The videos of the American soldiers and how they interacted with the Iraqi civilians was very shocking to me. Even though there are obviously some unjust reasons and motives for which the United State decided to invade Iraq, I never put any of the blame for the actions that took place on the soldiers but more on the government and leaders that were making orders. I always looked at it as the soldiers were over there risking their lives just doing what they were told to do. I was not expecting to see such outright disdain for the Iraqi people, for the civilians that are just trying to live their life through the daily struggles of war. However, what we have personally learned from the recent events at Penn State is that the media and a short video clip are probably not really telling the whole story. It is extremely difficult to get a full view of what happened from a 30 second clip obviously geared toward evoking sympathy for the Iraqi people. With that said, I cannot deny that from the footage shown the soldiers did not appropriately handle the situation with the men stealing wood. There was no reason to react in such an extreme way.
I feel like in order to do the job that they have been given they allow their minds to be manipulated in a way that makes them forget that the common Iraqi people and just as innocent and just as human as the American citizens that they are fighting to protect. Because they are in a mindset for war it seemed as if they viewed them as some sort of enemy. As if they were unworthy of respect or the crime they committed was much more extreme than it actually was. If they allow themselves to see the Iraqi people as innocent civilians stuck in a conflict in their own homeland that they never chose or never wanted, then they may question their purpose there as soldiers. I feel like it may be easier to disconnect themselves so they do not lose their own way and their own focus. It is unfortunate to see them react that way because I always want to be able to defend the actions and the character of the people who are risking their own lives for our benefit. However, that clip definitely helped me to realize what it must be like for the Iraqi people struggling through this unnecessary war. There was no reason to cause even more destruction and more hardship to those people. Yes, they were wrong for stealing the wood, but smashing their car was an extreme punishment. What point did that prove? It only gave the Iraqi people that saw that video one more reason to be angry with the Americans.

It is amazing how it always takes people getting caught and reprimanded for them to really think about and reconsider their actions. It is always in the aftermath when we must deal with the repercussions of our choices that we realize how wrong they may have been. Now that all of the people involved in this child abuse scandal are being shamed, now have ruined reputations, and have had their entire lives turned upside down, they are realizing that maybe their actions were not appropriate. Maybe they could have done more to help the children involved, maybe they should not have allowed the horror of what they saw keep them from really speaking out, maybe they should have never acted on the fantasies and desires that clouded their judgment.
It is from these “maybe’s” and from the unfortunate example set by the men involved in this scandal that we can learn a valuable lesson. As Penn State students we are experiencing first hand how other’s actions can affect the lives of thousands. Whether we like it or not we are now associated with these terrible acts and must continue to fight to defend the greatness of our university and our community as a whole. I understand now more than ever how much we are all connected and how much our actions never affect just us, but can leave a mark on so many other people. From this whole mess, I am beginning to realize that sometimes stepping in, even when we do not really think it is our place, can be crucial. We have to be willing to speak out for those whose voices are not loud enough to be heard or the actions of others can come back to reflect on us simply for our inaction.
One of the most difficult aspects of this scandal is that the consequences that have been given to the people involved are all based on what outsiders think is morally acceptable. It is extremely difficult to make those judgments on the actions of others. Do we really know what we would have done if we had been in the position of one of the witnesses or someone who heard an alleged accusation? It is so easy to make snap judgments about other’s actions exclaiming that they could have done more and not understanding how they could let these things slide, but as much as we need to defend the victims I think it is important to be understanding of all parties involved. Making snap judgments and decisions based upon those judgments only adds to the chaos and heat around the issue. There are so many lessons to learn from this situation but the main thing that I am trying to take away is to always act to the best of my ability and a genuine sense of understanding and compassion is a truly powerful tool.

It is amazing to me how the terrible actions of one man have now placed embarrassment and shame upon a university of over ninety thousand students. As Penn State we uphold ourselves with a certain sense of pride as a community and a culture. Over many years we have created a reputation as a student body with a unique and thriving spirit and have developed our own sense of culture that most people who are not immersed in it, who do not feel the energy that surrounds our Happy Valley, just cannot understand. Over sixty years Joe Paterno has made himself a huge and extremely dynamic aspect of Penn State culture. Meeting him is a critical task on the Penn State bucket list, we eat his subs at Joegies, I study all of the time on the fourth floor of the library that he built, and he and his wife were generous enough to donate funding so that our Catholic community on campus can finally have a home of its own. Outsiders see what they want to see. They see what the skewed perception of the media allows them to see. Many people right now are looking at us as those stupid crazy Penn State students defending terrible people who kept child molestation and rape under wraps, but what they do not understand is that a huge piece of our culture is being forced to change and our identity is completely shaken. We are now forced to grow and to change, to redefine who we are as Penn State and to build back up the great institution that we will forever stand behind. While the faces and figureheads of our university may be transforming, what we stand for and value as a culture and as a student body does not change. We stand for the kids that depend upon us to help them fight their battle with cancer. We stand for uniting as ninety six thousand students under the colors of blue and white. We stand for knowing that wherever you go in the world you will find another Penn Stater that truly understands the bond and spirit that lies deep within each person whose identity is defined while they spend time at this great institution.
Yes, right now we are struggling. We struggle and fight against all of the ignorant people who allow this tragedy involving only a select few to affect the way in which an entire organization is represented. We struggle to prove that we are much more intelligent and educated than the violent actions that took place on College and Beaver Avenues Wednesday night, and we struggle to hold on to the real values that define our identity and that sense of spirit that fills every student here when they say WE ARE… PENN STATE!

It is very surprising that Arizona would consider passing a law allowing clubs and organizations to exclude specific people and still receive state funding from their university. Although I see Senator Smith’s point about how the nature of a club or organization can already be set to a very specific group of people, the idea of having a full right to exclude and discriminate only allows people to be more narrow-minded and focused upon their own group and sense of selectivity. They mention a Catholic organization accepting gay or Jewish members. While yes the chances that many people from those groups will want to join are slim, I think the other members of the organization could benefit from the different perspectives and opinion of people that are not exactly like them or share the same commonalities. If we allow ourselves to discriminate and stay with the same, then how do we ever really learn and grow?
I actually am amazed that the Arizona senators even spent time considering this idea. I feel like that is taking so many steps backwards. Just because people feel comfort in that sense of sameness and unity in socializing and working with people that share their beliefs and way of life does not mean that we all should not be pushed outside of our comfort zones. If the law makes it ok to exclude and keep things the same then people will take that to the extreme, especially since there is discrimination now when it is technically not allowed. What does it hurt to be open to people of different beliefs, opinions, or races? Obviously if they desire to join the organization then they share some kind of likeness or similarity with the people involved or at least a genuine curiosity for what the club or organization stands for.
Every day we need to be stepping more towards open-mindedness. The Catholic group should want to include the gays, the Jews, the Muslims, or whoever because it gives them a chance to educate people about their faith, beliefs, and opinions as well as to learn that maybe they have more in common with these other religious groups than they originally thought. Passing this law in Arizona is only promoting sameness and allowing people to continue to be close minded. It’s basically saying stick to your own kind or just go where society says you belong. This is taking steps backwards, and we really need to be pushing each other to take leaps forward. We will all be more caring, understanding, and better people if we are knowledgeable and accepting of others that are not necessarily exactly like us or the group we identify with. In fact, I think that is the way that we actually learn a lot about ourselves as well.

Thinking about what life would be like if black supremacy ruled is really an interesting thought and a humbling one for a white person like me. We get so accustomed to being the majority that we never really think about what it would be like to be on the other side. We almost never have to feel that feeling of being outnumbered or the sensation when everyone realizes that you are the only one of your race in the room, the one that stands out even if just on a subconscious level.
The reverse is quite fascinating. Instead of white being considered the social norm for beauty, we would all be trying to get darker. Tanning would be even more of a craze than it already is! Instead of black women getting weaves or going through treatments to make their hair straight and softer, white women would be perming and crimping theirs to match the natural kinks of the majority race. Whites would stand out as the pale ones with the thin lips and noses and the blond hair that stands out in a crowd. In the drug store there would only be a small section of the hair and skin products that now fill almost all of the shelves in the store for a white person’s hair and makeup while products conducive to the new majority would take their place. Black men would hold the positions of power and control in the work world and the political one, and white men could be the ones getting passed over for jobs just because of the color of their skin. What a different world it would be!
I almost wish we could switch the roles around for a day. I think it would do all white people good to stand in the minority’s shoes and really experience what it is like to be on the other side. It’s amazing to me that I have never really experienced this feeling that other people deal with every single day, and I may never have to. Thinking about this role reversal is truly humbling. I want to be able to experience what the minorities go through even just to appreciate the advantages that we have as the white majority. As it is now, the world revolves around our needs because we are the majority and the white man still holds the majority of the power. Things are set up to make our lives easier, and we do not really understand even the little struggles that people of minorities deal with every day. Most of the time we do not even recognize that these advantage exist for us or that they negatively affect other people of different races.

With all of the stress and business of daily life it is easy to lose sight of being happy, but this article put an interesting spin on our concept of happiness and definitely helped me to rethink how I see my personal happiness level. There are many days when my overall feeling is more apathy than happiness, just going through the daily routine. When I ask myself why that is, the reasoning brought up in the article really makes sense. Happiness is definitely a fleeting feeling. I can recall many moments in my life that made me happy, but they are very specific events. Just like sadness or any other emotion there is usually something specific that evokes this. During our daily routine I am not usually focused on my emotions unless some event occurs to bring that emotion to the surface. Being content and appreciative of my life and life path is very different than that real feeling of happiness that overwhelms you, when you have that smile that you just cannot wipe off your face.
But maybe that is part of the problem. My vision, and I am sure it is the same for many others, of happiness and what it should be has been significantly molded by my surroundings and culture. We often have such high expectations of this unearthly, blissful, and rare feeling, a feeling that is quite difficult to actually achieve or prolong for more than a few moments. I think more importantly than focusing on being happy, we should focus on just being content with who we are and how our lives our going. Appreciate the great things about life and the opportunities that we have been given, and cherish those fleeting happy moments that we have had in the past and that will continue to occur in the future. Because when something happens in our lives that evokes that genuine feeling of real smile-to-your-ears happiness, we can understand it for what it is, an amazing yet brief rush of emotion that awakens us from within and helps us keep pushing forward. If happiness was a goal we could reach or an emotion we could feel all of the time, then it would not be so special or so worth feeling. Happiness would just be the norm, it would not stand out as that unbelievable feeling that it is, it just would not be happiness as we know it.
I think what most of us really need to find to uplift our mood in our daily lives is that sense of security and appreciation for who we are and what our lives contain. If we can grasp that sense of positivity and comfort in our surroundings, in other people, and most importantly within ourselves, then happiness will come.

In contrast, the idea that women are seen as more innocent than men is derived from a similar place but is viewed by our society in a very different light. The idea of associating innocence with women also comes from the idea of power. Men have always held the positions of power and control, and women have for centuries been viewed to rely on men and to be submissive to that sense of power. It is intriguing that not having the power works in the favor of women as they are seen as not possessing the capability to commit many crimes yet being the more powerless entity works against the minorities as they face a judicial system rooted in white power and supremacy.

Whites are also seen as more innocent because white people have always been for the most part running our nation’s judicial system. As race has many times in the past played a role in an unfair conviction, it is often not the white man paying the consequences for a crime. Our society as a whole continually sees this trend and it becomes ingrained in us. We automatically begin to associate poverty and crime with minority races. I don’t think it helps the matter that it has become a theme among minority race rappers and musicians to embrace the crime and gang culture in their work, only adding to the overall persona that has been created over decades.

Why are women seen as more innocent than men? Why are some races seen as more innocent that others?
I think the answer to these questions comes back to the idea that it has been so ingrained in our society to associate white with good and other races, mainly black, with evil. Now no one makes this judgment outright, but it is done subconsciously by people of both races without even realizing it. This happens partially because whites, as the majority, have held the positions of wealth and power for so long that it has become the social norm to expect white people to be naturally good people, not criminals.
I am still amazed by the video Sam showed in class comparing the black and white teens stealing the bike. Even the black women that passed the white boy assumed he was someone working for the park and did not think twice about him stealing. They themselves admitted if he had been black that they would have approached the situation differently. This stereotype is ingrained in all of us and we allow it to affect our way of thinking without even realizing it.

After looking at a few different entrepreneurs and learning more about the HPCD program I am really excited to start this project. Watching the videos of the entrepreneurs and their work really puts so much more of a personal touch on the people and their situation. I feel like sometimes we only see the most terrible and the Haitians just seem helpless and suffering. It is so nice to see people that are really working hard and have the desire and capability to improve and expand. These are intelligent talented individuals making the country a better place. It would be much more fulfilling to see our money and efforts go toward their projects than some relief fund that we never really know where it goes.
I watched Figaro explain her story of supporting a whole family off a bakery business where she must make everything by hand. Her work ethic amazed me. To be able to mass produce and run a business with such meager resources is phenomenal. It only makes me think of the possibilities of what she could do if she did have the proper resources and equipment. She has dreams of owning a car to transport her products, and it was sad to hear Sam and Christina say that having a car is a big and far off dream for her. We take such things for granted. Imagine what owning a car could do for her business and her family. It’s astonishing to think an item we use every day could be so out of reach for someone else. I hope that through our project we can help her and other business owners like her in some way.
Cloren was another amazing entrepreneur. She manages a team of eight people and, from the video, produces some really high quality clothing products with extremely limited resources. The bags she makes from old jeans were also practical, resourceful, innovative, and fashionable. She obviously has so much to offer, if only she had the resources to pair with her potential! It was almost disheartening to see her putting fake tags of other companies into her clothing because she cannot afford to have her own. She is trying in every way that she can to be competitive and legitimate but can’t quite seem to get there with the limited money and sources that she has. I hope we can come up with some awesome ideas to send these entrepreneurs sky rocketing allowing their businesses to grow so they can employ others only moving the process and Haiti in a positive direction.