It was sad to hear that the young lady’s husband would feel so embarrassed by Osama Bin Laden’s behavior. And to hear that he dies within himself is sad. This world is just filled with plenty of stereotypes and misconceptions about each and every race and ethnicity. It seems like ever since the 9-11 attack, the whole country looked at Muslims as the bad guys. Muslims started to get so many verbal attacks. I understand the country is fearful and upset but you can not punish all of those who are of Muslim background with such an attitude. Just because one person from a race does something terrible does not mean the rest of that culture are like that. For example, many people look at African-Americans as “gangstas”. In Crossing The Blvd, Elke Walcher said that where she is from, Austria, the teachers are too afraid of receiving a teaching opportunity in Bronx, New York because they think that it is so rough. They think of it as a dangerous place because they are too many blacks. Movies gave them the impression that all blacks are criminals and live in the Bronx. The media always have African-Americans in gangs and illiterate. So many people assume that all African-Americans are up to no good, uneducated, and dangerous. So I understand why the young ladies husband feels that way.
God, Allah, they are all the same omnipotent higher being. If you actually think about it, they really are the same. Because it is still following the same idea of finding that one true ultimate concern. The only difference is that the religions require different traditions and rituals in order to seek their ultimate concern. We should not have to judge and have issues with the Muslims because of their religions and also because of unresolved issues. Instead of using extreme violence to prove a point we all just need to come up with a positive compromise so that no innocent lives are getting involved in the predicament and putting innocent lives into death. Obviously violence is not helping if we are still seeing reoccurring issues over and over again.

The definition of beauty can mean so much depending on geography and culture. Where one thing may be beautiful, it could be known as an insult somewhere else. In North America, being thin is one of many ways to be “beautiful”. On the contrary, being heavier is said to be “beautiful” in another part of the country. I always wondered who or what determined and defined beauty. I think that everyone on this earth has attractive qualities and it is unfair to this country that we, citizens, have to live up to these stereotypical standards. The ideas of beauty for most people are that you have to be thin, small curves, medium sized breasts, smooth complexion, tanned skin, and flat stomach. The list could go on. If you do not have many of these qualities, then a girl is not considered to be beautiful. Some say that the media has contributed a lot to this idea through advertisements and television shows. Are the media really to blame? I do agree that they do have a lot of influence amongst their audience, but I am not sure how much influence they have. I do not like how girls have to meet these stereotypical standards because it gives them low self-esteem and they feel as though they are not good enough. I think all girls should just appreciate themselves for who they are and for what they were blessed with. There is absolutely no point to impress another guy or compete with another girl because at the end of the night, it is yourself who you have to impress. This is what I would always tell myself: If you look good, you feel good. If you feel good, then others will respect you. This phrase provides me with self-esteem and it allows me to appreciate what I have and to work with what I have. Since God blessed me with a large chest, I would not be so upset about it and wish I had a breasts reduction. Yea it could be a pain at times but I learned to appreciate. If I had a smaller chest, I would not wish I had a larger chest, I would appreciate them and find cute outfits that fits them well. I strongly believe that all girls are beautiful. So what if we do not look like the models on the billboards. God made us all different for a reason; if he wanted all of us to look like one another and to confirm our looks to satisfy the stereotypical standards, then he would save us all the trouble by creating all of us to look like one another. Reality check: he did not; he made us all different because we are all unique and beautiful in our own way, and that is why we should appreciate ourselves and one another. We are beautiful for who we represent ourselves to others, not because of our ethnicity nor our physical features.

This is filthy and disgusting. Who, in their right mind, could think of creating a video game that involves raping a female??? That is ridiculous! It is basically implying that rape is okay. If it is wrong for any human being on this earth to rape another then why the hell is it okay to “rape” a female in video games? It is giving video game players the thrill and the idea of actually raping someone. What if video game players enjoys this game and decides to bring these actions to life? I remember watching an episode of Law & Order, and there was a guy who play this video game. The game consisted of violence, shooting, and kidnapping females. This same guy found so much thrill within this game and was so anxious to practice these actions in real life. So he performed the same actions in the video game in real life. As a result, a random female got kidnapped and killed. It was, indeed, the video games fault because it influenced the guy to perform such actions. An innocent victim was killed all because of a video game. There are many predicaments out there because of this. Now, because of this new stupid game, innocent females are going to get raped. I was wondering how come this video only contains females getting raped? How come there are no males in this game getting raped? I wonder what the reasoning is behind that. And what about the thousands, maybe even millions, of victims who were all once raped? How do the video game creators think they are feeling when they hear about this? Not only will they feel already traumatized by their own experiences but they will also become traumatized to know that they is a game imitating a rape situation. They will feel as though video game players are consenting and agreeing to this type of situation. It will just makes those innocent victims feel so worthless because instead of this world trying to get rid of predicaments, such as rape, they are basically promoting more and more of it. I personally believe that this game should be prohibited. I also believe that violent games that kill and abuse people in video games should also be prohibited because of the message that it sends to its customers. Young children should not be playing video games that contains violence or raping because they grow up thinking violently. Video game creators should create games that involve using your brain, knowledge, and mental skills in order to promote a more healthy brain. If this happens, students grades will increase dramatically. I am so pissed that there is actually a game that contains raping victims. I will be damned if I ever see anyone of my friends or family members obtain this game.

I am a female and I menstruate, and when I menstruate, I just rather be dead because of all the pain that I go through. It feels like a sharp knife that just keeps on stabbing me in the stomach, and even worse than that. When I was younger, I used to be ashamed of it and embarrassed especially to buy sanitary napkins, but as I got older, I realized why should I be so ashamed and embarrassed because there is nothing I could do to stop because that is what prepares me to bear children. I do not understand why it was such an uproar when Professor Samuel Richards talked about female’s menstrual cycle. Students in that class definitely took this discussion out of proportion. As Professor Sam said, it is a natural human bodily function. And he is completely right. Having to use the bathroom to pee, is a natural human bodily function, and it is okay for people to say that they have to go to the bathroom to pee? I also do not understand why some of the females in the class got so emotional about it. No matter how hard you try to keep it secretive, males will still know that you have to menstruate at certain times of the month. There is no need, whatsoever, to get all emotional about it. It really annoyed me to hear how those females complain constantly because they gave me the impression that it is such a huge crime to menstruate. What is so bad about it? Yea some people try to use the history from the bible and blame it on Eve. Many say that because Eve had sinned against God, in return, God had punished Eve with menstrual cycles and pain during pregnancy. So because of this history, many females feels as though menstruating reflects sinful actions. Although the history of Eve may be some what accurate, we should not make a big deal about talking about it because it is actually a good thing that we do. Since people want to relate to the bible, they also forgot to mention that God also stated in the bible how he created man and woman so that they could reproduce. God wants a man and woman to bear unto him children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and etc. And in order for females to bear children, they need to have ovaries go under an egg reproduction process. How else do you think eggs can be fertilized? In order for eggs to be fertilized and for a female to get pregnant with a healthy fetus, females need to start a menstrual cycle at a young age, so when they begin to have sexual intercourse, their stomach and everything else down there will be ready to produce a fetus which will later turn into a baby, and a new life as begun. Females should not be so scared to talk about menstruating because it is actually a good thing because if you are capable of menstruating, that means you would be able to bear children with the man you want to be with. And males, who would like to have children in their near future, should be happy whenever they date (or marry) a female who is capable of menstruating because that means they could have children. There are actually females out there who cannot menstruate, and I bet there are sad deep down inside because they will not be able to bear children. So the fact that Professor Richards talking about it so openly just shows that he is an outspoken individual and that he is appreciative that his wife can menstruate. Lastly, it does not matter if he talks about it openly and truthfully because he is a teacher and he even told his students in the beginning of the semester that he is not afraid to talk about anything, so his students would just have to get used to it.

After reading “Making Peace Between Our Colors” by Laurie Mulvey, I did get a different perspective about Caucasian people. I did not realize that what Caucasians actually were feeling deep down inside. At first I kind of found it hard to believe that they actually cared because they usually put up this shell that blocks their feelings away. Especially when I attended the Race Relations Project, many of the Caucasians did not have any actual experiences related to race issues. I observed how the Caucasians kind of brushed the situation off and did not really share any stories. There was one girl that I remembered, and she just did not contribute in the discussion. The conductors of the discussion group kept trying to get her to contribute, and when she finally spoke up, she told us how terrified she is of Africans-Americans. She is fearful because she does not feel as though she fits in with African-Americans and that they are not accepting to people of her race. It kind of made me mad how she could say that we are not accepting of her race when the real issue is that Caucasians are not fully accepting to the African-American community. But overall, the Race Relations Project turned out to be a really good experience, so I decided to take Sociology 119 that the conductors of the discussion group suggested to take in order to learn more about racial issues. I took that course hoping to learn more about race in depth. I always wondered how Caucasians actually felt deep down inside especially when being called a “racist”. Laurie’s book allowed me to see the thoughts running through their heads. I also feel bad that they have to feel so fearful to speak up because they are afraid to offend any Black or Brown people. I think that is why we, citizens, still face so many issues between Caucasians versus Black and Brown people. The reason we still face racial issues is because Black and Brown people feel as though Caucasians just do not care about the issues amongst them and they are just too good to care. If Caucasians actually showed their feelings towards Black and Brown people, there would be so much less tensions throughout this whole world. But I am sure that there are some select few Caucasians out there that actually does not care, and because of this, they display their ignorance towards Black and Brown people and that is what makes them feel anger towards Caucasians. So, Laurie definitely did a very good job with getting her point across and allowing people of all race to have a different view rather than of their own.

Who is to say what should be allowed and what should not? It is sad that gays and lesbians cannot be happy because of society. It is sad how society makes judgments toward gays and lesbians for being who they really are just because they do not fit the description of a man and a woman couple. Gays and lesbians should not have to blocked their happiness just to please all of the ignorant and disrespectful citizens out there. It is such a shame. To hear that a prom was cancelled just to prevent lesbians from attendinf is so damn ridiculous that I cannot stand to bear it. The school is not only trying to punish the lesbian couple but they are also punishes others from enjoying a prom that is once in a lifetime. If it was that big of an issue to them, they could have prevented them from going rather than punishing every student from their prom. But does it really matter if the young lady went to prom with her girlfriend? I think it is such a stupid issue to begin with because, nowadays, girls are dancing all over their girl friends just trying to have a great time. What difference does it make if a girl could dance with another girl at prom compared to a lesbian couple being at prom? The only possible difference could be that the lesbian couple would kiss each other, but beside that, they would just dance as everyone else would be doing. This society just needs to learn how to accept gays and lesbians because, reality is, it exists now, it will exists tomorrow, and it will continue to exists in the future. There is nothing we could do to stop it. You cannot stop a person from being happy; it is unethical. And even if someone tries to stop it, they will not succeed. So, just let the couple be happy. Leave them alone, they are not bothering each anyone. Let them be happy. Yea people say that it is wrong for a man to be with a man and it is also wrong for a woman to be with a woman, but is it wrong to be happy? Is it really wrong do what makes you feel that you have happiness? No. The answer is no. There is nothing wrong with being happy. The school is wrong to take away prom from the lesbian couple, along with the rest of the students. It is definitely not fair to any of them. And why does the one girl have to wear a tuxedo? Not every school has to follow the tradition of a tuxedo and a prom dress paired up. The two of them could wear prom dresses if they like. It is not a big deal. The world is not going to come to an end.

It is funny how she brought that up. I used to watch the shows, The Bachelor and The Bachelorette, when they first came on air. I stopped because it was repetitive and boring. So it was never really brought to my attention these shows were basically predominantly white. Of all the times that I did watch these shows, I cannot recall seeing any person of color as a contestant. When you compare and contrast The Bachelor (and The Bachelorette) to dating shows on VH1, there are more differences amongst them. I will compare The Bachelor to the another dating show, For the Love of Ray J. Let’s start with the comparisons. Both shows are looking for “love” on reality television. All of the contestants on the show are really pretty, high maintenance and thin. It is interesting to realize that there are no heavier ladies or unattractive ladies on both shows. Now the differences. I noticed that the main star of the show, the person searching for love: on The Bachelor, the guy is usually rich with a professional, or business-like, career. On VH1 dating shows, they are usually actors, singers, models, and etc., and on For the Love of Ray J, he is a singer and an actor. Contestants on The Bachelor are women who are Caucasian, with high-paying jobs, really pretty, and they are thin. For the Love of Ray J, they have just about the same qualities in the contestants except for the fact that they are all multi-culturally diversified, and many of them attain jobs such as, strippers, dancers, and basically less-professional jobs compared to the contestants on The Bachelor. I kind of get the impression that producers, of The Bachelor, are implying that only Caucasian females who are attractive and thin with high-paying jobs are the only ones who qualify for their show, because none of the contestants are heavier and work as strippers. I realized that in every dating show on VH1, there are always at least 2 girls or more who are strippers or work for playboy. So, I also get the impression that the producers, of For the Love of Ray J, are giving off the impression that, in order to be a contestant on the show, you are allowed to be gold diggers, strippers, and the like. I think that, in order to keep their ratings up, ABC would probably throw in a woman of color just to show that they are not prejudice or anything. But even if they do, it still wouldn’t out number the amount of Caucasian females on the show. I am sure that the majority of the demographics are single males in hopes of finding their one true love, and by them watching this show, they are probably getting the thought that the perfect, dream wife has to be Caucasian, thin, with a high-paying job, and attractive.

I don’t really know what much we could do. We are too much in the hole to dig things out. I believe that it is too late. What can we do? Yea, it is very sad to hear about the Native Americans getting pushed away from their native land and feeling abandoned. I feel a great amount of sympathy for them. There is no right or wrong action to be performed because so many people think otherwise. This world that we live in is too corrupt and filled with many horrific events which leaves many of us at a state of anger. Just as the Native Americans are so upset because they feel as though “we pushed them away from their native land, African American have something to be upset about also. We are all upset about something, and nothing has not, and will not be done to end all this madness. It sucks. It really does. I wish there is a way that the United States could compromise with the Native Americans so they can now feel accepted on the land that was once theirs. Also, Native Americans can’t feel that they are the only victims in this world because they are not the only ones who experience some form of disrespect. African Americans were also put in a predicament that they are still struggling with still to this day. Discrimination. Racism and discrimination has been going on for quite a long time now and it seems that no matter what actions are done, we will still continue to hear disrespectful comments made either to us or about us. Years ago, Martin Luther King, Jr. stood up for what he believed in and he fought and fought, time and time again just to end the discrimination and the segregation. Although some parts of this country became accepting, there were still many ignorant beings out there who just cannot accept people of color. As a result, Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated by an asshole who felt threatened by his outspokenness. Still to this day, African-Americans are still being discriminated and segregated against. For what? Because of the color of our skin. It makes no type of sense. We are now in 2010 and nothing has changed. It doesn’t seem as if anything will stop the nonsense, so the only thing that we could do it to just deal with but still stand up for our rights. So in conclusion, Native American just have to deal with this predicament until something happens, because it doesn’t seem as if the United States will be fighting to help them out anytime soon. Lastly, correct me if I’m wrong, but years ago, weren’t there this amnesty action that the president granted any person who were of Native American descent granted a lot of cash?

Whenever the topic of gay marriage comes up, it brings such questions to my head. It is such a difficult situation to determine whether or not it is okay. But who is to say that it is not okay to be with the one you love. Many people who do not have any resolution to this issue often resort to the bible as a way of defense. Since we do not have all of the right answers, many people just use the bible as a defense by saying that the bible does not say it is okay, so they will just say it is not okay. But the problem with that is that they are so many different interpretations of the bible. Each individual believe that their own interpretation is the interpretation that everyone should believe in. It is such a complicated subject. Throughout my many years of living, I would always hear that the bible speaks against homosexuality. I also recall a time when I was home watching The Tyra Banks Show and how she had a segment about homosexuality. She had a guest family speak on their behalf of their own views. It was so ridiculous to watch how rude and disrespect they were, while talking about sexuality. They had so much hatred in their words and in their emotions. They pulled out their bible and shouted out scriptures, claiming that those scriptures spoke out against homosexuality. But, just the other day in my English class, my teacher had my class read this article about a well-known guy who stated that people have the wrong interpretation of the bible. He noted that the bible does not speak against homosexuality. He provided scriptures that proves his statements. He also said that back in those days, words of the time period meant something completely different and that is why we are interpreting everything wrong. So now I am so confused as to “what does the bible really say?” And since this is such a big issue, I have decided that I will not use the bible to answer my questions. I will just have to base my answer on reality. Reality is, if two people love each other with all of their hearts, then they should be together, and if they have matrimony in their future, let them get married. You cannot force a human to stay heterosexual. If a man feels that he is more attracted to a man than opposed to a woman, then why force him to be with a woman he has no desires for? This society has no right, whatsoever, to make judgments about anyone and call gay people a sinner because, at the end of the day, we are sinners ourselves and ONLY God has the power to judge us.

There were times where I actually sat and wondered the same question. I have always realized that the two biggest topics were mainly about black and white people. Mrs. Laurie Mulvey made a really good point on how, still to this day, there are still conflicts and animosity amongst the black and white community. In many situations, the “race card” are being used. For example, if a black person gets harassed by someone of higher authority, the black person tends to say “Why am I getting in trouble? Is it because I am black?”…There are times when the “race card” is overused. I believe that this will forever be an issues as long as black people and white people still lives. It is because of the past history of why there is still an issue. It is because of the Slavery period and Segregation period. There is so much anger still being stirred up because of this. Many black americans still hold this grudge because of the fact that they are able to date their ancestors back to either slavery or segregation, or even both. The animosity will continue to spark because of unresolved issues. If these issues were resolved back then, then I think things would be so much different. Slavery obviously still has not ended. During the segregation period, whites were discriminating against black. That is still an issue today, and it will not be resolved anytime soon. Many white people always say that black people should just move on and leave it in the past. No person in this world that we live in, could just move on from the past without solving their issues with the opposing side. A person would have to solve their issues with the opposing side before they could just move on from the past. After all issues are resolved, then things would be much better, but not perfectly civilized. Black and white people have the greatest amount of animosity when you compare each of them to other races. They both fabricate crazy stereotypes against one another. For example, black people are always loud, obnoxious, and arrogant; white people think their race is “better” than other races, and they‘re snobby; and the stereotypes continues. Blacks and whites are also ways of generalizing throughout many discussions in order to simplify conversation. I realized that just because our skin may be a different shade of a color, it really doesn’t make us any different. All people are just the same when it comes to personality. We all live our lives, we have goals, we laugh, and we cry. We all have experienced similar situations just like the person of an opposite race. So, it doesn’t really make a difference on how light or how dark a person is. It matters about who we are based on our personality not on our outer appearance.