en-us https://www.intensedebate.com/users/764646 Comments by baz5009 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/how-am-i-not-a-racist__trashed/#IDComment69514262 I don’t think that there is anything wrong with thinking that you have a better chance at changing things than the people in these developing countries have because of the simple fact that you as an American have more opportunities to do so. The resources that you have the ability to use are not available for people of these other countries. I don’t think that that is racist in any way, I simply feel that that is one of the advantages of living in the United States. Why do you think so many people from other countries want to come to America? It is the land of opportunity. So there ya go. Don’t worry about being racist. Thu, 22 Apr 2010 01:16:51 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/how-am-i-not-a-racist__trashed/#IDComment69514262 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/christian-invaders-the-turnaround__trashed/#IDComment69511444 Ok, let me start by saying that the video that was made about this lecture was amazing. Whoever is responsible for putting all of that together and cutting and editing to make it as controversial as possible did a great job and really encompassed what was going on in every student’s head throughout the lecture. Great job. Now, as for what needs to be discussed in regards to this video and the lecture itself, I was amazed in the way that Sam was able to flip my perspective and really make me feel that I was in their shoes. By doing so, I was forced to examine what we as Americans are doing and how others see us. While sitting in the Muslims’ shoes, I was able to understand exactly what Sam was talking about and I guess I understood the feelings toward us that the Muslims have. Pretty crazy stuff. Out of all the different aspects of that lecture, I thought that the videos were the most mind blowing. The Jihad video that was shown was something that sent chills down my spine and made me see the carnage that is going on because of both of our feelings toward each other. Although that video was probably the most powerful of all the videos shown during the lecture, I believe that it was shown before Sam asked us to put ourselves in their shoes so it did not hit me personally as hard as the videos like Sarah Palin at church did. Those videos were the videos that really made me quiver when looking at things in the other party’s perspective. It was scary to think about the things that are going through their minds when they see Americans speaking publicly at church about how we are on a mission from god. Many people say that the Muslims are sent on a mission similar to the one that is falsely expressed in that video and I don’t personally feel that that is legitimate in any way. I don’t think that I would ever be able to kill someone unless they are physically trying to kill me or any member of my family. God could not force me to do something of that nature in any other circumstance. So seeing that video and thinking of how others perceive what is going on scares me unbelievably. Finally, to answer the question that was asked in the beginning of the question, did that lecture open my eyes and give me the ability to understand what others think of us, absolutely. In fact, I think that if you weren’t touched in any way after that lecture you didn’t pay attention or care enough about learning about what is going on. That lecture was the most powerful lecture of the entire semester and I am extremely glad I was there for it. Thu, 22 Apr 2010 01:06:56 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/christian-invaders-the-turnaround__trashed/#IDComment69511444 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/what-are-we-doing-here-really__trashed/#IDComment68116579 To be as general and generic as possible, I think that when looking at the grand scheme of things, I think that the overall goal is to just stimulate thought and hopefully some of it sticks causing people to understand slightly. This class is a perfect example of that. Sam continues to say throughout the semester that he doesn’t want to hurt feelings, he just wants to make you think. Videos like the ones we’ve been watching such as the chocolate harvesting are put in place to open people’s eyes and evaluate what we do every day. We as Americans can do pretty much what we want, it is up to you personally to decide what is right and wrong and what you want to stand for in life. Thu, 15 Apr 2010 00:50:52 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/what-are-we-doing-here-really__trashed/#IDComment68116579 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/what-about-the-men__trashed/#IDComment68115970 Well, to start my blog I want to say that there is not nearly the same amount of pressure to conform to society and culture for men as there is for woman. Thinking about what these stereotypes are, the only things I can think of is athlete, bro, or male model (e.g Brad Pitt, Ashton Kutcher). Now this does not mean that there aren’t men that try to conform, there just isn’t the same amount of pressure and therefore the ratio from men to women have women way ahead. Something like 100,000:1. And that’s a fact. I read it in a book. Haha Thu, 15 Apr 2010 00:44:39 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/what-about-the-men__trashed/#IDComment68115970 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/i-really-want-to-know-also__trashed/#IDComment66638204 I think that Sam and all his lectures have not necessarily change my opinion, but he has most definitely made me question things and analyze things being able to see both sides of the race or sex teams. Sam says it all the time, he does not want to make you take his side or get people to get mad at the ways he things, he wants to stir up questioning and thought in every topic that is brought up in lecture. To answer your question personally, I feel that I have changed the ways that I feel about nearly every topic discussed throughout the year thus far. Now this does not mean that I have completely jumped ship and took an entirely different side, but I feel that I can now understand things more and have a bit more sympathy and less anger because I get it. My ideals and morals have not changed at all, I still believe in equal rights and being polite and things like that, but hearing the examples like the one regarding people picking things up for people of different color make me examine what is actually happening and determine what I truly believe is right and wrong. I think that Sam does a great job of playing on both teams and if people are not able to do the same, then people are being selfish and unsympathetic. Thu, 8 Apr 2010 19:37:41 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/i-really-want-to-know-also__trashed/#IDComment66638204 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/is-quality-the-question__trashed/#IDComment65666278 Thinking about this question, I don’t know how exactly to respond. There are good points on both sides of the argument, but I think that I am more on the side that thinks that nepotism and affirmative action are not a solution to any problem. Lets talk about nepotism first. I think have a problem with the fact that no matter how well a person does in school, personal experiences, and extracurricular activities, that person will not have a fair chance at a company if he is competing for the same position as the nephew of the CEO. I personally feel that the more qualified individual should get the job based on that alone. Now, if someone has better grades but poor people skills and the other has a little above average grades and great interpersonal skills, then I think that the second of the two would be more qualified, assuming that the job entails having to speak with clients and any other outside parties. But for a doctor as in the example given by this student, I think that it should come down to who will save a person’s life in times of an emergency. I think that many people would agree with all of these opinions, although there are people that have been skating through life in this way and think that there I nothing wrong with it. I would just hate to see something bad happen to someone or something because the son of the boss doesn’t know what the hell he is doing when the other guy that you passed up can handle the problem with ease. Now for affirmative action. This is also a subject that needs a bit of time to examine. Many people think that it is unfair that white people get jobs over black people strictly because they are white. I can agree with this completely. However, does anyone think it is unfair to white people that a black or brown person can cut off the low man on the totem pole even if they are still more qualified than they are. How bout the fact that in many cases there are black and brown people that get into universities first because they are of a certain ethical background, like native american or something. I don’t think this is fair at all. I don’t think that there is any reason now a days for people to be segregated the way there are. I think that getting a job should be based on the resume and personal skills alone, not on the color of their skin. In a closing note, I think that nepotism is bull shit in many cases and that affirmative action can fall in the same boat. I agree with what affirmative action is trying to accomplish, but I think that there should be better ways to do it. There doesn’t seem to be a win win situation, people need to learn how to cope with what happens in life, on all sides of the race card. Sat, 3 Apr 2010 00:16:46 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/is-quality-the-question__trashed/#IDComment65666278 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/those-damn-dolls__trashed/#IDComment65453183 Ok. So here is what I have to say about this whole black people wanting to be white because they’re more beautiful thing. I understand that in society today there is a better chance to be in power if you are white than there us if you are black, but when it comes to being beautiful I think that all those theories of power need to be thrown out the window. Comparing two women of different race, one white and one black, their beauty should not come down to which of the two has the lighter skin. This is ridiculous. Who is judging the two girls? Is it a man or woman? Are they black, white, asian, African, Dominican, etc? If you, whoever you are, don’t think your beautiful because you’re a dark skinned woman, than I don’t think your beautiful either. I think that you need to be able to think highly of yourself without the reassurance of others and society. Everyone is beautiful in their own way and others find you beautiful too. Trust me. Im a hairy kid that I thought nobody would find attractive and I have been in a relationship with a girl that many others envy for 4 years now. How bout that one! Fri, 2 Apr 2010 05:18:31 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/those-damn-dolls__trashed/#IDComment65453183 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/what-about-multiracial-people__trashed/#IDComment65418199 When classifying yourself as being on the “white team” or on the “black and brown team”, I think that you have the right to associate yourself with whichever race you think is right for your personal experiences and lifestyles. When you say that you are half white and half Hispanic and followed the lifestyle of your mother who was of a Hispanic background, I would think that you were Spanish even though you look like your white. A lot of people have asked this question in class and on these blogs, but I don’t see it as being that difficult of a decision. Although my answer to this question is obviously much easier said than done for people on the “half and half team”, I think that you need to be whatever you think is right. If you are able to see both sides of the race card or have been on the receiving end of both white racial jokes and Spanish racial jokes, then you can even say that your on both teams. Simple as that. Fri, 2 Apr 2010 03:18:56 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/what-about-multiracial-people__trashed/#IDComment65418199 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/in-her-own-words__trashed/#IDComment64235808 After reading a few of the blog responses and listening to Laurie’s, I think that men are getting a little bit bashed for the way that we act and the things we say when women have their periods. Many girls say that having their period is the most excruciating pain they have ever gone through and so on and so on. This may be true, but when getting your period is fit into your schedule and planned every month I think that women should be able to handle themselves differently. That’s just my personal opinion though. Every girl is right in saying that men don’t understand what it feels like, I just think that pain is something that all people deal with and force themselves to get through in the most patient and polite manner. Why should having your period be any different? Why do all women get a free pass to be crazy for a few days? And when I say crazy, I mean crazy. Not as an insult, but as a medical phenomenon. In fact, amongst psychiatrists it is being discussed that PMS is an actual physiological disorder and that women are actually crazy. Just sayin. Fri, 26 Mar 2010 19:14:42 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/in-her-own-words__trashed/#IDComment64235808 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/whats-the-big-deal-with-periods__trashed/#IDComment63889372 I think that its great that your so enthusiastic about having your period. Like I said in my other post, I don’t know what the big deal is. You say that your proud that your bleeding because it means that your fertile and that you can one day give life to a child, much like all the mothers of students in this class did for them. Without their mothers’ periods, they would not be here now to argue that bleeding is bad. Good for you and your period and have a great week. Was that nice enough of a response to your comment? I hope so. :) Wed, 24 Mar 2010 18:56:51 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/whats-the-big-deal-with-periods__trashed/#IDComment63889372 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/if-men-could-menstruate__trashed/#IDComment63888124 I think that the two girls in class that were arguing with Sam about his wife’s menstrual cycle answered this question for all men. Men are not as educated as we should be because no woman wants to talk about their cycle. They are uncomfortable talking to someone of the opposite sex when it involves the one thing that all straight men strive for, the female vagina. I personally agree with Sam in the issue that all women do it and therefore it should not be as taboo as it is in society. I have had a girlfriend for a while now and got a kick out of Sam’s descriptions of what his wife does and how he knows when she has her period. It is almost the same thing for me, with the exception of the “Oh Fuck” comment in the morning. Now, when talking about single men, which I once was, it is hard to compare the female plumbing and the male plumbing and trying to imagine our tools bleeding. The whole thing is a concept that is completely over our heads and something that we don’t want to have to imagine, for ourselves. To give an example of how girls don’t like to talk about things that are natural, lets briefly talk about taking a dump. Is there such a woman that is open to talk about such a natural event? I don’t think so. You hear it all the time that women don’t fart and women don’t shit. Good one girls, men know that’s not true. Ive walked into a bathroom after a female and got hit in the face with a cloud of rotten crap smell before. I think it was green. To add, men are the complete opposite when it comes to the issue of pooping. Well tell anyone and everyone. However, women don’t want to hear about it then either. I don’t know what the big deal is. So in conclusion, I am going to be bold enough to say that I think that the reason men are not educated in the “Bleeding from the Private Parts” category is all because of women. I feel that men are open to listen because there aren’t that many things that men find ucky like females do. Women don’t want to talk, therefore men don’t think its important to listen to. On a final note, if both women and men got periods, there is no way that tampons would be free. Although they should be, think about all the things that are at the drug store that people need to buy. Everyone at one point or another gets a headache, why isn’t Tylenol free? It would be another reason for companies to make a ton of money off their consumers. It’s a messed up world we live in. Wed, 24 Mar 2010 18:47:08 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/if-men-could-menstruate__trashed/#IDComment63888124 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/what-to-do-about-white-guilt__trashed/#IDComment63080051 While the history books have told us for many years that the white man should feel guilty about the actions of our ancestors, I do not feel this way. Many people have forgotten about our true ancestors in various parts of Europe who were indeed ‘white slaves’. The history of the white man is very extensive, although we have made our mistakes in the past, we have atoned for them thoroughly. As a native of Eastern European descent, my ancestors have never made any mention to be “oppressed” by anyone for the simple fact that we have moved on. In 2010 America, it is hard to say that we are an overly oppressive nation, with Barack Obama in the White House and many African Americans in influential positions in our country. The history books need no revision, while there may be “white guilt” by few, the majority of Americans are more worried about the bigger issues in our country then to worry about the things that have happened hundreds of years ago. Sat, 20 Mar 2010 01:14:54 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/what-to-do-about-white-guilt__trashed/#IDComment63080051 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/what-happens-to-multiracial-people__trashed/#IDComment63075375 As Sam said early in the semester, a pen can be called a fuck and so on. When referring to colored people and white people, I think that its just a term that was created to differentiate between people that were white and people that weren’t white. It’s as simple and innocent as that. Although white may be considered a color to some people, the saying “people of color” was made to refer to people that are not white. People do use the terms black people and brown people, but to be a little more specific, both black and brown people are more on the tan side than people out of Poland and Russia. Thus, we have white people and colored people. Now, there could be better terms used, but there could also be worse. Sat, 20 Mar 2010 00:32:25 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/what-happens-to-multiracial-people__trashed/#IDComment63075375 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/does-this-rudeness-thing-cut-both-ways__trashed/#IDComment62626159 To start, I think that there are many people that are going to find this sort of question offensive or “racist”, but I don’t think that that is the case at all. I think that although this question may be a bit testy, I think that people have been exposed to different types of rudeness from people of the opposite color. When talking about the topics that were brought up in class and the ways that people were responding, I think that there were a few things on the projector that the “PEOPLEOFCOLOR” said that could have been commented on. I’m not going to start mentioning the things that were said, but I think that if the comments that “WHITEPEOPLE” said are looked down upon by the class and the professor then I think that the “PEOPLEOFCOLOR” feelings and expressions should be looked at in a similar light. As I said above, all types of people have been on the receiving end of rudeness from a different race, but being white and from an area that is becoming extremely populated by Spanish speaking individuals, I have been on that end more than others. Thinking back to high school, the time period that has the most instances of this rudeness, I can’t count the number of times that my friends and I were given no respect and passed by with completely disrespectful body language and comments. One of my biggest pet peeves about the Spanish students was when school was getting out and they would cross a busy intersection in a less than acceptable pace. Along with this pace came arguments and conversations that were held in the middle of the street. This was an everyday occurrence that would get drivers honking horns and saying things like “Hurry up!” to these students. If that were to happen, more often than not, the group of Spanish students would then take their time to cross the street or have a longer conversation with their friends while the driver waits for them to move. Classic form of disrespect if you ask me. In closing, I know that people of color probably have stories that outweigh the severity the stories that I have, but I feel that the reoccurring events that I have been part of gives me enough reason to be able to talk about this issue. I’m not the type of person that makes others feel uncomfortable or impatient no matter what the color of the individual. I’m the kid that puts a little more pep in their step or takes it far as a jog when crossing the streets of State College because I actually still believe in traffic laws, something that most students don’t follow when at school. Beats me. Anyway, getting back to the things that were texted during class, it may be the fact that “WHITEPEOPLE” went first and gave “PEOPLEOFCOLOR” a reason at the time to say the things they were saying, but at the time I felt that things could have been handled with a bit more equality. Unless “PEOPLEOFCOLOR” really do think all white people look like Ben Affleck. I think he’s a good actor. Haha Wed, 17 Mar 2010 16:31:36 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/does-this-rudeness-thing-cut-both-ways__trashed/#IDComment62626159 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/are-whites-the-only-people-willing-to-humiliate-themselves__trashed/#IDComment59623531 Not that I watch the bachelor or anything… well maybe a few times with my girlfriend but that’s beside the point, I never actually considered the way that the show and ABC portrayed the contestants racially. As the interviewer said, there should definitely be at least a few black, brown, or asian people in the mix. The entire idea behind the show is to help some poor chap find love, not to find the most compatible white guy or girl to get married and divorced to. The love of that person’s life may be of a different race and viewers and contestants may never know of that is true unless ABC stops preventing opposite races of people on the show. Totally unfair if you ask me. Wed, 3 Mar 2010 20:27:47 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/are-whites-the-only-people-willing-to-humiliate-themselves__trashed/#IDComment59623531 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/why-is-this-racist-really__trashed/#IDComment59620953 This entire idea is ridiculous. First off, the thought of a slower paced basketball game would be no fun at all. The teams would need to play in high school gyms because they couldn’t create enough of a revenue for their team to actually have a stadium at all. Second if the white people want to play basketball at a slower pace, go overseas like many people in the NBA do when they cant hack it. But to actually comment on the idea that this grandma league would only be available to the white population, that may be the most outlandish thing about this article. How can someone say that only white people want to play a slower paced game. Not to take anything away from one of the greatest shooters of all time, but Reggie Miller stood about ten feet behind the three point line and hucked up the ball from there because he didn’t want to get rejected going to the hoop. Someone that could shoot like that would bring a ton of revenue to a league of shooters so to say that he couldn’t play would not only be racist, but it would be dumb for the league to deny such access. Wed, 3 Mar 2010 20:18:28 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/why-is-this-racist-really__trashed/#IDComment59620953 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/a-long-long-way-indeed__trashed/#IDComment59617709 Not to make this sound like a joke, but I really feel that if slaveowners turned on the TV and happened to come across musc videos on MTV, although MTV doesn’t play many videos anymore, or turned on a NBA or NFL game they would immediately think to themselves “Damn. Look at all the negros on TV. I wish I had a few of them working in my field”. Furthermore, they would be completely bewildered on why they aren’t working as a slave. They simply wouldn’t understand why we as Americans don’t force these black or Hispanic athletes into bondage like we learned about in the book “Disposable People”. The way that the world has adapted over the years is nothing short of amazing when thinking about the equality of people. Although there are still people and groups that think that “white is right”, this is not the way that everyone thinks and feels. When talking about these slaveowners and what they think of our culture now, they would not be able to accept the ways that we have chosen to live in peace with people of opposite races. Im sure that they would try time and time again to get people in their fields and plantations, but it just wouldn’t work the way it has in the past. Sorry slaveowners. Besides from simply wanting more and more people to work for them because of the number of people shown on TV, the fact that athletes, rappers, actors, and any other person in the spotlight have taken care of their body to the extent that they have would make the owner want them even more. They would think they were super human and would be able to do what his or her current slaves cannot, in less time. Little do they know that these same celebrities can probably turn the owners into slaves themselves with the amount of money they have accumulated. Kind of funny if you ask me. In closing, I think that this is a very funny, but serious question. I could only dream of the reaction that a slaveowner would have. Whether they fainted with the number of black people they saw on TV or prayed they would have slaves that are in similar shape, they wouldn’t know what to do. To make things funnier, their world would be in a downward spiral when they found out that there was nothing to do and that they probably can buy them out ten times over. What a slap in the face! I am happy with the way things are progressing in the United States with the acceptance of different races and am excited to see where this acceptance will take us in the future. Wed, 3 Mar 2010 20:07:36 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/a-long-long-way-indeed__trashed/#IDComment59617709 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/inequality-class-question-three__trashed/#IDComment58599603 When looking at Isaac, I don’t personally think about anything. Everyone at this university has the right to be here and has made good decisions in their pasts in order to get accepted. Although I see some people as being a bit more thuggish than others, I don’t think that anyone here at Penn State has killed someone for initiation into a gang or anything like that. I think that they simply came from an area that required them to be a bit more tough than my area. Now, when considering the possibility of Isaac being a football player or some other athlete, I think it is fair to say that he probably gets that a lot. If I didn’t know him, I would question it. To add, I don’t think that is a bad thing at all, nor is it a stereotype of being black. Being an athlete at a D1 school is quite the privilege. The only stereotype would be in deciding which sport he plays. Too broad, too short, not fast enough, etc. Thu, 25 Feb 2010 04:44:05 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/inequality-class-question-three__trashed/#IDComment58599603 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/inequality-class-question-two__trashed/#IDComment58598723 Personally, I never really considered the amount of money someone had, when talking about whites and blacks, as being the reasoning behind the longer sentence for the same crime. I assumed that the reasoning behind the statistics are more because of the areas that the person was found committing this illegal act. When it came to blacks, I feel that a large majority of the people in that statistic come from a poverty prone area and the individual is in the middle of a group of people that isn’t the best to be associating with. Although Im sure that not all of the people come from that type of neighborhood or hang around with a crowd of gang members, I feel that that stat is a bit skewed toward that type of lifestyle. Therefore, the judge then would look at that person with a bit less sympathy and sentence him or her to a longer amount of time in jail because he or she is more prone to come out and continue to commit the same crime because of the pressure they receive from peers when they get out. When it came to white people being in the same situations, I feel that there aren’t as many areas around the United States that have a large population of white gang members. Therefore, in my head, Im thinking that the reasoning behind whites having a lower sentence is because they are not as prone to get out and continue on a road they were on. However, you raise a good point. Sam states that whites are more likely to have money than black people and that may be the underlying factor in sentence time. If a white person is loaded, they will most likely have the best lawyer that money can buy. Blacks may not be able to afford that same lawyer, and therefore will suffer in the court hearing. A lawyer make the big bucks because of how well he or she works over the judge and jury. If they know how to take the perspective of the people witnessing the case from the outside, they are more likely to win them over and have them feeling sorry for the client. If the graphs shown in class are completely unbiased towards lifestyles and are factual is all regards, then the information should have a waterfall affect on the things that people do when they are looking the government in the face and the possibility of a life changing prison sentence is in the near future. In the end, I think that both the environment someone comes from and the amount of money someone has plays a large factor in sentencing of that person. As was discussed in class, it is hard to let someone that has a history of criminal acts due to gang membership back into the community with the least amount of time spent learning from their mistakes. Also, Im sure that the lawyer that you gets plays just as big a factor as your background. Good question. Thu, 25 Feb 2010 04:34:39 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/inequality-class-question-two__trashed/#IDComment58598723 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/native-americans-question-one__trashed/#IDComment58595410 I don’t think we need to educate the population at an earlier age simply because of the confusion that comes along with understanding different cultures and traditions. As a teacher, I feel that you need to start simple and progressively get more and more complicated with every subject being taught. Secondly, in order to understand culture, you need to see things for yourself. I am not someone that was privileged enough to travel the world at a young age, or even now for that matter, but I am more interested in international news and understand what is happening around the world. I feel that this is something that is lacking when we talk about lowering the age of students learning about different walks of life. Thu, 25 Feb 2010 03:58:32 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/native-americans-question-one__trashed/#IDComment58595410