en-us https://www.intensedebate.com/users/759782 Comments by atal216 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/south-park-off-the-hook__trashed/#IDComment71237519 I have been watching South Park since it began. The whole point of the show is to poke fun at issues and controversies in our uptight culture. People need to relax on taking everything so literal. It is a cartoon mind you. The character of Chef played by Isaac Hayes was a scientology follower. The episode that they made fun of scientology on made him quit. Mind you he had fun for ten years poking fun at every other religion and person in the world, but when it came close to his beliefs he could not handle it. This is the same as that muslim kid who threatened the creators lives. It is all fun and games until you push the wrong buttons. People need to relax over what is said in a cartoon and realize that they need to lighten up. Yes they sometimes go very far to make a joke but people get over it, it is not real. Thu, 29 Apr 2010 05:13:41 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/south-park-off-the-hook__trashed/#IDComment71237519 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/what-about-people-who-can-only-afford-hard-work__trashed/#IDComment71237054 The fact of the matter is that, yes, not everyone that comes over here can afford to legally come here. Obviously the amount of illegal immigrants is alarming and something needs to be done. I however think a different approach needs to be taken in effect of this. We will not find everyone who illegally jumped the border and came into this country. Obviously hard work sometimes is not enough to earn your way in here. People are less fortunate than us, it is a fact. We can not help every person out to come over and live here. It is sad, and in no way am I saying that it is their fault. We just can not allow anyone who thinks they can strike it rich here to walk over and be invited. Becoming a citizen is a right that should be held to those who qualify. Thu, 29 Apr 2010 05:07:55 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/what-about-people-who-can-only-afford-hard-work__trashed/#IDComment71237054 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/stories-for-uplift__trashed/#IDComment71236155 First and foremost let me say that this kid is one of the cutest kids ever. His reaction and facial expressions are priceless. Now down to business. This just shows what kind of world we live in. We grow up not knowing what is seen as "wrong" and "right" in our cultures. Of course a Chinese man and Malaysian woman can not be together, that is blasphemy. I ask, "why not?" is it so wrong that two people have feelings for each other but can not express them? People let other people shape their views in this world so much that we almost forget who we are. Blacks should only marry blacks, whites should only marry whites. Who says that this is the right way? Children truly are color blind. The fact is that children have it right when all of us in this world have it wrong. As we grow we learn from people around us that these practices are not to be done. There is no reason behind why this can not be done, it is just the way it is. People grow and become blind. We blind ourselves to such issues as this. I just do not understand, it is so frustrating to think about the way this world works. We honestly should all have the minds of children, children see no differences, they see no boundaries. It all comes back to the adults who shape their children's views. Do not even think of bringing a person of a different culture home. A chinese boy and a Malaysian girl. How different are these people? From the looks of it I would have to say they are not so different. Why marry inside of your own culture, is this the only way our world works? It just makes me sick inside thinking about this. People need to step back and realize that despite our cultural differences we are all human beings and are all in someway one body. We were put here for a reason and not many people are working towards any common goal. Instead we choose to stick within ourselves and live our own ignorant and blissful lives. We need to step outside of the box. We need to realize that no one group is superior to another, no group is elite. In the end it will not matter who you hate and who you are friendly with. Like Sam says, we are all going to die, and what matters then? Will it matter who you dated? Will it matter what family you married in to? No, the only thing that will matter is if you led a good life that helped others. Not that you passed down a lifetime of hate onto your young ones and taught them what they can not do. Instead teach them what they can do, and how to open their hearts and minds to a better world. Thu, 29 Apr 2010 04:57:55 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/stories-for-uplift__trashed/#IDComment71236155 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/how-am-i-not-a-racist__trashed/#IDComment69443228 I think that he is definitely right in thinking that he could be racist. However, that is definitely not racist. The reason we think that we can have a greater impact is because in fact we can. It may sound mean but we are far better off than almost anyone else in this world. As Sam says multiple times in class, the poorest 10 percent of people in America are better off than two thirds of the rest of the world. That really hit home for me when he said it. We as people need to realize that as Americans, on top of the mountain, we need to stop looking down upon the hopeless and start making moves to help those less fortunate. There will be a time in your life when you think of what your purpose of being on this Earth is. Did you spend your time just doing meaningless tasks or did you actually make a difference. People need to start thinking. Wed, 21 Apr 2010 21:33:31 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/how-am-i-not-a-racist__trashed/#IDComment69443228 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/300000-whats-it-mean-to-us__trashed/#IDComment69436423 I agree with this woman. It is so true that we as Americans go on with our lives as if nothing has happened. The fact is that three hundred thousand people have been killed not too far from us. No matter the distance it is our part as humans to help our fellow brothers and sisters who are in need. Obviously most people are going to go on living their lives and that is understandable. To say a person should drop everything that they have and go take a plane to Haiti is not realistic. A business man in New York City is not going to leave his company while it risks his money and his family's well being. We as people still need to make a living and provide for our families. There are people who devote their lives to causes like this and it doesn't seem as though more people are going to drop everything and leave to help. As sad as it sounds. Wed, 21 Apr 2010 21:11:59 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/300000-whats-it-mean-to-us__trashed/#IDComment69436423 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/letter-from-an-inmate__trashed/#IDComment69432647 This is honestly a very touching piece of writing and I thank whoever this man is for writing it. It is true that we as people tend to think that everyone in jail is an awful person and deserves to rot in there for eternity. As he says, in some cases this is most certainly true. However, take in to account that there is an alarming number of people who are on death row for crimes that they never even committed. Take into account that while most of these men are convicted murderers they still have souls and feelings even after making a huge mistake. Everyone makes mistakes, it is simply a part of life. These people made larger mistakes than others. I would be very interested to go to a prison and meet with lifers. I feel it would give me a great new view on what these people are all about. From my own experiences of my friends father being in prison and visiting him I have seen the people inside. I feel like people think that you will go inside these places and see these hardened criminals that look like the stereotypical criminal. That was not the case at all. You see these people living their lives inside the walls and they look like anyone you see on the streets. People forget that these people were normal people like you and I who were just caught up in something and made a mistake. People mess up, it is a part of life. To say that these people are not human is just inconsiderate. There is a reason they are in there but they need to be treated as humans. I am completely understanding that some of these people definitely deserve to be in that place. Some people do things that are in no way forgivable or justified. Reading this letter has made me feel a different way about these people. It is so interesting the way that a person changes while in prison. Like Sam said it takes people sometimes ten years or longer to actually accept their fate in prison. Sometimes people never do. You can sit around in your cell thinking how bad your life is or you can get over it and realize that this is your fate and you will be here for life. The people who finally accept it end up being better people because of it. The least you can do is try to help others and steer them away from the mistakes that you have made. People like convicted serial killers try to say things along the lines of finding God while in prison and other things in hopes of parole. In this case I have no remorse for these people and they deserve every moment they spend behind bars. This letter was a great read and opened my eyes. Wed, 21 Apr 2010 21:00:12 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/letter-from-an-inmate__trashed/#IDComment69432647 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/the-tyranny-of-radical-muslims__trashed/#IDComment68416722 I completely agree with this woman. It is awful that people in the world think that all Muslims are about Jihad and killing innocent people and taking down America. It simply is not true. Living in America as a Muslim is certainly not an easy thing to do nowadays. People see a turban or a burka and immediately think the worst things that anyone can possibly think. We need to realize as people that Osama Bin Laden does not represent the entire Muslim faith. In fact he represents the smallest portion of radical ass holes that are so deeply confused and disturbed that they try to use their own faith as an excuse. There is no excuse for what they are doing. Fri, 16 Apr 2010 19:34:48 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/the-tyranny-of-radical-muslims__trashed/#IDComment68416722 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/creating-terrorists__trashed/#IDComment68416179 This is truly sad to see. The way that people live in other cultures is different but actually not so different than us. Just because people do not run into a crowd with a bomb strapped to them does not mean that we do not have the same things going on over here in America. The loss of a loved one can make you do many crazy things. People commit suicide when their loved one dies, it is the same thing except it saves lives of innocent people instead. A person who robs a bank goes in to the bank not knowing what will happen or if he or she will have to use their gun or excessive force. The point is that this is not so different from what we do as people, however, it is sad to see. Fri, 16 Apr 2010 19:30:22 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/creating-terrorists__trashed/#IDComment68416179 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/this-is-totally-off-the-hook__trashed/#IDComment68415123 This is out of control. The fact that these people make games solely for the purpose of rape is almost kind of sad. I know that the Japanese market makes a lot of money off of pornographic material called Hentai in which they have cartoon characters having sex. While this makes a ton of money for the country, it is also promoting these sexual fantasies to go further and further. These sick people play a game and follow a girl around on a subway and take her clothes off and grope her. I, as an American, do not understand what these people are getting out of this. Apparently this fantasy is huge over in Asia. I play video games for fun and excitement, not to rape people and cause harm. But who is to say that the people who play these games do not get fun and excitement out of them? This is what people like over there so why should they need to stop? As long as no actual rape is going on and they can get their excitement on a computer screen and not in the streets then I am fine with it. Games in America such as Grand Theft Auto and Call of Duty depict gruesome killings in real life settings and also contain graphic images and vulgar language. The fact that people are not running around the cities with guns and blowing cars up and murdering people is safe enough for me to say that we are okay. Yes some video games can seem to go overboard with their gameplay but that is why it is a video game. It is supposed to be a game that allows you to do things you can not ordinarily do in real life. We cant lose sight of what a video game is here. It is only the 1% of people who play these games that may take it for real. Those people are sad cases because they can not distinguish reality from a video game. This does not mean that games should be taken off the shelf. I am by no means agreeing with the games that the sole purpose is to rape girls in. I think that those people in Japan need to rethink what they are selling, but it is not hurting anyone unless they can show that this is causing people to do it in real time. This is no different than the pornographic material that they sell, only in this version you control what happens. These people like to get off to this stuff, no one can say it is wrong. As gruesome and sad as it is, it is still only a video game and people need to realize that. Fri, 16 Apr 2010 19:22:16 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/this-is-totally-off-the-hook__trashed/#IDComment68415123 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/nothing-about-the-census-is-easy__trashed/#IDComment65350422 I agree with how the census is run. Like Sam said above, older people used different terms for their race back in the day. Black people did not call themselves black. Words and descriptions change over time just like everything else does. The reason the census makers made it this way was to avoid confusion. People who are getting offended by descriptions need to pull their heads out of their asses and start thinking logically. The only reason that they are typed that way is to avoid a mass cluster-**** within the census. We do not need the numbers to misconstrue the situation within our country. Thu, 1 Apr 2010 23:18:10 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/nothing-about-the-census-is-easy__trashed/#IDComment65350422 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/those-damn-dolls__trashed/#IDComment65347048 This video was arguably the most interesting one that I have seen in this class. It is crazy to think that children have been exposed to so much that they do not even realize what doll they are picking. To see all of the black and brown children picking the white doll was shocking and made me feel some kind of way inside. Is our society that messed up that children do not even want to play with their own color doll because they do not see it as beautiful? We are all about teaching our children to love themselves and accept their differences but obviously the world we live in is one big paradox. We say one thing and do another. When will it end? No one will ever know. Thu, 1 Apr 2010 23:06:47 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/those-damn-dolls__trashed/#IDComment65347048 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/the-white-minorities__trashed/#IDComment65344716 It may be interesting to see what this world will be like when the white race is eventually dethroned as the majority. People who have been born when us college students were born will experience the feeling of being the majority and the minority in our lifetimes. We will taste how it is to be on top and how it is to feel like many African Americans and other races feel as being the minority. The fact that the white majority is going to lose their superiority may be alarming to most whites. When you are on top you never want to come down. The people who feel this way have to realize that this is not the United States of sixty years ago. White people are not the only people on this planet that matter. We need to share our time on top with people of other ethnic backgrounds. This situation can produce either of two outcomes, we can band together and make a race a non-issue in our country, or we can fall further apart and let the fact that minorities are becoming the majority internally ruin us. There is no reason for people to be afraid of this change, the people who are afraid are the people who are simply ignorant. As a white male I do not see any reason why we can not share our resources and live as humans on this earth. People need to start looking past the differences on the outside and accept the fact that on the inside we are all the same people, we are beings of this Earth. The sooner people can realize this the better off we are. If we continue thinking that the minority is the problem then we surely will have a huge problem in a few years. At the rate that Asia is growing and the rate that certain cultures such as Hispanics and African Americans are growing how could we even think that we would not become the minority sooner or later. People can not stay on top forever. It is time for us as people to make a change and start living life like responsible and open minded human beings. Eventually we will all be like most cities today, very diverse and multicultural. The suburbs will be mixed to a greater extent and hopefully one day there will be equality in all aspects of society. That is a very optimistic statement of course. Our past and present really point to a future were race will still be an issue. Whites may struggle to let go of the power that they once held. Race wars could start up again and we could end up in the same situation that we were in sixty years ago. Who knows, it could be a cycle. The majority goes to minority and follows the same pattern. It will be interesting to live through this. Thu, 1 Apr 2010 22:59:01 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/the-white-minorities__trashed/#IDComment65344716 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/native-hawaiians-ever-think-of-them__trashed/#IDComment63798454 The Native Hawaiians have a lot in common with the Native Americans. In fact the same people ruined their lives... us. No it was not directly our actions that lead to this but our ancestors and relatives have all played a part in stripping the Hawaiians of their land, dignity, and pride. It is funny because the Hawaiian natives really have had almost the exact same experience that the American Indians went through yet it is never really mentioned. They have in a way taken a back seat to the American Indians. Is it because the American Indians actually live on the mainland of the United States? Or is it because they were attacked and stripped of their dignity before the Native Hawaiians and in larger numbers? I feel that the American Indian's situation has been much more highly publicized in the media and in history. Growing up I do not believe that I read or did any activity involving the history of Hawaii and its natives. However, I have learned a fair amount about the Native Americans and their origins growing up. Including doing multiple projects and reading various books about them. To think that their situations are nearly identical it is almost ironic that it is never brought up. The Hawaiian's story is almost like a younger brother who can not out-do his older brother's (Native American's) feats. I do not mean to call these situations, "feats", rather they should be called tragedies. It seems that Americans live their lives and keep the Hawaiian displacement out of their minds. It is almost an unspoken mistake that never is mentioned, but everyone knows is true. Pretending to forget about something never works out. This situation will haunt America until it is righted. Giving the Hawaiians their land back in a way and giving them government control can work wonders. Either way we will be spending money and at this point in our economy I am sure that millions of dollars do not even matter. We need to make this right, lets act now and try to alleviate this problem that has haunted us for over one-hundred years. Spending the money now can mean less poverty, more land, and finally equity for these people who have done nothing wrong to anyone but have received the harshest punishment. People who love the land they live on should not be forced to sleep on their beaches because they have no shelter. Living under a plastic tarp on the beach may sound like fun to visitors, but I am sure that these people do not have much fun in their lives. Drug and alcohol abuse, poverty, and crime are sure reasons that we should want to end this situation. The bill has passed the House vote, so it is on it's way. With a president from Hawaii I am sure that we can step up and pass this thing. Wed, 24 Mar 2010 04:52:37 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/native-hawaiians-ever-think-of-them__trashed/#IDComment63798454 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/prom-or-no-prom-just-dont-let-the-queer-students-dance-together__trashed/#IDComment62862896 This is just proof of how ignorant we still are as a culture. The fact that a school is going to cancel one of the biggest moments in some people's childhood because of a gay couple wanting to attend is simply disgusting. The south has a stereotype of not being very tolerant but this is really over the edge. Also, citing the excuse that it will be a distraction to the educational process is a crock of shit. What education is going on at the prom? I am sure that high school kids these days are not learning before, during, or after the prom, unless you count drinking and hanging out with friends an educational process. It is 2010 and we still are dealing with this. It is really funny, you think that we as people could progress after all this time when really we are in the same spot we were 10 years ago. Sure some states have outlawed rules against gay marriage but it is happening at a painfully slow rate. People need to put their beliefs aside for a second and realize that homosexuality is not something that these people choose. 4% of all people are gay. Why would anyone ever choose to be part of a group that is hated by most everyone in the world. Why would someone choose to be shunned away from society and admitting what they are? I know for a fact that no one would want to join that group. I am by no means degrading these people but it is so true that we are blind to the fact of homosexuality. It is a process that is decided not by the person, but by some other force. Like Sam says it's what you feel down there, there aint nothing you can do about it. Fri, 19 Mar 2010 00:35:20 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/prom-or-no-prom-just-dont-let-the-queer-students-dance-together__trashed/#IDComment62862896 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/whats-with-the-theme-parties__trashed/#IDComment59810093 Let me start off by saying that I have been a part of probably 20+ themed parties in my life and not a single one contained any racist themes against blacks or any other group for that matter. I don't know where she gets the idea that this is true. In fact, most themes in general make fun of everyday life and people in it. Such as a , "Golf Pros and Tennis Hoes", themed party. It is a simple yet funny concept that doesn't leave any race, creed, or color offended. The term hoe is the only thing that may seem offensive even though it is used in a joking manner. I feel that many people, and im not just talking to other races besides white, just say things to say them, without ever really having any information to base their opinions on. I am curious to know what party theme this woman has seen that she thinks is against black people. I am sure that the theme was all for fun and was not meant to be a racist gathering of white people making fun of blacks. Sometimes people have to step back and make fun of themselves sometimes, people take this life far too seriously. Do not try to bring racism into the mix with themed parties, because if anything the themes at their worst can be about stereotypes, not intending to start race wars. People want to party and drink, not start problems with another group for no reason. Everyone is so quick to call something racist, sometimes you should step back an assess a situation before you blindly state something like this. In the words of Matisyahu, "All my life i've been waiting for, i've been praying for, for the people to say, that we don't need to fight no more, they'll be no more war, and our children will play, ONE DAY." Lets hope that this one day comes sooner rather than later because this world is a sad place. Fri, 5 Mar 2010 00:02:10 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/whats-with-the-theme-parties__trashed/#IDComment59810093 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/lgbt-class-question-one__trashed/#IDComment57392549 This can be an extremely touchy subject, and let me touch it if I may. In my point of view i believe that gays should be allowed to adopt children of their own. In all honesty obviously the child will have a semi unconventional upbringing but the basic essentials, love, nurturing, and morals, will surely be passed down from parent to child. If a gay couple is truly ready to take on the aspect of having children then who is to say that they are not fit to be a caregiver. I am sure that mature gay couples are completely and utterly more fit to take care of children than a 16 year old is that you see on the MTV show 16 and pregnant. They have to put a lot of time and thought into thinking whether or not this is the right decision and im sure that they do not make these decisions on a whim. Since there is not chance of them conceiving a child, the fact that they would want one so bad shows that they truly do care and are ready. Obviously the child would have to deal with some ridicule and teasing but in our somewhat progressive society, the child will not have to go through nearly as bad treatment as say in the 50's. More people are accepting the fact that gays are people too, as am I. The idea that a man and a man or a woman and a woman can join together in matrimony is a hard concept for most to wrap their minds around. I however had struggled with accepting this fact until recently, realizing that their love is not something that they simply choose. It is no doubt in my mind that you are born with homosexual feelings. Many people find it out when they are young and some do not find it out until they are married and have kids, or at least accept it until then. There is no logical reason why someone would choose to be a part of a group that is looked down upon in society. Their intentions are clearly driven by their feelings, hence they want to get married and have their own children, just like human instinct tells us to do. Gays are no different than us in reality, the fact that they want to have children should be no different either. Thu, 18 Feb 2010 04:43:31 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/lgbt-class-question-one__trashed/#IDComment57392549 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/why-is-the-conversation-always-about-black-and-white-people__trashed/#IDComment56546495 I agree 110% with Laurie. The only reason that the discussion is always about black and white is because it has been the most highly publicized. How about Europeans and Native Americans. They were the original people that took their land from them, and killed many of them. Yet this is not near as amplified as the black people being discriminated against in America. Even the genocides in Africa and other parts of the world are not near as big as the black white controversy. And in them they are actually just wiping an entire group of people off the planet. That is much more severe than what happened here in America. Yes black people had to be escorted to school by the military, which is insane and disgusting, but they were not just walking through the streets murdering black people aimlessly. A genocide is so much more, it is a true plague of our society. But still the black white controversy make headlines before this. Maybe it is because all the people living right now, that are in politics, went through this controversy first hand. They saw and heard the race wars right in front of them. In the end what really is the make up of the brain that makes people think that a group is inferior due to the color of their skin? It is like a disease of millions of people, they think that because someone looks different they are inferior, the human being is naturally afraid of change. Anything seen as different is not processed by the brian as being okay. It is truly and honestly sickening. And from a white guy of these days this is how I see it. It makes me sick to see how low some people are. I can't imagine being restricted so much for looking a way. Having to use a separate water fountain? Are you serious? It actually makes me laugh thinking how stupid and corrupt society was and still is, like we actually thought as a whole that this was the right thing to do, it shows that we as a society are a confused and naive crowd. People couldn't walk into school without an escort because their lives were in danger. People hated them so much that they wanted to do anything to make them feel low, racist people must be missing some chromosome. To identify foreign people as less than you is a sickness. This sickness infects many people even today. But overall the black white controversy will forever be around, it is a cultural shift that is handed down from generation, people learn to hate a group from other people first. You aren't born hating someone, you are taught. Maybe it needs to stop right now, if it is never passed down, then it will never happen. Fri, 12 Feb 2010 21:17:13 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/why-is-the-conversation-always-about-black-and-white-people__trashed/#IDComment56546495 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/avatar-and-the-white-mans-burden__trashed/#IDComment55400308 I am not, nor have ever been a fan of movies like this. When I saw the previews for Avatar, in my mind I thought this is another nerdy Star Wars of Star Trek film. Oh how I was wrong. This movie has some deep concepts imbedded in the roots of the story. Seeing this movie made me think back to the history of man. How only the strongest survive. The fact that people think that they can move in and take people's land for betterment of themselves (i.e. Whites and Native Americans) is absurd. While seeing the white people move in to take over the native Avatar's land provoked a feeling in me that I may have never felt had I not seen this movie. Obviously this did not really happen but who is to say that this has not happened in history? Should you say that you are ignorant to the history of our country. I'm sure that the looks on the Avatar's faces when the whites came to take over were no different than the looks on the Native's faces when unknown white Europeans came and swept their land out from under their feet. What gives people a complex that they think they can just take what they want? The color of your skin or the advancements a group has made makes people superior to another group? Of course these grandiose white men came to, "Save the World", at least in their minds. Save the world from what I ask? The fact that people are living in harmony with the Earth and cherishing everything that had been bestowed upon them? That is where the World went wrong, thinking that they need to expand and create all of this excess when really all we needed had been in front of our faces the entire time. I am by no means white bashing,(as I happen to be white also), but Brooks' statements definitely make sense to me. Thinking of all the movies that I have seen there is rarely a black hero or let alone the entire black race set out to save the world. The fact is, like Sam said, maybe whites feel that since they have done so much wrong in this world that the movies are a chance at redemption. Obviously movies will not necessarily end the race wars of the World, but they can be a positive influence. In my mind people did it wrong, we messed this place up (in most areas), and now we have to live with it. The Earth granted us with everything we needed to have, obviously it will eventually run out, but at the pace we are going it looks as though that will be a lot sooner than expected. The future of this planet may be a dark and scary one. Tough luck! Fri, 5 Feb 2010 00:50:16 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/avatar-and-the-white-mans-burden__trashed/#IDComment55400308 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/01/i-guess-it-pays-to-learn-a-bit-about-other-people__trashed/#IDComment54168090 In all honesty, and as a regular attendee of weekly mass, i have never seen or heard of teffillin being used. Not to say that going to mass means that I should know this but I have a basic understanding of Judaism. When I see an article like this it tells me first off that this was a mistake, and second off I am happy that this happened. Not for the man who was accused of acting as a terrorist but I am happy that the flight attendant actually reported something that looked wrong, even if she was blind to the situation in front of her. This further proves the state of panic that we as Americans are currently in. Although the behavior did look suspicious to an unknowing eye this also further proves the lack of awareness that the common human has to any outside ideas and customs. People tend to get locked into a certain point of view after they reach an age. Kind of like your grandparents who still run everything the way it was back in the 40's or 50's. The mind tends to close with age when really it should become more open. I find that as I age my mind swings a little more open every day, I am constantly searching for new information and finding more and more out about what really is going on in this world. However, most people do not share the same interests as me and choose to stay isolated from most of the world and block all foreign ideas out. What is teffillin? Why are these people wrapping themselves up in this tape? Had people (including myself) known what teffillin was this entire situation could have been avoided. Instead we chose to stay back and let things like this happen. Obviously not everyone is going to know everything there is to know but the majority needs to strive to become aware citizens on this planet. Again, I do not blame anyone in this situation, the fact of the report of suspicious activity was a good way to show that people are on the look for these bastards that we call terrorists. Americans can not just sit back and think that everything is fine and that it wont happen to themselves. Before you know it we could have another string of plane hijackings, everyone needs to be on their toes. In order to keep this so called greatest country in the world around for a couple more years we have to be aware of situations like this. This can almost be related to a school fire drill. No one got hurt and lessons were learned, even if people had to be delayed. They can reimburse the people's money on the flight but they could never reimburse these people their lives. Thu, 28 Jan 2010 06:23:12 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/01/i-guess-it-pays-to-learn-a-bit-about-other-people__trashed/#IDComment54168090 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/01/last-name-begins-with-d__trashed/#IDComment53887598 strategery. Tue, 26 Jan 2010 04:29:39 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/01/last-name-begins-with-d__trashed/#IDComment53887598