I’m from Boston, and it was honestly so awesome to hear what Maziar had to say. There has been so much tension between our countries, and to hear that they were thinking of us and praying for us was such a great sentiment. Innocent people die in bombings everyday in his country, and even when it comes at the hands of our soldiers, we never really feel bad. In fact, a lot of Americans are happy when those things happen, as evidenced by the tweets Sam showed us in class that day. Yet, when there is a bombing in our country, Maziar really felt for us and made sure to tell us how sorry he was. It’s funny how we think of them as the bad guys and then behave the way we do in situations like that compared to how they act.

Maziar’s comments and the rest of that lecture really sunk in for me with the events of the past few days. The first (supposed) suspect was a Saudi Arabian, and everyone was so quick to jump to conclusions and just assume it was him because he is a middle Easterner and there was a terrorist attack. I think if you don’t have any Muslim friends, it’s easy to make those stereotypically conclusions. One of my friends was saying “of course he did it, he’s an Arab!”, and I didn’t necessarily disagree. Yet, when the truth came out that the real perpetrators were Russian, it was a lot different. That same friend and I were texting while watching the news coverage, while one of the suspect’s former classmates was talking about her disbelief that he could be a terrorist, when my friend said “I’m sorry, but if the person on the FBI’s poster looks like someone you know, and that someone is from Russia, you call the police.” One of my very best friends was born in Russia, and I can vouch for her being a terrific, upstanding citizen. So, I staunchly defended Russia, and said that those terrorists’ national origin had nothing to do with their actions. They are sick people, just like the extremists who commit any terrorist attack. I couldn’t help but wonder why I was so quick to defend Russians from unfair stereotypes but couldn’t defend Muslims in the same way. I realized it is because of my friend, because I have personal ties to that country and nationality in a way I do not with Muslims. I think what Maziar did changed that for me a little bit. Muslims were kind of a foreign, suspicious people to me before this, but I know Maziar spoke from the heart, and he really emphasized that his friends all share his sentiments. He seriously convinced me that all Muslims aren’t like those few terrorists on September 11, and that they do deserve to be welcomed and defended here. So I respect Maziar a lot, and as a Bostonian who came very close to losing loved ones that day, I am really thankful to him for his kind words.

I think I may have felt worse for Tammy had she been a Native American. I think her situation was sad, and she certainly was working hard to make money and support her family. Whenever I see or hear about a poor person, I wonder if it is due to circumstances beyond his or her control, or if it is due to a lack of effort. For example, I do not blame Native Americans for their poverty because they were forced into that situation. Tammy was born into a family of 22 children, so similarly to Native Americans, she probably did not have the money nor the opportunity to make a better life for herself. I sympathize with Tammy, and I respect that she works hard and does not want to take handouts from the government. However, I did lose a lot of respect for Tammy when she was criticizing her son for wanting a better life. She was annoyed that he tried to dress well, and seemed to scoff at his plan to get into community college, which is a completely reasonable plan for his life. Going to community college and finding a career beats working at Burger King, and I think she was jealous that her son had bigger plans for his life. Obviously we do not know from that short video how Tammy’s life got to that point, but perhaps if she had had the same ambition as her son when she was his age, she would not be walking 10 miles to a job at Burger King everyday. I thought her jealousy spoke volumes, and made me lose a lot of sympathy for her. Native Americans, on the other hand, are stuck in a terrible situation. I do not know enough about it to understand why it is so difficult for them to get out of poverty, but assume it probably has something to do with poor education. Their communities are totally impoverished, and their entire race is apparently discriminated against as well. Personally, I do not feel terrible for the Native Americans because the people who settled the United States stole their land. It was during a time where conquering new lands was common, and people all over the world were in the same situation as them. However, they were forced to move onto the worst land in the country, and for some reason they are still stuck in that situation today. I think that there is a lot of opportunity out there for white people like Tammy, and while I respect how hard she works, I think that if she had taken a different route she could have done better for herself. Native Americans, though, I think we need to help. They need more opportunity. There is no modern industry on their reservations, and their education is obviously lacking. So, for these reasons I would sympathize more with Tammy is she were Native American.

Everytime I hear about the United States giving aid to another country I wonder this exact thing. Why are we giving away money to other countries when so many people are struggling to make ends meet in our own country? This lecture made me question it even more. Obviously I knew there are poor people in the United States, but I had no idea that there were Native Americans living off $1500 a year like those on Pine Ridge. If I had to live on my own without my parents support, I doubt $1500 would last me a month given my current lifestyle. It is unbelievable that there are people living under those circumstances, who are in that situation because the past leaders of our country put them there, and that we do so little to help them.

I do not think that white people should feel guilty for the plight of Native Americans, though. I didn’t banish them to reservations, and neither did my ancestors. In fact, my family members came over from Ireland and Syria within the last 100 or so years, long after the harsh treatment of Native Americans. However, just because we didn’t put them there doesn’t mean we shouldn’t help them. I will never understand why Americans don’t bat an eyelash when we give millions of dollars to Haiti as aid, but fight so hard against giving “handouts” to the poor people in our own country. We have this idea that poor people in the United States are poor because they are lazy. How could they not find a way to make money in a country with so many opportunities? I am as guilty of these thoughts as anyone else. However, these Native Americans have no choice. They barely make enough money to eat, nevermind to support themselves outside of their reservations. I’m sure their schools are pathetic. Universities have quotas for Native Americans, but from what I have witnessed, most of the students they accept are something like 5% Native American and come from well-off families; they aren’t exactly doing anything to help bring Native Americans out of poverty. It makes so much more sense to start investing the money we spend in other countries (or on other frivolous endeavors) on our own struggling people. Give money to school systems in poor areas. Build facilities where impoverished youths can go to spend their time in constructive ways, like playing sports, making artwork, or taking classes. Widespread programs like that could help to break the cycle of dangerous behavior that prevents children born into poverty from overcoming it. Improving their school systems could also make Native Americans and other poor kids more competitive when applying to college, which would help them get scholarships to pay for it and would eliminate the need for affirmative action. The point is, if we spent our money wisely helping people in our own country, rather than giving aid to other countries or giving unnecessary amounts of food stamps to people not truly in need, and invested more in our own future, we could actually help break the cycle of poverty.

Nepotism is without a doubt more socially acceptable than affirmative action. However, in my opinion there is definitely somewhat of a negative connotation associated with nepotism as well. I think if you know that one of your coworkers is the child or family member of the boss, for instance, you probably do not take that person as seriously. You probably assume that he or she only got the job for that reason, and consider yourself and other coworkers more competent. As a white female with several family members who own businesses, I have definitely benefited from nepotism in my life. One such example is my high school and summer job, which is working at a company owned by my uncle. I never felt badly about myself for taking the job, because it was a position that had previously only been held by other high school students, so I was just as qualified as everyone else. In addition to that, I have proven myself capable enough that my uncle has given me a lot more responsibility than I had when I started six years ago. However, despite the fact that I consider myself qualified and believe that I am an important staff member, when I go on interviews now I do not make it known that my uncle owns the company for which I work, because I feel like it will somehow take away from my accomplishments and responsibilities. That is because of the negativity surrounding nepotism.

While nepotism may seem to detract from someone’s credibility, I think affirmative action definitely garners more negativity in our society. I think it has a lot to do with how much stock everyone puts into networking. People always say, “it’s not what you know but who you know” when it comes to getting a job. If you get a job because you are related to the owner or a family member knows someone in power, it often can be written off as networking, despite the fact that actual networking takes effort and work while nepotism does not. Affirmative action, though, openly does not require you to know anyone or to network. You get the job or the advantage because you are an under-represented minority. Another reason nepotism may be more acceptable would be genetics and how you grew up. For instance, if your father is an intelligent, successful businessman, it stands to reason that you may have inherited his smarts and learned business tactics from him. So, it would make sense for an employer who knows your father and can attest to how qualified he is to take a chance on you. The same cannot be said for affirmative action, unless a certain race or gender is proven to be more qualified for that specific job. In a perfect world, nepotism and affirmative action both would only be used as a deciding factor between equally qualified candidates, rather than something which substitutes for actual credentials.

I was not surprised at all when we were shown the income graphs in class the other day. I think it is a well-known fact that there is a very unequal distribution of wealth in this country. I personally do not have a problem with that distribution, and I am 100% against the ideas of socialism.

It is easy to look at those graphs and to be shocked and disgusted that the lower 40% of citizens in this country have so little while the top 20% of people have so much. However, the distribution exists that way for a reason, and that is because our country was founded on the principles of capitalism. Capitalism inherently requires competition. Competition requires hard work, responsibility, and sacrifice. People who have money have it for a reason. Some people get educated and then work hard to get good jobs. Other people, like Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, and Mark Zuckerberg, have an idea or a business that takes off and makes them millions. Some people are born into money, but that usually means someone somewhere in their family line worked hard for it. Some people are just lucky, like reality stars who are paid millions to basically do nothing. Nevertheless, these are the things that make the United States what it is. Good or bad, it is the country we live in and revere. In my opinion, anyone who claims to be a proud American yet also wishes to live in a country where everyone has an equal share of the wealth is delusional.

If everyone had an equal share of the wealth, we would have nothing to aspire to or dream about. If, at the end of the day, we would all make the same amount of money, why would I waste my time going to college and grad school to get a high-powered, demanding job when I could be working a simple job like scooping ice cream or ringing up customers at Wal-Mart. Additionally, we would have money in the hands of people who simply don’t deserve to have it. Some poor people are poor because they squandered their money away with bad habits like gambling, drugs, and drinking. Sometimes those people need to hit rock bottom to get help. Putting money in their hands would accomplish nothing.

Our current income distribution may perpetuate poverty, but a socialist society would only breed complacency and laziness. It would create a society that is fundamentally un-American. Of course something should be done about the severity of the wealth gap and terrible conditions the extremely impoverished are facing. However, taking money from the rich to give to the poor is probably not the end-all, be-all answer in this country.

If I woke up this morning and all the TV programs, newspapers, and internet sources were reporting that God no longer exists, I would not just stop believing. I grew up believing in God, not only because my parents and teachers told me to, but because I have seen things happen in my life that have made me believe. My beliefs are not based on what other people say or claim to be true. So, if the media reported that God was not real, I would not just take that at face value. After all, it wouldn’t be the first time the media was wrong about something.

I’m sure I wouldn’t be the only person to maintain my beliefs. For a lot of people, religion is something we have because we’re told to. But, for most people, even those who aren’t religious, faith is something more. It is something inexplicable that we feel because of circumstances that have made us sure there is a God. I have seen and heard about the power of prayer firsthand. I have no steadfast proof that there is a God, but I sincerely doubt that anyone could ever come up with any proof that there is not a God either.

If all of a sudden, everyone else decided there was no God, I would probably question my beliefs. However, that would be a decision I would ultimately come to on my own. I do not think I would change my beliefs, because prayer is something that comforts me. When I have a big decision to make, praying helps me figure it out. If I had to make a decision whether to believe there is no God, praying on it would seem futile, because if there is no God, what am I praying for?

However, if I did decide to stop believing in God, I don’t think my life would change drastically. I would probably be lost and confused. I would feel more alone when making decisions, and would wonder what the purpose of life was. I would wonder if I wasted fourteen years of my life in Catholic school and every Sunday of my life at church for nothing. However, I don’t think the type of person I am would change. I don’t act morally just to get to heaven or to please God; I do so because it’s the way I choose to live my life for my own wellbeing. I would still strive to be my best. I would still study; I would still treat people with respect. I would still try to help my community, and I would still want to dedicate my life to helping people. I would eventually realize that even though there is no God, the spiritual community I grew up in was not for nothing. I made friends, met my mentor, and got involved in charitable work through my church. I learned morals and good values at my Catholic schools. Life wouldn’t be totally empty, but it would be different. Ultimately, I don’t think I would change my beliefs all that much if I woke up tomorrow to find there is supposedly no God.

I was very proud of the girl from Iran standing up and defending herself and her country. Americans have a tendency to make very negative generalizations about people from the Middle East, and it is something that definitely needs to be talked about more often. The terrorist attacks of September 11 were orchestrated by a radical group of Muslims; most Muslims and Middle Easterners are not like that at all, but are peaceful, God-fearing people. Because of the past few decades, the governments of Iran and the United States do not get along. That does not mean that all of the people of Iran hate the United States. Fearing and judging the Iranians and other Middle Easterners in the United States really makes no sense. Why would these people give up their lives and leave behind their families and friends to come to the United States if they hated Americans and our country?

I think her statements put a whole new spin on the discussion we were having in class. We were talking about putting ourselves in the shoes of soldiers and civilians on the other side of the war, and having empathy for them. We talked about all of the people of the Middle East as if they were the enemy. The Iranian girl made a very good point when she said the people of Iran do not hate Americans. The problem is that the people of Iran do not have a voice. The enemies of the United States, radical Muslims and the Iranian government, speak for them by dominating the stories told in the media. Many of the people of Iran have been allies to our soldiers, and so it is not difficult to have empathy for them.

It upset me when she said that she tells people she meets that she is Persian rather than Iranian. I can somewhat relate to her. I am 50% Syrian, and sometimes it is hard for me to be proud of that given all the turmoil happening there right now. It hurts to hear people talk about the country and its people in such a negative way when my own grandmother, the sweetest woman and proudest American I know, was born and raised there. I’m sure for the Iranian girl and other international students or immigrants from the Middle East, those feelings are even worse. The negative stereotypes Americans have about Middle Easterners stem from the negative stories we so often hear. The only way to change that is to hear positive stories and testimonies, like what she did in class. I hope she continues to speak up for herself the way she did on Thursday because more people need to hear what she has to say.

I think people are judged by their appearance all the time. When I see how someone is dressed or how his or her hair is styled, I immediately and naturally make assumptions. For me, those assumptions usually don’t have anything to do with race. In my experience, I don’t think white people or black people dress a certain way. Everyday I see white people who dress preppy, who dress like hipsters, and who dress like slobs. I see the same thing with blacks, Asians, Arabs, etc. I had never heard the term “white black person” before this class. I think whites are associated with dressing nice in preppy clothing, while black people are associated with pants falling down to their ankles and chains around their neck. That seems strange to me, because just looking around this campus I see tons of black guys wearing polo shirts and an unfortunate number of white guys with low-riding pants. I wouldn’t look at a black guy in a sweater and say “oh, you’re white.” Nor do I look at white celebrities like Justin Bieber with chains around their necks and think “oh, you’re black.” Race doesn’t define how people dress, and it also does not define how they act.

There are so many stereotypes out there about different races: white people are stupid, black girls are loud, and Asians are good at math. The color of your skin doesn’t decide your personality. I’m a white girl who does excellent in school. I have an Asian friend who failed high school calculus and a black cousin who barely speaks. None of us fit the stereotypes often assigned to us because of our races, yet that doesn’t make me any less white, or them any less Asian or black. Obviously there are plenty of people who act like the stereotype of their race; that is why the stereotype exists. Listening to some of the black students in class answer Sam’s questions, though, it seems like a lot of them dress, act, and talk a certain way because they feel like it is what they are supposed to do. It seems like they are insulted when someone calls them a “white black guy” or a “white black girl”, and they have every right to be. They are black, and they deserve to be proud of that. That’s their heritage and history. I think if people dressed and acted the way they wanted to instead of the way people expected them to, appearance wouldn’t be such a big factor in race.

I believe that atheism is so frowned upon in this country because people inherently do not trust atheists. Most people in the world believe in some God, and the majority believes in the same God. This belief is the fundamental basis of many people’s lives. Therefore, whether we realize it or not, believing in God unites people of all different cultures. Of course, some people dislike people of other religions; Jews have been persecuted many times throughout history, Protestants and Catholics bitterly fought in Ireland and Northern Ireland, and many Americans distrust Muslims. These feuds arise simply because of differences in how the groups worship the same God. So, it makes sense that the common enemy of all religious people would be the group that doesn’t worship any God at all, atheists.

The stigma associated with atheism, in my opinion, will never go away. Religion is not something that most people choose. For me and most other people, religion is inherited from family members. We believe what our parents believe, who believe what their parents do, and so on. This means we may never know the reasons we believe the things we do. I think that is why belief in God is so fundamental and crucial to most people. It is one of the few things we just believe without needing a reason. We just trust that there is a reason we believe it. I didn’t see Jesus rise from the dead or perform any of the other miracles the Bible says he did, but I believe it anyway. I trust that there is a God, as do most of the other 7 billion people in the world. Atheists are such a minority that it seems like they just must be wrong.

Additionally, for many people, religion and lifestyle go hand-in-hand. For instance, I went to Catholic school for 14 years, and over half the time I spent in religion class involved talking about morality. I was taught that it is important to be moral and to treat people with respect because that is what God wants. If you do what God wants, you go to heaven. That is what any person who believes in God has always been taught. Atheists don’t have that higher being telling them right from wrong. They don’t answer to anybody or care about getting to heaven. Of course, that doesn’t mean they are all horrible people or can’t tell right from wrong. In fact, many atheists are probably better people than some God-fearing people. On top of that, they probably do the right thing for the sake of doing the right thing, not just to please God and get to heaven like some religious people. The mistrust of atheists may not be sensible, but it is a reality for reasons that make perfect sense.

I believe that the media is primarily responsible for so many Americans initially believing that President Obama is a Muslim, but that racism and political affiliations perpetuated those thoughts long after his Christianity was confirmed. When he first entered the 2008 presidential race, there were a lot of questions surrounding him, including whether he was truly born in the United States and what his religious affiliation is. His unusual name, primarily his middle name Hussein, certainly sounds like it has an origin in a traditionally Muslim country, so it was not a stretch for the media and all Americans to think he may be of Muslim faith.

Unfortunately, due to September 11 and the war in the Middle East, the Muslim faith is often associated with terrorism and the enemy. For those who did not support Obama, calling him a Muslim thus became a way to discredit him. Disdain towards Muslims did not seem like racism so much as patriotism, though, because the United States was and is entrenched in a war against people of Muslim faith (despite the fact that some US soldiers are also Muslim). The problem was that many people rely too heavily on biased media outlets for facts about presidential candidates. Often times, people will hear one “fact” and believe it forever. With President Obama’s faith, I believe that may have been the case. Republicans watching Fox News may have heard it and chosen to believe it because it justified their dislike for him. Muslims may have heard it and had another reason to vote for him. People who do not focus at all on religion when making a decision may have heard he is Muslim and not cared enough to look for the truth, therefore still believing it to be true. Personally, I believed for a long time that President Obama was Muslim, because it is what I always heard. It was more than halfway into his first term that I found out he was actually Christian. Because it was not an important issue to me, I never really thought about it nor took the time to look for the truth.

The lesson to take from the fact that many Americans think, whether willfully or mistakenly, that President Obama is Muslim is that the media can warp people’s perceptions of the truth, so it is important to take everything with a grain of salt. If an issue is important to you when voting, find the real truth. Watch Fox News and CNN. Read Republican, Democratic, and Independent publications. Research a candidate’s history in the political system, and figure out which way he or she really leans based on actions, not words. It is a shame that people doubt President Obama’s religious affiliation when there are hundreds of more important issues to be concerned with. It would be even worse, though, if such misinformation spewed by the media about something so trivial has actually altered voter’s decisions.