I do not think that America has the right to invade the rest of the world when there are a lot of problems in the United States itself. I find it quite laudable that the United States has the gall to try and push its beliefs and its ideas onto people when its country is so corrupt, has so much financial difficulties, such as the deficit that we are currently dealing with, has so much physiological problems, such as obesity and its complications, and has so many problems with education and helping the world become a better place through innovative ideas. The only time that the United States will have the right to invade, although invasion of any kind is not welcome, is when it gets its shit together. If you take off your rose tinted glasses and you look at the world through a truthful lens you will realize that America has flaws. Some people refuse to see these flaws and that is the primary problem. If you look at other people’s cultures, although they might not have the technology, or the advancement, or readily available food or other resources, they are for the most part better off than America. If you look you will realize that the rates of diseases, such as obesity and other rare diseases are not as high in other countries as it is in America. America should get its shit together please and check itself because God did not elect it as a powerful dictator. The behavior of America, where it invades the rest of the world while neglecting its own shortcomings, is viewed as one of a dictator trying to tell other countries that their way of living is wrong, which can be traced way back as opposed to American culture, which is derived from other cultures, mainly speaking the British culture. The United States should take a note from Switzerland and other countries that refrain from fighting wars and or get involved in wars for whatever reason because in the long run it is not beneficial for the people or its economy, which is quite apparent with the United States economy today. Before the government or the president decides to start a war or fight a war, they need to make sure that the people who fundamentally fund the war are taken care of first and not left with a gaping hole that is the deficit we have today. Like seriously, how do they expect us to pay off a trillion dollars? The United States need to stop and think before it acts for the sake of everyone who will be affected in the long run; it is not always about profit, it is about the people.

What have I learned from this scandal? This is something or a lesson that I have known for a while and it is that no one can truly be trusted but the only person you can truly trust is yourself. If push comes to shove, you are the only person the blame will fall on, as we have all witnessed from the media, so if you have a single inkling about any kind of injustice or inappropriate anything happening, you have to voice your suspicions because children truly believe that adults are trustworthy and are supposed to protect them because they have no one else to protect them outside of home. If that trust is broken, then the whole fabric of society and the whole lessons we teach our children become lies and a means to an end. Children are truly vulnerable and trustworthy and are told at a young age to respect their elders but then they realize that they truly cannot trust their elders because they might be rapists or pedophiles. I think we need to educate children at a young age about what is or is not behavior for adults to have with children and if there is ever an instance or a situation where an adult partakes in an inappropriate behavior they need to inform an adult and not just one adult. They need to inform as many adults they can find and they should also be reassured that they did nothing wrong and they should not feel embarrassed or afraid to open up. Not all adults act this way, this could be a way to heal the children because they are regaining their trust in adults again. Now they will know for a fact that may be truly evil people in the world but there are far more good and decent people in the world. I have learnt that we, as humans, should not place people on pedestals, as seen with Paterno, because when we realize that he is human and makes mistakes, we will go and do stupid s*** like a riot that makes the majority of Penn State look stupid. We will also see people trying to start fires, breaking down lampposts, destroying property and turning over vans. Can people seriously think before they act, we are all adults and should act like it? The behaviors of some have affected the views of the whole and that is what really upsets me. I would be kind of okay with the riots, but not really, if it were done with the mindset of anger for the children who were and are victimized but no, they rioted for all the wrong reasons and in that point in time, they did not know the whole story. Now that the whole story is kind of out, there are people who regret their behavior. Stop with all the stupidity, please. And for the record, I feel that everyone involved who had the authority to do something but did not to help the victims got what they deserved, including JoePa so GET OVER IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Did you eat the second piece of chocolate and if you did how did, how did it make you feel? This is a very good question. When they passed around the foil I was not quite sure what was gonna happen with it but I was surprised when he mentioned modern day slavery. I was born and raised in Ghana, Africa for 10 years before moving to the United States and also living here for 10 years. My neighbor from the motherland was actually Ivory Coast or Cote DIvoire and I was not aware of the cocoa plant enslavement happening there. Ghana is also a producer of chocolate and now I have a negative idea of the chocolate they produce because I do not know if they too are tainted just like the blood diamonds of Sierra Leone. During class, when Sam Richards said that we could all eat the first piece of chocolate, I was rather confused because I did not see the point. I, personally, do not eat chocolate so I did not partake in the munching of sin. When he did say that we could eat the second piece of chocolate, I was like, dude that is so f***ed up because you are justifying the torture of innocent people indirectly. I looked around the room as a majority of the students ate the chocolate. Some may not feel the way I do because they have not witnessed injustice or they themselves cannot relate to something that is so above their mental capacity so they ate the chocolate. They themselves have never felt victimized or felt like slaves so they do not understand the repercussions of theyre eating chocolate that could possibly be from modern day slaves. Slavery is a very touchy subject, I understand that, but I feel that by not addressing it, we are all causing more harm than good. Now that there is awareness of such inhumane treatment of human beings, I feel that all the major suppliers of chocolate should step up the plate and get with the program. They should start producing labels for chocolate that were not collected from slavery. This is similar to having organic food but in this case, we will have food that is not tainted by slavery. I seriously hate how corrupt the world is and how much more corruptive it gets every day. In this regard, Sam Richards was right in saying that our generation is freaking screwed. Soon enough, we will not know when we are being lied to, although, we currently do not know when we are lied to but it will get very, very bad in the future. It just goes to show you that people do not truly, really know anyone or anything and should ask questions about all matters.

The question if someone was talking around me in a different language and if that makes me uncomfortable is an interesting question. The reality is everyone, if not the majority of people who call themselves Americans, are all immigrants and at one point or another, spoke a different language. The only thing that might have change over the years is the conformity of the people who spoke different languages to now speak English as a primary language of communication. Unless you are full Native American with ties to the original people who were placed on this continent, you have no right to feel uncomfortable. The trick is to find your roots, learn the language and get over yourself, so that when others speak a different language it will not bother you as much because you yourself can also speak another language. For the people to feel uncomfortable, that does not make any sense to me. They have the right and the privilege to speak another language if they see fit. I, myself, do speak another language along with English and I have absolutely no problem with people speaking another language around me. Since I have no problem doing it with my friends and my family, I have no right to feel uncomfortable because it is the best part of my day. Do not get me wrong or anything, I enjoy speaking English because I grew up speaking English but I also love having the time to speak my native tongue and joke around with my friends and family in my native tongue. It makes me feel closer to home. There is nothing wrong with people who have pride in their culture and are willing to openly show that pride. Everyone knows how hard it is to learn another language, especially if you did not learn from childhood, so the ability to speak another tongue should be praised not shunned. Another way to look at someone with the ability to speak another language is that they are giving themselves an upper hand in the real world. You never know where your life will truly start or with whom you will be surrounded and when you meet other people with the same culture and language, it makes transitioning into a new life or career easier because you have one less thing to worry about. People often hear stories of people studying abroad with no experience or exposure to the language of the place they are studying abroad and all the problems they may or may not encounter. You also hear, eventually, how they had to adapt and learn the language, which was possible because they immersed themselves in the culture or they had no choice because no one else was there to translate. Language should be something to celebrate not something to be feared. Good lord I know I enjoy the things I say openingly in another language…..an example being “Obruni… “ for those who do not know what that is look it up on youtube…there are some interesting videos to watch.

I believe that we should definitely give back the land and right all the wrongs that have been unjustly committed to the Native Americans. This would be the first steps in helping out the Native Americans. The other steps would be helping them establish their community and eradicating the extreme poverty they live, thereby solving the suicide rates and the other problems that they face. Originally, the land did not belong to the American settlers but as they progressed in the industrial revolution and when they received weapons that could overpower the Native Americans, they forcibly took away the land and forced the Native Americans from their homes. This is not justice and this is not fair. No one would take this sort of behavior standing, so why did they have to take this sort of behavior? There is a simple solution to everything and that is just giving back the land. The Native American people were “banished” away to a land that was not home…so please just give it back. This may possibly relieve some of the animosity that the Native Americans feels towards white people….which is very similar to the animosity that black and other brown people feel towards the white people. All in all, the white people have just picked a bone with every race or ethnicity on earth but for what reason? Is the need to become the superior race really that important that they are willing to destroy people in the process? This is why peace is not attainable. White people just want everything and are willing to get it at the cost of everyone and everything else. This is why it confuses me when people say America is the “land of the free and the home of the brave” because when you view the nation as a whole, it is not unified and there are more problems than they are good points. This is why we should help the indigenous people reestablish themselves. They need to get their pride back and their self-respect. By helping them this way, we can boost the economy in which they live in, we can help alleviate the incredibly high suicide rate and also increase the short life span they seem to have. I think that the government to invest on education and jobs in the area where there is extreme poverty. By doing so, the Native Americans are being given tools to help them better their lives. All they need is the opportunity just like every other American in the United States.

Well that is a very good question. What would our lives be like if it were centered on black supremacy? This is very ironic because I was telling my friends how in order to fully have world peace or for the white people to fully comprehend why sometimes they piss us off so much, we need to enslave them all. They need to be enslaved for the same amount of centuries black people were enslaved and then treated the same way. During this time, their white privilege and all the things they believe they are entitled to will diminish because they will have no hope or energy to fight. All the white people need to be kicked swiftly and surely to understand the angst and the hatred they feel and know is there but are afraid to address, for fear of being called racist. Black people and people of color have no such qualms about being open with their feelings because the angst and hatred we feel, at some level, is justified by the actions of their forefathers. But from the historical perspective, if blacks controlled the world, the whole exploration and conquering of lands would never have happened because Africa was a continent of primitive weapons and no voyaging. From this aspect, there truly wont be much difference in the world expect the fact that there might be some peace with the races. But life hardly ever goes the way that we plan for it to go, so the possibility of power hungry nations and fighting for power will surely. We would then come back to the claim I made but without so much the angst and hatred because people would not know what we know today. There will be black privilege and the world will surely be enslaved. I feel that there would be compassion for all the other races because there is a lot of tolerance for white and Asian people in Ghana, and I feel like with the right president in charge, that same tolerance would be apparent too. Based on my own experiences with other cultures coexisting peacefully in one country I believe that peace, not world peace, is capable with a black centered supremacy. Black African people are also considered to be the nicest, most hospitable people because when I was younger, my mother used to make us clean and do all these things for guests but never for us. I never did understand why she did that. Any whoo, the world would be a better place with black people in power. Hands down, no questions asked.

The use of racial labels, for the most part, is to identify with a certain culture. Sometimes it is necessary to use racial labels, in the case of forgetting someone’s name. The only way would be to describe the person by his or her appearance or his or her behavior. Is it possible to become racist due to this fact? The answer is yes. It all depends on how the person talking uses the phrases. Society has always used racial labels, when they have not been deemed appropriate but it is a way to put people in their place. An example would be people would say something about Mexicans, which would bring to mind, the pictures seen in the media or the accounts of Mexican people said on the news. For the most, these are all negative, so our first account of a person before we meet this person is that of a negative one before we get to know the person, first hand. In a way, using racial labels is a marker or a way for people to put other people down and make themselves feel better. Another way why people use racial labels is because we know so many people and befriend so many people, that another way that we remember people, apart from their names, is by identifying them by their race or ethnicity. These markers do help people remember and those allow people to use racial labels.

Women, in general, want to look good. This idealization probably stems from centuries of ideas about femininity and what attracts the opposite sex. With that said, women are also exposed to the media, which subjects us to what society accepts as beautiful or acceptable for women to don. High heels, although uncomfortable, are very cute and have the capability to add height and slim one’s body. High heels are also very fashionable and give any outfit the final “umph. “ The most important part is that no one wants to look like a bum, a very hideous, trolling bum. It is unattractive and very uncomfortable because no one would want to associate with you. Males and females are very different. Males are capable of socializing and befriending people without any reservations. Women are not that way. Women all size each other and judge based on appearance so we have to be on point and have to look good all the time. If you do not look good, you will be judged and with that, there are sacrifices, such as one’s comfort. In a female’s perspective, we are all programed to one up each other. For men that is not the case. They can be civilized towards one another and all they need to do is shower and stay hot, sexy or freaking fine. Personality also counts for a guy. Girls do not need to wear what they do but for the most, it is an informed decision they make. The same goes for guys. They make a decision to look slovenly or just “normal.” The media plays a big part into what we all deem as proper attire for the sexes. When we break it down, no one is forcing anyone to dress up in heels and miniskirts and no one is forcing anyone to just wear sweat pants and a t-shirt. It all comes down to your own person and what you think is acceptable for you and what you want the world to perceive you as. If you decide that wearing heels and miniskirts is the norm, then kudos to you but if you do not, then all the better. Beauty is about throwing comfort to the wind, for the most part. I believe that the men have the right idea.

Women are considered innocent because for many generations, we have been repressed and have been told that without our innocence we will not succeed in life. And by succeed, I mean we will not get suitors, we will not get married, we will not have children and pass on our lineage and we will not have riches. Innocence was highly regarded by men as a defining characteristic of a woman to whom they were willing to shackle themselves with for the rest of their lives, pardon some transgressions. With that in mind, we can further this theory and say that certain colors will represent innocence the same way that ones ethnicity or race is associated with their character. For the most part, white is associated with purity or innocence and the other races are considered as insignificant or below the purity of white people. That, however, is not the case. For the most part black women are considered as hoes because we have a body type that shouts oh yeah baby, you know you want this. Because of the curvaceous bodies and bootylicious booties, black women are not considered innocent because all of these characteristics are associated with sexuality, something that is not pure. Also black womens skin color also factors into why our race is not considered innocent. Chocolate, dark chocolate, caramel are some distinction placed on black women based on their skin tone. At the same time, these indicators are also considered pleasurable indulgence that people take, although they know it is not good if you do it excessively. This is another reason why black women are not considered innocent, compared to other women of different races. For the most part white and Asian women are considered innocent because they have a fair complexion. Innocence is no longer defined as a state, quality, or virtue of being innocent, with respect to any kind of crime, sin, wrongdoing, or guilt through lack of knowledge of evil. Innocence now is determined by ones outward appearance because apparently people can detect someones skankiness or hoeness by just looking. All colored women, for the most part, are not associated with innocence for the same reason black women are not considered innocent.

Everyone feels a great sense of enthusiasm with this project and I honestly do not reciprocate those feelings. With my experience, my classmates donated money and helped collect money for the better good of others only to find out that the people never actually received the aid. The same story is heard all over the world. Why bother with an in futile endeavor. I cannot begin to tell you how many people have tried to help Africans only to pocket the money. With that said, I will do this project for my grade but I am not at all interested. Unless we are tackling the root of the problem, we are only making superficial changes that may be the step in the right direction but will ultimately take years, if not centuries to accomplish. I want to know if the creation of jobs will help since the people of Haiti cannot really afford the products that are made. If buying food is expensive wouldn’t it be more expensive to buy other things? From the list of entrepreneurs I liked Clorene Blaise because she reminds me of my mom, who used to sew back in Africa. I was surprised that she is able to create various types of clothing such as embroidered or screen printed apparel for different businesses, gym uniforms, collared shirts and slacks. It is also surprising that her small team of eight can complete an order of 300 shirts in four days but in America that is not the case. Not only that but she created a thorough training program where her eight employees were able to learn every single part of the 23 steps it takes just to make one shirt from raw materials. What amazes me is that in America, this would be considered remedial labor and not for white people but Clorene was able to take something so simple and build from it. Another plus is her ability to designs women’s fashion bags from gently used jeans. Trust me when I say that this is amazing because I tried sewing and let’s just say it was beyond mediocre. Another important fact is that she manufacturers infant clothes and baby bundles, a set of matching blankets, bonnet and diaper bag. Haitians are able to purchase these items but she can also sell her goods abroad for an equally profitable profit.