What is Human?

What is human? To me it is the idea of not only living, but also those things that we humans feel- raging emotions. What does it mean to be dehumanized? To take away the human traits and characteristics of someone, by my definition. For example, Congresswoman Giffords shooting- I am led to understand that on Sarah Palin's website there were crosshairs (like that of a scope of a gun) used in reference to strong Democratic and Liberal representatives (See this article) This is dehumanization in the sense that this image takes away human traits of these representatives-showing them as something to be hunted (these types of images-this rhetoric is used by many political parties, I am not attempting to advocate one or the other). This same method was used by Hitler and the Nazi's, calling the Jews "rats" and treated them as something to be hunted. Our humanity is being rhetoric-ed out from under us. In Paulo Freire's "Pedagogy of the Oppressed" he attempts to break down the duality (or "us" and "them", "democrat" and "republican", "teacher" and "student", basically any label of difference between class or importance of people) of human kind. This is incredibly significant because it takes away the "I am right and you are wrong" idea, and opens everyone up to free dialogue, actual and real discussion. Is this not a more human(e) way to live?

The weekend was incredible, but I do have a few things I want to talk about other than my fabulous weekend with my boyfriend.

1.) How it feels to be the daughter and girlfriend of people who speak other languages-it is fabulous to be exposed to other cultures and to hear different languages constantly, but sometimes you feel really left out. ):

2.) HOLY CRAP THE SEAHAWKS, WINNERS BABY!!!!

2.) My boyfriend and I watched a romantic movie tonight ("How Do You Know?") and it got me thinking about what romantic things I am into- so I am attempting to compile a list which I will post in a post later-hopefully :D

3.) Philosophy- I have been reading "Pedagogy of the Oppressed" by Paulo Freire and wow, powerful stuff- I still have a ways to go in the book, but I am totally diggin what I am reading. Also- we are watching The Matrix next week in my film class-that movie...I think I have seen it a million times- growing up with my nerdy father :D I am excited though.

4.) EMERALD CITY COMICON! Dad says we are going. Oh my gosh.

5.) My boyfriend is incredible! We went out to Mexican food and got a cheesecake (from the cheesecake factory) last night and then ate Texan Grill today and went to a movie. He makes me heart melt, just as an fyiiii <3