en-us https://www.intensedebate.com/users/1118207 Comments by DrCandle https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-8-lesson-14-affirmative-action__trashed/#IDComment85265347 7/7/10 part three Keep in mind after I got the job I would bust my ass for minimum wage working on useless job skills that would never help me in the real world, such as “how to make a good ice cream cone” or “the best method for mopping the floor”. It’s sickening to see these kids do absolutely nothing, receive paid internships where they make more, do less work, and actually have something to put on their resume. I guess at the same time it’s sickening to be sitting here on my expensive laptop eating Chocolate while young kids in Africa are modern day slaves on cocoa plantations and have never even tasted Chocolate. Wed, 7 Jul 2010 07:25:59 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-8-lesson-14-affirmative-action__trashed/#IDComment85265347 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-8-lesson-14-affirmative-action__trashed/#IDComment85265321 7/7/10 part two Unfortunately for my sake, Nepotism hasn’t affected me as much as some of my fellow students. I joined every club I could in high school if it made my college application look good, but does that count as Nepotism? It’s definitely an example of me receiving benefits that others wouldn’t have if they went to poorer schools that didn’t have these clubs. I volunteered at my local assemblymen’s office the summer before I applied to Penn State for the sole purpose of it looking good on my application. I filed papers and ran all over town helping campaign for him the whole time and did it for free. At the end however I received a letter of recommendation from him and I feel that definitely was a factor in helping me get in to Penn State. Every job I’ve ever had I’ve had to go out and apply, talk to the managers of wherever I wanted to work and talk my way into getting the job. If I didn’t, I didn’t get the job. Wed, 7 Jul 2010 07:25:45 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-8-lesson-14-affirmative-action__trashed/#IDComment85265321 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-8-lesson-14-affirmative-action__trashed/#IDComment85265271 7/7/10 part one Now the Opera video was very upsetting but I do believe there was a certain degree of exaggeration that was used when the schools were selected. They almost definitely chose a school that was very unusual, brand new, and state of the art. Most schools are not like that, hell that high school had university quality technologies in it while they also probably chose one of the most rundown schools they could find in Chicago. This considered, it still is insane when you realize that schools like both of these are real, we have this supposed unified country with equal opportunities but at the same time both of these schools exist in the same state, just an hour away from each other. The girl from harper thought the math class was being taught in a different language while she had an A in the same subject in her high school. Talk about lower standards for the passing grades. Wed, 7 Jul 2010 07:25:17 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-8-lesson-14-affirmative-action__trashed/#IDComment85265271 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-8-lesson-14-affirmative-action__trashed/#IDComment85265082 7/7/10 I definitely agree whole heartedly with the idea of a national level of education. There are many flaws with our current system including the ridiculous "No Child Left Behind" act which may be leading to some places lowering the standard deemed average and therefore causing the overall intelligence to lower. I think we should give funding to schools equally based on student body size and this money could come from a national tax on all students. I'm sure you can guess, I’m a pro-tax proponent. They are essentially necessary for the system we have established. I feel that the current system of affirmative action is important in evening out the massive gaps caused by nepotism. Wed, 7 Jul 2010 07:23:22 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-8-lesson-14-affirmative-action__trashed/#IDComment85265082 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-7-lesson-13-immigration__trashed/#IDComment84666270 May I ask where your mother immigrated from? Sun, 4 Jul 2010 05:24:04 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-7-lesson-13-immigration__trashed/#IDComment84666270 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-7-lesson-13-immigration__trashed/#IDComment84666001 7/4/10 Although I don't agree with illegal immigration we must not forget WHY our ancestors "did it the right way". They migrated here legally because the United States made it very easy for them to do so. We needed labor so we opened the gates and allowed immigrants to come here very easily, many of them were hopping on whatever boat they could and I'm sure many would have come anyway even if it was illegal. The reason so many illegal immigrants are entering now is simply because our regulations have become ridiculously strict. A job is a job, it's not reserved for us it’s reserved for whoever is willing to take it. Sun, 4 Jul 2010 05:20:41 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-7-lesson-13-immigration__trashed/#IDComment84666001 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-7-lesson-13-immigration__trashed/#IDComment84665131 7/4/10 part three I loved the video clip of Jorge Muñoz and the amazing things he does every single day. Wow, imagine if every single person did this. It was great just seeing that view in queens of the line. It’s like here’s this big mechanical city, a city that can be very cruel on the poor sometimes, a city in the north so it’s cold at night, and here’s just one human and his family, spreading an enormous amount of energy and love to all these people every single day. What’s his reasoning? “They are hungry so we must give them food” This man is amazing Sun, 4 Jul 2010 05:09:32 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-7-lesson-13-immigration__trashed/#IDComment84665131 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-7-lesson-13-immigration__trashed/#IDComment84665093 7/4/10 par two The idiot woman in Texas with the sign on her door definitely angered me. First off I am a supporter of freedom of speech, it’s one of the few freedoms we still have….It is definitely her right to put whatever sign she wants on her house just as much as it is her right to be a fool. It is also my right to tear her a new one for being so ignorant. She actually thinks every single Hispanic person is an illegal immigrant? People like this still exist? Its mind blowing. It seems like she was older hopefully these old ignorant ideas are dying out with the minds that carry them. Sun, 4 Jul 2010 05:09:04 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-7-lesson-13-immigration__trashed/#IDComment84665093 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-7-lesson-13-immigration__trashed/#IDComment84665000 7/4/10 part one I definitely agree with the importance of immigration. I think what needs to be done is a loosening of the immigration policy. Illegal immigration shouldn’t just be allowed however, this is definitely bad as there is no way of tracking a large amount of people in our country. I feel we should do what we did when we needed cheap labor before, set up a system. Allow immigration of immigrants from Mexico to be much easier, but at the same time, strictly enforce documentation and health check-ups as was done with the European immigrants. The immigrants are a very valuable resource we are just ignoring. We need the labor; we also piss and moan about illegal immigrants ruining the country when what is really happening is exposure to a different culture. It’s simple xenophobia. The same people who want immigrants out of the country at the same time would wonder why their homes, lawns, pools etc. are so dirty. They want to work; we need the work to be done. If you complain about them taking your job maybe you should take some community college classes and get something better than manual labor, if that’s not an option, then immigrate somewhere where you can find labor. Sun, 4 Jul 2010 05:07:49 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-7-lesson-13-immigration__trashed/#IDComment84665000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-7-lesson-12-multiculturalism-lgbt__trashed/#IDComment83549694 6/30/10 part four Sam made a good point about learning Chinese. China really is solidifying itself as the dominant world power and this title no longer belongs to the United States. He challenges the republicans who have unwavering support for the country and have strong “patriotic” ties to it, whatever that means. He more or less is asking if they are loyal to the united states just because, or are they loyal to it because it is (was) the dominant global superpower. Now that other countries are pulling ahead of the United States, Sam asks if you’d rather change your loyalty to the country that is the new leader in order to reap the benefits that the leading super power can provide. I would. I would definitely do what I need to do to succeed in life and if that means changing some things around that may not be culturally familiar, so be it. Large multi-national corporations (damn them) have been doing it for years. Wed, 30 Jun 2010 21:32:45 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-7-lesson-12-multiculturalism-lgbt__trashed/#IDComment83549694 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-7-lesson-12-multiculturalism-lgbt__trashed/#IDComment83549550 6/30/10 part three If you're a computer enthusiast you could think of a society with racist tendencies as like a beta-release, it’s a not quite finished product, it needs work. And just like computer programs, society is constantly updating, changing, rearranging as bugs in the system are fixed and worked out. At the same time, just like a computer program, society can never be perfected, its adaptations have a sort of rhythm, different people have different ideas and as these ideas grow more popular, society is altered slightly. Wed, 30 Jun 2010 21:32:14 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-7-lesson-12-multiculturalism-lgbt__trashed/#IDComment83549550 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-7-lesson-12-multiculturalism-lgbt__trashed/#IDComment83549389 6/30/10 part two It's the same with the country you were born in; I like to think of countries and our allegiance to them as sports teams. The whole concept is very arbitrary and really doesn't matter. One country is not "better" than the other in every single way. Every country has its pros and cons, some more than others but there is NO country that is without its flaws. I think the understanding of this concept is crucial to the breaking down of the powerful forces of ethnocentrism and growth as humans. It’s for the better not only of our own lives but of human society to be open to new ideas adapting and changing our ways as time progresses to a more fine-tuned one. Wed, 30 Jun 2010 21:31:33 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-7-lesson-12-multiculturalism-lgbt__trashed/#IDComment83549389 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-7-lesson-12-multiculturalism-lgbt__trashed/#IDComment83549205 6/30/10 part one I loved the Chinese flag example as well and found it to be a really cool example of how blinding our ethnocentrism can be and how limiting it can be when it comes to building bridges in race relations. I usually partake in a little "inspiration" before watching Dr. Richards lectures and I know what he was talking about when he mentioned how it makes you open to new ideas ad think in different more open minded ways. Any of us could have had parents who were transferred to work in Michigan before we were born and we’d be in Ann Arbor right now saying how much Penn state sucks. Wed, 30 Jun 2010 21:30:40 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-7-lesson-12-multiculturalism-lgbt__trashed/#IDComment83549205 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-7-lesson-12-multiculturalism-lgbt__trashed/#IDComment83546542 6/30/10 I also thought that rap video was really amazing. People can bash rap all they want and when it comes to the commercialized, auto-tuned, pop bullshit that's taking over the radio and the music industry I wholeheartedly agree, but there is another kind of rap music, its real, it poetic, and it transcends language. This is most likely why rap has managed be the first completely global form of music. The only component of rap music that is necessary for it to be considered rap is the structure of the lyrics and rhyming. The music changes to suit international tastes but the tough gangsta version of poetry is what it all really boils down to. Wed, 30 Jun 2010 21:20:23 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-7-lesson-12-multiculturalism-lgbt__trashed/#IDComment83546542 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-6-lesson-9-stages-of-racial-identity-people-of-color-stages-1-4__trashed/#IDComment81792288 6/23/10 part 2 Although the screaming white man as I’ll call him did seem rather unsettled and most likely way off base, I can understand one of the points he was trying to make. He mentioned the use of pointing out racism as a tool used by people who want social change, in this case Al Sharpton. I believe Sharpton like any human being has a set of goals in mind and he is using what he understands as a very powerful tool, the use of calling people racist or showing examples of racism. It’s obvious in our currently very politically correct society that no one wants to be called a racist and when it happens, many people will reverse something they did or issue an apology, giving power to whoever pointed out the racism. The screaming white man was making a point that he felt Al Sharpton only points out racism when it benefits his cause, when it’s white on black. I do also feel that screaming white man was being off base as there is no way he could have know what that man was thinking when he attacked the woman. Wed, 23 Jun 2010 21:53:38 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-6-lesson-9-stages-of-racial-identity-people-of-color-stages-1-4__trashed/#IDComment81792288 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-6-lesson-9-stages-of-racial-identity-people-of-color-stages-1-4__trashed/#IDComment81792235 6/23/10 part 1 The “Girl Like Me” video was very powerful as well as saddening. It really was revealing when it comes to exposing the intensely embedded white supremacist values in our society. It really is hard to believe that three fourths of the black children would rather play with a white doll, believing the black doll to be bad and the white doll to be the good one. It also is shocking that these children are so young and its if they have been tainted by these negative thoughts and emotions. I guess that’s why it is so easy, they are very impressionable at this age and naturally this is the age where they subconsciously learn these feelings of self-hatred. The white- supremacists of past decades would be happy right now if they watched these videos, this is a sickening thought. How can anyone not be awakened to the obvious racial disparities and inherent unfairness in our society, I our country, after watching this short video? Wed, 23 Jun 2010 21:53:09 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-6-lesson-9-stages-of-racial-identity-people-of-color-stages-1-4__trashed/#IDComment81792235 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-6-lesson-9-stages-of-racial-identity-people-of-color-stages-1-4__trashed/#IDComment81779984 6/23/10 I definitely agree with the points you made about feeling profoundly stirred up inside after watching all of those people ignore what was happening and remain silent. I think Sam made a good point when he said that many blacks would rather experience the racism in the south opposed to the racism in the north because in the south the racism is in your face as opposed to behind your back in the north. Although we may never know what the people who remained silent were really thinking its very easy to assume they sided with the man behind the counter but simply chose not to make a scene. I feel if they really understood the emotions the woman must have been feeling they would have done something, they would have at least expressed some disgust, how couldn't you? Wed, 23 Jun 2010 20:18:46 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-6-lesson-9-stages-of-racial-identity-people-of-color-stages-1-4__trashed/#IDComment81779984 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-5-lesson-8-stages-of-racial-identity-white-people-stages-3-4__trashed/#IDComment81140275 6/20/10 part 3 I also agree with shame being paralyzing, that’s the entire point of shame. It’s why the Abrahamic religions have these deeply embedded feeling of guilt, shame, “original sin”. The whole reason these rules were established was to control people, to paralyze them. People weren’t going to speak out or commit crimes if they believed God would strike them down with a bolt of lightning or let something bad happen to them. It’s like trying to walk on the eggshells Sun, 20 Jun 2010 21:54:41 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-5-lesson-8-stages-of-racial-identity-white-people-stages-3-4__trashed/#IDComment81140275 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-5-lesson-8-stages-of-racial-identity-white-people-stages-3-4__trashed/#IDComment81140264 6/20/10 part two I definitely feel a little of the guilt Sam was discussing, I understand that it’s part of the process and hopefully I can mature as a person and one day have a more balanced outlook, maybe even be more pro-active when it comes to race-relations. I definitely feel that Sam is right when it comes to making a “faux pas” and being called racist by someone who doesn’t understand where you’re coming from, it’s happened to me before and there is essentially nothing to do. Once that happens you can never talk your way out of it. A wall goes up and the conversation is over, it’s so deep and emotional a five minute conversation will not be able to take that wall down. Neither party will be able to understand the other person’s feelings because we aren’t able to live our whole lives in their shoes. Sun, 20 Jun 2010 21:54:33 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-5-lesson-8-stages-of-racial-identity-white-people-stages-3-4__trashed/#IDComment81140264 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-5-lesson-8-stages-of-racial-identity-white-people-stages-3-4__trashed/#IDComment81140238 6/20/10 part one I thought the whole washcloth thing was kind of eye opening. I do know some white people that use washcloths but I had no idea about this huge racial divide. I guess that’s just a product of my whiteness and the very limited amount of black people I knew growing up. I guess the whole washcloth divide isn’t really that widely known due to the fact that most people don’t discuss their shower habits in public ha-ha. It was interesting when Sam made the comment about subconsciously feeling cleaner or dirtier. I have however started using washcloths because you need to use abrasion while bathing to fully remove the dead skin cells. I can definitely understand why most white people don’t move past the third step in racial identity. It means giving up the comforts of being white, not having to deal with what’s in our face. Since people of color don’t have white privilege they have fewer barriers when it comes to moving to the next levels in racial identify. They aren’t as blinded as most white people are when it comes to racial identity. Sun, 20 Jun 2010 21:54:13 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-5-lesson-8-stages-of-racial-identity-white-people-stages-3-4__trashed/#IDComment81140238