en-us https://www.intensedebate.com/users/4213551 Comments by MaeveisBeacon http://www.worldinconversation.org/2012/04/20/voices-from-the-classroom-156/#IDComment343832705 I do not know that my parents would really reject either choice that I decide. I have never been in an interracial relationship but I also have never felt from them that being with a person of a different race would be unacceptable. I also do not think that if I were to be gay or transgender they would reject me. I think that they may be a little more apprehensive and confused if I were LBGT. That is not something that either of my parents are accustomed to dealing with a lot of LBGT people that are very close to them. Neither of my parents have anybody in their families that are out. Although my father has an uncle that he always had a good relationship with that they think may be gay. It is one of those things, though, that nobody ever talks about. As far as I know, this has not changed his relationship with anybody in his family. But I can not help wonder if he was out that if he would have been excluded in some ways from the family. It is possible that a reason that he has never come out is because he felt as though he would not be accepted. In terms of myself I do not think that I would not be accepted only because I was LGBT. Like anything in life I think that they would only really be upset if I was living in a way that would harm me or others. And being LGBT would not be that, they only really care about my lifestyle straight or not. It is hard to imagine because I really am not at all inclined to being LGBT and I think they know that. but if I were to truly be LGBT I would not picture them ever rejecting me for that. On the other side, I think that my parents would support any relationship that I am in as long as the person is supportive and it is a healthy relationship. It would not be about skin color as all I don’t think. Again I have not dealt directly but it seems to me that they would not have an issue with an interracial relationship, it would be more about the boy’s values and the way he treated me than his background. That said, my father has mentioned before that a relationship with someone of your own ethnicity is “easier” meaning that society and often times the family of the person of color resist the relationship. I think this is a good point that he makes that you will likely face less attacks on the relationship alone if you are of the same background. He also has said that if it’s the right person, it just is and race does not matter. Sat, 21 Apr 2012 01:23:30 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2012/04/20/voices-from-the-classroom-156/#IDComment343832705 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2012/04/10/voices-from-the-classroom-146/#IDComment338575773 I think that was an incredible example of how distorted our perception of crime is. I was one of the people that thought there were thousands of abductions every year and it is both reassuring and concerning that I was so far off of the mark. It is relieving to sit back and recognize that we world we live in is actually pretty safe. When I find myself afraid of the bad things that people do to each other I typically try to think about the crimes that are happening are coming from and happening to people that are not living in a way that would put them in a good situation. Crimes are very rarely against random people. Although these are the crimes that we hear about on a huge spectrum. Trevon Martin, Elizabeth Smart are example of horrible crimes happening to people at random. These are also stories that ran in the news for months, not that they don’t deserve media attention. I think they do, in fact. I also think it is that kind of media portrayal that distorts the public image of crime. Even walking out of Wal-Mart, you can find a wall filled with pictures of missing children and adults, this is when I get a little confused. I understand that they are placed there to plant the seed for people to have an eye out for the missing people posted. And I can not believe that they put that there as a scare tactic, but this I think, too, plays into the distortion of missing people. I think one of the bigger reasons that there is such a overestimation of crime and kidnapping is because of shows on TV, like Criminal Minds and even documentary-style shows like First 48. My grandmother always says that shows like this are only put on to scare people, and I think she has a point. Television networks play into the human instinct for an adrenaline rush and fear so they provide that while giving scenarios are either the rare occurrence or in some ways seem like they could be real. What I take away from this is that we need to let go of most of these fears and live free. I also think that this does not mean that you should ignore your instincts about people and not take precaution when alone at night. But also recognize that the fear of the world that a lot of people have should not dominate your life. It is important that we acknowledge that the news media is often only reporting the most shocking and upsetting news so this could be a factor in our fear of the world. Rid yourself of fear, and be smart. Sat, 14 Apr 2012 02:39:55 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2012/04/10/voices-from-the-classroom-146/#IDComment338575773 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2012/04/04/voices-from-the-classroom-142/#IDComment333308022 I think this was a very interesting class in that it really made me think about that the unknown of a culture is really what makes it “weird” to us. I have had this discussion about how changing the lens through which you view the world will open your eyes that no culture is so bizarre really. I think that the video by the “Skit Guys”. How watching the original pictures with the narration everyone can look and judge the others as “abnormal”. The second half of the video is eye-opening though, we see that the things that the narrator is saying that seem crazy from our view, can also be applied to our own culture. I found it very easy when they called attention to this to brush it off and just say, “Well, it is not actually like that” and “that is outrageous, they are twisting it around.” What we need to recognize is that when we look at the other culture, they are abnormal only because they are not our rituals. Your own rituals are normal to you and create the lens in which you view the world. To step outside of our own lens and into somebody else’s is when we can truly understand other people. This is a philosophy that I often try to apply to other aspects of my life. It is not easy to do but to understand the actions of other’s I often try to recognize that the lens in which they see a particular situation is different than mine. So while the easy thing to do is write them off and get mad, it is more productive to step back and acknowledge that the lens is just different. This can also be applied to large scale cultural differences, and it should be to understand that no culture is weird or wrong, it has a purpose to the people and it is simply different than our own. It is also important to recognize that our culture is only normal because it is our own, from the outside it is just as odd as the cultures that Americans typically sit back and laugh at. I thought that the video of the boys coming from Ghana was amazing. The boys were able to give a fresh look at the obscurities of our own culture. I thought that one of the most interesting parts of the film, as Sam pointed out in class, was when the woman in the swimming pool assumed that America is so much freer than Ghana. This was an incredible example of ethnocentrism. It was interesting that though we think of our lives here as being so much better and more privileged than in other parts of the world, whereas the boys felt that our world was disconnected and impersonal. Fri, 6 Apr 2012 20:31:40 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2012/04/04/voices-from-the-classroom-142/#IDComment333308022 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2012/03/15/voices-from-the-classroom-122/#IDComment318011600 I think this is a really interesting question. I believe that, while it is only natural for news corporations to sift through the information they receive to present the public with a story, sometimes the information they choose to show is not giving the full story of what is happening. In the past I would believe what the news had to say with very little, if any, skepticism. They present the information in what seems to be a credible manner. The reporters or print media speak with confidence on their subjects and even bring in outside sources to backup what they are showing. But what I have realized in the past year or two is that these people are trained to give a story that the public will listen to. I think that the news does a lot of omission from the truth. They may not come right out and say something false but by leaving out bits and pieces they end up telling a very different story than the truth. I think that this is wrong because while leaving out facts and bringing in outsiders with the same information that the news is presenting, it inhibits the public from creating their own opinions on stories. The opinions that the public forms are misled and this is harmful to the issue of having an uninformed society. I am not sure that I do a very good job of seeking out the truth really, rather I just accept what the news is likely only telling me part of the story. It is hard to find unbiased media so when I hear or read a story I typically just try to imagine the people and their families so that I can put myself in their situation and almost imagine how they would view the story. I don’t necessarily make up the rest of the story but I try to recognize that the media is going to present the story the way that they see it rather than from both sides or even just without their own views projected. For me, while I know it is kind of socially irresponsible, now that I am more aware that the media is so biased or not presenting the whole situation I like to work on being more critical of what I hear. My opinions are not typically very polarized because I recognize that each story has two sides and the stories are presented to support one party and harm the other. I think it is important to examine what you hear on the news to determine if that is the case. I may be naive but i believe that most people behave in the way that they believe is right so it is important for me to recognize that when listening to the news. Sat, 17 Mar 2012 02:34:38 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2012/03/15/voices-from-the-classroom-122/#IDComment318011600 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2012/03/02/the-kiss-seen-round-the-web/#IDComment311941705 My first reaction to this photo was neither negative nor positive. It took me a moment to register the meaningfulness that this photograph would have for some people. I think it is extraordinary that people that are gay and in the military feel as though they can act openly. This is a pretty new thing and I think that it is great that people in the military can be open about their sexuality. While I say this and truly believe this, I also paused for a moment when I first saw the photo because something looked a little odd to me. I quickly realized that the only thing that was really odd about this is that it is a gay male couple. This sent me a pang of guilt as well. I hope that this is only because openly gay behavior is still somewhat taboo. I consider myself to be a strong supporter of gay rights, so I was confused as to why this picture seemed odd to me. But this is a new type of image for the American people to deal with. Particularly men in the military have historically been portrayed as “he-men” and the all-American boys, so to see a man in uniform publicly kissing and wrapped around another man it is somewhat startling. It is an idea that has not been portrayed in the media historically although it is accepted that gay men and women have been serving in our military since the beginning. We, the American public, were generally blinded to that fact though. While we knew that, images and stories were typically kept away from public eyes to protect the people serving under the “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” laws. So while I felt a twinge of guilt with how the picture appeared peculiar to me, I think this is largely due to the fact that this type of showing of affection is new and different than what the image of a military man has been historically. That said I think that people that have an opposition to this photo, beyond simply being unfamiliar with the idea of openly gay soldiers, are likely the same people that are opposed to gay people is a number of ways. I think that it is great that soldiers can be openly gay now; this is a huge step in creating an America that is tolerant to all people, particularly to homosexuals. This photo is a beautiful display of love and like the man in the video; I look forward to the day when this type of image is not something to stop and discus. Rather, the story should be about their love and his excitement to return home like it would be if it were a photo of a man and woman. Fri, 9 Mar 2012 05:18:07 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2012/03/02/the-kiss-seen-round-the-web/#IDComment311941705 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2012/02/23/voices-from-the-classroom-114/#IDComment300974327 I have a hard time wrapping my head around the fact that in South Korea they require a photo along with a resume to hire an attractive employee. What I find most shocking about this is that it is a known practice. I think that is unique in that culture, or cultures outside of the United States. This in a way is kind of cool. Not the concept of choosing an employee based on appearance, but that this is known and accepted. In American culture the fact that people are profiled based on appearance or background is kept very quiet. Any person hiring would likely deny that they were profiling applicants in any way. In South Korea it is interesting that applicants knowingly include a photo so that employers can profile. I think that it says something about our culture. It shows to me that maybe it is part of the atmosphere in the United States to hide that we are judgmental creatures. That at first glance most people can decide whether or not they would like somebody. It is a sad fact but I think most of the time people are so set in what they find attractive that their minds are often closed to other kind of people. But most people would not admit that willingly. It is very ingrained in our culture that everybody is equal and has a fair chance. I think it may come from the fear of being racist that we talked about it class. It goes even a little farther than that though, this is not only being judged by color, but by attractiveness as well. In our culture we feel the need to tell ourselves and others that we give everyone a fair chance. But it makes me think, if South Koreans have found a way to profile against each other in the job market in a place where there is very little diversity, maybe there is something greater that make people discrimination. True or not, I cant help but wrestle with that question. I think maybe humans are inclined to find some reason, other than who is simply qualification and skill, to desire to work closely with someone. It seems to me that in South Korea they, too, have found a way to discriminate even though the country is comprised of nearly all people of the same ethnic background. Like I mentioned earlier, I find that South Koreans are so open about the profiling of applicants is much more shocking than the fact that they profile based on attractiveness. It is an interesting cultural difference and makes me think about how discrimination is something that isnt necessarily about ethnic or social differences, and how this taps into the superficiality of people. Sat, 25 Feb 2012 01:45:59 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2012/02/23/voices-from-the-classroom-114/#IDComment300974327 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2012/02/16/voices-from-the-classroom-108/#IDComment294495083 I think that the reason that certain races dominate in certain sports for multiple reasons. The first that comes to my mind is that geographical influences can impact the amount of people from a certain race. Sam used the example of hockey being a predominantly white sport. This could be that hockey is typically played in the suburbs by kids that grow up playing at the local ice rink or on a frozen pond. We talked about in class that whites have the second highest income per household; this can impact the people that play based on financial status. Not to generalize, I would consider hockey a fairly expensive sport to play between equipment, team fees, travel to games and camps, rink fees, etc. and based on the numbers discussed in class, this could affect who can pay to excel at the game of hockey. With sports like baseball, football, and basketball where we see more people of color dominating could have something to do with the cost to play. These sports are offered in high schools for no cost and players can develop through that. While a sport like alpine ski racing is not offered in most high schools and has a large cost to join a club team which would be one of the only ways to truly excel. I know of some very top level ski racers and what is interesting is that almost all of them attended a boarding school or ski academy focused in skiing. These schools are expensive and geographically dominated by whites. This could deter people of color to step into these sports not that they would not excel at them. I think that it is possible that another reason that people of color excel in particular sports is because those are the sports that earn a lot of recognition and at time money. The reason I think this could be a factor is because of what Sam talked about in class today with people of color carrying that pressure to show that they are capable and need to work hard to show that they are equal and in some ways better. When somebody, of any race, is blessed with athleticism they are encouraged to continue on that path and turn into something great. Maybe it is possible that people of color feel that pressure even more and work to excel in sports that also carry status. In testing that pressure can hinder performance, but many top athletes, again of any race, can channel that pressure and use it as motivation and inspire drive to become great. I suppose those are some possible reasons that certain races are more prevalent in certain sports. Fri, 17 Feb 2012 04:16:53 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2012/02/16/voices-from-the-classroom-108/#IDComment294495083 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2012/02/08/voices-from-the-classroom-99/#IDComment288199622 I think that white people don’t necessarily shy away from talking about race in general. However, more so when they are in groups that include people of color. I think that in groups when everybody is white it is easier from whites to feel free to talk openly about race. I think that this is probably for a few different reasons. When everybody is the same color, we tend to assume that their opinions are similar to others’. Whether this is true is not likely the case, but just like talking to your friends versus strangers it is easiest to talk to people that you share similarities with. I also think that white people do tend to fear being perceived by people of color. Sam talked about in class about how people of color should come down easier on whites that make a comment that is out of line. I think that this has a big impact on the hesitance of white to join the conversation of race. I have seen white people try to join an open discussion get harshly slapped back down. Very few people would ever want to offend anybody and by stepping into the conversation with mixed company you risk that. Whites do not fully understand the challenges that being a person of color means in America and to comment on what it may feel like or say why you think that may be, doesn’t feel like the place of the people that are in some way responsible for it. White supremacy is a very real thing and to comment on that can be risky in a group because we don’t truly understand and some don’t feel like it is there place to talk about the struggles. I think that people of color also at times have a tendency to close the doors to open conversation. I think at times there is an attitude that whites can’t comment on the situation and I don’t think that helps to encourage whites to speak on the subject of race. I think that in order to have a balanced conversation you need all sides to comment honestly about what they believe and in mixed company where there is a chance to be offend and be shut down it isn’t an easy place to speak up. I this also begins to tap into the issue of reverse racism and the perception that all white people are racist. I couldn’t help but be a little frustrated in class when one girl suggested that maybe white people are simply evil. I think that those are the kind of attitudes that close the conversation. As a white person I makes me not want to discuss race with her because it make me feel as though no matter what I say would be twisted and construed as racist. Thu, 9 Feb 2012 20:17:39 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2012/02/08/voices-from-the-classroom-99/#IDComment288199622 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2012/01/31/voices-from-the-classroom-93/#IDComment282258002 I think this is an interesting question, and I feel torn. In some ways I think that it is important the United States maintains its culture without losing its identity to Hispanic culture. However I believe that historically the culture has been to change and grow in different directions based on the immigrants coming into the country. I think it makes a lot of people uncomfortable to think that these changes are going to take place in America during their lifetime and that is where the resentment comes from. So while I think it’s important that America maintains its current culture, I think that it would be beneficial to our nation as a whole to become more accepting and friendlier towards Spanish-speaking people. I do think that it would be more progressive for everyone to learn Spanish. That being said I think that there are a lot of people that will resist that their whole lives, until the point that it would be impossible to be a functional part of society without knowing Spanish. I understand the feelings from people that think that America should be only English speaking, and if you don’t want to learn it then get out; although I do not agree myself. I think it is about protecting what you know and understand. It is a scary thought that in our lifetimes there will be more Spanish-speaking people in America than English-speaking. But I find this scary because it means life as I know and understand it is changing. It can be concerning to learn that America’s culture is going to be changing drastically in the coming decades. But I also think that if the United States is going to continue to develop and grow then I think that people need to get over their worries and move on and adapt to the changes. i believe that people naturally resist change and in this instance I think that we can expect to see large amount of resistance. I think however, as it becomes more and more beneficial to speak Spanish the more and more non-Spanish-speaking americans we can expect to see. At some point the resistance to change will need to stop and the acceptance of a new developing culture will need to take hold in order to be a functional society. it is part of American cuture, historically, to adapt and change with the people in the country. I think this is what makes America special and if the culture is changing to be more spanish-speaking I think that in time we can work to embrace that, not that it will not meet some oppostiton along the way. So in this case I understand both sides of the argument and while we may not all like to have these changes to happen to us, we should work to embrace that. Thu, 2 Feb 2012 23:29:09 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2012/01/31/voices-from-the-classroom-93/#IDComment282258002 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2012/01/26/voices-from-the-classroom-92/#IDComment276278877 The tragic events that have been brought to light in the past few months have had a great impact on my life and have truly forced me to reflect on people and institutions. I have been extremely close to the events going on in the past few months. What makes me most upset and heartbroken is that my family has been friends with many of the big players in the scandal for years. And looking for as some of the information is made public and just now learning of the horrific things going on so close to our home is rattling. In the first few days when the story broke, I had trouble making it an hour or two without breaking down in tears. I found myself wondering, how something so horrifying and huge could be kept such a secret, even from people that are around the football program every day. I cant help but think that this type of secret (hopefully nothing this terrible) is kept silenced in more institutions than just Penn State. I think that in most institutions negative press is suppressed and this is the doings of the people that are trusted most in the institution. I think that their desire to protect the name and their own jobs/way of life can get in the way of publicizing such grave issues. From my perspective, as somebody who isn’t getting their information on the scandal from the news but rather friends and people that were close to the scandal, it is hard to see that the public isn’t getting the full story. There is more to everything than the media is saying. And we need to keep in mind that media coverage on any issue is probably not telling the whole story. Or that the parties involved are not releasing the full story to the media to protect people or institutions or even more cynically to create more negative emotion towards certain people or institutions. I believe at times that the full story will probably never be fully told. It makes me question what we are told about so many issues. I can’t help but think that the media is rarely reporting the full details, I am going to be more careful about what I believe when watching the news. I could write for days about the things that I’ve learned in the past few months about people or society. But the last point that I want to make about what I’ve learned about people or society in the past few months is that the tallest tree in the woods is the first to get struck by lightning. Meaning that the media and public is always going to look for someone to blame, in this case Joe Paterno, and this person is likely going to be the biggest name. we always need someone to blame weather or not that is the guilty person. it was hard to watch that past few months but it has taught me a few lessons that will stick with me the rest of my life. Fri, 27 Jan 2012 22:12:38 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2012/01/26/voices-from-the-classroom-92/#IDComment276278877 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2012/01/20/questions-from-class/#IDComment269988158 I think that it is true that the American dream is generally embraced by immigrants than by natural born americans. I think that immigrants are coming from a different background and circumstances. They have seen parts of the world and have had experiences, good or bad, that change their outlook on life. We have talked about in class that we are all “the same” our ideas and behaviors are rarely original. I think that coming from a different country and having different ideas and outlooks brings new excitement to the idea of the American dream. I think that americans take for granted the fact that they are born “ahead” most of us reguardless of where in the country we come from, have some amount money and system around us that encourages us to excel to the place that we are today and strive to be in the future. I think that immigrants tend to have this drive as well but it comes from within more that it does just from societal expectations. I probably cant speak for all americans when I say this but I feel as though I am where I am today because of the support system that I was born into; like my family, town, church, school. I went to college becasuse where I am from it is expected that after high school I go to college. While I want an education and to settle down with a good career that will make me happy and also support the lifestyle that I want to have, that is not what I think about when I go to class each day. I think that immigrants find that drive from within and work to improve their lives. While this is the view from an outsider, I believe that immigrants appreciate the opportunities that they can create for themselves in this country. I think that because many of them haven’t just been given opportunities and haven’t just followed cultural expectations they embrace the American dream more that americans. I think that immigrants can bring their experiences from their country of origin and apply that knowledge here is America. I am not trying to suggest that America is better off than any place that immigrants are coming from, I believe that they can recognize the difference between what is earned and what is given. I think that americans are given so much that they don’t understand that with the American dream come hard work. The idea of living the American dream isn’t just having a white picket fence and a wife, a house, two kids, and a dog. Hard work is involved and taking advantage of opportunities and the drive to create opportunities. I think that is something that immigrants understand more than americans. Fri, 20 Jan 2012 23:33:34 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2012/01/20/questions-from-class/#IDComment269988158