Another answer that really took me by surprise was that Iraqis really need is electricity. I would have never thought the answer to that question would have been electricity. I was thinking to myself, he apparently had electricity so he must be in a better part. I pictured Iraq to be a dry, desert land but in fact it was storming outside when we chatted with Bosum. To me, Bosum was very laid back and very nice. He spoke very good English and he was easy to understand. After chatting with Bosum, I feel different in a good way about Iraqis. They are not all dangerous individuals and there are only a very few that are. So chances that I come across one in a store are pretty slim. Maybe next time I see an Iraqi, I will think they are just like me and not try to judge them based on what the media portrays them as.
(3/3)
This showed me that even though he is an Iraqi man, he is just like us and similar to us in many ways. Also, I thought it was really interesting that he was thankful that we got rid of Saddam Hussein. I’m glad to hear that something positive has come out of all the innocent killings. I thought the question about how he felt about the September 11th attacks was a very good question to ask because I was wondering the same thing sitting in class. And I was surprised by his answer just a little. He was terrified just like the rest of America. He tried to assure us that the terrorists are just a small number and that when we think of Iraqis we shouldn’t think terrorists. This was the first time I have ever really listened to an Iraqi talk about the war and their feelings about the attacks so I found this question and answer session really enlightening and wish we could do more of them.
(2/3)
I really enjoyed being able to chat with Basum in class yesterday. When I first saw his picture on the screen, I didn’t realize it was him to be honest. He look almost Mexican and far different than what I had imagined him to look like in my mind. To me, he looked like he could have been a resident of the United States or Mexico. In my mind, I pictured him to have some sort of headwrap on and loose, baggy clothes. In the picture, he was very well put together and far from what I had pictured. One of the first responses that stood out to me was when he answered what young people do on the weekends. He said they go out, which is just like us and that he worries about his son going out at night. Like most parents here in the United States, he worries too.
(1/3)
I think a good example of nepotism would be applying for college. In the applications, they always seem to ask if you have relatives that attended the school. If you say yes, then I feel like you are more likely to be accepted than someone who did not have relatives attend the same school. For me, I applied to Virginia Tech, a school that my brother, 2 cousins, and an uncle went to, and put that down on the application. I was accepted and I think it had a lot to do with the relative connections to the university. I really think it would be hard for someone to not use their connections to help them and benefit them. Because in the end, we all want to succeed and get ahead so we will do what it takes.
(3/3)
I would find it very hard to not take advantage of nepotism if a situation came about. I am already thinking about my future and who I know that could help me get a job. My dad worked as a police officer for many years and has a number of connections with the field of work I’d like to go into. I will no doubt take advantage of his resources and the people he knows when it comes times for me to look at jobs. Otherwise, I think it would be really difficult searching for jobs and not knowing people. If you know someone who can put in a good word for you, then you can feel more confident going into an interview that the person knows about you.
(2/3)
I think this is a really good question and made me think about an answer. Nepotism is a type of favoritism towards family or relatives regardless of their worthiness. Because most everyone in class raised their hand saying that they have benefited from nepotism, I think it would be really hard to stop yourself from taking advantage of it if the situation presented itself. We all are trying to succeed and get ahead so we are going to do what it takes and if that means we take advantage of an opportunity in the form of nepotism, I think we are going to continue to do so. When an opportunity comes along, most of us are not going to stop and think that it is because of nepotism that this opportunity arose and we should try and stay away from it even if it means we don’t get what were searching for. While there are many people who want to succeed without the help of others, most of us want to take an easy road to get to where were going. A lot of jobs and internships get offered to people with connections. You need to network so you can know various people in the field that you are interested in so that when the time comes to look for a job, you have an upper hand in an interview.
(1/3)
And to think that we are killing an innocent person just to get our hands on something that isn’t rightfully ours stuck out to me. For every 1 big name that we are after, it is alright to kill 29 innocent people, children. I was shocked at the number when Sam said it. I don’t think killing any innocent person is acceptable and it is hard to think that that is what we are doing just to get our hands on something that isn’t even ours. I think this was a great lecture and it really captivated us as a class and made us seriously think about what is going on.
After each video just about, Sam emphasized the word “woah”. And I think there is no better word after watching some of the videos. I myself kept saying woah and it really started making me think. The video about the Jihad stuck out the most to me. It was very scary to watch almost and to see the motive behind these people is world domination and they will do whatever it is to reach that. Every time the word “Jihad” came across the screen really made me stop and say woah again. Also, Sam talked about how the war is about oil. When he first gave the example about the Chinese taking our coal and how the coal was our resource from our country and they have no right to take it from us, I was thinking where is he going with this. But then when the word “oil” came on the screen I suddenly realized we are doing exactly what the Chinese were doing. I really got to thinking that the war over oil is really nonsense because it is not our resource and it does not belong to us. Just like the Chinese taking our coal, we are taking their oil which doesn’t belong to us.
I have to say that, when Sam first told us about the “Christian Invaders” lecture I didn’t know what he might talk about. As a Christian, I thought maybe he was going to attack my religion or try and convince me that what I believe in wrong. However, I was really captured by this lecture. Right away, Sam made us put ourselves in the shoes of a Muslim and for the entire lecture that was our point of view. I’ll be honest and say that I had a tough time at first doing so. When the clicker questions were asked, I had to keep reminding myself that I am a Muslim right now and how would I react to some of the questions. Aside from that, I think this was Sam’s best lecture and it was very captivating. The numerous videos were what really stood out to me. I think each one had a huge impact on our thinking.
While it is not against the law to speak a language other than English, American often feel that if you are going to live here, then English must be your primary language. I tend to agree with this thought most times. In New Jersey where I live, all the gas attendants are foreign and do not speak much English. They really only seem to understand the amount of money and type of gas. I often think they should speak more English if I ever had a problem they would not be able to understand what I am saying a vice versa. However, I do understand that they are trying to learn the English language and I appreciate the fact that they are learning how to be a part of the American culture while still maintaining their native cultures.
(4/4)
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