I hated watching the videos of the U.S. soldiers acting as they did towards the Iraqis. However, watching anyone treat anyone else this way would also outrage me in the same way. As Sam showed pictures and talked about how any Iraqi families could just as well be American families, all I could think was DUH!! Everyone is just a person. That sounds so simple but it’s true. We’re all just humans and we’re all so alike. In this way, I think that there are a lot of good people in the world and a lot of bad people in the world, and these good and bad people make up every “group” that we assign. There are “good” people who are American and there are “bad” people who are American, and there are “good” people who are Iraqi and there are “bad” people who are Iraqi. There are “good” people and “bad” people of every race and gender and color and age and every single category that we could place people in. The fact that someone is Iraqi or Muslim does not in any way reflect their personality and make them a “bad” person or a “good” person. (Obviously “bad” and “good” are not ideal ways to describe this, but I think that most people would be able to understand my meaning when I use these common words to describe people). As mad as I was at the U.S. soldiers for acting as rudely as they did in the videos that were shown in class, I did not feel that they represented all U.S. soldiers or all Americans in general. I thought that the people in the tank crushing the car could have been representing any country and could have been anyone. I guess that it was a little more personal become I’m from the United States as well, so I wish that the U.S. as a whole was represented better. However, I really do think that it could have been anyone who was acting that way. As Sam went on and on and on about how we are all similar, I was wondering if this was new information to anyone. It is crazy to me to think that some people might not think in this way. As Sam continued to drill this point home, I began thinking that if just one person’s mind could be changed to see people as just people, then that would be worth sitting through a lecture that seemed extremely obvious to me. I did think that Sam negatively portrayed U.S. soldiers without explaining fully that there are bad people and good people everywhere. For example, the juxtaposition of the picture of the U.S. soldier holding the dead child and the picture of the dead father and son showed the good and the bad right next to each other. There’s good and bad to everything and on every side and I think that this point should have been the main idea in Sam’s lesson.

More often, we hear about men creating sexual felonies. With this in mind, it seems that this entire scandal may never have occurred if Sandusky was a woman. On top of that, if Sandusky was a man, but McQueary, Paterno, Shulze, or Curley were women, I feel that this would have definitely gone to police. I know this isn’t based on fact or statistics, but in my opinion, this would have been looked into and investigated when it was reported if women were involved. On the other hand, women could have been involved for all we know. I would like to think that Paterno and the other men involved would have done more anyway, so I almost feel that I can’t say that I think women would have done more. If Paterno was not involved with this, and you asked me what he would have done had he known, I would have said that he 100% would have reported it and looked into it and done something to deal with it and get it stopped.
Looking at it from another angle, what would it be like if the victims were girls? I think that if McQueary, Paterno, Shulze, and Curley knew that girls were being sexually abused by Sandusky in 2002, they would have been more likely to do something about it. This, of course, is very sad. It’s also sad that if the public found out today that the victims were actually girls and not boys, many people would be more horrified and outraged than they are now. Obviously everyone thinks Sandusky is disgusting now and everyone feels sympathy for the victims, but I think that people would be even more sickened if Sandusky had abused girls instead of boys.
I think if women were involved in this situation at all (because as far as we know, they were not), then it definitely would be different. It either wouldn’t have happened at all, or it would have been reported sooner, or it would be an even bigger scandal, depending on where women were involved.
Some people have been commenting on the fact that Sandusky’s wife is standing by him through this. How much does she know? Was she a part of any of it? Will she believe it if Sandusky is determined guilty? This reminds me of the question of whether we’d sit on the side of the court that belongs to a family member even if they did something horrible. It’s hard to think that she didn’t know anything about any of this while it was going on for years and years. When thinking of a women’s involvement in this scandal, something that would be really interesting to know is how much Sandusky’s wife knew or was involved.

I definitely think that social media played a huge part in the magnitude of the riots. I’m not saying that there wouldn’t have been a riot without social media to spread the news, because I definitely don’t think that’s true, but I do think that it would not have been as big. As it was, I still only think about ten to twenty people acted out in destructive behavior, with the rest of the crowd just standing around and watching. I’ve heard countless people say that the only reason they went downtown was to check out what was going on and to just be a part of the ‘excitement.’ I’m sure many, if not all, people did go downtown to show their support to JoePa, but I don’t think many would have even thought to do so if the news hadn’t been thread through forums like Facebook and Twitter. A person is smart, but people are often stupid. When people get into large groups, they often end up making poor decision or acting without putting lots of thought into what they are doing. Facebook and Twitter almost allow people to be a part of a group while still being in their rooms at home. Instead of having to get everyone in a physical place to rally support and anger, people just had to post statuses and share opinions online for everyone to read. This way, everyone was getting “rallied up” while at their houses. To be honest, there aren’t always an abundance of opportunities to be a part of a rally during one’s life. (College students, however, seem to be making sure everyone gets a chance at least once during their four years). Many people just saw the riot as an opportunity to be a part of something and experience something new. Social media also continued to add to the riot as it was taking place, with people uploading pictures, videos, and statuses about what was going on downtown. This drew more people out and also brought out other strong opinions about what was taking place. Even after the riots, social media continued to impact them. Images, stories, videos, etc. were shared with the public through social media sites. This sharing allowed people to only see parts of what really happened, and they easily gave Penn State a bad name. I don’t think people should have torn down light posts and flipped over a news truck, that just seems like a ridiculous way to solve something, but I do know that only a few people actually took part in that destruction. Social media sites, however, have been sharing the exaggerated view that every single Penn State student tore down at least one light pole in State College that night. Most of the public then accepts this as fact and continues to take this riot out of proportion. I really do think that social media had effects on the riots before, during, and after their occurrence.

When I first heard this question, I thought back to an experience I had two days ago. I was in the library sitting in one of six cubicles that were arranged all together. There were computers in each of the cubicles, and I was working on an assignment due the next day. Next to me were three girls who looked to be of Asian descent, two sitting at each of the computers next to me, and one kneeling between them. These three girls were speaking in another language, and they were speaking extremely loudly! They were laughing and carrying on for the whole time I was there, which was close to an hour. In a way, this has nothing to do with language, and everything to do with volume, but I actually think that it does have to do with language at least a little bit. It seemed to me that these students felt freer to talk constantly and loudly because they were speaking in another language. At one point, a person with white skin walked by and greeted one of the girls at the computers. They talked for a minute about a class they had together, and the girl at the computer was speaking English at this time. The thing is, she was whispering now! Then, as soon as the white girl left, she went back to basically yelling with her friends in the other language. When I’m in a computer lab or a quiet area, I really feel like the voices interrupting my thoughts are ones speaking in other languages. And this could be completely my own fault; maybe I am more attuned to those voices speaking another language because I don’t know the words so I can’t block them out or something like that. I just know that when I think back to times that people were annoying in the library/computer lab, I always think of people speaking in another language. Again, this could my own fault, but nevertheless, that’s how it is. At the same time though, I love languages. Two of my best friends are twin sisters from Cameroon, and they speak French as their first language. This is the language that they communicate with each other in most of the time, and I love hearing them switch from English to French. I’m jealous of people that know more than one language; I would love to know another language. They just fascinate me and it’s interesting that there are tons of different words for the same thing. I would have to say that in my everyday life, I am not uncomfortable with people speaking other languages, but when I’m trying to do my homework in the library, I’m uncomfortable with people speaking ANY language!

When Sam first posed this question, it made me think back to the previous lecture on race stages. During that lecture, he asked about how a white person’s experience would be different if he/she went to an all black university. This definitely gave me a new perspective. When I walk into a room, I don’t think about anyone’s race. However, this really could be due to the fact that wherever I am, the majority of the people around me are white. Even walking into Soc 119, which people say is a pretty diverse class, I do not think anything about race. However, if I walked into a room of only black/brown people, would I notice race then? I think that I would. In this same respect, I think that white people being a minority will open up lots of people’s eyes to race. I certainly don’t feel afraid for whites to be the minority, and I’m not really sure how much it would actually change. At the same time though, I have no experience being a minority so I don’t know how it would be. Picturing myself as part of the minority does not affect me in any way. I just can’t see how it would make a difference. I see all people as just people, so who cares if there are more people with one skin color in a certain area? Obviously, I can see where that thinking was not the case in the past (e.g. the way blacks were used for slavery), but I think that people have generally learned from the past and most everyone doesn’t think that way anymore. The fact that it will be gradual is also a factor, and it means that people will be accustomed to the way the world is at the time.
Reading back over what I wrote, I realize that I sound completely oblivious when I say that becoming a part of a minority should make no difference. After seeing all the facts and data that Sam presents about unfair employment opportunities, incarceration rates, and more, it is simply ignorant to say that things would be no different to be a minority. I can imagine minorities reading this and thinking “What an arrogant white person.” Many minorities might feel happy/justified that white people will finally experience what they have been going through. However, all this being said, I do not think that all of the sudden all the numbers and statistics will switch to show white people in the place of previous minorities as soon as white people do become the minority. I just do not think that change would happen that quickly. I guess in the end, I don’t really know how I feel about it. I still say that it won’t change anything, but I feel like my opinion isn’t merited because I do not know enough to share a truly educated response.

Before watching the CSPAN video in class yesterday with the black man saying that all white people should be exterminated, I’d honestly never heard anything like that. I’d have to say I’m very naïve and clueless in this sense. I think it goes along with the fact that I think I’m still in Stage 1 right now. When I walk into a room, I don’t think “Oh wow, there’s a lot of white people in here,” or even “Oh wow, there’s a lot of black people in here.” Race just never played a part in my life at all really. I know this means nothing and it’s stupid when people say it, but I really do have white friends and black friends and friends of other races too. Race honestly doesn’t seem to impact anything in my view; it’s just never a big deal. But when Sam talked about HBCU, it made me think about how my view would change if I were the minority. I think race would definitely be a bigger thing to me if this were the case, and this was eye opening for me. I could definitely see myself thinking, “There’s a lot of black people in this class,” if I walked into a class where almost everyone was black. I think the reason I don’t see race is because I am mainly surrounded by white people. Even when the class is very mixed, like our Sociology 119 course, there are still a ton of white people. I just feel like everyone is very like-minded in all the situations I’ve been in in my life so far. Even with people who have different colored skin than me, I still feel like we are very similar. I can’t think that I’ve been in a situation where the people I’m with are very different from me. I think this almost wholly contributes to the fact that I am at Stage 1 and race doesn’t mean anything to me. It really is just a skin color, and it means nothing about who people are. Again, this might not be the case if I were surrounded with people who were very different from me.
As for latent racism amongst white people and more outright racism amongst black people, I would have to say I do agree with this to some extent. I’ve never really seen outright racism amongst black people, but from the survey yesterday, it seems like there is definitely racism there. It’s almost like white people aren’t allowed to be racist, and with black people, it’s more accepted because of all they’ve been through. I think it goes along with white guilt also. Racism of white people against black people already played out and it’s been done away with. To be a white racist against black people now is just not okay at all. Black racism against whites seems like kind of a retaliation. Still, seeing that black man talk about exterminating white people really opened my eyes yesterday and it was a new feelings to feel so much direct hatred toward white people.

I think that “happiness” is a really pertinent topic at this time. Everyone wants to flip a switch that will magically make him or her happy. It really is crazy how many books there are with instructions on how to be happy in life. But at the same time, what is happiness? It is definitely different for everyone, whether it means being the CEO of a company for some or simply smiling each day for another person. It seems that happiness is the goal in life today, and I would have to say I feel this way as well. I don’t know if this is a good thing, but it is how I feel. If you asked me what one thing I want to get out of life, it would probably be happiness. When I look back on my life from my deathbed, I want to have been happy, and still be happy. However, I don’t only see this as a goal to be reached in the future, because I’m happy right now. Saying that my goal is to be “happy” simply takes the pressure off of me to do any certain thing. I won’t say that I’ll only be happy if I have a husband and children and I take vacations every year and I live in a nice house. Although I’d love all of this to be true, I plan to be happy no matter what happens in my life. That’s the great thing about happiness, it can come to everyone no matter where they are in life.
I do agree with many of the points in the article. Point #2, that too many choices make us ponder the what if, is very true. everyone is searching for “happiness,” although none of us really know what exactly it is. In regards to point #4 though, about the fact that we physically can’t feel happiness for very long, I don’t think this needs to impact our overall happiness. In this way, “happiness” seems like a high to be on. How I see it, happiness is almost a way of living. Choosing to be happy no matter what and being content with how everything is going. This way of looking at happiness sounds like it wouldn’t allow you to have goals or to look ahead in life, but that’s not true. Goals and hopes fit into your happiness and everyday life.
All in all, people just seem to be trying too hard to be happy. The article concludes by saying this and I agree as well. You won’t suddenly wake up happy all of the sudden. Happiness isn’t the same for everyone, but I definitely think everyone can be their own version of happy.

Overall, if one of my future children were gay, I would completely accept and support him/her. In class, Sam mentioned how many gay couples say they would prefer to have a straight child, just to save that child from the many hardships that come with being homosexual. I feel the same way. It would be hard to know that my son/daughter would most likely be bullied and possibly even feel like an outsider. I would want to protect my children as much as I can, and this would be something out of my control.
Another challenge would be relating to my child if he/she was gay. Since I’m straight, I would not be able to identify with many of the things my child would go through. At the same time though, I know what having crushes is like and what loving someone is like, so I could share these similar experiences with my child and know that we have many things in common, whether we’re talking about our experiences with loving girls or boys.
No one in my extended or immediate family is anything other than straight, so I don’t have any personal experience with being close to someone who is gay. I’ve had gay friends and acquaintances over the years, but no one that I was super close to. It would definitely be a new experience for me.
I would assume that when I found out my son/daughter is gay, they would be in their pre-teen/teen years. This would either mean that my finding out is a complete shock (as I viewed them as straight thus far in their lives), or I had suspected that they were gay before they told me. I want my children to feel that they can talk to me and tell me anything, so I will make sure that they feel that they can do this. I would still be a little sad, for all the reasons mentioned above, but I would not be mad at all. I’ve seen enough horror stories of parents being mad and disappointed that their kids are gay. How is this the child’s “fault?” In a way, it has nothing to do with the child at all. I would never ever be mad or disappointed or upset. It would definitely be something to get used to, but nonetheless, it would simply be a part of life.
Being completely honest, I do have to say that I would prefer my child to be straight. They would go through life as I imagine them doing so, my young son having a crush on a cute little girl in his kindergarten class, my teenage daughter navigating the world of dating teenage boys. Then, on their wedding days, my son marrying a woman and my daughter marrying a man. This is how I picture their lives, and in a way, I would be mourning that loss as I accepted them as who they are. I know that I will love my children exactly as they are, and that they will be everything they are meant to be.

Watching the bike thief video actually made me really mad. It was just so unfair. It wasn’t like there was a little bit of disparity between how people acted toward the different actors; it was complete polar differences. While I thought that the treatment of the woman was the most shocking, it was still sad to see the treatment of the white male vs. the black male. I do think that the two men were not dressed exactly alike. I think for the experiment to really have worked, they should have been wearing the exact same clothes in the exact same size and everything. Their speech was also different, and all of these factors could influence how people saw them as well. Not to say that just because someone speaks in a certain way they should be discriminated against either, but including these differences in the episode made it so that skin color wasn’t the only factor.
If I was in this situation, I’d like to think that I would have done something. However, I think that I might be too nervous to confront someone who was stealing a bike, especially if I was walking alone through the park. Instead, I would probably do what one woman did and call the police and tell them that a bike was being stolen.
Another point to make is that this experiment also relates to the bystander effect. Some people may have been walking by and assuming that someone else would do something. I think it was really interesting that a lot of people gave the white guy the benefit of the doubt. When they were interviewed later, they said that they assumed he forgot his key or he was somehow not doing what it looked like he was doing. I would say that it’s kind of nice that people give each other the benefit of the doubt, however, it’s not as nice when that benefit is only given to one skin color.
The one man who started yelling at the black guy was very intense. He claimed that he would have had the same reaction whether the man was black or white. In this case, I really do think he might have reacted the same way, and there is a possibility that the people who confronted the black man may have confronted the white man too. Again, it’s hard to say without having the same people pass the black man and white man. The sheer number of people confronting the black vs. the white guy though, does show us that it probably isn’t just a factor of the people who are passing by. It really does seem to be an outcome of the race of the thief.
There’s so much to also be said about the male vs. female aspect. I was almost disgusted by how easily the male passersby went to help the female thief. Almost everyone actually helped her steal the bike! It was just crazy to me. I do think that this is an internal reaction though, and men are programmed to treat women in a certain way (to a certain extent). In a way, it’s more excusable because it’s in their blood.

Sometimes it’s hard to even comprehend how different our lives are from other people’s lives in some other countries. It’s crazy to think that some celebrities in the United States have seven cars to drive, three houses to live in, one hundred pairs of shoes, personal chefs, acres and acres of land, and more, while people in some places have zero cars, just some cardboard to live under, zero pairs of shoes, maybe one/tenth of what we can eat in one day, and the clothes on their backs. It doesn’t seem like this stark contrast should even be possible. It just isn’t fair.
At the same time though, everyone is similar – we’re all human beings. Some people may have been surprised to see in the videos that these featured people in Haiti are creative entrepreneurs who are starting their own businesses. However, this isn’t what surprised me. I believe everyone has the capacity to make something for himself or herself and be creative. What surprised me was how poor the working conditions were. For example, Madame Lamour’s workspace was just a couple of folding chairs and a table pushed against the wall. All of the workers were hand-sewing beautiful veils, but it just seemed that they should have a better environment to work in. It’s crazy to compare that to most of our work conditions here.
I’m not sure which entrepreneur I’d like to help. I thought Sonia’s work was very impressive and her lunch bags looked very well made. However, I could see myself brainstorming ideas for all of the entrepreneurs. I’m excited to meet with my group next week and hear who was motivated by which videos and what general consensus people have about what they watched/read.
I also found the article “Better to Buy Local” to be very eye opening. It had never even crossed my mind that sending shoes to children in other countries might negatively impact their economy and the lives of other people in that same country. However, I think this is a hard problem to work with. On the one hand, if children don’t have shoes already, it doesn’t mean their parents just didn’t get a chance to go buy some downtown. It probably means that the parents don’t have any means to get them. So, in order to be fully helping, anyone who wanted to donate shoes should actually buy them from a local shoemaker in that other country and then have them given to children from there. I think many people haven’t even thought of this possibility and it hasn’t crossed many minds that sending “help” to other countries could actually be negative in some ways.
We definitely need to change the way we look at sending aide to other countries. All in all, I think this project sounds very interesting but I’m definitely looking forward to hearing my classmates’ takes on it as well. I’m not really sure what I’d end up doing if this was an individual project, and I’ll definitely need some more time to brainstorm and research what can be done.