I think that immigration is a very big issue that should be discussed in a lot of detail. In terms of money, immigrants are dirt poor. It is a fact that people need money to get a better life. New immigrants often times come with the clothes on their back and nothing else. How can they make a successful life for themselves with no money? They simply have nothing and they cannot make a good life for themselves with nothing.

I know this from personal experience because my parents are first generation immigrants from eastern Europe. My grandma used to clean houses in Louisville, Kentucky for $10. She told me stories about how she would spend an entire day working and sweating and she only made $10. This really hurt me, because it showed me how hard my parents and grandparents had to work to make ends meat. They did all of this to make a better life for me. I am very thankful for this, and I appreciate everything they have done for me.

I think that it is very important to help immigrants settle into the United States. Our country was founded on immigration and we must do what we can to make sure that immigrants settle successfully. It gets sticky when we talk about illegal immigration because these immigrants do not really belong in our country. Then again, since our country was founded on immigrants how can we say who can and who cannot come to our country? I think that we cannot and that we need to admit most people. The only people we should not admit are criminals.

I think that immigration is an idea that is almost unique to America and I think that we need to value our immigrants. America is the melting pot of the world and it is important to understand this. No other country is the same in that respect. We have to realize what we have as a country and learn to treasure our immigrants. Many Americans often have racist attitudes when it comes to immigrants. They think that immigrants are a bother and that anyone that is not white is inferior. These people need to put their beliefs to the side, look a little bit deeper in themselves, and realize that they are no better than immigrants. Most immigrants come to America with next to nothing, and it is not ok to put them out on their own. We need to help them adjust and do everything we can to help them adjust. All Americans immigrated at one point, and whether it was recently or a long time ago we should all try to relate. We need to accept everybody.

After attending the lecture on Thursday, I can honestly say that I can now put myself in the place of Arabs who are not opposed to terrorists. This is not to say that I support terrorism. Terrorism is evil, and people should not encourage others to murder, however many Arabs feel like they are left with no choice. When America invades a country for the sheer purpose of controlling their oil supply, what else are they left to do?
Putting myself in the place of the Arabs was much easier to do than I originally thought. It is very ethnocentric of me to look at the Arabs as terrorists without first thinking about why they might be terrorists. In all honesty, we are stealing their oil. How can they be happy about this? The United States has established the quota that 29 Iraqi civilians may die for each terrorist that is caught. How would the United States feel if Iraq was doing this to us? My guess is not very good.
I think that violence is a very bad solution for the current problem, but what other options do Iraqi’s have? We are acting violently towards them, so they feel that they can fight violently back. It is very sad that innocent American soldiers are dying every day in Iraq, and it is equally sad that innocent Iraqi civilians are dying every day in Iraq.
If the average American took more time to put themselves in the place of others, we would have a much more successful society. The reality is that everybody is ethnocentric and only sees things from their viewpoint, or the viewpoint that benefits them the most. This is a terrible reality. The viewpoint that helps the Iraqi terrorists the most is to kill innocent Americas, so it is wrong for us to say that our viewpoint is better than theirs.
Going to class on Thursday definitely awakened me. I think that it is important to educate Americans on these issues so that they are not just easily brainwashed by politicians. Education is the best way to reach people. Mob mentality will be the end of our society, and we do not want the common citizen to be brainwashed by information that is given to them by the media. If people are able to think for themselves and if they are able to take in a walk in the shoes of the enemy, our society could go places that it has never gone before. It is very sad that there are plenty of Americans who think that America can do no wrong and that it is God’s wish for us to destroy the Middle East. This is clearly wrong, and their views need to be changed

I think that it is absolutely ridiculous at how easily people get
offended, and this is proven through the video from cnn.com. There are
many terms that describe different races, and I think that people just
need to relax. Like Sam said, some black people still refer to
themselves as Negro and they would not know what to mark on the
Census. The Census is not a document made to please people. It is a
document to accurately count the population of America. People need to
put their feelings aside for a little bit and realize that the Census
has a purpose.
I think that this issue brings about a bigger issue that is evident
in the United States. People get offended way too easily. America is
obsessed with being politically correct, and it is simply ridiculous.
There are bigger problems in this world than political correctness.
There are starving children in Africa, and all over the world. Why are
we obsessed with calling black people, African Americans and Asians
Asian Americans? We should be able to simply call a black person black
because they are black. White people get called white all the time. If
peoples’ feelings did not get hurt our society would be much more
productive.
I understand that sensitivity is important, but people are overly
sensitive. Everything is good in moderation. Activists like Jesse
Jackson and Al Sharpton make the situation even worse when they call
everything racism. They love attention and they love to mudsling. I
think there are many more world issues that need to be solved instead
of calling everything racism.
All in all, the point I am trying to make is that the Census is a
form that is used to count American population. Demographers spent
years researching information to make this form. The terms they use
are used for a reason. If using Negro offends somebody in New York
City, but it is the term that certain Southern blacks use to identify
themselves than it does not matter. These people form New York should
get a life and move on. It is not the government’s job to make sure
that no one’s feelings get hurt. The Census is done for a purpose, not
to make everyone happy.
The people that are offended by the Census should use their time more
wisely, and solve world hunger. This is a much more pressing issue
than a word on the Census offending somebody. There are tons of
illiterate people in the world that cannot even read the Census. How
about teaching them how to read before getting offended? I think that
people should stop being sensitive and actually try to make a
difference in the world.

I think that there is a very big difference between Asians and Asian
Americans. I think that I am educated, but at the same time the
majority of Americans would probably not know the difference. I think
that most Americans are uneducated and do not know a lot about other
cultures. I think that there are many stereotypes in our culture about
Asians and these stereotypes need to be broken. The stereotype that
all Asians are foreign is very prevalent. I think this is because
Asians look different than most Americans, people construe them all as
foreign. However, many Asians were born in the United States and are
just as American as the next person.
It is extremely racist when a person thinks that all Asians are
foreign. Racism is, however, very prevalent in the United States. I
think that racism will never completely be wiped out, but education
could help very much with the issue. Educating young people about
different cultures is very important. Asians are just as American as
white people, and if this is taught to young children it could lead to
less racism when they are older.
I think that most Americans underestimate the importance of
education. Many Americans would be a lot less racist if they were
simply more educated. People that grow up in small towns across
America do not know anything about other cultures because they live in
a homogenous neighborhood. Everyone around them is white, so they only
know things about white people. They cannot be blamed for being
ignorant, because they do not know any better. They are vulnerable to
propaganda as well.
If Americans were more educated, I strongly believe that there would
be a lot less racism. It seems as though racism is everywhere, and
although we have made a lot of progress recently, there is still a
long way to go. Without Americans being proactive, we will never be
able to move forward as a society. A society that is racist will
always fail.. A good example is Nazi Germany. This is a classic
example of racism. Hitler wanted to exterminate all of the Jews. He
tried to but of course he failed. The rest of the world was not
receptive to his ideas, and luckily some people had morals. If people
did not have morals, Hitler could easily have exterminated every Jew
in the world. The thought of one person being able to exterminate an
entire race of people is sickening. Without education, this could
easily happen again. People need to know that everyone is equal and
that no race is inferior to another race. Through education, racism
can be stopped and the world can progress. Education is of utmost
importance.

After reading this article I am completely outraged that something like this would happen in our modern day and age. I am not from the South, nor have I ever been to Mississippi but I am outraged that a public school would ban two girls from going to prom together. I do not think that it is the school’s place to do that. A public school does not need to influence its students in that fashion. This is the parents place and the school is overstepping its boundary.
I think that it is very sad that the school feels the need to cancel senior prom because a girl plans to go with another girl and wear a tuxedo. If the school thinks that the students are not ready to see this, then these students should not graduate because they are not ready for the outside world. Our world today is very diverse and there are plenty of homosexuals. People should graduate high school anticipating that when they enter the real world they will be confronted with people that are different than themselves. What this school is teaching its students is that homosexuality is not acceptable. This is wrong.
I feel that the girl who was discriminated against should file a law suit. Her civil rights were definitely breached. Actions such as the ones taken by the school should not be tolerated in this day and age. What is going on is absolutely ridiculous and needs to be ceased immediately. Like I mentioned earlier, I know nothing about Mississippi, but after reading this article I have a very negative impression. I feel that it is a small state on the Bible Belt that is not very diverse in the way that people think. Religion teaches people to be accepting, not closed minded.
I feel that American society has come a long way, but after reading this article I understand that we still have a long way to go. Discrimination is occurring every day, and for some people discrimination is simply a fact of life. This is very sad, and I think if the people that discriminate were to take a walk in the shoes of the girl who can’t go to her senior prom they would change. Mob mentality also probably factors into the way these people act. Humans are very cruel, and this article showcases exactly how cruel humans can be. People need to be more accepting. The only way for society to progress is for everybody to accept everybody else. Who cares if we are not all the same? This is the beauty of humankind. Everybody is different, and we must embrace each person for who they are. The world would be boring if we were all the same.

I think that the demographics of the people on the Bachelor are
mostly white because this is what the media finds acceptable. I think
that this is definitely the wrong message to send. That being said, it
is the message that the whole world is receiving is that whites are a
majority and that people should conform. I don’t agree with this and I
think that people should definitely embrace their individuality.
I think that the world is getting into a very sad state. For example,
in class, Sam talked about different skin whitening products that are
marketed all over the world. Everyone all over the world tries to
whiten their skin, because they think that being white means being
powerful and successful. As wrong as this is, it is a fact of life and
the media is only going to portray people like this. The media needs
to make money, and white people are a majority of the population. The
majority usually gets more airtime so therefore, white people are more
often on the Bachelor than people of other colors.
The media will soon have a more diverse perception of America. We are
making strides everyday. The election of President Barack Obama was
huge in proving that America is diverse and that its diversity is
being embraced. Twenty years ago, who would have thought that we could
have a black president? The answer is most likely nobody. Now when we
watch TV, Obama is always on. He is a black man and is the main focus
of the media. This is a very big deal and I feel that some people
overlook the importance of it. Society is coming very far and we need
to look at all aspects of America, not just one television show. The
Bachelor is not an accurate representation of America.
I believe that the show definitely has too many white contestants,
however I know that there have been minorities on the show. The
majority of America is white, and I am sure that the majority of the
applicants are white. I am not positive, but I believe there have been
colored bachelors before. If this is true then that is a huge step
toward more diversity. There will never be a time when minorities are
completely represented, but it is important to look at the positives.
We are making great strides in becoming a diverse society, and
minorities are more accepted now than ever before. This is huge. Going
back about forty years, there would have been a lot more room for
improvement. There is still room for improvement today, however we
have made a lot of progress. At the rate we are going, a lot more
progress will be made in the near future.

I think that it is very important for all Americans to accept the wrongs that were done to the Native Americans. It is nearly impossible to find someone today that is directly responsible for anything that was done to Native Americans. However, as Sam said in class, we all live on red land. It is not acceptable for us to live on land that is not ours. If your family owns a house on land, you cannot say that you had nothing to do with stealing the land from Native Americans. If you cannot accept the wrongs that were done to Native Americans, then you do not understand how the land in this country was acquired. Whoever you bought your land from, bought the land from someone else, and so forth. The original person stole that land from Native Americans.
It is understandable to feel that your family had nothing to do with the wrongs that were done to the Native Americans, however it is necessary to look at the situation in greater depth. Your family is not directly contributing to the problem, however by living on red land and not caring you are supporting the wrongs that have been done to Native Americans for centuries. For example, plenty of people knew about the Holocaust and did not do anything to stop it or save people’s lives. These people are just as guilty as Hitler. It is very important to take a stand in life, and to not just let things happen.
It takes a very strong person to stand up to wrongs that were not done by that person. A very big step for Americans would be to accept the wrongs that were done to Native Americans. From there we can educate ourselves on Native American culture. Hopefully at one point Native Americans can assimilate into American culture and become normal citizens.
The evils that were performed by the settlers to the Native Americans are completely inexcusable. These settlers were completely inhumane to the peaceful Native Americans. The Native Americans wanted to share the Earth with everyone, but the white man pushed them further and further west. The fact that they now live on reservations is unreal. These people who originally settled in the United States are treated as second class citizens in the 21st century. It boggles my mind every time I think about it. The American people need to get together and show the Native Americans that we care about them. We cannot act so distant to a group of people that welcomed us to their land. We stole their land and pushed them onto reservations. This is absolutely ridiculous. I am very proud to be an American, and I think that America’s values should teach its citizens to correct the wrongs done by our ancestors.

In my opinion lesbians are more accepted than gay men because of the media. The media portrays lesbians as sexy and attractive. This allows them to be more accepted. I feel, however, that young, sexy lesbians are more accepted than “butch” lesbians. As a man, I know if I see two attractive girls making out then I have no problem. However if I see two manly women making out, I think it is not natural.
It is very sad that most Americans, including myself think lesbians are perfectly fine, but gay men are not. The United States is dominated by straight men, and straight men do not find gay men acceptable. It is strange to see two gay men holding hands or kissing in public. This is unfortunate but true. The media dictates what is acceptable and what is unacceptable, and in this day and age it is unacceptable for gay men to publicly display affection. I would even take it one step further and say that most people would find it unacceptable for lesbians to display affection publicly.
Our society has made great strides toward accepting lesbians and gays, however we are not finished making strides. I hope that in the future it will be perfectly acceptable for 2 men and 2 women to walk down the street holding hands. As this society moves to a more liberal one, it becomes more of a possibility. That being said, thee reality is that we are nowhere near a time where homosexuals can “flaunt their homosexuality” and it be completely normal.
The civil rights movement, which occurred in the 1960’s gave African Americans basic human rights. In our current day and age there is still a lot of racism toward African Americans. Even though we have an African American president, our society will never truly be equal toward minorities. With gay marriage being increasingly legalized, I think it is safe to say that we are witnessing the gay person’s “civil rights movement.” In the 1960’s South, African Americans were still being discriminated against. Even today, there is very much discrimination. I think that it will take a very long time for discrimination against gay people to considerably die down.
It is very unfortunate that we live in a world where minorities do not receive the same rights as a majority, but it is something that must be addressed. In every society, the minority is usually persecuted. This is a face that cannot be ignored. Humans like to belittle other humans, so when one group of humans is in power it is typical that they will persecute the group that is lower than them. Gay people can look forward to being more accepted as time passes, but I do not think that there will be a time when they are completely accepted.

I think that Andre Bauer made a very crucial error in his town hall speech and exposed himself to be a selfish pig. I agree with everything Sam said in his blog about how poor people that are on welfare are not pigs, but in fact many wealthy people are actually pigs. I feel that the welfare system is sometimes milked by the poor, but it is milked by the rich much more often.
Wealthy politicians are very slick talkers, and often times very corrupt. The fact that Andre Bauer called people on welfare animals makes me think very badly of him. At this point, the least he can do is step down from his position. It is absolutely ludicrous for him to call poor people animals. He exposed himself and his grandmother to be white trash. He is the scum of the earth. Andre Bauer definitely milks South Carolina for all that it is worth, and although he technically is not on welfare, it is the same concept. The only difference is that poor people actually need welfare and he does not.
It is true that the welfare system is abused sometimes by poor people. There are plenty of lazy people who do not get jobs and sit on welfare because it is the easy way out. That being said, it is not the majority of people. No politician should ever call a human an animal and expect to keep their office. Many people actually need welfare. In the current state of the economy, people are jobless and many people are homeless. These people need assistance and it is the government’s job to help. Rich politicians such as Andre Bauer are the reason that we are in the recession. It is very easy for him to call people on welfare animals, but he is actually the animal. He needs to be held accountable for everything he has done. It would be very interesting if he was audited and there was some sort of dirt on him. He thinks he is very slick, but in reality he is probably not slick at all.
This whole dilemma brings up an even bigger problem: corruption in America. It is absolutely unbelievable how many politicians are corrupt in this world. It is inexcusable. When a politician is elected, that person is trusted and it is very terrible when people betray that trust. Scandals involving politicians have been in the media forever. The mayor of my town was even involved in a scandal with tax fraud. I have no doubt in my mind that Andre Bauer is corrupt, and hopefully he will be caught one day. Then he can be called out for the animal that he is.

This article shows how ignorant people in France are. Wearing a burqa is a common Muslim practice, and French people should be tolerant to it. There is a tremendous Muslim population in France. The fact that the French are trying to ban burqas shows how ridiculously backward the modern world is.
In the video, the French lawmaker talks about burqas not being common in French culture. France colonized North African countries, and some of these North Africans have moved to France. France should embrace their culture and allow them to practice their customs. It is absolutely ridiculous that the French would try to not allow these Muslims to wear their burqas.
Even more ridiculous than the French trying to ban burqas is the Imam who is supporting this policy. He should understand that it is his duty to embrace his religion and support the people who follow it. In effect, he is renouncing people who follow their religion. The two women who wear their burqas are following their religion and no one should ever be persecuted for that.
I understand that we must look at the issue from the French citizen’s perspective. The average French citizen is not used to seeing burqas and is probably intimidated when they see women walking around wearing burqas. That being said, we live in a modern world and these French citizens need to educate themselves about different religions. They should understand that burqas are not threatening and there is no reason for them to get worried. They should understand that France has more and more immigrants and these immigrants bring traditions from their home countries with them.
This problem is not only evident in France. This problem is found in every country of the world, including the United States. We are flooded with magazines that depict skinny blonde-haired women wearing tight jeans and revealing clothes. Everyone wants to fit the perfect mold, but the truth is that not everyone can. People are different and people are diverse. We need to embrace people’s diversity and not try to get people to be all the same. The two Muslim women from the news story are very strong, because they are resisting the urge to fit into society. They were born Muslims, and they are not going to give up their customs because someone tells them to. I respect this very much, and I think that more people should act in the same way. It is very sad that the world we live in does not promote diversity, but we must come together and show people that it is wrong to not promote diversity. Diversity is extremely important, and everyone in the world should do everything they can to embrace it.