I do understand that women feel obligated to conform in society. A lot of pressure is placed on them to look their best. I constantly see girls watching what they eat and exercising to the point that they pass out. Even worse is on the weekend when you see girls going to parties dressing in an outfit that has less material than a shoelace. I understand that they want to attract guys, but they need to leave a little to the imagination. Girls conform constantly, but they are much more open about it. They let the world know how hard it is to fit into their pants or get the right tan. They care too much about what other people think, but they’re not the only ones.
Guys always care about their image. I personally don’t take five hours in the morning to pick out my outfit for the day. I usually grab whatever shirt is on top, but I definitely care about how I look. I spend usually 4 days at the gym a week and try to eat healthy as much as I can. I like to look my best and have my body in good shape. If you ever step into the gym, the majority people there are self-conscious about their image. Why do you think guys take steroids? They want to impress everyone they see. When you look like you’re about to rip out of your shirt, a sort of unspoken respect is received. It’s nice to get a double take from someone walking down the street because you just finished a workout. Guys don’t want to mess with other guys that are bigger than them and girls are attracted to guys with a good body. Guys definitely want to look good because if they have the roll out of bed look, no girl is going to go for him. Anytime you go to a night club, every guy there is trying to score with the hottest chick in there. Everyone knows that the best looking guy will get that. So in a way it’s sort of a competition between other guys to see who can get the best girl.
Over the past fifty years, guys have been becoming more self-conscious about their image. The term “metro sexual” is being used more now. Guys will go shopping in hopes of looking their best. I’m personally not a fan of shopping, but I don’t wear a Nike shirt out to a party. I take pride in looking my best and try to keep up with my grooming whether it’s doing my hair or a couple sprays of cologne. Guys may not show it, but deep down we care about our image too.

After watching that video, it definitely hit home for me. Before this class, I didn’t really think slavery was as prominent as it is. Now I realize how bad it is, but I didn’t think all the products we consume were in some way made by slaves. Chocolate is consumed by people all over the world, and to think that someone’s sweat and blood went into making it. People are beaten until they lose consciousness just for a small infraction. Also, the majority of slaves are young boys. They don’t know any better and don’t deserve to be treated that way. They are still growing and being beaten like that will stunt their growth and affect their health for the rest of their lives.
My personal opinion of eating the second chocolate chip is the same with Sam’s. I wouldn’t sit there and not eat the chocolate chip just because slaves are beaten making it because that would mean I could never again consume chocolate. I mean I love eating steak but I don’t approve of cows being slaughtered. I’m still going to do what I like. Chocolate will forever be consumed regardless of how it’s produced. I still ate my second piece of chocolate because it has already been produced. If you throw it away, all their hard work will have been for nothing. Yes, I realize that it’s messed up to eat someone’s flesh, but it really isn’t their flesh. The fact the chocolate is already made doesn’t make me stop eating it, but definitely stop to think. If I had the choice of eating chocolate in the future and stopping its production now, then it would be a different story.
If the scenario was different and the actual slave was physically sitting next to me, I would think differently. I don’t think I could stomach eating a piece of chocolate if I saw a slave next to me displaying his scars for me to see. I think it’s horrible to think that people could stomach food knowing the person next to you almost died producing it. Food should be made it good, positive work environments. But the fact is, it isn’t. People around the world are constantly being mistreated in the work place and a large amount of people consuming the goods are oblivious to it. I personally would rather not know how my food is produced if it’s not produced in a positive way. The first time I heard how hot dogs were made, I didn’t eat them for a while, but eventually I came back to them. If people love the taste of something, the production of it won’t stop them from consuming. Chocolate is favorite to everyone and always will be.

I completely agree with his statement. I never agreed with affirmative action or nepotism. However, if I ever benefit from a job due to nepotism, I’m definitely not going to complain. The downside of these two plans is that it restricts perfection. Why is it alright to have a diverse company with adequate employees as opposed to having one that has the most qualified people? To me, affirmative action doesn’t look as the best candidates for a position, but rather the best candidates in a specific category. For example, say two people apply for a job, one black and one white, and the white man is much more qualified for the job than the black man. However, the black man receives the job because he was born with a different skin tone and the company wants to be seen as diverse. How does that justify anything we were taught as kids? Work hard and you’ll go far, but if you’re a different skin color you have an edge on the more qualified. This can work both ways too. You can have a black man that’s more qualified, but loses out on a job to a white man. I just never agreed affirmative action, and probably never will.
He raises a good point about in hospitals, you don’t see affirmative action. When it comes down to life or death, you want the best person possible, white or black. The most qualified doctors should be given the job. I don’t want someone performing surgery on me that has no idea what they’re doing, but filled the diversity quota. When dealing with the business world, companies can afford to sacrifice on qualified people a little bit more, since they have a public image to uphold. This fact scares me because I am white and affirmative action can harm us in many situations. I’d be extremely pissed if I ever lost a job to a person of another race that I was much more qualified than. It just isn’t fair that because they’re another race, it’s alright for them to be more inadequate than me. Why do we need a diverse work force if it sacrifices efficiency? I honestly don’t care if the company I work for has all black people or none at all, but as long as it has the best people for the job. The hospital reference can also be seen in sports. There is no affirmative action quota there because people want to see the best athletes around. Imagine if sports had all races in sports. I honestly can’t see more Asian people (except Yao Ming) in the NBA. They’re average height is under six feet. Sports just wouldn’t be the same. Sports and hospital are given a free pass from affirmative action, now we just need the rest of the country to catch on.

This video really moved me and made me think for a minute. These children of color are made to believe at an early age that white is better. Personally, I am white, but I feel that it’s horrible that black children are not embracing their own culture. They should be proud of who they are. If I was black, I would be proud of it and practice my culture daily. It’s horrible that they believe that white people are good and black people are bad. I understand that the color white is more inviting and welcoming than black, but that only refers to color. When we are talking about people, it’s a totally different story. You would think since black children see themselves and their parents every day, they are more accustomed to the color black. They should be more open to people of color and things of color.
I feel that a student made a very good point that Disney is to blame for this. Growing up, every child is affected by Disney in one way. The majority of children shows are made by Disney. All the Disney heroes are white. Whether its snow white, sleeping beauty, Cinderella, or Bell, they are all white. Children are extremely influential at this age and the fact that they see heroes as white, they try to be like them. Black children should be proud of who they are. The scary part is the one girl said the white doll is good and the black doll is bad, and when asked which doll she looked like she held up the black one. It’s terrible that a child should feel that they are inadequate and are looked at as the bad race.
There are many stereotypes out there about black people. The majority of them aren’t positive. Black people are looked at as the criminals and thieves. They are seen as dumb and idiotic. On the other hand, white people are looked at as good, smart, and the better race. The problem with stereotypes is that they fill peoples’ heads with lies and they believe it’s true. Stereotypes are heard every day and as a child, you are influenced by this. Children see black people being characterized as criminals, and no one wants to be associated with that. That’s why so many of the black children (15 out of 21 to be exact) felt that the white people were so good. If my race was portrayed as the bad race, I would want to be white too. We need to diversify children programming so they see everyone as people, instead of simply races. If children don’t look at skin color, then they would judge everyone equally. We need to be more like that.

I completely agree with your statement. When first being introduced the text comments I thought it was a good idea, but it will eventually get out of hand. Sam is trying to stir up a conversation from some students that normally don’t speak up. However, since the comments are anonymous, people feel that they can crack jokes without having repercussions. I’ll be honest admitting that I have said a few jokes during the past few classes, but I don’t really mess with race. There was a point where white people were told to only answer, and any joke that was made automatically stirred up controversy with the black people in the front tier. However, once black people had a turn, the jokes that they cracked, racist or not, did not result in a disgusted response. I don’t know where black people get off believing that they are privileged to laugh at white people and make jokes, but the second a white person fights back it’s a crime.
I feel that black people believe they are entitled to make racist jokes and act out because their people went through slavery. The only problem with that is slavery existed over 150 years ago. Just because their ancestors endured pain, doesn’t mean they feel it now. They never even met their great great great grandparents. I admit that slavery was wrong and should have never happened, but I did not enslave your people so don’t take your hate out on me. I notice black people acting privileged in all aspects of life. If you’re ever at a party and a black person starts acting crazy and dancing around, people laugh and enjoy it. But if a white person ever did that, they would be looked at like a loser. I just can’t stand how one race is allowed to get away with things and the other is not. I know it works both ways but white people are suppressed in ways too.
White people feel that if they ever did laugh at a racist joke around black people, they would get jumped. I see it all the time. I don’t know why, but black people think they can take on the world and fight anyone. They see videos on MTV and these “thugged out” millionaire rappers and feel that they have to act tough. Even if a white person has fifty pounds on a black person, the black person thinks they could take them. Also, I feel that black people are more confrontational. If something is said that doesn’t fly, a black person will let you know it 9 times out of 10. Yet if a white person hears a black person say something racist towards them, they’ll probably just sit there and take it. Racism is a problem still and it will only go away when we all see things both ways.

I think it’s great for Natalie Randolph that she got the football coaching job. She seems very passionate about the sport and seems like she’ll be a good fit. Women aren’t popular in the sport of football, but they are slowly progressive. Personally, I don’t think women’s football will ever be nearly as popular as the NFL, but more women leagues are arising. Natalie’s team the Divas is a perfect example. If she has knowledge in the sport I don’t see any reason why she isn’t qualified for the job. As long as she brings the school wins, then women coaching football will not be doubted. If she has a poor season then everyone will see it as a bad idea and women’s football will take a step backward.
This is a very historic event because women’s football has a little fan base. Not many people know women’s tackle football leagues exist (personally I didn’t before watching that video). If Natalie Randolph is successful then more and more women will arise in football. The 21st century is a time of change. Just recently, we made history with a black president. Now we have the first women’s football coach. Only time will tell what happens next, but the potential for change is unlimited.
Although it is great Natalie Randolph is the first female football coach, I don’t agree with the decision to hire her as a head coach. Yes, I believe women should receive equal rights and no, I am not sexist, but certain things just don’t work out. Football is a very physical sport and requires an extreme amount of strength and hard work. Looking back at my high school sport experience, all of my coaches were respected because of their intensity. I personally didn’t play football in high school, but with basketball, baseball, and soccer all of my coaches yelled and pushed us to the edge. I just don’t see a female coach getting the same respect as a 300 pound male ex-football player. The fear and intensity that coaches strike into your hearts pushes you that extra mile. A coach should be as strong and gifted in the sport as their players, if not better. A woman is not going to intimidate a 300 pound lineman. History shows us football coaches are supposed to be mean and yell at their players. Players need a masculine figure to respect in order to play at their best. I’m not saying men don’t respect women, but I know a lot of kids would not respect a women football coach. How is Natalie supposed to give pregame locker room talks if she’s not even allowed in the locker room? All I’m saying is that it seems like a good idea, but certain things for men and women just don’t work both ways, and this is one of them.

I’ve been a basketball fan all my life and I don’t really find this racist. I watch the NBA because it displays the best players the world has to offer. I don’t think of skin color, but rather skill level. However, I find it interesting that my mom who has been in the business world for over thirty years thinks the NBA is racist. She feels that how is it fair that in the business world it is alright to have affirmative action, but in the NBA or any other professional sport for that matter, it is dominated by mostly black players. I have personally no problem with it now (since I realized my dreams of becoming a professional basketball player are hopeless). I realize that black athletes are usually better than white athletes since they’re more prone to having an athletic build. Yet in professional sports, why is it alright to not have a quota of different races represented?
I think Don “Moose” Lewis is just trying to profit from a controversial business. He realizes it’s a debatable topic, but he’s looking to make money. He doesn’t honestly care what people from the NAACP think. I agree with Lewis in the fact that the NBA has gone too far. Players have become too flashy and are out of control. I hate going to the courts and playing a pick-up game with black players that think they’re Kobe Bryant when in reality they can’t hit a shot if they’re life depended on it. I also realize that black players are more prone to pass to other black players than to white ones. They probably think that because I’m white I don’t know how to play basketball and because they’re black they obviously do. However, I’ve been playing all my life and I’ve beaten black players countless times. A majority of black players think they should be on AND1 Mixtape Tour and they have amazing handles. The game of basketball was built on fundamental skills. Sure I like to see flashy play and nice moves as much as the next guy, but that’s a whole different kind of game. Most black players play street ball as opposed to organized ball because they like to alter the rules. That’s fine, but I personally like the way basketball was originally invented. I feel like this white league won’t display as much talent as talent as the NBA, but the game play will be fundamental and basic.
Although I don’t see this proposed idea as racist, I definitely can see why some black people can be offended. There are no sports out there where people of a certain race aren’t allowed to play. This game will be segregating black players who might want to play. It isn’t fair that they’re immediately turned down because the color of their skin. However, the world is an unfair place and if Don “Moose” Lewis wants to start this league, so be it.

Growing up in North New Jersey, I was not exposed to a lot of same-sex marriages. Maybe it was because I just didn’t notice it or it wasn’t prevalent in my area. Whenever I would see a gay couple holding hands in public, I definitely reacted differently to a guy and girl couple. I would look at it almost as if it was completely wrong and they shouldn’t be doing that. I had a feeling of disgust on my face since it was not something I embraced. Growing up in a Catholic family, gay marriage was not something often talked about. However, I find it weird that my parents are more open to gays then I am. Maybe it is because they have been around longer than I have and have met many different types of people. My mom often says that I probably have gay friends and don’t even know it. I most likely wouldn’t disown my friends, but I would definitely look at them differently.
I think it is very sad that this family is not able to live a normal life. A family doesn’t necessarily have to be composed of a husband and wife with children. A family can have two women raising children and still be defined as a family. Gays have been fighting for equal rights for a long time now and I don’t see any reason why they shouldn’t be treated fairly. I personally don’t care if gays are given equal marriage rights. I’m indifferent about the entire controversy. If gays get marriage rights then good for them, but if they don’t, I’m not going to fight for them. Since this couple is not U.S. citizens, they are not able to receive citizen marriage rights. Even if the one U.S. citizen marries the other non-citizen, they still won’t be seen as a married couple because gay marriage rights are not embraced in all fifty states yet. Seeing their children in tears definitely hits home for me because their children have no control over their parents’ lives. They were born into a time where gay marriage is not yet embraced. No child should ever have to see their parents thrown in hand cuffs for no apparent reason.
All in all gay marriage should be legalized nation-wide. If two people love each other then there is no reason why they shouldn’t be recognized legally for it. It is not fair that opposite sex couples receive tax benefits yet gay couples cannot. The children in gay couple relationships have no control over their parents’ feelings and therefore should not be punished for it. Gays are simply trying to live their lives just like everyone else and deserve to be treated fairly.

Ever since American history started there has always been a struggle between blacks and whites. Blacks were enslaved by whites for hundreds of years and I believe that is the source of some heated controversy. However, the people alive today weren’t the ones enslaving the blacks. They had nothing to do with the topic of slavery, but are held accountable for it. Other races don’t have a slavery problem as prominent as this one with whites or blacks. There has always been a sort of unspoken competition between blacks and whites. Whether it’s in sports, the job world, or academics, both races feel sort of an intimidation between the two.
I do believe that the reason both races are always brought up together in conversation is because we went through a civil rights movement only fifty years ago. We saw pictures of movements, marches, and hatred between the two races. The impact that was made by these events is unavoidable. You cannot just sit there and say you don’t feel some feeling of remorse. Blacks were treated worse than animals before the civil rights movement. Who are we to say which the dominant race is? God did no grant one race more superior than the other. The torture that they were put through is inexcusable. However, all this hatred that was generated was fifty years ago, not today. Yes, there are still racist people in the world, but it is less prominent now. Blacks or whites should not feel obligated to make it up to the other race. We did not physically harm them, our ancestors did. We had no judgment over their decisions.
I don’t feel it is right how blacks are given more advantages over whites in today’s society. Yes, I know that is an extreme statement to make, but things such as affirmative action and scholarships based on race are not right. Affirmative action is the biggest joke to me. How can it be justified that someone is at an advantage based on the color of their skin. Doesn’t racism focus on skin color, and isn’t that what we’re trying to stop? When it comes to the job world, companies have a certain quota that they have to meet with minority employees. I feel that the most qualified candidate should be considered, not the most qualified black person. It isn’t fair that a white person with more qualifications should lose a job to a black person with fewer qualifications. Also, how is it fair that a white student that worked hard his whole life in school loses a scholarship to a black student that slacked off? I know it is not right to assume that all black students slack off, but a lot of the black kids that I went to school with felt it was too cool to do their homework or to study. However, I know plenty of black students that work just as hard, if not harder than white students. The bottom line is that color shouldn’t matter when it comes to consideration of jobs, scholarships, or school acceptances. The best candidate should be awarded, end of story.

Culture is not a thing that develops overnight. It takes years to fully establish a culture and a language to govern it. People live their lives through their culture and without a language they will not be able to communicate. We as a society communicate in order to function and further ourselves. The world is full of many different languages and different people. It’s sad that a lot of the languages we attempt to learn will be nonexistent in a short amount of time. I almost want to say that it’s pointless to even bother to learn some languages because it’s pretty much a waste of time. However, if people have that mentality then there will never be any progress in society.
I do believe that it’s sad that Boa Sr. was the last speaker of the Bo language. To think about all the hard work and thought that went into their language and suddenly, it’s gone. It had to be hard for Boa Sr. being the last member of her tribe and having to keep her language to herself. It’s almost like being the only one left that speaks English and having no one to share it with. It’s frustrating to be the last one of your kind. Her death is of historical proportions. The world will never again have a speaker of the Bo language, but it is good that some of her words were recorded to preserve what was left.
It’s hard to wrap my head around the idea that something as big as a language can become nonexistent. I always used to think of a different combination of words and if throughout time has anyone ever said the same exact phrase. The world has been around millions of years and you would think by now that whatever you can think of has been done before. Yet there are still things out there that have yet to be done. It’s sort of refreshing to think of yourself as the first person to do something. There are still many things that are yet to be discovered. However, before we can progress into the future, we must hold onto our past.
There are 7,000 languages out there in the world, and each one is as important as the next. We need to work on preserving every culture left. There are years of tradition and history behind each culture. They tell a story of the native people and the lives they’ve led. It’s only natural that as time progresses so do people. We can only do our best to uphold what we have left and make the best of it. We can’t change the past, but we can control our future.