en-us https://www.intensedebate.com/users/2455906 Comments by DJ_Remedy http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/11/transgendered-complications/#IDComment143285257 majority. For transgendered people to prevail on a legal platform and be viewed by the majority as valid citizens that do not always fit into neatly predefined gender identity roles, I believe that more emphasis needs to be placed on public education. Issues concerning transgendered individuals will not merely fade away and people such as Mr. Devoureau should not be silenced just because they do not follow preconceived notions of what is “normal” regarding sex and gender. I applaud Mr. Devoureau for bringing this employment issue to light and am interested to see the outcome of this important case. I was also surprised that there is a transgender legal defense and education fund specifically dealing with legal issues such as this one. Sat, 16 Apr 2011 02:53:04 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/11/transgendered-complications/#IDComment143285257 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/11/transgendered-complications/#IDComment143285231 to the fact that no previous cases have brought up the additional “gender identity or expression” basis for discrimination in the list of criteria upon which NJ determines employment violations, the outcome of this case could be a potential triumph for transgendered individuals. Transgendered people are rarely talked about by the general public, and it would be easy to dismiss them as a small minority that is not important enough to consider when creating laws concerning employment. The above thought would be a mistake. Not too long ago in our nation’s history, African Americans were thought of in the same manner, and were dismissed if not outright discriminated against intentionally when compared to the Sat, 16 Apr 2011 02:52:49 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/11/transgendered-complications/#IDComment143285231 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/11/transgendered-complications/#IDComment143285215 The landmark case that Mr. Devoureau has brought in front of the New Jersey Superior Court is a very necessary one if we are to be open to a greater understanding of people on a social & personal level. Living as a male since the ages of 5 years old, Mr. Devoureau appears to have been discriminated against by his employer and was unceremoniously fired because Urban Treatment Associates was not comfortable or certain about the sex with which Mr. Devoureau identifies. Since New Jersey is one of the twelve states that ban discrimination on the basis of transgender status, the aforementioned case seems to have enough validity to warrant a Supreme Court hearing, if it needs to go to that level. Due Sat, 16 Apr 2011 02:52:41 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/11/transgendered-complications/#IDComment143285215 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/07/war-vets-and-ptsd/#IDComment141160661 Enter text right here!In order to help the individuals currently and formerly enrolled in the US military, there has to be more of a concerted effort made by people at all levels of the armed forces towards establishing the symptoms and signs of PTSD. The fact that more soldiers’ lives are being lost to suicide and altercations resulting from depression than in the actual war in Afghanistan in which they fought is astounding. I know that the video mentioned that the social culture of the military, or any organization, is difficult to change and cannot be altered over-night. There is a long-held common belief that it is in the military’s best interest for soldiers to “just suck it up” and get the job done, with the effect war has on soldiers’ mental well-being as barely an afterthought. In order for the military to help those that help secure our nation and our allies, I think it would better serve our collective interests to address this growing problem more efficiently. Sat, 9 Apr 2011 03:54:26 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/07/war-vets-and-ptsd/#IDComment141160661 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/07/war-vets-and-ptsd/#IDComment141160638 Enter text right here!The article attached to this video about war vets and PTSD brought valuable observations to light concerning reservists in the US military. Reservists in the Army and members of the US National Guard seem to be removed from the social support system of going into combat with the same group of men and women during each deployment, like that found in platoons of soldiers involved in active duty. By going into battle each time with a different group, it is more difficult to confide in or mention the need for mental health help from those working with you. Sat, 9 Apr 2011 03:54:20 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/07/war-vets-and-ptsd/#IDComment141160638 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/07/war-vets-and-ptsd/#IDComment141160611 Enter text right here!After watching the video in class today about PTSD and how soldiers’ are affected by it once they are back home, I was surprised by the level of harassment by military brass & the amount of discouragement to seek help being exhibited towards troubled soldiers. Most civilians can never truly understand how pervasively war can affect the lives of soldiers and their psyches without having experienced battle stresses themselves. Not only are the soldiers potential victims of psychological, physical, and emotional trauma, but their families can also be in harm’s way as well upon their return to a civilian lifestyle. Sat, 9 Apr 2011 03:54:12 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/07/war-vets-and-ptsd/#IDComment141160611 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/23/managing-crowds/#IDComment139250101 in their community. Sometimes, like Dr. Richards pointed out, people are better off not taking any action at all during times of crisis, if they are not directly affected by the outcome of the event at hand. Drivers caused gridlock that actually cost lives due to unnecessary panic in areas not immediately affected by the flood is a prime example. Had those not at risk for getting hit by the storm kept the roadways clear for those people desperately in need of evacuation, as well as emergency personnel, the death toll might have been significantly lower. It is sad to see tragic events bring out the worst in people, but like the movie quote goes to show, sometimes our instincts for survival get the best of our power of logic. Sat, 2 Apr 2011 01:18:13 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/23/managing-crowds/#IDComment139250101 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/23/managing-crowds/#IDComment139250085 into place early. If such a plan exists, in order for people to get the most out of it, citizens should be aware of primary, secondary, and (when applicable) tertiary routes to take during an extremely dangerous world event. A nuclear reactor leak or a tsunami hitting a heavily populated area are both good examples of where fail-safes need to be effectively established to help alleviate, if not outright prevent, panic. In the case of New Orleans, the levy broke and political leaders waited too long for any escape plan to be put into place successfully. Lack of planning caused an unnecessarily high loss of lives Sat, 2 Apr 2011 01:18:05 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/23/managing-crowds/#IDComment139250085 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/23/managing-crowds/#IDComment139250056 I remember hearing an actor state in a movie, though I cannot recall the title at the moment, that, “[Individual] human beings are intelligent, but people are dumb, [panic-prone] animals.” I think this relates incredibly well to the invisible string theory which Dr. Richards brings up so frequently in his Sociology class. People might be able to make well-thought out plans as well as put these plans into action in an effective way, but if you add unsettling news of a catastrophic event, people’s animal instincts of “fight or flight” can tend to get the best of them. In order to overcome people’s nature to panic in times of dire stress & potentially deadly occurrences, I believe a fail-safe plan needs to be put Sat, 2 Apr 2011 01:17:58 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/23/managing-crowds/#IDComment139250056 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/24/religion-in-the-future/#IDComment137610370 for its fairly rigid call-and-response prayers during services & formatting that rarely changes in the church’s praise of God. The above statement is not a personal criticism of religion, just an observation that I have heard on numerous occasions from people who could be categorized as “religiously non-affiliated.” Another reason for the decline in “official members” of religion is that most people are brought up believing in the same religion that their parents believe in. Two or three generations ago, it was more common for children to want to emulate their parents, including their religious values. Now, kids can experience many more cultures with the growth of the internet & can be more open to taking time finding a religion or spiritual way of living that works for them, despite what their parents approve of. Sat, 26 Mar 2011 01:29:28 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/24/religion-in-the-future/#IDComment137610370 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/24/religion-in-the-future/#IDComment137610352 sometimes can get left by the wayside. An old rule of thumb upon meeting new acquaintances is typically to “avoid speaking about religion or politics in your first conversation.” The reason for the preceding rule is because both subjects tend to be potentially divisive in nature. If bringing up religion in casual conversation becomes an almost taboo action, it is only natural for some people to bury their formal recognition of a religion, i.e. not reporting a formal religion on a survey or during an interview, such as the sources of information that served as the basis for this study. In other cases, people might feel as those certain religions are too formal in structure, i.e. how worship services take place week-to-week. Catholicism is one of the religions most noted Sat, 26 Mar 2011 01:29:20 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/24/religion-in-the-future/#IDComment137610352 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/24/religion-in-the-future/#IDComment137610335 This article on the decline of religion in countries with Western-style democracies was extremely interesting. I agree with the notion of considering group-think mentality among people in today’s society when determining why people not affiliated with a formal house of worship is steadily increasing. It was kind of shocking to see one of the, arguably, most religion-populated areas in Europe, Ireland, seeing an increase of 3.8% of its citizens becoming non-affiliated with a particular religion since 1961. As increases in new technology & social networking trends develop and grow in popularity, religion and talking about your faith in a higher power Sat, 26 Mar 2011 01:29:12 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/24/religion-in-the-future/#IDComment137610335 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/18/m-s-story/#IDComment135973443 Normally, the prison system is filled with poor, and in some cases uneducated, racial minorities in gross disproportion to the Whites & members of the middle class. A targeted effort to correctly evaluate how different communities are affected by racial prejudices, drugs, and gang violence needs to take place, if we have any hope of disrupting the aforementioned trend. Without examining our system of justice, at least periodically, how can we hope to improve ourselves as a human race & extinguish racial intolerance? I do not want to assume “M.” was the victim in this particular case, by any means, but his story accomplished his objective in writing about it—to encourage a discussion about his situation. Sat, 19 Mar 2011 03:55:17 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/18/m-s-story/#IDComment135973443 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/18/m-s-story/#IDComment135973426 statement is that I also do not believe the court system should automatically go easy on people who are deemed criminal accessories either. Like Dr. Richards mentioned in class today, there seems to be a precedent set by prosecutors to make examples of criminals for the prosecutors’ own personal legal or political clout. The de-emphasis on finding the truth in a situation and determining what is the best course of action, i.e. punishment, is something that diminishes the value of living in a community in the first place. If we cannot count on the idea that we, as a people, can count on being judged fairly by our peers for our actions, then what incentive do people have to strengthen their overall community? Sat, 19 Mar 2011 03:55:10 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/18/m-s-story/#IDComment135973426 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/18/m-s-story/#IDComment135973411 I certainly agree with the sentiment that “M.” is a talented writer, despite the small couple of typos, & he manages to prove it by inspiring discourse among people that might be divided on the subject of whether or not prisons can successfully rehabilitate someone. The above debate especially causes people’s viewpoints to polarize regarding the rehabilitation of convicts when specifically discussing perpetrators of violent crime. In light of the victim & victim’s family, I think that sometimes a certain set time to be incarcerated, regardless of the severity of the role you played in the crime, might be appropriate. However, beyond that “minimum limit,” I do not think an accessory to a crime should be given the same sentence as the criminal who actual “pulls the trigger”. A caveat to the aforementioned Sat, 19 Mar 2011 03:55:00 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/18/m-s-story/#IDComment135973411 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/09/what-would-make-this-guy-less-white/#IDComment134364626 is playing a serial killer. Certainly, I am generalizing, but then again… that is what a stereotype does, right? I believe the White nerd stereotype goes further with this man when he tells his prospective audience “not to worry” when he is about to undo his pants to show off how the holster works. After all, he has gym shorts underneath his tight-fitting blue jeans. You would not want to unintentionally offend or—gasp—create an air of unwanted promiscuity among the general public viewing his demonstration. This neatly put together video shows how “safe” a White man can be even while showing off a carrying device for his potentially deadly firearm. This guy could practically be the politically correct reference point for how NRA videos should be created for the public. Sat, 12 Mar 2011 04:57:34 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/09/what-would-make-this-guy-less-white/#IDComment134364626 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/09/what-would-make-this-guy-less-white/#IDComment134364602 exhibited by this volunteer demonstrator of the SmartCarry Holster is something best reserved for book-signings and meetings with your accountant to do tax returns. However, I assume this man is excited by this product to offer an instructional video in the first place. Often the “white” negative stereotype features Caucasian people being excited by nerdy, mundane, or otherwise uncool things that make other people scoff at the source of their enjoyment. Mainstream television & movie characters usually classify 30-50 year old white males as generally safe, affable, & sincere people. Two specific cases in which this aforementioned stereotypical portrayal is not followed are when Italian Americans are seen as mobsters or a lone White male Sat, 12 Mar 2011 04:57:24 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/09/what-would-make-this-guy-less-white/#IDComment134364602 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/09/what-would-make-this-guy-less-white/#IDComment134364578 The guy in this video truly embodies everything that can be stereotypically labeled “white.” His manner of dress is ordinary (white collared shirt over another plain white t-shirt with snug-fitting blue jeans), & he does not take any risks regarding his personal hairstyle by sporting a crew cut—typical of white males in the military, police force or those with a general lack of imagination. This man’s look would easily allow him to blend into a crowd. He also speaks in a middle-American diction that would be typically used by any number of next-door neighbor characters in a weekday sitcom (usually with an all-white cast). The level of enthusiasm Sat, 12 Mar 2011 04:57:14 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/09/what-would-make-this-guy-less-white/#IDComment134364578 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/01/lighting-our-way/#IDComment132511094 cardiovascular disease, asthma (in children), cognitive impairment in the elderly, & even some forms of cancer. I have heard of the use of light therapy & imagine this would help in a majority of cases, at least more than in the control examples (people getting no light therapy at all). It seems to me that societies that have to deal with a lack of light & the resulting depression felt by its members could cause people on the whole in that environment to be antisocial. Less casual contact with fellow human beings can change the way we interact with our friends, family members and co-workers. I would certainly prefer light in my waking life and could not fathom living with so few hours of it in my daily existence. Sat, 5 Mar 2011 00:56:49 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/01/lighting-our-way/#IDComment132511094 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/01/lighting-our-way/#IDComment132511081 daylight every day would naturally lead a large portion of the population (the video mentioned an estimate of forty percent in Finland) towards exhibiting S.A.D.-like symptoms described. Personally, I am very active, &, even still, it is very challenging to get up off of the couch to go to the gym or perform outdoor duties when your environment lacks some of the very components that allow you to enjoy being outside. Perhaps people in Nordic countries are also suffering on some level from a vitamin D deficiency. Although the sun does not provide vitamins, the sun’s rays certainly aid the natural production of vitamin D in the body. Those citizens not taking multivitamins or vitamin D supplements to combat the aforementioned deficiency might eventually suffer from an increased risk of Sat, 5 Mar 2011 00:56:42 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/01/lighting-our-way/#IDComment132511081