Wow! This letter was very eye opening for me. I will admit I never give any thought to the people in prison. I always just assume they are monsters, always have been and always will be. This man's letter changed my perspective. Yes, he committed a terrible crime, and yes he deserves to be punished, but the way he tries to make a positive out of a bad situation is incredible. He seems like he has truly learned from his mistake and is now trying to make amends for it, the best way he can. It is nice to hear that the prisoners don't just beat each other up all day, as we see in the movies. It was nice that he mentioned the men console each other when someone is having a bad day, or give their limited phone time to someone else who needs to talk to a loved one even more. Lastly, I could not believe he said that he tries to donate blood and money and sends letters to encourage people to help others. I don't know how I would react if I received a letter from a prisoner encouraging me to help. Normally, I would probably laugh and think it was a joke or a scam. But after reading this man's letter, I would take what he said to heart and try to help others and allow him to live vicariously through me. He is trapped behind bars forever and he has lost the ability to enjoy the rest of his life and he has lost the opportunity to help others. If a criminal can find the goodness in his heart to look out for the well-being of others, then so can I.
I wish I knew a little bit more about the man who wrote this letter. I wonder if he was a good guy who let anger get the best of him. Maybe one time he became so angry and that anger made him a criminal and cost him the rest of his life. Or maybe he was acting in self defense or the murder was an accident. Or maybe he was always a violent person and he intentionally meant to murder someone. But I guess the background information does not matter that much. I should just focus on the present and know that he and many other criminals in jail have changed their ways and have learned to accept their fate and make the most of it.
This letter helped me to stop assuming that all prisoners are terrible people. I am going to try to be more open minded. I probably will not be visiting any criminals in jail anytime soon, so I won't get the opportunity to listen to their stories, but I will remember not to judge people so quickly.

I cannot believe someone would even think about creating a video game like this. I actually heard about these types of video games a few months ago. My cousin had heard about them in one of his telecommunications classes. This is so disturbing. Video games are supposed to be a fun activity. It is disgusting that some people's idea of fun is raping and beating women on a TV screen. Video games have been taken too far. I think the original creation of video games was for children and teenagers to play, however, games like this are more geared towards adults. It seems like the majority of the popular video games now include fighting and killing, and apparently in Tokyo, raping. I am curious about the answer to Dr. Richards' question about how do the creators of the rape games in Tokyo look their mothers, sisters, wives and daughters in the eye everyday. What happened to the old days when the most popular video games were Frogger, Mario, and Pacman?
I know Dr. Richards said that some people may argue that playing these kinds of video games may actually allow a person to release these tendencies. But I think that is absolutely ridiculous and a lame excuse. If anything, these games are probably fueling their fire. I have heard countless instances where people are so attached to their video games and nothing else. When these people are out in public how will they be able to decipher between real life and life in the video games? If a person doesn't think rape and violence are acceptable in society, why would he/she think it is acceptable to engage in these behaviors virtually?
And we wonder why there is so much violence in our society. A major cause of all the violence is because the media is promoting it. People are being accustomed to seeing extreme violence on TV, in movies and in video games.
These games should be taken off the market immediately. They are degrading to women, violent and immoral. No person should be allowed to play a game that involves harming another person. I know the games have an "M" for mature rating on them, but it is very easy that these games can get into the hands of a child or teenager. Especially since these games can now be downloaded online, as we heard in the video clip. If children view and play these games, they will have a hard time understanding that the things that are seen in the video games are not permitted in real life.
I am so mad that video games like this were even put on the market to begin with. The government needs to put better restrictions on the content of video games.

This video was a real eye opener for me. I have to agree about Dr. Richards saying that this will be the most disturbing video we will see all semester. It was sad to watch these little black children choosing the white dolls over the black dolls. I never realized how much the white culture has been ingrained in the minds of people of other races at such a young age. I was heartbroken when the children were asked why they liked the lighter skinned doll because it was the "nice" doll and they didn't pick the darker skinned doll because it was the "mean" doll. It is terrible to think that these kids disown toys with the same skin color and are ashamed of their skin color. These children are going to grow up ignoring their race and try to associate themselves with the white culture. Sadly, this race issue also goes beyond childhood. In one of the first lectures, Dr. Richards told us that internationally skin bleaching creams are extremely popular. In this case, people are putting harmful chemicals on their skin just to fit in with the majority race. This is really sad and scary.
I think the culture around us has created this monster. In the media, the predominant race is white. This was proved when Donnie googled "beauty" during class and the first 10 or so pictures were of white women. Another girl in class mentioned that the Barbies and Disney princesses are mostly white. Even if they aren't white, they still possess white features, such as straight hair. In class, one girl said that the black Barbie is made to not look as beautiful as the white Barbie, so this causes the non-white children to be more interested in the prettier, white doll. After being surrounded by the white culture and having white dolls shoved in their faces, it is no surprise the black children would rather play with a white doll than a black doll.
This is a major problem in our society and we need to figure out a way to encourage children to be proud of their own race. The media needs to focus on the beauty of all races, not just the white race. The non-white dolls and Barbies should be equally as beautiful as the white dolls. And I agree with apd24 that movies and TV shows need to get rid of the race stereotypes, like the token black guy or smart Asian. These stereotypes only add one more thing for a person to dislike about his/her race, and in many cases these stereotypes are extremely untrue. Society needs to work as a whole to give all races an equal status, and no race should be portrayed negatively. Children need to grow up appreciating their race, not wishing they had a different skin color.

This girl brings up a good point. Maybe one way we can attempt to solve race inequalities is to rewrite the history books and write them from the points of view of people of all races, rather than just the white people's point of view. In all of my history classes I have learned little about the struggles of other races, really the only thing I learned was about the blacks being slaves. Other than that, we have mostly learned about the hardships of the whites.
As for white guilt, I absolutely feel it, especially after being in this class. The things that were done to the blacks and Native Americans are horrible and inhumane. I am ashamed to say that my ancestors engaged in that type of torture. However, I think it is hard to blame those of us on the white team for things that happened decades and decades ago. We were not there to engage in the discrimination nor were we there to be able to stop it from happening. I think a student in one of the classes raised a good question. She said, when does blaming white people for the past end? Will it ever end, or will white people be forced to experience guilt and be criticized forever?
I know this is definitely easier said than done, but I we all need to sit down and discuss our feelings about race and allow each race to explain their frustrations. If we are open about our feelings, it may be easier to leave the history in the past. I think people of other races need to learn that not all white people are prejudice and that not all white people think they are superior to another race. I know in my own life, that I see all races on an equal playing field. I did not always see things this way, because I did not have many encounters with people of other races, but after coming to Penn State and taking this class, Dr, Richards has made me realize that every race has their ups and downs and everyone is equal.
I get really frustrated when people use their race to get what they want. If we want to get rid of inequalities then we need to take race out of everything we do. While I am not naive enough to think that discrimination is gone, I do think that a large portion of the US population has learned that everyone has an equal opportunity and each race can succeed in society. But that small portion who still believes they are not seen as equals might be held back by white people who are not letting them have the chance to be equal or maybe they are holding themselves back by refusing to believe that we have made progress with race equality.

This story is very disappointing. I feel sorry for McMillen. It is not fair that she is not allowed to bring the date of her choice to prom, and it is also not fair that because the school board is homophobic, the whole school misses out on a major high school event. I remember being excited for my junior and senior proms when I was a freshman. I could not wait to find my date, buy a dress and get my hair and nails done. I cannot imagine being told that my school was not having prom anymore. I would be absolutely furious. I, like srgbetibouo2010, wonder what would have happened if Constance McMillen did not ask the permission of the school board to bring her girlfriend to prom and just went ahead and brought her. Would the school board even notice? Would she be punished for bringing a date of the same sex? Would the school cancel prom for future classes? I really don't know.
I went to an all girls catholic high school, and sadly for all of my dances I had to sign a form giving basic information about my date and agree that my date was of the opposite sex. At the time, I did not think that much about it, because being a heterosexual, I would obviously bring a date of the opposite sex. However, I did not stop to consider those girls in my school who may be lesbians or bisexuals, who would like to bring a female to the dance. I am not exactly sure what happened in those situations at my school, I guess the girls either did not go to the dance or brought male friends. It's ridiculous that a country that promotes equality and freedom of speech and choice will discriminate against the homosexual community
I really think that people need to butt out of other people's personal lives and move on. This is the 21st century and homosexuality is becoming more prevalent and more accepted in society. I think the Mississippi school board needs to acknowledge this. Also, how can the school board penalize a whole school because they don't feel comfortable about one person's relationship status?
In my opinion, I don't think seeing a homosexual couple together is disturbing. I find it more uncomfortable when I see heterosexual couples engaging in public displays of affection or when I see people who have tattoos and piercings all over their bodies. But I am sure that school in Mississippi doesn't ban the students from having piercings or tattoos.
Poor Constance McMillen will not only be upset because she is not permitted to display her relationship freely, but now she is going to be hated by everyone at her school for ruining the prom. She already has to struggle with being homosexual in a community that does not accept it and now she is going to have to worry about being bullied at school for taking prom away.
I really hope that for the students' sake, the school board will rethink its decision to cancel prom.

I give this girl credit for speaking up and asking a question that has been on her mind, but I am sorry I have to completely disagree with her statement about theme parties. I don't think she can claim that black people and other minorities don't have theme parties. The people she knows only represents a small portion of the people who are throwing parties. Also, I am pretty sure people who are throwing these theme parties are not trying to be hurtful and racist. I am sure they are just looking to dress up in different outfits and get drunk. I know wanting to poke fun of minorities was never a plan for the parties I have attended. I have been to theme parties that do not relate to race in any way. Some of the popular theme parties are CEO's and corporate hoes, golf pros and tennis hoes, holiday parties, white trash parties (making fun of white people), black and white formal parties, anything but cups, etc. I will admit, one of the theme parties I went to was a gangster theme, which some black people may find offensive. But I went to a white trash party too and I don't think anyone was offended. I don't think it is fair to say that black people are singled out and made fun of at theme parties. If anyone is being stereotyped, it is on an equal playing field.
Also, I think this question is being a little bit nit picky. Maybe the girl who posed this question is very sensitive to situations with race and feels that something as minor as the theme of a party is a direct attack on her and her race. I am sorry if she feels this way, but she needs to recognize that not every person is racist and not everyone thinks about race all of the time.
Also, I don't think we should be wasting our time on this topic, I feel like we have much more important issues to tackle. After discussing how minorities are cheated in the court systems, and in housing, I think this is the much bigger issue we need to focus our attention on, rather than the parties on campus. We need to try to overcome the widespread discrimination in the government, and worry about the small situations at another time.
However, if this girl is distressed about theme parties and their possible stereotypes, I would like to help support her and try to ease her discomfort. Being a white person, maybe I don’t recognize these race issues in everyday situations. I will be sure to think twice and consider the feelings of her and others before I get dressed up in my theme party attire.

This is a very sad story. My heart breaks for the two little boys in the video. I cannot imagine being told that one of my parents is going to be deported because my parents' relationship is not acknowledged by the government. I don't think the government should have a say in the relationships of the US citizens.
I often get in arguments with my devout Catholic mother about same sex unions. She always goes back to the Bible teaching that a marriage is between a man and a woman and one of their main duties as a married couple is to procreate. I do agree with her on this stance to a certain extent; however I also don't think it is fair to discriminate against gay people. As we mentioned in class, I don't think being homosexual is a choice, I think it is biological feeling and a person has to choose to act on this homosexual feeling. I would be furious if someone told me that I am not allowed to fall in love with a person that I love because of his/her gender. Homosexual people should be able to make the same lifelong commitment that heterosexual people can make. As for this family in the video, they look to be a very happy family. These two women are providing a loving and safe environment for their sons. They are probably making a better living for their children than many heterosexual couples provide for their own children. As Dr. Richards pointed out in class, homosexual couples have to adopt children because they obviously cannot procreate, so the homosexual couples who have children truly want them, have to pay a lot of money and go through many processes to have those children. They are probably more suitable parents than many of the heterosexual couples who have children from unplanned pregnancies.
I cannot believe the government wants to disrupt a happy family because they don't agree with same sex unions.The divorce rate is 50%. The US has an abundance of single parent families due to divorce and some of them are struggling to make ends meet. Why does the government want to create even more single parent families that will live in poverty? I think the government officials should spend their time fighting crime. poverty and breaking up the families who have abusive parents, rather than the happy ones. The government and many people in this country (my mom included) need to wake up and realize that it is the 21st century and homosexuality is becoming more prevalent and less taboo. As Dr. Richards said, we need to be over this issue and move on to something else. Everyone needs to mind their own business and work on his/her own relationships rather than judging other peoples' relationships. With a 50% divorce rate in the US, I don't think many people have room to talk about what makes a good relationship.

Wow, this is disturbing! I cannot believe people are actually looking to pay $7,000 for a robot to fulfill their sexual needs. Are there not enough live men and women in the world to satisfy these needs? As a female, I cannot believe I will have to compete with a doll for a guy's affection. What is this world coming to, that some people will prefer a silent sex partner as oppose to someone who actually cares about them?
Maybe I am too traditional, but I would much rather have sex with a real person that I love and care about than a doll. Relationships should be based on things other than just sex. If a man or woman wants a relationship for just sex, then I feel sorry for them and they are missing out on many other things. A sexual doll won't be able to communicate with them or make them feel loved or console them, or cuddle with them. The doll is not a companion it is a toy. This toy will not always be perfect and she cannot make a man or woman happy forever.
I had to laugh when I read in the article that Hines is happily married. If I was Hines' wife, I would have a lot to say about his new toy, Roxxy. I cannot believe she is allowing her husband to ruin the special bond between humans in relationships by making this robot. If I were her, I would be offended and start to doubt myself and my marriage. If he needs a doll to satisfy his sexual needs, then maybe there is a serious problem with their marriage. By selling Roxxy, Hines could be bringing trouble to other people's marriages and relationships too. Our divorce rate is already at 50%, I am sure it will increase when people find out they can be satisfied by a doll. We cannot afford to have any more failed marriages in our country.
Another problem with this doll, even if people do not buy it, Roxxy is made to look like the superficial model type. She has the perfect features and she is filling the human mind with false ideas of the perfect woman. Men and women may begin to become superficial themselves and focus on the physical dimensions of people rather than their personalities.
I think Hines should focus his intelligence on trying to cure diseases or something of importance not making sex toys. I have to agree with jel5191's statement that the Roxxy doll is an example of how we use technology for petty things and relationships are being ruined by this technology. Our society focuses on instant satisfaction and dating and relationships have taken a backseat to the selfish sexual desires of people.

First of all, how the heck did this person get into a position of power??? I feel like I have been asking myself this question a lot lately, with all of the political scandals that have recently been in the news...
I think it is awful that Bauer referred to the people on welfare as animals. Even though these people may need financial support, they are not pets, they are real human people. Instead of putting these people down, they are the people who need encouragement the most. They are struggling to make ends meet. Maybe the government should be working a little bit harder to help these people find decent jobs and to help them make a real living for themselves. I agree with Dr. Richards when he said that the majority of people who are on welfare are children. These children did not choose their fate, and they require more positive encouragement than their parents. They need the motivation to try to make a better life for themselves. By calling them animals, they are going to internalize it and decide that they do not deserve better. They could be the future politicians of the United States, but without the help they deserve, they will not be able to succeed. The greatest day in the world, will be the day when there are no more people living in poverty or on welfare. However, we will never see this day if we don't help them and boost their egos. We will just fall into a poverty cycle and no one will get better.
I understand that people make mistakes and say things they do not mean. I also know that Bauer was repeating what his grandmother used to tell him. However, when his grandmother was growing up, there was a lot of racism and segregation of the poor in the country. At that time, putting down the poor was commonplace. But we are in 2010, and racism is mostly gone and equal rights are demanded. And he is a politician and a public figure. As a Public Relations major, I have to ask where was his PR person to prepare his speech for the Town Hall meeting and to make sure he does not say anything offensive. Politicians should aim to bring hope and positive change to the American people. They should try to bring people together, not separate them based on wealth. The government needs to recognize that every person in this country is equal and no social class is better than the other. I am sure Mr. Bauer goes home to his nice, big house and lives very comfortably. Maybe he should consider opening up his doors and his wallet to take care of the "animals" on welfare.

I will admit when Avatar first came out, I had no idea what it was about and I had no interest in seeing it. Over the break, I was forced by my cousins to see the movie. I absolutely loved it. I enjoyed the movie for its special effects and good-looking male lead. After the movie was over, I did think that the movie was a mix of Fern Gully and Pocahontas, like Brooks mentioned. It was a plot line I could relate to, since I am no stranger to those classic animated movies. But I will admit that race superiority never crossed my mind. Well at least not until I read Brooks' article.
Although I am a white female and may not always notice this superiority complex, the things Brooks pointed out in his article make sense to me. I agree that our culture focuses on white superiority and our entertainment depicts examples of this. I agree that the "White Messiah" theme is present in Avatar. I can see how it could be offensive to some people. The white man is depicted as being the destroyer of the land, but the hero too. The leading man is portrayed as the strong, fearless type who blends with the natives and gains their trust, and in time becomes the sole person the natives have to rely on for safety against the other white men who are trying to destroy their land. He is in charge of calling all of the other natives to fight and he rides on the creature that no other native could obtain. Looking back on it now, this does portray the natives as weak and only the power of the white male can save them.
Brooks definitely makes a valid point. However, I am sure that James Cameron did not create this movie in order to put down other races and state that the white man is dominant. I think he was just trying to entertain and he knows that movies with white dominance in the past have succeeded in the box office and he is just trying to make some money.
I also think sometimes people like to come up with things to debate about and become too sensitive about what is included in the media. I know that it is impossible to please every race, gender and religion. I know that some Christians were upset about this movie too. They did not like that the natives believed in and prayed to nature. Personally, if you find something offensive, then you don't have to watch it. No one is forcing every person to sit and watch Avatar. I think we have to choose our battles.
I still stand by my opinion that Avatar was a great movie. But now I think I will try not to follow along with the "White Messiah" belief, and take movies for what they are, and that's entertainment.