en-us https://www.intensedebate.com/users/2389867 Comments by Biegenwaldm2102 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2012/04/17/voices-from-the-classroom-151/#IDComment343882401 I feel like that question has a very obvious answer...It would be a lot harder to come out to your straight parents than gay. Gay parents know what it was like to be young and well...gay so they could probably relate on a much deeper level then say someone else who has straight parents. Then again most of the community has straight parents so that scenario is much more common then being gay. I have noticed that in say movies and television shows they always have to mention something along the lines of 'who should be the man and who should be the woman,' and I feel like there should not be a distinction because if its two men then it should be two men I mean they are the ones that dig that stuff anyways so why should one pose as the wife or husband? That is just a image our society has so when we see two gay men or women together we cannot help but wonder who is who. As for the girl in the video with the very religious dad, I feel sorry for you because when someone is so deep into their religion that they cannot except people who are 'different' then think that is very sad because we should be accepting of everyone and not just who a book tells us to. If she was a lesbian, what would she do? I feel like she would live in terror of the father/mother finding out through fear of them disowning or resenting their own child. If you know you will not have support from your family for being gay then I do not know how someone could handle that because we depend on our families for support no matter what. I know my friend who is gay has a very religious mother who is set in her ways. His father and brother both know that he is gay and they keep it a secret from the mother because they know she would act out negatively if she knew. I feel really bad for him because I would not want to keep something so huge like that a secret for my whole life. So anyways as I was saying I do not know what I would do without my parents support. I am not gay but I know without a doubt that my parents would still be in full support of me if I was and they are very comfortable with the homosexual community. Everyone should be free to be who they want to be without any outside pressures from society or in the family, but sadly this is not a perfect world and we all know it probably will never be. Sat, 21 Apr 2012 02:39:39 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2012/04/17/voices-from-the-classroom-151/#IDComment343882401 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2012/04/10/voices-from-the-classroom-146/#IDComment338374997 I was very surprised to hear that the only number of kids who were kidnapped a year throughout the entire U.S. was 100. I feel like the media definitely shapes our understanding of the world and only points out the negative aspects because in all honesty fear sells. People want to know what is going on and want to know how to protect themselves if the culprit is not caught so they will keep tuning into the news in order to be updated on say a local murderer because they fear for themselves as well as their families lives. I mean honestly take a good look at religion the main people believe in some sort of 'God' is because of the fear of going to hell and being in eternal damnation. The church feeds off their fear and one minute they tell you values like 'oh never be greedy and the next they are handing out baskets asking for donations. They do not want you to be logical or ask questions they just want you to blindly follow and they do that through fear. Fear is a very powerful tool and it is why our society is shaped how it is. I know if I have a kid in the future I probably will just drive them to school as well because it's better to be safe than sorry unless it is close and they are walking with a few friends. Plus there is bus transportation that will still give them that experience that Sam was mentioning but it a more controlled environment. I do not want to shelter my kids but I do want to make sure they are safe and are aware that there are some bad people in the world. Now that I think about it, it kind of ties into the Christian Invaders lecture because one American or one Muslim can ruin the whole image of one group. So for example one murderer in the United States gives us this bad image about strangers. Plus people are not very open or friendly with strangers, they tend to keep to themselves so that just makes people much more shady. I know I tend to not be very outgoing and shy around new people so I come off as a bitch because I just never really say much. This is just a sentence that I am putting in because I have nothing else to say and it extends my word count. This is why having a word limit blows because I just ramble about random shit just to get to the 450 word mark. Only 14 more words to go so I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Fuck Yes. Fri, 13 Apr 2012 20:00:47 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2012/04/10/voices-from-the-classroom-146/#IDComment338374997 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2012/04/03/voices-from-the-classroom-141/#IDComment333311526 I really do not believe that what we wear or do not wear shows respect/disrespect to our bodies. I believe that our actions show our self respect in a much more accurate way. In honesty, every female wants to feel sexy occasionally and the way that society portrays that so called sexiness is by showing skin and being in really awesome shape. So western woman tend to strive to take hold of that image because it gives them more self confidence when they are at the beach or something. People should be able to wear whatever they want to wear and that is one of the better aspects of western society because isn't it a law that Muslim woman must cover up? I really feel sad for those woman because they do not get to show the world their beauty and are always hiding behind a mask basically. Of course you know all us white chicks are worried about offending people so I'm just going to say that I'm not saying that Muslim religion is wrong because everyone can believe in what they want and its all good but I am just trying to give it from my point of view. I know some members of my family get upset when they see Muslim women covering up because to them it comes off as the Muslim religion undermines women. Whereas from a Muslim woman's perspective, what we wear may come off the same exact way. So it is all a point of perspective and just understanding where the other side is coming from. I know I am a pretty strong Atheist but that does not mean that I do not respect other people's views or ways of life I just don't want it shoved down my throat so there is a fine line. I also can understand why what women wear in our society can be portrayed as disrespectful in one simple word, sorostitutes. I mean hell even I make fun of those girls who's vaginas are hanging out and they can barely walk in heels sober let alone drunk. They go to frats and get shit faced and hook up with random guys and do not remember a thing the next day. I mean that gives us western women a very bad reputation especially if you are a exchange student who has only seen the Penn State version of America. I know I talked to a few girls who I considered to be sorostitutes and they basically told me that their sorority makes them dress up and that no one wants to be the ugly friend so they all try to outdo the other. So, maybe it is an aspect of peer pressure but to me those girls still have no self respect in my book. Fri, 6 Apr 2012 20:37:24 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2012/04/03/voices-from-the-classroom-141/#IDComment333311526 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2012/03/27/voices-from-the-classroom-134/#IDComment328082784 I have noticed that I get really upset when someone over reacts to a comment made by another person just voicing their opinion. They are not trying to attack anyone's race they are just stating a question or comment about how they feel about a topic. For example, that white kid who commented on that Asian video being funny I mean it was wrong in a lot of ways but he did have a point when all comedy is based on making fun of many types of people no matter what race you are. I mean look at shows like South Park and Tosh.O they are huge hits and they are racist as fuck on that show yet everyone thinks it is hilarious. So when you get all pissed about that when you yourself probably watch shows like that all the time it really irritates the shit out of me. I mean you wonder why white people are afraid to bring up or discuss race because we get attacked almost immediately when we really have not done anything wrong. I mean a fucking Asian guy said it was funny and no one mentioned anything about that they just kept attacking the white guy. Yeah there are negative stereotypes about all races but I feel like one of white peoples stereotypes is that we are all racist and it is complete and utter bullshit most of the time. I have met racist white people so I am not saying that we are all not racist because some definitely are but get over yourself and lay off. White people go through shit too so its not all about you and your problems because sometimes we have a lot of questions about race but when you want to rip our head off and call us racist then the minorities are not really helping to solve the problem. I have been attacked by colored people before because I asked a legitimate question and they got offended when it was not my intent to offend anyone so when that happens I get a negative image of colored people for a certain amount of time because they can be so goddamn rude to me. Everyone has their own opinion and it is only fair that we hear them out and consider the other side, it ties in with the christian invaders lecture and seeing it from the Iraqi's side. The problem with race will never be fixed if we do not talk about it. We are in a race and ethnic relations class and that should be a friendly open environment where we can ask any question, but that friendly openness is being hindered when people get offended and shit talk that person down. Fri, 30 Mar 2012 22:01:45 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2012/03/27/voices-from-the-classroom-134/#IDComment328082784 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2012/03/27/voices-from-the-classroom-134/#IDComment328081857 I have noticed that I get really upset when someone over reacts to a comment made by another person just voicing their opinion. They are not trying to attack anyone's race they are just stating a question or comment about how they feel about a topic. For example, that white kid who commented on that Asian video being funny I mean it was wrong in a lot of ways but he did have a point when all comedy is based on making fun of many types of people no matter what race you are. I mean look at shows like South Park and Tosh.O they are huge hits and they are racist as fuck on that show yet everyone thinks it is hilarious. So when you get all pissed about that when you yourself probably watch shows like that all the time it really irritates the shit out of me. I mean you wonder why white people are afraid to bring up or discuss race because we get attacked almost immediately when we really have not done anything wrong. I mean a fucking Asian guy said it was funny and no one mentioned anything about that they just kept attacking the white guy. Yeah there are negative stereotypes about all races but I feel like one of white peoples stereotypes is that we are all racist and it is complete and utter bullshit most of the time. I have met racist white people so I am not saying that we are all not racist because some definitely are but get over yourself and lay off. White people go through shit too so its not all about you and your problems because sometimes we have a lot of questions about race but when you want to rip our head off and call us racist then the minorities are not really helping to solve the problem. I have been attacked by colored people before because I asked a legitimate question and they got offended when it was not my intent to offend anyone so when that happens I get a negative image of colored people for a certain amount of time because they can be so goddamn rude to me. Everyone has their own opinion and it is only fair that we hear them out and consider the other side, it ties in with the christian invaders lecture and seeing it from the Iraqi's side. The problem with race will never be fixed if we do not talk about it. We are in a race and ethnic relations class and that should be a friendly open environment where we can ask any question, but that friendly openness is being hindered when people get offended and shit talk that person down. Fri, 30 Mar 2012 22:00:00 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2012/03/27/voices-from-the-classroom-134/#IDComment328081857 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2012/03/15/voices-from-the-classroom-123/#IDComment317823771 In a way I feel like the war on terrorism was just a mask for the government to hide behind so that more people would support the war for a just cause instead of just a selfish invasion for oil. We risked the lives of our soldiers and destroyed the lives of innocent civilians in Iraq, but in the end I know myself, and many other Americans are just glad we have enough gasoline to fill our tanks once a week. It blew my mind when the one veteran almost got court marshaled for giving someone food. That is completely ridiculous. I understand that they must follow orders and I do not blame them for their actions if they do but it makes me wonder who the hell they are putting in power and who are making these decisions. Soldiers are trained to follow orders so no matter what you tell them they will do it. Going over to the videos about the soldiers running a tank over that man's car was a little extreme and they were told to just prevent looting not destroy property. People will do crazy things to protect and feed their families so I probably would have done the same thing that taxi driver did. Everyone has their own perspective though because like Sam said it only takes one person to ruin the image of a group, I don't say that is the right thing to do but that is usually human nature. I know that if I was overseas and a Muslim Iraqi citizen shot and killed one of my close friends I would be really angry against Muslims for a very long time. The same thing goes for Americans as Christian Invaders, both sides are fighting for what they believe in. Speaking out against war itself I know it's a horrible thing but I don't see world peace happening any time soon. Human beings are greedy and we always want more for ourselves and our country because it is nice knowing that the United States is at the top of the food chain (minus the fact that we owe a shit ton of money to the Chinese). The Iraq war definitely has its ups and downs like getting rid of Saddam Hussein was a great thing, but it was only a small side project to the real motivation, oil. It goes to show that if there is no benefit to the United States then why should we interfere with your problems? Syrians are getting killed daily and we destroyed Iraq and just left without a second thought. Like Basim said, he wishes that Americans would fix the uproar and damage they caused to Iraq. Fri, 16 Mar 2012 20:52:03 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2012/03/15/voices-from-the-classroom-123/#IDComment317823771 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2012/03/15/voices-from-the-classroom-123/#IDComment317822071 In a way I feel like the war on terrorism was just a mask for the government to hide behind so that more people would support the war for a just cause instead of just a selfish invasion for oil. We risked the lives of our soldiers and destroyed the lives of innocent civilians in Iraq, but in the end I know myself, and many other Americans are just glad we have enough gasoline to fill our tanks once a week. It blew my mind when the one veteran almost got court marshaled for giving someone food. That is completely ridiculous. I understand that they must follow orders and I do not blame them for their actions if they do but it makes me wonder who the hell they are putting in power and who are making these decisions. Soldiers are trained to follow orders so no matter what you tell them they will do it. Going over to the videos about the soldiers running a tank over that mans car was a little extreme and they were told to just prevent looting not destroy property. People will do crazy things to protect and feed their families so I probably would have done the same thing that taxi driver did. Everyone has their own perspective though because like Sam said it only takes one person to ruin the image of a group, I don't say that is the right thing to do but that is usually human nature. I know that if I was overseas and a Muslim Iraqi citizen shot and killed one of my close friends I would be really angry against Muslims for a very long time.The same thing goes for Americans as Christian Invaders. Speaking out against war itself I know its a horrible thing but I don't see world peace happening any time soon. Human beings are greedy and we always want more for ourselves and our country because it is nice knowing that the United States is at the top of the food chain (minus the fact that we owe a shit ton of money to the Chinese). The Iraq war definitely has its ups and downs like getting rid of Saddam Hussein was a great thing, but it was only a small side project to the real motivation, oil. It goes to show that if there is no benefit to the United States then why should we interfere with your problems? Syrians are getting killed daily and we destroyed Iraq and just left without a second thought. Like Basim said, he wishes that Americans would fix the uproar and damage they caused to Iraq. In the end I am not a huge fan of war just because the lives that get lost are not worth it. Fri, 16 Mar 2012 20:49:44 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2012/03/15/voices-from-the-classroom-123/#IDComment317822071 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2012/02/29/what-more-do-you-want-to-think-about/#IDComment306776170 I really enjoy how interactive this class is and how openly we can discuss issues that are taboo and never brought up in normal conversation. I know with my friend group we never talk about race or anything controversial for that matter so it is nice to really talk about and discuss people's deep rooted questions. I know what stood out the most to me so far in this course was the talk on Native American's and white supremacy. Hell I did not even realize there were Native American tribes let alone reservations around anymore. I only knew a few people of Native American descent get money from the government because we took their land or something along those lines. Which makes me think how they must not be getting much at all if Native American communities are the poorest in the country. It also upsets me how racist all the white people are who live by the reservation. I mean seriously, they are already struggling enough so stop being such assholes. The white supremacy discussion was pretty interesting too because I did not know how good I had it for being white even though I always believed that colored people had the upper hand when it came to most situations. Although I am not a fan of how colored people think white people are evil. I mean come on we barely know what is going on and half the time we offend someone without even knowing were being offensive. In a way I feel like we are more naive and avoid conversation when it comes to racial situations and discussions because we get attacked continuously if we say the wrong thing and it is really starting to piss me off. Another thing that bothers me is how people in this class are so close minded. They take everything Sam says literally and offensive when they are missing the whole point completely. Sam WANTS to drive us over the edge and get these issues out there. I mean you are in a race and ethnic relations class what did you expect? It was also interesting how we talked about the whole cross necklace/ symbol and how if we killed Jesus in the modern age using standard technologies then there would be a syringe or electric chair around peoples necks years in the future. It definitely makes sense but I know a bunch of people in my discussion group were offended by that because they cannot see their views or traditions any other way which shows a lot about our modern culture and religion. I mean hell I am not religious at all but I would wear a syringe around my neck that is so badass! Sat, 3 Mar 2012 04:05:15 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2012/02/29/what-more-do-you-want-to-think-about/#IDComment306776170 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2012/02/23/voices-from-the-classroom-115/#IDComment300812522 This whole idea of one race being superior over another just by skin color or even a name really bothers me. It is not fair at all how some races get a leg up over others when they are equally qualified. I know a few situations where there was a situation similar to where the black person got extra points just for being black. My step dad was taking his final exams before he became a doctor (I don't know what the official name was), but i remember him saying how during the lunch break he went out to eat with a few other people who were also taking the exam and one happened to be black. The black guy mentioned how he only needed a 6 (not a very high score) to be admitted into some program and apparently if my step dad or any other white male got that score they would not even be considered. In a way this goes back to the discussion we had where minorities get a leg up because people are trying to be more diverse now, especially with college admissions. I know that as a female in engineering when I go to career fair recruiters will offer me an interview without a second thought just because I am a girl. I agree that it is not fair but knowing that I have an upper hand kind of makes me a bit lazier because I figure no matter what my GPA is I will get a job. This is a perfect example of how the one black girl mentioned how the people on the shitty end of the stick just need to work harder when really they do not. Everyone deserves a fair assessment and even though I have the upper hand I should be working much harder than I am now. Going back to that popular public school in New York goes to show that the Asian population probably wouldn't be so high if they had one on one interviews instead of just taking the highest scores. It makes sense why people are more comfortable with other people of their same upbringing, but just because you do not fully relate to someone else's ideas shouldn't mean you don't hire them just based on that fact. That is why the world is such an amazing place because people are so different and you should want to learn what it was like in their shoes to see a different perspective. I really want people to change and be more open to new things, but I feel like it is going to be hard to change the minds of the past generations. So our generations need to be the one who gets rid of this racism in the professional world. Fri, 24 Feb 2012 21:07:47 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2012/02/23/voices-from-the-classroom-115/#IDComment300812522 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2012/02/23/voices-from-the-classroom-115/#IDComment300725774 This whole idea of one race being superior over another just by skin color or even a name really bothers me. It is not fair at all how some races get a leg up over others when they are equally qualified. I know a few situations where there was a situation similar to where the black person got extra points just for being black. My step dad was taking his final exams before he became a doctor (I don't know what the official name was), but i remember him saying how during the lunch break he went out to eat with a few other people who were also taking the exam and one happened to be black. The black guy mentioned how he only needed a 6 (not a very high score) to be admitted into some program and apparently if my step dad or any other white male got that score they would not even be considered. In a way this goes back to the discussion we had where minorities get a leg up because people are trying to be more diverse now, especially with college admissions. I know that as a female in engineering when I go to a career fair recruiters will offer me an interview without a second thought just because I am a girl. I agree that it is not fair but knowing that I have an upper hand kind of makes me a bit lazier because I figure no matter what my GPA is I will get a job. This is a perfect example of how the one black girl mentioned how the people on the shitty end of the stick just need to work harder when really they do not. Everyone deserves a fair assessment and even though I have the upper hand I should be working much harder then I am now. Going back to that popular public school in New York goes to show that the Asian population probably wouldn't be so high if they had one on one interviews instead of just taking the highest scores. It makes sense why people are more comfortable with other people of their same upbringing, but just because you do not fully relate to someone else's ideas shouldn't mean you don't hire them just based on that fact. That is why the world is such an amazing place because people are so different and you should want to learn what it was like in their shoes to see a different perspective. I really want people to change and be more open to new things, but I feel like it is going to be hard to change the minds of the past generations. So our generations needs to be the one who gets rid of this racism in the professional world. Fri, 24 Feb 2012 18:46:16 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2012/02/23/voices-from-the-classroom-115/#IDComment300725774 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2012/02/15/voices-from-the-classroom-107/#IDComment295331546 I feel like I'm between both atheist and agnostic views when to comes to God because honestly how can we know what is after death? It is not like someone came back and said 'oh hey here is what it’s like after death,' and I know all of the believers will comment and say how Jesus rose from the dead. It is really hard for me to believe anything in the Bible and the fact that it’s just copies, of copies, of copies just reinforces that idea. Faith is definitely a cool thing but no one uses it in the right way. They all try to shove their beliefs down other people’s throats and that just pushes me away from it even more. As for this life energy, I am a strong believer in the big bang and the Sun is what keeps us alive and keeps us going. Life needs specific things to exist and some form of liquid water and heat energy are two of the major ones. Earth happens to be rotating in the habitable zone of the solar system where we can maintain a surface temperature of around 72 degrees Fahrenheit. If you look at all of the other planets close to us, Venus and Mercury are way too close to the sun whereas the rest of the planets are too far away. There is evidence of water once existing on Mars, but then the atmosphere went to shit and it dried up. There is so much scientific evidence of where we came from its unreal. If you are not a believer in the big bang or evolution just realize how huge and vast the universe is and tell me where God would be. If he’s this all natural being who is full of light and goodness then where is he hiding? The universe is pretty black and cold out there so it seems very unlikely that he’s just chilling out there somewhere in space. It humors me how I see all these so called 'religious people' (mostly hypocrites) who dedicate their life to God and go and try to spread his word and barely enjoying the life they have. It makes me think how they will probably be really upset when they die to find out that all they have been preaching for did not even exist. Oh and something else that I find to believe pretty strongly is that the Bible was made as a control mechanism, all the church does is place fear into people and threaten them that if they do not hold the lord first, and follow their ways, they are going to burn in hell. Sat, 18 Feb 2012 02:52:54 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2012/02/15/voices-from-the-classroom-107/#IDComment295331546 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2012/02/15/voices-from-the-classroom-107/#IDComment295330548 I feel like I'm between both atheist and agnostic views when to comes to God because honestly how can we know what is after death? It is not like someone came back and said 'oh hey here is what it’s like after death,' and I know all of the believers will comment and say how Jesus rose from the dead. It is really hard for me to believe anything in the Bible and the fact that it’s just copies, of copies, of copies just reinforces that idea. Faith is definitely a cool thing but no one uses it in the right way. They all try to shove their beliefs down other people’s throats and that just pushes me away from it even more. As for this life energy, I am a strong believer in the big bang and the Sun is what keeps us alive and keeps us going. Life needs specific things to exist and some form of liquid water and heat energy are two of the major ones. Earth happens to be rotating in the habitable zone of the solar system where we can maintain a surface temperature of around 72 degrees Fahrenheit. If you look at all of the other planets close to us, Venus and Mercury are way too close to the sun whereas the rest of the planets are too far away. There is evidence of water once existing on Mars, but then the atmosphere went to shit and it dried up. There is so much scientific evidence of where we came from its unreal. If you are not a believer in the big bang or evolution just realize how huge and vast the universe is and tell me where God would be. If he’s this all natural being who is full of light and goodness then where is he hiding? The universe is pretty black and cold out there so it seems very unlikely that he’s just chilling out there somewhere in space. It humors me how I see all these so called 'religious people' (mostly hypocrites) who dedicate their life to God and go and try to spread his word and barely enjoying the life they have. It makes me think how they will probably be really upset when they die to find out that all they have been preaching for did not even exist. Oh and something else that I find to believe pretty strongly is that the Bible was made as a control mechanism, all the church does is place fear into people and threaten them that if they do not hold the lord first, and follow their ways, they are going to burn in hell. Sat, 18 Feb 2012 02:51:41 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2012/02/15/voices-from-the-classroom-107/#IDComment295330548 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2012/02/15/voices-from-the-classroom-107/#IDComment295316176 I feel like I'm between both atheist and agnostic views when to comes to God because honestly how can we know what is after death? It is not like someone came back and said 'oh hey here is what it’s like after death,' and I know all of the believers will comment and say how Jesus rose from the dead. It is really hard for me to believe anything in the Bible and the fact that it’s just copies, of copies, of copies just reinforces that idea. Faith is definitely a cool thing but no one uses it in the right way. They all try to shove their beliefs down other people’s throats and that just pushes me away from it even more. As for this life energy, I am a strong believer in the big bang and the Sun is what keeps us alive and keeps us going. Life needs specific things to exist and some form of liquid water and heat energy are two of the major ones. Earth happens to be rotating in the habitable zone of the solar system where we can maintain a surface temperature of around 72 degrees Fahrenheit. If you look at all of the other planets close to us, Venus and Mercury are way too close to the sun whereas the rest of the planets are too far away. There is evidence of water once existing on Mars, but then the atmosphere went to shit and it dried up. There is so much scientific evidence of where we came from its unreal. If you are not a believer in the big bang or evolution just realize how huge and vast the universe is and tell me where God would be. If he’s this all natural being who is full of light and goodness then where is he hiding? The universe is pretty black and cold out there so it seems very unlikely that he’s just chilling out there somewhere in space. It humors me how I see all these so called 'religious people' (mostly hypocrites) who dedicate their life to God and go and try to spread his word and barely enjoying the life they have. It makes me think how they will probably be really upset when they die to find out that all they have been preaching for did not even exist. Oh and something else that I find to believe pretty strongly is that the Bible was made as a control mechanism, all the church does is place fear into people and threaten them that if they do not hold the lord first, and follow their ways, they are going to burn in hell. Sat, 18 Feb 2012 02:29:29 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2012/02/15/voices-from-the-classroom-107/#IDComment295316176 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2012/02/08/voices-from-the-classroom-99/#IDComment289132319 I very much believe that white people shy away from race because were so afraid of offending people. Plus if you say one little thing out of context people will automatically use that and shove it down your throat. In a way it is like they do it one purpose and just wait for you to say something that could be offensive in and way. I personally have been in a situation in high school where my friends sweat pants got stolen (she was on the swim team) and the girl who took them wore them to school one day and my friend demanded them back because they were obviously hers and even said swimming on them. Then the girl who took them (who happened to be black) pulled the race card. We were discussing this event in my art class and I mentioned how "I hate it when people do that," (pull the race card that is) and my teacher misheard me and thought I said that I hated black people and flipped out on me in front of the whole class and there were girls who were threatening to beat me up and shit. Basically, after I straightened things out my art teacher, who was white, said that she assumed all of the people in my high school were racist little brats. I was really offended by that and how she just assumed something about people when she did not even know them. It just made me realize how much more I should just keep my mouth shut to avoid another situation like that because no one wants to be called racist by any means. I also agreed with Sam's statement on how colored people may not be racist but that they can be prejudice. I have been in countless situations where a colored person would say something ignorant about white people and they thing that it is perfectly okay. No one says a word, they just let it go and it is really starting to get annoying. We really do not owe them anything and we cannot be blamed anymore for what our ancestors did, because that really does not affect who we are, but were white, and apparently that makes us bad people. Oh, and that statement that one girl made about white people being evil? That is complete bullshit if anything white people are the ones being attacked by the colored because half the time we do not even say a word to provoke you. So in a way I feel like white people need to start defending themselves and trying to show the colored people that we are not out to get them. That is all I have to say. Fri, 10 Feb 2012 22:06:30 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2012/02/08/voices-from-the-classroom-99/#IDComment289132319 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2012/01/31/voices-from-the-classroom-93/#IDComment283259743 I grew up in an English speaking family and I never really was exposed or understood what it was like to not be able to communicate with someone from another country. In middle school I chose French as my desired language to learn only because everyone loved the teacher and now I regret not picking Spanish since French probably will not be much use to me in the future. I definitely feel that we should let immigrants come into this country freely but only if they do so legally. I thought it was interesting when we watched a video in class about southern farms and how Hispanics were the only ones willing to do the work. These people must have had it really bad in their home country if they left everything to come here and work at an undesirable job, but it shows just how far they are willing to go to support their families and it would not be fair for us to take that away from them. We all know Americans would never want a job picking produce on a farm, so in a way we are hurting our country by deporting them. The data even shows that immigrants are the hardest workers and the fact that we are restricting their entry could hurt us in the long run even though it seems now immigrants are coming here to get an education, and then going back to their home countries. I just feel like the fact that Obama is trying so hard to get rid of illegal immigrants that it’s putting a bad name on us. Who are we to take someone’s freedom away? I mean isn't that what they come here seeking to begin with? It seems like they are paying taxes just like the rest of us without the benefits so who gives a shit? I must say I was surprised to hear that they pay taxes without any benefit to them; I guess it goes to show just how much they really do desire to be here. Even though English is the dominant language I do not feel like the immigrants HAVE to learn our language if they are getting by okay, but I do feel like the current citizens should begin learning Spanish. Not only would it be good for us in our own country, but it will also help us on a global scale since more American workers could communicate with others from another country. I have been on the fence with whether or not I would want to minor in French (since I could probably pick it up again quickly) and now it may be a really good idea because I’ll hopefully be working in a global economy. Sat, 4 Feb 2012 01:19:07 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2012/01/31/voices-from-the-classroom-93/#IDComment283259743 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2012/01/31/voices-from-the-classroom-93/#IDComment283217495 I grew up in an English speaking family and I never really was exposed or understood what it was like to not be able to communicate with someone from another country. In middle school I chose French as my desired language to learn only because everyone loved the teacher and now I regret not picking Spanish since French probably will not be much use to me in the future. I definitely feel that we should let immigrants come into this country freely but only if they do so legally. I thought it was interesting when we watched a video in class about southern farms and how Hispanics were the only ones willing to do the work. These people must have had it really bad in their home country if they left everything to come here and work at an undesirable job, but it shows just how far they are willing to go to support their families and it would not be fair for us to take that away from them. We all know Americans would never want a job picking produce on a farm, so in a way we are hurting our country by deporting them. The data even shows that immigrants are the hardest workers and the fact that we are restricting their entry could hurt us in the long run even though it seems now immigrants are coming here to get an education, and then going back to their home countries. I just feel like the fact that Obama is trying so hard to get rid of illegal immigrants that it’s putting a bad name on us. Who are we to take someone’s freedom away? I mean isn't that what they come here seeking to begin with? It seems like they are paying taxes just like the rest of us without the benefits so who gives a shit? I must say I was surprised to hear that they pay taxes without any benefit to them; I guess it goes to show just how much they really do desire to be here. Even though English is the dominant language I do not feel like the immigrants HAVE to learn our language if they are getting by okay, but I do feel like the current citizens should begin learning Spanish. Not only would it be good for us in our own country, but it will also help us on a global scale since more American workers could communicate with others from another country. I have been on the fence with whether or not I would want to minor in French (since I could probably pick it up again quickly) and now it may be a really good idea because I’ll hopefully be working in a global economy. Sat, 4 Feb 2012 00:14:19 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2012/01/31/voices-from-the-classroom-93/#IDComment283217495 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2012/01/31/voices-from-the-classroom-93/#IDComment283215534 I grew up in an English speaking family and I never really was exposed or understood what it was like to not be able to communicate with someone from another country. In middle school I chose French as my desired language to learn only because everyone loved the teacher and now I regret not picking Spanish since French probably will not be much use to me in the future. I definitely feel that we should let immigrants come into this country freely but only if they do so legally. I thought it was interesting when we watched a video in class about southern farms and how Hispanics were the only ones willing to do the work. These people must have had it really bad in their home country if they left everything to come here and work at an undesirable job, but it shows just how far they are willing to go to support their families and it would not be fair for us to take that away from them. We all know Americans would never want a job picking produce on a farm, so in a way we are hurting our country by deporting them. The data even shows that immigrants are the hardest workers and the fact that we are restricting their entry could hurt us in the long run even though it seems now immigrants are coming here to get an education, and then going back to their home countries. I just feel like the fact that Obama is trying so hard to get rid of illegal immigrants that it’s putting a bad name on us. Who are we to take someone’s freedom away? I mean isn't that what they come here seeking to begin with? It seems like they are paying taxes just like the rest of us without the benefits so who gives a shit? I must say I was surprised to hear that they pay taxes without any benefit to them; I guess it goes to show just how much they really do desire to be here. Even though English is the dominant language I do not feel like the immigrants HAVE to learn our language if they are getting by okay, but I do feel like the current citizens should begin learning Spanish. Not only would it be good for us in our own country, but it will also help us on a global scale since more American workers could communicate with others from another country. I have been on the fence with whether or not I would want to minor in French (since I could probably pick it up again quickly) and now it may be a really good idea because I’ll hopefully be working in a global economy. Sat, 4 Feb 2012 00:11:27 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2012/01/31/voices-from-the-classroom-93/#IDComment283215534 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2012/01/26/voices-from-the-classroom-92/#IDComment276395033 My whole family went to Penn State which affected my decision to come here and they all loved Joe. I never really heard much about him other than the fact that he was a great coach and everybody loved him. It angers me when students come to Penn State and they immediately have this undying love for him. I mean seriously you do not even know the guy and you are throwing yourself at him like it is no big deal. It is pretty fucking annoying how they all jump on the bandwagon without even really thinking about why they 'love' him. I understand that he did a lot for this university and is a known legend but can I say I 'love' him, or have any sort of loyalty to him? No. If anything the only people who have a right to say they unconditionally love him and that he was one of the greatest men on this Earth is his family, coworkers, and the players he coached. They learned a lot of great lessons from him directly whereas we just hear about it and basically jizz everywhere. About the whole scandal in November, I definitely think that he had every reason to be let go because he was an icon that the whole world respected, and to have that happen right under his nose is just an embarrassment to the whole university. Especially since most of the student body seems to ignore that little detail. Yeah he did what he 'legally' was supposed to do, but what does that say about the victims? No one seems to give a shit about them as long as Joe was couch. I will give him some respect on the fact that he did admit he was wrong and wish he did more but that does not excuse anything. I would say what I learned from this is how people tend to ignore something so horrible when it comes to someone they love and trust so much. Like Sam mentioned in class how that study was done on George Bush and John Kerry fans where they said all these horrible things that their candidate’s said that were known facts and so controversial yet they still supported them. It really is the pulling of those invisible strings and how we all tend to follow the crowd and refuse to admit when we are wrong. I know most of the things I said many of you will not agree on but seriously ask yourself why Joe Pa means so much to you. If I had met the man personally my thoughts may have been different but how can I rely on what other people say? Sat, 28 Jan 2012 01:08:43 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2012/01/26/voices-from-the-classroom-92/#IDComment276395033 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2012/01/16/voices-from-the-classroom-33/#IDComment269900072 Personally I have always been told to identify myself as white and I grew up in an area that is at least 80-85% white. I've lived in different parts of the country and have been exposed to different cultures of people at a very young age whereas most of my friends only knew Beaver County. So it was kind of interesting to see their reaction when they were put in a different environment that was out of there comfort zone. I defiantly believe diversity is important but it can also be used to the minority's advantage. For example I know that when I am applying to college and am asked what my ethnicity is in my head I think if I was black or Hispanic I would have a much better chance of getting into this university. It seems as if we are trying so hard not to be racist that we give minorities a leg up over white people whether they are more qualified or not. When I'm walking around campus I see that different races tend to stay in clicks and keep to themselves. It’s like they are afraid to branch out because they are more comfortable with people who are similar to them which makes sense in a lot of ways because no one gets drawn towards a person who is very different from them. I know if I immigrated here from a different country I would not feel like I fit in with the natives and would want to be around people who had a similar upbringing as I did. In a way I feel like it’s almost impossible to identify ourselves completely because our blood branches out to many different parts of the world and it’s hard to group people who may have a similar aspect yet are different in so many ways. The U.S. census wants us to group ourselves according to their standards and I really do not think that is legitimate or even necessary. I thought it was interesting how Arabs were told to identify as white when they are a completely different group of people and I see why they are so desperate to get there voice out there but in the end I think, what is the point of knowing how ethnically diverse we are? We are all human beings and I think that is enough in itself. Knowing your ancestral background is important though because everyone wants to know who they are and where they came from but why do we need to share that with the world? Just be proud of whom you are and live your life the way you want to. Like Sam says, were all going to die anyways. Fri, 20 Jan 2012 21:20:55 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2012/01/16/voices-from-the-classroom-33/#IDComment269900072 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2012/01/16/voices-from-the-classroom-33/#IDComment269893673 Personally I have always been told to identify myself as white and I grew up in an area that is at least 80-85% white. I've lived in different parts of the country and have been exposed to different cultures of people at a very young age whereas most of my friends only knew Beaver County. So it was kind of interesting to see their reaction when they were put in a different environment that was out of there comfort zone. I defiantly believe diversity is important but it can also be used to the minority's advantage. For example I know that when I am applying to college and am asked what my ethnicity is in my head I think if I was black or Hispanic I would have a much better chance of getting into this university. It seems as if we are trying so hard not to be racist that we give minorities a leg up over white people whether they are more qualified or not. When I'm walking around campus I see that different races tend to stay in clicks and keep to themselves. It’s like they are afraid to branch out because they are more comfortable with people who are similar to them which makes sense in a lot of ways because no one gets drawn towards a person who is very different from them. I know if I immigrated here from a different country I would not feel like I fit in with the natives and would want to be around people who had a similar upbringing as I did. In a way I feel like it’s almost impossible to identify ourselves completely because our blood branches out to many different parts of the world and it’s hard to group people who may have a similar aspect yet are different in so many ways. The U.S. census wants us to group ourselves according to their standards and I really do not think that is legitimate or even necessary. I thought it was interesting how Arabs were told to identify as white when they are a completely different group of people and I see why they are so desperate to get there voice out there but in the end I think, what is the point of knowing how ethnically diverse we are? We are all human beings and I think that is enough in itself. Knowing your ancestral background is important though because everyone wants to know who they are and where they came from but why do we need to share that with the world? Just be proud of who you are and live your life the way you want to. Like Sam says, were all going to die anyways. Fri, 20 Jan 2012 21:09:36 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2012/01/16/voices-from-the-classroom-33/#IDComment269893673