knows not what the curse may be,
And so she weaveth steadily,
And little other care hath she,
The Lady of Shalott.

And moving thro’ a mirror clear
That hangs before her all the year,
Shadows of the world appear.
There she sees the highway near
Winding down to Camelot:
There the river eddy whirls,
And there the surly village-churls,
And the red cloaks of market girls,
Pass onward from Shalott.

Sometimes a troop of damsels glad,
An abbot on an ambling pad,
Sometimes a curly shepherd-lad,
Or long-hair’d page in crimson clad,
Goes by to tower’d Camelot;
And sometimes thro’ the mirror blue
The knights come riding two and two:
She hath no loyal knight and true,
The Lady of Shalott.

But in her web she still delights
To weave the mirror’s magic sights,
For often thro’ the silent nights
A funeral, with plumes and lights
And music, went to Camelot:
Or when the moon was overhead,
Came two young lovers lately wed;
“I am half-sick of shadows,” said
The Lady of Shalott.


Part III.

A bow-shot from her bower-eaves,
He rode between the barley-sheaves,
The sun came dazzling thro’ the leaves,
And flamed upon the brazen greaves
Of bold Sir Lancelot.
A redcross knight for ever kneel’d
To a lady in his shield,
That sparkled on the yellow field,
Beside remote Shalott.

The gemmy bridle glitter’d free,
Like to some branch of stars we see
Hung in the golden Galaxy.
The bridle-bells rang merrily
As he rode down to Camelot:
And from his blazon’d baldric slung
A mighty silver bugle hung,
And as he rode his armour rung,
Beside remote Shalott.

All in the blue unclouded weather
Thick-jewell’d shone the saddle-leather,
The helmet and the helmet-feather
Burn’d like one burning flame together,
As he rode down to Camelot.
As often thro’ the purple night,
Below the starry clusters bright,
Some bearded meteor, trailing light,
Moves over still Shalott.

His broad clear brow in sunlight glow’d;
On burnish’d hooves his war-horse trode;
From underneath his helmet flow’d
His coal-black curls as on he rode,
As he rode down to Camelot.
From the bank and from the river
He flash’d into the crystal mirror,
“Tirra lirra,” by the river
Sang Sir Lancelot.

She left the web, she left the loom,
She made three paces thro’ the room,
She saw the water-lily bloom,
She saw the helmet and the plume,
She look’d down to Camelot.
Out flew the web and floated wide;
The mirror crack’d from side to side;
“The curse is come upon me,” cried
The Lady of Shalott.


Part IV.

In the stormy east-wind straining,
The pale-yellow woods were waning,
The broad stream in his banks complaining,
Heavily the low sky raining
Over tower’d Camelot;
Down she came and found a boat
Beneath a willow left afloat,
And round about the prow she wrote
The Lady of Shalott.

And down the river’s dim expanse—
Like some bold seër in a trance,
Seeing all his own mischance—
With a glassy countenance
Did she look to Camelot.
And at the closing of the day
She loosed the chain, and down she lay;
The broad stream bore her far away,
The Lady of Shalott.

Lying, robed in snowy white
That loosely flew to left and right—
The leaves upon her falling light—
Thro’ the noises of the night
She floated down to Camelot:
And as the boat-head wound along
The willowy hills and fields among,
They heard her singing her last song,
The Lady of Shalott.

Heard a carol, mournful, holy,
Chanted loudly, chanted lowly,
Till her blood was frozen slowly,
And her eyes were darken’d wholly,
Turn’d to tower’d Camelot;
For ere she reach’d upon the tide
The first house by the water-side,
Singing in her song she died,
The Lady of Shalott.

Under tower and balcony,
By garden-wall and gallery,
A gleaming shape she floated by,
A corse between the houses high,
Silent into Camelot.
Out upon the wharfs they came,
Knight and burgher, lord and dame,
And round the prow they read her name,
The Lady of Shalott.

Who is this? and what is here?
And in the lighted palace near
Died the sound of royal cheer;
And they cross’d themselves for fear,
All the knights at Camelot:
But Lancelot mused a little space;
He said, “She has a lovely face;
God in his mercy lend her grace,
The Lady of Shalott.”

everyone suffers