en-us https://www.intensedebate.com/users/765225 Comments by apd24 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/south-park-off-the-hook__trashed/#IDComment70021126 I really think that everyone needs to take shows such as South Park, Family Guy, etc. need to take the episodes with a grain of salt. They have to realize that the sole purpose of these types shows are to shock and entertain through insulting all types of religions, cultures, races, etc. If you have ever watched South Park then you would know that they leave nobody out and insult as many different types of people as possible. I don't think that any one group should take so much offense to something on a stupid cartoon especially enough to make actual physical threats to the creators of the show. Based on freedom of speech we are able to say or write whatever we want and this is bound to offend some people however i feel that the reason for this show is simply to entertain and not truly hurt or degrade anyone. South Park is making fun of nearly every stereotype you can imagine and it seems that most people find it funny even if they are making fun of you. As a Christian I could take great offense to them using Jesus in their episodes, however, i know that its just a show and i still find it funny. And if you really are offended then i would suggest just not watching the show, it would never negatively affect your life if you just don't pay attention to it. I feel that any groups getting mad and speaking out about South Park will only feed them more and make them push the envelope further, i mean thats really all their trying to do, shock people. There have been a lot people who have spoken out about the show, such as red heads making youtube videos about being upset about them making fun of 'gingers', but in the end it just backfires because they end up using the videos as new material for the show anyway, so the best way to 'get back' at South Park if you really wanted to would just be to stop watching the show. As far as the most recent issues with the show using Muhammad its pretty surprising to me just how angry this is making people. Its obvious that some Muslims will be offended, just as many Christians or Jewish people would be offended when the show makes fun of their beliefs, however the physical threats are pretty serious especially saying that they will end up like the one playwright who was murdered for misrepresenting Muhammad. Those are pretty serious threats and I think its really not that big of a deal to want to issue such types of threats i mean its not like the show is singling out Muslims or anything like that its just one episode. Fri, 23 Apr 2010 23:39:20 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/south-park-off-the-hook__trashed/#IDComment70021126 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/how-am-i-not-a-racist__trashed/#IDComment69998174 I think there is a fine line however i wouldn't necessarily consider that to be racism as long as you are able to distinguish a few things. If you feel that you are able to make a bigger difference in the world than someone who is in a developing country you have to realize that this is based solely on the fact that you were born in a country in which you automatically have way more opportunities than any other country in the world. If you know that your ability to do more is based on the luck of your situation and you know its not because you are a better or more fit person based on your race than i would not consider this racism. Fri, 23 Apr 2010 21:22:59 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/how-am-i-not-a-racist__trashed/#IDComment69998174 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/letter-from-an-inmate__trashed/#IDComment69996058 I thought this letter was a really eye opening piece to read because i have never really thought about those in prison being compassionate and loving. Also for a man who never graduated high school this is a very deep and intelligent letter written a lot better than i ever could. I never thought that someone who was capable of murder could completely change while being in prison. The fact that so much compassion could take place in a prison is really surprising to me. The way he talked about how bad it feels to not be able to go out and help people in need after some kind of disaster was also really powerful and i can't imagine how it must feel to want so bad to be able to go out and help and knowing you'll never be able to. Fri, 23 Apr 2010 21:16:26 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/letter-from-an-inmate__trashed/#IDComment69996058 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/the-tyranny-of-radical-muslims__trashed/#IDComment68453879 This is a great example of how a certain religious or national leader can misrepresent an entire nation or faith. The way that someone such as Osama Bin Laden is able to represent an entire religious group to those of us who don't understand or know anything about Islam is not only wrong but dangerous. I can't imagine how this woman's husband must feel seeing bin Laden saying such things and then having American's like us think that that's how the entire religion works. Also I agree with the statement that no matter what religion you are or what god you worship, it's really all the same and our goals are truly exactly the same, live a good life and earn your way to heaven or whatever your religion might believe about life after death. Sat, 17 Apr 2010 01:09:03 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/the-tyranny-of-radical-muslims__trashed/#IDComment68453879 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/creating-terrorists__trashed/#IDComment68452882 I feel like this is basically an extension of Thursday's lecture and that it takes one to remove themselves from their own situation and view things from the other perspective. I must admit that I always thought of suicide bombers as "crazy people" and it never occurred to me that they might actually be doing that for a reason that meant a lot to them not just to kill innocent people. Obviously I'm not saying that suicide bombing is a good thing to do but if I was put in the same situation in which someone I loved was murdered then I would definitely want to exact some sort of revenge. Sat, 17 Apr 2010 00:59:17 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/creating-terrorists__trashed/#IDComment68452882 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/christian-invaders-the-turnaround__trashed/#IDComment68452006 I thought this lecture was really intense and it was the first time that I actually tried to think about the other side and actually understood what it might be like to be a college student in Iraq and how they must feel about the war. I must say that I never really considered how we must look in the eye's of those that we are fighting against. When Sam showed the Jihad video I gotta say that really made me feel pissed off towards the extremist Muslims, but it was really interesting to think of what a young Iraqi would feel if that video was switched around and it was video's of us bombing their innocent civilians. It is really hard to remove yourself from your situation and view the world in a neutral position and I feel that as a sociologist Sam is obviously really good at that and I feel like a lot of us have a hard time doing that. Through reading a lot of the comments above it seems like people aren't really getting the point of the lecture. Sam isn't saying that this war IS a "Christian Invasion" he's saying that to Muslim's he can understand why they would think that. As a Christian I realize that its really not a Christian invasion or holy war but I can really understand why someone could think that if they had only a limited view of what we're really all about, kind of how we don't really know anything about the Muslims. I also thought that the example of the Chinese taking control of our coal industry and occupying our state was really powerful and really made me think of how they must feel with us taking their oil and wanting to fight back. There's no doubt that I would be fighting back against the Chinese if they were occupying my land and so it makes it a lot easier to see why the Iraqi's would want to do that to us. Even if this war is not about oil, which it really seems like it is, with most of our major leaders talking about holy wars and oil how could they not think that. Its become more clear to me that the Iraqi youth and us really aren't that different, however, when all we know about each other is our radical leaders then that makes it impossible for us to coexist and accept each other. I think that if more people were able to remove themselves from their situation and look at the war from the other perspective than we would have a lot less misunderstanding and hate in this world. One of the best pieces of advice I've received about this topic would be that people are people are people. Meaning that no matter what race, country, religion, ethnicity, etc we are all just people. Sat, 17 Apr 2010 00:50:24 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/christian-invaders-the-turnaround__trashed/#IDComment68452006 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/this-is-totally-off-the-hook__trashed/#IDComment66844041 Wow. The fact that anyone no matter what culture could create this type of game and others allow it to be produced and distributed to the public is really disturbing to me. Sexual assault and violence towards women really pisses me off in any form and the fact that there is a video game where the object is to torture and rape young women has to be one of the most offensive things I've ever heard of. I'm reading a lot that rape and other such things are really common in Japan and it is part of the culture but I really don't believe that it could be that socially acceptable especially among women, nor do I feel that they have the right to distribute this game across the world in cultures that for the most part frown upon violence towards women. Many people are making comparison to other American "shoot em up" games like Call of Duty or Grand Theft Auto, but I think these rape games are taking it way across the line. Even before the time of video games young kids have been playing "army" or "cops and robbers" in which they will pretend to shoot each other and etc. and I feel that shooting video games are an extension of that fantasy. Sure some sick people have a hard time distinguishing real and fantasy but I feel like for the most part these types of games have been around since the dawn of video games and don't really have a negative impact on society. However, when it comes to games in which the goal is to rape girls that's just feeding the ever growing amount of sick individuals who fantasize about these types of things and it is definitely teaching young kids that it is okay to treat women with sexual and physical violence. I'm pretty sure most kids realize that it is not acceptable to shoot anyone but it may be less clear cut that it is morally and fundamentally wrong to ever disrespect a woman in such a way. I think that the Japanese government really needs to own up to this issue and shut down the making of these types of games because even if it is acceptable there, there is no way of keeping off the internet and making it available to kids all over the world. It is just too dangerous to allow impressionable young minds that this type of behavior could ever be acceptable. The fact that the government refuses to even acknowledge that this is going on is really disturbing and it makes me question how far things will be allowed to go. I never would have imagined that something as harmless as video games could really end up being not so harmless and there needs to be a line drawn between entertainment and sick and twisted sexual pleasure. This is just plain wrong period. Fri, 9 Apr 2010 17:55:14 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/this-is-totally-off-the-hook__trashed/#IDComment66844041 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/nothing-about-the-census-is-easy__trashed/#IDComment65688889 I think that no matter how they make the census its going to offend someone unless they just make it completely a write in section, however that would just be way to hard to get any good information from. As for the term negro being used, that is a very tough situation as that older African Americans who still use that term would be offended for it to not be on there, and younger African Americans are offended that it is, so whats the right thing to do? I think that some people being offended is inevitable but good things coming out of taking a census definitely overshadow a little confusion. Sat, 3 Apr 2010 03:02:44 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/nothing-about-the-census-is-easy__trashed/#IDComment65688889 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/the-white-minorities__trashed/#IDComment65687652 I find this topic to be pretty interesting and I am curious to see how this country will change, if it all, when whites do actually become the minority racial group. Also, many people seem to think there will be some type of power struggle or that whites are afraid of other groups "taking over" but I really don't think its going to make that big of a difference. The people with money will continue to hold the power in this country just as they do now, white or black or brown. Also, it will be interesting to see if the media will accurately reflect this change in numbers by further representing black and brown people over white people, as other races are currently underrepresented. Sat, 3 Apr 2010 02:50:12 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/the-white-minorities__trashed/#IDComment65687652 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/what-are-all-of-you-thinking-about-asians__trashed/#IDComment64280313 I definitely would not be able to distinguish an Asian American versus a native born Asian. However, I do think that after talking to someone I can tell if they were originally from America or not. When I think of Asians I have to admit I have always kind of thought about the stereotypical smart, friendly, typical Asians and I've never really been around enough Asians to tell the different cultures apart, such as Korean, Chinese, Japanese, etc. I'm not sure why Asians are always being left out in the race discussion but I think maybe its because most of the time Asians are pretty non controversial. Sat, 27 Mar 2010 01:32:02 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/what-are-all-of-you-thinking-about-asians__trashed/#IDComment64280313 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/flip-the-script-for-a-moment__trashed/#IDComment64279552 I feel that the only way to ever change anything is to first recognize the issue and then talk about it. Through talking I think that most of the time an issue can work itself out no matter what it is. As far as the issue of the "28 day cycle" I never really thought about it as a big issue or something that is needed to be talked about. I'm not saying that it should be a strict rule to not talk about it, it is only a natural process, but I don't really understand how it could be as important as issues such as racism or segregation. Sat, 27 Mar 2010 01:23:53 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/flip-the-script-for-a-moment__trashed/#IDComment64279552 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/those-damn-dolls__trashed/#IDComment64279105 Before seeing this video I really didn't think that the kids would have chose the white doll the majority of the time. I would have thought that black kids would choose the black doll, white kids the white doll, Asian kids the Asian doll, etc. mostly because that's what they would be most familiar with. However there must be some kind of sub conscience messages being sent to these children whether through the media or maybe even in their own homes. Even as a white person it made me really sad especially when the little girl was forced to choose the black doll when asked which one she looked like, even right after saying the black doll was the bad one. You could see how much she wanted to pick the white doll when asked that question but I'm really curious as what is causing these kids to feel that way. I think that it must be what kids are seeing on television and in the media because in most cases young kids are not exposed to or understand blatant racism however it must be the racial undertones seen in today's media. Always seeing white people as the hero's and black people as criminals in the news and in movies definitely can have an effect on a child and how they perceive the world. Its really a shame that kids as young as this are forced to face race issues and even feel bad about themselves, and as Sam said in class as a white kid I never even thought about race or any issues such as these and its simply not fair. I thought that what students in class had to say gave me a lot of insight into the situation and I never really thought that people had to deal with these types of issues and that it effected their lives to such a great degree. I never realized that even within the black community it was considered to be uglier if you were darker or prettier if you were lighter. I think that this is very unfortunate and I'm really not sure what is needed to be done in order to change this. Because the majority of this nation is white then clearly the media is dominated by white people however how different races are often portrayed in the news and movies does need to change. Instead of having stereotypical roles such as the "token black guy" or Asian we should include other races how it really should be and what it is actually like in reality. Overall, I feel that this is a really important issue and should be addressed in some way, however, I'm not really sure what should be done. Sat, 27 Mar 2010 01:18:48 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/those-damn-dolls__trashed/#IDComment64279105 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/is-anyone-else-getting-this-stuff__trashed/#IDComment63076027 I definitely agree with the statement that I have now been opened up what people of other races are thinking when discussing racial issues. As a white person I never really knew what other races were thinking in a lot of situations and now its apparent that they don't really know what us as white people are thinking either. Basically there is a lot of misunderstanding when it comes to race relations and the best way to get past this is to simply express how you feel and not be so 'politically correct' and afraid of offending people. Sat, 20 Mar 2010 00:38:12 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/is-anyone-else-getting-this-stuff__trashed/#IDComment63076027 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/what-to-do-about-white-guilt__trashed/#IDComment63075174 I definitely come from a similar situation, small town pretty much all white and never really had to face race issues at all growing up. After taking this class it has definitely opened my eyes to a lot of issues that I never really was exposed to or knew were still going on, and yeah I totally feel bad about it. I think that the only way to get over the guilt is to actually talk about it and be exposed to the issues. Its pretty much impossible to repay all of the people that have been wronged through taking land or slavery, but the only way to make the situation better is to official end discrimination of all kinds especially in the work place and judicial system. Sat, 20 Mar 2010 00:30:31 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/what-to-do-about-white-guilt__trashed/#IDComment63075174 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/does-this-rudeness-thing-cut-both-ways__trashed/#IDComment63074067 I definitely think that rudeness goes both ways regardless of race. I mean really what difference does it make what color you are you can be rude no matter what, and both white and black people were definitely saying a lot of rude comments. I also noticed that there was somewhat more of an uproar when white people made comments than when black people made comments, however, some of the stuff that white people said especially dropping the "n-word" definitely warranted a reaction. As a white person hearing other white people make comments such as this actually makes me angry too because this is the reason that often times black and brown people think of all white people as racists and ignorant, when its really just a couple of idiots. It obvious that these types of comments have a deep rooted meaning in history and so its not surprising when a word like that is used its going to cause a negative reaction. Despite race relations taking great strides over the years its definitely still not acceptable to use racial slurs such as these in society, let alone in a classroom about race relations. As far as there not being as much of an uproar when a black person made any comments I think there are a lot of reasons for this. I feel that the whole "white guilt" concept comes into play. Its possible that white people let a lot of derogatory comments slide because we feel bad about the history of oppression put on black people and feel like maybe we deserve a little bit of backlash. Also I feel like white people can really just laugh at themselves a lot of the time and so we don't really get that offended at some of the white stereotypes. In fact we see white people making fun of those stereotypes all of the time such as the Weird Al video we watched in class. While I never really get offended when hearing many of the white stereotypes sometimes it could get old. As a white person I actually can jump, and have never been a bench warmer and I know a lot of other white people who can say the same. I think the main reason that the texting thing didn't work out too well in class was the ability to remain anonymous while making comments. Sam said it best when he said if you can't stand up and say it in class to everyone then don't text in anonymously. I think that if your going to make the type of comments that were made in class you should at least have the balls to stand up and say it when everyone can know who you are. I definitely think that pretty much no one would have made the comments they did if that had been the case. Sat, 20 Mar 2010 00:19:55 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/does-this-rudeness-thing-cut-both-ways__trashed/#IDComment63074067 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/this-is-getting-to-be-too-much__trashed/#IDComment59990998 After seeing this I now understand how a themed party can be racist, although the majority are not this invitation definitely crosses the line. Especially the part on how girls should dress and act, that's just straight up racist no matter how you look at it. As a white person it pisses me off that there are still other white people out there who put stuff like this up on facebook and then wonder why some black people think we're all racists. It's no wonder white people get a bad image of racism, its because of ignorant shit like this. Sat, 6 Mar 2010 04:42:01 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/this-is-getting-to-be-too-much__trashed/#IDComment59990998 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/fired-for-a-scarf__trashed/#IDComment59989590 I agree that any company has the right to regulate what their employees wear, however, the messed up thing about this story is that they hired her and told her she could wear it and then went back on their word. It there is a strict dress code then it should be enforced from the beginning and be well stated before an employee applies for the job. I feel bad for this girl and the fact that she is recieving death threats is the most disturbing part. I can't understand why anyone is taking offense to her being upset over losing her job. Sat, 6 Mar 2010 04:27:39 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/fired-for-a-scarf__trashed/#IDComment59989590 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/whats-with-the-theme-parties__trashed/#IDComment59987126 I really can't see where the girl in this post is coming from, I mean I've definitely been to more theme parties making fun of white people than any other racial group. Jersey Shore parties for example could be seen as making fun of Italians. Out of all the parties I've heard of there is only one that I could understand black people being offended by and that is "gangsta" parties or something along those lines. However, I've actually attended a party like that with black friends and they didn't seem to take any offense. I think it's also necessary to see that white people aren't dressing like that in order to make fun or offend black people its usually just copying famous rappers and other artists that we like too, and so most white people just think its cool to dress like that for a night. As a white person I can't say that I understand the daily struggles of black people, but I am aware of racism that still exists in this country and can say that this issue is not a racist issue. The main reason for any kind of party such as this is to do something different and have fun while drinking. I can speak for the majority of white people at penn state and say that were just tryin to have fun and get drunk, not offend anyone. I also disagree with the statement that these party's are only thrown by white people. I've been to themed parties thrown by people of other races and the parties have never been exclusive only to whites. I think that it may seem that way since the majority of people here are white but I'm sure on other campuses it would be the other way around. Its also necessary to see that the majority of themed parties such as ugly sweater, anything but clothes. etc have absolutely nothing to do with any kind of race, white black or brown, so its hard for me to see how this can be a race issue. I'm not trying to say that there has never been a racist themed party hosted by white people, but you have to realize that although racism exists the vast majority of people are not racist. I really think that themed parties are really just a way to have fun and an easy way to meet people. As for the question of 'why must there be a theme?' I think that its just a way to spice things up and do something different. Its also usually really funny to see people dressed in ridiculous costumes no matter what the theme. When it comes to any kind of party, its all in fun. Sat, 6 Mar 2010 04:07:07 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/whats-with-the-theme-parties__trashed/#IDComment59987126 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/lgbt-class-question-two__trashed/#IDComment57720643 I think that it is very possible to love someone of the same sex, however, it does not necessarily mean that you're bisexual or physically attracted to them in anyway. I feel that in order to be considered bisexual you would have to not only love someone of the same sex, but be sexually attracted to them. I love my friends, but that in no way means that I would ever think of them in a sexual way. I feel that although you love your roommate and would even live with her, if your not attracted to her then I wouldn't consider Sat, 20 Feb 2010 04:34:45 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/lgbt-class-question-two__trashed/#IDComment57720643 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/lgbt-class-question-six__trashed/#IDComment57719693 I think that this is a pretty easy question to answer based on the fact that in our society men are almost always portrayed as macho and powerful, while women are soft and loving. It is easy for straight men to accept lesbians basically because most feel that it is sexy to see two women together and in many cases the two girls don't even have to be lesbians. I've seen plenty of straight girls make out pretty much for no reason (alcohol). However, if two guys randomly made out they would automatically be labeled as gay, and sadly a lot of straight men basically think of gay men as women, except not attractive. Sat, 20 Feb 2010 04:22:13 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/lgbt-class-question-six__trashed/#IDComment57719693