en-us https://www.intensedebate.com/users/2424981 Comments by bva5051 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/12/02/voices-from-the-classroom-89/#IDComment231865764 Sacrificing State Patty’s day may seem like a good idea to some people but personally I do not think it is even remotely possible. Penn State has this tradition going and there is absolutely no way that whomever it may be can enforce a cancellation on this entire holiday. Yes, maybe there will be a decent amount of people who choose to stay indoors during State Patty’s day this year and decide not to partake in the day and night long drinking for whatever reason. But with that being said, trying to stop over forty thousand students from something that they await each year for does not in any way shape or form seem workable. The majority of students here at Penn State look forward to State Patty’s day as it gets closer and closer and telling them not celebrate this year will most likely not stop even half of them. I do understand where some people are coming from with there arguments of cancelling State Patty’s day but in my opinion I do not see it doing any good. It happens every year and just because of this whole scandal I do not believe that we should stop a tradition. Yeah maybe it’s not a tradition we want all over the news, but everyone knows what it is and everyone knows what happens. Just because it is a so-called declared holiday by us does not make the day THAT much different than any other daylong or weekend here at Penn State. The media already knows how big of a party school we are and if they wanted to use that against us and twist every little piece of knowledge they think they have then they most likely would have already done so. I find it hard to believe that they are going to come back after months and try to ruin our reputation more by announcing to the world that we drink heavily. I mean, everyone knows that already; it really is not too much of a surprise. It would be one thing if this holiday never existed but it has been going on for years now. State Patty’s day is not something that has sparked out of this entire scandal to show our anger or anything along those lines. I do not see the two incidences being directly related in any way. We should not have to sacrifice something like this because of what has happened to our school that we as a student population had no control over. Cancelling State Patty’s day would not be practicable and would not make a difference to everything that has been occurring to our school due to the scandal. Fri, 2 Dec 2011 22:54:45 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/12/02/voices-from-the-classroom-89/#IDComment231865764 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/11/15/voices-from-the-classroom-75/#IDComment223244095 Learning about the extremely abundant amount of people who have been sexually abused honestly disgusts me. I never really thought of the number being so high. When Sam said that there is at least one person in each of our family’s that has been sexually abused at one point in his or her life, I was a little bit skeptical at first. I know the numbers are plentiful and I know that there is indeed a possibility that someone close to me has been sexually abused that I do not know about, but I kind of find it hard to believe that there is one person in each of our family’s that had to undergo such a terrible experience like that. I’m not saying I know for sure that it hasn’t happened in my immediate family but I’d like to think that it hasn’t. It must be extremely hard to be able to admit to such a thing and I think that is why it is very common for us to automatically think that because we don’t know about it, it hasn’t happened within our family. It frightens me to think that someone in my family has been sexually abused. I am extremely close with all my family members and I just couldn’t imagine them having to go through something so horrible and repulsive at that. I think it is very important that more people learn about how common sexual abuse is. Personally, I was shocked during this lecture because it isn’t really something that I have had an in depth conversation about before. I definitely think more people should be informed on it though because it really makes you think. It makes you think about everyone around you who looks like they live normal lives but could have possibly been victims of sexual abuse at one point in their life and therefore become way more fragile and vulnerable then they seem. It makes you think about everyone around you who could be the person doing the abusing, the person who looks like everyone else but deep down has a sick mind and his/her actions show it. It makes you think about your family members and of course more fear comes along with those who are closer to you. I couldn’t imagine what I would do and the anger I would feel if I found out someone in my family was sexually abused. I would not even be able to put it into words right now but I think the majority of us would feel the same. Most importantly, I think that people need to be informed about this so that the silence ends. Victims should not hide what has happened to them. I know I can’t even begin to contemplate how they must feel and the fear that must be running through them. The thing is, if the victims don’t stand up for themselves, then the abuser will just continue and these problems will only continue to worsen. Thu, 17 Nov 2011 06:30:37 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/11/15/voices-from-the-classroom-75/#IDComment223244095 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/11/09/voices-from-the-classroom-34/#IDComment221613177 I never really stopped to think about my morals and beliefs being tested by the people around me. Being presented this question, I began to realize that my morals and beliefs are in actuality tested every single day. It may not be so noticeable because it happens so often but now thinking about it, it is quite evident that it occurs pretty much every day. Every time someone disagrees with you, that is them testing your beliefs. There is no doubt that throughout life you are going to have multiple people disagree with the majority of things you may say and therefore believe. I think one of the biggest arguments Ive overheard had to do with peoples beliefs about religion. When people have different viewpoints, and strong viewpoints at that, the debate becomes very powerful. If it is something you believe very strongly about, your attitude can turn very bitter towards the other person or other people involved in the discussion. I feel like everyone in some way gets offensive when someone challenges his or her beliefs. I know Im never too pleased when someone comes at me testing what I believe but it is just a part of life. No two people are alike and everyone is not always going to have the same opinions as you. It is just important to be able to back up your opinions so that you could potentially prove yourself to the other person. As for morals, I think that it is very easy for everyone to say that they will always do what is seen as morally correct in any situation. But I honestly think when it comes down to it, most people dont. For instance, if it was something that had to do with one of your family members in a bad situation, I think it would be very difficult do to the morally correct thing. I have never been in this position before, knock on wood, but I feel like I would have an extremely hard time turning in one of my brothers for something they may have done wrong. Also besides from family members, imagine how many people catch other people cheating on exams, homework, or any sort of assignment that you are supposed to complete on your own. What you should do is report it, but I guarantee the majority of people do not do such a thing. And I cannot even say that I do this one hundred percent of the time. When my morals are tested I believe that I would do the right thing, but I would not bet my life on that considering I am human and especially considering the entire family dilemma I mentioned before. Mon, 14 Nov 2011 03:24:27 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/11/09/voices-from-the-classroom-34/#IDComment221613177 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/11/10/voices-from-the-classroom-71/#IDComment220730513 Social media and technology has been increasing substantially every day. I do not believe that our society would be as advanced as it is today if the social media we obtain was not available. With that being said, I strongly feel that these riots were bound to happen but were greater due to the fact that we have facebook and twitter readily available. The amount of anger going through every Penn State student exploded when the board announced that Joe Paterno would no longer be Penn State’s football coach. The way they handled the entire situation is what made me most mad and I think that it caused a lot of the frustration to rise within our student body. Joe Paterno without a doubt deserved much more after all of his contributions to our school. With all this in mind, social media did in fact play a huge role in making these riots happen. Personally, right after the announcement my roommates and I began to see many tweets and facebook statuses about a riot on Beaver and at Old Main. Without seeing this, I don’t think we would have ran outside and started chanting “We Want Joe” unless we knew there would be a bunch of other people there as well. I think that social media really helped build the riots to the extent that they came to be. I mean think about how many people were actually there. There is no way that word of mouth could have produced such a large gathering of students with a common purpose. Now perhaps everyone had the same mindset but honestly without the comfort of knowing that there would be more people rioting besides your small group of friends per say, I do not believe that anyone would have charged outside and caused such damage that was done Wednesday night. As a whole, we are extremely more powerful. No matter how mad one may be I find it hard to believe that a small group of people would go by themselves and start knocking down lampposts and flipping news vans. It would be much more easier to get in trouble that way. This is why I see that the social media played an enormous role in the bringing about thousands of students at Old Main and later Beaver and College Avenue. All you need is one facebook status or one tweet for it to get stretched out to a larger group of people. One person shares it, then another, and then the next thing you know there are hundreds and hundreds of people standing by your side. I mean, you do not even have to be on a computer now a days. All you need is a smartphone and you can check all these updates and be informed on what is going on. I think this is how the riots became so large and they probably would not have been as destructive without social media. Sat, 12 Nov 2011 04:30:12 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/11/10/voices-from-the-classroom-71/#IDComment220730513 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/11/09/voices-from-the-classroom-32/#IDComment220108103 I do not believe that the amount of money you have defines your level of happiness. With that being said, I do indeed believe that money and happiness can be related to some extent. This also depends on the person in my opinion. I’m sure there are people out there that crave money and have their life set on the idea that if they had the amount of money they wanted then they would be happy. But perhaps people have other values that could bring them more happiness than money ever could. It truly depends. Putting aside the idea that it depends on the person, I do think money can play a slight role in increasing ones happiness. I mean, think about it. If you had to dig up change every second in order to get by and for example, supply a little bit of food to put on the table for your family, then there is a possibility that you may not be as happy as your next door neighbor who can afford to go out to eat every night with their family and even stop for dessert on the way home. Having money can definitely make life a bit easier and relieve some of the stress one may have from another aspect of his/her life such as work or relationship problems. Now I am not saying that having money can solve all problems and provide you complete and utter happiness, but I do believe that there is a strong possibility that someone who is a little better off may be slightly happier than someone who deals with money problems. Not having the amount of money you would like just adds more stress to a person’s life in my opinion. Having one less thing to worry about can without a doubt make someone a little bit happier. From personal experience, I know when money gets tight it definitely puts you down quite a bit. I have been lucky enough all my life to be a part of a family who does not come from poverty, but of course like many people, it is inevitable that there will be at least one point in your life where money is a slight issue. When this happens, it is safe to say that someone’s mood can decrease. Any problem in someone’s life is a reason for his or her happiness level to go down. Money can give people a sense of security, knowing that they can provide for their family and even purchase wants and not just needs. No matter how much certain people may want to deny it, money is a huge aspect of everyday life. Everything revolves around money now a days and it truthfully is connected to happiness in some sort of way. Fri, 11 Nov 2011 00:27:07 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/11/09/voices-from-the-classroom-32/#IDComment220108103 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/10/11/blog-about-happiness-for-soc-119-and-learn-something-useful/#IDComment206671304 I found this article on happiness to be extremely appealing. I pretty much agree with everything that was stated within the article. Personally, I do view happiness as something once can achieve but I know once it is reached it does not mean that it will stay forever. I see it as more of a short period of time where your mood is slightly more cheerful. The idea of being happy is something that is constantly changing. I appreciated the fact that the article went over how happiness has changed over the years and how it is viewed. With our society today it is no wonder that we view happiness as a goal. I believe that everyone constantly compares themselves to others around them. If the other person seems to be happier or even more successful with their job, schooling, relationships, etc. then it is going to make you feel less satisfied with the life you live. We then think that if we can live our lives like the people we are comparing our lives to then we would reach this so called happiness and we would be set for life. I do not believe that this is the case and therefore, I side with the points made in this article I think it’s wrong to think that happiness is something that needs to be reached, because if you have this vision throughout your life then there is no doubt that you will think your life isn’t what it should be the majority of the time. It is important to know that each and every one of us are not missing out on something in life just because we may think we are not happy. Reason #5 ‘What We’re Calling Happiness is a Recent Invention’ covers a lot of interesting points. What stuck out to me the most is that there is no real definition for the word happiness. It is hard to explain what happiness really is and therefore there is no way to be completely sure that one is “happy.” Also, when they say how we all have this idea of how we should each be happy, it makes sense as to why many of us claim we are not. If we do not know what being happy truly is, and as stated in Reason #4 it does not stick around for a long time, then we clearly are endangering ourselves to believe that we haven’t reached the so-called goal, finish line, or whatever you want to call it, of a fulfilling happy life. Focusing more on living life day by day and concentrating on our social relationships, like stated in the article, could be the answer many of us need in order to forget about trying to reach “happiness.” Wed, 12 Oct 2011 22:23:19 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/10/11/blog-about-happiness-for-soc-119-and-learn-something-useful/#IDComment206671304 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/10/02/voices-from-the-classroom-27/#IDComment203717956 If my child happened to be gay, I honestly would accept them for that decision. Whether it is a girl or boy, if they are gay I would not judge them. I feel as if it would be very hard to not accept my own child for who they turned out to be. I would not consider myself a good parent if I were able to look my child in the eyes and tell them that who they are is wrong and that they should not be the person they want to be. I think the only reason I would be a little upset is because of all of the hard times they would go through. Having to come out to a discriminatory society could not be an easy task at all. I honestly do not know one person who is gay that did not go through difficult times when they decided to admit to everyone that they were gay. I actually have a best friend that had to transfer high schools because of the way his fellow students were acting towards him being gay. The concept of this is not okay at all. Anyone who has to deal with something like that merely due to the fact of what gender they are attracted to must have such a hard time going to bed happy each night. I would definitely accept my child for whoever they turned out to be and be there for them through everything. I would want to see a smile on my child’s face every time I see them and not have them come home from school everyday with tears in their eyes. I want them to be able to be proud of who they are. I have never had a problem with people who are gay and therefore, I will not have a problem with my child if they were to be gay. Now about having to deal with all of the nonsense from immature people, I would be by his/her side no matter what. I would not let anyone talk down to my child because of what gender they prefer. It is just not right to judge someone on something so silly. We are all humans and we should not be quick to criticize anyone who is a little bit different than us. If we were all the same, life would be boring. People have to be able to express themselves any way they want to and not expect people to come at them and judge them right away. My child, if he/she were to be gay, would be raised them in a way to not be scared to admit who they are so that they are not in the closet their entire lives. Being able to admit who you really are if you are gay must be extremely hard but society needs to start to learn how to accept them and not discriminate. Thu, 6 Oct 2011 04:56:57 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/10/02/voices-from-the-classroom-27/#IDComment203717956 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/09/15/voices-from-the-classroom-14/#IDComment199879951 For the most part, I believe that welfare is a good idea. It most definitely started with good intentions in order to help those who truly needed it. Without welfare, the poor population would be much larger. I do not mind that we are paying the government in order to help those in need. There are definitely people out there in our world that cannot get a job and just need a little push to get them back on track. It is important that we have this system to encourage people that we can help them but they have to make progress themselves as well once their situation is fixed. Everything about welfare seems to be a good idea. That is until people start taking advantage of it. I have learned from past classes that there are many people who make more money while they are on welfare than they had when they were working themselves. These are the people that are being discouraged by welfare. The fact that they do not have to do anything in order to make a good amount of money, more than they could themselves, would definitely be the cause of someone refusing to work on their own and just merely rely on welfare. This is the case in which it is unfair to us and where the argument of whether welfare encourages or discourages progress begins. Anyone who does not think they can do something themselves will definitely rely on welfare, also just because they do not believe in themselves. This is the situation where welfare acts as a strong discouragement because if someone does not think they can do something on their own, then why would they think twice about getting handed money without having to move from their couch. They become dependent on welfare and assume that it is okay to do so. These people need motivation and need to believe in themselves so that they can go back into the world and make money for themselves. I’m not saying that welfare has only created discouraged people but I do believe that there are people free riding on this system. Welfare does indeed have good objectives and the people that are utilizing it correctly deserve it. But how can you draw the line between the desperately needy and the greedy individuals taking advantage of the welfare system. Overall, I think that the welfare system is necessary because it would be horrible if we denied the true, honest people the money they greatly need to get back into the working world. I just think there needs to be some change in the system perhaps to somehow rid of the greedy people free riding off of this system and only help the citizens who aren’t going to rely on welfare to support them forever. Tue, 27 Sep 2011 15:56:48 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/09/15/voices-from-the-classroom-14/#IDComment199879951 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/09/20/everyone-respond-to-this/#IDComment197667217 Hearing about the Haiti Group Project in class really sparked my interest to learn more. It’s terrible to hear about these catastrophes that happen throughout the world but one thing that really gets to me is knowing that the country as a whole is trying to better itself and each and every one of them are potentially doing what they can to move forward and get their country back on track. The problem with this is that the resources the Haitians have are very scarce. They are working with what is available but that is not a lot at all. Situations like this make me want to help an enormous amount or at least as much as I possibly can. That’s why I think this project is important and I hope for it to be a great success. I appreciate the fact that Sam brought this project into our lesson plan. The only way we can help is if we are informed. I think it is essential that this project gets spread throughout America in order to get all the help possible and renew Haiti to how it was prior to this disaster. Listening to some of the entrepreneurs really started to bring this situation to reality. Businesses here in America are mainly focused on making a profit and being better than the rest. The fact that these Haitians are working on very little with a small amount of resources shows their dedication to helping out their community and trying to better everyone’s lives. I hope that as this project continues to grow and become more powerful, the entrepreneurs are able to hire more staff so that more work gets done and at the same time giving more Haitians the opportunity to work again. Haiti is proving to the world that just because you don’t have the resources and opportunities as, let’s say America, it doesn’t mean you cannot continue to work for what you want. They show enormous perseverance and commitment and aren’t letting this tragedy stop their lives all together. Clorene really stuck out to me. It seems that she is extremely hard working and trying to supply clothing and all sorts of accessories to her fellow Haitians is something that could really help out the country. It’s sad that she doesn’t have a big enough workplace in order to hire more employees but I think that is something we can help her achieve with loans of some sort. It is inspiring how she states she doesn’t want us to just hand her the fabrics, that she does indeed want to pay and do it herself, but she just doesn’t have the large amounts of money to do it all at once. I think with all of these entrepreneurs like Clorene, Haiti will be on its way to improvement and hopefully with word on this project, new ideas will keep flooding in. Fri, 23 Sep 2011 22:00:02 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/09/20/everyone-respond-to-this/#IDComment197667217 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/09/07/questions-from-the-classroom-2/#IDComment192824484 Being asked to classify myself is a very extensive question. I can come up with a few things off the top of my head but if I am really thinking about specific categories to classify myself in it is much different. For instance, my nationality always gets questioned because people always say I am extremely ‘exotic’ looking. I’ve gotten that I’m half-black before, Indonesian, Hawaiian, Israeli, Venezuelan, Puerto Rican, and many more. It’s funny because all I know from my mother and father is that I am German and Russian. Now, of course we think there is something else in my blood but it is unknown at the moment. So if someone asks me what I am in the sense of nationality I reply saying German and Russian. But if someone asked me a general “what are you?” question and didn’t hint at it being related to nationality, then I would reply I am white. The strongest classification for me is definitely that I am a white American and proud to be it. It’s ironic though because no one actually believes me that I am fully white (as far as I know, that is). If we were referring to religion, I would classify myself as Jewish. It doesn’t need that much explaining. I am Jewish because I was brought up Jewish and I follow the rules and culture of Judaism. I go to temple for the high holidays and my religion for me is not questionable. I think some people would classify me as Jewish. That word gets thrown around like it’s something bad and I have had times where people chose not to associate themselves with me because of my religion. For gender, I classify myself as female. It’s a pretty straightforward obvious answer. I was born a female and I am proud of being a female. Maybe some times we have to go through are hard but I accept who I am and I wouldn’t change that for anything. People do have the option to “change” their sex or at least enough to make them who they want to be. There is nothing wrong with that because we are who we want to be, and if someone thinks they should have been born a different way then so be it. The truth is, people can classify you all they want. There is no doubt about it that people have preconceived notions about you. Maybe they think you are one way but you classify yourself a different way. That’s the problem. Most people don’t look beyond what they see and don’t choose to get to know someone before they automatically put a label on your forehead. It’s important to stand up for yourself and for you to chose your classifications and not let someone else try to tell you who you are. Tue, 13 Sep 2011 04:39:08 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/09/07/questions-from-the-classroom-2/#IDComment192824484 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/09/01/why-do-you-follow-any-religion-at-all/#IDComment190895388 Whether you follow a religion or not, believe in a higher being or do not, we all have our reasons for why or why not. For people that do follow a religion and say it proudly, it is a big part of their lives. Using myself as an example, both of my parents are Jewish. I was raised Jewish and was raised to have Jewish values. I grew up attending Hebrew school and at the age of thirteen I had a bat mitzvah. Even after I stopped going to Hebrew school, I still attend Temple for the high holidays. If someone asks me what is my religion, I say Judaism without hesitation. There is no shame in it for me. For me, following my religion is something I do for my family, my mother especially. She is big on following all the rules and everything that goes along with being Jewish. When it comes to a holiday where there may be some weird rules, I still follow them in order to make her happy. I stay true to my religion no matter what. I wasn’t forced to follow this religion but it is what I grew up with and what would make my family proud. I do know of a lot of teenagers who go off from what religion they grew up with because they believe in something else. Or the ones who believe in nothing at all. Honestly, I don’t judge anyone based on what religion they follow or what they believe in. We all have our own reasons and that is enough for that. I know a lot of people get into strong debates about it but I personally do not find that necessary. Not everyone is always going to agree, especially on something as spiritual (or not) as your religion. Another thing associated with religion is prayer. If you don’t believe in a higher being then I guess you do not pray. But this is something that is important to me. Especially in times of need, when a family member is ill. For me, the past few years of my life my uncle has been extremely ill. I’m not saying I kneel by my bed every night but a thought or two here and there is always appreciated. It’s just something we have become accustomed to within our religion. In temple we always pray to everyone who may be suffering. It’s a kind gesture if you ask me. Overall, I truly just think that people believe in what they want to believe. It would be hard to change someone’s mind for that matter as well. Whether it has to do with your family and the way you were brought up or if it was merely your decision as you had grown, we either believe, or we do not and that is the way it is. Thu, 8 Sep 2011 02:01:58 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/09/01/why-do-you-follow-any-religion-at-all/#IDComment190895388 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/08/30/personal-preference/#IDComment188557803 There is most definitely a connection between personal preference and being prejudice but I do believe that they are completely different, as well. For instance in the example given, if a white guy liked girls with a more tan skin compared to a more pale skin, that is completely personal preference. It’s just what the male preferred. Everyone has their features of the other person that make them just a little more attracted to them. The place to draw the line though is if someone starts to judge the other options. Yes, I do believe it is considered prejudice if you are going as far as to generalize a group of people of the same skin tone and have predetermined notions of them without even getting to know them. The difference is that people are attracted to what they are attracted to and they cannot help that. Personally, as a white female, I’m attracted to white males or Hispanic males. But that doesn’t mean that I do not find anyone else good looking. I do not judge people based on their skin color and when people do, that is when the line has been crossed between personal preference and being prejudice. I do think that in this day in age, a lot of people just assume people are racist due to whom they may date. For example, if you have a white person who prefers lighter skin compared to darker skin, it doesn’t mean that they don’t like darker skinned people at all. They can still be attracted to them but perhaps they just prefer dating lighter skinned people. Now along with this, it is also what everyone is grown up with, religion, etc. I honestly think many people just think of it as a racist issue when it actually isn’t. But I’m not saying that it never is because sadly, I do know a few people who are prejudice to different skin colors. I do not think that is right but that is their decision and not mine to make. Personally, I think everyone should be open to everything. It doesn’t matter what skin color you are, it’s the connection between the two people that truly matters and you may never find that right person if you don’t open up your views on this subject. Of course, the physical attraction is definitely needed in order to start up anything, but I just think more people should give it a chance even though it may be something they are not used to. You really never know. But if we are just talking about personal preference then that is completely fine. We all have that picture perfect partner in our heads somewhere and there is nothing wrong with that. Thu, 1 Sep 2011 00:08:53 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/08/30/personal-preference/#IDComment188557803 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/21/for-what-purpose/#IDComment145026771 This lifer seems like truly such a strong person. It must be so hard to live each day the same for so long knowing that nothing is going to change. Personally I would never have the guts to kill myself, but I don’t know about him. I don’t know if he would be able to kill himself if he actually wanted to. But by his letter it didn’t seem like that is the root he is going to take. And I agree with him. Hope can do so much for a person. There are people in depression for instance that have completely lost all hope. This lifer doesn’t even seem to be at that stage. It’s great to know that he sets little goals for himself just to keep the days moving and he doesn’t rely on the prison to supply him with stuff to do. He said that it’s getting harder and harder each day for him to find the strength to hope but I have faith that he’ll be able to do it. He seems like a man that looks at everything from the bigger picture. He’s making the best out of the situation since somewhere along the line he messed up quite a bit and led him to where he is today. He may not be able to go out and have the freedom he did when he wasn’t in prison, but he shouldn’t end his life because of it. I’m only 18 years old and one of my best friends a few years back attempted suicide approximately four times. That was one of the hardest times for me to go through and it must have been worse for him and his family. I couldn’t imagine something being so horrible that you would want to end your life. That’s not something you can decide and quickly take back. Once it’s done, it’s done. It’s terrible to think about all those people who chose that path when all they really need is to listen to what this lifer said. Hope can really change your train of thought. It wont necessarily be easy, but it would be easier than taking your own life. Fri, 22 Apr 2011 06:22:32 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/21/for-what-purpose/#IDComment145026771 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/11/lifer/#IDComment143211125 This was very interesting to read and very relatable to say the least. The author discussed the use of labels and how powerful they truly can be. Once someone has a label for you it could be extremely hard to change his or her view. Not only that but it could reflect how others see you as well once they hear of the label you were given. I particularly appreciated how the author said, “In spite of the way society views us, it’s not who we truly are.” This could not be any truer. Throughout high school and even now in college, people find ways to label everyone and once you are labeled that is how they view you, which is immoral in my opinion. Maybe they did not think something you did was the right thing to do but everyone has reasons for their actions that may not be obvious to everyone else around them. Labels could truly hurt you and even start to change how you see yourself. That is when the labeling gets bad to the point where you cant even see who you really are and you just start to believe that you are who other people see you as. I think we can all say that by reading some of the letters from the lifers, they aren’t all horrible people. Yes, they all have made mistakes or been a part of something they did not want to be, but because of one small decision they made it put them in prison for life. Now people label them as some horrible words that could truly break them down. People can change, not saying everyone will or has but it is very possible. To label these lifers is to help them believe they have no hope in becoming a better person. I was not raised to judge anyone on their actions and even though they may have made mistakes in their lives, it does not mean that they will continue to do so. I’ve seen through many letters, kindhearted people who are imprisoned for life but yearning for a family, and love, and to give love. People like that should not be labeled as anything negative in my opinion. I am a firm believer from personal experience and knowledge that labels can destroy you. Fri, 15 Apr 2011 20:29:37 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/11/lifer/#IDComment143211125 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/03/what-a-man-is/#IDComment141119725 This post was extremely relatable. It is so sad that there are so many guys out there that have yet to realize that sometimes it’s the little things in a relationship that matter. Personally speaking, I haven’t experienced someone who has even showed me half these qualities yet. I’ve dealt with so many guys that take me for granted and decide it’s okay to walk all over me. It feels good to know that someone in prison is able to realize everything that makes up a great man. It really isn’t all that hard, and by no means am I saying that guys should do all that with nothing in return. I, for one, love making people happy and I would never treat any guy anything short of what they deserve. I don’t think I will ever understand why a lot of men, like C was, are brainwashed into thinking that all we want is sex and money. That is not at all close to the most important things in a relationship. Now, no one, man or woman, is perfect nor should they be expected to be perfect. But I think it is very essential that both partners are able to understand what each other deserve because if you settle for something less than there is a slim chance you will be as happy as you overall should be. There is no reason at all to be treated less than what you deserve. It is very ironic how this man first realized all of these things once he became a prisoner for life. It is also extremely sad that he may not be able to ever put these things to work in a healthy relationship but I truly do hope one day he will be able to. It’s horrible how girls start to expect less and less due to the way certain guys treat them. I do believe that not all guys out there are the complete opposite of what this man said and what he used to be, but hopefully sooner or later the ones that are will begin to realize what is really important in a relationship. Fri, 8 Apr 2011 23:56:32 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/03/what-a-man-is/#IDComment141119725 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/27/family/#IDComment139011108 This letter stood out to me a lot more than most because it was not directly related to why they are in prison but took a different perspective. I completely understand how the vision we have of prison is way different than it probably is. I mean, unless we have been there, who are we to say what goes on and how the people act. I don’t know what this lifer did to end up in prison but this letter did raise a great deal of curiosity. I think its good to hear that inside prison there are some people who are caring for one another and helping them become better people. It’s sad to know that they lose connection with family and whatnot after they enter the doors of the prison. Family and friends are extremely important to me and if I was cut off from the world, I don’t think I would be able to survive without constant connection to them. It’s horrible to know that some people lose touch and they fall out of the loop with what is going on in their lives. With that being said I think it is great how this lifer said that certain inmates develop bonds that can take place as family. It is a good thing how he is encouraging them to be strong and keep their heads up high. He is only a few years older than some of them and yet he manages to act as a sort of mentor towards them. It must be extremely hard at a young age to be able to live each day with your head up inside a small cell but he somehow finds ways to pull through. He really is making the best out of the situation and not only to better himself but to better others, as well. We all have our immediate perspectives of what prison life would be like behind the walls but I agree with this lifer how we honestly will never understand. The important thing is that even though they are stuck their forever, they are forming friendships that are just as essential as any bonds made outside of prison. To have someone on your side is enough to keep anyone sane in my point of view. Fri, 1 Apr 2011 04:13:46 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/27/family/#IDComment139011108 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/18/m-s-story/#IDComment137348691 This letter from the inmate really gets you thinking how just one simple wrongdoing can screw you over for possibly the rest of his life. All he had to do was call the police or find someone else in charge and tell them what was going on. He could have saved a person’s life. Maybe because he was close to the other people in charge it made him a bit hesitant, but the fact that they were about to take the life of another person who has done absolutely nothing wrong to anyone, should have been enough for M to do the right thing. Personally, I would never be able to stand there and be able to watch another human being be harmed or murdered. I understand he was in a group home so he was not brought up the same way that I had been but he even said in his letter that he kept thinking about what was actually going on. His entire life would be completely different today if he had just spoken up. He could be a husband and a father just as he dreamt at this very time but instead he sits in a cell all day long with this load of guilt on his shoulder. One thing that stood out is how he does not want sympathy and he doesn’t even like to share the story for the mere fact of having to say it out loud. He truthfully should be ashamed but at least he has the strength now to be able to know what he did was wrong and that one simple difference could have changed everything. The fact that M didn’t murder the person and he was just an accomplice makes me want to say that he should not be in prison for life. He was young at the time and clearly terrified for his own life as well. It is great that he is able to say he has changed for the better. He said himself that somewhere in between being a boy and an inmate, he became a man. It’s terrible that he had to experience that this way though. Thu, 24 Mar 2011 22:52:40 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/18/m-s-story/#IDComment137348691 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/23/how-free-are-these-90-students/#IDComment134925625 The statistics for the amount of teens pregnant in this high school is extremely high. 11%, 90 teens, says something about the way that the invisible strings are attacking these high school students. For many married couples, it is extremely hard to get pregnant. So whether or not these teens just lucked out is something we will never know. It is crazy to think about how such a large number of teens were impregnated at the same exact time. The video stated that almost 100% of the high school is able to qualify for free lunch which brings about the assumption that every one of their families has a very low income. Even though they may not bring in a lot of money the families should still be able to educate their children on the consequences of having unprotected sex. It seems to me that most of the teens just don’t care about getting pregnant. Everything in life does eventually come down to a “choice” in one way or another. Although there are invisible strings affecting everything we do, every one of them did chose to have sex and wound up getting pregnant because of it. A lot of factors could be put into play here such as the teens not having enough money for condoms or birth control. Maybe they just weren’t taught well enough about the possible outcomes. This isn’t really something that anyone can come to a conclusion about besides from the fact that no one can ever truly understand how free any of us may be. There are always going to be outside forces affecting us greatly and the situation is Frayser High School is just one that makes us think about it even more. With such a high number of pregnant teens in this school it seems as though the image of being pregnant is widely accepted. I mean, if it wasn’t then would there really be 11% of the school dealing with newborn babies? Probably not. No matter how much they teach about abstinence, there are always going to be teens having sex at a young age. The difference is that they need to understand there are still ways to avoid pregnancy and apparently 11% of Frayser High School was unaware or just truly didn’t care. Mon, 14 Mar 2011 21:51:40 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/23/how-free-are-these-90-students/#IDComment134925625 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/28/the-lottery-as-a-blessing-or-a-curse/#IDComment132008919 People play the lottery in hopes to hit the jackpot, but I have always been brought up around the saying “money doesn’t bring happiness.” Of course I do believe that people can become happier once winning it but the way they may go about their spending and such can truly ruin them in the end. I agree with the article how annual payouts left people happier. I believe that is a great way to make sure that the people are adjusting to the change in a proper manner. I do not have a personal experience with this one but I do think that it must be very difficult to go from completely poor to very wealthy. Things may change in the financial world but you will always be who you were. That is why people don’t know how to handle the change and the invisible strings force them to spend the money as soon as possible in hopes for a better life. But spending everything right away to make you look richer does not completely ensure happiness. In the article it said that the people around you may change and I do believe that is possible. This world is filled with greediness and people want to take what they can get. Once they know that you won the lottery it is very easy for them to get jealous and figure out ways to take it away from you. I am not saying that this will definitely happen and neither does statistics, but it is possible. I know one story of a family who won the jackpot TWICE: $20,000,000 each time. Sure, they must have been happy and I don’t think they had any specific problems at first. However, a few years later the son of the family committed suicide. I think this is a strong example of how money cannot fix the world’s problems. It can help you with a few things here and there but there is so much more that goes into a person’s happiness that you cant rely on money for. I also agree with Sam how the transition from moving from one social system to the other can put a significant strain on one’s life. There are many things that winning the lottery could fix, but no one ever takes a minute to look at all the negative affects it could bring about. Thu, 3 Mar 2011 03:02:27 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/28/the-lottery-as-a-blessing-or-a-curse/#IDComment132008919 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/21/stranger-kidnapping/#IDComment129980774 Even though like Sam said these situations may be extremely rare, they do happen, and that is what our parents want to make sure we are aware of. I think when a child is so young they need to be able to understand that the majority of strangers will help you if you need it but in the same situation there will be strangers who are harmful and may take you or hurt you. I don’t think we should teach kids to completely avoid strangers. It is necessary that they know what actions to take if they are in trouble but it is also extremely important that they know what to do if something goes wrong. The lady in the video said that she told her child that he has to hold her hand when they walk down the street and I don’t think there is anything wrong with that. Obviously in her neighborhood now she is going to feel unsafe because you don’t know everyone and you aren’t close enough to everyone to make sure that they wouldn’t do any harm to children. Taking precautions is the right thing to do because in the end it wouldn’t be worth the risk. Why would we put children in potentially dangerous situations just because the percentage of strangers that are willing to help is greater than the percentage that would cause any harm. Nothing is guaranteed in life so it is always important to be careful. Obviously the majority of stories that make the news are ones that will cause fear to parents because the news rarely talks about anything good. The thing that is essential here is that we need to understand that just because there may be many stories about kidnapping or anything along those lines, the problem is much smaller than they make it seem. But that does not mean we shouldn’t be careful and protect the children as if the problem were larger. Like I said before, it is not worth the risk so we should not pretend that it doesn’t happen at all. Everyone will be much more happier in the end if we just teach our children that yes, there are good strangers in this world, but there are also bad ones who we need to be aware about. Wed, 23 Feb 2011 02:17:55 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/21/stranger-kidnapping/#IDComment129980774