en-us https://www.intensedebate.com/users/2493623 Comments by PinkLipstick http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/19/what-americans-fear/#IDComment145170604 Okay so this video definitely captures the fears that Americans might feel when they think of the Middle East and Islam. When I was watching this video in class and before writing this I realized that these things frighten me but I mostly feel anger when I see people with signs that say behead those who insult Allah and other threatening things because I feel like who are you to say that you want to kill me because I don’t agree with your religion. I also feel fear because it comes across like they are willing to kill American for the smallest of reasons, but to them these reasons are legitimate reasons. Now of course I have to go to the topic of how in America people associate the Middle East with terrorists and they see these people as a threat, but you have to think about the fact that not everyone there is a terrorist and not everyone there wants to kill you. This video also confronts exactly how mass media uses these images and quotes and pictures linked together in order to scare us. Media portrays the middle easterners in a bad way. They are most of the time portrayed as extremists and terrorists and killers but very few of them actually can identify with this. The people in the Middle East are just as afraid of us as we are of them and this is largely due to what media shows and the media that they are exposed to over there. It seems as though we (Americans and Middle Easterners) only see the bad things that are being said and the bad things that go on in the media. I think that this video would possibly scare us and them because of how extreme it is. But when you see videos like this you have to remember not to generalize not everyone who is Muslim agrees with these beliefs. Imagine how afraid the people in the Middle East are everyday, they live in this war and we are not even exposed to it except in the media. We are affected by this war in many ways but so are they. Everyone is afraid to some extent and we should be but we shouldn’t generalize and be afraid of a whole group of people based off of what very few of them believe. Fri, 22 Apr 2011 17:36:53 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/19/what-americans-fear/#IDComment145170604 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/21/would-you-help-out-or-turn-away-immigrants-in-the-poor-situations-we-saw-them-in-and-why-119-blog/#IDComment145165588 I think that when most people think of the illegal immigrants in our country they get angry. But in my opinion we shouldn’t be angry for someone else trying to make a better life for themselves and their family. If it were you in that situation how would you feel? I’m sure if you put yourselves in the shoes of others you would empathize with them more. I have read a couple responses where people say that they would like to but couldn’t help these people in this situation. I think that people are thinking this way because they are thinking on a larger scale like that they have to do what the man in the video did but you can help on a smaller scale and I’m sure that any help at all is greatly appreciated by these people. In my current standing as a student, I know for a fact that I wouldn’t be able to help on a very large scale but I would definitely help in any way that I could. You can help by donating things to people or groups who help these people. you can give a small amount of your time that you would probably spend sleeping or watching television to volunteer to help out. There are many ways that you can help these people but on a smaller scale because you may not have the passion for these people that the man in the video had but if you are inclined to help there are ways to do so. You have to put yourselves in their shoes. They are not charity cases but everyone needs a little help sometimes. These people don’t want you to feel sorry for them and at the end of the day this is what it comes down to. People always say how they feel sorry for people like this but you shouldn’t feel sorrow for them you should just empathize with them and you could try to help them in any way possible. I feel like a lot of people do empathize with these people and actually do help these people out even if it isn’t in a major way like the man in the video. I just look at it like if I were in that situation and I had nothing I would like to think that there would be someone out there who would be willing to try to help me in any way possible. I’m sure that these people become dependent on this man but if he were to not show up one day I’m sure they would understand this also because he always helps them out and provides them with a warm meal. People talk about how much they want to help but there are very few people who actually do it. Fri, 22 Apr 2011 17:14:02 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/21/would-you-help-out-or-turn-away-immigrants-in-the-poor-situations-we-saw-them-in-and-why-119-blog/#IDComment145165588 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/05/did-putting-yourself-in-the-shoes-of-the-middle-easterners-change-your-views-on-the-war-in-iraq-119-blog/#IDComment141133018 Being asked to put myself in the shoes of the Middle Easterners definitely changed my view on the war in Iraq. After 9/11 I never really sympathized with the Iraqi people because I felt like if they could come here and take the lives of those innocent people then why should I sympathize with their people dying in a war that at the time I thought was being fought for terrorism. As I grew older and became more educated on the purposes of this war and what was going on in this war my beliefs have changed very much. I believe that Sam asking us to put ourselves in the shoes of the Middle Eastern civilians has helped to change my views of the Iraqi people and this war. Many innocent civilians have died over there in our war and this is something I never really looked at or had experience with because living in America I have never had to fear a war going on over here and I have always felt safe living over here. But these people are scared because of the videos that they see and some of the stuff that goes on over there that we aren’t informed about such as rouge soldiers. We look at soldiers as good and protectors of the people because that’s what we a re shown and taught to believe and for the most part that’s what the soldiers are they are our protectors and most of them are good but of course there are a few who aren’t good. This is on both sides though there are good people and there are people who aren’t good this happens everywhere and I believe that the civilians know that but they are afraid because they could be killed at any moment because this war is in their backyard and so many innocent people have already died. I definitely sympathize with the people and wish that things could be done differently and there could be measures taken in order to give them some sense of security or piece of mind. Something I was shocked about was the fact that George Bush as the president said that this war that is being fought is a crusade. When you hear the president saying such things and other leaders belittling these people and their religion you are forced to look at it from there perspective if that were us then how would we feel. I was also shocked about the fact that they try to validate their actions in this war by using God and saying that this war is a war for God or a mission from God. We need to be more open minded as people and consider the facts here because although some of us may be the middle eastern people as terrorists and cold blooded killers how do you think they see us? Sat, 9 Apr 2011 01:15:28 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/05/did-putting-yourself-in-the-shoes-of-the-middle-easterners-change-your-views-on-the-war-in-iraq-119-blog/#IDComment141133018 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/05/did-putting-yourself-in-the-shoes-of-the-middle-easterners-change-your-views-on-the-war-in-iraq-119-blog/#IDComment141132650 Being asked to put myself in the shoes of the Middle Easterners definitely changed my view on the war in Iraq. After 9/11 I never really sympathized with the Iraqi people because I felt like if they could come here and take the lives of those innocent people then why should I sympathize with their people dying in a war that at the time I thought was being fought for terrorism. As I grew older and became more educated on the purposes of this war and what was going on in this war my beliefs have changed very much. I believe that Sam asking us to put ourselves in the shoes of the Middle Eastern civilians has helped to change my views of the Iraqi people and this war. Many innocent civilians have died over there in our war and this is something I never really looked at or had experience with because living in America I have never had to fear a war going on over here and I have always felt safe living over here. But these people are scared because of the videos that they see and some of the stuff that goes on over there that we aren’t informed about such as rouge soldiers. We look at soldiers as good and protectors of the people because that’s what we a re shown and taught to believe and for the most part that’s what the soldiers are they are our protectors and most of them are good but of course there are a few who aren’t good. This is on both sides though there are good people and there are people who aren’t good this happens everywhere and I believe that the civilians know that but they are afraid because they could be killed at any moment because this war is in their backyard and so many innocent people have already died. I definitely sympathize with the people and wish that things could be done differently and there could be measures taken in order to give them some sense of security or piece of mind. Something I was shocked about was the fact that George Bush as the president said that this war that is being fought is a crusade. When you hear the president saying such things and other leaders belittling these people and their religion you are forced to look at it from there perspective if that were us then how would we feel. I was also shocked about the fact that they try to validate their actions in this war by using God and saying that this war is a war for God or a mission from God. We need to be more open minded as people and consider the facts here because although some of us may be the middle eastern people as terrorists and cold blooded killers how do you think they see us? Sat, 9 Apr 2011 01:13:41 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/05/did-putting-yourself-in-the-shoes-of-the-middle-easterners-change-your-views-on-the-war-in-iraq-119-blog/#IDComment141132650 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/05/did-putting-yourself-in-the-shoes-of-the-middle-easterners-change-your-views-on-the-war-in-iraq-119-blog/#IDComment141132521 Being asked to put myself in the shoes of the Middle Easterners definitely changed my view on the war in Iraq. After 9/11 I never really sympathized with the Iraqi people because I felt like if they could come here and take the lives of those innocent people then why should I sympathize with their people dying in a war that at the time I thought was being fought for terrorism. As I grew older and became more educated on the purposes of this war and what was going on in this war my beliefs have changed very much. I believe that Sam asking us to put ourselves in the shoes of the Middle Eastern civilians has helped to change my views of the Iraqi people and this war. Many innocent civilians have died over there in our war and this is something I never really looked at or had experience with because living in America I have never had to fear a war going on over here and I have always felt safe living over here. But these people are scared because of the videos that they see and some of the stuff that goes on over there that we aren’t informed about such as rouge soldiers. We look at soldiers as good and protectors of the people because that’s what we a re shown and taught to believe and for the most part that’s what the soldiers are they are our protectors and most of them are good but of course there are a few who aren’t good. This is on both sides though there are good people and there are people who aren’t good this happens everywhere and I believe that the civilians know that but they are afraid because they could be killed at any moment because this war is in their backyard and so many innocent people have already died. I definitely sympathize with the people and wish that things could be done differently and there could be measures taken in order to give them some sense of security or piece of mind. Something I was shocked about was the fact that George Bush as the president said that this war that is being fought is a crusade. When you hear the president saying such things and other leaders belittling these people and their religion you are forced to look at it from there perspective if that were us then how would we feel. I was also shocked about the fact that they try to validate their actions in this war by using God and saying that this war is a war for God or a mission from God. We need to be more open minded as people and consider the facts here because although some of us may be the middle eastern people as terrorists and cold blooded killers how do you think they see us? Sat, 9 Apr 2011 01:12:56 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/05/did-putting-yourself-in-the-shoes-of-the-middle-easterners-change-your-views-on-the-war-in-iraq-119-blog/#IDComment141132521 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/03/what-a-man-is/#IDComment141129013 While I was reading this letter I was thinking this is definitely everything that a woman would want in a man. I mean this is definitely the ideal boyfriend or husband. But when you think about it even the good men aren’t this good. Well that’s not true because there probably are men out there who are good and have these qualities. I just have yet to come into contact with any of them. I don’t have much experience with relationships in my short 21 years on this earth. I was never one to just jump into any relationship I have only been in two because other things are more important to me and I like me independence but back to the subject at hand. This prisoner clearly has figured out how a woman should be treated and most of the things that women like and admire in men. I think it took going to prison to figure this out because you have time to think about and realize the things that you took for granted and ways in which you could better yourself or a certain situation. I am someone who believes that people can change I think majority of human beings have something good in them that wants to be better and when you realize that you can be better and want to be better it can be done. I admire any man who value their women and treat them the way that a woman deserves to be treated. I agree with one of the previous posters who said “I think it is important for our generation to break through the stereotypes and reaffirm what a healthy and admirable relationship is.” The view of relationships and how partners should treat one another is definitely negative in these times. Most people are with people for security or sex or just because they are too insecure to be alone. Relationships are built off respect honesty communication and loyalty. And I also think that one thing men should take into consideration is how would you want a man to treat your mother or sister or your daughter and how whatever you expect out of another man is what is expected of you. Men are not to blame for the way relationships are in society today and they are not the only issue, women need to change their ways also. It goes both ways. Sat, 9 Apr 2011 00:54:37 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/03/what-a-man-is/#IDComment141129013 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/29/do-you-ever-feel-uncomfortable-around-two-or-more-people-speaking-another-language-119-blog/#IDComment139258891 I would have to say that when two other people around me are speaking another language I am sometimes uncomfortable but for the most part I don’t get uncomfortable. Situations that tend to make me uncomfortable are when there are two people having a conversation in English but when you walk up or when they think that you are listening they begin to speak to each other in another language. Now if they think that I am listening to their conversation and they begin to speak another language that wouldn’t bother me because maybe their conversation is private but if that’s the case then they shouldn’t discuss it freely around other people. The only reason this bothers me is because I have had an encounter where I was in a Dominican shop with a friend of mine and was getting my hair done and so was she. And the Dominican women doing our hair were speaking in English and Spanish and I understand Spanish so I knew what they were saying but I wasn’t really listening and I guess they didn’t know I understood the language, because some of my family is Spanish and they speak it sometimes. They began speaking only in Spanish and I noticed that they were talking about my friend’s hair and laughing. So when we were paying and about to leave she was about to tip the lady and I snatched the money from her and told them that I understood everything that they were saying and basically cursed them out in Spanish. The looks on their faces was hilarious. But anyway you can tell when someone is talking about you regardless of the language they are speaking and I believe most people feel insecure because it is something that they do not understand and people are intimidated by what they don’t know. Most of the time it doesn’t bother me because some people are more comfortable speaking in their native tongue rather than in English I am always around people speaking many different languages and when I was younger and I was intimidated by it and it bothered me because I thought maybe they were talking about me but now I understand more and it doesn’t really bother me at all unless it’s done because they want to talk about someone or insult someone because they won’t understand, that bothers me a little but what can you really do about it right it doesn’t matter what language you are being insulted in you kind of pick up when it is something negative. A lot of my family speaks Spanish because that’s what they are used to and I speak it with them but very seldom most of the time I will still respond in English because I understand it better than I speak it. But in general people who speak in other languages around me don’t bother me because that’s their language and what can I really say about them speaking it, it’s something you get used to after being exposed to it for a while. Sat, 2 Apr 2011 01:51:10 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/29/do-you-ever-feel-uncomfortable-around-two-or-more-people-speaking-another-language-119-blog/#IDComment139258891 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/19/changing-the-way-we-think-about-education/#IDComment139253434 I watched this video once before but seeing it again especially after being In the class made me think about things in a different way. This video is very thought provoking and makes many valid points. Like the fact that we are living in a society who is still educating students on a system or plan that was set up for the past. Our current economy is unpredictable but we are not learning how to deal with the fact that our economy and society Is nothing like it was when these systems of education were planned out. We do not need to go into the future with a mindset that was taught to us based off of how things were years ago we need a mindset that will prepare us to deal with the way the world works today. In the past the mindset was that you need to go to college if you want to have a job and make money but this is not the case now but the system still teaches this. The truth is going to college does not guarantee you a job anymore and in the future I don’t expect it to change back to the way it was when these systems were set up. Schools are set up by a grade system its not about whether or not you are learning or what you are learning as long as you are getting the right grades it doesn’t matter whether or not you really learned anything at all. This is not to say that you don’t need to go to college because you should in my opinion It is important. I like the part where he says that in our society there are smart people and people who are not smart but the people who aren’t considered smart are usually brilliant but it doesn’t show because they are being held to a particular view of the mind. This is something I have always believed. I especially agree with what was said about how society Is saying that ADHD is an epidemic and needs to be dealt with but in reality it is not an epidemic and we are growing up in an intensely stimulating period where we have all of these different things that pull our attention in many different directions from cell phones to computers to education and television and games, etc. This was very thought provoking and I can’t go into it too much or I will be here all day. Sat, 2 Apr 2011 01:30:28 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/19/changing-the-way-we-think-about-education/#IDComment139253434 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2010/04/14/women/#IDComment135967322 I am a woman and I believe that all women are equally beautiful, who’s to say what is considered beautiful? We are all different and have unique factors that make up who we are as women and looks are only one factor of a woman or any person for that matter. If you take away body image and looks women are still people and we all have a direct tie to one another regardless of shape, size or culture we all can relate in some way. We all deal with the pressures to somehow measure up to what society or media has portrayed as beautiful. In the media or Hollywood there is this one set standard or belief of what it means to be beautiful. You have to be thin and have perfect skin and perfect teeth, etc. they are truly misrepresenting what beautiful really is. Beauty is not being thin and perfect because lets face it regardless of what anyone wants to believe no one is perfect. This has cause many issues with the youth in our society they think that this media portrayal of the perfect woman is the only way that they can be beautiful and they are insecure about themselves when they really should know that you are beautiful regardless of these factors beauty is skin deep it has nothing to do with the way you look because peoples perception of beauty change with every person. You should just be yourself and be happy with you because at the end of the day you can’t be anyone else and you have to love yourself because if you don’t then who will. Another thing is how females feel the constant need to dress provocatively and bear it all for the world to see. That is simply degrading to yourself and you clearly don’t respect yourself enough to dress in a reasonable fashion. You don’t have to be half naked to be perceived as sexy or beautiful its all about your confidence in yourself. Being a woman isn’t easy because you have the media constantly telling us what is beautiful and what is not be we are all beautiful and we are all different which makes us even more beautiful Sat, 19 Mar 2011 03:12:46 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2010/04/14/women/#IDComment135967322 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/18/what-do-you-think-of-the-diversity-at-penn-state-119-blog/#IDComment135963158 Before I came to Penn state I had the idea that penn state was a very diverse school and I have always liked being in diverse environments because you earn things that otherwise you may not have had access to about other people and their way of life and they different things that they nd their families face on a daily basis. I like to talk to people and learn about people and this is one of the things that attracted me to penn state because I grew up in a fairly diverse city, Philadelphia. Although I grew up in a predominantly black neighborhood I was placed in very diverse schools so in my opinion race was never an issue for me, it never really mattered. It was interesting to read some of the responses that people had to this question about penn states diversity some thought that penn state was very diverse and other thought it wasn’t very diverse at all. I guess this all depends on how you’re looking at it. Some people were never put in a very diverse setting and then they come here and they are forced to see the difference, although I’m sure they knew other races were out there they didn’t have to live with them and now they are seeing them daily and taking classes with these people who are different to them. In my opinion penn state has a lot of racial diversity because they accept people from all backgrounds all over the world. There are a large number of white people here, 75 percent which only leaves 25 percent to the minorities. When you walk around campus there is no doubt that you see mostly white people but this is expected since they make up the largest percentage of the student population but there are different races scattered around in the student population. So penn state is diverse it’s just not an even ratio of whites to minorities but there is plenty of opportunity for us to learn from each other and change our perceptions of one another since majority of the different races are here. I believe that people just don’t take the time to get to know different people of different ethnic backgrounds because people are unconsciously drawn toward people like them. With difference comes insecurity or fear or just hesitation. It is in human nature for us to stay within our comfort zones and that’s what most people decide to do. The fact that this school was diverse was definitely one of the reasons why I chose to attend penn state and there is definitely diversity here. People are looking at the ratio of whites to minorities and saying that penn state is not diverse but if you look at the different groups who are here you will find that penn state is pretty diverse. Sat, 19 Mar 2011 02:42:55 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/18/what-do-you-think-of-the-diversity-at-penn-state-119-blog/#IDComment135963158 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/13/whats-the-sociological-message-here/#IDComment129036286 I liked the song I personally found it to be funny but he made some pretty valid points in this song. There are people in this world who honesty believe in soul mates and believe that there is that one special person out there that is made just for them . I do not believe in soul mates, well not one soul mate I believe that there is more than one person out there who could possibly be great for us. This would explain why people break up and date new people or even marry and divorced and re-marry I believe that its all about compatibility and there is no one special person put there created for you that just illogical. Don’t get me wrong I believe in love and true love and I’m a romantic I just don’t believe there is that one person we are all searching for. Like he said in the song if I wasn’t with you then I would just be with someone else, which is true. And if certain things had or hadn’t taken place that situation could easily be different. And for the people who have been with someone for many years maybe that spark just never faded or you’re just compatible and have a mutual respect and are in love and you work through your issues but there is still someone else out there that you could easily fall in love with as long as they are will to reciprocate. But relating this to the public issue perspective, many people believe that love and their problems with love and their thoughts surrounding love and soul mates and romanticism is their own issue which would make it a personal trouble but there really is no such thing as a personal trouble or issue anything you are going through there are others who are going through it or have been through it and this makes it a public issue, which is what every issue or problem really is. And as far as invisible string go there are factors that cause us to believe that sole mates exist and that there is only one person for everyone. There are invisible strings controlling all of our decisions and thoughts and this includes or decisions when it comes to love and relationships and the thoughts that we have regarding relationships and love and all that other stuff. Sat, 19 Feb 2011 04:25:41 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/13/whats-the-sociological-message-here/#IDComment129036286 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/16/why-with-more-education-do-people-believe-that-success-is-mostly-a-result-of-hard-work-119-blog/#IDComment129027195 With more education I think that people begin to believe that success is mostly a result of hard work but who you know also plays a huge role in your success. In high school most students tend to believe that success is based completely on hard work because we had to work for our grades and our main goal is getting into college and without hard work and good grades you cannot get into a good college. Most students who plan on furthering their education and going to college work hard to get into the school that they want to go to. But once you get into college you have to work hard to graduate but you also need to know people because knowing the right people can sometimes open you up to better opportunities for jobs or to further your education. Personally I still believe that hard work is definitely important when you consider your success because knowing people is not always going to get you further in life or in your career it is often a combination of what you know and who you know. But in many situations people do further their success by using their relationships to further their careers. There are a few cases of people who have become fairly successful based off of their hard work but along the way I’m pretty sure that they met someone who might have helped them to get further in their career or enhance their success. But then on the other hand a lot of people who have not been further educated and have not been successful often push their children to work hard because they believe that hard work is the key to success. To a certain extent it is the key to success but you still need to network and meet people because sometimes knowing that person and working hard can get you just where you want to be in your career or in your terms of success. In high school and prior to that I believed that my success was based solely on how hard I worked and what I knew and how educated I was, but as I learn and continue to further my success I see more and more how knowing someone is sometimes the difference between your success and just how far you can go in your career or in terms of being successful period because success is not limited to your career. Success could mean something different to different people depending on their morals and goals and how they were brought up. But I feel like I am limited in some ways because if I knew more of the “right” people I could be doing a lot better than I am now, I could get that internship I want or meet the right people to help me to further my education and excel in my future career choice. I know plenty of people who get jobs because of who they know and are open to more opportunities because they know someone. It seems unfair but I don’t know if it is. Sat, 19 Feb 2011 04:01:42 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/16/why-with-more-education-do-people-believe-that-success-is-mostly-a-result-of-hard-work-119-blog/#IDComment129027195 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2010/04/21/letter-from-an-inmate/#IDComment127476544 This was very interesting to me and I’m sure this letter demonstrates something that most people would not believe could come from a prisoner. Prisoners are looked at as heartless and uncompassionate but they are still human and some most have compassion and feel remorse for their previous mistakes. The acts that take place in this letter show humanity and just how much the human race really cares for one another. With all the bad things going on in the world we lose sight of the good that takes place every day and this is just a small reminder or some of the good that does take place, even within prisons. Most of us view prisoners as monsters but they are just humans who have made mistakes and most of the time they are sorry for what they have done. Society is so unforgiving and quick to categorize them as inhumane or lesser than the rest of the free society but half of the free society seem to have less compassion than some of these prisoners who we look at as violent monsters. I find it amazing than men who hate each other can put aside their differences in certain situations like the one in this letter. The man he hates is in pain and he doesn’t use this as an opportunity to kick him when he is down, instead he comforts him and helps him to get through hs rough time. These prisoners donate money, write letters, give blood and help people who need someone in their time of need. These are the people we look at as monsters and they do more to help people in need than majority of the people in our society who are free. I never knew that prisoners did so much good from behind bars and I looked at them in a certain light that society has helped to cast over criminals. They lead us to believe that every criminal is a monster when in reality every prisoner is simply a human. They make mistakes and these mistakes were most likely shaped by some occurrence in their lives when they were growing up which probably affected them in a negative way. Every time I read one of these prisoner letters I am amazed and o learn something new. These letter help me to see not only people but prisoners in a new light, a better light. People are a product of their surroundings and we are much more humane than we believe ourselves to be. And if we all took the time out to look at circumstances and surrounding factors we could see the truth in every situation and not be influenced in such negative way. These prisoners are humans just like us and these letters are proof. Sat, 12 Feb 2011 04:56:14 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2010/04/21/letter-from-an-inmate/#IDComment127476544 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/03/do-you-think-race-can-stop-being-an-issue-in-the-future-119-blog/#IDComment126066553 I honestly believe that race will always be an issue. I mean I would like to believe that one day race won’t matter in any situation but to say that that would actually come to pass would be speaking out of ignorance. When I am with my discussion group I honestly feel like we connect regardless of race and there is no racial barrier we just talk and you get to see how race isn’t really important because we are all pretty much the same. I would like to believe that this could be the case in somewhere outside of class room discussion such as everyday life. I honestly don’t see why race is such a big factor in our society today. But you have to look at the past and a lot of our racial disputes come from the racial issues that occurred in the past. I believe that what has happened has happened and that cannot be changed but we simply should not hold race in such high regards. Race is almost always a deciding factor in most situations. People are stereotyped because of their race people are killed because of their race and held to lower standard because of what their race is. I would like to believe that we as Americans are better than that. Well I would like to believe that we as people are better than that. Regardless of race we are all humans and we are all pretty much the same our only difference is our color and looks and upbringing. People should stop bringing their families up to conform to one race or restrict themselves to one race. We as Americans are a mixture of every race, that’s the beauty of America there is no one race or culture or one thing to conform to. We all should learn from each other and embrace the differences among the people around us. Racial barriers are honestly one thing I can say that I hate about the world. People are brought up to believe that different is bad but who to say what is bad and good. Different is almost always good in my opinion because it opens you up to something that you may not have known before, it expands your knowledge and helps you to have a more broad mindset. In our generation, well with the people I have come into contact with so far, I can honestly say that race isn’t such a big issue as it once was. People are more open to diversity and what is different. I would love to believe that someday race won’t matter as much as it does because it shouldn’t matter. Race does not define the type of person you are or who you are so why is it so important in society? Sat, 5 Feb 2011 03:57:33 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/03/do-you-think-race-can-stop-being-an-issue-in-the-future-119-blog/#IDComment126066553 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/30/conformity-rules-the-day/#IDComment126063636 I thought that this video was hilarious and it also displayed exactly what we discussed in class. In the video you clearly see that the “candid person” always conformed to the group. Some were more hesitant to do so but they all ended up doing the same thing which is doing what those around them are doing. I find it amazingly stupid how people will conform to the beliefs of others or do what others are doing simply for the need of fitting in or because they don’t want to seem different. I’m sure that this goes beyond just the need to fit in and be like everyone else. I think it has a lot to do with how we as people are taught or unwittingly conditioned to conform to whatever is considered to be the norm. Society trains us to believe that being different or not having the same beliefs as others is a negative thing. People are conditioned to believe that the norm is always the right way, even when it isn’t. Just like peoples needs to keep up with the latest in fashion, technology, etc. People do things because they see other people doing it, or more specifically they see famous or more influential people doing it or buying something so this must make it ok or acceptable right? Wrong. People have a strong desire to be liked by others and to be able to relate to others. People seek each others approval without even knowing it sometimes. Like in the video that we watched in class asch’s conformity experiment where the guy chose the wrong line repeatedly after everyone else chose the wrong one. He knew that he was wrong yet he went along with what everyone else was saying. People will betray their own beliefs and common sense and conform to what is more popular. I would like to say that I don’t do this and for the most part I don’t because I don’t necessarily want to be seen as like everyone else I want to be seen as an individual so I tend to go against the norm majority of the time but I have noticed that I have conformed in certain situations without even knowing it. Its like second nature for us to go along with everyone else just so we don’t have to explain our beliefs or say why you don’t believe what everyone else believes or simply because you don’t want group think to occur where its like everyone thinks one thing and you think another and they label you as a sociopath even though you know what they believe is completely wrong. I think we all need to be more aware to what we are willing to go with or conform to because conforming could lead to some bad things sometimes. Questions peoples beliefs and actions don’t just go along with it. Sat, 5 Feb 2011 03:34:26 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/30/conformity-rules-the-day/#IDComment126063636 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/27/i-too-am-free/#IDComment124469001 (part 2) But I want to really go into this topic of freedom. Honestly as a citizen my freedom is still limited. We as citizens are still controlled to a certain extent and this is necessary to keep order in society. But there are some ways that society influences us and our choices so are we really free? If society and government can effectively find ways to influences our behavior actions and thoughts about certain things then they also influence how we go about making choices and therefore we are not truly free we are acting the way that society has influenced us to. If they control that then they can influence us to believe that we are free and the choices we make are our own but in reality we think the way they want us to think and they control us in ways that we are not even aware of. So are we really free? Sat, 29 Jan 2011 03:55:30 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/27/i-too-am-free/#IDComment124469001 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/27/i-too-am-free/#IDComment124468663 (part 1) I have never taken into account how much of a luxury freedom is because since I’ve been here it was just something that was a given. I often take my freedom for granted because I have never been in a situation where my freedom was in jeopardy. But now as we come to the topic of freedom I realize just how lucky I am to have this privilege that was not always available to many people. For example slaves didn’t have the freedom to seek education, or choose how they worked, they didn’t have the freedom to take care of and protect their loved ones by every means necessary. Living in the world that I do now I realize just how lucky I am. I can choose whether or not I want to pursue a degree to further my education, I can choose where I work, I decide what I will do on a day to day basis. Everything in my life is my choice and this is not the case for many other people. There are many people today who cannot say they have freedom, their lives are controlled by others. Such as prisoners and people who still experience different forms of slavery. Prisoners still have some freedoms but not like we do out in society. Sat, 29 Jan 2011 03:52:57 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/27/i-too-am-free/#IDComment124468663 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/24/life-without-parole-001-blog/#IDComment124465215 (Continued...) Like we talked about today in class, prison is not a place for rehabilitation it does not rehabilitate anyone it just makes the situation worse because they are not offering anything within the prisons to help rehabilitate a criminal they are simply putting like-minded people into one place and not offering them any hope for rehabilitation. After reading his letter and a seeing what he believes to be morally right I would say that his moral standards are better than some of the people who live freely in our society. I also agree with what he said about every case being seen individually and not having the same punishment for everyone who commits a similar crime because they should have to consider the circumstances of each individual. I believe in prison and punishment also but I do not agree with the systems way of going about it. Back onto the subject of morality, I believe that people look to the opinions of other people and society to decide what they believe is moral but your moral standards and what you believe is right and wrong should be determined by you. Sat, 29 Jan 2011 03:26:00 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/24/life-without-parole-001-blog/#IDComment124465215 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/24/life-without-parole-001-blog/#IDComment124464908 The reality is that free or imprisoned none of us can be sure of our moral compass. Society controls and determines what most of consider to be moral. I think that your morality can only be measured by you and the choices you make in life. We all know what is right and what is wrong the actions we make whether they be good or bad determine our morals. People’s morals ten to vary by the environment you group up in and what is accepted in that environment or society. The man in the letter believes that his idea of what morality is has been compromised by growing into manhood behind bars and having the influence of the mindset and moral standards within a prison. but everyones morality is compromised in some way by the society that they are a part of. Our society plays a major role in what we consider to be moral and immoral. I found his letter to be very true in what he says about prison not being a place where you go to learn a lesson prison only teaches you how to be a prisoner. Sat, 29 Jan 2011 03:23:50 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/24/life-without-parole-001-blog/#IDComment124464908 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/27/why-do-we-need-to-be-politically-correct-119-blog/#IDComment124454798 (part 3) I am not easily offended but I know that this is not the case for. Some people use every opportunity that presents itself to say that someone used a racial slur against them. But seriously in most cases you are not being targeted this is simply the opinion of another person of a different group than you. Sat, 29 Jan 2011 02:10:21 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/27/why-do-we-need-to-be-politically-correct-119-blog/#IDComment124454798