I am back..........

Hello to you all...

It has been a while since I post the blog. I just moved from Washington D.C. on January 25th to Yarmouth, Maine. I got new job working as an Adult Case Manager for mental health agency and I am doing so well..... and it is nice to be around my sisters and brothers here in Maine as well. I am enjoying be here in Maine as well but I miss living in Washington DC.

My sister, Samantha is on Honor Roll and she got all As in all her courses. I want to say that I am proud of her achievement in High School with no support of her parents but support of brothers and sisters around her. I believe she will do so well in future and she is smart girl.

I will be keep update my life and the community experiences as well.

For your information..

Right now, I am in a tough situation and things are not looking good here in Washington DC with personal issues. I won't be able to post things till I get settled down and moving to Maine. I am looking forward to new life in Maine and get settled and then I will write more. I hope you are all doing well and keep intouch with me when you can. Thanks.

Races, Diversity and Culture in Twelve Tribes Community

As I mentioned in previous blog about "Oppressions" I want to empthaize that there are oppressions within the races and cultures of different people who live in the community. There are black, Jewish, Hispanic, Chinese, Asians, and few other kind of people that live in the community. Actually I will speak more on black here tonight. As I have grew up in Island Pond. I have good friends who are black and live in the community. They are being oppressed because the teachings were taught that the Black are meant to be slaves and they are under the curse of God. They need to submit and serve the white and show that the White have more power than the black people. I have been angry with this because I still believe that the black people are to be treated equal like we do today. There are a lot of issues that the Black people have faced today in the world with oppressions and civil rights. I have classmates who was black and I was so close friend to her. I would have dream of marrying her. I told my parents one time that I really like her and wanted to marry her. They told me that white and black will not marry together, the black is to marry the person who is black and white is to marry the person who is white. I was growing up and have respected the black deeply because of my friend and I do not think of discriminate any black people. When my family moved to Rhode Island. It was first time that we live in neighborhoods where all black people live around. Usually the neighbors are not always safe and the nextdoors was scarcy experiences for my family when the city cops broken in the house to arrest the family who were involved in drugs. It was the most nightmares moments for my family, but it does not stop us from respecting the black people. Back to the community, about black. There are few black, only about 30 out of 2000 members in the community. It is very hard to understand why the community is being discriminate against the black people and their attitudes and their pride being black. I believe in each individuals and their dignity of pride in themselves. The community do not allow this and they suppress the people who are different to one mind, one things in common that required for the community members. There are a lot of things that the elders and Elbert Spriggs do not understand or respect the diversity, black and cultures of different members in the community. The culture means the values and traditions have been passed from generations to generations with one goal and established. I could explain better about culture but entering in dictionary is not working right online, will explain more about culture on next blog with my understanding from Diversity course I took in Gallaudet University. There are pretty diversity people in the community but there is lack of understanding the differences of cultures, diversity, and races in the community. I do respect the diversity more than the members in the community would show respect to them.

Reconsidering the Oppression Status in the Community...

As I wrote earlier about "Oppression" within the community and outside in the world. I have been thinking about this for a while why are everyone being oppressed in the community with their behaviors, acting and their good or bad hearts. Everyone are totally different and have different way of their perspectives about life, belief, faiths, and religious. Let me share about the roles of Women and Men in the Twelve Tribes Community on my own perspectives and therefore, will share the Community's perspectives if I can do as well. For women, are meant to live and bearing their children, working in the houses, cleaning, laundry, cooking, caring for the children and spending time with their family and friends, go shopping for the community for foods and personal needs. Women work harder to keep the household cleaned and alive for the men and families to be home for the evenings and have a restful evenings or attending meetings or family nights. There are women who attending midwifery meetings, are teachers for children, and attending cooking meeting or government meetings. As for the women doing these things as normal inside the community, but the more women are expected to be submissive to husbands or authorities in the household. What kind of expectations they have for women to be treated like this even women do more than men and women are always home. There are actually 80% women cannot drive because the women are not allowed to drive. Women cannot lead the gathering, or teachings or the groups, only men can. The women usually can be leader for women only, unless have the strict hand authority of man over women. The women have spent hours labors and doing all things in the household that many men do not appreciate for them. It seems that women suffering with stress and oppressions in the community. Once the child is in trouble, it usually blames on the women not men. For men, the men go out and working odd job, or farm, or cottage industries that the community owns, and sometimes the household have one man to take care of the house, fixing and doing odd and evens jobs, and controlling the children when they are in school. Usually men are doing things easily than women do. Women work harder more than men do and usually the men do not make much money to support the household with foods. Supposed you live in the household with 40 people. How much money would it be cost for foods a week? I remember it was only $300 a week. It is so normal for one person to spend $150 to $200 a month outside the community. That mean the children do not have snack at all and have to be starve till the meals come, Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner. It is not easy life that everyone have lived and shortage of foods. You can notice that most members are not chubby, very skinny. The women usually give births at home, sometimes women are in health risk, but they are encouraged not to go to hospital for serious cases because the women are encouraged to have faith in God. I have to say that many women do have their babies died in the community. It was terrible because they hid from the government whereabout the cases occurred about the deaths of babies, names and birth/death certificates and burials. The community suppress the government from interfere within legal situations in the community. It is not what everyone seems to like or put themselves in risk with the legalize and the members inside the community. The children do not have full time education hours like public schools hours. The children are encouraged/forced to work half of the days to support the households. It is really dangerous how they do that with the children. So today, I have to say that everyone in the community are living in oppression society and the elders take pleasure of torture and abuse the members of the community. The oppressions is no longer necessary to face because we are living in the society where we better come to understand and show respect for diversity races. I will share more about Races, Diversity and Cultures in the community on next section. Good night.

Oppressions...

Merry Christmas to you!! Today, I have been thinking about the term "Oppression". I have thought of this a lot lately because last October 2006, my University (Gallaudet University), the students, faculty, staff and alumnus were protest against the new selected President of University to begin in January 2007, and there were a lot of debates about oppressions. In our society, the Deaf people are being oppressed and unable to speak up their concerning and opinions. Since I was Junior and Senior at Gallaudet University, I was heavily involved with Social Work Department, Social Work Board of Advisory Committee, Social Work Honor Society, and Social Work Club. I have voiced a lot of my own opinions like what should the Social Work Department do to better draw the students into major in Social Work, what encourage the students to study as pre-requirement, etc.. and all kind of different issues. It was a rich experiences for me to get involved. What does it mean to be oppressed in our society and especially what I and you have went through in the Twelve Tribes. Look at the definition of this term "Oppression"
1.the exercise of authority or power in a burdensome, cruel, or unjust manner.
2.an act or instance of oppressing.
3.the state of being oppressed.
4.the feeling of being heavily burdened, mentally or physically, by troubles, adverse conditions, anxiety, etc. Sure enough about this oppression because what I have went through in the Twelve Tribes Community. You will see what the oppressions really is inside the community. Women, Men, Children, Deaf, Disabilities. Why I say this...... because women are being oppressed in the Twelve Tribes Community. The women are not allowed to speak up their opinions, only women who husbands are elders or in governments can speak up.. Why not the women who is not part of governments or husbands who is not elders. What kind of attitudes is the Elders and Governments toward other people who do not share the equal opportunities like elders and governments. The Elders and Governments greatly mistreat the other people. Men are still be oppressed.... As in bible, it says that the Husbands, Father and Men are the Head of Wife and Family and Household. SO what does it stands to the Twelve Tribes Community? It is clearly that they abused the power of Men, husband and fathers and family!! Oppressions is greatly huge inside the Twelve Tribes Community because these people are living in place of submissiveness and like slaves to the Elders in the community. Women do have their voices, ideas and concerning than the Elders could care enough about. Look at my Mom, she has been living in the Community for very long time and she is wiser than these women who husbands are elders and my Mom could not do anything about the standards of life inside the community because my Dad is not an elder. (he used to be an elder before, but he was demoted by the enemy of young elders). In United States, Women, African Americans, Deaf, Blind and Hispanic and other races are being oppressed because most of majority in politics are WHITE! The white could be bigots and ignorance of the other races and immigrants. White are still thinking they are in the powers of world and it still is and how women are working so hard, Let me say, Women are FIGHTERS! To prove that the women are to be treated equal as men and races are to be treated in respect and equality as other races even the cultures are totally different. I can see that someday there will be women who will be U.S. President or Black President, or whatever in the United States, but I have to say that our society is not ready for it, nor our society is ready to allow gays be married, or our society is ready to allow women rule the United States. Honestly, I admire the women because the women are smart, caring and know what the best for the children and marriages, household, education, and health that men do not understand deeply. As I have say this, the Twelve Tribes Community still oppress the women, children and men that I do not need to tolerate this anymore because we are in the country of Freedom that we have to work hard to push the efforts that we no longer tolerate the oppressions or oppressions of religious. I can see that my Mom was oppressed, I can see my Dad is being oppressed and my parents are being controlled and judged by the elders in the community. Is it normal? NO! the judge is not for people to judge others, but the community are judging everyone everyday, the elders will be judged by God one day. The elders will be in greatly trouble and I lost my deep respect for those elders and these who are in government because they do not respect everyone and treat them with respect or equality but treat them with nasty attitudes and oppressions. I am so sick of this and I will never forget that moments that my parents, myself and my brothers and sisters and my precious friends were oppressed everyday and live to suffer whole life. Is that health? NO!! Not health.. I do not need to live in oppression society anymore and I am free to be who I am and I am proud of myself and I am proud of my brothers and sisters to recongnize the oppressions they have suffered in the community and proud of others who came out of the community to recognize they were oppressed. God does not need people to live in oppressions, GOD wants to see people live in peace, mind of peace and smile with joy and live health life. The life in the Twelve Tribes Community is not health and not health for everyone to live in oppressions or suffering severely. Sure I was severely oppressed all my life.. It will happen to come to end of the oppressions at right time at right place.

About my parents....

I wanted to write about my parents.. I think it is good to give you the idea what the life in the community like for the Parents, family, and marriage life. I would start the story about my Dad and Mom. First, I share about my Mom. Well.. All I know about my Mom's background. She was 15 years old when she was pregnant with my half sister, Pam (who is 33). Her own family was poor and not well cared for each other as well. My mom's parents were very poor and they were getting older as my Mom was the last daughter of 8 children in her family. She was actually live in the house with other pregnant women who were waiting to give their births and then decide either to give away to adoptions or keep the babies. My mom ended up gave the birth and decided to give her up to adoption. Mom ended up joining the Community when she was only 15. She was sweet lost but had hope for something better in her life. She has lived in the community since she was 15 and has never leave or give up her life. She was determined. About my Dad. He went to Yale University. He was hippie lonely quiet man! He was hoping to seek something to satisfy himself. He went ahead and decided to fast for 40 days like Jesus Christ did. His parents were worried about him and thought he was going crazy. My grandparents took him to the hospital and he was in electronic shocks to change his mind and decisions. He was very depressed. Dad was close to graduate from Yale University, he decided to dropout and go on his own life. He left his parents' house in Ohio and walked for many days only carrying his peanut butter and bread and walked to other states to look for God. He ended up in Chattanooga, Tennessee where he met some down to earth hippie people and he was invited to stay at their place, the Vine House. He was attracted to the life in that community group. He ended up staying there and live for years. He and my Mom were interested in each other and they were getting married in July 10, 1977. It was one of the things I was surprised to learn that my mom did not intend to get his family, and relatives to her wedding but only their parents were invited to their wedding. Their wedding was usually like wedding-tradition in our world society, but was held inside the restaurant. My parents were giving births to me, Magdalene, Adam, Tessie, Ben, Samantha and Mivnah for 17 years. Now I am 28 and Mivnah as my last sister is only 11 years old My parents are currently in their middle age in 50's. Life has been changing since marriage, having children, the children getting older and children living somewhere apart from family and parents. It was amazing to see how things has changed since childhood to adulthood in my family. Their marriage has been up and down. As my childhood, my parents were going through up and down because they have big family and children to take care. As recently I visited my parents last summer, they are getting older and very relaxing and more romance and loving each other. It was very interesting to see how things have changed in parents. The family tradition in the Twelve Tribes Community is very different than American Family Tradition as well, because the family live with other families and other single people, working together, getting up and go bed together (not the same room together). Marriages is very different in the community, usually the parents have their own times every week or every other week and the other adults to take care of their children while the parents having their private time together. It is call "family night". I usually hate the family night because I had to be with someone to look after me and the person can either be harsh or mean to me and would not let me do things I want to do. I guess I do not miss my childhood experiences because it was very hard to be in these situation that every child have gone through in the community. My parents have been living in the community for more than 35 years and they are still there, but most of their children are not in the community anymore. Only two daughters are still in the community. I wondered how they are feeling about this. I could imagine that they feel guilty that they did not do enough or discipline their own children enough like they were supposed to. I have to say that they do not and they have done their best to raise me and my brothers and sisters as they should be and they have their lives to chose and to success with their lives even inside the community or outside the community. I do believe that my brothers and sisters have been going through tough times in the community like me as well, but they are doing well and are strong and become stronger people. I am proud of them no matter what even still in community or not.

Merry Christmas! Happy Holidays!

My apologize for not posting anything for a while. I have been busy lately and been looking for new job. It is likely that I will get a new job very soon and that will mean moving to other state from Washington D.C. I will let you know as soon I get the final formal offer. Smile. As you know that Christmas and New Year holidays are coming. It is probably one of happiest days I would enjoy or could be sad days for one of you. Who knows! I think I could use both happy and sad days for me. What is Happy things I like about Holidays... I enjoy the Christmas so much that we have the family and friends get together and sharing the meals, gifts and playing games and other activities as a family or friends. It is one of the cherish feeling that I love and I only started celebrate the Christmas in 1999 after I left the Twelve Tribes. I think it was probably hard at first but then I loved it the more and get to decorate the house and sharing the Christmas with my friends or relatives. I actually went for Christmas in Chattanooga, Tenn with my aunt or cousins. It was wonderful experiences as well. The Twelve Tribes Community do not believe in celebrate the Christmas or New Years. It is very similiar to Jehovah's Witness which they do not celebrate the holidays as well. The other day, I watched a movie "Passion for Christ". It touched me deeply, not only that I completely reject the bible that I was taught in the Twelve Tribes Community with the New Testament Bible about Jesus Christ. It is very clear to me that most of world know about Jesus Christ and how he was the Son of God, and all things that He has gone through for everyone who sins has been covered by the blood of Jesus Christ. It is very clearly that how it is realistic that Jesus Christ was born and filled with the Joy that He was the King of Jewish. (no offense to Jewish). But as otherwise, I think the Twelve Tribes Community is totally blind to see what the truth is about Jesus Christ as I have learned more and more about who Jesus Christ is in the churches I have attended since I left the TT. Ok, other subject, what is sad about this holidays.. not everyone in the family are being able to get together and share the Christmas together like my parents and brothers and sisters. They are always in my mind and my heart on Christmas Day and New Year and wish them the best for their new year and their goals to be established. It is one of good things to go through together and know that we have a rough year that came to the end with happiness or sadness, but do not let the Christmas Holidays stop you from enjoying yourself. You are welcome to come and visit me with my opening arms for you once you are feeling lonely or sad, or none to share with you. Let me know... I wanted you to have a wonderful Holidays ahead of you!! I love you all!