en-us https://www.intensedebate.com/users/760366 Comments by McLovin8293 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/isnt-migration-conflict-inevitable__trashed/#IDComment70951848 I think this is a not well thought out statement that justifies our right to be on this land because of Darwinism. Our ancestors were obviously irrational and anybody with the mindset that we can take this land because we are capable of doing it is selfish. If Mexicans started coming into California or Texas and killing off people, claiming their houses, I'm sure Texans wouldn't be saying "survival of the fittest." It is not how people should be operating. Also, we do not just raid countries because we are capable of taking their land and increasing our power. These people resemble our ancestors who immigrated here very closely, and the treatment they receive from the people in our country is violent and disgusting. Apparently, there is benefits along with negatives of having immigrants and we cannot necessarily allow our population to double, but they are people too. Most immigrants are honest, hardworking, and compassionate. It saddens me to see people rant about them and rallies which would like to resort to violent resolutions to deal with this issue. There will never be an end to a flow of immigrants and it is not a black and white issue. I don't think there will ever be a solution to the problem but we cannot categorize immigrants all as bad and be close minded to the benefits they bring. Tue, 27 Apr 2010 22:33:26 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/isnt-migration-conflict-inevitable__trashed/#IDComment70951848 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/stories-for-uplift__trashed/#IDComment70946203 I enjoyed both of these videos very much. The first video takes a look at a man who has compassion for other people that he does not necessarily know. This is almost impossible to find today as we have so many prejudices and stereotypes against others. Most people operate in a selfish way, worried about their prerogative. It is nice to see that some people still think and consider others without even knowing them very well. Just imagined if this was not a rare story and that people decided to act this way all of the time. It is sad to think of how we continually teach our children to be wary of those around us and never so much to be compassionate and help others. This man truly is an inspiration and one day I hope that this won't just be a special report but a common occurrence in our country. Even her initial reaction shows the mindset of our country as she says "what is he crazy? I barely know him." In the end, she realizes he is just a saint. The second video is also very heartwarming and shows us that there is a lot to learn from children and that sometimes we should think in a simpler manner. Especially in Asia, but very prevalent here in the US, there is prejudice against inter racial couples. If we just take a look at children we would realize this is immoral and unethical. Human beings are all one in the same and to judge another because of their race, culture, or religion should not be accepted. This is a very powerful message, and the deliverance by children makes it even more touching. Kids are free of stigmas of society and they think simply and passionately. It is very heartwarming to see these two kids, free from bias and racial based thinking. Sometimes adults should learn to operate in more of the same manner and stop worrying so much about insignificant things that can ruin relations between family and loved ones. Tue, 27 Apr 2010 22:07:24 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/stories-for-uplift__trashed/#IDComment70946203 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/letter-from-an-inmate__trashed/#IDComment69782318 It is only he that truly knows if he feels this deep compassion. We can only look at it and form our own opinion from our perspective. Still, who are we to say if its genuine or not. We judge so greatly because of the circumstances that he is under when we don't truly know his thoughts or feelings. Outside of prison we are often less compassionate than this man is, and maybe that's why we have a hard time believing if its genuine or not. Thu, 22 Apr 2010 17:04:36 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/letter-from-an-inmate__trashed/#IDComment69782318 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/letter-from-an-inmate__trashed/#IDComment69780082 I really appreciate this letter and find everything this man says to be true. I think that lifer's are very capable of being enlightened people. He is obviously a very eloquent person and he received all of his knowledge through reflection. Being alone with other lifers every single day must have a powerful effect on the mind. From the outside, we group all prisoners into one mesh of people and can immediately picture 100 images of violence, in most cases. I have never been to a prison so my only knowledge of them comes from television, especially shows like gangland or taboo. These are all negative depictions of prison, where we actually have no idea how they truly live and think. This is ethnocentrism right in our own country. We judge people immediately when we here of what they have done in the past, even if this occurred years and years before. It is hard to fathom committing a murder, but no one knows the circumstances of why he did it. I don't think it is right that he is condemned to live the rest of his life in this place when he is one of the most compassionate and peaceful sounding people I know. Before coming into this class i didn't know anything about the death penalty. I just agreed with it because of the negative portrayal of inmates and lifers that I have seen on so many occasions. I couldn't imagine committing heinous crimes and therefore thought those that did should be punished. In reality the death penalty is very severe and reminds me of ancient law like an eye for an eye. Maybe in some cases the death penalty is correctly implemented, but most of the time it could be placed on a man who has repented. For this reason I think prisoners should be evaluated and never sentenced to life without parole. This man writing to us would definitely be eligible for freedom, in my opinion, if they created a new system. I think this man should be released because of his repentance and understanding of the world around him. He feels compassion for other human beings when we feel suffering and this is something rare to find outside of prison walls. He understands that humans are suffering, we all have issues and problems and are comforted when we have another person there to help. In a way, I think he has found a peace in which he can live happily while everyone else is confronted by everyday stresses and struggles. The things that we worry about day to day become irrelevant, especially to a man who has to accept he will be living behind prison walls for the rest of his life. I have been trying to live a more peaceful life, like him, where i am indifferent to every day stress and see the bigger picture. I think this is something Sam has done as he often says how he is never offended, and most things don't matter as one day we're all going to die. Maybe this man in prison has come to the same realization, especially since he will die inside of those prison walls. Reading this has really made me think. I don't quite fully know yet but I feel some kind of way about this. Thu, 22 Apr 2010 16:53:20 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/letter-from-an-inmate__trashed/#IDComment69780082 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/christian-invaders-the-turnaround__trashed/#IDComment68881859 So you're justifying our right to be there because we won't be strong without the oil we get there? How do you know it is benefiting us directly and not just the oil companies-and those who are invested in them? Also in this country we have freedom of religion and freedom of speech. True religion has its benefits but look at the problems it is involved with at the same time. You don't have to be the same religion as your parents either. It is not fair to be forced into certain practices if that is not what YOU believe. I was brought up Christian. Personally, I don't believe in any religion, and if I would believe in one I would probably pick Buddhism as it does not have a god and is geared towards peace, happiness and having strong morals. Maybe you need to open up your mind a little. I'm sure Sam does not intend to offend anyone, yet you are offended and coincidentally disagree with all the points he makes. If you have ever pictured a terrorist when you think Muslim or Arab, then it is possible that maybe they would categorize American terrorists as Christians. Mon, 19 Apr 2010 19:23:58 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/christian-invaders-the-turnaround__trashed/#IDComment68881859 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/were-being-educated-for-stupidity-and-conformity-really__trashed/#IDComment68797298 At first watching this I was slightly mad as he insulted the system in which I just completed coming into college. Who is he to say that I am conforming by being here and I am not capable of creative thinking? But after some thought I kind of agreed with him- in some aspects. I agree with him that school trains us from a young age. We come to class, listen to every instruction, which are often tedious and time wasting, and we do our work if we wish to receive the grade and then head home. At home we complete our assignments if we want to conform or if our parents force us to and then its a continuous cycle. I can see from his point of view. I have to disagree though, that this system shuns free thinking. Although when you are younger, it is basically just following steps and instructions, I think school teaches abilities to learn first and then progressively enhances the material. At a certain point, somewhere in middle school or so, teachers start to say "I want you to be creative with this; Think for yourself; formulate your opinions; or what do you think of this topic?" Students begin to realize their interests and although many assignments- or most assignments- can seem dull and uninteresting, there are certain things that spark interest and get the gears turning. I know that when I began to think more freely, I started to become interested by certain subjects- like history and sociology. I encountered things that made me want to research further. Religion was challenged in my sociology class, for the first time ever in a school setting, and I was interested as I was brought to church every Sunday for the first 17 years of my life. Still, throughout high school I was uninterested with the majority of the topics and tasks I was presented with. In English I dreaded the readings and procrastinated writing papers, and worked only to achieve a satisfactory grade. Now I am here at penn state in engineering, because it is heavy in math and physics, and that is what I'm good at. Now i still feel slightly conformist as the grading system relies heavily on examinations. I study slightly until a week up to my exam and cram for an A. I also have classes like race relations, though, where I really open my mind during lecture. I sit there without a pencil or piece of paper and just absorb the information. Information that, in most cases, has never crossed my mind. I find that many of the things I thought I might have an idea about were mostly misconceptions. There are billions of point of views in the world and I only see one of them. So on one hand, I can see where school leads to conformity and the lack of free thinking. On the other hand, since I've become older I have seen a different side to education, where I really get interested in thinking outside of the box. I think what it comes down to is the individual and their interests. Are we intrigued by what we learn? or are we just conforming to this society and monetary desires- the "American Dream", where we lack an ability to question our authorities. I think we all need a certain amount of education where we can think freely and for ourselves. It is only my first year in college and I am excited now to continue my education and hopefully encounter more challenges as I have this year. Because of this reason, I cannot say that I completely agree with Noam Chomsky and that there is benefit to receiving an education and coming to college, where real learning can happen. Mon, 19 Apr 2010 06:19:46 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/were-being-educated-for-stupidity-and-conformity-really__trashed/#IDComment68797298 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/christian-invaders-the-turnaround__trashed/#IDComment68729754 You misinterpreted Sam. We, in America, know it is not a war fueled by religion. However, our media depicts the Muslims to be fueled by religion, even though they are the same as us. They have a predominant religion of Muslim, but only the radicals act out in violence. On the other hand, their media is the same as ours, and depicting our actions there as terrorism with a connection to the Christian religion as we are trying to "convert" them. It's a never ending battle. Sun, 18 Apr 2010 18:47:05 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/christian-invaders-the-turnaround__trashed/#IDComment68729754 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/creating-terrorists__trashed/#IDComment68727941 After coming to lecture and reading this article I am absolutely infuriated by the "War of terror." This is a never ending battle in which the government has successfully blinded the majority of the population with help from the media. Why do we never hear the end of the happenings in Iraq? Because the government wants to constantly remind us of how much "terrorism" is going on there and we are doing the right thing. In reality, we are sticking are noses where they do not belong. We have no entitlement to be there, and although I support our troops I can no longer justify in my mind our activities over there. This is a war for oil. It has been said by important government officials and covered up by the same ones. In my new perspective on this, its just a giant lie fueling the greed of our government officials. No one can really do anything and the media successfully portrays the muslims as our enemies. What happened to the land of the free? Even muslims in our country are experiencing prejudice as people see them as a threat. This is ludicrous. They are people just like we are, with radicals on their side just as we have radicals here. Why do we think we are better than them? We have the same type of religious radicals doing the same acts that are depicted through the media. Now lets look at it from their perspective. We invade their country with the reason to remove their countries leader from a position of power, which we already did. We said we were looking for weapons of mass destruction, which was a lie, none were found. We want to fight "terrorism", which is obviously a relative term. They are normal people, just like the people in our country. They all do not want to exterminate christians and americans. They have radical groups, and so do we, there is no difference. The more I think about it the more I am infuriated. If we had Iraqi soldiers invading our home towns for our RESOURCES, killing innocent people and government officials that they decide are evil, we would all be infuriated. There would be acts of defense that would be deemed as patriotic, not terroristic. This is absolutely ridiculous and there must be alternative motives by our government as they know exactly what they are doing. Our troops are being misused and we are wasting so much money on military forces, all for oil. Maybe it is profitable to our country, or maybe just to our leaders. Either way, the war can not be justified any longer and the damage is already done. If I lived in the middle east, I would hate Americans. If my family and friends were being harrased and murdered by the christian soldiers, I would see christians as evil too. Both our media and Iraqi media is taking everything our of perception, looking at the motives of one another as irrational, evil, and fueled by religion. Hopefully one day the truth can come out, and we can focus on real terrorism, which is acted by extremists and not the majority. Sun, 18 Apr 2010 18:28:56 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/creating-terrorists__trashed/#IDComment68727941 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/christian-invaders-the-turnaround__trashed/#IDComment68661488 Sam's lecture was a very provocative one that obviously got a lot of wheels turning. Many people that disagree with his points don't want to open their minds to the reality of the world. They would rather live in a little bubble generated by our media and government. A lot of people are getting offended because they feel like sam is trying to make us feel like shit on a daily basis, and this could be an effect to some, but he is opening up our eyes to the reality of the world. Before this class I would say that I support the war and muslims want to destroy us so they aren't a group of people that can be trusted. Its funny how our media and government brainwashes us and lies to our people blatantly just for the promotion of their own greed. Ethnocentrism is so obvious when we see how our media portrays iraq to us and how their media portrays our country. Both parties focus on the negatives of the other so that they can justify the cause. Every time I hear "Middle East" I picture a shit hole with war, poverty, and soldiers trying to "help" the iraqi people. This is what our country wants us to see. In Iraq, on the other hand, they see extremist christians with guns and our leaders talking about oil. How do you think that makes them feel? They aren't helpless people like they are portrayed. They have normal people like us and our families, who look down on extremists just as we do. This class really is eye opening and changed a few perspectives for me. Although I think we may have helped in certain aspects, like removing a tyrant from power, it is blatant we are there for oil. Where do we get our entitlement from? If people were invading us for our resources you better believe there would be insurgencies and some major shit to pay. Its all so hypocritical and it is generated by ethnocentrism. They see christians as we see muslims, its obvious. For the most part we have a negative viewpoint and immediately picture terrorism when we think of muslims. Its easy to see why the people in iraq would see the soldiers as christian invaders. If you can't understand this simple proposition, then you may be unable to see the truth or you just buy in to the bullshit spewed by the media and government. This argument is not saying that our country is christian and we are trying to exterminate others, it is looking at it from a neutral position, from the other side. That is the whole point. Looking outside of the box, outside of what we are always showed and taught by others and formulating our own opinions. Sun, 18 Apr 2010 07:00:10 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/christian-invaders-the-turnaround__trashed/#IDComment68661488 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/want-to-learn-chinese__trashed/#IDComment67717395 I think foreign language education needs to be taken much more seriously. It is sad our country is so one sided while other countries stress english or being capable of speaking multiple languages. I have met many hispanic people who at least understand english and received a good education of the language, yet I know little spanish or french where I can understand further than an introduction. My ex girlfriend moved from columbia and she was well versed in english when I met her, one year after she moved to the states. She could also understand very well and picked up speaking quickly. To me, this was very surprising. I would have assumed that education from her school would be different, or at a lesser degree than schools in the states. Yet in my high school I had taken 5 years of french under poor teachers and can't speak passed bonjour. This is very frustrating to look back and know I wasted those years when under good instruction I may have learned a lot in that timespan. My high school's foreign language department is simply a joke and new regulations should be implemented where kids can actually learn. I don't understand why the math department was up to par and I learned calculus, yet after 5 years of study I don't remember 10 french words. I feel as though many foreign students know or have a background in english to the point where they can understand me. When it comes to teaching mandarin or other Asian languages I think this would be a very difficult task to implement an effective program for such languages. These are much more difficult than the previously offered courses, which I feel already have bad reputations for being poorly taught in our country. College always offers rigorous programs intended to make us learn, or provide a better environment and course schedule for the learning of languages. I do think it is a good start to offer these courses in high school for those that can offer a good program and spark interests to further pursue studies at a university. I think foreign language should be stressed more in high school as it is becoming very important in our diverse culture. When it comes to attaining a good job in the future it is also impertinent. I wish I was offered a wider variety of languages and better programs for learning these languages. Tue, 13 Apr 2010 13:15:12 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/want-to-learn-chinese__trashed/#IDComment67717395 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/i-really-want-to-know-also__trashed/#IDComment66610023 I really do think that Sam has changed my opinion on things, or at least made me think of things that have come up in conversation with friends or just on my mind. I try to see color as just an attribute now, and not stereotype others because of race. When I am around people who make jokes about other races I get more offended because stereotypes never apply to everyone. I also had some realizations about LGBT issues as so many people get weirded out by it and feel the need to make rude comments when it's seen, even though subconsciously I don't believe everyone is 100% straight. There is attractions to other sexes, not necessarily sexual, and this is natural, it is not gay or weird to me. I often think about other things that he has probed like "king of the mountain." People with wealth often stay wealthy and people without money often stay poor. We are not all given an equal starting line. Some people really do have it easy, and I have seen this with my friends that I have at school. They never experienced monetary issues like other people, including myself. Coming from a lower middle class family I think that I have to work a lot harder to get ahead. I really need to try my hardest and bust my ass to become something in this country. I really think this class has been sort of a motivation for me and I agree with so many of the points that I hear. It is thought provoking and I believe my opinions have changed because of it. Another thing that really stuck with me is that humans genome is 99% the same with the 1% difference being physical appearance. We are all just monkeys, and race doesn't really mean anything. Thu, 8 Apr 2010 16:00:34 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/i-really-want-to-know-also__trashed/#IDComment66610023 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/this-is-totally-off-the-hook__trashed/#IDComment65955210 I think this game has crossed the line. I have no idea how it is legal in Japan to make games based on rape, I guess their morals and culture differ that greatly from ours. The problem is now that games can spread through the internet and be played in any area of the world. I think it would be rare that a child would come across this but it is still not right. This shows that women do not receive the equal treatment they should still and this is a man's world. In Japan and other areas there is brothels where women are kidnapped and forced into sexual situations, which is why this is not frowned upon as greatly as over here in the states. I honestly do not think there is a way to prevent this. If there is a market for it there, then games like these will become available or are probably being made here similarly. I disagree with this report on CNN because it only informs the public of such games. This sparks interest in people, just like the ones on skype in the video, and they will be played out of curiosity, especially among teenagers. We just need to continue our education against sexual abuse and for woman's rights and hopefully these games won't become a trend over here. Maybe one day the Japanese government will do something to prevent these games from being made, which are just disgusting. If you purchase and play this game you should reevaluate your idea of entertainment. Sun, 4 Apr 2010 21:57:24 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/this-is-totally-off-the-hook__trashed/#IDComment65955210 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/how-can-we-ever-win__trashed/#IDComment65243709 I think that when people take offense to what Sam is saying they are missing the whole point of the topic. When Sam shows pictures of black people in LLBean and says "Those aren't REAL black people; is that black guy wearing shorts?; black people don't really like the water!" he is just spouting stereotypes that some people may conclude when looking at the magazine. This is what black or brown people may think in the immersion stage, because they are immersed in black culture and when they see black people trying to act "white" they feel some kind of way about it. His point is that the immersion stage is wrong and it is progress to a new realization- that everyone is different and black and white people can wear whatever they want in reality and shouldn't be judged by it. His comment about Jesse Jackson was not a negative one. He reaches out to people of many different races and this is good. He is a proactive speaker and does not just focus on black and brown people but he MOSTLY focuses on black and brown people, which is an example of the pseudo communitarian stage. When Jesse Jackson can reach out to people of all races and fight for the betterment of ALL humanity then he is a humanitarian. This is obviously a difficult stage to reach, and Sam has been all over the world and studied race relations all his life. He wasn't making jokes about black people in class, but rather pointing out and joking at the stereotypes that white people hold and black people in the immersion stage might hold against their own people. His point is that when we see color as a defining factor, like being a woman, and not as a definition of style, tendencies, and stereotypes, then we can reach the humanitarian stage. It is nothing to get offended about, he was trying to get us to think about society and our petty stereotypes. Saying there is no point to the class means you are not listening close enough and really thinking about what Sam is trying to get across. Thu, 1 Apr 2010 18:03:43 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/how-can-we-ever-win__trashed/#IDComment65243709 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/what-about-multiracial-people__trashed/#IDComment65193946 Some people are saying this guy is "confused", but I don't think he's having an inner struggle or conflict. Sam just often categorizes Black and Brown people and white people in to two categories because on average, racial identity of the two groups can be defined by the paths he has formed. I think if you are multiracial you need to take a look at the two paths and decide which on suits you. Sam also said that you could have an equal understanding of both cultures of your family. This guy says that he was mostly raised with Hispanic culture but people see him as white. I think in this case he would follow the racial identity path of "People of Color." If because he is multiracial, he has had encountered with many different races already, black, brown and white, then it is possible that he is already been through many of the stages of racial identity. This differs from people growing up around only one culture, even if you are of a different color than the majority around you. Like Sam said, it is common for Asian Americans growing up in white cultures to identify as white. Then they still have a long way to go to realizing race and embracing it. It differs from person to person in different situations and where you stand is up to your own evaluation essentially. For me, I grew up in a predominately white town, then moved to a very diverse one. I've been through revisioning, reversal, pseudo, etc. multiple times through various situations. I think now I am learning much about race relations and hopefully can reach the final stage eventually. Thu, 1 Apr 2010 14:42:21 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/what-about-multiracial-people__trashed/#IDComment65193946 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/revisioning-the-revisioning-stage__trashed/#IDComment65192295 I grew up in a small town in north Jersey where it was predominately white. Although there was only two black kids in my elementary school, one of them was one of my good friends through school. When I moved to Pennsylvania my school was very diverse as many of the other students were moving there from the city and other parts of jersey. I accepted this very easily as I already had encounters with other cultures but I also began to encounter racial issues and identity. Many kids and parents that had lived in the area for a long time were bigoted and I heard a lot of racial comments daily. Even racial fights erupted sometimes which was more of an issue. Through all of these experiences I have probably jumped through the stages that Sam has defined multiple times. I know I went through re-visioning and reversal and then up to pseudo and back because of different experiences but I'm not sure I ever reached humanitarian because I still focus and hang out with mainly my race which is white. In my frat, though, there is a fair amount of diversity and I'm going to be living with them next year which will be a good experience since Penn state is predominately white. This class has taught me a lot about being myself around people of other races and opening myself up more, instead of following the typical white politically correct path in race relations. Hopefully I can move into the humanitarian stage soon enough, I think I'm on the right path. Thu, 1 Apr 2010 14:29:40 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/revisioning-the-revisioning-stage__trashed/#IDComment65192295 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/if-men-could-menstruate__trashed/#IDComment64145271 Men aren't as educated about menstrual cycles because of poor education due to politically correctness and the media's and governments choices determining what is right and what is wrong in our culture. I believe that if we knew about it at an earlier time that it wouldn't be so taboo or unusual to talk about, even though I find it completely alright. Shit, I didn't even know about periods fully until I had a serious girlfriend junior year and she had hers. At first I was shocked to hear that for a week straight, or close to it, women are bleeding once a month. I wasn't grossed out or anything, but rather I respected women more and my girlfriend more for this burden, if you want to call it that, that they had to endure. When Sam brought this up in class, I completely agreed with him. And I knew he was trying to get a reaction when he started going in depth, so I found it hilarious. What was kind of weird to me, actually, was that women of the classroom felt offended or even grossed out? He was sticking up for them. Women in general need to stick up for themselves more and the menstrual cycle should be realized as a natural thing, I think that education about these sorts of things should be more emphasized, especially considering that most men in the soc 119 class had negative reactions to the topic. Fri, 26 Mar 2010 04:49:04 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/if-men-could-menstruate__trashed/#IDComment64145271 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/what-are-all-of-you-thinking-about-asians__trashed/#IDComment64125606 This is an interesting topic as Asians and Latinos, etc. are often meshed together as one race, even though that always does not apply. I think in most cases I can tell the difference between an Asian American and an Asian person. Here at Penn State I have met many Asians in which I previously did not have much contact with them. Overall, they are just people, and I can stereotype them, but I never really know anything about them until I engage in conversation. The most notable difference between Asian Americans and International students here is obviously the language. If I see two Asian people speaking something other than English, I probably assume they are international, but I can never really know, as I said. I think Asians have much different cultures and they are very absorbed into their cultures so when I see a group of Asians with similar dress or interests I may assume they are international students rather than other Asians who are more integrated into other racial groups. Fri, 26 Mar 2010 01:22:49 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/what-are-all-of-you-thinking-about-asians__trashed/#IDComment64125606 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/in-her-own-words__trashed/#IDComment64124739 When this topic came up in class, it was already clear to me that bleeding is completely natural. We live in a society that repels certain natural things that become taboo in our culture. I think it's stupid- all of the censorship that we live among and accept. When bleeding comes up, guys feel the need to make a comment or act like they are grossed out by it. They act like they have never had a girlfriend. I for one, have experienced bleeding first hand from my first girlfriend. It's a little shocking when you're doing the deed and it happens, but it is natural and I assured her I was not bothered by it. SHE was more embarrassed or "grossed out" than I was. I firmly believe that if we lived in a different place or time, this occurrence would not be so awkward or taboo. I'm sure it is even celebrated in certain cultures or was in previous time periods as it is the cycle which allows fertility. This really got me thinking into how sexist the world can sometimes be. How woman need to keep this part of their life secret, as if its wrong or something, even though every single woman on the planet experiences it. I am still surprised after Sam's comments about its naturalness, that woman in the class felt offended or something, as if Sam wasn't sticking up for their side. His wife obviously shares the same viewpoint as he does, so woman cannot get offended by him talking about his wife's business, as she makes it quite apparent that she doesn't feel this burden should be a shamed or kept quiet occurrence. I think woman should have more self respect and that men should respect woman more, especially during that time of the month. We wouldn't be here without it, it is necessary. This transfers directly to other topics that we cover in class, also. Everyone today practices politically correctness and sometimes it gets out of hand and affects peoples relations with one another, especially in the case of race relations. Nudity is also something very taboo in this country, being completely censored from TV and movies that include it receive R ratings. It is also something that I find to be natural and it is not something that is censored in every part of the world. This goes to show how effecting our peers and the media is in telling us what is right and what is wrong, what can be said and what cannot. I think there should be more leeway in conversation and people should stop being so offended by what others say, that includes curses. I found it funny that people were so offended or grossed out by talking about a menstrual cycle that they needed to remove themselves from the room. I like the way Sam operates, he is not offended by anyone, he uses "foul" language, and brings up controversial topics. I am not offended by anything he does or says and I think other people need to relax sometimes and take life for what it is. Fri, 26 Mar 2010 01:14:36 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/in-her-own-words__trashed/#IDComment64124739 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/native-hawaiians-ever-think-of-them__trashed/#IDComment63749434 This article is very interesting and eye opening which resembles the situation going on here on the homeland of America with our Native Americans. Native Hawaiians are obviously experiencing the same injustices that other Native Americans are feeling, with the colonizers reaping the benefits. Like Native Americans here, they were pushed out of our land, killed of with diseases, and are now living under the control of others who don't rightfully own the land. It is relieving to see an effort being put into restoring order to the Natives, something we should consider extending outside of Hawaii. I think many people would be surprised at the reality of the situation of the Native Hawaiians, much like people being educated of the injustices against Native Americans. More education should be put forth towards this country to make this common knowledge so we can put effort into making a beneficial change for the natives. They are people who have been ignored for centuries and deserve recognition. Hawaiians are very peaceful and humble people and it is nice to see a change come for the natives of a land, which will hopefully spread into more recognition for other natives in this country. Wed, 24 Mar 2010 00:47:32 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/native-hawaiians-ever-think-of-them__trashed/#IDComment63749434 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/is-anyone-else-getting-this-stuff__trashed/#IDComment63339984 Because my discussion group was a few weeks into class, I already felt more open to the people that I was going to be discussing with. I have not had many interactions with people of other races here at Penn State so it was the first time I had a chance to express my new found opinions of different races. Coming from a small town with a school about 50% black, I can't deny that I have biases and stereotypes of other races. My whole life before high school I only interacted with white people and in high school I was faced with a completely different playing field. It is still difficult to completely open myself to people of other races without feeling a sense of not so much guilt, but fear of the opinion that they will have of me because I am white. The discussion group gave me a chance to connect with people of other race but not for nearly long enough. Laurie's book accounts for many different discussions in which many people have biases and opinions that differ greatly from person to person and from race to race. Although I am early in my race relations learning, I have become more open to meeting people of other race and connecting on a more personal level, trying not to bias and stereotype because of skin color, appearance, or attitudes. I also realize that a person of color could very easily share all of the same viewpoints as I do, more so than a person of my race. What I'm taking most from all of this is that I want to get to a level where first impressions, physical appearance, and most of all race don't effect my opinions of others. If I could reach this stage, and rid myself of all biases and stereotypes which don't apply in all situations, then I could reach that humanitarian stage in race relations and be able to interact, freely, as myself in all situations. Sun, 21 Mar 2010 16:16:15 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/is-anyone-else-getting-this-stuff__trashed/#IDComment63339984