en-us https://www.intensedebate.com/users/764693 Comments by Muller0317 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/letter-from-an-inmate__trashed/#IDComment69826584 After reading this post and letter, all I can say is wow. Before reading this, I would never put prisoners, especially lifers convicted of murder, in the same sentence with compassion. The perception that society has about prison and prisoners is that they are all evil people that deserve to be where they are. Nobody thinks of prisoners, especially murderers, as compassionate people because they all have done something bad to get to where they are. But after reading this letter my perception of prisoners and the prison system itself has changed. I realize now that prisoners are just like every other person and have the same feelings and emotions as everyone else, except they just made major mistakes that they are paying for now. Now I'm not saying that every prisoner is a good person because there are some people in the world who are just plain evil and don't have these common emotions, but I'm sure a majority of the prisoners are like every other person. The first thing that I thought was remarkable from this letter is how the man was showing compassion and comfort to the other man, even though they hated each other. I know that people hating each other in jail is a lot more severe than someone hating someone outside of jail because the jail life is a lot tougher and survival based. So for a man to put his hatred aside in jail is exceptional to me because it makes me realize that these people aren't evil animals, but instead are just like every other person that feels sorrow and compassion. The second thing that I thought was remarkable from this letter is how well the man was able to write. I know Sam stated in the post that he didn't graduate from high school, so for him to be able to write this well is very impressive to me. This again shows that these prisoners are animals but instead are very sophisticated people who can think and write well. This also gives me confidence that the prison system is working and is doing its job to rehabilitate criminals instead of just punishing them. I'm sure the man who wrote this letter is a completely different man now than the man he was when he was put into prison. I'm sure he developed as a person in every way imaginable and I think some of this is thanks to the prison system working. I think it's offering good resources for the prisoners to acknowledge what they did and help them develop. The final thing that I thought was amazing was how the prisoners try to reach out and help when our country and other people go through troubles. I never really thought of prisoners as helping people who want to reach out and help others but when this man described how prisoners donate blood, fill out forms to donate money, and write letters to help people I realized these men are like every other person in the world. Thu, 22 Apr 2010 22:19:02 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/letter-from-an-inmate__trashed/#IDComment69826584 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/creating-terrorists__trashed/#IDComment68445914 I think this post relates to the "Christian Invaders" video. I've always thought the people that do things like this are crazy and just want to cause pain and suffering to others. I thought they had no other motive than to kill people and follow the orders they were given. After reading this article and watching the video, I now understand why these people do what they do. Now not all of them are avenging a family members murder like this woman, but the ones who are doing it for this purpose I can agree with. As awful as this sounds, if someone were to kill one of my family members I would absolutely do anything in my power, including giving my life, to ensure that the people who were responsible suffer. Fri, 16 Apr 2010 23:49:11 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/creating-terrorists__trashed/#IDComment68445914 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/christian-invaders-the-turnaround__trashed/#IDComment68445310 After watching this video, I feel more sympathetic towards the insurgents and I understand why they do what they do. However, I can't agree with Sam's idea that the Christians are "trying to take over the world." It's pretty well known that Christianity is one of the most practiced religions in the world. With Christianity's large numbers, there will most likely be more than one Christian in positions of power. So when these people make big decisions, like going to war, they aren't doing this so Christianity can become the only religion in the world. They don't want to wipe out all the other people who practice a different religion. There are so many different forms of Christianity and to say that all these people get together and plan to take over the world and wipe out every other religion is absurd. Being a Christian, I do understand that a lot of Christians think they are the best but this doesn't mean that they are trying to take over the world. This may not be relevant, but I feel like Christians are more willing to marry and interact with other religions as opposed to other religions who want you to only socialize with your religion. I just feel like this example shows that Christians are more accepting of other religions as opposed to the others. As for the other part of this video about understanding insurgents, before I saw it I never understood why they did what they did in regards to suicide bombing and such. Before I saw this video, my opinion about the war was I didn't really care how many people they killed. I know this sounds awful but think about what they did to our innocent citizens on September 11th. I honestly didn't care if our soldiers killed innocent people because all I can remember is the first time I saw the two planes going into the buildings. I don't agree with the war because I do truly believe that it is all about oil and oil isn't worth this. But I do agree with us seeking revenge for September 11th. On September 11th every person that was killed was innocent. They didn't do anything to the terrorists. And I also remember seeing on TV people from those countries burning and stepping on our flag after the events happened. So if our soldiers are over there killing the people who were responsible for this and the people who supported it then I am okay with it. But now my view is differently and I understand why the people fight back and injure our soldiers. If some other country were to come into our country and kill my family members I would absolutely react violently towards them. Fri, 16 Apr 2010 23:43:08 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/christian-invaders-the-turnaround__trashed/#IDComment68445310 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/i-really-want-to-know-also__trashed/#IDComment66623580 I leave class almost everyday wondering this same question. Now in the beginning of the semester, Sam said he wasn't here for us to change our opinions to mimic his but just to inform us about the race topic and allow us to form our own opinions using this information. I personally don't think Sam is teaching this class to change our opinions so that they resemble his, but he is trying to give us information about race and inequality so we are well informed and educated and are able to make an intelligent opinion about race and inequality. Having said that, I don't think anything Sam has taught us this semester has change my opinions about race and inequality. I personally have a closed mind when it comes to this topic and it takes a lot to change my opinions. However, I do listen to everything Sam says in his lectures and I do take into account all this information, but the information isn't enough to change my opinions. I think my opinions are so hard to change because I've had them my whole life, developing them when I was little from my parents' beliefs. As I got older I developed my opinions based on my experiences and what I was taught, but the basis was from my parents and my upbringing. It's hard for me to change my opinions because I've had these opinions my whole life and it's how I was brought up my whole life and it's hard to change something you've believed in your whole life during a one semester course. But Sam isn't teaching this class to change our opinions, he's teaching it to get us to think. He wants to bring up controversial topics and topics that people have strong opinions about so he can get the whole class thinking. He wants us to develop our brains and get them thinking and have them open to new information and ideas. This is exactly what he did when he brought up the "bleeding" subject. I'm sure almost everyone in the lecture hall was surprised and shocked when he brought up the topic because it's not something people talk about daily, especially in public. This is what Sam wanted though. He wanted this reaction. He wanted to get us thinking outside the box, and he did that by bringing up such an awkward topic. Also, I always find myself talking about this class to other people and my roommates, which I believe Sam wants. I always find myself thinking about the topics in class outside of class. Overall, this class gets me thinking, a lot. Like I mentioned in the beginning, it's hard for something to change my opinions because I've developed my opinions from my upbringing and family that I've been around my whole life. So even though this class doesn't change my opinions, it still always has me thinking, inside and outside of class. Thu, 8 Apr 2010 17:51:01 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/i-really-want-to-know-also__trashed/#IDComment66623580 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/flip-the-script-for-a-moment__trashed/#IDComment64257798 I agree with you Sam and I try to question things everyday like you, even though I know I don't do a perfect job. I try not to get offended by anything and try to talk about all topics and voice my opinion no matter what the situation is. When the topic of periods was brought up in class and many people were shook, I feel as if I was perfectly content and it didn't bother me. However, Sam using the term bleeding seemed to shake me up a bit because it kind of puts the image in your head. I feel like things are pushed aside and not talked about because that's how our society is and how it is ran. Our society is dominated by the males so it's understandable why a women's bodily function isn't acceptable to talk about, even though this bodily function is needed to create new life. Fri, 26 Mar 2010 22:11:58 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/flip-the-script-for-a-moment__trashed/#IDComment64257798 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/whats-the-big-deal-with-periods__trashed/#IDComment64257066 First, I agree with you about the fact that the term "bleeding" is kind of disrespectful and Sam could have used better wording like menstruation or period. I think this is a big reason why a lot of people felt awkward and why a lot of people left the class. Hearing the word "bleeding" makes me cringe and just makes you actually think of what is going on during a girl's period, but if Sam were to say period I think a lot more people would have felt comfortable because that term is accepted a lot more than bleeding. I personally have no problem talking about this topic, especially because I have a girlfriend and talk to her about it, but when Sam said bleeding I even got weirded and grossed out. Talking about the topic and all doesn't bother me one bit but saying bleeding just puts the image in your head and I know that's not an image a lot of people want to have in their head. Fri, 26 Mar 2010 22:04:52 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/whats-the-big-deal-with-periods__trashed/#IDComment64257066 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/if-men-could-menstruate__trashed/#IDComment64254805 In regards to your second question about if men had periods then would tampons be free, I highly doubt that would happen. That's like saying everything both men and women use today should be free. Both men and women use toilet paper, eat food, drink water, need clothing, etc. so should all of those things be free? I don't think all the major manufacturers and companies would like this and it would probably hurt our economy tremendously. I know you may have just asked this question at the ending as a joke but I figured I should at least touch on it a little. Now for your first question asking why it isn't acceptable to talk about the menstrual cycle and why men aren't educated about it, I think it comes down to our education growing up and society. The education we all received throughout our lives about this topic we all know was terrible, unless our parents or someone else actually talked about it with us. In grade school the boys and girls are both separated into different rooms and we each learn about our own bodies, not learning anything about the other sex's body. Then when we get into our later years and high school, most of our classes regarding sex and the body just talked about abstinence, safety, STD's and such and only touched on the menstrual cycle. It becomes a thing men never really learn about and then therefore don't really talk about it because they don't know what it's like. I also think it's how our society is and what is believed to be acceptable. I understand that men always talk about their bodily functions with each other and that is perceived to be okay and I'm sure women talk about their bodily functions with each other, but when it comes to the two sexes talking to each other about bodily functions then it isn't okay. First, our society, whether we like it or not, is dominated by the male gender. So I personally feel like if it's dominated by the men then it wouldn't be okay to talk about a women's bodily function, especially her period. Second, I just feel like women aren't usually acceptable to talking about bodily functions in general so why should we talk about the menstrual cycle. If a guy were to tell a girl about his past bathroom experience or something, she would be grossed out and very uncomfortable most likely, even though both men and women do the same things in the bathroom. So if women aren't okay with men talking about bodily functions, especially bodily functions that we BOTH do, then why would it be okay for us to talk about a bodily function that women do. Fri, 26 Mar 2010 21:50:53 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/if-men-could-menstruate__trashed/#IDComment64254805 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/does-this-rudeness-thing-cut-both-ways__trashed/#IDComment63086011 I feel like this is a very interesting topic and one that has bothered me for awhile now. I feel like it is okay for colored people to say whatever they want about white people and it's okay and not offensive, but as soon as a white person says anything remotely close to offensive towards colored people then it turns into a big uproar. I personally don't really care what people say about me and white people cause that stuff doesn't bother me and some of the things colored people texted was actually funny to me but I'm sure it offended some of the girls in our class, especially sorority girls when they said something about uggz and such. I feel like no matter what white people say about colored people it is always made into a big deal, regardless of what is said, but if colored people are to say something offensive towards white people it just get shrugged off and put aside. Now don't get me wrong, the things said in class about black people and black girls was much more disrespectful than what the colored people texted about white people, but I still feel like it should be equal both ways. Colored people want to be treated equal to white people in regards to jobs and voting and being President, so then when it comes to being racist and saying offensive things then it should be equal, colored people should be yelled at as much as white people are. I feel like white people always have to be careful and watch what they say around colored people because we have to be politically correct and not hurt their feelings, but it's okay for colored people to say whatever they want about white people and we can't get offended by it. I just feel like we have come such a long way from the past and colored people being discriminated and in today's world we should all be treated equal no matter what. And for us to all be treated equal then what colored people say about white people should be labeled as offensive just as much as what white people say about colored people. I also feel like colored people label every white person as racist and rude because of what a couple stupid immature people said. Like what those few white people said about colored people does not represent the opinion of every white person in our class. It doesn't make every white person rude and racist. I personally feel like what the one person said about Sam's wife is 100 times more offensive then anything said about white or colored people and that situation should have been addressed a lot more than the situation where white people said rude things about colored people. Sat, 20 Mar 2010 02:10:09 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/does-this-rudeness-thing-cut-both-ways__trashed/#IDComment63086011 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/whats-with-the-theme-parties__trashed/#IDComment59826464 I think this comment is racist itself. It's completely false that only white people have theme parties and that the objective of these parties is to make fun of another race. The point of theme parties, like highlighter parties, is to spice up the party and make it more appealing to come to instead of just the same old same old party. The objective of theme parties is to have fun and party but give people an opportunity to be crazy and have fun and dress up and stuff. I been to numerous themed parties and saw people of every different race. Fri, 5 Mar 2010 02:45:34 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/whats-with-the-theme-parties__trashed/#IDComment59826464 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/are-whites-the-only-people-willing-to-humiliate-themselves__trashed/#IDComment59826183 I never realized how white The Bachelor or The Bachelorette really were. But to say that only white people go on these shows and humiliate themselves is false. There are various other shows that are primarily African American like I Love New York and For the Love of Ray J. I think our society as a whole all wants to be on TV and be famous and they are willing to do whatever to achieve this, even if it means humiliating themselves on these crazy shows. I don't think it's just white people that want to be on TV, it's everyone. TV and being famous has fascinated us all and we all want people to know us and see us on TV, no matter what it is we are doing. Fri, 5 Mar 2010 02:42:29 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/are-whites-the-only-people-willing-to-humiliate-themselves__trashed/#IDComment59826183 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/why-is-this-racist-really__trashed/#IDComment59825604 After reading this post and watching the video, I can't help but laugh at how dumb and racist people can still be. There is no way for this man to justify what he wants to do. Not to mention having an all white league would be extremely boring. However, I can see where he is coming from when he says there needs to be a league for traditional slow paced basketball. I do believe that the sport has definitely evolved and has become more uptempo. In the early days it was slower and more traditional and less flashy than it is today but I think today's game is much more exiting. If he wants to have a league for traditional basketball then I would be all for it because I do understand that there are now two different forms of basketball and the people playing the traditional game should be given a chance to play professionally when they can't keep up with the new game. I would create something like a B league where players could play this traditional type of game professionally, but I wouldn't make it only white. I'm sure there are good black basketball players out there that would also like to play the traditional form of the game. I think making an all white basketball league would be completely racist and pointless because it wouldn't be entertaining at all. The comments he made were also very racist. I do like this idea because it will give good basketball players the chance to play professionally and make money for their families if they can't make it in today's NBA. I don't think this league would be very marketable and profitable, but I like the idea of giving more men the chance to play professionally. The comments he made were pretty racist. When he talked about the players are ruining the game by fighting in the stands and bringing guns to the arenas seemed targeted at the black community in the NBA. I know players in the NHL have gone into the stands and fought fans and the NHL is primarily white. So his argument about that is invalid. Also, the NFL players have many off the field conflicts and troubles, so should we create an all white football league too? People are going to make dumb mistakes in whatever sport and to hold these mistakes against the NBA players and say they are ruining the game is racist. Also just because a couple players in the NBA made mistakes, that doesn't mean the whole NBA community is prone to fight fans or bring guns to the arena. You can't hold one person's mistake against the whole NBA. Fri, 5 Mar 2010 02:36:52 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/why-is-this-racist-really__trashed/#IDComment59825604 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/the-xxx-bible-who-wouldve-thought__trashed/#IDComment57497603 After living in a Catholic home my whole life and attending Catholic school from kindergarten until high school, I can't help but say that I have frequently noticed these sexual references in the Bible but never thought anything of them because our teachers obviously tried to avoid discussions about this topic. My grandparents and parents were big on going to Church but they never made me read the Bible and honestly the only time I ever analyzed it was at school. In Catholic school they only teach you the things about the religion that they want you to know and always try to avoid questions about it that they don't want to answer. However, I feel like since I went through Catholic school my whole life and had these views and beliefs drilled into my head only makes me question the religion more and more. After reading this article, I completely agree with what it was saying. The whole idea of God taking a rib bone from Adam never made sense to me. It absolutely makes more sense for God to take the "penis" bone from Adam in order to create Eve because the story of Adam and Eve is so sexually driven. They were the first humans on earth and therefore had to have sex to procreate. I also agree with the point that Tibor Krausz makes about incest. Incest is looked at as a heinous act and is punished in today's society, but after Adam and Eve procreated, their children had to of had sex to create the rest of the world and this would have been considered incest. So how can the Bible tell a story of incest when it is considered such a heinous act today? Doesn't make sense to me. Another aspect that I don't understand is how men would offer their wives to guests for sexual acts just to please them. In today's world this would be considered adultery and to some extent, prostitution. I don't agree with the fact that we condemn all these acts in today's world, but the Bible, one of the most sacred texts, tell stories of people committing adultery, incest, and other acts that are condemned today. Even though I agree with this article, I still feel like the Bible was written as a guideline for people to follow and shouldn't be interpreted literally. It was written to explain to people how to live their lives in a good way which will result in them making it into heaven. What is written in the Bible shouldn't be literally interpreted. Overall, I can't help but agree with this article even though I been surrounded by the Catholic beliefs all my life. While reading the Bible, you can't help but notice all these sexual references. Fri, 19 Feb 2010 02:02:38 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/the-xxx-bible-who-wouldve-thought__trashed/#IDComment57497603 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/lgbt-class-question-one__trashed/#IDComment57503739 I personally feel like there is no difference between a gay couple and a lesbian couple adopting a child. In my opinion, as long as the parents are able to give everything to their children including love, support, and care then they should be able to adopt, even if it's two men or two women. If the parents are about to take care of the child financially and provide the essentials for them, then to me it doesn't matter what gender the parents are. All a child needs is parents to be there for them when they have problems and need someone to talk to and gender has no affect on this. Thu, 18 Feb 2010 21:09:43 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/lgbt-class-question-one__trashed/#IDComment57503739 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/the-xxx-bible-who-wouldve-thought__trashed/#IDComment57502964 After living in a Catholic home my whole life and attending Catholic school from kindergarten until high school, I can't help but say that I have frequently noticed these sexual references in the Bible but never thought anything of them because our teachers obviously tried to avoid discussions about this topic. My grandparents and parents were big on going to Church but they never made me read the Bible and honestly the only time I ever analyzed it was at school. In Catholic school they only teach you the things about the religion that they want you to know and always try to avoid questions about it that they don't want to answer. However, I feel like since I went through Catholic school my whole life and had these views and beliefs drilled into my head only makes me question the religion more and more. After reading this article, I completely agree with what it was saying. The whole idea of God taking a rib bone from Adam never made sense to me. It absolutely makes more sense for God to take the "penis" bone from Adam in order to create Eve because the story of Adam and Eve is so sexually driven. They were the first humans on earth and therefore had to have sex to procreate. I also agree with the point that Tibor Krausz makes about incest. Incest is looked at as a heinous act and is punished in today's society, but after Adam and Eve procreated, their children had to of had sex to create the rest of the world and this would have been considered incest. So how can the Bible tell a story of incest when it is considered such a heinous act today? Doesn't make sense to me. Another aspect that I don't understand is how men would offer their wives to guests for sexual acts just to please them. In today's world this would be considered adultery and to some extent, prostitution. I don't agree with the fact that we condemn all these acts in today's world, but the Bible, one of the most sacred texts, tell stories of people committing adultery, incest, and other acts that are condemned today. Even though I agree with this article, I still feel like the Bible was written as a guideline for people to follow and shouldn't be interpreted literally. It was written to explain to people how to live their lives in a good way which will result in them making it into heaven. What is written in the Bible shouldn't be literally interpreted. Overall, I can't help but agree with this article even though I been surrounded by the Catholic beliefs all my life. While reading the Bible, you can't help but notice all these sexual references. Thu, 18 Feb 2010 21:02:38 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/the-xxx-bible-who-wouldve-thought__trashed/#IDComment57502964 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/lgbt-class-question-six__trashed/#IDComment57502835 I do agree with the fact that a lesbian couple is more accepted than a gay couple, but I don't think it is always the case. I don't think all lesbian couples are accepted by people, but a lesbian couple that is attractive is accepted. In a society dominated primarily by males, it's accepted to see a lesbian couple with two attractive girls because guys don't think it is a bad thing when two good looking girls are together. I don't think it is accepted to see a lesbian couple with two butch girls. I think overall our society doesn't really accept gays and lesbians and the only reason it seems like lesbians are accepted is because our society is dominated by males and men enjoy seeing two good looking women together. Thu, 18 Feb 2010 21:01:33 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/lgbt-class-question-six__trashed/#IDComment57502835 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/animals-vs-humans-vs-welfare-cheats__trashed/#IDComment56597654 After reading this post and the article attached to it, I'm not surprised that this happened even though I think it is an awful event. If I was a passenger on this plane, I most likely would have been scared as well if someone took something out of their carry-on and strapped it to ourselves. I do understand that this is a religious practice and we all have the right to believe and practice whatever religion we want, but after 911 I think people should be more aware of what is going on. If I was this kid I would be hurt a lot if this happened to me especially when all I was trying to do was pray, but I think he should have been a little smarter about the situation and about taking something out on a plane and attaching it to yourself. Sat, 13 Feb 2010 04:54:06 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/animals-vs-humans-vs-welfare-cheats__trashed/#IDComment56597654 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/why-is-the-conversation-always-about-black-and-white-people__trashed/#IDComment56597615 In my opinion this article was very interesting. It was interesting to see how developed our country has become in regards to race. I also thought it was interesting that people can now mark more that one thing for their race because many people have one black parent and one white parent or vice versa and it was unfair to them that they had to choose what race they are. However, I don't see why we still have to focus so much on race. I thought we've came a long way from the days of slavery and the Civil Rights Movement so why can't we just focus on everyone being equal instead of separating people by their race and skin color. Sat, 13 Feb 2010 04:53:21 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/why-is-the-conversation-always-about-black-and-white-people__trashed/#IDComment56597615 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/swinging-past-the-other-end-of-the-ideological-spectrum-on-the-way-to-the-intellectual-gray__trashed/#IDComment56597510 I remember seeing this video about four years ago when it aired on ESPN. I remember watching it then and not thinking much of it because of my maturity level and my zero interest in soccer. But watching it again now, after maturing a lot and following soccer for the past couple years, it hits home pretty hard. The first thing that I can't comprehend is how people can treat other people like this just because of their race and skin color. I understand heckling the opposing team's players during the games to get into their heads and throw them off their game plans, it's done in every sport all over the world. Having home field/court/ice advantage is known by the sports world to be a benefit because you have the support and cheers of your fans in the background during the whole game. But what I don't understand is how people can treat other people like this. I do agree with heckling the other team, like i previously stated, but when it turns into throwing objects like bananas and peanuts at them and using racial derogatory terms throughout the whole game then it has to be stopped. Another thing I can't comprehend my mind around is that these players are the elite players in the league. If it wasn't for some of these players, some of the European teams would be nowhere near as successful as they are. And it's ridiculous how the home team fans disgrace their own players because of their color. Like i said, after following international soccer for the past couple years, i have realized how elite these players really are and how much they carry their teams, and for the home team fans to disgrace them like that makes absolutely no sense to me. Even though I agree that these acts are horrific and need to be stopped immediately, I can see where the Europeans are coming from even if it isn't acceptable. First, the Europeans have been dominating soccer since it existed. Soccer, or futbol, has always been known as a European sport and never really caught on in the United States except for the past couple years. Now all these players from other parts of the world are coming over and taking over the game and completely dominating it. I see where this would frustrate the Europeans because it's like other people are coming over and just taking over THEIR sport, but that does not justify their horrific racial actions. Also, Europe has always been a white dominated country. Look back into history at the Holocaust and other horrific events that took place in Europe. Even today it is still a very white populated continent, and now people are not only coming over from other countries with different racial backgrounds but they are coming over and dominating the European sport. Overall I do see where the Europeans are coming from and how this would upset them tremendously, but no matter what that does not justify the events that take place at soccer games and they need to be ceased immediately. Sat, 13 Feb 2010 04:52:02 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/swinging-past-the-other-end-of-the-ideological-spectrum-on-the-way-to-the-intellectual-gray__trashed/#IDComment56597510 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/avatar-and-the-white-mans-burden__trashed/#IDComment55553993 After reading the Avatar vs. Pocahontas, I can't help but realize how similar the plots truly are. Being able to remove the names of the characters in Pocahontas and replacing them with the name of the Avatar characters in the plot synopsis just shows how popular the "White Messiah" plot is in Hollywood. When I saw Pocahontas as a kid I obviously didn't notice this "White Messiah" complex, but looking at the movie now along with Avatar makes me realize how noticeable this "White Messiah" is. I honestly don't think the directors of this movie had the idea in mind to make a white person save a whole civilization of colored people, but it's hard to argue that this isn't present in the movie. Sat, 6 Feb 2010 01:25:42 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/avatar-and-the-white-mans-burden__trashed/#IDComment55553993 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/avatar-and-the-white-mans-burden__trashed/#IDComment55553085 When Avatar came out I was so excited to see it. Ever since the first commercial I saw for it I was anxiously awaiting the day for its release. I saw it the night it came out in i-Max 3D and I enjoyed it a lot. However, I can honestly say that not once during the movie did I draw the same conclusion that David Brooks did about the "White Messiah." I personally try not to think that in depth while watching a movie. I feel like the point of a movie is to sit and watch and enjoy the ride. Now movies with complex plots and such do require you to think, but I feel like drawing a conclusion like David Brooks did is just too in depth. I honestly do not think James Cameron had the "White Messiah" figure in his mind when he created the movie. I do agree that directors and producers sometimes have hidden messages and such in their movies, but I feel like this assumption by Brooks is just too bold. It seems that this plot is a common plot in Hollywood and I believe that James Cameron took that into consideration when he decided to make this movie. I believed he realized that movies with plots about a person saving a whole community are popular to the audiences and that is why he decided to make this movie. I honestly do not believe that he created this movie with the thought in his mind that a white person is saving a whole civilization of black and brown people. The people of Pandora in the movie are like alien creatures, they are not real humans who are of a different race and ethnicity. So I feel like it is a stretch for David Brooks to say that the "White Messiah" is saving black and brown people because they people in the movie are no where close to black or brown. Overall, in my opinion the plot of Avatar is a common plot in Hollywood because it appeals to the audiences very well and the movies are often box office hits. I do not think the directors of these movies created them to depict how powerful the white race is and how the other races need the white people to save them. Sat, 6 Feb 2010 01:19:32 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/avatar-and-the-white-mans-burden__trashed/#IDComment55553085