Oh my god, I love this crazy school! Although this is no Obama rally (which I’m so upset that I missed last year), it’s definitely pretty damn epic.

A daylong occupation of a classroom building at UC Berkeley on Friday ended with the arrests of 41 students who had barricaded themselves inside to protest budget cuts and steep hikes in student fees, university officials said.

Read the full story here!

My friend said that she saw the police batoning the protesters. Oh shit!

I dunno. I don’t really think the protests are gonna affect what’s already been voted on, since the problem is clearly not just with the UC’s but with the entire freaking state, but it’s still pretty exciting to see all these people so riled up about this. And seriously, I mean… 32% is pretty fucking ridiculous. We’re already paying so much. We’re not here to pay as much as we would for a private school, ’cause I can guarantee you that a shitload of kids would not have chosen to come here if that were the case. Jordan, who’s from Vermont, is definitely upset that his already ridiculous tuition is going to be increased. They’re trying to import more out-of-state students, too, ’cause they’ll have to pay more. Makes you feel like the only reason you’re here is to supply cash to these regents… I dunno. It’s all so fucked up. Damn the economy.

Although I certainly didn’t mind my classes being canceled for three days due to this all…

I just voted for the first time ever, and DAMN, does it feel good!

I am praying with all my heart that Prop 8 doesn’t make it.

Good luck, Obama/Biden!

THIS IS IT. LET’S WIN THIS.

I am very nervous about this election.

The presidential race is ridiculously huge, the campaigning in my city is more intense than I’ve ever seen it (the incumbent mayor has been out-termed), and to top it all off, my big issue–gay civil rights–is facing an incredible battle in my state, California.

This is huge.

This also happens to be the first year that I get to vote.

So there is excitement mixed in with my anxiety, but I still feel more apprehensive than anything. Everything is so close, and it seems like nobody can predict anything this year. Nothing is for certain.

Turning eighteen has given me a sense of pride–rather than subtly demonstrating my opinion and determination through rainbow shirts and jewelry and declarations on my AIM profile and on social networking sites, I feel like I can go out there and do something about my opinion. Proposition 8, which would create a constitutional ban on the same-sex marriage that was legalized in California this summer, has been worrying me ever since same-sex marriage was legalized. So when election high-tide began rolling around, I put an obnoxious notice in my profile. I put a notice in my Facebook status and updated it regularly. I donated $20 to the cause and wore a bajillion pins obnoxiously to school and work. I made my own flyers and went door-to-door in my community to pass them out. I participated in a protest in my city for three hours, yelling myself hoarse. I put a NO ON 8 signs in my front yard, the back of my car, and the living room window. I posted notices to both Myspace and Facebook. This was what I wrote:

Proposition 8 seeks to amend our state constitution to define marriage as a union of a man and a woman.

We never voted on heterosexual marriage, so why are we voting on same-sex marriage? What is it about same-sex marriage that is so wrong?

Isn’t treating everyone equally common sense? Isn’t that what America is all about?

The government’s job is to protect minorities, not discriminate against them.

This is not a religious issue. This is not about children, schools, or adoption. This is about giving all law-abiding citizens the same rights.

As many of you are aware, I am proudly bisexual. If Prop 8 passes, I will once again be a second-class citizen in the eyes of the Californian government. I will no longer share the same rights afforded to Californians who are attracted to people of the opposite sex. Why? What makes me so different from you? I’m no heathen–I like smoothies and blasting songs obnoxiously on my car stereo; I hate homework and waking up in the morning. I just happen to like girls in addition to boys.

Is that so wrong? And even if you do think it is wrong–is it RIGHT for me to be denied the right to marry someone I love because of my gender and sexual orientation?

A vote for Prop 8 is a vote for discrimination, a vote for hate, a vote that eradicates the step forward that California took by legalizing same-sex marriage.

How would you feel if the government told YOU who you had a right to marry?

Gay or straight–

VOTE NO ON PROP 8.

In my city, the YES ON 8 campaigners are maniacs. Signs flood every street, they’re calling people, they’re leaving letters on cars in parking lots, they’re putting up signs on their houses. They even hired airplanes to draw campaign notices in the sky. Yeah? Fucking BRING IT, bigots. Every time I see a sign, I want to cry at the unfairness of the people of this world; I want to cry at how people don’t understand that people like me are NO DIFFERENT THAN THEM–if murderers and rapists can marry, then why the fuck can’t I?!

But I don’t cry. I hold the tears in, and I let my feelings of frustration fuel my determination. We will fight this. And we will win.

Alex and I talked about how ridiculous this entire issue is–especially the fact that it even has to be debated and voted upon. He commented that none of the things we do really change anything–this is something that everyone has pretty much already decided on.

But.

I just want to do everything in my power to fight this. That way, at least, if we lose, I’ll know that I did my part and contributed. It just feels good to fight it–this is what I’ve been trying but not been able to do since I was twelve. That’s what’s important, you know? That we stand up for our rights, for what we believe in… For what we know is right. Even if we lose, another opportunity will come.

DAWN WILL COME.

I just hope I’ll live to see it.