The videos were both very uplifting and it just goes to show that there should be no such thing as race. The second video proves that there is no reason for such hatred between anyone. There should be more simplicity in the world between religion, race, etc. Unfortunately, the world is not free of enmity between different social groups. It is really sad that people of different classes “shouldn’t” fall in love or get married. The world would be a much happier place of there was no hostility like this. I wish that we could also watch more videos like this in class, but I do understand that it would contrast with everything Sam is trying to teach.

This letter made me see a side of some people in jail that I never thought I would see, but it doesn’t change my thoughts about anything. He talks about a man who lost his son in an accident, what about the son, daughter, father, mother, brother, or sister, that this man killed. Where is the compassion for their family? People who are killed do not get a second chance at life, so I don’t see why inmates who are sentenced to life should. He says that there are some people in jail who are capable of compassion because they have a deep soulful understanding and can feel another’s pain. I’m sure the families who lost a loved one because of these men in jail can also feel the same compassion because of a deep soulful understanding and feeling another’s pain and wanting to help.

This issue is definitely not black and white. Money is always an issue and it is what causes problems and/or happiness. Look at the worth ethic in the United States versus the work ethic in Europe. I studied abroad in Barcelona, Spain and most places were closed in the middle of the day for their siesta. By 2 PM, the metros were packed and my friends and I could never understand why no one was at work. Then you think about the U.S. and there are people who work from 9 to 7 or 8 at night. These differences are associated with the values of Americans versus the values of Europeans. Here in America, everything is based around money. When do Americans get to have lives outside of work?

I agree that some immigrants do not have the money to do it legally. Instead, they need to take hard working yet low paying jobs just to support their family. I always wonder why someone who does manual labor gets paid so much less than someone who sits at a desk all day. Physical labor is extremely extraneous and exhausting. There are so many jobs where the salary is way too low for the work that is being done and sometimes I do not understand it. I also do not think that this pertains to only immigrants. I believe there are many legal American citizens who work extremely hard and do not get compensated for it, while others work half as much or hard and get a high paying salary. There are both immigrants and American citizens who have to work 2 shifts of work a day just to get by and provide for their family. It is really unfortunate that if you do not come from money you need to work hard to get by.

My dad works extremely extremely hard as an accountant. During tax season he is up at 4 or 5 in the morning and on a train to the city by 5:30 or 6 am. There are some nights where he doesn’t walk in until 10 or 11 at night. I know he is an exceptionally hard worker and wants to provide for his family. Sometimes I feel like there are so many people who get paid so much more than he does and definitely do not work half as hard as him or the same hours as him.

I know that this question was aimed toward immigrants and what we spoke about in class, but I do not think that it is only immigrants who take illegal jobs or jobs no one would do. I definitely do believe that people need money to have a better life and if they do not have money they need to work very hard to get by in life.

I agree with you and I think that is what Sam tried to teach us the other day. He showed us that there were innocent Muslims who live their everyday lives like we do in America. Then he portrayed people who are radical like Osama Bin Laden. This is just like representing Hitler for all Germans or the Ku Klux Klan for all Americans. Like the media in different countries showed, their citizens were persuaded to believe that the war is a Christian Invasion. It is very unfortunate that extremists can represent an entire country. It is a shame that they are so uneducated and cannot realize that we all pray to the same god.

I don’t think there is a fine line between being racist or not, just as there is no true fine line about race. You may act one way in a certain situation that deals with race, and act differently in another and not even realize it. Like Sam has said, it is a political issue. However, if you think you are better than someone else because of your skin tone, then yea, I would probably say you are prejudice. On the other hand, if you feel you are better than someone because you have more wealth or are more privileged, then I probably say that it is not based on the color of your skin.

I was blown away by this lecture. I was very uncomfortable and actually wanted to leave but at the same time wanted to get credit for attending. Ironically on this particular day the attendance sheet was not passed around. I turned to my friend and said, "Why wouldn't the attendance sheet get passed around? I wish I that he wasn’t taking attendance today because this class made me really uncomfortable and I would have left". She responded, “Well that's the point". I am glad I sat through the entire class because it really made me think about Sam’s lecture. It is really unfortunate that there are some students who do not realize that he is not trying to persuade us to have the same beliefs that he does. Sam is trying to make us think outside the box and realize what is going on in the world.

The video of the Jihads frightened me the most. It shows Muslims in dark masks and uniforms holding huge weapons. The music was very eerie and the bombing noises frightened me. It depicted them with swastikas and overall the video was very scary. I just cannot understand why people would want to murder other human beings just because they are not the same race or religion. I also do not understand the thought process of people who want to spread their religion to everyone, like some Islam’s do. Why would they want to murder people just because they do not have the same beliefs? I agree with Sam, why would the god everyone prays to tell one person to murder another human being just because they are not the same religion? I think people who act this way are extremely ignorant.

I was also really disgusted by the video Sam showed of the American soldiers. It made sick to my stomach. It was like watching a bully in high school pick on a little kid. I was heartbroken while I watched this video. The American soldiers destroyed these innocent people’s car with a bulldozer. The citizens were minding their own business and were completely helpless. The American soldiers were on a power trip. It is so sad and terrible that we are invading guiltless people’s homes. People in America never get to see this side.

I was astonished to watch the news reports that are shown to citizens in other countries. I cannot believe the media was actually persuading their citizens that the war is a Christian invasion. This just goes to show the amount of power the media has on society. I was honestly laughing at the footage of the Christian Americans. I thought they sounded ridiculous and it is unfortunate these Christians represent Americans as a whole.

I am glad I sat through this entire class. It is one of the first classes that was entirely focused on current events that is presently spoken about in the news. I saw so many different views of different people and feel that I learned a lot.

I agree with you, women are women and they are beautiful. The media plays a huge role on the body image of a woman. Magazines, movies, and television shows are a huge part of our American culture. These methods of the media advertise women who are all beautiful. I have recently started to realize that more and more shows’ characters are women in their late forties out fifties who are beautiful and extremely fit. These celebrities have millions of dollars and can afford the methods it takes to look a certain way. However, this is not reality and it is unfortunate that young girls are growing up with this new type of Hollywood.

Honestly, no, I do not think that we can coexist, which is really a shame to say. I agree that it is human nature to want to be in first place. I also think the reason we cant coexist is because some people are too stubborn and extreme. Everyone has different beliefs about religion and the god they pray or do not pray to. People need to get their head out of the clouds and realize this. I really saw eye to eye with Sam when he said no god would tell you to destroy the lives of others.

I completely agree with you. We definitely all have to pitch in and take a stand on the issue of slavery. I really enjoyed Sam's class but think it could have been a lot more effective if he prepared this lecture while we were reading the book Disposable People. His chocolate demonstration really made me stand back and think, this is terrible, how can I eat this chocolate? How can I use products that are products of slavery?

Firms are always looking for ways to cut costs. However, it is extremely unethical that these companies knowingly let other humans suffer and die so they can profit. Many firms have excess cash of millions of dollars. Even spending one million dollars or less to pay people for their hard work would not greatly affect their growth or stability. These countries are underdeveloped, and their citizens can live a great life with the U.S. minimum wage. CEOs do not need to be getting paid 10 to 150 million dollars a year. CEO Larry Ellison would have to spend over $180,000 an hour on things that can’t be resold just to avoid increasing his wealth. It is ironic that doctors who are saving lives and curing diseases should be making millions of dollars a year and do not. Instead, companies and CEOs who indirectly kill people and are compensated this money.

Sam taught us all a very valuable lesson. There are so many objects online on websites and eBay, for example, "authentic jerseys", that are sold online for half price and are shipped from countries other than the U.S. Clearly these inexpensive items are products of some form of slavery. I will not buy these items and it is a shame that they are accessible through the web. I am interested to hear what other suggestions everyone has to end slavery. I wish we had more time to learn about other products we use in the U.S., such as diamonds, that are made from slave labor.

I am very grateful for the education I received at PennState University. If you are a student of the Smeal College of Business, you cannot graduate without taking the class BA242. It is called, Social and Ethical Environment of Business. This class is obviously a lot of common sense, but it goes into further depth of business ethics. The actions of businesses play a huge role on our society. Like in the book, Crossing the Boulevard, we learn about the effects pollution has on our society and pollution regulations imposed on businesses. A corporation has a huge responsibility to society. The class does not just discuss society within one nation, but our world as a whole. Business fits into an extremely intricate web of relationships within society and corporations can affect individual lives, directly or indirectly. It is morally wrong for firms to do things that negatively effect individual lives.

I was very shocked to hear that affirmative action was given to mostly women. The statistics might be there, but I have never really seen a truth in this. I am a female and have applied to several jobs in the financial industry. I honestly do have great grades and have seen males get an interview, not even the job, a request for an interview, over me. This statement might sound ridiculous but I honestly thought that if a firm in the financial industry saw my resume with a female name and high grades they would request an interview from me over a male.