en-us https://www.intensedebate.com/users/1119955 Comments by brisnug https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-8-lesson-14-affirmative-action__trashed/#IDComment85426703 I agree one hundred percent with what you said in your post. Everyone uses nepotism to some degree, whether it be to get a job, get into a good college, or just about anything else. It is ingrained in our society. Yes, people would be crazy not to use nepotism to their advantage. Networking is a term I hear all the time at Penn State. And it is no coincidence that one of the first things a prospective student is informed of is that one in every one hundred and fifty Americans has a Penn State degree. This is using nepotism as a promotion. Thu, 8 Jul 2010 02:26:02 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-8-lesson-14-affirmative-action__trashed/#IDComment85426703 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-8-lesson-14-affirmative-action__trashed/#IDComment85349139 However, white women benefit the most from this policy. Therefore, it comes back around to benefiting white men, the same white men who claim that affirmative action is holding them back. Obama has the right idea with affirmative action. It should definitely take into account class. That Oprah video was really intense. I went to a high school that was only ten years old and had many technologically advanced capabilities, but even we didn’t have a swimming pool, let alone three. This is not something that is needed. I agree with the guy at the end, all schools all over the country should have equal funding. Take the extra money going to give schools stuff that isn’t necessary such as a swimming pool and give that money to schools that need that extra funding. This would greatly cut down the gaps in education and would be a big step forward. Wed, 7 Jul 2010 18:20:15 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-8-lesson-14-affirmative-action__trashed/#IDComment85349139 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-8-lesson-14-affirmative-action__trashed/#IDComment85349122 The surveys given to high school students were very interesting. The results were not surprising at all. Of course no one placed themselves at the bottom of the social status rankings. No one ever thinks that they are not good at making new friends. If anyone did begin to think this about themselves, it would make them very depressed. This is not something anyone would do to themselves willingly. White people are always bashing affirmative action. Most of these people probably have not seen the numbers that Sam showed us. That only ten percent of all jobs are awarded by affirmative action. I use the word “awarded” because this is exactly what is being done. Affirmative action awards opportunities to people that would not have been given these opportunities normally. Wed, 7 Jul 2010 18:20:04 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-8-lesson-14-affirmative-action__trashed/#IDComment85349122 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-8-lesson-14-affirmative-action__trashed/#IDComment85349096 I am a pretty intelligent person. Two of my friends who are not that smart are experiencing nepotism. One of them works at the YMCA nearby to his house. The only reason he got this job in the first place is due to the fact that his mom also works there. When new management was brought in, almost all of the workers were laid off except for my friend and his mom because the new boss was their neighbor. My other friend has switched majors multiple times and still has no idea of what he wants to do with his life. His family is rich and his dad has many clients. This kid should be set for life with the amount of job offers he gets from his dad’s clients. Nepotism is all over the place. All of us use it and benefit from it to a degree. All people want the best possible advantages for their children and family and friends. It is impossible to get rid of this so whether it is right or wrong, nepotism will never go away. Wed, 7 Jul 2010 18:19:50 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-8-lesson-14-affirmative-action__trashed/#IDComment85349096 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-7-lesson-13-immigration__trashed/#IDComment84791415 Your example of how business shapes the issues of immigration is perfect. It is true that by your boss paying lower wages to the Mexican workers, he is able to charge a lower price to his customers. If he had to hire American workers, then he would also have to pay them higher wages. He would then be forced to raise his prices for customers in order to keep the same income rates. I disagree with what you said about upholding the same standards of people allowed to come into this country no matter where they are coming from. This would not solve the illegal immigration problem either. Sun, 4 Jul 2010 22:41:38 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-7-lesson-13-immigration__trashed/#IDComment84791415 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-7-lesson-13-immigration__trashed/#IDComment84790281 I used to think that illegal immigration was a serious problem impacting this country, but now after hearing the other side from Sam, I agree with him that it might balance out in the end. I used to think that illegal aliens received undeserved benefits from the government without being citizens. I also knew that they would be taking away jobs from citizens by accepting less pay. What I didn’t know however was that they do pay taxes just like the rest of us but unlike the rest of us they do not receive the benefits that come from taxes. The video showing the homeless and hungry immigrants in Queens was really eye opening. That man who sacrifices his whole livelihood in order to feed these people is really a special person. He realizes that he was in their exact same place when he first came to America and he wants them to have an easier time than he did. Sun, 4 Jul 2010 22:29:12 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-7-lesson-13-immigration__trashed/#IDComment84790281 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-7-lesson-13-immigration__trashed/#IDComment84790266 The hypocrisy amazes me. I know for a fact that the klan tried to get permission to march in the streets of New York City, but they abandoned this pursuit after the mayor insisted that they could only march if none of them wore masks to hide their faces. This shows how these men are truly cowards. I think the woman who put the sign on her house saying Keep Out Hispanics is completely wrong. Though she may have the right to do this, she should not do this. She should not feel the need to display her controversial opinions. People should learn to keep their feelings to themselves and not broadcast them for all to see. If this sign belonged to a young white man, then I think he would have been faced with a violent response. This woman is protected by her age. Sun, 4 Jul 2010 22:29:00 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-7-lesson-13-immigration__trashed/#IDComment84790266 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-7-lesson-13-immigration__trashed/#IDComment84790243 This lesson really made me think and question some of my beliefs. The clip of the klan members marching down the streets of Washington was surprising. Whenever I thought about the Ku Klux Klan, I always thought it was a small group of crazy rednecks from the south. But seeing the four million members all together really brought into focus how much power these bad people really control. Being Jewish myself, this kind of scares me a little. The klan is always associated with hating black people, but like Sam said Jews are also targeted by this group. I don’t understand how this group can be proven to conduct so many criminal activities and yet not face any criminal charges. All those members should have been rounded up while marching and face group charges of criminal conspiracy. They are a prime example of internal terrorism and yet most of these people believe all Muslims are terrorists. Sun, 4 Jul 2010 22:28:44 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-7-lesson-13-immigration__trashed/#IDComment84790243 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-7-lesson-12-multiculturalism-lgbt__trashed/#IDComment83610573 I used to think that most if not all gay people chose to be gay. After this lesson, I still think that a few people choose to be gay. I will share with you an example. In high school a girl that I was friends with came out of the closet during class. She said that she was a lesbian. A few months later, that same girl that said that she considered herself bisexual. I now know that she has a boyfriend in college. This girl is obviously trying to choose what area of the orientation spectrum she belongs to. Thu, 1 Jul 2010 01:26:34 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-7-lesson-12-multiculturalism-lgbt__trashed/#IDComment83610573 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-7-lesson-12-multiculturalism-lgbt__trashed/#IDComment83607516 But none of this matters because, like Sam said, in 500 years everyone will be brown anyway. I used to think that most if not all gay people chose, to a degree, to be gay. However, I say used to because after this lesson I have reversed my opinion on this, though I still think a good number of people chose to be gay. Also, I have a different opinion on the gay erotica topic than Sam does. Erotica, buy its very nature, is intended to cause arousal. Therefore, whether erotica is geared towards your sexual orientation or not, it still would arouse most people at least a small amount. It’s the same thing with gay porn. When the brain or the body is subjected to sexual situations, it will trigger arousal regardless of the nature of the sex. This is a natural response. Thu, 1 Jul 2010 01:15:13 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-7-lesson-12-multiculturalism-lgbt__trashed/#IDComment83607516 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-7-lesson-12-multiculturalism-lgbt__trashed/#IDComment83607500 This is just a thought. When Sam showed the slide saying that in 2050 the country would be almost half white and have people of color, what he said after I believe was slightly inaccurate. He said that this would mean that white people would then be the minority in this country. However, if half of the people are white and half of the people are anything but white, then white people would still be the majority. All white people are white, but some people of color are black and some are brown. Therefore, a quarter of the people would be black, a quarter would be brown, and half would still be white. So this would seem to say that white people would still be the majority. Even when two thirds of the people are of color, white people would have an equal percentage as black people and as brown people. Thu, 1 Jul 2010 01:15:01 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-7-lesson-12-multiculturalism-lgbt__trashed/#IDComment83607500 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-7-lesson-12-multiculturalism-lgbt__trashed/#IDComment83607376 This lesson was very interesting. The topic concerning rap and hip hop got me thinking. What is the reason for this form of music to be the most widespread form of music in history? Does it mean that this is better than other forms of music? Or is it simply a coincidence that rap and hip hop are becoming popular during a period of intense globalization and the information age? I tend to agree with the latter, not that I don’t like rap and hip hop, but I believe it is just good timing as any ideas such as music can easily spread all over the world like never before due to things such as the internet. If the United States is the most multicultural country ever, then shouldn’t other countries want to be more like us? Instead of us learning Chinese to be able to do business with China, shouldn’t China want to learn our language(s) in order to be more like us? Thu, 1 Jul 2010 01:14:42 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-7-lesson-12-multiculturalism-lgbt__trashed/#IDComment83607376 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-6-lesson-9-stages-of-racial-identity-people-of-color-stages-1-4__trashed/#IDComment81786557 I had somewhat the same experience with race when first coming to Penn State as you did. My high school was predominantly white, but there were a good amount of Hispanics and Asians. However, there were only a handful of black people so I never had an experience of black culture. One of my roommates freshman year was half black but all his friends were black. The more I hung out with them, the more experiences I had with black culture. For instance, one time he brought me to an all black party. This was the first time I felt uneasy being white. Not that I wasn’t welcome, but that I obviously stood out. Wed, 23 Jun 2010 21:06:21 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-6-lesson-9-stages-of-racial-identity-people-of-color-stages-1-4__trashed/#IDComment81786557 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-6-lesson-9-stages-of-racial-identity-people-of-color-stages-1-4__trashed/#IDComment81783874 I found that my favorite New York teams that I was used to being showered in love by everyone were now being showered in hate. I looked forward to going home just to be surrounded again by New York fans. This can be considered in a way to be an immersion stage for me. Also, Pennsylvanians have a slightly different culture than people from New Jersey, which is very close to a New York culture. The difference is hard to explain, but I found myself also missing this. Therefore, I guess I can somewhat understand the immersion stage that black and brown people go through in a sense. However, I still cannot understand or even comprehend the way in which this would cause some people to say things that border on being mentally ill, such as voicing the opinion to exterminate white people form the face of the earth. Wed, 23 Jun 2010 20:47:01 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-6-lesson-9-stages-of-racial-identity-people-of-color-stages-1-4__trashed/#IDComment81783874 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-6-lesson-9-stages-of-racial-identity-people-of-color-stages-1-4__trashed/#IDComment81783842 Unfortunately, when black and brown people do move into the second stage, it is usually due to discrimination and therefore a bad thing. This is something white people usually never have to deal with during childhood, if ever. Consequently, we last much longer in the first stage. I do not want what I say next to be considered insensitive, I am just giving an example. In a way I have felt as a minority being at Penn State. I am a New York sports fan. At home in New Jersey, most people are also New York sports fans. Coming to Penn State was the first time I was surrounded by Philly and Pittsburgh fans. Here, though there are a good amount of them, New York fans are in the minority. Wed, 23 Jun 2010 20:46:47 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-6-lesson-9-stages-of-racial-identity-people-of-color-stages-1-4__trashed/#IDComment81783842 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-6-lesson-9-stages-of-racial-identity-people-of-color-stages-1-4__trashed/#IDComment81783799 First off I want to say that freshman year I lived in supplemental in east. I had six roommates. One was half black and one was of Indian descent from Singapore. There were also two Asian guys on my floor. This is definitely more than just one minority per floor as was mentioned. I do not feel that black and brown people coming to terms with their race at an earlier age is always a bad thing. Just like left handed people coming to terms with being left handed. They realize that they are simply part of the minority so it may be difficult to find a left handed glove or something like that. However, this becomes a bad thing when it is brought on by discrimination. When a young black girl realizes that here hair is different than the hair of her white Barbie doll, it isn’t necessarily a bad thing. She is simply realizing the differences. But, if someone told her that her hair was inferior to the doll’s hair, then this is bad. Wed, 23 Jun 2010 20:46:29 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-6-lesson-9-stages-of-racial-identity-people-of-color-stages-1-4__trashed/#IDComment81783799 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-5-lesson-8-stages-of-racial-identity-white-people-stages-3-4__trashed/#IDComment81158901 You have done something that I think many people would shy away from doing. For many people, interacting with disabled people is out of the norm. Many people are afraid of getting too close to them so as to avoid causing them any unnecessary problems. Though this thought is unfounded, it is how most people think. In a way, this could be considered as you crossing into the third stage. You crossed the threshold into their world for the first time, immersing yourself in their lives. You began to see the world through their eyes, seeing all their hardships but also learning their true abilities. Mon, 21 Jun 2010 01:22:08 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-5-lesson-8-stages-of-racial-identity-white-people-stages-3-4__trashed/#IDComment81158901 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-5-lesson-8-stages-of-racial-identity-white-people-stages-3-4__trashed/#IDComment81156520 The truth is that these white people are actually helping themselves see the world through someone else’s eyes. One thing about the wash cloths. I do not think the reason for why white people do not use them has to do with them thinking that their skin is clean. I know my skin is dirty. When my parents originally taught me how to wash myself, they never showed me by using a wash cloth, since they don’t use one either. I just let the soap and the water do its magic while occasionally using my hands to help the process. I think its just an ancient behavior passed down by two different groups of people having different ways of washing themselves. I never even knew people used washed cloths like that until this lecture, let alone that it had something to do with race. Mon, 21 Jun 2010 00:53:23 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-5-lesson-8-stages-of-racial-identity-white-people-stages-3-4__trashed/#IDComment81156520 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-5-lesson-8-stages-of-racial-identity-white-people-stages-3-4__trashed/#IDComment81156512 Therefore, white people grow up almost oblivious to the hardships that black and brown people face in their daily lives. For this reason, most white people refrain from saying much at the race table so as not to offend anyone or to be called a racist like Sam was. However, it is at this time, when white people begin to acknowledge their wrongs and change their beliefs, that they move into the third stage of whiteness. Unfortunately, they are usually met with contempt from black and brown people here. Instead of them seeing how hard it is for these white people to have come this far, they show no acceptance or thankfulness. It is this lack of gratitude that propels many white people into the fourth stage. This is where they digress into resenting the fact that they ever tried to change their beliefs in the first place; the people they thought they were trying to help didn’t seem to care. Mon, 21 Jun 2010 00:53:13 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-5-lesson-8-stages-of-racial-identity-white-people-stages-3-4__trashed/#IDComment81156512 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-5-lesson-8-stages-of-racial-identity-white-people-stages-3-4__trashed/#IDComment81156483 The childhood of white people and black and brown people are very different when considering the topic of race. Throughout the early years of schooling, white children are continually told that all people, regardless of the color of their skin, are equal. Racism is bad. To a little kid, this can be confusing. This is the thought process going through all white children’s heads: if all people should be treated equal, and racism is treating people differently based on the color of their skin, and racism is bad, then just pretend that all people had the same color skin. This is how most white people learn at an early age to keep quiet about race. In order to avoid offending anyone and being called a racist, white people just stop talking about race all together. However, black and brown children are taught at an early age that racism exists. They are taught how to survive in a world where they are not treated equal. Mon, 21 Jun 2010 00:52:56 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-5-lesson-8-stages-of-racial-identity-white-people-stages-3-4__trashed/#IDComment81156483