But for the other part about understanding insurgents, I know what Sam is talking about. If any country invaded the United States, none of us would think twice about attacking them and trying to kill as many of their soldiers as possible. In Iraq and Afghanistan, they see us as intruders and want us to leave, so they try to force us out as violently as possible. I personally think this war in Iraq is very dumb and we have no reason to be there. I completely support all of our troops, because they all have a bravery that I'll never know and I truly admire them. But I feel bad for them because they are over there risking (and many losing) their lives for a pointless war. So I don't like to sound like I'm siding with the insurgents, but just looking at it from a non-biased point of view I would be able to see why they do what they do. They are just protecting their country.

I agree that a lot of the war has to do with oil. I disagree that it's because Christians want to take over the world. Christianity is the largest religion in the world. So just by sheer numbers, there's a good chance that someone in power is going to be a Christian. That doesn't mean they are all having secret meetings planning world dominance. There's so many different sects within Christianity (Catholic, Baptist, Protestant, Lutheran, etc.) that it doesn't even make sense to say that Christians are trying to take over the world. Because all of these different sects within Christianity have different beliefs, some of them so much so that some groups of Christians don't like other groups of Christians. So to say that they're all working together to rule the world is really a ridiculous statement.

I definitely think that men have to conform to society just as much, if not more than women do. From a very young age, you learn what it is to be a man and how you are supposed to act. You have to be tough and not let your emotions show. Sports are a must. You have to like them and be good at them. The most popular kids growing up are almost always the best athletes. The kids who don't like sports or aren't good athletes are become the "losers" or whatever you want to call them. I'm not saying this is right, it's just how it is. And women aren't the only ones who have to worry about body image. I think men actually have more pressure when it comes to how our bodies look. Fat isn't a good look for either sex. But women are expected to just be skinny. That doesn't work for guys though. We can't be fat or skinny. Guys are expected to be muscular. I'm not saying girls don't go to the gym or don't put in work to make their bodies look better, but their work in the gym is easier than guys'. And when it comes dressing, men do not have quite the pressure or accessories to deal with that women do, but we definitely have standards to meet. We are expected to wear the "cool" styles and whatever fad is in. As we got older and girls came into the picture, the pressure is bigger than ever. Whatever guy gets the most girls or has the hottest girlfriend is the one that everybody else wants to be. And if you're not getting the girls, then you're getting made fun of.

Another big pressure that men face is success in the real world. Men are expected to make a lot of money and be able to support their family. Everyone wants to live in a nice, safe neighborhood where their kids can grow up in a friendly environment. I don't want to paint women as gold diggers, but a woman is more likely to go for a man who is financially set and secure, knowing they can live comfortably. (This is where all the kids who weren't good at sports and studied instead get their revenge). Seriously though, women often complain that it is so hard to be a woman and that they have so many pressures and such hard standards. I do not disagree with that at all. But being a man is no easy task either. It's kind of sad that society has such high standards for people. Perfection is the ultimate image that everyone tries to reach. And whether you're a Hollywood star, a millionaire businessman, or whatever, no one can ever be perfect.

This is really messed up. I can't imagine anyone actually playing this game. Something has to be wrong with you. But it also made me think a little. I would never play this game, but I have no problem playing GTA or any other games where you kill people. And I think most would agree that murder and rape are pretty much on the same level. So why is one accepted as a video game but not the other? I definitely do not think that the rape games should be accepted, but I don't think that people will stop playing shoot em ups any time soon. I think what makes the rape game so much worse is how personal rape is. If you're just running around shooting people in GTA most people (except for the severely disturbed) can clearly just see it as a game and have no urge to do it in real life. But the emotional and psychological aftermath that a girl has to deal with after being raped is devastating. That's why I don't see how anyone with any type of heart (or brain for that matter) could ever play this game.

This is a good question that probably a lot of people would not want to ask for the fear of looking "close-minded" or "cold-hearted" or something negative like that. But it really is a question that I think a lot of people have thought about or wanted to ask. For me, I kind of agree with this kid on the level that I don't really think I am going to change my lifestyle based off of what we learned in this class. Yes, some of the stuff was eye opening and made you think, but how many people can really say that they are going to change due to this class? Are people going to stop buying name brand clothes? Are they not going to eat chocolate? Go out looking to make friends of a different color? I just don't see people making any extra effort to change the way they live just because of things said in this class. It's kind of sad to say, and almost makes you feel like a bad person, but until people are directly affected by something, they usually are going to continue with their lives as usual. As a society we are used to the comforts that we have, and are going to continue wearing the clothes we like, eating what we like, etc. Wrong doings going on overseas are not going to draw the permanent attention of too many people.

With that being said, I don't want to discredit the material of this class. I did learn a lot of new facts and had some revelations. There are so many things going on in the world today still that you would never think or realize. Reading Disposable People was really shocking. People in this country think slavery is a thing of the past, but the book showed very much otherwise. It's crazy to think of the injustices that still occur in the world today, a world that is supposed to be civilized and sophisticated.

So overall, I both agree and disagree with this person's comment. I disagree with him saying that nothing that Sam said has meant anything. I definitely feel more informed about race issues in our own country and around the world. But I can't honestly say that I am going to leave this class and change the way I live. It would just be a lie for me to write on this wall telling people how much I've changed and all the good things I'm going to do now. And I don't want to speak for other people, but I think that most of the people who say they are going to go out and change, are really just saying that and can't bare to say the truth for everyone to see. But for the people who are truly changed and do things to help the people we learned about, they're better people than me and more power to them.

I don't think that people should have to choose "teams." I think you should just be proud of what you are and accept it. You don't have to pick sides. You said that you always identified yourself as Hispanic/Latino, and that's the culture you were raised in, so I think you should go with how you feel at heart. But I don't think there is necessarily a need for anyone to pick a team. If anything, this class has tried to teach us to look past all of that stuff, and for all of us to be on the same team.

First, it's a Disney movie made for kids. And it's a classic. Looking way too much into that one. As for the rest of the comment, I grew up in the city in Philly and lived there until I was 14. I always loved playing basketball and I met and was friends with a lot of black kids through this. I don't think I ever really thought about our differences or anything like that. When I started getting older however, the neighborhood became worse and worse and I started to see and hear racism from white people in the community who felt like it was being taken over. I feel bad for the rest of black people who get a bad rap and just thrown into the stereotype of all the problems that come along in inner-cities. I had a black neighbor who was one of the nicest people I knew and proved how unfortunate it is that some people choose to behave inappropriately and give the rest of their community/culture/whatever a bad image.

Although welfare sometimes gets a bad rap, it is a necessity in our country. It is a great program for people who do not have the means to support themselves and/or their families. The problem is that many people abuse it. People just want the east paychecks, and choose not to go out to look for a job. This is robbing much more deserving people of what they need. It is very sad that people are that selfish and lazy, but unfortunately it is just a fact of life in this country. There are always going to be people like that. But back to the main question, I do not think that it would be smart to discontinue welfare. Welfare provides much needed assistance to the poor and needy. It allows them to buy food, clothing, and all other essentials that they would normally have no other way of getting. The most affected would be children. They did nothing to get into the position of being poor. They were born into it and can do absolutely nothing about it. It would be a crime to strip these kids of the already bare minimum that they are receiving. Millions of people are starving in our country everyday because they do not have enough money to buy food. This number would only grow if welfare was to be taken away. Therefore, welfare should definitely not be removed as a program. If anything, it should be revised. I think that it should be more heavily monitored and have stricter regulations. Too many people take advantage of a great program that is set up to help the needy in our country. You should have to give proof that you are out searching and applying for jobs, and making a true effort to get yourself set up and on your feet. It is only fair to everyone else who desperately needs welfare.

As far as social status goes, I think there would be some changes. While today, being on welfare is seen as having a low social status, people would be even poorer and have lower status if there was no welfare. Many people would be homeless out on the street because they would have no other options. They would have no job, no source of income, and nowhere to go. It would really put people in a bad situation and I think it would be a terrible decision by the government if they were to get rid of welfare. Not everyone is fortunate enough in life to have the means to take care of themselves, and it is the duty of a country to take care of all its people. Welfare definitely needs to stay.

Sam definitely made some (most likely a lot of) people uncomfortable when he brought up the topic of female menstruation. I don't know if he planned on doing this or did it spontaneously. Either way, he stirred the class up a bit. But this is just a natural reaction due to the way that almost all of us are raised and educated. Our parents certainly do not talk to us much (if at all) about menstruation and we learn a very little and basic amount of facts about it in grade/middle school. It is just an uncomfortable topic for men to speak about and if we don't want to talk about it, I don't understand why women would want to press the issue and try to make us feel uncomfortable.

I totally agree with my man right here. He brings up a great point that even Sam addressed when he showed us websites/videos. Because of the whole "white guilt" thing, there is a double standard. It is okay for black people to make fun of white people, but vice versa and it becomes a huge race issue. I feel like a lot white people in this country, or at least ones that I know, have ancestors that immigrated from foreign countries and have little or nothing to do with slavery or any kind of "racial dominance." Yet we are still expected to feel bad about the fact that we are white and "privileged". I think that if you want to make fun of others' race, culture, etc., then you need to be able to make fun of yourself as well. If not, then don't make jokes in the first place.