en-us https://www.intensedebate.com/users/3549541 Comments by M00Kid http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/11/29/voices-from-the-classroom-84/#IDComment231488197 Our energy policy will change. The policy will have to change and adapt because we have finite resources on this planet and we cannot continue to live this way and sustain our way of life. Because it seems to me that our planet cannot sustain what we humans consume at the level we consume and maintain our existence. It will come down to change and adapt or die. I’m talking about the human species in the long run. Yes, our government will continually change our energy policies weekly, monthly, annually, locally, globally. But more importantly we’re going to change how we see the world and how we use the resources around us. The question might have been directed at oil, but at the rate we’re going we’ve already cut down 80 percent of the rainforests of the world. We are jeopardizing our own existence with our current policies toward the environment. We see the environment and us with such separation. But the truth is we are part of the environment and dependent upon it with our lives. If we trace back each commodity we own, where our food came from it is all based on transportation and transportation equals utilizing the Earth’s resources to get it here, on our plates, in our homes. What happens when there aren’t any more of the beautiful trees around us and any more drinkable water because we have contaminated it with drilling? The question is will our changing policies come soon enough that we save ourselves from the magnitude of the damage we are causing to the planet and inevitably ourselves. Until we find another resource to take the place of oil and other finite resources we will have to change our way of life to one of sustainability and slowing down the pace of our lives. People are opening their eyes to what the government’s interests are versus what is best for the people of Earth. As we come to understand that the government’s policies, based around money, do not care for the Earth, they focus on continuous growth. But the people of Earth will take back our Earth and reclaim the life we want to live. A life not central to money, a life we are meant to live which does not jeopardize the planets resources. If our fruit and veggies stopped coming from 4000 miles away, and our pillows from over sees we could live happier, slower lives. I hope and believe the government, or whatever be the ruling belief of the planet, will come to a point of stopping how we live today. The stories about other ways of life are everywhere. So, yes I think our policies will change. Yes, I think it possible for us to live drastically different lives and live blissfully without the oil we believe we depend on. I can’t wait. Fri, 2 Dec 2011 04:53:28 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/11/29/voices-from-the-classroom-84/#IDComment231488197 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/11/15/voices-from-the-classroom-76/#IDComment222712139 It is, of course, a very complicated personal experience to speak out. Also, for each individual it could be very different what they need to feel they can speak about their experience. Like others said, support. Defining support, for me, means unconditionally accepting the victim’s words are true without question. It is knowing that that person is loved no matter the emotions or actions which were involved. Supporting a victim, to me means listening, caring, and helping to come up with a solution which could leave that person at peace with their perpetrator and the situation. That could mean directing them to someone else. But I’m talking about support once the person as ended their time of silence. To end that time of silence, like I said, is such a person journey. They need to understand that what happened was not their fault, and that awareness means prevention in the future. It can also be very healing in that it gives a sense of peace, leaving the situation in the past. I think people having trouble because, like Sam said, often times the person who committed the acts is very close to the family. This means revealing something about a loved one which can be shocking. I think that it scares victims because it leaves this huge place for doubt. Because the perpetrator is a trusted individual the victim might not be taken as wholly truthful. This can lead to immense shame and regret, maybe even recanting their statement. I think a way to counter act this is to, as individuals, try and understand a victim wouldn’t say such a momentous thing without truth behind it. Also, if the law were harsher on those who commit crimes like this is would comfort victims to know that. With big cases like Sandusky there will be huge legal repercussions. Sadly, in most situations which have less publicity, it is usually his/her word verse the victims. The government’s innocent until proven guilty, in cases like this, I think is a huge hindrance to openness. Often times rapists, molesters, and pedophiles get away with things like this because there is simply not enough evidence. Ruthless lawyers will treat victims with no respect in the world we live in. I think, a solution to many other problems, would be to reconstruct the system and the way we live our lives. Often times these incidents happen to children who think to themselves that they have no power to expose and show the truth of an older figure. I think there would be less silencing if there were more information, and a reality in which, victims knew that their perpetrator didn’t have power over them. This could mean in a legal sense or an emotional sense. This can only be done by confirming real repercussions to those individuals’ actions. Unfortunately, that isn’t the reality. Victims do not have that comfort right now. Lastly, I think when something like this happens to someone it changes the image they have of themselves. Instead of shedding that image, saying this is not who I am, this does not define me, most sit with what happened for so long it becomes a part of who they are. The longer it is with them the harder it is to speak out. In this sense it is a personal journey. How can we help those with that personal journey? I think the best thing is just talking about the fact that it happens. Letting that person know you are comfortable with these topics. Wed, 16 Nov 2011 05:53:53 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/11/15/voices-from-the-classroom-76/#IDComment222712139 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/11/01/voices-from-the-classroom-59/#IDComment215627583 People speaking other languages around me don’t make me feel uncomfortable at all. I think at one point in my life it may have, but where I'm at now I feel completely open to it. Sometimes I forgot I might have been like that in the past and get frustrated with those who don't like when people speak other languages. My immediate reaction when I hear another language is; Can I identify what language they are speaking? Which country are they from? What is it like there? What are they doing here? Languages insight curiosity in me. I'm thankful I'm one of those people who does not automatically think what are these people doing here not speaking English? I think it has a lot to do with the environment you’re used to. Although I was around many languages all throughout high school, I associated a certain stigma with that. The stigma was brought about by the feeling of the people in my environment. It didn't occur much to me that my dad fell into that category of non-English-speakers. He speaks English fluently but with a heavy accent and feels most comfortable speaking in Hebrew. I’m sure many people pass judgment on him when he’s speaking on the telephone our out with Israeli friends in public. That makes me thankful again that because of my past environments I can have an open mind to whomever and whatever language they are speaking. I especially notice is with Central and South American Spanish speaking people. In the past, living in New York, I felt they were these immigrants refusing to learn the language and taking up rightfully American jobs. Not only taking Soc with Sam, but making many Latin friends here at Penn State I have shaped an entirely new view of my amigos and now want to learn Spanish myself. In fact, when I spent a couple months in Israel I got completely used to not understanding any one everywhere I went. Instead, I enjoyed a world of fewer words for just two months. Less talking and more taking learning and living in the present. Now when I’m around primarily non-English speakers I feel completely content in my own world. I think a lot of the frustration with Spanish speakers here comes from ignorance to some of the points Sam made in class today. Also, this feeling of what it means to be America, and white as the Supreme Being. I think if we were able to shed some of these false beliefs we could and would be more accepting of all nationalities and languages. Also taking into consideration that when most Americans travel they don’t expect of themselves to be speaking the language of the foreign land. On the contrary, they expect that people abroad will be able to speak English. This is the product of an egotistical society in which American laziness is promoted. Wed, 2 Nov 2011 04:31:50 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/11/01/voices-from-the-classroom-59/#IDComment215627583 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/10/13/voices-from-the-classroom-45/#IDComment208817564 I think what race you does have an effect on how you see the world. With each race comes another culture and religion, the fundamental building blocks of perception of how the world works. Some aspects transcend race, but most are altered by how you grow up based on your race. For each individual this could mean something else. Each individual could have a different view of the world within the same race, still it is affected by how they were raised within a certain racial category. I don’t know enough about each culture or religion to make generalizations. I do know that for myself as a Jewish person from a Middle Eastern background that I go through life differently than a white Christian. For example, many Jewish people have immigrated to New York. So, my family as a result of our race/ethnicity have lived within the Jewish Persian community of New York. This has had a huge effect on my view of other races. Once I moved out of Great Neck and into Huntington, a highly diversified town, I became exposed to many religions, races, and cultures. I might never have been here and seen these things had I not identified as Jewish or Middle Eastern. In Huntington, where I have lived since age 8, I have noticed that being Jewish is a minority. Within the former education about Christianity once I was thrown into a predominantly Christian community I began to gain that new races perspective from exposure. This is a way of transcending your own race, by being absorbed into another. Still, I am not part of that community; I am only someone who now can fully understand what it means to be a White Christian on the east coast of the United States. Once you begin to travel long distances within another country or crossing international borders with less diversity of race it becomes more obvious how your race does in fact have its own culture to some degree. Since race is a somewhat ambiguous term it could be simpler to understand this in terms of regions of the world, different countries, regions, or cultures. Also, I haven’t touched upon many things which Sam brought up. How white people, although preferred, could feel guilt. That is a product of race and a way in which your world view is shaped. Also, blacks often exhibit purposeful malicious acts towards whites. Within the realm of a race there are many “stages” as Sam calles them. This doesn’t mean that a certain race is certain to be a certain way. It means that face is shaping the “stage” or way that you are. This is something we can’t help, we can only try and transcend. Mon, 17 Oct 2011 18:40:37 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/10/13/voices-from-the-classroom-45/#IDComment208817564 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/10/06/voices-from-the-classroom-40/#IDComment204634771 Men don’t have a standard to meet. Sure, some women value what a man wears and it affects their changes with the women. Still the same guy can get by much easier and find a mate if he chooses to disregard this minority of women who value what a guy is wearing. He doesn’t have to feel uncomfortable in short skirts or high heels. The most he’s got to do is wear a button up instead of a T shirt, and its COOL. It is socially accepting, and even encouraged for men to care less and do less then women. It surely would not be this way if opinion of women was valued more than men in our society. Sat, 8 Oct 2011 03:43:46 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/10/06/voices-from-the-classroom-40/#IDComment204634771 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/10/06/voices-from-the-classroom-40/#IDComment204634711 media, fashion industry but mostly from the porn industry. A place where men really learn what is expected to “be a man.” Also, what is expected and attractive and valuable in females. I don’t think any girl who truly believes they dress up for themselves has a good understand of what Sam calls the “invisible strings.” Men controlling all aspects of the world, especially gender related issues in society. Description against women is improving with out a doubt, still on a much more subconscious level its playing a huge role in the continually more scantily clad women we see all over. I’m continually shocked by girls attire here at school on Friday nights mid January. But it isn’t just our age group affected by the male run world, girls at age 10 wearing makeup and doing there hair is also a reflection of this idea. Being beautiful isn’t about being comfortable in your own skin, here its about dolling up to meet the needy penis world we live in. Sat, 8 Oct 2011 03:43:28 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/10/06/voices-from-the-classroom-40/#IDComment204634711 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/10/06/voices-from-the-classroom-40/#IDComment204634613 I agree with Sam that we have a male centered world and women’s style is a complete reflection of needing to meet the acceptable norms even if it is done subconsciously. I took the a Philosophy of love and sex class where we spent time on this issue. It was an amazing eye opening class which went way more in depth with this topic then Laurie and Sam did. Girls go out in heels and short dresses sacrificing their comfort without thinking about it. I believe some girls event think its because it makes them feel good about themselves. Let’s really examine that statement. I feel pretty when I elongate my legs with heels, when I show off my curve and expose my body it makes me feel pretty. A statement like that, most girls, don’t even realize, is really based off what men value in girls and their esthetic beauty. Girl perception of beauty is based on what men think is beautiful in women. This comes mostly from the Sat, 8 Oct 2011 03:43:01 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/10/06/voices-from-the-classroom-40/#IDComment204634613 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/09/27/voices-from-the-classroom-24/#IDComment203137464 This vacation I am sure would prove to be a lot more gratifying anyways. The government does what if best for our nation rather then what is best for the people of the Earth, a policy I disagree with. Countries are lines drawn in the sand, and are a way fo I understand in the world we live that that wouldn’t work. It would mean giving up a lot of the power that the United States has. An event which could inevitably makes some of these problems worse. Still, I believe a part of me will one day be patriot; this nation will not always be this way. This world won’t always be this way. One day we will see that acting will only the interests of our own nation in mind will not bring success, but failure on a global scale. r people to see each other as different instead of similar. The billions of dollars spent on defense, arms, nuclear power ext would be better spent on education, foreign aid, the homeless, reconstructing our judicial system, social security, universal health care and many other personal people concerns. Tue, 4 Oct 2011 21:28:34 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/09/27/voices-from-the-classroom-24/#IDComment203137464 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/09/27/voices-from-the-classroom-24/#IDComment203137413 When people say that we have enough of our own problems that we do not have enough to give to other nations in need, I think that is just wrong. How is an American life more valuable than another citizens life? The standard of living out does, I would say, every other country. The poorest American comes nowhere close to the poverty levels in third world countries. We can all afford to give up some of the things we have to give to those who are needier. Or choosing our priority differently and maybe traveling to another country to help the poor rather than laying out on the beach in Aruba. Tue, 4 Oct 2011 21:28:24 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/09/27/voices-from-the-classroom-24/#IDComment203137413 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/09/27/voices-from-the-classroom-24/#IDComment203137314 I was disappointed, although I don’t consider myself an idealist; I still expected those numbers to be higher in the case of aid and lower regarding weaponry. Also, much of our aid seems to be ultimately beneficial to our economy resulting in dependency on our nation. I am currently taking an international relations political science class which has helped me to understand why countries act the way they do. Seeing the Netherlands up at the top of the list kind of confirmed that I think I’ll move there. The country embodies many of the same values I have and appears very high on the list for foreign aid. Tue, 4 Oct 2011 21:28:05 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/09/27/voices-from-the-classroom-24/#IDComment203137314 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/09/27/voices-from-the-classroom-24/#IDComment203137058 I was extremely surprised in class to find out where the United States stands as far as foreign aid to countries in need in comparison to other countries. Also, When I found out how much of that actually goes to aid verse military supplies I was again surprised. The United States, I feel, presents itself with an image of peace promoting and altruism. Now I am not inclined to think the United States is more concerned with making money, staying politically powerful and continuing relations which benefit the US. Tue, 4 Oct 2011 21:27:19 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/09/27/voices-from-the-classroom-24/#IDComment203137058 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/09/20/everyone-respond-to-this/#IDComment197804065 I feel this project will be somewhat challenging for me as I have zero experience with any business promoting skills. It is neither my major not my interest. I do now, and always have in the past, enjoy working with people for a good cause, so I look forward to learning something myself from a project like this. I watched all the videos and looked over all the different entrepreneurs. It seems the major factor holding these small businesses back is the lack of resources which could promote their business. I was surprised at what they were able to accomplish with the small amount of tools they had at hand. All I know about Haiti is the high poverty rates and natural disasters that have hit Haiti. It was nice to see the videos of people making beautiful clothes, shoes, bags, and other products which come out of a place of sometimes ugliness. It was clear that the featured women and men are talented and have a produce which is marketable on a bigger scale then they are able accomplish because of some restrictions. I assume during the project we will have to examine and determine the exact issues; what is it is that is holding these people back from increasing their revenue and expanding their consumer base. It seems as though most of these people are proud of what they do and don’t want simple hand outs or money donations. They want to figure out a way that they themselves can improve their business with as little assistance as possible. The surveys we have been taking seem to be good examples of how students’ miles away can contribute to real problems on a large scale. I think it will take a lot of brainstorming and trial and error before we will see real results. I think the entrepreneur I would be most interested in working with would be Suze Fleuriza because I love her product and that the main purpose isn’t only profit, but to also improve the meals of underfed children in the neighborhood. I was thinking for most of these women and men it would be great to have business cards or a website if possible. I don’t think how many people have access to the internet but it could be a very professional and trustworthy way of promoting their products. Also, this would allow them to expand past the people who they know personally. I feel as though she has a wonderful personality and a great atmosphere at her work place which should be demonstrated somehow to the customer. There really is “love” put into the food. I read that she wants a better processing for packaging and a faster roasting and cleaning machine. I’m not sure if the only thing holding her back is the money. I’m really excited to get started on this project and hear what other students have to say about ideas for helping these entrepreneurs. Sat, 24 Sep 2011 03:27:10 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/09/20/everyone-respond-to-this/#IDComment197804065 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/09/15/voices-from-the-classroom-11/#IDComment194389657 Flipped a coin Sat, 17 Sep 2011 07:17:36 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/09/15/voices-from-the-classroom-11/#IDComment194389657 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/09/15/voices-from-the-classroom-16/#IDComment194389271 white people are venting about their anger (or jealousy???) at ZvH lol Sat, 17 Sep 2011 07:15:16 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/09/15/voices-from-the-classroom-16/#IDComment194389271 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/09/15/voices-from-the-classroom-17/#IDComment194318724 There is no right or wrong answer to this question. What is real for someone can be irrelevant for another. To a homosexual who’s loved one is in the hospital and they don't have the rights to visit them because they are not considered "family," gay marriage is a huge issue. I don't think that Sam meant to dismiss that idea. I think he was saying in the context of socioeconomic debate we have got bigger fish to fry. To Sam, who studies this as a career and probably a passion, a bigger issue for him is probably that minorities, as an entire group, have less chance to be successful in the modern world. Some might say this issue and its causes are more worrisome and urgent then gay marriage rights. I personally think everyone has got their own battles. Sam’s words were meant to sway the audience in a certain way, directed toward people who do believe in the system and American democracy. I think his message was that instead of fixing the individual problems like gay marriage, health care, blah, blah, blah, we should focus on who and what dictates the laws. He implied money coupled with a corrupt system caters to the rich and powerful instead of meeting the needs of the lower and middle class. Sam’s opinion might say that instead of complying with the way the system works by voting or picketing, instead we should try and call the government out on its misleading message to the American population. I don’t know what the big issues are for other people, but yes socioeconomic inequality matters to me. Obviously more to Sam since he teaches and has written a text book about it. Still, who is anyone to say what is big for anyone else. I once told my dad I wasn’t going to pay taxes since I didn’t believe in the system and he replied by asking me “what then?” I hadn’t thought that far in advance. I don’t know? Be an outlaw? I guess. Some people, I think, really are born to lead and change the world. For them, these “big issues” are solvable. I’m not saying we should ignore them, or deem our personal issues as small or give up everything to unveil the issues of today. Each person’s life goes as it should and along the way we unconsciously make the choices of what are the big issues. Once we learn the truth we can choose to act, ignore, or just learn and absorb the knowledge. For me the mistreatment of animals for food is a huge issue and so I have stopped eating animals. I doubt Sam would consider this a big issue, but like I said, we have all got to pick our battles. Sat, 17 Sep 2011 02:14:34 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/09/15/voices-from-the-classroom-17/#IDComment194318724 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/09/07/questions-from-the-classroom/#IDComment191800312 Love the question! This is just my second semester at college and already I have learned so much about evolution and the human species. It has changed my opinion on a lot of how I view race, ethnicity and culture. Coming from New York, a place of many peoples, I thought I was as open minded as it gets. I didn’t realize until coming here that I have learned so much and still have so much more to learn about where and how these preconceived notions come from. It seems many of my classes have touched upon this idea of the human as one instead of many. I found it unavoidable in my evolution class, extinction class, anthropology, sociology, and biological science. Each one had this unifying theme that the same science we use to base our facts has told us there is no difference between races, only skin pigmentations and adaptations to the climate. I have come to the conclusion that people don’t like ambiguity. It applies to everything. Think about discrimination to hermaphrodites, the presumptions of religion, and intense value of science in our society. We just like to classify, it is what we do. We are good at it. You can come up with many many reasons why people are different and that is where all our cultures and subcultures and titles for all of it come from. We stop viewing individuals as individuals. But then asking your neighbor, your friend, yourself: what race am I? It seems easier to determine where others fall along the spectrum then to simply put ourselves in one category without an explanation. My own feeling is it doesn’t matter. I officially decided after this question was posed that I was going to do a personal experiment and reply “I’m human” each time someone asks me what I am. I think it will lead to interesting conversation and provoke thought. After Sam’s lecture on which parts of the world determine which race I feel there is so much vagueness surrounding race. When I go to fill out a form and have to choose from those limiting options, I am “white”. But if you look at me I am clearly not white skinner. Being simply human instead would avoid people separating by identifying with one group. Instead we would all have something in common instead of something separating us. I don’t think this means people will have to discard their background, culture, values, or individuality. Sat, 10 Sep 2011 05:36:13 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/09/07/questions-from-the-classroom/#IDComment191800312 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/08/30/double-helix-and-god/#IDComment189179354 I consider myself to be agnostic. This leaves me open to interpreting god in any form, and has also led me to reject that god would have degreed anything, or set forth rules by which humans should follow. This idea of god as the double helix entices me because it seems to imply that science plays a role in existence. By this I mean that evolution, genes, and all that good stuff that many religions reject is, in fact, very much a part of our belief in how life came to be. Without a doubt, for me, of course science and religion are intertwined. The theory of evolution doesn’t disprove god, it simply explains some physical aspects of our existence. The double helix god finding suggests that we have actually discovered the answer, which I disagree with. I think that if there is a force out there, it probably isn’t something we can understand in terms of human perception. Think, this structure was discovered in 1953, doesn’t it seems just typical of humans to now go and claim we’ve discovered God’s true form? Sure, it is a coincidence. Now think of all the coincidences it must have taken to form human life on this earth at all. Or any group of people who over the span of any amount of time have some to some coincidental conclusion. Not to say that we should disregard this finding as untrue, all I’m trying to say is I really don’t know what god is, and I am not pretending I do. I’m sure this is one expression of god. I’m sure these shamans really did see this. I’m just not malleable enough to belief every extraordinary scenario involving a higher power really is it. I would probably be changing my belief daily if that were the case. It’s amusing to me how soon people will latch onto a belief of anything. Simultaneously picking and choosing which rules that religion follows as they pertain and satisfy parts of an individual’s life. If you belief in evolution then aren’t you saying the bible is a lie? Or maybe god was just wrong about that one thing. I can understand a thinking that there just might be something after life. I cannot understand how anyone would presume to know anything about it, or how they are supposed to live their life based on it. Religion tells beautiful and scary stories to frighten people into living “good” lives. After seeing so many negative repercussions of religion like wars, crusades, genocides, the holocaust, and many ongoing feuds today, I don’t think anyone can ignore that religion has brought more bad to the world than good. I think religion allows for people to stop thinking for themselves. I am just confused. Fri, 2 Sep 2011 23:56:01 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/08/30/double-helix-and-god/#IDComment189179354