en-us https://www.intensedebate.com/users/2403682 Comments by DENOVER7 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/19/would-you-hire-illegal-immigrants-over-legal-residents-for-less-pay-119-blog/#IDComment144366478 If I was a business owner in the United States and was given the opportunity to hire illegal immigrants to work at a lower wage instead of hiring a legal resident of the United States I would definitely not hire the illegal citizens and make sure that all of my employees are legal citizens. Personally, I am not one of the people that believe everyone in the United States, other than people of Native American and African American descent, is technically an illegal immigrant. I understand that there is proof that we are all here illegally but for some reason I still refuse to believe it. In the situation where I am a business owner in the United States, I would feel obligated to hire only legal residents of the country because I want to help my country as much as possible, whether that means hiring five legal citizens of the United States or hiring a few thousand legal citizens of the United States. Our country has been struggling with unemployment for a while now and by me giving job to illegal immigrants I am doing nothing to help with the issue. I would expect the same treatment from people in foreign countries if I was in their country illegally and I was looking for a job. Also, by me hiring illegal immigrants to work for my company solely because I would like to save money I am essentially breaking the law because I am aware of my employees’ illegal citizenship status and proceeded to hire them. The video that we watch in class of the man pretty much screaming into the camera was funny because it is a typical youtube video and the man seemed to have a few screws loose but what he was saying seemed to make sense. People that are in the United States of America illegally are not on the same plying ground as legal citizens. I believe that illegal immigrants should not be allowed to work in the United States simply because they broke they are attempting to work in a country where they are not a legal citizen. I am not one of those people that are preaching about illegal immigrants stealing jobs from hard working Americans because let’s be honest, illegal immigrants are willing to do a lot of jobs that legal American citizens are not willing to do, but I am torn between the two sides. I do not think that illegal immigrants should be employed in the United States because they are illegal but because we have allowed so many illegal immigrants to become employed in our country we have in a way become dependent on their services, as we saw with the peach packaging example. I am not sure how we can move away from our current illegal immigrant issue as we were told that to control this problem we would need to use a sum of money that we do not have. Wed, 20 Apr 2011 01:21:40 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/19/would-you-hire-illegal-immigrants-over-legal-residents-for-less-pay-119-blog/#IDComment144366478 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/07/do-you-agree-with-foreign-aids-use-of-pictures-of-children-119-blog/#IDComment142051538 Every time I see commercials that display pictures of impoverished children and ask for donations to help feed the children I cannot help but to feel bad. My initial reaction is that it is not fair that some people have so much and others have so little. I believe that these commercials are the wrong way to go about seeking help for these people as most people see these picture an have an instantaneous feeling of guilt, but what the commercials should be attempting to do is inspire people, letting them know that with their help these people can live better lives. As we have heard plenty of times, the people of Haiti do not want Americans to feel bad for them and the situation that they are currently in but they want us to show that we care about fellow human beings that are currently going through a tough time. Instead of the commercials showing pictures of impoverished children and straw huts with dirt floors the commercials should show how these people are doing what they can to better their situation but simply need expertise of other people that are more experienced in the given field of work. Everyone needs to see that these people are not just sitting around feeling sorry for themselves but are working hard, incredibly hard, to do everything that they can to feed their family and have a place to live. The Haiti project that we are currently working on in our groups is a perfect example of what we need to do for these people but do not do enough of. From what I have seen everyone is inspired to come up with an idea for how we could help everyone that is suffering because everyone understands that their idea could be what helps millions of people. When organizations simply ask for money and nothing else it is somewhat of a turn-off because how are we supposed to know that our donation is going toward something that we would approve of and people want to see that their money is making a difference. Unless you donate a large sum of money it is safe to say that you will have basically no control over where your money is going but will instead but assured that it is going toward whichever area is in most need of funds. With the Haiti project we are all given the chance to produce our own ideas focusing on whichever area we wish to help. We have been told numerous times that the number one need for the people of Haiti is not financial support but instead ideas and expertise, things that cannot be purchased but only given through time and effort. Tue, 12 Apr 2011 00:57:49 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/07/do-you-agree-with-foreign-aids-use-of-pictures-of-children-119-blog/#IDComment142051538 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/05/did-putting-yourself-in-the-shoes-of-the-middle-easterners-change-your-views-on-the-war-in-iraq-119-blog/#IDComment140316088 When Sam told us that we would be putting ourselves in the shoes of the Middle Easterners for the entirety of the class I instantly thought that it was great idea because I have never looked at the war from the perspective of someone other than myself and I assume most people in our class were the same way. Initially my views of Middle Easterners were fairly biased and my only education of the war came from what the media chose to show and tell us. When we started going through pictures of the Middle East I initially looked at the picture as an American and really did not think much of the images because we have all seen so many pictures of people from the Middle East and towns that had been bombed by Americans, but when I told myself to think as a Middle Easterner I became quite angry and realized that was is being done is so very wrong. Looking at the destroyed buildings as my buildings and the pulverized car as my own car I begin to see why people from the Middle East might think that all Americans (Christians) are cruel people. My view changed from being basically anti-Middle East to sympathizing with their situation. The media continually tells us that the war in Iraq is not a fight over oil but after seeing the videos in class today I realize that we have been fed lies since the start of the war. If I was a Middle Easterner I would assume that all Americans are bad people, but my assumptions are based off of the interactions with the only Americans that I have met: U.S. soldiers. You cannot blame these people for thinking that we are bad if all they see is our people destroying their homeland without any care for the people of those countries. Every picture and video that we watched had two completely different sides, the American side and the non-American side. As Americans we are told to support the decisions of our government and that everything we do is intended to better our lives if not the lives of most people in the world. The war that we are currently involved in seems to be over an issue that were not originally told was the problem, oil. My concluding thought from class was that I should no longer assume that what the media or government tell us to be true is actually the complete truth. Also, I have decided to longer take a side on global issues until I am somewhat educated on the topic from more than one perspective. I saw the war as a good thing because I believed that we were defending our country and in some way helping the people of the Middle East break from their radical leaders but now that we were given a different view of the war I see it as more of something that we chose to take part in because we needed something that some one else had and that we are willing to take this good by force even if it means that innocent lives will be lost because of it. Wed, 6 Apr 2011 01:56:03 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/05/did-putting-yourself-in-the-shoes-of-the-middle-easterners-change-your-views-on-the-war-in-iraq-119-blog/#IDComment140316088 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/22/would-you-point-out-the-people-of-your-own-race-who-make-racial-slurs-or-prejudice-comments-119-blog/#IDComment138370931 I would have no problem calling out someone of my own race who has made a racial slur or prejudice comment. There are too many people in the world today that believe that they can openly express their feelings toward other people in public, even if what they say obviously offends someone. Once we reach the age where we know the implications of our actions and words we no longer have an excuse to cover up what we have said. The problem is that most other people would not feel the need to confront someone of their own race and make them realize that what they have just said is offensive to some people. I also would feel very uncomfortable confronting someone of a different race about a comment that they made and would more than likely not say anything to them but in my head really wish that I could say something. For some reason I would kind of feel wrong or out of place if I happened to confront someone of a different race about something that they did. I don’t know why but I feel that the interaction of correcting someone should occur between two people of the same race unless the person doing the correcting is someone of the humanitarian stage. The practice of calling people out for their comments is something that needs to become more common because it is simple and a good way for every individual to begin the battle with racism. As humans we all learn from each other and the power of seeing someone step up and do something that others were not willing to do stays with you for a long time and will more than likely lead to you stepping up and doing something the next time you are in the presence of someone that makes a discrimination comment. This domino effect will continue and more people will feel that they should step up and say something. For actually confronting someone I would approach the situation in a non-argumentative manner as I believe that if you come in too strong with your words you are asking for trouble and someone that is willing to make racial slurs in public probably does not have any problem with also throwing a punch. The reason that Sam is able to say so many outrageous things in class and get away with it is because he always does it jokingly but also is never looking to argue with the person but instead state the facts and plead his case. Most of the time people that say offensive things are simply uneducated on the specific topic that they are discussing and unfortunately say something that other people may find offensive. By confronting this person and correcting their mistake we are not only educating that person but also making it slightly easier for everyone else to do the same thing and confront someone else. Tue, 29 Mar 2011 14:34:05 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/22/would-you-point-out-the-people-of-your-own-race-who-make-racial-slurs-or-prejudice-comments-119-blog/#IDComment138370931 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/18/where-do-the-messages-come-from-119-blog/#IDComment136603788 When Sam showed the video in class it was the first time that I had seen it and it was disturbing to watch children that have only been alive for a few years relate black skin as being bad and evil, while white skin is good and safe. There is no one specific answer pertaining to where these messages come from which is why they still exist and children of all races and socioeconomic class continue to believe at a young age that black is bad and white is good. These messages are all around us in every day life and if we pay close attention we can sometimes pick up on these misleading beliefs. In class we discussed the possibility of the media being the main reason for children believing that there is a correlation between skin color and general behavior. Sam seemed to not completely believe that it was directly the media’s fault for implanting these messages in the minds of young people, and I agree with his beliefs to a certain extent. The media does tend to typically display white people as being good and black people as being bad, which we all know is not an accurate depiction of the way things actually are. When someone presented the media as a possible reason for why children have these beliefs I knew right away that Sam was not going to let that fly and he was going to turn it in some other direction. I agreed with Sam when he said that we cannot place all of the blame directly on the media because first of all the media does not control what happens in the world so there is some truth to what they say and show but furthermore the person who is in charge of what content is actually shown to the public is biased in some sense. I am not saying that the people that run the media are racist but everyone is biased in some way just because of the way they were brought up in comparison to everyone else. I do believe that the media plays some part in how these messages are being transmitted to children but it should not be given all of the blame. I believe that everyday life and our elders play a bigger role than the media. Starting at an incredibly young age we realize that everyone in the world does not look like every other person and for some reason we are led to believe that these differences in physical appearance translate to differences in personality and attitude. Whoever helped raise you as a child also played some role in placing beliefs concerning race in our minds and we will continue to pass whatever we learned onto our children, whether we know it or not. The process is never ending and it is difficult to see children that haven’t even reached their fifth birthday already thinking that the color of their skin defines who they are as a person. Tue, 22 Mar 2011 00:04:58 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/18/where-do-the-messages-come-from-119-blog/#IDComment136603788 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/15/have-you-ever-felt-guilt-from-being-of-a-certain-race-119-blog/#IDComment135699757 Until Sam began talking about the advantages that white people receive and do not notice I was unaware of the special privilege that I received. Being white, I did not realize how my skin color played such a major role in my everyday life. It is difficult to feel that pain that other races must go through if you are not of that race, but Sam did a good job of portraying the struggles that most other races deal with all of the time. After seeing what it was like for people that are not white to be out in public I began to feel guilty for being white and receiving different treatment solely because of the color of my skin. I say that I feel guilty for being white but what I really mean is that I feel guilty of how other people are being treated. There is no reason for anyone to ever feel guilty for being born a certain way. In the world today, there is so much latent prejudice that occurs that we have become accustomed to hearing these things and do not even realize how these comments are offensive to people that are not white. No one that is white can every truly understand how it is to be a minority if they are not actually a minority. Everyone, including myself, automatically alters what he or she say or think based off of someone’s appearance or race. It is not anyone’s fault that we act this way because it occurs without us wanting it to happen. As same was saying in class today, when we hear someone speak and know that they are gay or black or any minority, we will continue to associate that label with this person without knowing it. White people never realize the advantages that they were given because we just assume that we were given what we have just because that’s how it is and everyone receives the same treatment. It is difficult for me to say that white people are at fault for this happening because unless we are the one discriminating we are really not at fault. Can we say that it is unfair for white people to be white? No, but you can say that the way that non-white people are treated is wrong. Everything comes back to people of different races needing to realize how similar everyone actually is. Although we may look different or act differently that does not mean that we cannot get along or share certain interests. The video clip that was played in class a few weeks ago dealing with the discrimination that Muslims deal with is a good example of how some people are simply uneducated on the amount of similarities that every human shares. Some people believe that the way someone dresses or the way they talk automatically places them into a certain category. Thu, 17 Mar 2011 23:11:45 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/15/have-you-ever-felt-guilt-from-being-of-a-certain-race-119-blog/#IDComment135699757 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/02/do-people-feel-guilt-about-their-current-positions-when-knowing-about-the-disadvantages-of-the-freed-slaves-119-blog/#IDComment134040784 Although slavery ended over two hundred years ago in the United States, people continue to suffer and be mistreated. Slavery has caused African Americans to be continually place on a lower tier than Americans of the white race. I am not sure if the best thing for today’s white Americans is to feel guilty for the previously enslaved African Americans. Of course we cannot just forget about the awful treatment that was given to slaves, but instead we need to begin to see everyone as equals. Feeling guilty would lead to biased decisions, and discrimination, in a way. The only way I can try to relate to the position of a freed slave is by trying to place myself in the shoes of one of those people and ask myself how I would want to be treated after I am freed. I would want everyone to remember what I had to go through but to also be treated as someone that is no different from any other person. What I am trying to say is that what I would want is not even possible because if I want people to remember my past they will obviously not see me as an equal but instead something that has been tainted. Today’s African Americans live with the issue of discrimination that remains from the time of slavery. Feeling guilt might not be the best way to deal with the current situation but it is hard to not feel that way when considering the treatment that slaves were given. After what the whit race did to African Americans how can we not feel some sort of guilt? The thing that bothers me is that the mistakes and cruelty of our ancestors is resulting in white people today being labeled as racists. There are obviously still people in the world that discriminate against people of color, but the actions of people from over two centuries ago have huge implications on the racial classes today. If it were not for our ancestors enslaving Africans, things would be much different today and we might not even be bothered by the color of someone’s skin. Being white in today’s world makes me feel guilty and I did not even to anything to anyone. I feel awful that anyone had to go through the years of retched discrimination for no reason other than having darker skin and being taken advantage of. I feel bad that the only reason that white people, on average, have more than people of race is because we cheated our way to the front and gave ourselves a completely unfair head start. All Americans, especially white Americans, need to better understand the facts about why we have racial classes today and how everyone got to be in the current position that we are in. Every time we have class I learn something that I previously did not know, allowing me to be a more highly educated person and someone that better understands why people interact in the ways that they do. Fri, 11 Mar 2011 04:09:22 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/02/do-people-feel-guilt-about-their-current-positions-when-knowing-about-the-disadvantages-of-the-freed-slaves-119-blog/#IDComment134040784 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/24/how-do-you-feel-about-the-poor-white-society-and-who-are-you-more-likely-to-help-119-blog/#IDComment130482662 When I think of families living in poverty the first thing that comes to my mind is not people of the white race but instead minorities. This class has opened my eyes to many things, especially the issues that white people deal with that I had never thought about before. The video that we watched in class today about the white family that lives in a trail in a very rural area showed me that my assumption of families living in poverty is not always correct. People of every race and ethnicity deal with poverty and it is just as terrible to watch, no matter who is shown living in these horrible conditions. What I enjoyed the most about the video was that the mother who seemed to live in poverty her entire life is still attempting to achieve the goal that she has had every since she was a child. Even though everything in the world is fighting against this woman she still continues to fight and work to better her position. During the video it never crossed my mind that I feel more compassion for this family because of the color their skin. Any family or person that is living under those conditions deserves compassion and by no means would I feel any more sorrow just because I share the same skin pigmentation with the people. Any family that is faced with adversity and doing whatever they can do better their position earns ultimate respect from me. I believe that any person in this country, if not the world, can better their position if they are will to fight and do whatever it takes. The mother in the family from the video did not have a license and based off of her journey to work lived a good distance from any job opportunities but she refused to let anything stop her from providing for her family. There are so many people in this country that complain that they cannot find because the economy is bad or some other worthless excuse, but the truth is that they would rather make excuses then go out and work a job that they believe to be below them. Sam pushed everyone to remain the middle of free will and determinism, but what if your life begins in an awful position and you see that the path that you have been given is not what you want? I believe that free will must completely take over and you must begin making decisions that will completely change your predetermined path. Any family that lives and poverty, no matter the race, and is doing whatever they can to better their life earns all of the respect that I have to offer. These people are aware of how bad they have but it their minds are filled with the belief that persistent hard work will eventually pay off. More people need to understand how good they actually have it, including myself, and realize that we should be grateful every day for what we have and where we are in life. I am a complete believer that hard work without excuses will ultimately lead to a better life, whether it means that you achieve your life long goals or you are simply a happier person. Fri, 25 Feb 2011 03:14:45 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/24/how-do-you-feel-about-the-poor-white-society-and-who-are-you-more-likely-to-help-119-blog/#IDComment130482662 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/16/why-with-more-education-do-people-believe-that-success-is-mostly-a-result-of-hard-work-119-blog/#IDComment128385379 It is not necessarily a surprise to me that as people are more educated they believe that success is less of a product of hard work. The more educated a person becomes, the more they see how getting a good job and ultimately becoming successful is mainly based off of who you know. In today’s world, good SAT scores, a high college GPA, and a masters degree can only get you as far as your resources allow you. Sure there are people out there that have broken free from this and became successful without having any strings pulled for them, but it is correct to assume that all the people that worked hard their entire lives to become successful will open doors for their children that otherwise would not have been an option and ultimately be the reason that their children have a better chance of being successful. This idea translates directly back to determinism. People who have not quite been educated as much as others believe that success mainly comes from hard work. I believe that these people believe that hard work translates to success because they see it as the only way that they can better their lives. From what we have learned, it is fair assumption to say that people that are less educated usually have less money and are either middle or lower class. These people did not have everything given to them growing up and are definitely not going to have any doors opened for them when they are trying to find work. These people realize early on that the only way for them to become successful is for them to work as hard a s they possibly can and home that all of their work pays off. Sam always tells us in class that we need to stay in the middle of the debate between determinism and free will but it is issues such as this that make me lean toward the determinism side. There are so many factors that go into whether or not we become successful later in life and I believe that most of these factors, or at least the more important ones, are determined for us. I do not want it to sound like we are on a predetermined path from birth but in a way we are restricted to certain things just because of who we are and what we look like. The thing that stops me from being purely a believer of determinism is the people who are able to defy everything against them and create a new and better path than the one they were given. These people were able to apply their own free will to what they were facing and become more successful than they, or anyone else, would have imagined. There are extreme examples of free will, extreme examples of determinism, and examples of a balance between the two, all making me believe that life is not merely free will or determinism but an equal share of the two. Wed, 16 Feb 2011 20:17:24 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/16/why-with-more-education-do-people-believe-that-success-is-mostly-a-result-of-hard-work-119-blog/#IDComment128385379 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/08/how-have-the-choices-youve-made-and-determinism-affected-your-life-119-blog/#IDComment126952177 I do not believe that determinism or free will solely decides everything that happens to us in the world but instead the combination of the two allow us to create our path through the world. In high school I was hard worker and did my best to get the highest GPA that I could achieve but based off of what we have learned from Sam I believe that my social class and my family’s income played a key role in me being accepted by Penn State. Understanding that money obviously played a big role in coming to Penn State initially makes me think that the effort I gave in high school meant nothing but then I realize that even though I went to a good private school and my family makes a sufficient amount of income, I still had to work to earn my grades and study to achieve the SAT score that I got. It’s not like Penn State looks to see how much money your family makes and accepts or denies you based off of that one factor. I do not like to think that income and social class play a big part in my life because I know that I am free to make all of my decisions independent and separately from these two factors. Everyone in this country knows how important it is to have money and they should use that to inspire them to be the best they can be. I understand that a lot of kids grew up much differently from me and have to deal with things that I have never even thought about but I do not believe in excuses. Just because you have a rough childhood does not mean that you cannot go to college. If your family does not have enough money to pay your tuition bill that is not a good enough excuse to not go to college; you could apply from one of the many scholarships that every college offers or work part-time while taking a lighter load of classes. Many people have persevered through adversity, and if one person is able to make it from the bottom to the top it shows that it is possible for every person to make it, regardless of where they start. I do not want anyone to think that I believe that determinism does not play a big role in a lot of things and make life easier for everyone that does not have to worry amount money, because that is not how I feel. I know that things were given to me that were not given to other kids and I am thankful for being so lucky, but even though I did not earn these things someone had too. Someone must spur the change in order for good things to come. In my life my father is the one that spurred the change and provided me and my two brothers with everything that we could have asked for as kids, but my brothers and I understood how hard my father was working to provide us with what we wanted and in turn made us want to all work hard so that we could continue to have what we want and one day provide our families with whatever they might ask for. My dad did not come from a wealthy family and was not given everything that he wanted as a child by his parents but he saw how hard his father worked and applied that effort to his life. All it takes to change our position in life is the desire to change and a good role model. Wed, 9 Feb 2011 18:07:14 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/08/how-have-the-choices-youve-made-and-determinism-affected-your-life-119-blog/#IDComment126952177 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/03/do-you-think-race-can-stop-being-an-issue-in-the-future-119-blog/#IDComment125840715 As much as I would love to believe that race will no longer be an issue in the future, I do not see this happening. Our nation has come a long way in the past two hundred years but we still have a long way to go before race is no longer part of the equation. There will always be people in the world that have a problem with race and refuse to believe that they are wrong in the way they think. People that have a problem with race will raise their children to believe the same things, continuing the problem of race for years to come. As a society I believe that we are all too hung up on stereotypes. In the past three weeks we have all learned that most of the stereotypes that we believed or have heard are not actually true. These false beliefs that we carry around with us do nothing but put other people down and add to the tension and friction that already exists. There is no reason to have preconceptions about someone simply because they look similar to someone else that fit the stereotype. Most of what we say does nothing more than put someone else down, but it makes us feel better because we feel that we contain some sort of power when we really have no right to say anything when we are all so similar. If 99.99% of all human DNA is identical why do we sometimes act like we have nothing in common with other people? Also, who are we to say that a certain skin color or feature is better or above another one? Sam’s classroom is like something I’ve never experienced before. I feel like I am at a theatre watching my favorite comedian that basis his routine off of making fun of all the different racial groups in the room. Wouldn’t it be great if the entire world were like Thomas 100? Everyone would realize that they have no reason to say anything about someone else because they could just as easily be made fun of too. We have also learned that every characteristic that we obtain is present for a reason. Our ancestors adapted to the lands that they grew up on and we continue the carry the attributes that were necessary for them to have. We should be proud of the way we look because it stands for something much greater than we are able to perceive. We need to step back and realize that every person, no matter what they look like, is a human being, meaning that they are essentially the same. Our generation has the ability to further the advances that our nation has already made with eliminating race from being a problem. Unfortunately issues with race still exist but I hope that I live to see the day when there are no longer any problems with race. Fri, 4 Feb 2011 05:50:53 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/03/do-you-think-race-can-stop-being-an-issue-in-the-future-119-blog/#IDComment125840715 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/26/why-do-we-associate-with-people-of-the-same-race-and-ethnicity-as-ourselves-119-blog/#IDComment124141384 Walking around campus I see the same thing happening, kids of the same race and ethnicity clinging together and only befriending one another. I myself am guilty of this but I am not mainly friends with people of my race just because that is what I want but instead it just seems to happen that way. People of the same race see that they have something in common with that person before they even get to know them. The first thing that we tend to see is skin color and prominent features before we really get to know someone. In the past two weeks we have learned that we all originated from the same place and there is no reason to discriminate against other races because we all share the same blood and the only reason that we seem to have different features is because of the location that our ancestors lived in. I also believe that people of the same race stick together because when you see someone that looks like you or speaks the same language as you it hits you that this person understands me better than someone that does not look like me or does not speak my language. All of the foreign students that come to Penn State are going through a major change in environment and everyday life, something that an American can not really relate too, which is why I believe that foreigners hang out together. It is always easier to do something when your friends surround you, and these kids are adjusting to life in America together, helping each other through it. What confuses me is that it would make more sense for foreigners to become friends with Americans that are use to this lifestyle and ask for someone that grew up in this country to help them out, but that goes back to people incorrectly assuming that because they look different or don’t speak the same language that they have nothing in common. I know that if I was in a country that I had never traveled to before and I was expected to slowly adjust to my new surroundings, I would surely try to become friends with people that have lived in that country their entire life and are very knowledgeable about every aspect. I don’t want it to sound like I am bashing on the foreign students because I, in no way, can relate to what they are going through and I am sure it is harder than anything I have had to do in my life, but instead kind of disappointed in humans altogether. If we all originated from the same place and carry the same blood, it does not make sense that we refuse to attempt to relate to one another. Sam’s usual line “it doesn’t matter because we’re all going to die one day” first made me think wow this guy does not care about anything and is just going through the motions of life but if you tell yourself “it doesn’t matter because we’re all going to die one day” you feel pretty stupid for not being friends with people of all races and ethnicities, and being exposed to something different than you are use to. Thu, 27 Jan 2011 17:02:00 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/26/why-do-we-associate-with-people-of-the-same-race-and-ethnicity-as-ourselves-119-blog/#IDComment124141384 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2010/04/23/south-park-off-the-hook/#IDComment122413462 Being an occasional South Parker watcher I have learned that whatever issue seems to be most prevalent in society is the writer’s next target. Every time something big happens in the world the writers blow the issue out of proportion and turn it into some cruel joke. Sometimes it is hard to watch what is being done on the show but other times the show allows people to laugh and joke about issues that our country has struggled to deal with. It is incredible that a two dimensional cartoon can create such a buzz and be so controversial. South Park is willing to say what others are not, but it is their willingness to not be afraid that sparks the conversation which allows us to talk about something that we were previously not willing to discuss. I am not saying that every episode of South Park has accomplished this feat but certain episodes have crossed a barrier and showed people that no matter how bad things get or what happens, we can overcome anything. The writers and creators of South Park are doing nothing wrong as they are simply expressing their thoughts, which are protected by free speech. In my opinion the writers have no intention to harm anyone through the show but instead want to lighten the mood on much more serious issues. Every episode that I have seen of South Park has dealt with an issue that I have heard or seen. Regularly on the show topics such as social class, religion, and racism are made fun of and used in what seems to be a repulsing manner. The writers are not being completely consistent with actual society when dealing with these major issues but by blowing these issues out of proportion people can see how disgusting it is to act in this manner. South Park is inspiring change in an unconventional manner. Looking specifically at the issue of making fun of Muhammad, I first think that obviously this is wrong. I am catholic and would not want the writers to create a show making fun of Jesus or God, but I also understand that there is no reason to become upset or angry because of a cartoon on television. Earlier I stated that South Park does a lot of great things on certain instances, but there are other times that the show discussing a topic for no reason other than to purely harass the target and its fans. The Muhammad episode was obviously one of these shows. It is hard to say that anything good came from this show being on television, but if you look deep inside of the show’s message you can plead and say that by this show airing the issues of ethnicity, race, and religion are further brought out of the metaphorical closet and placed right in front of us. These issues are things that we need to discuss and shows like South Park are allowing us to get past our fear of speaking. South Park offers what you are willing to take from it. You can view it as an awful show that should not be allowed on television and it could be viewed as the best thing to happen to this country, or anything in between. Thu, 20 Jan 2011 02:42:51 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2010/04/23/south-park-off-the-hook/#IDComment122413462 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/10/last-name-%e2%80%9cd%e2%80%9d-%e2%80%93-intense-debate/#IDComment121202724 Soc 119 Fri, 14 Jan 2011 02:10:05 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/10/last-name-%e2%80%9cd%e2%80%9d-%e2%80%93-intense-debate/#IDComment121202724