en-us https://www.intensedebate.com/users/2389880 Comments by Brennan Brossman http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/11/15/voices-from-the-classroom-79/#IDComment230548753 I think everything that is happening now at Penn State, and has occurred with this scandal would be very different if Jerry Sandusky were a man of color, or Latino. Before this scandal occurred Sandusky was viewed as an all-American white male, who was a great football coach, a caring and trustworthy person, and someone who so many people would look up to. With the way that things and people are in America I believe it would make a huge difference if Sandusky were black, or Latino. No matter how hard people try to make themselves believe that they are not racist, the majority of white Americans are a little bit racist due to stereotypes that exist in our society. It is a sad reality but if Sandusky were black or Latino, it would not have come to such a surprise to society that these allegations against him about the shocking sexual abuse he did to young boys. People never would have thought that a perfectly white normal Penn State football coach that so many team members, children, and parents looked up to could ever commit such a crime. In class we talked about at thing called “white power”. Not only do white people feel superior to other races they are also treated differently. “White power” has become something that is instinctive rather than having to even think about it. The majority of white people grew up in a society that embraced stereotypes, and sometimes took them seriously. It is not white Americans faults for believing these stereotypes that society has created for us, because without thinking if you were to be asked a question of who in history has committed more sexual crimes, almost everyone would say a black male, a person of color, or a Latino, over a white person. People may argue that black Americans have created these stereotypes on themselves by acting obnoxious and getting into trouble, but if people were to carefully look into the facts, white Americans cause just as much problems as any other race, but they are not stereotyped or believed to in American society. I believe this scandal would have been completely different if Sandusky were a man of color or Latino, not because people of those races commit more sexual crimes than any other race but because in history he may not have been such a model for so many to look up to because as sad as it is to believe many people still in this day are very racist. I still believe regardless of any race, class, sexuality, gender, this crime that Sandusky has allegedly committed is beyond unethical, and absolutely disturbing, and he should pay full penalty for the actions he has done upon these victims. Wed, 30 Nov 2011 22:30:15 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/11/15/voices-from-the-classroom-79/#IDComment230548753 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/11/10/voices-from-the-classroom-73/#IDComment227242590 First off let me say this, people who do not go to Penn State or are not associated with Penn State should not have much to say on what is going on right now. Obviously, every person is going to have his or her own opinion, and people are familiar with sexual abuse cases because they unfortunately happens everywhere, but when it comes to OUR administration, OUR football coach, and OUR emotions, outsiders do not really have an idea of what we are going through. I am absolutely SICK of going on facebook and seeing outsiders post things such as “how could you care so much about football and not the children who were abused” or “if you care more about Joe Paterno leaving than the sexual abuse, then you are retarded”. Let me just say that unless you are attending Penn State main campus or have been getting your information directly from someone on this campus, then you are most likely getting all of your information from the media, who suck at this moment. I refused an interview with a television station today because of what they are making this all out to be. Obviously, there were students who rioted and that is their fault that we are looked down on because of that, but when it comes to other things, the media has it all screwed up. Where is Curly? Where is Shultz? Where is McQueary? WHERE IS SANDUSKY? The media is focusing on all the bad things that our president and beloved football coach have done wrong and the university had to let them go so quickly to save face. All that being said, I am certainly not saying that JoePa should have been given a pass or that we as a student body have done nothing wrong. But people need to understand that just because I attend Penn State does not mean that I have anything to do with a sexual abuse case that began when I was in elementary school. People need to understand that we are more than a football team and more than a piece of shit former football coach. We are SO many more things that than. Look at THON. THON raised $9.56 million dollars for kids with cancer last year. Hey, media, why don’t you come back in February and maybe show a little bit of THON footage instead of repeatedly showing idiots flipping a news van? Or how about show more than a 10 second clip of a vigil for the victims that had an attendance of over 10,000 people? The media has it so wrong and it is causing others to look at us in such a bad light. I have heard rumors of companies cancelling internships with Penn Staters in the spring because of everything that is going on, and to me that is absolutely sickening. It is sickening that the actions of one disgusting human being could have such a negative effect on 40,000+ students. People need to realize that although we attend this university, we did not commit the crime. It makes me very sad that people are looking down upon us, especially since we used to be held up on the highest pedestal, but it will never, EVER stop me from being proud. I always have and always will love Penn State. Fri, 25 Nov 2011 16:51:09 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/11/10/voices-from-the-classroom-73/#IDComment227242590 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/11/03/voices-from-the-classroom-66/#IDComment219569977 To say that Americans are not willing to do the hard labor Mexicans are willing to be put in is generalizing entire nations. It is not that Americans are not willing to work fields, it is the fact that many Americans have more opportunities and are financially secure enough they do not have to put in the effort of such tough labor. Immigrants who cross the border for work do not have many options. They need to start making money fast to help provide for family that is still back at his or her homeland waiting for aid. It just so happens that the states that closest border the Mexican/ US border have an economy that is more geared towards agriculture, thus more jobs in the field. Now after seeing the video in class we can see how hurt the agriculture has been affected since Alabama passed a new law to try and eliminate illegal immigrants. Under the law identification would be required much more often, and so in order to avoid jail many illegal workers are fleeing. Instead of helping out jobless Americans though, Alabama is instead slowly watching their crops die since they do not have the manpower to attend to all of them. Americans still have enough options that it is no wonder that many of them are quitting after a day or two working ten plus ours in the heat hunched over. Others simply have too much pride to accept such a low level job in the first place. If we searched across all of America however, there is not doubt in my mind we would find plenty of individuals willing to work the fields. There is still plenty of poverty in America and plenty of citizens who would be willing to work, but it is unrealistic to expect Americans to migrate across the country for a job as such. Mexicans are willing to do the migration because their circumstances back home are not only poverty, but many South American countries are becoming increasingly dangerous to reside in. Lastly, to touch back on the pride issue a little more. I think another factor is what Sam had touched on in class. Since they are new to this land many of the illegal workers do not feel entitlement. They understand that they have to start at the bottom and hope to work their way up. That is why this country has managed to thrive. New immigrants come in waves and during those waves innovations are made, the economy is boosted, and we continue to grow. Wed, 9 Nov 2011 23:52:56 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/11/03/voices-from-the-classroom-66/#IDComment219569977 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/11/01/voices-from-the-classroom-20/#IDComment216829430 Immigration has become a huge issue in our country due to the fact that we are connected to South America and that we are currently in an economic recession. Although it seems as if immigration is some new trend, its not. As discussed in class, immigration has been going on for years. Immigration is the bases of America. We have seen in recent years though the debate over the language spoken in our country. The dominant language in our country is obviously English. Many Americans believe that English should be our national language. This leads to the debate over whether immigrants should have to speak English or not. To start out I just want to say, honestly, how can you say someone HAS to speak English? There is no way to force someone to speak a language. Yeah maybe if someone working at a restaurant or a store can’t understand the customer then they could ask them to leave but that’s not making them speak the language. It will just make life really difficult for that immigrant. People think that if we make English the national language of the United States then some how that indirectly forces everyone to speak English. But it doesn’t. It doesn’t really change anything. Right now I feel as if people don’t give immigrants enough credit. Obviously they are going to have to learn some English, like just enough to get by. Or their children will have to and be used as a translator. Either way someone is going to have to learn the language. But as Americans I don’t think we understand how hard it is to just pick up a language. If we just up and moved to a different country you would have to learn the language. But the fact that you “crossed the border” doesn’t automatically mean you speak the language, which is what I think a lot of Americans expect out of immigrants right off the bat. It would take sometime and a lot of trying. I think many immigrants to the United States are trying and honestly I think that’s good enough. They need to try the language and work at it or else life will just suck for them. I don’t think any of them come here thinking they don’t have to even try the language. If they did they would be in for a wake up call. This is like what Sam was saying about none of them demanding signs in Spanish. Places just put those signs up because it’s economically beneficial. In conclusion I do not think that immigrants HAVE to speak English. The government can’t force anyone to speak a language unless it involves arresting or fining people for speaking a language in public, which would spark a whole new debate about rights. I think that immigrants should try their hardest to speak English because it will just make life easier for them and us who only know English. Fri, 4 Nov 2011 15:18:04 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/11/01/voices-from-the-classroom-20/#IDComment216829430 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/10/27/voices-from-the-classroom-58/#IDComment214498524 I think that the fact that white people will be the minority is a fact that many people don’t like to talk about. It is something that is taboo and I think it will create many interesting situations for us as a country as we go forward. One of those situations is the issue of affirmative action. Would we stop giving preferential treatment to the people we label as minorities today and then start giving it to white people? That would mean that white people would be able to obtain loans easier and get into college easier, just to name a couple of things. This could create a lot of debate because the majority of college students would most likely be white, but they would be the ones that would receive special treatment, I believe this would cause major problems in the academic world as well as our society as a whole. Another thing to think about is the business world. Many products would have too be geared to black or brown people more because there would be more of them than white people. Additionally, the entertainment industry would have more black and brown actors so that people could relate to them better. The idea that people will strive to be “white” could change because as the current minority, mainstream culture may shift to them and make them more proud of who they are. This could change a lot because than the perception of status, wealth, and other areas could totally be altered. Overall, I think that some people that everything will stay the same but I do not think that is true at all. Many of the things we encounter today have to do with whether we are the minority or majority, whether people realize it or not. I think it will be interesting if these points that I have made end up happening, and if so how we combat these issues as a society to overall make this country work well. As we look towards the future I think hardcore conservatives are going to have to change their viewpoints or they are going to butt heads with this new minority. Not in all cases but the people we currently know as the minority are predominantly democratic. We saw this in the last election. This shows how politics can be involved in these issue as well. If they do not change they will corner themselves and lose a lot of supporters. If they want to win any elections in this scenario they are going to have to be willing to compromise or move their viewpoints toward the middle. Lastly, I think that they will not change and democrats will have a stronghold in politics but we will have to see as we look towards the future. Sun, 30 Oct 2011 22:23:48 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/10/27/voices-from-the-classroom-58/#IDComment214498524 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/10/13/voices-from-the-classroom-46/#IDComment209894255 As for stage one, sometimes I do not even think of race unless it is drawn to my attention. I barely ever think about it if not in certain situations. For example, if I am walking down the street and I pass a black female I don’t think to myself “Oh I am white, she is black.” But, on the contrary, in my discussion class when race is focused on, I see and think of the physical differences. So I guess in situations such as these, where racial differences are brought to my attention, I am in stage two. When prompted, I begin to see myself as white and others as black, Asian, Hispanic, etc. I think about my life and how it may differ from theirs just because of physical features and something we like to call skin color. I don’t normally think in negative ways, but I do realize the differences that I guess are created by society. Sometimes, I can see myself in stage three. If I see someone getting discriminated against or hear a negative thought spoken about someone just because of race I tend to get defensive. For example, sometimes my Grandma will make negative comments about the Hispanics in her small Connecticut town. I often find myself correcting her. I have a grasp on white privilege, racism, and racial inequality although at times I do not completely understand. Although, I can also see myself in stage four at times. I believe that I am not racist. And it makes me angry when the heinous actions of SOME whites are generalized to the whole white population. So if one white racially discriminates against someone, then in means all white people are racist, right? WRONG. I think this pinpoints the biggest problem in our society today: over-generalization. Over-generalization of the actions of few members of minorities and majorities that taint their entire race. It amazed me learning that most employers tend to hire a white guy with a criminal record and not a black guy without one. I’m sorry but how is that even a question. I wouldn’t care what race they were at all, if they had a criminal record it would be a no-go for me. Such examples like that, in which one is looking for a job but won’t get hired because of their race, are just despicable. I have no idea how the black people in the class felt after learning those statistics, but I think they were probably aware of this kind of racism prior to the class. I try my best to follow my thoughts and beliefs as well as to absorb the thoughts and beliefs of others so that I may change or improve upon my own. If I find myself in a situation I draw upon past experiences as well as follow what my gut tells me. Thu, 20 Oct 2011 03:16:52 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/10/13/voices-from-the-classroom-46/#IDComment209894255 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/10/06/voices-from-the-classroom-36/#IDComment207528979 Girls realize the more skin they show, or the less they wear, the more attention they receive form men, especially horny, drunk fraternity men. For example if there are two identically attractive girls at a party, the first wearing sweatpants and a t-shirt, and the second wearing a black skirt that showed the majority of her thighs. As a man I know for a fact, not only would I, but the majority of men would approach the girl in the skirt before the one in the sweatpants. There is also the competition between girls of who actually looks better. So I feel like it all goes back to us having a male dominated society. If society showed us (females) that men appreciated a smart/funny girl over a slutty/skinny girls than we wouldn’t feel like we had to flaunt it every time we’re around guys. Plus I feel like if there are any good men left out there, they should be able to see through any girl’s façade. Maybe that is just me expecting too much from the male species, but I feel like they should be able to see a girl that is genuinely pretty because not all of us get sloppy and let everything hang out. Whether we admit it or not, we do dress this way to get looks, compliments, and to attract guys. Also, almost every other girl at every party in State College will be dressed this exact same way, including all of our friends, so we want to look just as good if not better than the other girls. So what I am trying to say is that we do not dress one way and expect to be treated a different way. Rather, we dress in some way and expect to be treated in a more mellow version of the way guys perceive us to want to be treated and actually treat us in many situations. I do not think that just because we are wearing short skirts and heels that we are directly sending the message that we want to have sex, hookup with someone, or that guys can come up to us and grab out butts or touch us in some inappropriate way. Simply, we are dressing this way to look our best and to attract guy’s looks and attention, not their physical contact. They way someone dresses shouldn't dictate how they get treated. Guaranteed if this question applied to guys, it would be a completely different scenario. Leave people alone and worry about your own life. Fri, 14 Oct 2011 18:56:32 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/10/06/voices-from-the-classroom-36/#IDComment207528979 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/10/02/voices-from-the-classroom-28/#IDComment203212004 I do not have anything against homosexuals. I do personally feel that the only act that is morally acceptable regarding homosexuality is to be an abstinent gay. I grew up that way and biblically I feel that the principles are a good foundation to live by. I know that gays are born homosexual and they don’t generally have a choice to be gay or not. At a young age, they have that feeling in their gut. The only problem that I would have is if we were sharing a room and they brought a guy back to have sex with them. I know it may be hypocritical because sex is sex. There should be no reason for me to be able to have sex with a girl and I not allow my guy roommate to have sex with a guy. But why do I have the right to judge and him not to judge me for it. But it simply just grosses me out to think about two guys having sex. I go grossed out just looking at one of the pictures of two guys kissing in class. I am a very respectful person and grew up in a very religious home. There is no tolerance for homosexuality in my home. But I do feel that as hard as it would be, my parents would accept me being gay. But since I am not, and I had a gay roommate I feel that my parents would be uneasy just as I would be. I do have some gay friends but living with them in the same room would change the dynamics because of how close we would be. Just because they are gay doesn’t mean that they would be attracted to me but the difference in sexual preference would be a barrier for me to keep somewhat of a distance. I would be worried if my gay roommate was interested in me. I actually had a bisexual guy hit on me and show interest. That was the first time I had an encounter with the same sex and there be a sexual attraction towards me. I felt uncomfortable and wasn’t sure how to handle it. But we are now friends once we have established what each other wants and got on the same page with things. Being in the teens is an experimental age and that is always a possibility when now a days there are so many opportunities to cross boundaries. Wed, 5 Oct 2011 01:18:11 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/10/02/voices-from-the-classroom-28/#IDComment203212004 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/09/27/voices-from-the-classroom-18/#IDComment201547310 I thought the bike videos were very interesting. If I remember correctly the white man had a blue shirt and hat while the black man had a read shirt and hat. Though this seems insignificant, colors can have a large impact on the human brain. When the experiment came to the point where the black actor had to act like he was stealing the bike this was where it became more than just an experiment to me, it became “eye-opening”. As many citizens walked by they began staring down this young fellow while he was attempting to steal the bike, the same exact way the previous actor did, and it automatically became a huge scene. One citizen stopped and began to call the cops, as other citizens came by and began interrogating him. The second half of the video really stresses how we still haven’t approached, or progress in having a society that views every single individual equally. It was time to flip the switch and get a female actor to attempt to steal the bike. It would be interesting to see this same experiment performed except with a black male and white male both acting to steal a bike in the same park at the same time except maybe 100 yards away and see how people reacted. This would have allowed the same people to be present in both situations. For the people that stopped the black male and probably wouldn’t have stopped the white male, I don’t think their racist. Would the black people call the cops on the white kid instead of the black kid? Also, the scenario with the pretty girl was very comical. Most women that walked by tried to ignore the girl. There were some differences in the videos that could have accounted for the responses. The white man had a much bigger build than the black man. Honestly, if I walked past a large, ripped black man stealing a bike, there’s no way in hell I’m asking him if that’s his bike or not. Normally, I’m not a confrontational person unless my family, friends or my own wellbeing is in danger. There’s an outside chance I would have called the police if I truly believed someone else’s property was being damaged or stolen. The bottom line is that people will always find an excuse to express racism and sexism. There was absolutely no doubt that the white people were trying to steal the bike. In fact, they (as well as the black man) admitted on camera what they were doing. For some people, it is easy – maybe even enjoyable – to turn in a black guy, while it seems unnecessary to turn in white people (oh, I was young once too…). An elderly, married man offered to cut the chain for the girl himself! The results from this social experiment are absolutely sickening. It is clear that while on the surface slavery and lack of women’s rights are a thing of the long past, in reality we have not made too much progress. Sat, 1 Oct 2011 01:08:51 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/09/27/voices-from-the-classroom-18/#IDComment201547310 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/09/20/everyone-respond-to-this/#IDComment198167570 After watching a few of the videos, I was inspired to help in any way that I can. I am excited for the Haiti project, because it will be one small step we can take to solve some of the problems Sam addresses in class. Before watching the videos I was aware that Haitians have very little money and resources so I was not surprised by the lack of materials that the entrepreneurs had. However, I was impressed by their hard work ethic and determination despite the limited resources they had at their disposal. I watched the videos on Euclid (the fashion designer) and Anaes (the handbag designer). Both women were exceptionally creative and had many great ideas. They simply lacked the means to get the resources they needed to create their products. For example, the paint that Anaes needs for her handbags costs fifty US dollars, which is extremely expensive for her. The yarn she uses for her bags is also very expensive. Because of the high prices she must sell her bags for high prices in return. Many Haitians in her area cannot afford her expensive bags so she does not turn a very high profit. Euclid faces some similar issues with access to materials. She also does not have the resources to get the materials that she needs to create her apparel. I think that there are many ways for Soc 119 students to help both Anaes and Euclid that simply involve providing them with the resources they need to create their products. For example: *We could reach out to stores that sell the paint and yarn Anaes uses, such as Michael’s and Pat Catan’s. It may be a long shot, but perhaps the stores would be willing to sell the products to Anaes and other entrepreneurs like her for lower prices. This would certainly not take away a large portion of the stores’ profits. They could even sell the finished products in their stores to advertise the Haitian entrepreneurs that they are supporting. They could give part of the profit back to Anaes and other entrepreneurs and keep part of it for themselves so that they would not be completely losing money. *Soc 119 students could also hold a drive (similar to a book or toy drive) to collect the materials that Euclid and Anaes desperately need. There may be other Penn State students and State College residents that have excesses of the paint, yarn and other materials that the women need. Some of them may be willing to donate them to the cause after they are informed as to where their donations are going. Additionally, students and community members could buy the materials and donate them, as they almost certainly cost less here in the United States. Overall, I think there are many ways that Soc 119 students can help the entrepreneurs that are really not that challenging. We simply have to recognize the resources we have available to us and provide them to the hard working Haitians who desperately need them. Sat, 24 Sep 2011 19:06:51 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/09/20/everyone-respond-to-this/#IDComment198167570 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/09/13/voices-from-the-classroom-10/#IDComment193300500 I feel that some accents are definitely considered sexy and some accents are considered unattractive. The human perspective varies from accent to accent. I find it very interesting that relatively all cultures are on the same page when it comes to accents in the United States. With hundreds of different countries being represented in the United States, we get a good feel for the diversity of languages and accents. I remember watching a standup comedian named Russell Peters and he made a reference regarding accents and sexuality. Russell Peters has Parents that are from India and he grew up around Jamaicans in Canada. So being a first generation Canadian growing up around Jamaicans with Indian culture and influence in his home, he understands different cultures and accents. In his stand up he says that when people spend time around Jamaicans, they simply have the urge to act Jamaican and talk with a Jamaican accent. The culture is so “cool” in people’s eyes that they have such the urge to act like a Jamaican. On the other hand, Indians simply can never pick up a girl because of their accent. The Indian accent is such a turnoff that any pick up line that is said with and Indian accent would not work or sound sexy to someone. The perspective is in the context of his joke but I feel that there is definitely some truth to what he says. When I think about it some more, there are romantic languages such as Spanish or French. There are some accents that we can’t get enough of such as the Caribbean accent or for me personally the British accent. But there are also some languages that we find annoying or obnoxious such as the Chinese or Indian accent. There is a certain flow to an accent that we all notice. For instance, some characteristics for accents may be very distinctly pointed out as attractive. For instance; an Indian’s accent sounds choppy with hard syllables, while a Spanish accent seems to flow and is easy on the ear. When a female speaks Spanish and she rolls her tongue when she speaks a work with a “rr” in it, I find it sexy. My best friend grew up in the Caribbean and some people are fascinated by his accent and want him to speak all of the time because it is so enjoyable to listen to. But others may simply want to avoid talking to him because his accent is relatively thick and some cannot understand what he is saying. I always find it funny when I have to translate his Patwua accent into English for American’s who are just like me. I feel that in time any accent can grow on you or even influence your speech as well. In the eye’s of many, some accents are simply attractive compared to some that may come across as a turnoff. Wed, 14 Sep 2011 13:46:13 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/09/13/voices-from-the-classroom-10/#IDComment193300500 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/09/08/voices-from-the-classroom-6/#IDComment191729495 My opinion of Barrack Obama’s race is simply the facts. He is half black and half white. That means that he is just as much white as he is black and just as much black as he is white. I heard some students in class say “Oh don’t take that away from me.” They were referring to Sam’s lecture and comment about Barrack Obama not just being considered a black president. The correct term would be racially mixed president. So I feel that if people call him a black president that I have the right to call him a white president. So with that said, both are politically correct in my eyes. But United States citizens would never say that Barrack Obama is a white president. The history has been made that we have a black president and everyone accepts that. The trend has been that if there is a single drop of chocolate in a glass of white milk, the milk becomes chocolate milk. It is truly a shame that racial profiling is so far off from the literal facts of the DNA and how it relates to biology off human race. I support Barrack Obama because he is our President but I do not support what he has done during his term, or lack thereof. A close friend of mine is very liberal. He is white just as I am and he is a huge supporter of Barrack Obama. To some people, it is simply the political party that they support. But I feel that overall, when Barrack Obama was elected president of the United States of America, many people were blinded by the fact that he is black. Obama being a black president should not change anybodies opinion of him. Him being the president does not alter my opinion. He is the president whether he is white, black, brown or red he is the president of the United States. He should be held at the same standards and viewed in the same light as any other president. He should not have to go through anything that seems remotely racist. He is the commander in chief and that should be the only light he is viewed in as far as his capability of doing his job. His skin color does not have anything to do with him being president. The sad thing is that because he is biracial and is considered black by most, he deals with things that no other president had to deal with. For instance is citizenship was at question. No other president was asked about their birth certificate but yet America wanted proof of his birth certificate. Sat, 10 Sep 2011 01:22:34 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/09/08/voices-from-the-classroom-6/#IDComment191729495 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/08/26/what-do-you-want-to-know-before-its-all-over/#IDComment188197760 My question that I would like to know the answer to is “What are the biggest forces and factors that affect and change the kind of relationship that we have with other races?” This question is very important in my life because I grew up in a very white farming community. Growing up I thought that all black people looked the same. I moved to Steelton, right outside of Harrisburg Pennsylvania after my freshman year in high school. By that time, I had gained emotional independence and formed my own opinions of other races. I moved from a school of 380 students to a school of 1600 students. I moved from a school of 95 percent white people to a school with 30 different nationalities. I adapted very quickly and had a very smooth transition. I feel that the majority of my friends that I grew up with would have gone through a culture shock. I was not judgmental of other races and ethnicities. I immediately noticed that many races spent time with people of their same race. But I made close friends of Mexican, Indian, African American, West Indian, Caucasian, and everything in between. We all handle changes differently. I am an extrovert and very personable. I have always been accepting of others and put into a leadership role. As the semester goes on, I would like to learn more about the interactions and relationships amongst races. How do they change from culture to culture? And how diverse is the acceptance of others in different communities throughout the world. I feel that personally I would accept anyone no matter whom they are and where they come from. But are there ethnicities that do not accept others. There is certain religious groups that do not accept others because of their beliefs but what causes that? In the first week I have learned that race is very specific because it is the difference between physical characteristics that one has. Differences are obvious yet to put a title or generalization to a specific race is nearly impossible. The history of the movement of different races fascinates me. I feel that the class will consist of questions that will make us think of relationships among many races. New York City, let alone the entire United States is the melting pot of the world. We have learned that races and ethnicities will interact with each other no matter what. I work at the mall back home and I encounter African Americans, Jews, and even Amish. The diversity is drastic and acceptance is necessary. But some people still cannot accept that Our president is black. That makes me think what the human species thinks of races. Tue, 30 Aug 2011 21:42:02 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/08/26/what-do-you-want-to-know-before-its-all-over/#IDComment188197760 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/21/if-prison-has-taken-anything-away-from-me/#IDComment145156447 Whenever the writer finally exclaims that love is all he wants, the letter begins to take on a poetic mood. The way he described the feelings and connections between a man and a woman in love was quite beautiful. I’m continually amazed at how good a lot of these prisoners are at writing. It’s so easy to relate to what the writer is saying. You can feel the honesty and desperation in his voice. The last few sentences again change the mood of the letter. He transitions into a painful state where he is blaming himself. Though it is probably true that he brought the situation upon himself, it is hard to not feel bad for him. The man writing this letter clearly needs to find something to fill the void in his life before he goes crazy. If I was in jail for life, then I wouldn’t be able to experience site seeing and love what is around me. He wants to love and feel the love a woman, but I feel like he hated life to begin with and everything around him. To look across the crowded room and find the person who is my world looking at me the person who is theirs.” It hurts to see that what he wants is to love and be loved by someone unconditionally. After all at the end of the day even the most hardened criminal just wants to be loves. He ends the letter with “I will never know love.” I feel bad for this man and wish him all the best because without love it is close to impossible to see life as anything but meaningless. Great value of life and living comes from relationships, experiences, and emotions from things other than objects. This prisoner has come to the reality that he will no longer be able to experience those feelings, to be able to live that life. His life is planned for him, and he is supposed to make the best of his situation. This letter is extremely powerful because it makes me think about people who love someone even more, to the point of marriage, who get sentenced to live in jail. Fri, 22 Apr 2011 16:32:35 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/21/if-prison-has-taken-anything-away-from-me/#IDComment145156447 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/07/war-vets-and-ptsd/#IDComment143896461 From the invasion of Afghanistan until last summer, the U.S. military had lost 761 soldiers in combat there. But a higher number in the service — 817 — had taken their own lives over the same period. This stat is beyond staggering, the fact that we are in a war where the objective is supposed to be to save American lives, and we are instead losing the lives of the very people protecting us. Throughout history soldiers have come back from war acting differently, whether it was World War One, World War Two, or the Vietnam War there is something that changes within a soldier’s personality before he is sent off to war and after he comes back. Only recently has the problem been coined post-traumatic stress disorder by people in the medical field. In the military this mental issue is seen as a weakness and a sign of not being man enough for the army, so for many years the military believed that it was in the best interests of the soldiers to send them back out to war in order to get used to the unimaginable images soldiers must see on a daily bases. The problem is worsened by the manpower challenges faced by the service, because new research suggests that repeated combat deployments seem to be driving the suicide surge. The United States army is one of the largest in the world, without question, but in order to fix this epidemic almost it needs to get larger. Post-traumatic stress disorder is not something you can get over within a day or two, it takes weeks to months to get over (maybe even years), so for soldiers who suffer from this mental disorder there is lots of time that needs to pass and lots of counseling needs to be done in order for them to recover fully. That means that the time spent at home between deployments, for soldiers, is vital to the recovery and needs to be expanded which means that there would be less soldiers in the battle field and more at home. This is why the military either needs to expand or lessen the amount of troops it sends overseas. Regardless of actions taken outside of the battle front, the only way this issue is going to be overcome is if the mentality on the battle front changes. Terrorism has become such a big part of our everyday lives and the impact is world wide. Mon, 18 Apr 2011 14:51:50 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/07/war-vets-and-ptsd/#IDComment143896461 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/03/what-a-man-is/#IDComment141094441 The world's mentality is revolved around the man's penis. The gender stereotypes are constantly changing and differ drastically from 20, 30, and 50 years ago. Security that a man should give to a woman must be a constant routine on a daily basis. The relationship between a man and a woman has been evolving but still remains dominant on the man's part. Most men do not understand the woman's wants and needs. Sex is becoming a less intimate act among people of all ages nowadays.Guys talk so much trash about girls saying that they are all gold diggers or joke that all a woman is good for is making sandwiches. All gold diggers are, are women who gave up on love because of the treatment they received from men. Can you blame them for wanting compensation from the very source of their pain and agony? I sure cant. Guys call women useless yet we don’t allow them to flourish and show us what they are capable of. Women are responsible for so much of the beauty in this at times very bleak world and maybe if we let them have more of a say it in there would be little less sadness and a little more love. It may have taken this man the amount of time it did to realize this, the number of hours sitting in his jail cell thinking about this topic, because he needed something to make him look at his life/our society’s mentality, from a different perspective. Instead of living in the relationship, he is now thinking more forward, thinking about how to maintain a long-lasting relationship. He is also realizing that he does not know what he has until it is gone. Affection in a relationship is such an important part of love. My parents have a lack of affection and visual intimacy. When I see other couples holding hands and kissing in public, I feel uneasy and sad that my parents lack that characteristic in their relationship. I am determined to be intimate with my loved one. I want to make her feel secure and loved by me emotionally and physically. The deep connection is a crucial part of any relationship. Love is blind and does not judge. People fall in love and want to share that with someone. Fri, 8 Apr 2011 21:35:34 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/03/what-a-man-is/#IDComment141094441 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/27/family/#IDComment139301751 The personal judgment that people give towards others change as time goes on. The initial “high” of something new stays with someone for a while. But time transforms peoples’ opinions as the high wears off. Once you’re out of people’s lives and are not noticed they tend to forget about you and leave you behind. It is the ones who have true love for you that keep sending you letters. Family is people who love and support you. I think it’s a wonderful thing that this guy wants to help younger guys succeed in life and have the characteristics that made him loved by so many. There are people who don’t have families that show love and/or support. And to be able to know that you can still experience that with people you actually choose as your family, rather than being born into one, is a significant thing. I agree that family and good friends are a great thing to have but are hard to come by now a days.I thought it was interesting when the inmate described his relationship with the other inmates. I believe it’s true that inmates create real bonds and become “brothers” after being in jail together for so long. I think we all can learn from our wrongdoings, and we all deserve a second chance. However, I do think that there comes a point where third chances and fourth chances should no longer be given to certain people. We all have the power to make our own decisions, and one can only use the excuse of “I made a mistake” before it loses its meaning and validity. I found it quite interesting that the writer focuses an entire paragraph seemingly attempting to validate his own integrity and “goodness”. Why? Not only that, but his validation didn’t focus on any explanation of his own accomplishments, actions, or proud moments before prison, but rather on the supportive actions of others now that he IS in prison. Just because your teachers keep in contact with you doesn’t make you a respectable person. I am just a freshman in college and home for all my breaks I have yet to go back to my high school just to say hello. This is perfect evidence that just goes to show you “what goes around comes around.” By being the type of person he was, and still is, his friends, family, and teachers remember and cherish that about him instead of looking at him as just an inmate for life. Sat, 2 Apr 2011 05:00:37 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/27/family/#IDComment139301751 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/20/frost-bitten/#IDComment137132276 The only way for someone to feel lost is if they realize they lost something. Some people in prison are very contempt with living their lives and going through the daily routines and taking the daily steps for the rest of their lives behind bars. But this man who wrote this beautiful poem knows exactly what he lost. He lost everything. He feels that he has nothing to live for and no one to live for while having no goals to reach for. It must be one empty feeling to finally have your eyes opened in prison and seeing how many other prisoners are still blind. Sociology teaches us that we can have freedoms and love wherever we are, whenever it comes to us. Some serious spiritual experiences can take place in a jail cell and I feel that a spiritual experience is what this man needs in order to give his life meaning again and hope in his mind and heart! The author feels that his heart is frost bitten which is sad because the literal definition of frostbite is pretty self explanatory but worth mentioning. Frostbite is the freezing of skin and sometimes deeper. The body parts that are frost bitten areas are completely useless. If the author’s mentality stays the same, I feel that he will fall apart and lose himself in the prison. I know that personally, if I were sentenced to life in prison, I would grow spiritually. I feel that the author needs to have a spiritual experience to get his foundation formed. With the impact and influence of others in the prison on the author, sociology would go into the invisible strings aspect of the prison society. The poem is powerful, utilizing metaphors and imagery that impacts the readers in many ways. I was touched with the author’s passion regarding his atmosphere in the prison. He has opportunities that he may pass up. Great things can be accomplished in prison including degrees, motivational speakers develop and can reach out to the community more than people realize. There is hope for the author, a change of attitude and good spirits is necessary. I do not doubt that the author of this poem can change his life around and grow as a person. He needs prayer and love sent to him. Thu, 24 Mar 2011 01:02:58 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/20/frost-bitten/#IDComment137132276 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/14/kids-getting-life-how-is-this-serving-us-really/#IDComment135706394 There are many situations where someone can get off to such a good start in their business, company, or sport. They immediately are recognized and honored for accomplishments. But sometimes they get off to such a good start and can't handle the fame or simply can't maintain the success for a long period of time. For a lot of athletes, they begin their career with great success but a small portion of them keep up the success throughout their whole career. Some businesses begin successful and may even become bankrupt as the years go on. Corresponding with that thought, i feel that the United States is in that similar situation. As a country, we got off to a good start financially and became a super power in the world while having a very short history. The United States is looked down upon with some democratic decisions such as the war in Afghanistan and Iraq. We are also looked down upon economically because of our rapid increase of national dept. I feel that the legislative system, which was once thought of being the best system in the world relating to civil rights. But this situation with young kids and adolescents receiving a life sentence is ridiculous. Sociologically speaking, second chances should be given to people who are legally not an adult. It is hard to find a reasonable solution in this country because there is such a gray area when it comes to making a life sentence decision. At what age do we feel that is too young to be sentenced to death? That is hard to rationally deal with. But then we look at other countries and we simply shake our heads. We must consider that other countries also may simply cut off the heads of those that break the law. As a country we are the number one country that takes all of the freedoms away from minors that receive life sentenced. Pennsylvania is a state where so many lifers that are minors will spend the rest of their lives behind bars and that is so sad. When I was younger, I was worried about getting into trouble at home and my dad disciplining me. As I read this article, I understand the severance of committing the ultimate crime at a young age. If I were to commit a murder when I was younger as opposed to stealing my sister's cookie, I would still be suffering the consequences of that behind bars instead of having to deal with a consequence that consisted of temporary physical pain. I want to be able to reach out to the children and teenagers who feel that they are not able to occupy their time any other way besides getting into trouble with the law. I want to be able to open the eyes of kids to make the right decisions because the statistics that we have for minor lifers in Pennsylvania is unacceptable. We are the one's responsible for it. Thu, 17 Mar 2011 23:48:00 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/14/kids-getting-life-how-is-this-serving-us-really/#IDComment135706394 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/28/aging-out/#IDComment132698021 This is a testament of never giving up hope. Even when we lose our daily freedoms and are restricted to our prison cell and behind bars, opportunities still seem to be endless. It is an inspiration that this man has accomplished so much and achieved many things. Many people that may be sentenced to the life sentence give up hope and realize that their lives are over. The pessimistic outlook on life when a life sentence is carried out may eat someone alive from the inside out. A lot of spiritual renewals and experiences may happen in prison when life is sentenced because of the time that one has by themselves. But when it comes down to it, prison is a eye opening experience and becomes a redefined way of life. Tyrone Werts became a failure and evil man in many people's eyes when he was sentenced to life in prison. He decided that he wanted to form his own identity and shape his future. He did not give up, he did persevere. Tyrone perused his dreams. By being a part of the Board of Directors of Reconstruction, Inc., The Victim Offender Reconciliation Program, the National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty, the End Violence Project, workshops focusing on leadership and civic pride and responsibility, the Prison Literacy Project, the National Thresholds Program, and the Temple University Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program Think Tank, he show us that dreams can come true no matter what your circumstances are. To have someone to look up to that is in prison seem to be an absurd mentality for someone. But I can honestly say that I look up and admire Tyrone for what he has accomplished since he has turned his life around. Even though he still has life. So many motivational speakers speak based on past experiences and speak because they want to change something in their live and made decisions that can better their life while wanting to share those decisions with others. Tyrone has made some mistakes that he can't change and he is suffering the consequences. But he acknowledges his mistakes and wants to give guidance to others so they won't make the same mistakes. People can't make the right decisions sometimes if they have not been told about the right way to live. Sat, 5 Mar 2011 22:23:12 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/28/aging-out/#IDComment132698021