Articles written by Melissa Washington

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About me - Melissa Washington

I wrote my first story at the age of six and I've been writing ever since. I've always written for fun, but now I've decided to make a career out of it. As I get older, I realize that it's important to persue my dreams. Even if I fail, at least I can say I

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Entertainment > Movie Genres Which is better for foreign language films, dubbing or subtitles?: 1 of 42
As a lover of languages and cultures, I am appalled by people who refuse to watch foreign movies just because they are subtitled. The actor's voice is of vital importance and the emotions that he or she conveys cannot be conveyed by a person reading a voice-over.Actors invest a lot of time and energy into preparing for and pe... More..
Relationships & Family > Dating Commentary Views on interracial dating: 3 of 55
As the daughter of a sharecropper, I have heard first-hand accounts of prejudice and segregation in America, the South in particular. People fought hard to end segregation, yet in 2009, interracial couples still evoke stares. Everyone talks about equality, but there is no true equality if people of different races don't so... More..
Society & Lifestyle > Lifestyles Should people have sex before marriage?: 8 of 106
In 2009, people are marrying later than they did generations ago. Not having sex before marriage was fine when it was customary for people to get married in their early twenties (or their late teens), but with people marrying for the first time in their thirties or forties, I think it's absurd for them to wait. Also, when dis... More..
Entertainment > Hollywood & Movie Industry Are movies getting less entertaining: 1 of 10
With so many advances in technology, you'd think that the quality of movies would be top-notch in 2009, but the most important element seems to be missing from a lot of movies these days-the writing. So many of today's movies are remakes of old movies, TV shows or foreign movies, some of which were average in the first place.... More..
Relationships & Family > Online Dating Online dating: Should you agree to meet if they don't have a picture posted?: 4 of 36
I personally would never agree to meet a person I met online without seeing their picture. Let's face it, no one goes online looking to date an ugly person, with ugly being whatever any individual deems unattractive. A winning personality is awesome, but let's face it, most people need some sort of physical attraction as well... More..
Education > Education (Other) Should public school children wear uniforms?: 8 of 64
One of the best parts of school when I was growing up had nothing to do with academics, it had to do with buying school clothes at the beginning of the year. Every July, I eagerly awaited the August, Back to School issues of Seventeen, YM, and Teen magazines, the bibles of what to wear. Every year, I could reinvent myself wit... More..
Creative Writing > Short Stories Short stories: Ghosts: 21 of 142
Avenue D John stood alone in the Bergen St. station in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn, hoping that the train would soon come. It was 3AM and his head was pounding and he barely had any recollection of stepping onto the platform. Every few minutes, he looked at his watch, 3:05, 3:20, and 3:30, still no other people and no train. A... More..
Relationships & Family > Romance & Sexuality Why there isn't more interracial dating: 7 of 37
At first thought, the question of why there isn't more interracial dating seems to point to one answer: the majority of people are racist. But, is this really the case? Racism does account for some of the taboos against interracial dating, but I believe lack of exposure to other cultures accounts for the rest.I grew up in a v... More..
Society & Lifestyle > Racism Can't African-Americans, Hispanic-Americans, etc., just be called Americans?: 15 of 74
I believe that anyone born in America should call themselves American, period. By hyphenating our nationality with ethnic monikers, we are emphasizing our "otherness" instead of our shared American culture. It also segregates African-, Asian- and Hispanic-Americans and implies that the only true Americans are white. I prefer... More..
Computers & Technology > Computers & Technology (Other) Is the use of parental control on your TV bad or good?: 7 of 33
When I was a kid, we had a pay channel on TV called Preview. It was like cable, but with only one channel because in the early 80's, our municipality had yet to get the real thing. During late nights, it aired Preview After Dark, where they showed soft core porn, game shows where the contestants had to strip when they got the... More..