en-us https://www.intensedebate.com/users/759406 Comments by ars1988 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/letter-from-an-inmate__trashed/#IDComment69782601 A little story about a jail. My senior year of high school I took a criminal justice course and learned a lot about the criminal justice system. My teacher was a young guy who wanted his students to stay away from jail, so he decided to take us on a field trip. We went to the Suffolk County Riverhead Maximum Security Jail in New York. I had no idea what to expect nor did I think it could be so bad. When we arrived there, we were patted down, went through metal detectors and everything to violate a person’s being. I even had to take out my nose piercing. In this jail, the men and women were on separate floors. The women were far worse and more aggressive than the men. I have never felt so uncomfortable and scared in my whole life. This one day in my 21 years of living, will never leave my mind and without fail, taught me to do the right thing. Thu, 22 Apr 2010 17:06:52 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/letter-from-an-inmate__trashed/#IDComment69782601 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/letter-from-an-inmate__trashed/#IDComment69782057 This letter almost brought me to tears. I understand this guy is a murderer, but that doesn’t necessarily make him a bad person all around. He seemed to have compassion for other people, and maybe he finally realized that this is his life and he needs to make the best of it. As much as he sounds sincere and regretful of his doing, I do not think letting him free would be safe for other people. Who is to say he will not murder again? You can never be too sure about prisoners. I wonder if he really is sincere or if he is just trying to stay alive and not get into any trouble. I think that if Sam is able to have a relationship with this man, he means well and truly is sorry. Thu, 22 Apr 2010 17:02:24 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/letter-from-an-inmate__trashed/#IDComment69782057 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/300000-whats-it-mean-to-us__trashed/#IDComment69781121 I remember the class on the Thursday after the earthquake in Haiti when Sam asked us to all donate some money if we wanted to or if we could. I looked at my friend next to me and I know this sounds so horrible and naïve, but I asked her what it was for. She looked at me with such disbelief that I had no idea about what happened in Haiti. I do not read or watch the news nearly enough so I thought to myself, how would I know? But I realized that I need to start looking into world issues more often. I feel that many people do what they can to help in situations like Haiti, but how can a person stop living their life because of it? I did donate money to foundations to help Haiti but I did not stop living my life because something bad happened somewhere else in the world. My intentions are not to ignore it and not disregard it, but I am, as most other Americans are, consumed in their lives and do not have enough time to recognize the severity of these issues. I think the most blatant difference for example between Sam and I would be that he knew people in Haiti so it hit him harder than it hit me. I thought it was tragic and was very sad for all the people’s losses, but I did not have any personal relations or ties with anyone there. The telethons and the fundraisers are all amazing ways to help Haiti begin to recover and to release awareness but these things will never fully fix all the damage that was done. Even though the earthquake happened months ago, I still think people recognize it and care about it and are willing to continue to help. In my opinion, if the tragedy hit closer to home, I would be more inclined to think about it and help out with it every day. I know that all disasters are sad and unfortunate, but when it comes to one that I can’t personally help or feel, my mind wanders away from it more often than not. As for the hurricane in New Orleans, I was able to understand that more than Haiti because it was closer to home and I knew people in that location at that very unfortunate time. People that lost loved ones in the hurricane and in the earthquake will forever be marked by those terrible times. I do not think that each of those two places will ever be able to be like what they used to be, as sad as that is to say. No matter the number of people that died, whether it was 10 or 300,000, I still feel the sadness that came along with the tragedy. Thu, 22 Apr 2010 16:56:54 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/300000-whats-it-mean-to-us__trashed/#IDComment69781121 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/christian-invaders-the-turnaround__trashed/#IDComment68401211 What makes me laugh is that I have not missed a class this semester and yesterday was the day I was going to skip but then decided not to, and to my own surprise, I am very happy to say that I attended this class on Christian Invaders. I think the way Sam went about portraying what is going on with these people was perfect. He has so much enthusiasm and gave us so much meaning about what is really happening in the war in Iraq. Whether or not I am for or against war doesn’t change the fact that it is happening and people are dying. I think that Sam really knows about what is going on with these people and the war that his lecture was extremely believable. It really made me think about who we as Americans are as well as putting us in the shoes of the Muslim or Arab college students. Religion is definitely a personal matter and some people respect religion more than others, but in this case of Christian Invaders, there is no way around talking about it. In reference to the FAO Schwartz quote, it made me really think about how sick and twisted our world is. Comparing aspects of the war to kids in a toy store, how messed up is that? I am not going to sit here and lie and say I pay so much attention to the news and the world and everything that is going on with us, but I do know that in order to make the world a more peaceful place, all the hatred needs to die down. I am not Christian so I do not know much about the religion, but I do not think that Sam intended to insult them or make them look like the bad guys. I just think he was saying it how it is which made it into a big deal. I now wonder if the only point of our war is for the control of oil. Do the Muslim or Arab people think that if they terrorize our country we will stop taking their oil? Maybe I am naïve and do not know enough about the war and I only see the terrorism in America. Since I am not on the other side and do not live in Iraq or other countries that America is bombing, I do not understand the point of terrorism. I do not have any bad words to say about Christians because I do not think religion usually makes a person who they are but this topic made me think twice about the mentality of some Christians. Why make war when realistically it can be avoided? I never think that wars will come to an end and one day the world is just going to disappear. Fri, 16 Apr 2010 21:50:05 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/christian-invaders-the-turnaround__trashed/#IDComment68401211 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/christian-invaders-the-turnaround__trashed/#IDComment68403279 What makes me laugh is that I have not missed a class this semester and yesterday was the day I was going to skip but then decided not to, and to my own surprise, I am very happy to say that I attended this class on Christian Invaders. I think the way Sam went about portraying what is going on with these people was perfect. He has so much enthusiasm and gave us so much meaning about what is really happening in the war in Iraq. Whether or not I am for or against war doesn’t change the fact that it is happening and people are dying. I think that Sam really knows about what is going on with these people and the war that his lecture was extremely believable. It really made me think about who we as Americans are as well as putting us in the shoes of the Muslim or Arab college students. Religion is definitely a personal matter and some people respect religion more than others, but in this case of Christian Invaders, there is no way around talking about it. In reference to the FAO Schwartz quote, it made me really think about how sick and twisted our world is. Comparing aspects of the war to kids in a toy store, how messed up is that? I am not going to sit here and lie and say I pay so much attention to the news and the world and everything that is going on with us, but I do know that in order to make the world a more peaceful place, all the hatred needs to die down. I am not Christian so I do not know much about the religion, but I do not think that Sam intended to insult them or make them look like the bad guys. I just think he was saying it how it is which made it into a big deal. I now wonder if the only point of our war is for the control of oil. Do the Muslim or Arab people think that if they terrorize our country we will stop taking their oil? Maybe I am naïve and do not know enough about the war and I only see the terrorism in America. Since I am not on the other side and do not live in Iraq or other countries that America is bombing, I do not understand the point of terrorism. I do not have any bad words to say about Christians because I do not think religion usually makes a person who they are but this topic made me think twice about the mentality of some Christians. Why make war when realistically it can be avoided? I never think that wars will come to an end and one day the world is just going to disappear. Fri, 16 Apr 2010 17:50:05 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/christian-invaders-the-turnaround__trashed/#IDComment68403279 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/creating-terrorists__trashed/#IDComment68401798 Honestly, what is the point of a suicide bombing? How do people get it into their heads that suicide bombing is a good and smart idea? This woman claimed to be avenging her husband’s death but her killing herself does not bring him back. Maybe she wanted to die to be with him. As much as I love my family and would love to get back at whatever or whoever hurt them, I do not think I would want to kill myself. I really can not say for sure though because fortunately I have never been in that type of situation. In my opinion, suicide and bombing are two of the most disgusting things in the world. Fri, 16 Apr 2010 17:37:40 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/creating-terrorists__trashed/#IDComment68401798 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/this-is-totally-off-the-hook__trashed/#IDComment66620599 I agree with Meghan. How do people in their right minds think to make games like this one? Do they think it is comical or entertaining? Here in America, people have the freedom of speech and are allowed to say what they please, but a game like this one should be something banned from that freedom. Maybe because I am a woman that I see this game as intolerable, but the fact that people buy this game because they think it is ‘fun’ just boggles my mind. How could something like this be constituted as ‘fun’? Do women’s rights mean nothing anymore? Enough is enough. Thu, 8 Apr 2010 17:23:56 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/this-is-totally-off-the-hook__trashed/#IDComment66620599 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/i-really-want-to-know-also__trashed/#IDComment66620156 On changing my opinion based on what Sam says, I can tell you that I definitely do not. I respect what Sam has to say and I believe he is knowledgeable on the subject matter, but the way he portrays himself makes me not want to listen to many of the things he says. Sam gives us a substantial amount of statistics, but I feel as if anyone can do that. The subject matter of this class has the potential to be very interesting but I wish he chose one topic and went into detail about it rather than go on tangents and make the class about him. Thu, 8 Apr 2010 17:19:55 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/i-really-want-to-know-also__trashed/#IDComment66620156 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/how-can-we-ever-win__trashed/#IDComment65612910 What does it actually mean to win? Why are we even in competition with one another? I think race is always going to be an issue in this world but maybe it will lighten up over the next few years. I agree that if people are willing to openly talk about race that some of the ongoing issues can be resolved. I don’t even think that there can be an end result because no one will ever see eye to eye, especially different races. The only way to make the world a less racial place is to recognize the issues at hand and work on taking them away. Fri, 2 Apr 2010 20:58:24 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/how-can-we-ever-win__trashed/#IDComment65612910 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/what-if-we-got-rid-of-welfare__trashed/#IDComment65611527 How can the government just get rid of welfare? Some people can not live with out it. I don’t really see how it affects people not on welfare, so maybe I am missing an important point. I think there would be riots and chaos in the world if welfare was eliminated. There are probably a similar number of poor people as rich people in the world so if welfare is eliminated does that mean half of the world will disappear? People with no job or no education would struggle to get by in the world if they didn’t have welfare to help support them. I do not think welfare is anything but a benefit. Fri, 2 Apr 2010 20:51:44 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/what-if-we-got-rid-of-welfare__trashed/#IDComment65611527 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/is-quality-the-question__trashed/#IDComment65610551 I absolutely agree with this post. Being that we disregard affirmative action when gaining acceptance into undergraduate universities, the chances of getting accepted for all people is definitely better. Some universities may take affirmative action into a bit of consideration, but it is definitely not one of the biggest factors. I wouldn’t say that if I didn’t get accepted into my top choice school that I would be upset because I felt less acknowledged due to my race but that I would be upset that I couldn’t go there. In the case of medical or any graduate school for that matter, affirmative action plays a huge role. Being that I am a pre-med/science major here at Penn State, I have learned to understand how the application and acceptance process works. I have worked for endless hours on the requirements needed to apply and get into medical school. On top of the time spent on work and studying, taking the MCAT or in my case, the DAT for dental school is extremely expensive. None of these things required to even apply to medical or dental school guarantee anything. There are thousands of applicants that apply to these schools each year and only very few spots to fill. The whole process leading up to medical, dental, or graduate school is stressful in itself and what you have to go through to even have a shot of getting in is draining. Even if a person has all of the requirements completed, they have no guarantee of even getting an interview. If students were considered on the basis of their grades and scores on the entrance exam, things would be a lot different. This obviously isn’t the case at all. Being that I am a woman, some graduate schools see that as an advantage because they are looking for more female doctors in the world, but being white just counteracts that fact. If my qualifications were the exact same as a person belonging to a minority, their chances of getting accepted would definitely be higher than mine. I know plenty of people who have applied to medical school and have not gotten in or have had an interview or two, but I can never really know the real reason why he or she didn’t get in. If a person is disadvantaged or part of a minority, maybe they would be given an interview based solely on that. I don’t agree or disagree with affirmative action. It is what it is and has always been a factor in my decisions in the world. I can no longer be upset or angry about the decisions made in regards to medical school, but I do wish affirmative action played a smaller role. Fri, 2 Apr 2010 20:45:03 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/is-quality-the-question__trashed/#IDComment65610551 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/what-are-all-of-you-thinking-about-asians__trashed/#IDComment64235782 No two races are the same. In our class we definitely focus on whites and blacks the most but I do think we talk about other races as well. I think this class is a bit unorganized and off the path of clear learning but I do think that anything someone wants to discuss about race, they can ask and the question will be answered. I do not think I have learned much in this class because it is so jumbled, but I do think that Sam has a decent understanding about the difference between all races. I wonder why everyone loves this class so much. It is not even that easy and it is quite boring. Fri, 26 Mar 2010 19:14:31 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/what-are-all-of-you-thinking-about-asians__trashed/#IDComment64235782 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/in-her-own-words__trashed/#IDComment64235309 Why is this even a topic of conversation in this class? The class is race and ethnicity, not women’s studies. If people feel like discussing their periods that is their choice but I do not think it is necessary in this class. Most people if not everybody knows what a menstrual period is and talking about it just makes people uncomfortable and unhappy. I also think that being a male professor, you have even less understanding of what women go through solely on the fact that you are not a woman. Why do you think you know so much about everything? At this topic you can not be better than women. Fri, 26 Mar 2010 19:10:17 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/in-her-own-words__trashed/#IDComment64235309 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/flip-the-script-for-a-moment__trashed/#IDComment64234843 I don’t disagree with the fact that everything should be questioned if needed, but I do think some questions are better left unsaid. I was really taken back by the fact that Sam talked in detail for a good chunk of the class about his wife’s period. I personally think periods are a personal matter but they are natural for every woman. I wonder if Sam’s wife had any problems with some of the things he said. I understand that Sam is only trying to be himself and say whatever is on his mind, but doesn’t he cross the line sometimes? Maybe my opinions are different than his but that doesn’t make either of them wrong. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions but like I said before, some are best left unsaid. I do not think that black and whites should be separated on the base of their color in the sense of Sam’s example about sitting on the back of the bus or the water fountains. Those types of issues should be addressed but definitely could bring up some discrepancies between the two races. I don’t really get how the 28 day cycle issue has anything to do with race, but Sam seems to think it fits well with it. All women get their periods, black, white, whatever race they are. The only thing I can see is that it could be men vs. women in relation to black vs. white, but I don’t really think the correlation is the same. I think that Sam values the class’ opinions but I do not think he responds well to them sometimes. It’s almost like he asks to hear the answer but if it differs from his, he disregards it and moves on. I agree with jim5049 in his statement that girls with their periods get uncomfortable when brought up in conversation. Everything this person said hits the nail right on the head. These posts are silly in the fact that we can write anything and it doesn’t even have to make sense. I do like the fact that we can say exactly what we feel and not get reprimanded for it. About asking girls if they are bleeding, who has any right to ask a woman that? Why does it even matter? It is obviously a sensitive subject for many women so why even bring it up? I think Sam gets too personal with a lot of subjects and it makes a lot of people unhappy and uninterested. I know it does that to me. Jim5049 made me laugh. What is the point of these posts anyway? Yes they are easy points but they really mean nothing. Sorry to rain on your parade Sam but this class is not anything I was told it would be and I really don’t even see the point in going. Fri, 26 Mar 2010 19:06:24 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/flip-the-script-for-a-moment__trashed/#IDComment64234843 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/is-anyone-else-getting-this-stuff__trashed/#IDComment62861899 In my opinion, Laurie’s book was a whole mix of stories trying to get one point across. I did like the book overall but some parts confused me a bit. I feel like Laurie is a very strong person in how she handled herself throughout the book but I think she could have defined her role a bit more. The girl in the video here seemed to have been personally responsive to Laurie’s book which is probably Laurie’s goal. To understand the difference between blacks and whites is most likely very difficult and for someone white’s personal experiences to effect a person of color is just one step towards finally making peace. Fri, 19 Mar 2010 00:26:46 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/is-anyone-else-getting-this-stuff__trashed/#IDComment62861899 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/what-happens-to-multiracial-people__trashed/#IDComment62861069 This kid says in his question that everybody is a person of color. How is that possible? I mean yes white is a color in a sense, but the world knows color as black and brown people. I don’t know why we even have to distinguish between the ‘colors’ when all people should be treated equally. I know the world is not perfect and it never will be, but if we can try and diminish some of the racism, maybe other people will follow along. As for multiracial people, they are the same as everyone else and that is how they should be treated. I could understand if a multiracial person was more self-conscious then a person of one race, but I still think that everyone should be treated equally. Fri, 19 Mar 2010 00:19:25 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/what-happens-to-multiracial-people__trashed/#IDComment62861069 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/does-this-rudeness-thing-cut-both-ways__trashed/#IDComment62860492 In response to this kid’s question, I agree with him in the sense of not having any idea why there is a difference between blacks and whites in this situation. The whole texting answers to questions in front of the whole class, in my opinion, were a set up for a serious discussion. I think some of the answers were very inappropriate and I do not feel that it mattered what color the person was who made the comment. The fact that the same question was posed to both blacks and whites separately was able to show how different the two races think. But with a class so big, how can we really know that only the white people answered as white people or only the black people answered as black people. This system was very flawed and it brought about many judgments of the two races. I understand that black and white people may think and act differently but I do not feel that when asked a specific question about one race, the answers are that varied. What blew my mind about this whole exercise was that people of both races just wrote obscene comments that had nothing to do with the question asked. This idea of posing a question to the entire class and being able to see all the answers is not a good idea to begin with. People are bound to be judgmental and insulting because no one is able to see who says what. I chose not to answer the questions posed on the board because I really didn’t know how to answer some of them and I was not about to write a phony answer. I think what surprised me the most was that white people said a lot of nasty things about what they thought but I don’t know why they would discriminate against their own race so much. Maybe they are trying to prove a point? Or maybe they are trying to act like they are black and insulting whites? An insult is an insult no matter who says it. Black, white, Asian, whatever race or ethnicity a person is shouldn’t matter when it comes to insults. I know people are more insulted when they think the comment is racist but I think a lot of people are just looking for a way to hate on other races. I’ve always learned that if you have nothing nice to say then don’t say anything at all. I know it sounds cliché but honestly, insulting someone of another race, what does it do for the insulter? Make them feel superior? That to me sounds stupid. Maybe because I am not a racist I do not see the joy or purpose in insulting a person of another race. Fri, 19 Mar 2010 00:14:19 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/does-this-rudeness-thing-cut-both-ways__trashed/#IDComment62860492 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/a-long-long-way-indeed__trashed/#IDComment59680124 I don’t really understand the question posed here but if I were to guess what it was asking I would answer that slave owners should not be put on television for any reason. I can’t even describe to you how I feel about slave owners because I personally knew one. This family in my town owned two slaves and were recently caught and sent to jail. They locked their slaves in a small closet and left them days without food or water. If these people were ever on television, I would write a nasty email to the broadcaster and tell them how I felt about the subject. I also think that if a slave owner was to see his or her slave on television, they would feel honored that they knew this person at one point in their life. Slavery is sick and should be rid from the world for good. Thu, 4 Mar 2010 04:07:03 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/a-long-long-way-indeed__trashed/#IDComment59680124 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/whats-with-the-theme-parties__trashed/#IDComment59679534 Of all the theme parties I have been to, I do not feel like I have made to feel racist in any way. Most of the themes I have experienced were to make people laugh or dress up in wild and crazy costumes. I don’t even understand how a theme party can be considered racist which makes me less inclined to think about it. I am curious to know what this girl in the video has seen or heard and who takes part in these racist themes. I really like theme parties because I think they are fun and I enjoy dressing up, but I do understand why people don’t like them. They can be a hassle to get ready for and a competition once there. Thu, 4 Mar 2010 04:01:55 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/whats-with-the-theme-parties__trashed/#IDComment59679534 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/are-whites-the-only-people-willing-to-humiliate-themselves__trashed/#IDComment59678997 I do not watch shows like “The Bachelor” and match making reality shows but I do understand the appeal of them. Hearing about the show through people and the media I do find it bizarre that most of the contestants on the Bachelor are white. I know that for the past however many seasons there have been, the male bachelor has been white. I agree with haniemonster in that we should expect to see a more diverse selection of contestants. Since the bachelor is always Caucasian, I wonder if contestants are picked after knowing that about him. I wonder if the bachelor was of a different race if the show would be as appealing as it is now. I think that since the bachelor is white that there are mostly white contestants because white people are usually attracted to other white people. Of course there are some exceptions but maybe because the show is on national television, the matches have to be made acceptingly. I am not sure if the criterion for becoming the bachelor is specific, but I think that anyone from any race should be able to become the bachelor. If the bachelor is some race other than white, maybe the contestants and even the viewers would be different. I do not think I have met a male that is straight that watches “The Bachelor”. I am not saying that in a derogatory way that they can’t or shouldn’t, but it doesn’t seem like the type of show that would appeal to them. I think that changing the demographic of the show will definitely boost the ratings even more and a whole new outlook would be given to the show. Again, agreeing with haniemonster on the fact that the black and Asian dating reality shows are somewhat trashy and ridiculous. I have seen Tila Tequila and I have honestly never laughed at something so bogus before in my life. People like Tila take part in these shows for the publicity and fame. Most of the time there is fighting, cursing, or yelling and I could only assume that it is all an act. I don’t believe in these matching shows because how could you really get to know and fall in love with someone on national television in such short time? It is so impersonal and unprofessional and in my opinion dumb. Regardless whether or not a multiracial dating show was on television I would not watch it. As necessary as I think it is to have one, I still don’t think the type of show would change for me. The whole demographic of the show needs to change in order for the world to get a grip on what these dating shows actually do. Thu, 4 Mar 2010 03:56:57 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/are-whites-the-only-people-willing-to-humiliate-themselves__trashed/#IDComment59678997