Reading this blog provided by the man in prison was a first time experience for me. I have never had any sort of communication with anyone while they were in prison, and for some reason, the idea really intrigues me. It’s not so much that I expect people in prison to rough around the edges, but that I don’t really think about people in prison at all. Think about it… how often do you sit around and wonder what people in prison are like? They are in prison and that’s all that matters, right? Not necessarily. It is very easy to dehumanize people who are in prison almost as if they do not exist anymore, but we have to remember that they are still human beings who wake up, brush their teeth, go through their day, and go to bed just like we do. It must be so boring being confined to one place for an entire lifetime (that concept is hard to swallow), so it gives the inmates a ton of time for thinking a self-evaluation.

The man who wrote this blog seems to be very in touch with his emotions, and with reality. It is interesting to hear the perspective of an inmate straight from their mouths because it makes you think a little differently. For instance, I never thought about how an inmate would feel upon being told about a huge tragedy like Haiti, or Katrina. It must be infinitely frustrating to know that never in your lifetime will you be able to help. The helplessness must get to the inmates on a level that we on the outside cannot comprehend.

The word ‘never’ is hard to fully take in when thinking about your life. Imagine saying, “I will never be able to do that again.” Like, how many things are we as free people never able to do? The world is at our fingertips whether we realize it or not, and the people behind bars never get to experience all of the things that we are able to. I imagine it is not something that the inmates want to think about a lot, as I can’t imagine how depressing it would be, but I wonder at what point during their time behind bars that they fully grasp the concept of life imprisonment. I honestly feel really bad for them.

I obviously think that they should be held accountable for their actions, but I now realize how important it is to not immediately judge a convict. You never know, people can change, and it’s sad that they will never get a second chance. I hope that sometime in my life I will be able to go and talk to ‘lifers’ and give them a chance to have an audience to listen to them, and to provide some sort of assurance that not everyone thinks they are bad people.

The video that we watched in class was really moving. The power behind the words “When they eat chocolate, they are eating my flesh,” was unfathomable. But where do you draw the line between trying to make a difference and living the life that you were blessed with having? Let me explain…

After watching the movie, obviously anyone with a heart would feel guilty about eating the second piece of chocolate. But who’s to say that the people who ate the second piece of chocolate are bad people? We were all blessed with being born into a life that has minimal struggles compared to many places in the world. But are we supposed to feel guilty? I personally felt sick to my stomach after watching the movie because never in my life will I experience hardship even remotely close to what the enslaved boys went through. The worst part is that their lives were essentially ruined for a long time so that we could indulge in our guilty pleasure of chocolate. It honestly makes me never want to eat anything that is not free trade again. And I mean that.

After learning about modern slavery, I feel so helpless. I wish that there was something I could do to rescue these people, but realistically I know that is not possible. What is even more frustrating is that the public awareness that modern slavery exists is very low, as far as I’ve found from the people in my life. People who eat non-free trade products probably have no idea what they are essentially supporting when they buy the products. If there were some way of getting awareness out there I think that it would really help to cut down on the slavery that exists today.

I think that people are wrong when they say that people should be ashamed of themselves for eating the second piece of chocolate. It seems really messed up that they would eat it, but it’s also messed up for people to feel like they should feel guilty for the life they have been given. If everyone felt guilty then the world would be a very sad place. It’s a matter of not being ignorant to what is going on around us that will really foster a change in the future. By knowing what is going on in the world today, people can change their personal actions to benefit others. I am sure that many of us wish that we could go help these boys that are having their lives ruined. But if we realize that every little bit helps then I think that we can cut down slavery little by little. Someday I hope slavery is truly abolished.

Where can I even start? I’m literally almost speechless after watching that clip. It is startling to know that such “games” even exist. The reality is that rape is not a game at all, but every woman’s nightmare.

I hate to be one of those people who says that what people see in video games can translate over into their real lives, but in some cases I really think it can. Picture adolescent boys who may play this game. Violating girls is not only part of the game, but the ultimate goal. By playing these sort of games day after day, boys may learn to consider these type of terrible actions as the norm. Furthermore, parents who buy these games for their kids are in a way condoning what goes on within the games. A kid’s logic could be, “Well, mom bought me the game, so I guess there is nothing wrong with what I’m doing to the girls in the game.” This logic is clearly a stretch, but you never know when it comes to such serious topics.

Being a person who had a real life experience that involved a close encounter with rape, it is absolutely alarming to me that such a serious subject would be made into a video game. Thinking back to how I felt in the moment where I thought I was going to be raped is one of the harder things I’ve ever had to do. To think that countless people are out there passing their time by getting ‘revenge’ on women who did them wrong by bounding and raping them makes me question the morals of the people who are designing the game. Like, who the hell raised them? And at what point in their lives did they decide that creating such a heinous game was okay?

The funny thing is that we are so numb to the plethora of games that make murder the goal. Taking someone’s life is no game or joke either, and can teach people skewed views of reality as well. However, these murder games have become so prevalent in our society, that no one even turns their heads to them anymore. Whatever happened to good old Super Mario?

One of the weirdest parts of the news clip was when the European girl said that she did not feel offended at all by the game, but instead actually downloaded and played it with her boyfriend/husband (don’t know what he was). This girl clearly has problems if she gets entertainment out of playing a video game that involves seeking out women and raping them. Like, what? I would like to know how her love life is working out….

The United States Census is one of those things that can never really please everyone. People come from a million and one different backgrounds, and probably refer to themselves in a million and one different ways. No matter how much research a team of qualified people conducts, it will forever be impossible to cover all of your bases, or to not offend anybody.

The most controversial term on the United States Census is probably the word negro. The necessity for this word, however, is a tricky situation. Some older black people in America may still refer to themselves as negroes, and would not bat an eyelash at seeing the term on paper. The majority of black people in America, however, would take great offense to the word negro, as it implies repression and slavery in their minds. How do the researches decide, then, what to keep on the census and what to eliminate? If they keep the word negro, they risk offending the majority of the black population. If they omit the term, the people who identify with it may leave the question blank, as they may not know what other term best fits their ethnicity.

Another concern about the census is that some people do not know whether or not they should classify themselves as white when they have other ethnicities in their background. One woman said that she was white, but seemed a little upset about it because she also identified with having Native American in her blood. Another woman said how she had Hispanic roots but was technically still white. What is the right choice for her? I guess a major issue with the census is that people have a hard time identifying with just one race because there are a lot of “mixed” Americans. In fact, it seems that most Americans are mixed.

The good thing, though, is that the census is formed based on extensive research conducted by qualified personnel. The terms on the census are there for a reason, not just because some racist thought it would be appropriate to include the term negro. I am pretty sure that the term negro will be omitted from the census sometime in the near future as the older population of black Americans begins to die out. I do understand the offense that some of the younger population may take to such an out-dated word, but at the same time, I feel it is necessary for them to realize that such a word is there for a reason, and not meant to offend anyone. With generalization comes offense no matter what the topic, because there are always exceptions to every stereotype.

Women and men in our society are becoming more equal each day, but there are still many ways in which women and men are still segregated. Jobs such as nursing, teaching, and being a secretary are still identified strongly with women, as construction jobs, architecture, and fireman are still identified with men. The fact that a woman is a football coach for the first time is awesome, but I’m still not so sure how I feel about it.

In no way am I against a woman coaching football. More power to this girl – she must be an amazing athlete with a ton of sports knowledge. But at the same time I am rather skeptical as to how well she will be able to coach such a rough sport, football. I’m not skeptical that she will have great plays and strategies that she will pass on to her team, but I am just confused at how someone who cannot physically play a sport can coach it. Usually people learn how to perform better in sports by experience, learning their strengths and weaknesses, learning what works and what does not, learning how to get better, etc. It just seems a little strange that this woman is so good at football when she does not even play it.

That aside, I think it is amazing that this woman was chosen for the coaching spot. I can’t imagine the pressure she must feel right now to live up to the high bar that has been set by many people, like me, who are skeptical of how she will perform. Thinking about this, I wonder how the team that she is going to be coaching feels. I can imagine that some of the boys are not too happy that a woman will be coaching them, while some probably do not mind. I bet she will have a hard time proving herself to her team, but I’m sure she will be able to do it. Personally, I really hope that she kicks ass on the field to prove that a woman can prosper in a position that has been strictly a man’s position. This could really be the start to a new era.

I know it’s on a completely different scale, but gender progression like this makes me wonder if we are getting closer to having a female president. In this past presidential election, we were closer than we ever have been to having a woman lead our country. I truly wonder if our country will ever be able to overcome the gender bias that sadly exists. We overcame the racial one (in the sense of the presidency), so who’s to say it couldn’t happen? I guess only time can tell.

Theme parties are only for white people. I have to be honest, that is one of the most generalized and un-intelligent sounding theories I have ever heard. Everyone parties whether you’re black white green or blue, and theme parties are just another way to do so.

Through my years at Penn State, I have been to many parties. All of these parties are mostly predictable…show up, drink, get drunk, eat, go home. At all of these parties there have been many different types of people. These people include frat boys, sorority girls, white, black, brown, and all other people in between. And it’s NOT a big deal. Drinking is not race-specific. We all like to have a good time, right? So likewise, theme parties are not race-specific, or as this girl thinks, white specific. It is really interesting to me that this girl has that perception because it is so false. And to think that she thinks that most of them are poking fun at black people? I’ve never heard this generalization before and it makes absolutely no sense.

Think of all the possible themes that there could be for a theme party. There could be a Thanksgiving theme, a Christmas theme, a Mardi Gras theme, a Valentine’s Day theme, or anything else of this sort. In fact, most of the theme parties that I have been to since I’ve been at Penn State have been similar to this, and they in no way have anything to do with ANY race. This girls’ blog post makes me wonder if more people feel the same way as she does. I really hope that this is not the case because it really upsets me to think that black people (or any people) would feel that white people are making fun of them by having theme parties. I can’t even think of a theme party that I’ve ever been to that pokes fun at black people. I’ve heard of CMT versus BET, so I could understand how this could be mis-interpreted. But wouldn’t it be fair to say that this could be making fun of white people too? I’d rather just not pull the race card, because that’s not what theme parties are about.

What’s funny is that I don’t even like theme parties. Every time I hear that there is one I get annoyed because it’s too much effort, and a lot of times I won’t go (unless it’s a fun theme). I have a hard time believing that white people are the only ones to host them, and I know for a fact that people of all races attend them. I really wish that people would see the bigger picture. It may seem like there are more “white” theme parties, but that is simply because white people are the majority at Penn State. I really wish that the girl in this blog did not feel the way she does, because it is not true.

We are all put on this earth by some form unbeknownst to us, not where we choose to go, but where we are predetermined to go. No matter who you are, you cannot control on what part of this earth you are going to be put. If you are put in a civilized, developed country, consider yourself very lucky, because it was just as likely that you could have been put in a place like Haiti or any other poverish country. Survival of the fittest really applies in places like Haiti at this point in time, which makes me think about Yvrose and her story.

Let’s pretend for a minute that Yvrose was born in America, raised as an American child, and put through the normal school system. She then went on to college and earned a degree in business, like tons of people all around the country, and at Penn State. So now the very naturally intelligent Yvrose has a college education, and from what we know, would be expected to excel and succeed in all aspects of her business job. But would her non-pressing circumstances motivate her in the same way it motivated her in real life, in Haiti? This blog is taking a different perspective than most, but when I listened to her story, it made me wonder what exactly is it that drives people to greatness.

Like Sam said, some people have a golden-paved road laid out in front of them all of their lives, (nothing against them obviously, it’s just part of the miracle of their birth) but some never really strive to achieve higher than what they get because in many cases they may not be used to really striving for anything. Put that same person in Haiti, however, where their life is yanked out from under them with no warning. Do they just free ride off of what other people do? Or do they strive to be the leader, the businessperson, the successful person and excel in all aspects of what they set their mind to? Yvrose did an amazing job at overcoming her obstacles and working hard to achieve her goal. I just can’t help but wonder if she would rise to the top in America if her circumstances didn’t force her to be so innovative like they do now (I am not in any way trying to undermine what she did…this girl rocks!).

On a more personal note, I am driven to succeed as a marketing major and pursue a high-level career in marketing. It’s weird to think about, though, that my life could be totally different now, and my goal would not be to make six figures, but to find my next meal. I truly wish that everyone could be as fortunate as me and most of us in America because truthfully…what makes us deserve this more than them? Nothing…

Okay, so I believe that homo-sexuality as a whole is becoming more accepted around the world. Lesbians, though, are more accepted in our society a lot of times than gays. Let me explain. Think about pop culture these days such as music videos, posters, television series, etc. How many music videos do you see with men touching up on other men? Almost none. Now, think about how many music videos involve girls dancing on/being obviously attracted to other women. Pretty much EVERY music video! Girl on girl action is considered sexy to many, while guy on guy action is considered gross. Personally, I’d rather see music videos that involve music, not hook-ups, but that’s another issue. Moving on, think about reality television series. “A Shot at Love” with Tila Tequila was a show all about how Tila didn’t know if she wanted to end up with a guy or a girl for a relationship because she claimed to be bi-sexual. The show consisted of Tila trying out both sexes, hooking up with both, and seeing where she felt the most comfortable. In season one, she picked a guy, and in season two she picked a girl (is it pathetic that I know that?). Other shows have spun off of the idea of Tila Tequila’s show, but they have all been involving bi-sexual women, not men. Why is this? Men are much more uptight with their sexuality than women are. For example, women don’t necessarily feel uncomfortable watching a show about a bi-sexual woman, but men might feel like they are going to be accused of being gay if they would watch a show about a bi-sexual man. Women are much more touchy/feely and sensitive with each other, while men are constantly trying to be macho. It would not be weird for girls to share a couch or bed to watch a movie, while it would probably be seen as weird if men were to do the same. I think that men are just much more guarded about their sexuality that girls are. They automatically get defensive as soon as someone makes a gay joke toward them, or makes a comment. Their defensiveness is also proof that being gay is not as accepted as being lesbian yet in today’s society. In a perfect world, everybody would be accepted for who they are, regardless of their race, religion, sexuality, etc., but unfortunately, we do not live in a perfect world. There will always be people who disagree with homo-sexuality, but as a whole, I believe that society will eventually evolve into a gay-accepting place, hopefully allowing marriage and rights to all.

Sam’s lecture on Tuesday was an eye opener. I feel like a lot of times, people lose sight of all of the opportunities that they have, causing them to live a day-to-day existence instead of seeing the big picture. It is really easy to get pissed off when something gets in the way of what you are trying to accomplish. A lot of times, it’s easier to just settle back and not try to do anything because that way, no obstacles will get in your way. Just sitting back and riding through life, however, will not get you very far.
For example, my dad came from a lower-middle class/poor family in the suburbs of Chicago. His dad (my grandfather) was a shoe salesman, and his mother (my grandma) was an elementary school teacher. Like Sam said, it would have been easy/expected for him to follow in their footsteps given his financial circumstances, but he did not. My dad paid his way through an undergraduate degree at Lawrence University and medical school. He then went on to have a residency at one of the most prestigious hospitals in America, The Mayo Clinic, and got a job as one of the head pulmonologists at the Lancaster General Hospital. The interesting part about his story is that he got denied from nineteen medical schools. Nineteen. Now, I have to be honest, if I got rejected from nineteen medical schools I would probably have given up. Just imagine where my dad would have ended up if he gave up. Not as a doctor, that’s for sure!
By persisting through the hardships of obtaining his degrees, my dad really raised the bar as far as expectations for my family. Another way my dad raised the bar for what I can achieve is by quitting his job at the hospital to pursue his dream and create a company that focuses on preventative medicine. He showed me that being successful doesn’t always directly correlate with making money. My family went from a doctor’s salary to an entrepreneur’s salary ($0 for awhile) in the blink of an eye. But my dad was happy, and was doing good things for society, and that proved to me that I can really do whatever I want with my life, and I don’t have to do what is always expected of me. The slogan that my dad uses to explain why he feels so successful is “I do well by doing good.” Now that sounds like an okay plan to me.
Overall, people need to stop thinking the world is out to get them every time something goes wrong. It is so important to realize that you can walk around the obstacles instead of simply turning away from them and giving up. We are in a world where anything is possible and we need to remember just how lucky we are.

So if you are aware of the world around you and you don’t live under a rock, then you’ve heard of the movie Avatar. Avatar has taken over college towns (such as State College), high schools, television commercials, newspapers, and many other forms of media. Not only was the 2D version available, but the 3D version was an option too, drawing an even larger audience to the movie theatre. Although I do love going to the movies, for some reason I have not yet seen Avatar, and maybe never will because I feel it is pointless to see it when it is not in the theatre. That being said, my opinion on David Brooks has nothing to do with the plot of the movie, but more-so with the concept of what he is saying.
I was raised in a very non-judgmental, equality-intensive home, where it was second nature that all people were made equal and the mere color of someone’s skin meant absolutely nothing in terms of one person being above another. Personally, I have no tolerance for people who think they are superior to others in terms of their race. David Brooks is a total idiot. When he said that “nonwhite” people need a white Messiah to lead their crusades he sounded more ignorant than ever. As mentioned in class, it is more likely that people will follow a religious leader that looks like them than one who doesn’t (which is sad but true), but to think that white people are the only people capable of leading a group effectively is the same thing as screaming white power at the top of your lungs.
In many cases, white people are more fortunate than many other races. Whether or not that sounds racist, it’s true. Being more fortunate than others gives us an opportunity to spread what we have been blessed with to others. This does not mean, however, that white people are the only people capable of doing this. It just means that it may happen more often. I mean, white people are the majority, aren’t they? The point I’m trying to make is that no group of people should be responsible to lead all other people. People should want to help others, but not force their beliefs upon others who may not agree.
All in all, the assumptions that were made by David Brooks have little credibility among culturally aware people. It is a sign of ignorance to think that the color of your skin makes you different somehow from someone else. If someone wants to get on their high horse and truly believe that their race is superior to others then fine, but I don’t buy a single bit of it.