Having been a pretty avid Dave Matthews Band listener for about 10 years, I'm surprised that I never made the connection between the lyrics of "Don't Drink The Water" and the plight of the Native Americans in the U.S. It all finally made sense after seeing the lyrics displayed while watching the slide show of the Native American images. After realizing the relationship, I began to really question where and how the Native American story and situation got lost in conversation. What happened to the natives that initially inhabited this land is a surreal story of genocide on an extremely large scale and yet the people of the United States have buried it deep in their collective conscious. I feel it's most likely because, like Sam said, the citizens of this land would have no soul if they confronted the fact that this happened on our very own soil. The biggest problem I see in this, however, is the fact that their story remains a small blip on the radar even after all of these years. If nothing is done soon to correct the wrongs that have been done, it wouldn't be surprising to see the Native American population completely wiped out in the future which would be even more of a tragedy than what has already happened. The Dave Matthew's song is a great representation of how and why the Natives were mistreated. The idea that there is no room for people to coexist with one another and both prosper on the same land is ridiculous. The fact that is more ridiculous is that the people who were doing the injustices were the ones that had absolutely no right to in the first place. The natives inhabited this land first and they were the ones who were essentially lost in the grand scheme of things. That's just about all I have to say about this for now because I'm currently sitting in my room while everyone is partying and getting ready for my roommates 21st birthday. I'm just finishing out the word requirement in hopes that whoever is grading this will have enough sympathy for me to give me credit for this post. It's getting tougher and tougher to concentrate as I squeeze out these last sentence formations, i've never been real good at math or quadratic equations so I like to use the word count but don't count on me, my eyes are open but I still struggle to see without my contacts or my glasses which is half full right now so I gotta go. About 25 words away so I'll continue for a second. My girlfriend is bugging me to join the party right now (she looks gorgeous by the way) so I'm leaving for real this time.

After sitting through Sam's lecture on the Middle East, my views have certainly changed quite a bit. I knew going in to the lecture that the war in Iraq had a lot to do about oil and that Middle Easterners have a right to be upset about their situation, but I never realized how severely the U.S. has interfered with their livelihood. For the U.S. to send troops into another country to assert their dominance over the oil supply is absurd. I can't imagine living in Iraq and having to put up with American troops. Like Sam mentioned, the U.S. is occupying Iraq and other foreign countries in order to have a say in their valuable natural resources. If another country decided to invade America in order to have a say in our natural gas production, I'm sure Americans would view that country and the people of that country with a lot of animosity, and in some cases, hatred. So it's no longer much of a surprise to me that Iraqis and Middle Easterners have a distorted view of Americans. And when it comes to terrorism, I know that the majority of Iraqis don't support or condone the use of violence against civilians. The people that do are extremists, and if we as Americans don't realize that some of our own are the very same, we are kidding ourselves. There are people from every country that have radical ideologies and political views but that is not a good judgment of the population as a whole. As an American, I'm actually surprised that more Iraqis don't view America with a strong hatred because after all, we are over there sticking our nose in their business and livelihood. That wouldn't fly with us in the states so putting myself in their shoes was eye-opening. In my opinion, they have every right to believe that America is a greedy nation looking to expand it's global reach using imperialistic techniques. They are the ones that wake up to the reality each and every day that their lives are being dictated and constructed by a country that may or may not have their best interest in mind. Now, I understand that there were other reasons for sending troops to Iraq but after seeing the videos during the lecture, it's pretty plain to see that oil was the biggest factor and the other reasons were constructed around that. As we go forward, tensions will only continue to build until the United States removes its troops from Iraq and the bad blood will only continue to grow. This is a sad reality that could have serious consequences when it comes to terrorist attacks and a general distaste for western culture which only further advances the problem that already exists in race relations.

In the past I have been on both sides of the fence when it comes to calling out friends or even strangers for making race-fueled comments. I think it depends on what kind of mood I'm in, who said it and the context that they said it in. Since taking SOC119 this semester, however, I have found I am more likely to mention something to a friend who says something questionable. I know that almost 100% of the time my friends don't mean anything hurtful or offensive by making the comments but in my opinion it doesn't really matter. Making comments about race only perpetuates the problems that exist already and takes us a step back for each step forward. Even when mentioned while telling a joke or poking fun at a ridiculous stereotype, they are still comments made based solely on the race of an individual which is unacceptable. Now, I'm not trying to sound like a preacher because I am guilty of making similar comments every once in a while but now I am more conscious of it and have been trying to limit the number of jokes or comments I make based on race or ethnicity. The biggest change I've tried to make, however, is attempting to eliminate using racial identifiers when they aren't needed. It's almost second nature for me to describe a stranger by the color of their skin but now I realize that many of the times when I'm describing a story, there is absolutely no need for a racial indicator because it has nothing to do with the story at all. This is something I was doing subconsciously and now it's obvious to me that this is ridiculous. In my opinion, it's these little things that often go unnoticed by many people that are the most detrimental to race relations. I say this because if people can't even realize the ramifications of their actions and words, how can they begin to correct them? In the world today, bold and highly visible forms of racism do still exist, but the sub-conscious "white privilege" and covert racism is much more prevalent and therefore a much more serious problem. Because of all that, I am going to make even more of an effort to make people aware of their racist comments, even when they mean nothing by it. If more people are able to recognize just how many times throughout the course of the day that they say or hear something questionable when it comes to race, it would certainly go a long way. This is because I think most people aren't racist and don't discriminate so when their eyes are opened-up to their subtle comments, they will think twice before the next time they utter something with a racial tone.

I think that the doll video was really eye-opening. As a child you would expect everyone to grow up and not really understand/recognize race but it's obviously worth talking about. I think back to when I was growing up and differences were obviously present but they didn't have any affect on how I saw the world. If somebody was a good athlete that's exactly what they were, a good athlete. It didn't matter what color skin they had. Obviously, there were differences but having never been exposed to the racial stigmas, there were no distinctions made between anybody. I saw everybody as an individual and if I didn't like them it wasn't because of what ethnicity or race they were, it was because they did or were somebody that I didn't like. I think the video was really eye-opening because of the way the young children reacted to the dolls. You wouldn't expect them to judge the dolls in the way that they did but it's obviously evident that there is some reason the children pick the white doll more than they do the black doll. The biggest problem with that is the young children have no real reason to decide to choose the white doll. In my opinion it's almost solely self-conscious. This exposes a real problem in our media and our society in general because we are feeding our children subliminal messages that expose racial differences even though we never realize it. The biggest concern I have is that if our youngest children are already recognizing racial differences and associating good with one race and bad with another, then how are we ever going to get anywhere. If the most innocent and unbiased children we have are already playing into the inequalities that exist in the world, there isn't much hope to reverse that trend. The only time in my life that I never had any reaction or judgement toward race was when I was in grade school so seeing grade school students already having a preference toward race was discouraging. I think that it goes to show we are all born equal and we don't have a natural inclination to discriminate based on race but there is obviously something that makes our differences more and more evident as we get older and older. I almost think that if we did away with teaching the history of race relations, it would go a long way because although it's extremely important to understand where we have all come from, the teaching of the white race being superior throughout history becomes ingrained in our mind and our psyche. I'm not saying that it shouldn't be taught, but if children only hear about the white race dominating minorities, it sets a precedent for white privilege which we have all seen is very dangerous and destructive to race relations.

I think this video is very interesting and I completely agree with almost all of the points they present. The argument that I feel most strongly about is the fact that our current education system is geared towards "manufacturing" students to think a certain way about everything. The reason for this is because if we all are taught exactly how to think, then we will all be ready to cooperate and not raise any questions once we are contributing members to society. By encouraging all students to conform and operate in a specific manner, individual thinking and unique ideas go unappreciated. This sounds like a negative aspect of education, but for those in power, this is exactly what they want. If they can control our thinking while we are in school, when we are on our own, we are less likely to question the way things work or search for better alternatives. The current education system operates under the assumption that if you want to earn a good grade, you have to do this, that and the other and you have to do it this way. Because of this, students don't learn what they're being taught, but instead they are learning what they have to do to earn an A. This is completely the opposite of what education should be. Students should be yearning to learn new information and things that they can utilize for the rest of their lives, but the reality today is students only do what teachers want for the grade. They could care less about how the history of race relations has shaped America. They just want to know exactly what they have to read and what slide shows will be on the exam so they can study it the night before and forget it a few hours after the exam. This is the sad reality of education today and I am a first-hand example of the problem. I've been a straight A student forever, but it wasn't until recently that I've started to enjoy the courses I'm taking and relating the things I learn to my everyday perspective on life. One of my English teachers in high school said it best when she was explaining to me that I didn't need to be in high school any longer because it was obvious I was just going through the motions late in my junior year. She told me that I had learned how to "play the game of school," and I did it well which is why I have been successful throughout my schooling. Just like any other game, I learned the tricks and short-cuts that allowed me to get what I wanted (an A) while doing the least amount of work and exerting the least amount of effort. This is just one of the ill effects of our education system in America.

A lot of times I mistakenly feel bad for myself or wish I had more of something I desire, but when I think about how well off I truly am, I have to take a step back. In reality, I have more of everything I could ever need. My problem is that I completely overlook the fact that most people in the world are essentially living in hell. I think it has something to do with the "grass is always greener" idea. No matter how much I have, I'll always find a way to complain or wish I had more. This is why I think it's amazing that most people (myself included) fail to accept this fact each and every day. I think part of the reason for this is as Americans, we don't have to witness terrible poverty first-hand. The worst most of us have seen are homeless people in big cities eating at soup kitchens and sleeping on sewer grates. We don't ever witness the people all over the world who would give their arm or leg for a hot meal at a soup kitchen or the warm steam that flows through the sewer. Some might argue that we do see poverty around the world on TV and in the news everyday, but like many things, until you see it first hand, it doesn't really affect you. One example of this would be THON. When people first told me about THON and tried to explain it to me, I didn't really "get" it. Sure, I had a good idea of what went on during the weekend, but it wasn't until I attended THON my freshman year that I could truly say I understood the real meaning of the marathon. Because of this, I think it will be really hard for Americans (who live relatively sheltered lives in the comforts of our beautiful country) to understand the serious problem of poverty that affects so many people all over the globe. That brings me to the first step of the solution I envision, which is educating people and making the problem a relevant issue that invites open discussion. This is much easier said than done, however, and I would argue that it will never be adequate. It's essential for people to see poverty up-close and personal so that they absolutely can't just turn a cheek and ignore it. Sadly, to change most peoples perspectives or world views, you have to use the "shock and awe" technique. You have to hit people in the face repeatedly until they can get a handle on the magnitude of the issue. To be fair, I understand it's not realistic to put every American on a plane and fly them to Haiti so they can see what real poverty looks like. But in a perfect world, I think that would be a great start to finding a solution.

At the beginning of the lecture on this topic, I answered my clicker question by saying that I lean slightly towards determinism. By the end of the lecture, I found myself basically where I was before. If anything, I swung a bit more towards the very middle, but that's not that important right now. What is important is reflecting on my life so far and seeing first hand how the forces of free will and determinism have worked together to get me where I am. Growing up during my early years, I would have to say that determinism played the biggest role in my development. I believe this is pretty much true for every single person I know. Let's face it, what first grader is going to "choose" to do homework over playing with friends? The answer is none. That's where determinism comes into play. Fortunately for me, I had a very supportive family and mother in particular. She never pressured me to get straight A's or anything like that, but she always made sure I was getting my work done. More importantly, she always made sure I had the right supplies to excel in school. By her allowing me to pick out all the coolest school supplies, she motivated me to do well without ever having to sit me down and lecture me about how important school is. She also helped me with all my big projects and before I could type well, she would type up my papers. Basically, she did everything she could to help me succeed, which is especially important during the early years of school and also life. The next phase of my life was middle school. At this point, there was still a ton of determinism present in my life but free will began to be more prominent. During my early teenage years, I had many more opportunities to screw up because some of my friends were starting to head down the wrong road and my parents weren't around as much as they used to be. So, I had a lot more choices to make but they were a lot easier to make after I already cemented a solid foundation. Since I had great support in elementary school, I always got great grades and didn't know anything else. Naturally, when I got to middle school, I assumed I would get great grades again and eventually I did. The pressure to succeed though, started to come directly from me. Since I had gone so many years with good marks, I felt like I had to continue that or else I was cheating myself. This internal motivation has since played a huge role in getting to Penn State and continuing to earn good grades. This choice that I make to do all my schoolwork to the best of my ability is a direct result of the support I received early on. That brings me to the point I really want to make. I feel that life is a pretty good split between free will and determinism but determinism plays the biggest role during the early years of everyone's life. The most important part of a house is the foundation. If you grow up with a solid family who is able to make sure you have everything at your disposal to succeed, things get a lot easier for you when you are on your own making your own "free will" decisions. Now, that's not to say you need money or anything like that, you just need guidance and a push in the right direction. It's also not saying you need it. There are plenty of people who have defied all the odds and turned a tough start into a very prosperous life. It's just much easier when you get off to a good start so that when decisions start falling solely on your shoulders, you are ready to make the right choices.

I think that this video question brings up a really interesting observation that I've never really given any thought. For starters, the biggest reason why it's sometimes awkward for white people to crack jokes about race is because white people have never found themselves in the "minority." Because of that, instead of it coming off as a meaningless joke, it sometimes seems as if the white person who made the remark was being disrespectful or racist. It kind of goes along with the idea that in order to speak about something questionable or controversial, you will only get respect if you have first-hand knowledge or experience with the subject matter. When an Asian comedian gets on stage and starts his set with a joke about Asian stereotypes, people laugh and giggle because they are under the impression that this person has gone through a personal experience where he or she was made fun of or discriminated against because they were Asian. When a white person gets up on stage and starts with a joke about how black people, people are kind of taken aback, and with good reason. As a white comedian, you can't speak of your first-hand experiences about being disliked or mistreated due to the color of your skin because it's not something that happens to a lot of white people. To put it simply, you have to earn the respect you get from your audience. If I go on stage and talk about how nice it is to be rich and drive expensive cars, people are going to see right through my front and know that I'm a fake. However, if I go up on stage and talk intelligently about something I know well, I will gain some credibility with my audience and eventually earn their respect. Another reason that is similar to the one I've already presented, is that people enjoy being able to relate to a comedian. If an Asian comedian goes on stage making Asian jokes, the people in the audience with a similar background will most likely be able to relate to the comedian and understand where he's coming from. In turn, they will enjoy his humor. On the other hand, the people in the audience that are white or from other races will also enjoy the humor because it will be about something they've already joked about or thought about. It's ultimately up to the comedian to build a good rapport with his or her audience, but being able to relate is one of the first step to being successful. In conclusion, people don't want to hear white people go on stage and talk about race because it's not something that they can truly wrap their heads around. Until you have walked a mile in another race's shoes, you can't really make too many jokes about them.

I think that this video question brings up a really interesting observation that I've never really given any thought. For starters, the biggest reason why it's sometimes awkward for white people to crack jokes about race is because white people have never found themselves in the "minority." Because of that, instead of it coming off as a meaningless joke, it sometimes seems as if the white person who made the remark was being disrespectful or racist. It kind of goes along with the idea that in order to speak about something questionable or controversial, you will only get respect if you have first-hand knowledge or experience with the subject matter. When an Asian comedian gets on stage and starts his set with a joke about Asian stereotypes, people laugh and giggle because they are under the impression that this person has gone through a personal experience where he or she was made fun of or discriminated against because they were Asian. When a white person gets up on stage and starts with a joke about how black people, people are kind of taken aback, and with good reason. As a white comedian, you can't speak of your first-hand experiences about being disliked or mistreated due to the color of your skin because it's not something that happens to a lot of white people. To put it simply, you have to earn the respect you get from your audience. If I go on stage and talk about how nice it is to be rich and drive expensive cars, people are going to see right through my front and know that I'm a fake. However, if I go up on stage and talk intelligently about something I know well, I will gain some credibility with my audience and eventually earn their respect. Another reason that is similar to the one I've already presented, is that people enjoy being able to relate to a comedian. If an Asian comedian goes on stage making Asian jokes, the people in the audience with a similar background will most likely be able to relate to the comedian and understand where he's coming from. In turn, they will enjoy his humor. On the other hand, the people in the audience that are white or from other races will also enjoy the humor because it will be about something they've already joked about or thought about. It's ultimately up to the comedian to build a good rapport with his or her audience, but being able to relate is one of the first step to being successful. In conclusion, people don't want to hear white people go on stage and talk about race because it's not something that they can truly wrap their heads around. Until you have walked a mile in another race's shoes, you can't really make too many jokes about them.

I think that this video question brings up a really interesting observation that I've never really given any thought. For starters, the biggest reason why it's sometimes awkward for white people to crack jokes about race is because white people have never found themselves in the "minority." Because of that, instead of it coming off as a meaningless joke, it sometimes seems as if the white person who made the remark was being disrespectful or racist. It kind of goes along with the idea that in order to speak about something questionable or controversial, you will only get respect if you have first-hand knowledge or experience with the subject matter. When an Asian comedian gets on stage and starts his set with a joke about Asian stereotypes, people laugh and giggle because they are under the impression that this person has gone through a personal experience where he or she was made fun of or discriminated against because they were Asian. When a white person gets up on stage and starts with a joke about how black people, people are kind of taken aback, and with good reason. As a white comedian, you can't speak of your first-hand experiences about being disliked or mistreated due to the color of your skin because it's not something that happens to a lot of white people. To put it simply, you have to earn the respect you get from your audience. If I go on stage and talk about how nice it is to be rich and drive expensive cars, people are going to see right through my front and know that I'm a fake. However, if I go up on stage and talk intelligently about something I know well, I will gain some credibility with my audience and eventually earn their respect. Another reason that is similar to the one I've already presented, is that people enjoy being able to relate to a comedian. If an Asian comedian goes on stage making Asian jokes, the people in the audience with a similar background will most likely be able to relate to the comedian and understand where he's coming from. In turn, they will enjoy his humor. On the other hand, the people in the audience that are white or from other races will also enjoy the humor because it will be about something they've already joked about or thought about. It's ultimately up to the comedian to build a good rapport with his or her audience, but being able to relate is one of the first step to being successful. In conclusion, people don't want to hear white people go on stage and talk about race because it's not something that they can truly wrap their heads around. Until you have walked a mile in another race's shoes, you can't really make too many jokes about them.