Breast Cancer

Breast Cancer

            Hello, this is IGL and this post is about breast cancer. Breast cancer is the disease of the overgrowth of breast cells. Tumors will form; the two kinds of tumors are benign (harmless) and malignant. Harmful tumors can spread to other body parts and affect the system drastically. Types of malignant breast cancer are Invasive Ductal Carcinoma; Triple Negative Breast Cancer; Inflammatory Breast Cancer; Metastatic Breast Cancer; Metaplastic Carcinoma; and Paget's Disease.

            Symptoms for breast cancer are not usual at first, but when signs that a benign tumor is forming in the breast, it usually means cancer. But if you are going through puberty, do not mistake a bud to be breast cancer. For more serious conditions, painful symptoms occur. Breast or nipple pain, swelling, a large, strange lump, tenderness, skin irritation, skin dimpling, inward nipple, and nipple discharge that is not breast milk. If any of these symptoms occur, visit your doctor immediately.

            Breast cancer is classified into stages.

1.       Stage 0- Cancer not invasive or dangerous

2.      Stage 1A- Grows up to 2 cm but has not spread to other body parts

3.      Stage 1B- No tumor with invasive cells, or there is a tumor but smaller than 2 cm.

4.      Stage 11A

a.      No tumor but invasive cells found in lymph nodes

b.      Tumor is 2 cm or smaller, but has spread to axillary lymph nodes (under arm)

c.      Tumor is bigger than 2 cm, but hasn’t spread to axillary lymph nodes

5.      Stage 11B- Tumor is bigger than 2 cm and has spread to axillary lymph nodes or is bigger than 5 cm but did not spread to axillary lymph nodes

6.      Stage 111A- No tumor, but invasive cancer cells clumped in lymph nodes or any size of tumor has spread to axillary lymph nodes

7.      Stage 111B- Tumor is any size and spread to skin, and could’ve spread to axillary lymph nodes

8.      Stage 111C- NO sign of breast cancer, but could have spread to wall. Also has spread to lymph nodes near collarbone and to axillary lymph nodes near breast bone.

9.      Stage IV- The cancer has spread to other parts in the body

Breast cancer can be caused by many risk factors. Intoxicants, such as smoking, drinking, and drugs, can be cause breast cancer in the future. Being overweight and being exposed to radiation are also common ways. Radiation exposure before the age of 30 to the chest and face is a likely cause of cancer. Obesity is a huge risk factor. The excess fat produces more estrogen, which also produces more breast cells. As you begin to become older, losing weight is difficult. Junk food is also malicious to the body. Growth hormones in the fatty foods grow more breast cells, and also make girls receive their period before the age of 12, which is also another risk factor. Dense breasts make it harder to detect the cancer during testing. But there has been no link discovered from breast implants to breast cancer. But it is quite possible that breast implants may cause lymphoma. But lack of data can clarify this statement. Smoking is also a big risk. It damages the lungs, which makes it harder for treatment and healing. Drinking speeds up the growth of estrogen, and if a female drinks at least three drinks a week, it increases breast cancer risk by 15%. People who’ve taken HRT (Hormone Replacement Therapy) in the past, it can also risk breast cancer. Low Vitamin D and exposure to chemicals are also risk factors.

Luckily, if noticed early enough, breast cancer can be treated. Surgery is the most common type. Lumpectomy is the removal of a tumor and unhealthy tissue; mastectomy is the removal of a whole breast. A mastectomy reduces the risk of breast cancer again by 90%. The female has a choice to reconstruct the breast either by replacing with a breast implant or gathering other tissue. Surgeons remove the lymph node as well. Prophylactic Ovary Removal is when the ovaries are removed to reduce estrogen growth. This only makes it harder to get breast cancer. Hormonal therapy is similar to Prophylactic Ovary Removal—it blocks off or shuts down estrogen supply. When using hormonal therapy, often times the surgeon would remove the fallopian tube or ovaries. Cyrotherapy is when extreme cold temperatures are used to kill off cancer cells. However, scientists are not sure if cyrotherapy is affective. Radiotherapy is when radiation is used to kill invasive, cancer cells. Chemotherapy is the use of medicines to weaken or kill cancer cells. To see if you have breast cancer, contact the doctor for a mammogram, which is a test to see if you have breast cancer.

It is rare for parents to pass down breast cancer to children, which is only 5-10% of causes. The main reason is aging, which is 90%. In the United States, 1 out of 8 women will get breast cancer. However, individual risks vary depending on background, considering age. Breast cancer is most common in Caucasian women.

October is National Breast Cancer Month. Many organizations have been collaborating for events for National Breast Cancer Month. October 4^th is Breast Cancer Awareness Day. The breast cancer ribbon is light pink.

NBCF (National Breast Cancer Foundation) is an organization that helps women by providing mammograms and detecting breast cancer before it becomes malignant. They give education and helpful advice for breast cancer and what might happen. NBCF started off as giving free mammograms in the United States, but now helps all around the world. NBCF is one of the most praised cancer foundations in the world.

There are many ways to help. You could:

1. Tell someone. Write an article about it.
2. Stop or abstain from drinking, smoking, and using drugs.
3. Exercise a lot and keep a healthy weight. Maintain a healthy diet with plentiful Vitamin D.
4. Stay away from radiation and harmful chemicals.
5. If dense breasts are a burden, suggest breast reduction as an option.
6. Donate to organizations, such as NBCF or American Cancer Society
7. On October 4^th, wear a pink ribbon in celebration of breast cancer.
8. Test for breast cancer frequently, like mammograms
9. Receive the best treatment for breast cancer if you have it

Help stop breast cancer!

Idea+Gift=Love IGL

Stop Women Abuse!

Stop Women Abuse!

          Hello, this is IGL and this post is about women abuse. Around the world, abuse has happened to everybody before. We all know that women have a more likely chance to getting abused my others because of their weakness. In many cases, women are violated sexually or physically against their will.

          We all most likely know what rape is. Rape is when a person is forced to have sex with another person against their will. Usually, it happens to females but it could also happen to boys (usually when they are children). The rapist can be a male or a female, even though a homosexual rape towards women is very rare. Rainn.org states that most rape victims are under the age of thirty and that only 3% percent of rapists are put in jail for their crime. That is an outrageous percentage. Rape is something that nobody should have to go through. Consequences of rape include a high risk of substance abuse, such as alcohol or drugs to take away depression of the past event. You could also receive an STD and/or become pregnant. Victims may also become traumatized and gets insomnia or trouble sleeping. Worse of all, victims may resort to suicide. Whatever you do, prevent a person from suicide or prevent yourself from suicide. If you get raped, call the police immediately and call a sexual assault hotline as quick as possible. If you know someone else who has been raped, do not be judgmental and recommend a sexual assault hotline.

          To avoid rape, follow these steps.

• ·         Be aware of your location and the people around you.
• ·         Avoid places with few or no people at all.
• ·         Be confident when you walk, even if you don’t know where you’re going.
• ·         Trust your instincts.
• ·         Bring a phone and some money to go home for.
• ·         Go with a trusted person.
• ·         Avoid listening to music with headphones to block out sounds.

Also, tell your child at the comfortable age so they are aware of rape and sexual assault.

          RAINN (Rape Abuse Incest National Network) is an organization that helps people that have been sexually assaulted and spreading awareness. RAINN specializes in many things, including providing the national hotline and statistics. However, they succeeded by donations from generous people. Donate at this site: http://www.rainn.org/donate/ways-to-give

          Domestic violence is when a partner in a relationship abuses the other partner physically, sexually, or emotionally. Usually it is when the male abuses the female, but in some cases the wife/girlfriend is the one putting it on. Domestic violence affects the health of the partner, causing broken trust. If a partner is forcing you to have sex or forcing you to get pregnant, it is best to consult with a doctor secretly to get birth control methods without him knowing. To leave an abusive relationship, always seek shelter and bring a phone with you. Don’t make it obvious that you need help and don’t go anywhere alone. Keep your privacy and don’t share anything out loud to someone or online.

          To keep safe from domestic violence or an abusive person, follow these steps.

• ·         Meet in public
• ·         Tell someone, like a friend or parent, where you’re going and who your date is
• ·         Avoid parties that have alcohol
• ·         Have a reliable source of transportation
• ·         Bring a phone

If you’re going to a place with alcohol, follow these steps.

• ·         Don’t take drinks from anyone but yourself
• ·         Have your drink besides you at all times
• ·         Don’t drink from punch bowls or public drinks
• ·         If you didn’t pay attention to your drink, throw it away immediately
• ·         Don’t drink too much

Signs of an abusive relationship:

• ·         Always stalking you and wanting to know where you are at all times
• ·         Trying to take things fast
• ·         Major jealousy and pushiness
• ·         Suggesting to do sexual activities often
• ·         Putting inappropriate pictures of you online without your permission
• ·         Threatening you if you break up with him
• ·         Blaming you on the harm he gives you

Human trafficking is when someone is taken into a profession they are fooled into, usually something sexually but could also result in forced labor. It usually happens to women. They could be tricked into a job, but is actually taken into a human trafficking ring. They are usually resulted in sexual labor or forced prostitution in most cases. If you see a victim of human trafficking, call the police and they will take care of it.

There are many ways to help stop women abuse. You could:

1.       Spread awareness of all types of women abuse.

2.     Start a petition and get people to sign it.

3. Donate to organizations that specialize in this, such as the Human Trafficking 

4.     Befriend people that have been abused by others.

Together we can make a difference!

-Idea+Gift=Love IGL

Stop Child Abuse

Stop Child Abuse

          Hello, this is IGL and this post is about child abuse. Child abuse has been a major conflict in the world for many years. It is when a child is abused physically or emotionally under the age of eighteen by an adult. It hurts the child and breaks trust from the child to others, maybe causing social disabilities in the future. Child abuse doesn’t tend to happen in a certain place. It could happen in any place, economy, race, or population. No matter how much you apologize to that victim, it will never be the same. For example, take a piece of paper and crumple it as hard as you can, no matter what. Then apologize to it and smoothen it out thoroughly. Now observe. The paper will never be the same, just like a child.

          Physical abuse is when a guardian/parent abuses the child with contact of their body. This includes hitting, kicking, punching, slapping, whipping, and more. Many parents believe physical abuse as a discipline is the best way to teach a child how to behave. However, if continued on, the child will live in fear instead of understanding the meaning of the “lecture”. Some parents instead physically abuse their child out of anger or some unimportant reason.

          Emotional abuse is somewhat like bullying, but between a parent and a child. Putting down a child is not okay, and certainly will break trust between a parent and the child may dislike the adult. Limited affection and screaming/threatening will hurt a child’s feelings.

          Child neglect is when a guardian/parent takes care of a child but does not meet their needs. Failing to give the child food, shelter, clothing, education, or hygiene is child neglect. If an incapable mother has a baby that she cannot take care of, she should resort to giving it up for adoption (safe haven law). Substance abuse or unstable ability is also counted as child neglect. A safe environment is always needed for a child.

          Child sexual abuse is when a child has come into contact with an adult sexually. Usually, it is a person the child knows, like a parent. Both boys and girls can be victims, but males don’t usually report it because they have a feeling to be brave and fearless. Never think that a child is joking about sexual abuse and call the police.

          There are many signs that a child is being abused. For physical abuse, unusual injuries, intense all the time, uneasy when people lightly touch them, or wearing irregular clothing (like long pants on a hot day). For emotional abuse, low self-esteem, extremely demanding or aggressive, irregular behavior, or a detachment between a child and a parent are signs of emotional abuse. For child neglect, inappropriate clothing for the weather, untreated illnesses, incomplete cleanliness, or constant tardy are usual signs. For child sexual abuse, knowledge of sexual behavior, trouble walking or sitting, doesn’t want to participate in activities, avoiding a specific person, receiving an STD or getting pregnant before the age of 13, and running away from home are constant signs of child sexual abuse.

          Drug and alcohol abuse, witnessing domestic violence, lack of support and parenting skills, and if a parent has an untreated mental illness all are risk factors to child abuse. If you know something about a child being abused call the police.

          There are many ways to stop child abuse. You could:

1. Start a petition and get people to sign it.
2. Spread awareness.
3. If you currently are abusing a child, stop!
4. Donate to organizations that help stop child abuse.

-Stop child abuse!

-Idea+Gift=Love IGL

Obesity & Nutrition

Obesity & Nutrition

          Hello, this is IGL and this post is about obesity and nutrition. Eating excess calories causes you to become obese. In this century, obesity is one of the most morbid disorders of the world. Obesity also causes many other diseases you could get including diabetes and heart attacks. It also hurts their confidence and trust on their appearance.

          Symptoms for obesity include difficulty of exercising, a large body, being lazy, and difficulty of breathing, muscle pain, early puberty, and knock-knees. It is difficult to exercise because of easily becoming tiresome. This leads to lethargy, or laziness. When obese, the muscles are weakened, making it hard to move. The fat pressures the muscle so it is hard to function properly or strongly. Fat produces estrogen and testosterone (hormones). With excess hormones, you receive puberty earlier. Knock-knees are when the legs are straightened, the knees ouch at an awkward angle.

          Effects include cancer, heart disease, muscle difficulties, back pain, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, breathing problems, strokes, organ diseases, and many more. Psychological problems include depression, stress, and low self-esteem. New studies show that pregnant and obese women have a higher chance of giving birth to a child with autism. ADHD is also more common in obese or overweight children.

          To have a better weight, exercise and eat healthier. Exercising is an important step to maintaining a better weight. Exercise daily like jogging or maybe jumping jacks. Exercising always helps. The next step is to eat healthier. The food pyramid consists of food groups: grains, vegetables, fruits, oils, meats & beans, milk products, and extras. Grains include bread, pasta, rice, cereal, and oats. Eat 6-11 servings a day. The vegetable group includes leafy greens, carrots, corn, and broccoli. Eat about 3-5 servings a day. The fruits include nectars, citruses, berries, melons, apples, and bananas. Eat 2-4 servings a day. The oils include castor oil, sesame oil, and nuts. Eat about a handful of nuts a day. The oils are usually included in vegetable servings. The meats & beans group include seafood, chicken, beans, and eggs. Eat about 2-3 servings a day. The milk products include yogurt, cheese, and milk. Eat about 2-3 servings a day. Extras are the unhealthy foods including ice cream, lollipops, butter, chips, and cake. Use the extras sparingly.

          Many countries in the world have a high number of people that are obese. According to studies in 2012, the country with the highest number of people obese is the United States. The US’s percentage of obese people is 33.8% of the population. Mexico is next (30%) and New Zealand after (26.5%). Since 2010, the percentage of child obesity in the US has increased a great amount. Since 1980, people from ages 6-11 have increased from 7% to 18%. Teenagers have increased from 5% to 18%.

          September is the National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month. The yellow ribbon stands for obesity. Make sure you wear the yellow ribbon in September.

          There are many ways to help. You could:

1.     Spread the word

2.    Wear the yellow ribbon in September

3.    Bond with children or adults that are obese

4.    Make your own body healthier.

Help stop world obesity!

-Idea+Gift=Love IGL

Stop Animal Abuse

Stop Animal Abuse

         

          Hello, this is IGL and this post is about animal abuse. IGL has contributed a lot on animal abuse. There are also other posts about animal abuse including animal fighting, the animal shelter, farm animals, wildlife, and more.

          Animal abuse is so cruel and inhumane. The reasons are just so unexplainable. Sometimes people take their anger out on someone else (just like bullying, domestic violence, rape, women violence, and child abuse—which are also NOT okay). Sadly, people know that animals are helpless against a person’s power.

          Another reason is that a person just doesn’t realize how hard it is to take care of animal. Sometimes someone buys a puppy from the pet store (which is usually from the puppy mill, but that’s a whole different story). But that person doesn’t realize that an animal needs a lot of care. But they thought that they need to be brushed, washed, watered, and fed. So they just leave the animal there for a few days without any care.

          You can always help stop animal abuse. You could:

1. When you don’t want an animal anymore, talk to your vet/animal expert or take it to a no-kill animal shelter. Both of those options are better than abandoning it without any food, water, and shelter.
2. When you buy a pet, know what it needs. Give your pet the thinks it needs including food, water, and shelter.
3. If you suspect animal abuse is going on, call the animal control.
4. Donate to organizations that help stop animal abuse. A good organization for helping abused dogs is Rolda.

http://rolda.org/Ways-to-Help/help-dogs-with-us.html

Another good organization is ASPCA.

http://www.aspca.org/

Lastly, the IS foundation helps the circus animals.

http://www.isfoundation.com/news/kids/stop-circus-animal-abuse

5. Spread the word. You could write a letter to the newspaper or just tell some people you know.

Help stop animal abuse!

-Idea+Gift=Love IGL

Stop the Canadian Seal Hunt!

Stop the Canadian Seal Hunt!

          Hello, this is IGL and this topic is about stopping the Canadian Seal Hunt. Every year the Canadian government orders fishermen to kill thousands of seal pups. They sometimes kill them by beating them, using guns, or using the traditional hakapiks.

          Seals are killed for their fur and oil. Their bodies are left on the ice to rot. The population of seals is decreasing because of the Canadian Seal Hunt. Stop this cruel hunt now! You could:

1. Boycott (along with Ke$ha as to early 2013)
2. Spread the word
3. Help foundations and organizations that are against the Canadian Seal Hunt

Help save the Canadian seals and stop the Canadian Seal Hunt!

-Idea+Gift=Love IGL

Syrian Civil War

Syrian Civil War

          Hello, this is IGL and this topic is the Syrian Civil War, or the Syrian Uprising. The Syrian Uprising has been going on since 2011. It is the war between the rebels of the Ba’ath party and the people who stay loyal to it.

          Many people have fled the country. Some stayed, but live in devastation. Many people die from bombings and riots. Nearly 70,000 people were killed in the war.

          The children of Syria have been through so much through the civil war. There family and friends were killed. A girl, Turkieh, says that her mother was shot and killed when she came back from the market. A boy states that many friends that he used to play with our now dead and missing body parts.

          Save the Children has built refugees in Syria for children. Sadly, they are running out of food, water, clothing, blankets, and medicine. These children deserve this.

          Even though this war is one of the most sad and devastating, you could help too. You could:

1. Donate supplies to refugees in Syria
2. Spread the word. You could write letters to the newspaper or post reports to the library.

Even though there are usually more options, either one of these are very helpful for Syria. Help Syria!

-Idea+Gift=Love IGL

Stop Animal fighting

Animal Fighting

          Hello, this is IGL and this project is about animal fighting. There are many types of animal fighting, even some most people have never heard of. Sometimes animals are fought to the death and these games are considered “entertaining” to some people.

          Dog fighting: Dog fighting is when two dogs are brought together and trained to fight the opponent. The losing dog is usually left dead, but even the winning dog could die because of its harsh injuries. The owners bet each other to see which dog will win. And people come to watch two dogs tear each other’s limbs off to survive. Dog fighting is illegal in some places, but is still common in most areas like Pakistan, China, South Africa, Japan and Russia.

          Hog-Dog fighting: Hog-Dog fighting is the blood sport of when a hog is held captive by a rope and a pole. Dogs are released to torment the animal and kill it. Even the dogs could be hurt by the tusks of the hog. It is most common in the rural south of the USA. Hog-Dog fighting is still present.

          Cockfighting: Cockfighting is a game when two roosters are held together to fight and peck each to the death, like dogfighting but with roosters. After a game, the owner of the rooster throws it away like trash after the bet. Cockfighting is still present in Cuba, Peru, Southern India, Pakistan, Iraq, and Japan.

          Fox penning: Fox penning is the sport when foxes and coyotes are trapped in a fence with no escape. Dogs trained to kill these animals are released and have to try to kill these animals. Foxes are sold to fox operators. They trap them and haul them in cages. Sometimes, foxes and coyotes die on the trip there. The owners bet on their dogs to kill the foxes.

          Bear Baiting: Bear baiting is the game when a bear is trapped by a pole and a rope. Their teeth are flattened and their claws are cut. Dogs are released to kill the bear. The bear has no self-defense weapons to protect itself. The bear is killed to the death. It is allowed in South Carolina.

          As you can see, there are many more blood sports. But these are just a few examples of animal cruelty. But how could you help stop animal fighting? You could:

1.     Spread the word. Tell everyone the truth about animal fighting. You could also write a letter to the newspaper or put up flyers.

2.    Tell the people in charge. You could write a letter to the state’s government or your country’s political leader.

3.    Help the animals yourself. There are many retired animals from animal fighting. You could adopt one if you like or bring it to the animal shelter.

There are many simple options you could do. Stop animal fighting and help the animals.

-Idea+Gift=Love IGL

Stop Eating disorders!

Stop Eating Disorders

          Hello, this is IGL and our new project is eating disorders. Eating disorders are when someone abstains from food to make their body thinner. Sometimes people purge and skip meals. Most of the time people with eating disorders are young adults or teenagers.

          Eating disorders could affect a lot of people. Sometimes when someone is bullied, they are called fat and overweight. Because of that, the person purges themselves to look better. Or it could be because someone is just a “queen bee” and keeps their eating disorder as something to look better in their revealing clothing. Or maybe it’s because their friends are all skinny and inspire that person to contain an eating disorder. Either way, it’s not a good thing.

          Another BIG reason why most people have eating disorders is because of the media. Yes, the media. The media nowadays include super skinny models, movie stars, ettica. In other words size 1 ½ dresses and outfits. Still, there are some healthy and normal-weighted people in TV shows and celebrities that go against bulimia, but most people are still super thin. Our member, Kristine, one day was watching TV shows on her computer. Then, when she came across a clip from the Disney Channel TV show “So Random” (the individual show, not the one in Sonny with a Chance) she was super shocked of what she saw. It was the episode when the male model came to his girlfriend’s house. They were talking about how the male model ate only one full meal a week, which is bad. And the model said that his agent told him that if he wanted to get the jobs (being famous) he couldn't eat ANY carbs. This is so outraging! Now they were supporting eating disorders on children’s shows!

          Even if you skip breakfast so you could look like Ali Lohan, that’s still considered an eating disorder. If you have a minor eating disorder, consider visiting a therapist to get over it. But if it is a hardcore, serious eating disorder (like going without food for weeks or purging) go to a treatment facility if you can't overcome it when you try.


          NEDA is an organization that helps young girls going through eating disorders. NEDA is a non profit organization that reaches out to people with their self-esteem issues. To help, you can plan a NEDA walk to raise money and spread awareness to eating disorders. If you don't want to plan a walk, then just donate! NEDA has a program in which you can donate a car so they can auction it off. Besides, they will take care of all expenses for sending the car over.

          No matter what happened in the past, accept who you are. How you look like on the outside doesn't really matter to how you are in the inside. There are ways to discourage eating disorders .You could:

1.     If you have an eating disorder yourself, stop it. Don't let how your image looks like affect you. If it’s a minor case, try seeing a therapist or a doctor. If it’s serious, consider going to a treatment facility

2.    If you know someone who has an eating disorder, tell them to get some help.

3.    Spread the word. Write a letter to the newspaper, tell someone about it, or just encourage people to stop eating disorders.

4.    If you or someone you know with an eating disorder is afraid of getting overweight or obese, skipping meals is not the answer. Food has healthy nutrition that helps you, not goes against you. However, if you don't want to get too overweight, avoid fatty food like hamburgers, French fries, hot dogs, or fried chicken.

5. Support NEDA and maybe donate to the organization. 
    (  http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org  )

So you see, eating disorders affect so many people in the world every day. Help stop eating disorders and make the world a healthier place.

-Idea+Gift=Love

Stop the Puppy Mills!

Stop the Puppy Mills!

          Hello, this is IGL and our next project is puppy mills. Puppy mills are breeding facilities that breed dogs numerously. Many pet stores and pet shops say that they get their puppies from person breeders. Usually, they get their puppies from puppy mills. But what’s so bad about puppy mills?

          EVERYTHING! L Puppy mills are basically prisons for dogs and puppies. They puppies are stuffed with others in small cages without any toys or love. They also drink contaminated water and dirty food. They have bloody feet from jumping and struggling in the cage. They have lesions on their eyes and they don’t have enough space in the cages that they crawl on their food. Puppies also live in their poop and pee. Sometimes a puppy dies and the people in charge don’t discard the body. Therefore, puppies could get contagious diseases easily.

          Once upon a time, there was a little girl that wanted a puppy. With her parents, she went to the pet store and bought a Chihuahua puppy. Two days later, they brought it to the vet and it was determined that the puppy already had a disease when it was sold. It would die in a few days (Courtesy of Animal Planet).

          So, the animal shelter has many healthy animals waiting for adoption. Adopt an animal from the animal shelter if you want a guaranteed and healthy dog/puppy. And also, a trusted breeder would be good too. But how could we stop puppy mills? You could:

1.     Notify it to other people

2.    Convince your local pet store to get healthier puppies

3.    Ask your town’s government

4.    Write a letter to the newspaper

5.    Buy puppies from healthier sources

6.    Ask your local library to make a notice

7.    Post flyers at the vet

Stop puppy mills and help the puppies!

-Idea+Gift=Love IGL

Stop bullying

Stop Bullying!

          Hello, this is IGL. Our project is a very important message to EVERYONE. This project is bullying, something nobody wants to become a victim of. Bullying includes put-downs, teasing, vandalism, gossip, rumors, cyberbullying, racism, sexual harassment, Physical abuse, threats, and exclusion. This is a negative thing that everyone can stop.

          Once upon a time, there was a middle school in the California Bay Area. That middle school was an ordinary middle school. They had the loners, the bullies (populars), the nerds, the Goths, the genetically disordered, and the jocks. We’re pretty sure there weren’t any plastics since it’s a middle school because that would just be weird.

          In that middle school, there was a girl we will just call “A”. A was bullied by many people but she had some friends. They were good friends, but she also had some bad friends. The bad friends (aka the bullies) were backstabbing bullies and she never had a clue about it. They did many horrible things to her. They used a form of bullying called cyberbulling, where they use technology to hurt someone’s feelings. They sent texts to everyone and convinced them that A was a bad person. They also posed as A and sent people rude texts. One person, named “B” was a bad friend. B was a bully, and had a lot of bully friends. One of B’s bully friends schemed a plan for B to make a recording of saying many horrible things about A. B’s friend sent that video to everyone by e-mail, and sadly, to A too. A was hurt, and she never got over it.

          Another time was when IGL witnessed this act. A was walking over to the trash can, and some girls were also having lunch there. The moment A walked over, the leader of the group of girls threw some food at A. The food was solid and hard, and A got hurt, both emotionally and physically. This is called Physical Abuse. The people also called A ugly, stupid, annoying, and disgusting. They excluded her away from their group whenever A walked over, trying to make some friends. This is Put-Downs, teasing, and exclusion. They spread rumors and gossiped of how she did badly on a test, and things like who she went to the dance with then how her date ditched her there. This is called rumors and gossip. They threatened A of telling people she liked bad things about her if she didn’t do something they wanted A to do for them. This is called threat and vandalism. That is how A lived.

          There is another time in a different school of the same area. There was a boy and a girl. The girl shall be called “C” and the boy shall be called “D”. C was always a happy go lucky girl, until D one day decided to upset her with his bullying. C wanted to play a game with D and his friends at recess. But D decided to play a cruel game. He said that girls couldn’t play sports because they were too weak and sports were only for boys and men. This hurt C very much. Whenever it was PE, C was excluded whenever she was in D’s team to play a sport. This carried on for years. This is called Sexual Harassment.  Sexual Harassment could also be related to sexual innuendos.

          It was a year later in fifth grade when D was in C’s class—again. In class, one day, an argument rose from a table. A girl was arguing with D about something, and then suddenly D shouted out about him being Australian, and said how Asians were stupid and always looked like “this” *puts his two fingers to the edges of his eyes, raised them up to form chinky eyes*. This shocked the teacher and half the class since half the students were Asian. This is called Racism.

          All these were schools that members of IGL went to. Sadly, this is the problem with the world. And one result of bullying could end up terribly wrong. It is called self harming.

          Self harming is when a person hurts themselves to relieve pain. Self harming is bad! B-A-D bad! And usually, this happens when someone is bullied too much. Self harming could be in different forms like an eating disorder. If you know someone who is self harming themselves, tell someone immediately!

          Once upon a time, in the California Bay Area, there was a high school. Once again, they have the bullies and the bullied. A teenage girl was bullied, so bullied that she decided to self harm herself. She was bullied so much, that she tried so many different ways to kill herself. One day, she was rushed to the hospital, and died in early morning. That is why bullying is BAD.

          Even though it seems that this could be difficult to accomplish, YOU could stop bullying. There are many ways to stop bullying. You could:

1. Stand up for someone. Standing up is when you confront a bully and tell them to stop bullying the victim.
2. Tell an adult. You could tell a trusted grown-up when bullying is present
3. Don’t bully anyone yourself. Bullying could cause a lot of pain.
4. Spread the idea to stop bullying yourself.

As you can see, if you do these steps, you could stop bullying!

-Idea+Gift=love IGL

Free the Girls

Free the Girls

          Hello, this is IGL. This is our new project. This project could have some inappropriate and confusing parts for little children. Free the Girls is an organization for helping women and girl in Africa. In Mozambique, Africa, many girls and women are sold for their bodies. Sometimes, children are sold too. The families are starving and need to sell their women or daughters to gain some food or shelter. Most of the time, the family would think they would end safely. But this is false. The African women would become a prostitute or sex slave.

          Free the Girl’s founders heard about the crisis in Mozambique. They decided to start an organization to help those women and girls. They decided to gain charity for these women by having people donate their bras to Africa. These bras would provide the slaves some confidence and safe income. They really need it.

          But unfortunately, they don’t have money for the shipping to Africa. Thankfully, CNN saw the organization and decided to help them out. Now, Free the Girls are launching programs in Mexico, El Salvador, Kenya, Mozambique, and Uganda. You could:

     1.     donate a bra

     2.     donate some money

The slaves in Africa need it!

-Idea+Gift=Love IGL