en-us https://www.intensedebate.com/users/3534591 Comments by crm5323 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/12/02/voices-from-the-classroom-88/#IDComment231962823 The question of affirmative action and if it should still be in existence is an interesting one. When you think about the people that are typically in the top executive positions, they are white males with conservative views. To me I feel like if it were up to them they would have all males with the same views employed at their corporations. I feel like they would only hire people in which they knew and keep businesses in their families, causing a serious economic issue. This would cause many women to be out of jobs and minorities to not even have a chance. I don’t think that affirmative action exists today for the same reasons that it did back in the day when it was created. I think that now it allows for different view points to enter the working force that would not normally be there. I think that back in the day it was to force people to give African Americans access to certain rights of employment and assistance. Affirmative action makes it so that now people do not get jobs solely on who they know and do not know. I am pretty sure that most people would rather hire someone they know just out of respect and comfort if affirmative action did not exist. I know during class Sam said that affirmative action benefits white people the most and I would happen to agree because they are the majority and do have more access to better education the would allow them to benefit for this more. I do think that underrepresented groups do get a great benefit from this as well because typically they would not be considered for a job or assistance. Sam also said the women get a great benefit from affirmative action as well and I would agree to this claim. I do think that men would keep themselves in high positions and women would not get a chance to show their worthiness to the position without affirmative action due to the fact that males can be egotistical. I do agree that with the majority becomes the minority that affirmative action will no longer be necessary. I say this because things will be more evened out with Whites, Latinos, Hispanics, Blacks, Native Americans, and Arabs. Sat, 3 Dec 2011 03:44:32 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/12/02/voices-from-the-classroom-88/#IDComment231962823 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/11/15/voices-from-the-classroom-78/#IDComment225504905 The scandal that has hit Penn State is one that questions the morals and ethics of all parties involved. Though the story is still unfolding, the initial shock brings up many questions from students, faculty, alumni, and the media. All these questions revolve around what the “right” thing to do was. The major players in this scandal are Sandusky, Curely, McQueary, Paterno, Spanier, Schultz, the board of trustees, and a hand full of Penn State students and local people. Sandusky is the man who has been indicted for forty counts, Curely and Schultz have been charged with making false statements, Paterno and Spanier were made aware of the allegations, the board of trustees fired Paterno and Spanier, and a hand full of Penn State students and local people rioted. This is just a general over view of all the players in the events of the week that rocked Penn State. To further the question of morality and ethics, the board of trustees needed to take a further look into the matter, though they were aware of the allegations before hand. They decided to fire Spanier and Paterno, but leave Curley on staff. After this decision, Penn State students and people from the town went out and rioted as a reaction to what the board of trustees had decided. I do not believe that the rioters were just as wrong as the board of trustees because the board of trustees caused the reaction. It was not the decision which was wrong, but more so the way they went about announcing their decision and the poor communication between Penn Staters and administration. The board made their decision for the good of the whole and so that Penn State as an institution would look like they are taking action. These events and the question of morality and ethics made me realize that our social system can some times hinder our judgements. When you look at all the players in this scandal you start to wonder, what was everyone afraid of? They could have been scared of losing there jobs by keeping something this large under raps, but in the long run they ended up losing so much more, the respect from their peers and the world in that case. I believe as Penn State students we realized that one’s act or inaction can bring shame to many and even more shame to one’s self. This has taught me personally to stand up for something I believe to be wrong regardless of what repercussions may supersede. This also taught me that we are all human and one cannot place anyone on a pedestal, because they can fall right off. It has also taught me that We Are Penn State and we will get through this scandal together! Tue, 22 Nov 2011 05:00:08 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/11/15/voices-from-the-classroom-78/#IDComment225504905 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/11/10/voices-from-the-classroom-73/#IDComment220619686 At this point and time I can say that I have no idea what I should be feeling. Many people on this campus have opinions on the situation, but I cannot say that I fully understand all the facts and decisions. I can say from a legal stand point innocent until proven guilty, but clearly its not that simply here. Not to mention that this have been an on going investigation that has just hit us as a campus by storm. I think that I am frustrated with not knowing how to feel about the situation. When people comment on the child abuse situation and group the whole university as pedophiles, I am able to provide a response. One individual does not speak for a whole university, especially since all of the students that attend the university now were not here when the actual abuse took place. When people comment on how students have responded to Joe Paterno’s release from the university as head football coach, I have no response except this is still my school and I love it regardless of what people say. I may not agree to the response, because it has given the media material to depict us as a strictly football based university. This depiction makes me feel embarrassed and disappointed in my peers, because we all try to prove that we are not just an athletic based university, yet they showed otherwise with the riot. These actions also scare me because when media places you in a certain light it is very hard to stray way from what they have created. Though I was not outside with everyone, I am still a Penn State student and the first this someone is going to ask is, “Why did you riot?” or “So you care more about Joe Pa than you do about the children?” The fact that Penn State is on TMZ right now is appalling to me. I think that the media and others outside of the Penn State community are misinformed on who we are as a university. We do care about the survivors of the situation, we do care about the children, and we do believe that there are people other then the perpetrator that need to be punished for the situation. For me personally I am upset about how quickly everything has unravelled and how some of the decisions are made to try and please the media and public outside of Penn State. I do not think that this situation is going to affect my future after I leave Penn State. I think it will just be a conversation starter, since it is a situation that is not easily understood outside of the Penn State community. Fri, 11 Nov 2011 23:19:38 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/11/10/voices-from-the-classroom-73/#IDComment220619686 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/11/01/voices-from-the-classroom-59/#IDComment217079679 If I were around a group of people speaking another language, honestly, yes this would bother me. This bothers me because I am unable to understand what they are saying and if it is directed towards me. I find things that I am unable to understand or is difficult to understand a threat. Then again this is just human instinct. We are cautious, curious, and scared of things that we do not understand. It is funny that I would say that it bothers me when I hear other people speaking different languages, since I myself speak another language. Since I am able to understand and comprehend what people are saying in my language I do not find it odd or annoying when I hear other people speaking it. Many would say, “Oh, this is a contradicting statement.” I would stay that this is how every one of us think. When we are in other countries they look at us as if we are speaking in tongues if they have never heard, or barely hear the language, they are probably a bit confused and upset as well. They might even be thinking, “Why aren’t you speaking my language? Is something wrong with it?” I then think that we are all just selfish and want everyone to be on the same page for our own sake. I think that we do not like to be out of the loop so other languages bother us when spoken. For instance if you are talking to a group of friends and all of a sudden the two of them break the conversation to tell each other something in Spanish. You do not know Spanish, so this automatically make you feel uncomfortable and left out. It is not that you are annoyed or do not want to hear another language it is just that you do not feel accepted and like you do not fit in. Language is on of those things we use to communicate with one another, so it becomes frustrating when you are unable to communicate with someone. Different languages cause barriers between people. Knowing two languages I see this in my own household and family. For my grandmother to go to the doctor one of her children or grandchildren must go with her so that the doctor and her are able to communicate effectively and nothing goes wrong during her doctor’s appointment. It becomes difficult to articulate what you want and need done when their is language in the way. Luckliy enough for Americans that most everyone learns English in their countries so that they are capable of communicating with a common language, but let us not forget that language is also significant to one’s culture. Sat, 5 Nov 2011 01:15:42 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/11/01/voices-from-the-classroom-59/#IDComment217079679 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/10/27/voices-from-the-classroom-55/#IDComment213639013 Immigration. Who created the term? Who felt as though people didn’t have the right to move to other places by free will, just for a change, or for a better life. I understand the concept of trying to keep track of where people are for censuses and other things of that nature, but immigrant though. The term makes you feel like you do not belong and shouldn’t be here. Worst is illegal alien. Sounds like you’re not even human anymore and your traditions and culture are just not recognized period. Why must we make ourselves seem more important than other’s that have decided to move? I guess we just need terms to justify what is going on and we tend to find the words that make others feel the worst about moving. Though I do not agree with the terminology, I do believe that immigration, illegal or legal, is a good thing. I think that it provides diversity to those that are simple minded or that are not in diverse areas, which would be most places if there were a lack of immigration. I think that this is especially a good thing in the United States because we are all immigrants if you think about it. Every ethnicity that has tried to make their way into the U.S, besides the pilgrims, have dealt with hatred and lack of acceptance, yet have all learned and grown from these adversities. These growth have made the U.S what it is today. People do not just come here because they think its just a great place, they come here knowing that with hard work and over coming adversities they will find there place here, or create a place for themselves. Illegal immigration is something that some Americans do not agree with, but for some people there is no other way. For some people they much rather die trying to find a better way of life than settle for less. This kind of determination should be acknowledged by those that disagree with illegal immigration. This determination is what helps the U.S to be a power house throughout the world. I also see the view point of others about the lack of resources within the country for those that are already here. This might be true, but how to you really turn away people that have been exiled from their countries or have other circumstances. I think that we should be allowed to move to any area and any country. Land is not anyone’s property though we have come to think so. Fri, 28 Oct 2011 23:24:33 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/10/27/voices-from-the-classroom-55/#IDComment213639013 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/10/20/voices-from-the-classroom-49/#IDComment210611241 I think that the idea of Historically Black Colleges or Universities (HBCUs) was a good idea at the time they were created. I understand that they were created to educate young black men and women who where not allowed to attend other universities due to the segregation laws especially in the South. I feel as though many great black people and organizations came from these HBCUs, which were necessary at the time. I think the fact that these colleges and universities emphasis the black/African American culture is a positive thing since you rarely do get the black/African American history in the U.S. I think an HBCU is a different world in itself, but not the world. I do not think that an HBCU prepares you for what the real world actually is. I think that in some ways it renders success. Don’t get me wrong I am of black decent, being Haitian and Dominican, and sometimes I wish I went to an HBCU, but only on the weekends. I think that at any university there should be diversity, so that you are able to expand your horizons if you desire to. An HBCU only gives you on aspect of the world. I would say this about any university or college dedicated to just one specific racial or ethnic group. The main reason why I think HBCUs do not set you up for a real world experience is because you as a black or African American feel as though you are the majority. This is not true in the real world. You are part of the minority, with the elite being of white decent. There are not many black owned corporations so you may end up working under many people from the majority and this may have and HBCU graduate feel uncomfortable. I think the colleges and universities now and days should play a role in removing the racial thoughts in our minds to help us better get to know the individual despite their race or culture. I think that HBCUs in a way can promote against this growth. Though HBCUs are not a true representation of what the real world is, if you are coming from a mainly white area as a black or African American person then this may just prepare you for the world by pushing you out of your comfort zone. So I think that it all depends on the situation and the person. An HBCU may also be helpful in the real world because the bonds between the students are greater than they would be at say a school like Penn State, where students seem to separate themselves by race and ethnicity through organizations. Fri, 21 Oct 2011 18:30:37 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/10/20/voices-from-the-classroom-49/#IDComment210611241 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/10/13/voices-from-the-classroom-45/#IDComment207560505 I think that race has a lot to do with how we view the world has a whole, but on an individual level, I think it differs. As a whole when we stereotype groups of people, I think that minorities are more aware of the would in which they live in. I think the majority is incapable of seeing the differences in treatment of the minority at times, because they themselves have not been the minority under any circumstance. Due to this difference I think that as an individual my race does influence how I view the world as a whole. I think that seeing a limited number of people with your race or skin color in powers of position, makes me think that I have to work ten times harder then my peers that are white. My race makes me think that the world will not except me without having MD or PhD at the end of my name, because I am looked at as the minority, the none important factor of the world. My race makes me think that the world is unfair when it comes to crises in minority areas. I say this because I have seen the U.S in particular help countries that are beneficial to them and these countries rarely include minority countries. Though my race has an impact on how I view the world, I also think it has to deal with my upbringing. I was raised by parents that came straight from Haiti and there mindset is different compared to those of African Americans. They do not think that anyone owes them anything because of the slavery that occurred in their country, rather they think that they have to be better then what the majority believe them to be. I also think that my race make me more appreciative of the world. I think this because I know that nothing is going to be just handed to be because of my race, but rather because I have worked hard enough to get it. I think that my race overall makes me see the world as unfair, but changing. I don’t think that the majority can say that to a very large extent because they might feel as though that they are doing their part of accommodating the minority in their world. I think that overall race does affect how anyone views the world. Your race is the first think someone can decipher about you without even saying a word. Due to the physical differences in the world the human mentality is to select what the believe is the best. In our society darker skin is just not the proper physical feature. Fri, 14 Oct 2011 20:32:53 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/10/13/voices-from-the-classroom-45/#IDComment207560505 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/10/06/voices-from-the-classroom-36/#IDComment204638357 Women are entitled to the freedom of expression just as males are. The way a person dresses does not necessarily tell the whole story about the person. Clothing is simply a way to cover up and provide self expression. Clothing should not dictate how someone should be treated, yet we as a society cannot help but make assumptions off of first impressions. This is the exact reason why we make clothing to fit genders rather then just for coverage. Think about babies, you automatically think that the baby wearing blue is a boy and the baby wearing pink is a girl where this may not necessarily be true. So why is there so much emphasis on what someone wears and how they are treated? I think that we need that visual to figure out how to act towards someone to make us feel some kind of comfort. Think about when men dress in drag, other men would hit on the man think this has to be a female since the person is in a dress. We need those schemas so things make sense to us. Due to this we automatically look at a female who is wearing a short skirt and a crop top with heels and say she has to be a whore or skank. This same woman could be a mother, wife, or sister simply going out to have a good evening with friends. Why does she have to be perceived in such a negative light? Then some people would beg to differ and say you would not go to a job interview baggy pants and expect to get respect and that goes the say way for females simply walking down the street. Then again I think that woman just don’t want to be objectified by men. They want to just get dressed and simply look good for themselves. Half the time when a female gets dressed they are actually getting dressed for other women. Women don’t get dressed to get attention from males, yet males seem to be the main ones judging. All in all women want to be treated like ladies no matter what they have on because it is simply a form of expression and does not show who they are as individuals. So with that being said get to know the woman and look past what she has on. Sat, 8 Oct 2011 03:57:17 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/10/06/voices-from-the-classroom-36/#IDComment204638357 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/09/27/voices-from-the-classroom-26/#IDComment201603524 I personally believe in most stereotypes. I say this being a black female that I do think I am loud. I don’t think that it has to be all the time but I think that it does come out in every black female. Someone can easily argue and say that white females are loud as well, but you see it predominately in black female. I say that I believe in most stereotypes because they stem from some kind of truth. The stereotype that all white people will pet a dog when they see one, Asian people can’t drive, if a black men is walking down the street he is likely to rob you, of Jewish people are cheap. These are some stereotypes that come to mind that I have found to be some what true and false. Some are things that have just evolved from racism, like that all black men are trying to rob someone. Some people just look at race or skin color and automatically think they know what to think of them or what they are about. This is something I do not believe. I more so believe that if I continuously see a stereotypes then it is true. Sat, 1 Oct 2011 03:58:45 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/09/27/voices-from-the-classroom-26/#IDComment201603524 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/09/20/everyone-respond-to-this/#IDComment197639204 This project actually frustrates me. Being Haitian myself there are many things that I already know about the country and why it has not advanced in like other countries in the West Indies. With Haiti being the first black country to declare its independence many factors have put the country in last place. Like explained in class about the rice and farmers this happens with just about every material. The country has been left to depend on outside forces and is unable to function on its own. The country that has had the most influence on rendering Haitians helpless is the United States more than any other country. When watching the videos on the individual entrepreneurs I wasn’t surprised one bit. There are people with ambitions and trying to improve the country’s economy, but are unable to due to the lack of resources and help. The video that struck out to me the most was the video on Euclid. Her story reminds me of any typical new up and coming designer or artist in the United States, the only difference is she is in a country where her clothing won’t go passed the borders of the country of Haiti. I also didn’t find it surprising that she was doing all of her work from her home and that her family was the only employees she had. I did wonder how and where she was getting her clothes and materials from. Could they be coming from local providers or from outside countries like the United States? My favorite entrepreneurial story was the Suze Fleuriza one. This business involves others helping her, and it also shows the magnitude of how poor yet resourceful the people are. It’s crazy how we have factories to pack and manufacture peanuts. When she said it took her maybe two or two and a half hours to get her supplies and it takes three to make a bag of peanuts, all I thought was no one here would ever do that. Haitian people have determination, but without the proper funds its always a constant struggle. Fri, 23 Sep 2011 20:52:43 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/09/20/everyone-respond-to-this/#IDComment197639204 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/09/15/voices-from-the-classroom-14/#IDComment193974966 Welfare is a term that has a lot of negative connotation behind it. People automatically think of poor people getting help from the government. More so they think poor black people taking from the government. Some people go so far to think that welfare is for immigrants stealing from the government. When asked exactly what welfare is, most people can’t really say. Welfare occurs in different ways. Welfare can be in monetary funds, health care, housing, and subsidies. These services and funds are not just provided by the government, though the government does cover most costs. Churches/religious groups and other nongovernmental organizations assist in welfare also. Welfare is given to people for various reasons such as, those who have become unemployed due to different circumstances like illness and injuries, the disabled, veterans, and the elderly. Now the question is does welfare discourage progress? I believe that welfare was put in place to actually encourage progress or at least allow people to progress. It’s purpose in my eyes was to allow people a chance to survive where there necessarily would not be one. In reference to they types of people found on welfare, the majority is typically poor white people. They are typically the on ones on welfare more often and for the longest amount of time. I think that a majority of minorities tend to not even know how to apply or what the benefits of welfare typically are. I do believe that when they do figure it out they try their best to use that as a starter and try to build a life for themselves and their family. Many that do this are typically immigrants. I think that welfare allows people to get on their feet so that they are capable of providing for themselves. I also think that some people tend to abuse welfare so that they to not have to progress and fend for themselves, then again that happens with many resources. People find ways to make things work to their advantage where they have to work less for what they want. Ultimately, don’t think that welfare discourages progress, in fact, I think it promotes progress full heartedly. As I previously stated, welfare gives people a chance that they would not have under circumstances such as becoming unemployed due to injuries. It allows them time to heal and get back into the job market so that they can do for themselves. Without welfare they would or could potential join the many on the streets. Fri, 16 Sep 2011 05:24:02 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/09/15/voices-from-the-classroom-14/#IDComment193974966 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/09/01/do-you-still-believe-in-evolution-and-superiority/#IDComment191757798 Evolution and superiority are two very interesting concepts. Evolution is defined as the change over time in one or more inherited traits found in populations of individuals. Superiority is defined as the state of feeling superior or better than another individual. The two may sound like they would go hand in hand, meaning that if you believe in one then you would believe in the other, but I think that is far from the case. I think the question should have been stated, “Do you believe in evolution or superiority?” Evolution is not something I personally believe in, but from biology’s stand point evolution and from the definition inherited traits that have changed over time, evolution looks viable. When you look at different regions of the world everyone consists of traits that allow them to survive in the particular area. As explained in class how some “black people” have kinky hair so they are able to hold in moisture to protect their brains in hot, dry climates and the different shapes of noses in relevance to the air they are breathing in. In reference to the evolutionary comparison of humans and chimpanzees, the primate which we are deemed being more closely related to, there are genetic codes that seem similar, yet we are so different. In this sense I do not believe that evolution exists. More so, I believe that there are so many different ways to organize DNA codes that eventually some repeat, but are never completely duplicated from species to species. In terms of superiority, I don’t believe that any person or groups of people are naturally superior then the next. I believe that superiority is a human mindset to try and create some kind of structure within their communities. In the definitions it is clearly written as a state of “feeling.” Animals do not walk around saying they feel anything so I believe that superior only exist within our culture and minds. We are the ones that look at animal kingdoms and pinpoint which animals we think are more superior than the next group, for them they are simply trying to survive the best way they instinctively know how to. When thinking about both of these terms and modern day and age I can say that I do believe in superiority within the human race because we need that “feeling” or comfort that we are better than someone else. I do not believe in evolution. I believe that we have now mixed our genes so much and moved to so many different areas of the world that we are just becoming a melting pot of different features that our ancestors would have only seen in certain areas of the world. Sat, 10 Sep 2011 02:51:35 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/09/01/do-you-still-believe-in-evolution-and-superiority/#IDComment191757798 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/08/26/what-do-you-want-to-know-before-its-all-over/#IDComment188578524 I would like to learn a lot from this class, but my main target is to learn from my peers within the discussion sessions. I have dealt with a wide variety of races and ethnicities coming from New York and I have been pushed out of my comfort zone going to high school in the Poconos, Pa. I am not concern in knowing the difference between race and ethnicity, but rather peoples opinions on the differences. Both race and ethnicity have distinct definitions to them, but I would like to learn how others interpret them. I would also like to understand why we all try to tip toe around being direct in fear of being discriminant or racist towards a person or a group of people. Is it that our past has dictated how we address each other and form relationships now? I would also like to go into why we stick with our own race and/or ethnicities? Are we just scared that we will not understand someone elses culture and background or is it just that we dont care to get to know who they are behind the mask which is their skin complexion? I want to know why white people allow others to joke at there expense and why black people think its okay for them to call each other the N word, but others are forbidden. I do want to understand how race and ethnicity go hand in hand or make the difference in groups of people. For example how West Indies and African dislike being called African American/black. Also why other race make a distinction to those born in the States and those born in the native country. What makes us make so many distinctions to define people as different and why? I want to know if other countries are like the U.S when it comes to race and ethnic relations. Are any countries better or worse than the U.S in terms of these relationships? I want to learn how media has an affect on how we think and why? I want to know if the way we think is simply through instinct or is it learned towards other races and ethnicities. I want to know why a certain racial group considers themselves the majority though they are becoming the minority? Is it because of who has more control within the government or does it depend on the actual population size? I want to know why that even a Penn State there is such a large gap between the race and ethnic groups that is very apparent when you walk out of the classroom? How come we are more open when we are children to accept people different from us? I want all these questions and more answered throughout this course. Thu, 1 Sep 2011 01:55:12 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/08/26/what-do-you-want-to-know-before-its-all-over/#IDComment188578524