en-us https://www.intensedebate.com/users/2430811 Comments by crazydreams http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/21/would-you-help-out-or-turn-away-immigrants-in-the-poor-situations-we-saw-them-in-and-why-119-blog/#IDComment145217957 It was truly upsetting to see immigrants starving and without food for days at a time. I can’t imagine what it must be like to go to sleep hungry at night. These people wait around all day for job opportunities and suffer from hunger. I know that if I were an immigrant who was once in this situation, I would want to help those that are going through the same struggles I went through. I would be able to relate to their feelings and problems and know exactly how to help. The man we saw in the video was truly inspiring. When he is not driving a school bus to make money, he is home cooking meals for the immigrants who do not have money to eat. He is so willing to put the needs of those people before his own. Time he could be spending relaxing and watching television is spent over the hot stove cooking meals. Not only does he provide the immigrants with meals, but he also provides them with comfort. The people know he is going to be at the same place every night. Selfless people like this can give the immigrants hope. The man in the video was once an immigrant himself, and now he is living in a home while working on the school bus. If he was able to make a life for himself, so can the other immigrants. However, they cannot do this without some help. There is only so much you can do when you are left with nothing. The immigrants will not be able to work effectively if they are suffering from hunger. This man is making a huge difference in the lives of many people, despite the fact that he does not make large sums of money. If he is able to do this, then so can a lot of other people. Some people would probably argue that they don’t have the resources or money, but I don’t think this is true for a lot of people. If we all just did a little something to help, it could make a huge impact on the lives of many people. Though some people might believe that the immigrants should not be in the United States, we need to remember that many of us are immigrants as well. If we were in the same situation as them, we would want someone to help us. I believe there are still many genuinely selfless people in this world that enjoy devoting their time and efforts to helping those that are less fortunate than them. I would like to make a personal goal for myself to give to those who are homeless and without food. After learning more about immigrants, I thought about what it would be like to be in their shoes and it makes me want to help people more. Fri, 22 Apr 2011 21:20:53 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/21/would-you-help-out-or-turn-away-immigrants-in-the-poor-situations-we-saw-them-in-and-why-119-blog/#IDComment145217957 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/12/is-nepotism-a-good-or-bad-thing-in-the-long-run-119-blog/#IDComment143195799 In the long run, I think nepotism is a bad thing. I feel that people should be hired for jobs because they are the most qualified applicants, not because they know someone who knows someone within the organization. It really isn’t fair that someone who is less qualified will get the job before a more qualified candidate just because they have a connection. People who have worked their whole lives to get to this point lose a great opportunity because of nepotism. I can honestly say that I have benefitted from nepotism, but I still do not believe that it is a good thing. Last summer, the only reason I got my internship was because of a connection my father had with the organization. I am certain that there was probably a more qualified student for the job, but my resume was given special attention because of the connection I had. In a way, I am happy I benefitted from nepotism. Nepotism allowed me to land my dream internship. But, on the other hand, did I really deserve to get the internship? Sure, I go to Penn State and work hard in my classes, but so do 40, 000 other students at Penn State. Someone who was more qualified than me probably had the same dream for their first internship, but they didn’t get the opportunity that I did. But, we can we do to end nepotism? Networking and having connections is what is emphasized most at job fairs and resume workshops. Professors and advisors at all colleges encourage students to really get to know some of their professors well so that they will be able to have those connections after college. However, shouldn’t being a good, hard working student be encouraged just as much? Lately, more students focus on making connections more than acing their finals. It is possible that the students are “cheating” when it comes to getting jobs or internships through nepotism. I agree that it is important to get to know your professors, but educators should also push their students to perform well academically. Even if a person has a connection within an organization, it does not necessarily guarantee them the position. And if they go to get a job with an organization that they have no connection with, they are really in trouble if their resume is not impressive. It is clear that life isn’t fair, and there really isn’t much we can do to end nepotism. I know many people view nepotism as a good thing, but just think about the qualified people who are unemployed because of nepotism. I don’t know about everyone else, but I would feel much better getting a job that I earned rather than one that was handed to me. Fri, 15 Apr 2011 19:20:58 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/12/is-nepotism-a-good-or-bad-thing-in-the-long-run-119-blog/#IDComment143195799 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/05/do-you-think-sam-was-right-in-saying-this-will-be-the-best-lecture-of-the-year-119-blog/#IDComment141134371 Putting myself in the shoes of the middle easterners did change my views on the war in Iraq. This whole time, I have been viewing us as the “good guys” and the middle easterners as the “bad guys.” After the September 11th terrorist attacks, I felt that it was necessary for us to go over to the middle east and get them back for what they did to us. However, after the Christian Invaders lecture, my thoughts have changed into something completely different. The people living in Iraq are just as scared as the people in the U.S. I can’t even imagine what they must be feeling with all of our soldiers over there killing their people. Some of the people being killed are innocent bystanders who have nothing to do with this conflict. Personally, I don’t really think that fighting a war solves any problems. It has been years and our soldiers are still over there fighting. I’m not entirely sure why the terrorists who attacked us hated us so much, but fighting and killing is only making the situation worse. Though there are some middle easterners that do not like us, I feel that most of them do. As seen in the lecture, some of them need and want our help. This class truly changed me. I feel like I can’t “hate” them anymore. Now that I actually understand both sides of the issue, I can’t say that we are completely right in what we are doing. How would we react if a bunch of soldiers came onto our land and started killing innocent bystanders? We cannot blame them for fighting back. Yes, the terrorist attacks were devastating, but not all of the Middle East was responsible for them. Through all of this, I have learned that you can’t form opinions about a group of people until you understand who they are and what they are going through. We are always focusing on ourselves as Americans. We need to start thinking about the Middle Easterners and what they are feeling. We responded to the terrorist attacks before really thinking about these things. I think Sam was right in saying that this was the best class of the semester. It definitely opened my eyes to things I never considered. I was so affected by the class that I even called my parents to tell them what I learned. The situation in Iraq is very complicated and I think the only way things will change is if peace is made. But, we live in a world that is far from perfect and I guess that is wishful thinking. But, part of me wants to believe that problems can be fixed without war. Sat, 9 Apr 2011 01:23:37 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/05/do-you-think-sam-was-right-in-saying-this-will-be-the-best-lecture-of-the-year-119-blog/#IDComment141134371 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/05/after-this-class-do-you-still-blame-terrorism-119-blog/#IDComment141134218 Putting myself in the shoes of the middle easterners did change my views on the war in Iraq. This whole time, I have been viewing us as the “good guys” and the middle easterners as the “bad guys.” After the September 11th terrorist attacks, I felt that it was necessary for us to go over to the middle east and get them back for what they did to us. However, after the Christian Invaders lecture, my thoughts have changed into something completely different. The people living in Iraq are just as scared as the people in the U.S. I can’t even imagine what they must be feeling with all of our soldiers over there killing their people. Some of the people being killed are innocent bystanders who have nothing to do with this conflict. Personally, I don’t really think that fighting a war solves any problems. It has been years and our soldiers are still over there fighting. I’m not entirely sure why the terrorists who attacked us hated us so much, but fighting and killing is only making the situation worse. Though there are some middle easterners that do not like us, I feel that most of them do. As seen in the lecture, some of them need and want our help. This class truly changed me. I feel like I can’t “hate” them anymore. Now that I actually understand both sides of the issue, I can’t say that we are completely right in what we are doing. How would we react if a bunch of soldiers came onto our land and started killing innocent bystanders? We cannot blame them for fighting back. Yes, the terrorist attacks were devastating, but not all of the Middle East was responsible for them. Through all of this, I have learned that you can’t form opinions about a group of people until you understand who they are and what they are going through. We are always focusing on ourselves as Americans. We need to start thinking about the Middle Easterners and what they are feeling. We responded to the terrorist attacks before really thinking about these things. I think Sam was right in saying that this was the best class of the semester. It definitely opened my eyes to things I never considered. I was so affected by the class that I even called my parents to tell them what I learned. The situation in Iraq is very complicated and I think the only way things will change is if peace is made. But, we live in a world that is far from perfect and I guess that is wishful thinking. But, part of me wants to believe that problems can be fixed without war. Sat, 9 Apr 2011 01:22:43 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/05/after-this-class-do-you-still-blame-terrorism-119-blog/#IDComment141134218 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/05/did-putting-yourself-in-the-shoes-of-the-middle-easterners-change-your-views-on-the-war-in-iraq-119-blog/#IDComment141134034 Putting myself in the shoes of the middle easterners did change my views on the war in Iraq. This whole time, I have been viewing us as the “good guys” and the middle easterners as the “bad guys.” After the September 11th terrorist attacks, I felt that it was necessary for us to go over to the middle east and get them back for what they did to us. However, after the Christian Invaders lecture, my thoughts have changed into something completely different. The people living in Iraq are just as scared as the people in the U.S. I can’t even imagine what they must be feeling with all of our soldiers over there killing their people. Some of the people being killed are innocent bystanders who have nothing to do with this conflict. Personally, I don’t really think that fighting a war solves any problems. It has been years and our soldiers are still over there fighting. I’m not entirely sure why the terrorists who attacked us hated us so much, but fighting and killing is only making the situation worse. Though there are some middle easterners that do not like us, I feel that most of them do. As seen in the lecture, some of them need and want our help. This class truly changed me. I feel like I can’t “hate” them anymore. Now that I actually understand both sides of the issue, I can’t say that we are completely right in what we are doing. How would we react if a bunch of soldiers came onto our land and started killing innocent bystanders? We cannot blame them for fighting back. Yes, the terrorist attacks were devastating, but not all of the Middle East was responsible for them. Through all of this, I have learned that you can’t form opinions about a group of people until you understand who they are and what they are going through. We are always focusing on ourselves as Americans. We need to start thinking about the Middle Easterners and what they are feeling. We responded to the terrorist attacks before really thinking about these things. I think Sam was right in saying that this was the best class of the semester. It definitely opened my eyes to things I never considered. I was so affected by the class that I even called my parents to tell them what I learned. The situation in Iraq is very complicated and I think the only way things will change is if peace is made. But, we live in a world that is far from perfect and I guess that is wishful thinking. But, part of me wants to believe that problems can be fixed without war. Sat, 9 Apr 2011 01:21:46 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/05/did-putting-yourself-in-the-shoes-of-the-middle-easterners-change-your-views-on-the-war-in-iraq-119-blog/#IDComment141134034 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/05/did-putting-yourself-in-the-shoes-of-the-middle-easterners-change-your-views-on-the-war-in-iraq-119-blog/#IDComment141133915 Putting myself in the shoes of the middle easterners did change my views on the war in Iraq. This whole time, I have been viewing us as the “good guys” and the middle easterners as the “bad guys.” After the September 11th terrorist attacks, I felt that it was necessary for us to go over to the middle east and get them back for what they did to us. However, after the Christian Invaders lecture, my thoughts have changed into something completely different. The people living in Iraq are just as scared as the people in the U.S. I can’t even imagine what they must be feeling with all of our soldiers over there killing their people. Some of the people being killed are innocent bystanders who have nothing to do with this conflict. Personally, I don’t really think that fighting a war solves any problems. It has been years and our soldiers are still over there fighting. I’m not entirely sure why the terrorists who attacked us hated us so much, but fighting and killing is only making the situation worse. Though there are some middle easterners that do not like us, I feel that most of them do. As seen in the lecture, some of them need and want our help. This class truly changed me. I feel like I can’t “hate” them anymore. Now that I actually understand both sides of the issue, I can’t say that we are completely right in what we are doing. How would we react if a bunch of soldiers came onto our land and started killing innocent bystanders? We cannot blame them for fighting back. Yes, the terrorist attacks were devastating, but not all of the Middle East was responsible for them. Through all of this, I have learned that you can’t form opinions about a group of people until you understand who they are and what they are going through. We are always focusing on ourselves as Americans. We need to start thinking about the Middle Easterners and what they are feeling. We responded to the terrorist attacks before really thinking about these things. I think Sam was right in saying that this was the best class of the semester. It definitely opened my eyes to things I never considered. I was so affected by the class that I even called my parents to tell them what I learned. The situation in Iraq is very complicated and I think the only way things will change is if peace is made. But, we live in a world that is far from perfect and I guess that is wishful thinking. But, part of me wants to believe that problems can be fixed without war. Sat, 9 Apr 2011 01:21:00 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/05/did-putting-yourself-in-the-shoes-of-the-middle-easterners-change-your-views-on-the-war-in-iraq-119-blog/#IDComment141133915 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/05/did-putting-yourself-in-the-shoes-of-the-middle-easterners-change-your-views-on-the-war-in-iraq-119-blog/#IDComment141133823 Putting myself in the shoes of the middle easterners did change my views on the war in Iraq. This whole time, I have been viewing us as the “good guys” and the middle easterners as the “bad guys.” After the September 11th terrorist attacks, I felt that it was necessary for us to go over to the middle east and get them back for what they did to us. However, after the Christian Invaders lecture, my thoughts have changed into something completely different. The people living in Iraq are just as scared as the people in the U.S. I can’t even imagine what they must be feeling with all of our soldiers over there killing their people. Some of the people being killed are innocent bystanders who have nothing to do with this conflict. Personally, I don’t really think that fighting a war solves any problems. It has been years and our soldiers are still over there fighting. I’m not entirely sure why the terrorists who attacked us hated us so much, but fighting and killing is only making the situation worse. Though there are some middle easterners that do not like us, I feel that most of them do. As seen in the lecture, some of them need and want our help. This class truly changed me. I feel like I can’t “hate” them anymore. Now that I actually understand both sides of the issue, I can’t say that we are completely right in what we are doing. How would we react if a bunch of soldiers came onto our land and started killing innocent bystanders? We cannot blame them for fighting back. Yes, the terrorist attacks were devastating, but not all of the Middle East was responsible for them. Through all of this, I have learned that you can’t form opinions about a group of people until you understand who they are and what they are going through. We are always focusing on ourselves as Americans. We need to start thinking about the Middle Easterners and what they are feeling. We responded to the terrorist attacks before really thinking about these things. I think Sam was right in saying that this was the best class of the semester. It definitely opened my eyes to things I never considered. I was so affected by the class that I even called my parents to tell them what I learned. The situation in Iraq is very complicated and I think the only way things will change is if peace is made. But, we live in a world that is far from perfect and I guess that is wishful thinking. But, part of me wants to believe that problems can be fixed without war. Sat, 9 Apr 2011 01:20:28 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/05/did-putting-yourself-in-the-shoes-of-the-middle-easterners-change-your-views-on-the-war-in-iraq-119-blog/#IDComment141133823 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/31/if-we-lived-in-a-female-centered-world-what-words-would-be-used-to-describe-sex-119-blog/#IDComment139254720 Sex means something different for men than it does for women. For men, sex is mainly physical. The main purpose of sex for men is penetration to reach an orgasm. Men really aren’t focused on emotions when they have sex. Instead, they focus on physical pleasure. Conversely, women are the exact opposite. They like to feel more of an emotional connection than a physical one. Yes, women do like to feel physical pleasure, but sex is more than just an orgasm for women. For women, sex is usually meaningful. They feel an emotional connection to the person they are having sex with and sex further intensifies these feelings. Also, women aren’t always ‘ready to go’ like men are. It seems like a man is always ready to have sex, but sometimes a woman needs to be warmed up first. Women would rather spend some time with foreplay instead of just going straight for the sex. In a male centered world, sex is seen as very physical. It is an act solely done for the purpose of having an orgasm. In our present culture, people use words like “smush” and “bang” to describe sex. These words clearly do not carry any real emotion with them. In the male centered world, sex isn’t viewed as a special, sacred act between two people that love each other. Instead, it is viewed as something that it is done just for fun and sometimes even with a complete stranger. In a female centered world, sex would not be described as “boning” or “doing the nasty.” It would be described as “making love.” For women, sex is something that should be valued. To them, it should not be treated like it doesn’t have any emotional significance or importance. We cannot do anything about how men and women view sex. It is all natural. However, we can try and get men to better understand how women feel about sex. If they understood this, maybe they would begin to understand how a women’s mind works when it comes to sex. Men and women both need to learn to be considerate of the other person’s feelings. Men need to understand that women see sex as a very emotional experience. Women need to understand that men see sex as a very physical experience. If there is more communication related to this between men and women, then less cases of sexual assault will occur. We just need to have more discussions about sex. If people are comfortable with having sex, then they should be comfortable talking about it. If we continue to keep our mouths shut on this topic, miscommunication between partners will continue. To prevent this from happening, let’s talk about sex! Sat, 2 Apr 2011 01:35:28 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/31/if-we-lived-in-a-female-centered-world-what-words-would-be-used-to-describe-sex-119-blog/#IDComment139254720 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/22/for-the-white-females-would-you-ever-date-a-black-guy-119-blog/#IDComment137586641 As a white female, I can honestly say that I have no problems with dating a black guy. I have only dated white guys so far, but I am not opposed to dating a black guy. The area I grew up in was mainly white, so I never really had many opportunities to date a black guy. It was kind of hard to consider dating a black guy while living with my family because they were raised to believe that people should not date someone that is not the same race as them. So, throughout high school, I focused primarily on white guys. But, once I came to Penn State, I actually became more exposed to other races and felt more open to dating guys of a different race. Personally, I don’t really pay much attention to what guys look like anymore. What is most important to me is the guy’s personality and how they treat me. The color of someone’s skin should not have an impact on my dating decisions. A guy’s skin color has nothing to do with the type of person they are. As long as they don’t treat me badly, I will be more than happy to give someone a chance. I beginning to learn that you cannot judge someone based on his or her background. Stereotypes can be very wrong and we have a lot more in common with people of other races than we think we do. If people could just move past skin color, they might end up dating someone that is really good for them. Like I said earlier, I would like to try dating a black guy, but my family’s beliefs still concern me. I know that many of them would be against it and part of me wouldn’t want to risk losing my family. They mean the world to me and have been there for me through everything. If I really loved the guy, I would be willing to try and make it work. But, it definitely wouldn’t be easy. Some people are set in their ways and will not change their opinions no matter what you do. However, I like to believe that my family will always love and support me no matter what. I am their daughter and they know I would not do something that wasn’t right for me. I really don’t know what is in store for me as far as dating goes, but if I end up meeting a black guy who is the one for me, then skin color really won’t matter anymore. It is a decision everyone has to consider at some point. Maybe some people would be too afraid to try, but I think that if I wanted to, I could do it. Fri, 25 Mar 2011 22:48:43 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/22/for-the-white-females-would-you-ever-date-a-black-guy-119-blog/#IDComment137586641 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/18/what-do-you-think-of-the-diversity-at-penn-state-119-blog/#IDComment135973897 I think there is somewhat of a lack of diversity at Penn State. Pennsylvania is a primarily white area, so it does not surprise me too much. In addition, Penn State is a state school so a lot of PA students choose to attend Penn State. I feel like this kind of a bad aspect of the university. Yes, maybe white people are more comfortable around other white people, but we need to be able to experience interaction with other ethnic backgrounds or “races.” If we don’t do this, we won’t truly know what other cultures are out there. I think it is vital to be aware of other cultures and how people of those cultures view the world. If a sea of white people surrounds us, we typically pay more attention to stereotypes instead of getting to know people of different races. As we all know, not all stereotypes are true. It takes talking and conversation to truly get to know someone. If we don’t take the time to ask people about their backgrounds, we do not have the right to make assumptions about those people. A lot of us tend to assume because we are too scared to have a conversation about race. But people can’t continue to live in their own little world and ignore everything else out there. The issue of diversity did not impact my decision to attend Penn State. However, since I started going to school here, I have noticed a change in myself. Since my high school was mostly white and all of my friends were white, I didn’t really experience other races until I came to college. Since I have been at Penn State, I have met people of different races. Some are even international students from other countries. Through these friendships, I have learned more about what it is like to be something other than white. It is pretty interesting to see the world through someone else’s eyes. This week in lecture, we discussed feeling guilt for having white skin. I don’t believe that I feel guilty anymore for being white. I am comfortable with who I am as long as I am able to somewhat understand what it is like to be a person of color. I have no control over what color skin I have, but I do have control over my actions and my beliefs. I do not wish to be racist towards anyone. There is no reason for that. If a person is willing to understand another person’s race or background without judging or making assumptions, then there is no reason why that person should feel guilty. We all just need to take some time to think about these issues and confront them together. Sat, 19 Mar 2011 03:58:52 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/18/what-do-you-think-of-the-diversity-at-penn-state-119-blog/#IDComment135973897 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/09/what-would-make-this-guy-less-white/#IDComment134364971 The guy in the video does appear to be the quintessential white guy, but I’m having a difficult time discovering why. What makes him so different from black people or brown people? I do not think it is the way he is dressed. He is simply wearing a white polo shirt and jeans. A lot of people dress in this way. Yes, white people wear this clothing often, but so do people of other ‘‘races.’’ I do not believe that an outfit can make a person seem “more white.” However, I do think that the way he carries himself has a lot to do with him being seen as the quintessential white guy. He looks very plain and appears to talk in a clear and proper manner. He does not use any curse words or inappropriate language. In connection with this, there is a very awkward pause in the video. This awkward silence occurs after the man explains that the holster will hide your gun well because it holds the gun below your waistline. It seemed as if he were trying to make a joke when he said, “When’s the last time you caught yourself staring at someone else’s zipper?” I think this quote reveals why this guy is the quintessential white guy. He becomes very awkward and uncomfortable when he makes this joke. The comment he made somewhat references sex in the sense that one person is checking out another person. I believe there is a tendency for white men to feel uncomfortable when talking about anything sexual. I do not really understand why this is, but I feel like men who are this guy’s age where raised in a way that taught them to be more modest about this topic. Maybe sex was never really a part of any conversations growing up and that is why they feel uncomfortable talking about it as adults. My hypothesis could be completely wrong, but even on television and movies I have noticed that the typical white guy is portrayed as someone who is completely uncomfortable with sexual conversations. Maybe white guys just aren’t really that comfortable in their own skin. They seem to be unsure of themselves and always worried about doing or saying the right things. The quintessential white guy is intelligent, but lacks some confidence and self-esteem. When you lack confidence, you lack the ability to discuss topics that are relatively personal and awkward. It is kind of strange to think that the typical white guy is uncomfortable in his own skin when he is not a minority. White people have an advantage over people of color, so why are they so uncomfortable? I think it might take some more thinking for me to figure this one out. Sat, 12 Mar 2011 04:59:51 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/09/what-would-make-this-guy-less-white/#IDComment134364971 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/24/why-are-black-and-brown-people-more-expressive-of-their-problems-than-white-people-119-blog/#IDComment130736044 White people do not talk about their struggles as much as black and brown people do because they feel that they are not allowed to struggle. Because they are not a minority, they feel ashamed when they struggle financially. They automatically have an advantage over black and brown people because their skin is white. White people are trusted more and therefore receive more job opportunities. When people are able to get good jobs, they are better able to provide support for their families. Black and brown people have a harder time receiving job offers. Employers do not trust them as much as they trust white people. They tend to associate people of color with crime and drugs. The reality is that white people use drugs more than people of color do. In connection with this, employers will hire a white person with a criminal record before they will hire a black person without a criminal record. This both very shocking and disturbing. People are being treated unfairly just because of their skin color. This type of treatment is deeply harming people’s careers and lives. Because people of color wrestle with these issues everyday, some white people feel embarrassed to talk about their problems. They think that because they have white skin, they should never be in bad shape financially. To white people, it is probably seen as unacceptable to be worse off than a minority. They worry that they will experience humiliation and ridicule from other white people. Though we may have different skin colors, we all go through rough times in our lives. Some events that unfold before us are completely out of our control. Yes, if someone is very determined, they can probably get a job. But, for some people, it is a great struggle. In the end, we are all trying to find happiness and live a productive, successful life. We shouldn’t compare the severity of our struggles in relation to different races or skin color. The color of a person’s skin has nothing to do with their character or ability to succeed in life. When we watched the video in class, I did feel compassion for Tammy. Honestly, I would feel compassion for anyone in that kind of situation. The color of skin would not influence how I feel whatsoever. I believe that most people do not put themselves in that kind of situation and Tammy is trying to work hard to turn things around, even if she only works at Burger King. I admire her efforts to better herself and her family. Everyday is a struggle and a fight. All that any of us can do is just work hard and try to make it through the bad times. Sat, 26 Feb 2011 01:09:49 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/24/why-are-black-and-brown-people-more-expressive-of-their-problems-than-white-people-119-blog/#IDComment130736044 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/17/how-does-the-statement-in-the-video-from-class-make-you-feel-119-blog/#IDComment129041091 When the freed slave said, “you are eating my flesh,” I honestly felt terrible about myself. I am sure I wasn’t the only one who felt this way. Many of us were unaware of the fact that slavery is still present in today’s society. But, now that we are aware, I feel like we should do something to help end it. The slaves we watched in the video worked so hard and got nothing in return. From morning until night, they slave away in fields and never see any benefit. How is it possible that we are still allowing this to happen? It is truly awful to see people being forced to work all day and then punished if they refuse to do the work. In my mind, everyone should be treated the same. No one should feel like they are below someone else. When I witnessed how the slaves were being treated, I couldn’t help but feel guilty for purchasing and consuming chocolate. These slaves do all of this rigorous labor so that we can enjoy eating chocolate. When I was told to eat the second piece of chocolate after watching the video, I just couldn’t do it. Although Sam said we shouldn’t stop eating chocolate altogether, I couldn’t look at it the same way. It really got me thinking about all of the food and clothing I purchase. I found myself wondering how much of what I buy is a result of slavery. If someone told me the answer to that question, I am sure I would want to get rid of most of what I own. However, after thinking about the situation for a while, I came to realize that I couldn’t end slavery on my own by not eating chocolate anymore. But, what I can do is try to purchase fair trade products. It won’t end slavery altogether, but it is definitely a starting point. If we all began to consider this while shopping for our groceries, it could really make a difference. In addition, I think we should try to spread awareness of the slavery that is still occurring in the world today. Showing videos like the one we viewed in class would be very effective in getting people to think about the issue. If more people are aware of the issue, more people will be willing to help out. I know some people are set in their ways and will not stop purchasing chocolate that is product of slavery. But, some people will wrestle with the issue and decide to do what is right. There really isn’t a way to justify slavery. It is a crime to treat someone in that way and we should try to do whatever we can to bring this issue out of the darkness. Sat, 19 Feb 2011 04:38:51 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/17/how-does-the-statement-in-the-video-from-class-make-you-feel-119-blog/#IDComment129041091 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/10/how-can-we-make-major-decisions-so-quickly-119-blog/#IDComment127476056 This is a very hard question to answer and it really has me perplexed. Why do we make such hasty decisions without having both sides of the story? After hearing only one opinion, we tend to make one, definite choice and ignore the gray areas. However, the truth is that there is a gray area in almost every situation. Most of the time, the gray area is the right choice. For example, Professor Richards told us about a woman who got arrested for sending her black child to the wrong school. He showed us different headlines summarizing the story. Some of the headlines made it seem like the woman was a victim of racism, while others did not. It all depended on the word choice and usage. After seeing headlines that implied racism, the majority of the class said that the woman was a victim of racism with their clickers. However, after seeing other headlines and discussing the situation, the class flipped to the other side of the argument. But, Professor Richards argued that ‘C’ was the correct choice because even though the woman was a victim of racism, she still did something illegal. I don’t know why, but when I am in class I sometimes feel pressured to make a quick decision. I feel like we are not given enough time to fully process our thoughts when we answer clicker questions. I tend to rush so I can be sure that I submit an answer. But, this is wrong because I might end up choosing something that I don’t full-heartedly believe in. In talking about those headlines, I learned a very important thing about myself. I learned that I make hasty decisions when I feel that I am under pressure. In addition, I also tend to make choices without having all of the facts. There are two sides to every story and it is truly impossible to make a valid choice without knowing both of them. Furthermore, I have learned that it is ok to be unsure sometimes. In some situations, answers aren’t always so obvious. Most of the time, situations in life are not like math problems—there is not one definite answer. Maybe we just need to wander into the gray zone once and awhile. Life is complicated and there are so many different aspects in an issue. This can be very overwhelming for some people and I think we need to allow ourselves to explore all of the different arguments until we arrive at a decision that we are confident in. I believe that this sociology class will teach all of us how to avoid making quick, hasty decisions and truly think outside of the box. Sat, 12 Feb 2011 04:52:43 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/10/how-can-we-make-major-decisions-so-quickly-119-blog/#IDComment127476056 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/03/do-you-think-race-can-stop-being-an-issue-in-the-future-119-blog/#IDComment126060900 Although we are all virtually the same genetically, I believe race will remain an issue in the future. Some feel the need to categorize people based solely on the physical features that make them different from themselves. Regardless of how similar we really are, people make judgments based on skin color rather than who people are as human beings. This is really confusing to me. Why do we automatically jump to conclusions or isolate ourselves from certain people? Why can’t we just ignore race? After all, skin is just skin, and lips are just lips, and eyes are just eyes. We all have the same features that allow us to function; they just look a little different sometimes. Just because we have these little differences doesn’t mean we should treat each other differently. I think one of the main factors that cause problems when relating to race is stereotypes. Once we have these negative ideas in our minds, we associate them with skin color and race. For example, if one person continues to see black people connected to crimes on the news, they will begin to assume that all black people are “bad” or “dangerous.” The truth is that any one person is capable of committing a crime. Any person can be rude. Any person can be smart in some subjects and not so smart in others. Any person can be good at sports while another person is not athletic at all. When you really think about it, it’s all rather silly. There is no good reason why any of these groupings should continue. It causes more harm than anything else. People are just unfairly placed in categories that are usually completely unrelated to who they are. It can be seen as really offensive to a person if they are viewed in certain way that depicts them in a negative light. It was really interesting when Sam Richards had a black person and a white person stand next to each other in the class. He said that most people assume that a white person has more in common with another white person than they do with a black person. However, in reality, a white person might end up having more in common with the black person. Personally, this semester has caused me to really think outside the box. Relating to people of different backgrounds doesn’t have to be so hard. From now on, I’m going to focus less on the color of a person’s skin and more on what we have in common. It is really amazing how much of an impact this class has had on my life. I look at race in a completely different way now and I’m starting to gain a better understanding of race relations through getting all of the facts. Sat, 5 Feb 2011 03:12:02 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/03/do-you-think-race-can-stop-being-an-issue-in-the-future-119-blog/#IDComment126060900 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/27/why-do-we-need-to-be-politically-correct-119-blog/#IDComment124440868 I thought of the same exact question after we discussed political correctness in class. It is hard for me to decide whether or not political correctness is necessary or whether or not it even exists. The whole point of political correctness is to speak in a way that does not offend anyone. Many people always think twice before they speak around people of a different “race” than their own. They worry that they will call the person something they prefer not to be called. For example, should a person with black skin be called black, colored, or African American? There is no simple answer to that question. The problem with political correctness is that it means something different to everyone. Professor Richards shared an example with us in class. He said if you go to a restaurant with Spanish speaking employees and you order your food in Spanish, the employee might take it in one of two ways. The first possibility is that they would appreciate the fact that you know their language and chose to speak it to make their job easier for them. But, on the other hand, they might be offended because they might believe that you think they are incapable of speaking English. So, as human beings, what are we supposed to do? Since it is impossible for everyone to come to the same conclusion on what is considered politically correct for different groups of people, how are we supposed to talk or act? Well, after some thinking, I truly believe that there is no such thing as political correctness. There are too many differing views and/or preferences to form a concrete definition of what words are considered politically correct for certain people. I don’t think it’s a matter of what you say but how you say it. Instead of being concerned with what is politically correct, we should just use good judgment and show people respect. It really is not that difficult to just be courteous and treat other people the way you would like to be treated. If you really have to think hard about whether or not you should say something, then you probably just shouldn’t say it. I think we should just treat all people with the highest level of respect, regardless of their ethnicity or “race.” Personally, I think political correctness is just a scarier term to replace respect with. The term causes people to over think their word/language choices and results in a wave of uncertainty. This uncertainty could lead someone to blurt out something that they did not really want to say out of nervousness. To avoid all of this uncertainty, we should just ignore the term “political correctness” and just be nice to each other. Sat, 29 Jan 2011 00:30:34 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/27/why-do-we-need-to-be-politically-correct-119-blog/#IDComment124440868 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/18/what-do-you-think-blog-2/#IDComment122855496 This exercise was truly eye opening to me. Throughout my entire life, I have always believed that people can be divided into separate racial groups. Anytime I saw someone with dark skin, I assumed that they were African American. But, I now know that it is very wrong to make these assumptions. There are so many different ethnicities in this world and this makes it impossible to divide people into racial groups. A person may be a mix of Black and White. A person may be a combination of Arab and White. A person may appear to be from Peru, when they are from a completely different country. We all tend to judge people based on their physical characteristics without thinking about them as a person. Each person has a background that is unique to him or her and we do not acknowledge this. In a way, I think we try to divide people to make our world seem less complex. Instead of taking the time to understand a person’s background, we quickly place them in a category. In reality, race relations is a very complex topic. In these past two weeks, Professor Richards has taught me that there is no such thing as a racial group. There are too many differences among people to separate them into specific groups. If more people understood this, there would be less racism in the world. In class, Professor Richards mentioned that some people who are racist against black people actually have African blood. It is truly amazing how people can be so ignorant. What gives a person the right to just place someone in a group and judge them based on that placement? If racial groups don’t exist, then why are people still being judged based on the color of their skin? I don’t understand how the color of someone’s skin has anything to do with the kind of person they are. People get so caught up in stereotypes that they forget to stop and think about the person as an individual. It is bad enough that people quickly form judgments about race, but it is even worse when those judgments are incorrect. How would you feel if someone incorrectly identified you? Furthermore, how would you feel if that person looked down on you based on their personal views against your incorrectly identified background? We really need to stop separating people into groups. It does not do anyone good and it just creates issues between different races of people. Instead of trying to assume where someone is from, we should just ask him or her ourselves. I’m sure they would appreciate being asked and gladly tell you instead of automatically being labeled as a member of a group. Fri, 21 Jan 2011 21:55:53 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/18/what-do-you-think-blog-2/#IDComment122855496 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/10/last-name-%e2%80%9ck%e2%80%9d-%e2%80%93-intense-debate/#IDComment122806946 SOC 119 Fri, 21 Jan 2011 17:13:44 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/10/last-name-%e2%80%9ck%e2%80%9d-%e2%80%93-intense-debate/#IDComment122806946