en-us https://www.intensedebate.com/users/759698 Comments by daw291 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/letter-from-an-inmate__trashed/#IDComment69744892 I have to admit that I do have preconceived notions about all prisoners in general. I mean, why are they in prison to begin with, let alone this one a lifer? My personal opinion is that these are bad people that did bad things, thus they are in prison for a reason. However, I do think people can change, in this case, realizing their faults, and trying to make the best out of an extremely negative experience in prison, with no hope for release. I guess when you are in that situation, you have a decision to make. Since you're not going anywhere, you can remain the person you were when you committed a crime, or you can change to become a productive member of (a secluded) society. It's great that this man, along with other fellow prisoners, give blood, write letters, donate money and share their compassion with others. Those are all honorable acts and should be recognized for their positive impact somewhere along the line. However, it makes me wonder, if these people never committed murder or other such acts that ended them up in prison, would they ever be doing these things to help others later in life? A large part of me doesn't think so. Thu, 22 Apr 2010 14:52:10 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/letter-from-an-inmate__trashed/#IDComment69744892 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/300000-whats-it-mean-to-us__trashed/#IDComment69740750 I agree with this student's posting, and I think its really important to put some of these natural disasters and nation wide devastation in context. 300,000 people is a huge number, yet, I don't think too many people know that that many people died in Haiti. I sure didn't, before our guest speaker told us in class on Tuesday. I don't think that people are ignorant to this fact because they don't care, rather I think it can be attributed to the fact that because we don't see it and Haiti is not being pushed in our faces everyday, we don't react as fast. Hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil; it's practically the same context. The media coverage of Haiti has slowed down recently and as a result, it seems like things are being handled well and Haiti is regaining stability. Unfortunately, from what we learned on Tuesday, this is not the case, although hopes for the nation seem high. We have seen this happen in America with Hurricane Katrina too. It's a hard concept to bring back home, but it helps to hear personal stories about the real situation, accompanied by the statistics, to put everything in perspective again and try to make a difference in any way we can. Thu, 22 Apr 2010 14:37:28 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/300000-whats-it-mean-to-us__trashed/#IDComment69740750 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/tent-cities-in-haiti__trashed/#IDComment69503753 It's really crazy to see how Haitians are now living life after the devastating quake, 3 months later. From my little understanding of how economically depressed Haiti was before the quake, it doesn't seem that their people are living in conditions that are much different. I feel as if the main difference between Haiti pre-quake and the Haiti post-quake is now, there is a greater lack of direction, of any sort. With almost all infrastructure collapsing, any structure surrounding routines and organization within the nation collapsed at the same time. From this video, what I find most shocking of all, is the fact that the people of Haiti are coming to terms about how their life has changed, and actually are coping with it. The tent cities are becoming locations where economic development has started to spur. I was in disbelief to see how the one woman recovered some of her spa equipment and is now running her old business right out of her tent- and has real customers that are supporting her! In the midst of all the disaster, devastation, and destruction, to see Haitian women getting pedicures is really telling that these people are truly resilient. If the earthquake in Haiti instead happened in America, people would be spending the little money they had to rebuild their home s and reconstruct their lives to regain a sense of normality and probably not spending it on spa treatments. People are trying to earn a living my offering basic services, that might have been taken for granted before the quake struck. For example, the video showed the one man charging a small fee for a cell phone for charging, or to watch a movie. People spend their days to dig up valuables that are buried in the earthquake ruins, try to salvage whatever they can in order to find a way to profit off of it in the tent camp. Because people are living without so many of the staple necessities they had before, it seems like the tent cities are communities in which everyone is willing to help and share with each other, while simultaneously trying to conduct business. I do give a lot of credit to these people, and admire them for trying to make the best out of the absolute worst that has happened to them. I really do think this is the beginning of a promising future for Haiti. Although there is much work to be done there, building a sense of community and economic stability is the start of a bright future. It’s enlightening to think that while their buildings and homes collapsed and hundreds of thousands of lives were lost, the Haitian entrepreneurial spirit never died. Thu, 22 Apr 2010 00:41:09 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/tent-cities-in-haiti__trashed/#IDComment69503753 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/christian-invaders-the-turnaround__trashed/#IDComment68288394 First off, Christianity isn't the largest religion in the world- Islam is. I happen to disagree with this post completely- it is not a "ridiculous statement". Sam's lecture today opened up a whole other perspective to me about the War in the Middle East. In your post, you are saying that you "understand" why people think Christians want to take over the world because there are many different types of Christianity and it is such a widespread religion. However, thats a completely different argument than what Sam was saying today. He was trying to get our class to understand, as a group of Americans, what the Arab Muslim people must think of the Christian American Invaders coming into their country, trying to rob their resources, and convert their people. It's not about how large and dominant a religion is, it is about wanting control by conversion- the conversion of Iraqui controlled oil to American controlled oil. I think you are missing the point here, no one is saying Christianity is wrong, rather Sam is trying to point out the strong correlation of Christian-American influence on the War in the Middle East. Thu, 15 Apr 2010 23:28:50 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/christian-invaders-the-turnaround__trashed/#IDComment68288394 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/women__trashed/#IDComment68235891 Yes, we are all the same being women- we have the same parts in the same places and share many similarities regarding features, feelings, and views on certain issues. However, being that women come in many shapes and sizes, it has become increasingly more popular to want whatever you don't naturally have. Logically, this is the most direct cause of womens' eating disorders, plastic surgery, or frivolous spending of money to keep up with certain styles of fashion or other applicable trends. We can't help being at a constant exposure to magazines with "perfect people" on the covers- perfect hair, perfect bodies, perfect clothes- everything. I agree that it is disgraceful to feel such a strong urge to want to be like these people we see in the media, however I can not help myself but wanting to do the same thing. For me, being a woman is trying to find the right balance between who we are, and who we want to be, without having to resort to drastic measures. Thu, 15 Apr 2010 17:22:37 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/women__trashed/#IDComment68235891 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/what-about-the-men__trashed/#IDComment68035652 Being female also, I agree in the fact that I do not think that men feel they need to conform to society as much as women do. However, I wouldn't be too quick to negate the fact that men do not conform to society. To better refine this theory, I would feel more comfortable saying that men do not conform in the same ways that women do. Most women strictly follow trends surrounding fashion, beauty, diets, parties, TV shows, etc. Even though men aren't typically the gender to try and conform to things in popular culture, I do believe that men conform in their own ways, to fit in with the male, "macho" culture. Let's take fraternities for example. Most frat guys want to wear the same types of clothes- i.e. stereotypical "preppy frats" will wear vineyard vines clothing, loafers, and khaki pants. If not stereotyping a specific frat, we can just go with the simple fact that most frat guys will all have lettered sweatshirts, wear hats, and drink all day whenever they have the chance. Even though we don't think of this type of conformity as the "norm" when comparing it to the type of conformity women take part in, it fits the qualifications none the less. It is a stereotype in itself to think that men everywhere have an interest in sports. This is just another example of the male gender trying to "fit in" with other males. In some cases, certain males who don't like a certain sport, or even sports in general, will not pass up an opportunity to go to the bar and watch the game or even go to the game if they are invited to do so with a group of guys. For example, my friend is a huge football and baseball fan, but is really not interested in hockey. On a few occasions, he was invited to go to the Philadelphia Flyer's games with a few of his friends from school and he went anyway, just because it was an opportunity to do some "male bonding". To me, this sounds like conformity. In general, I don't think its true that males don't conform. They absolutely are "guilty" of it, it just is a different type of assimilation to society than women are "guilty" of. I think women are found conforming to society and popular culture more often just because the types of things they assimilate to are on the surface (and the fact that women generally like to gossip and talk about everything they are doing to keep up with the latest trends). To me, this is just looking at one other of the millions of reasons males and females differ. Wed, 14 Apr 2010 18:42:28 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/what-about-the-men__trashed/#IDComment68035652 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/this-is-totally-off-the-hook__trashed/#IDComment66488929 Ew, ew, and ew. Is this actually real? Honestly, I never thought anything like this would ever reach the public. Of course, I am sure this idea has simmered in the minds of some individuals and talked about out loud here and there, but to actually produce and play a video game such as this is something that I would never think would happen. How has this video game even gone public in today's modern society? How is the Japanese government not taking a stronger stand about banning this game from the market? I admit to not knowing too much about Japanese culture and the video gaming industry, but I do not see how this form of entertainment can be accepted by any culture. Its degrading, repulsive, and horrifying. These types of interactive video gaming programs easily can easily become the latest and greatest trends as the American culture has seen before with Nintendo 64, Playstation, and now the Wii. If these types of video games that exemplify images of raping women become trendy in the United States, how will our culture and view towards women be affected? I believe that if these video games catch on to various people, like they are doing now through the internet, our society can be in serious trouble- adding to the variety of social problems we already have. I am really trying to understand the good in these gaming programs, and I just can't. Because I can't think of any practical answer, all I can think were just a number of questions that keep running through my mind when I watched that video such as, What kind of sick-o thought of this disgusting idea of raping women via a TV or computer screen? Who are they marketing this product to? Other perverted people? Are all Japanese people perverted? I wonder if this a common occurrence in Japan? If so, does the government not see this as a problem? What is being done about this tragedy? I honestly don't know what to think at this point. This form of a degrading entertainment is beyond me. I have to admit, I am speaking only from one side. For someone like me, a woman, who has no interest nor experience with video games, it is natural and predictable for me to react this way. I am completely uneducated about the video gaming industry, and as much as it pains me to say it, there may be other incentives in which I am unaware of, of how a rape video game was introduced to the Japanese marketplace. However, having said that, I am still taken way aback by the release of this game onto the internet, and the exposure it is getting internationally via the internet. I am scared to see this game overcome some of its obstacles and be released in stores nearby. Thu, 8 Apr 2010 00:35:30 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/this-is-totally-off-the-hook__trashed/#IDComment66488929 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/i-really-want-to-know-also__trashed/#IDComment66444855 This is an awesome question that I think a lot of people have been asking of themselves and others this entire semester. A lot of the time when I'm sitting in class, I constantly ask myself, "What am I doing here? This is so boring and a waste of time". A part of me thinks this because it's true, but a larger part is thinking it because it is my last class of the day after 4 hours of class beforehand. The fact of the matter is, this is an interesting class and it has taught me a lot- I just hate physically sitting in the class. Most topics are culturally taboo, and I don't think I could have had some of the discussions about race and ethnic relations anywhere else in my life, except for in this classroom. If Sam taught me one thing this semester (so far), it would be insight on to what other races are thinking you are thinking. For example, I am white and don't have too much interaction with other races, especially black people (and yes, I now say "black people" more openly and don't feel obligated to say "African-American" to be politically correct). While I am always striving to be politically correct, or conscious of the words that I am saying in front of different people not to be offensive, I have realized that no one really appreciates it (well, at least not in this setting). If I am asked to state my opinion or explain how I really feel about something, I shouldn't have to hold myself back and take time to think of appropriate wording about some things. No matter what race we all are, we have gone through some stages of racial identity, and feel certain ways about certain issues involving race. If the opportunity presents itself to voice an opinion, then we should be able to express ourselves freely using vocabulary that demonstrates how we feel individually, not how we think others want us to express ourselves. Wed, 7 Apr 2010 19:04:51 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/i-really-want-to-know-also__trashed/#IDComment66444855 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/nothing-about-the-census-is-easy__trashed/#IDComment65092467 Before watching this video and hearing Sam lecture a little on the 2010 Census, I never knew how little I was educated on the subject. From watching the CNN video, I realized that I was not alone. Race in itself is a very confusing topic, and the composition of America today is making an individual's race harder and harder to identify. More of the population of the United States today is multi-racial, multi-cultural, and people are composed of many different ethnicities (hence America being a "melting pot"). I agree with Sam was he was explaining that the Census department is not a bunch of idiots, this is their job to study how people identify racially/ethnically/culturally. Because the Census has to be able to communicate with literally every single person living in the United States, they must list everything and anything that people will potentially classify themselves as, even if that unfortunately has to offend many people of ethnic and cultural groups along the way. As Sam was explaining, older generations of African Americans and black people will generally think of themselves as Negros in terms of how they think the government or other white people will see them. The problem is that younger generations of people today do not understand that, just like I didn't understand that when I first came across this blog post. Although I am white, if I were to be black or African-American, for example, and I saw the term Negro on the Census sheet, I would 100% be offended. It would only be until after reading an article such as this or becoming more educated on how the Census is formed, the resources and research that are put into its composition, would I realize that the term is not meant to be an offensive or derogatory marker of identification to my race. Unfortunately, not everyone in the United States has taken a course on Race and Ethnic Relations, and is unaware that any this logic exists behind every question on the Census. I think it wouldn't be a bad idea to have more of the US population educated on the Census. Although it comes out every ten years, there is a lot of work, money (about $400 billion), and time that has gone into making it as accurate, understandable, and flexible as possible to communicate with every type of person living in this country. If more of our nation was educated on the processes behind collecting Census data and the logic associated with the types of questions it asks, more people of ethnic, racial, and religious groups would understand when terminology such as "negro" are being listed as a type of race, thus repressing anger and controversy. Wed, 31 Mar 2010 23:45:52 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/nothing-about-the-census-is-easy__trashed/#IDComment65092467 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/the-white-minorities__trashed/#IDComment65052635 I am not so sure I agree with this. Like the article said, it will not be long until the majority of Americans, meaning whites, becoming the minority. However, I feel that the effects of this change in demography will not be felt by everyone everywhere, and it will be geographically concentrated to areas in which minority communities are most populated- such as urban areas, major cities, and their suburbs. I do not think that the white race is dying out, rather that other races in the United States are just growing at slightly higher rate than whites. I have already begun to witness this when I am home. I live in New Jersey in a suburb outside Philadelphia. When I go to my local mall, I already feel like the minority. There are Hispanic families everywhere, and many blacks as well. However, when we are all living in State College for 8 months out of the year, which we all know is a dominant white area, we can often forget that many areas of the country could be so diverse. Wed, 31 Mar 2010 19:06:40 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/the-white-minorities__trashed/#IDComment65052635 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/what-about-multiracial-people__trashed/#IDComment65050610 I agree with some of the other postings that this person's racial identity is what he wants it to be. There is really no set of strict guidelines, as we have learned, when it comes to race and ethnicity. If you want to follow the definitions here, this kid was correct when he said that "technically" part of his ethnicity is Puerto Rican and his race is white. Because he has one white parent, he can identify with that race, if he chooses to do so. However, because he said he can identify more with his mothers side, and him being Latino, then that is the culture in which he feels he represents. Although he is equally part white and part Hispanic, it is up to his discretion to say which group or culture he would rather identify with. In a sense here, by him being multiracial, he has an advantage over people that are 100% white or 100% black/brown/whatever. He can choose how and how not he wishes to be identified, which some people may view as a privilege many people do not have. Wed, 31 Mar 2010 18:49:16 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/what-about-multiracial-people__trashed/#IDComment65050610 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/is-this-just-a-few-bad-apples__trashed/#IDComment64044133 Undoubtedly, the reform of healthcare occurring in our nation at this moment is one of the most significant policies to be implemented by our government in years. With any type of change, let alone change and restructuring of our national healthcare system, comes uproar, protests, and controversy. The Tea Party protests targeted at Democratic House representatives, I feel, may be the start of many types of protests and arguments about the direction our nation is moving towards in terms of healthcare. While I feel that every American is entitled for their rights of free speech, I do not think it is tasteful to slam derogatory names like "faggot" and "nigger" into the faces of our country's finest leaders. Personally, I happen to strongly disagree with the new healthcare reform that Congress is planning to implement. Coming from an upper-middle class family, this reform means that my family, and I one day, will be spending more to cover those that can not afford their own care. However, I feel that this is a choice that my family makes to live in the United States, and with that, comes respecting and trusting the leaders of our nation, whether democrat or republican. No one American will agree with everything that any one leader, or group of leaders, does or says. The only thing we can do is to make a change next time around by electing officials that have aspirations to change towards a platform that seems more appealing. I find it disrespectful for protestors to resort to offensive name calling for purposes of intimidation. While protesting may seem like an effective tool that was used in the past to spark reform or inspire a change in policy, I tend to look at it as an immature and unprofessional way of conveying a point. I understand that power can be achieved in numbers, but to really inspire a change in policy, a more professional approach should be taken including meeting with legislators, filing claims, etc. I really can relate to what these protestors are feeling, this healthcare reform simply sucks, and is unfortunate to those that can afford their own health coverage. However, the more I am thinking about this situation- the name calling and beittling of our own members of Congress, the more I tend to look at this issue as a power struggle. These Americans that feel it is necessary to be overtly rude to our nation's most respected leaders are just simply frustrated and feel that they are being stripped of all power in this controversy over healthcare. The battle over healthcare reform is more than a sensitive subject these days, and by reading this article, I feel like I will willingly pay more attention to the news and the coverage of other such protests, as well as the progress Congress is making on implementing reform. Thu, 25 Mar 2010 14:45:50 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/is-this-just-a-few-bad-apples__trashed/#IDComment64044133 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/what-are-all-of-you-thinking-about-asians__trashed/#IDComment63927553 This kid is right; Asians aren't brown, or black. It seems that a lot of time in class that the focus is on the distinction between white and black (and the occasional 'brown' people). It is not to say that Asians are dismissed, because I think that this minority makes up a large population of our country, and surprisingly so, a significant proportion of students on our campus here at Penn State. From my general understanding, there are many international students from the Asian continent that come to Penn State to study. From this class in particular, we have learned that international students who are Asian usually are stereotyped to studying science and medicine. Asian-Americans, on the other hand, are stereotypically studying business and management. This was a surprising fact that I learned in the beginning of this class, because I never really thought about the distinction between Asians and Asian- Americans. Now it is all making sense about what Sam is saying in class about not noticing the individuality in the minorities, when you are a part of the majority. I am white, and I never before took the time to make the distinction between Asians and Asian-Americans, let alone what their intended majors are. Wrongfully so, when I look at an Asian person, I am looking at their eyes, the most distinct characteristic to their race. I guess subconsciously I am making the connection on whether they have an accent or not, depending on how they speak, then classifying that person as being more "American" or more "Asian". However, it is interesting to me to think about how I have failed to notice any individuality in the races. Wed, 24 Mar 2010 23:56:21 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/what-are-all-of-you-thinking-about-asians__trashed/#IDComment63927553 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/whats-the-big-deal-with-periods__trashed/#IDComment63926148 I agree with this post. If you are a woman, to be able to bleed is a miracle. While it is something pretty gross to talk about, (hence why it is not publicly discussed in most settings) it is a woman's natural way of life, and is something to be celebrated. For the most part, having a regular period means you are a healthy, functioning, fertile woman. If you wanted to, you could be get pregnant, and reproduce, which is naturally dubbed the "miracle of life". Above all, this is to be considered a wonderful thing, don't get me wrong, but its a huge pain to deal with and many women, including myself, have once wished that their periods never existed, or hoped to not experience them, when "that time of the month" came strolling around. The cramps, bloating, and fatigue- it all sucks. However, it is a natural cycle that most, if not all women, will have to deal with once they get their period each month. As far as not talking about it, I can understand why people would want to keep this topic of conversation discrete in public, however, its really no big deal. I grew up in a family where we discussed this type of stuff all the time, just because its only natural, and partially because I have a very open and honest family. However, I feel that there is a time and a place for discussing your menstrual cycle- and ideally, it is not in the classroom setting. I understand Sam wants to unwind the taboo and politically correctness of our society, but some things are not meant for 700 people in a classroom to discuss. Wed, 24 Mar 2010 23:43:37 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/whats-the-big-deal-with-periods__trashed/#IDComment63926148 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/prom-or-no-prom-just-dont-let-the-queer-students-dance-together__trashed/#IDComment62659913 I guess Happy Valley can be considered a "bubble" because I personally had no idea that LGBT issues concerning something as minor as a high school prom were being repressed in the US. Mississippi, being a state in the southern region of our country, is stereotyped for its more conservative type leaders and traditional values, ones that don't welcome change easily. Most assume southern states like Mississippi are bound to have certain views on different matters of controversy. While I don't expect the Mississippians to be most accepting of individual choice and differences, I do not expect there to rash action taken upon an annual, much anticipated, high school event. The controversy over gay rights and civil unions is undoubtedly one of the most sociological controversial issues happening today. However, I believe there is a major difference between gay marriage and gay dating, or one "date" for that matter. I have lived in New Jersey all my life, a pretty diverse state I could say, one that recognizes same-sex marriage, even. Being gay in my high school wasn't frowned upon, it was just accepted. You accept people for who they are- no matter their sexual orientation. It gets me thinking though, is the culture of my high school being accepting of gay marriage the way it is because the state of New Jersey recognizes same-sex couples? Is it wrong to stereotype an entire state on the laws and policies its government sets? Therefore, is it wrong to blame the state of Mississippi because of the sanctions taken against Constance McMillen or does the "blame" (in my opinion) lie within the Itawamba County Agricultural High School? I feel as if individual state laws concerning the gay community is just one of the aspects halting the acceptance and provoking discrimination among the gay community. As for innocent 18-year-old Constance, she's right. Students at the Itawamba County Agricultural High School are going to hate her for being the driving source that cancelled their prom. Naturally, the students will hate her, bully her, make fun of her, judge her, and treat her differently for wanted to bring her girlfriend to prom. By invoking animosity among the students, administration and faculty are essentially supporting this cycle of hate that has potential to spread itself throughout the state of Mississippi and the rest of the conservative South. There is no positive outcome of this decision to cancel prom, in fact, there will be more of a problem now then there was before if Constance were to go with her girlfriend to prom. What lessons are our nation's educational systems teaching our students? Apparently, no one is to be an individual anymore and decide for themselves. Wed, 17 Mar 2010 21:03:40 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/prom-or-no-prom-just-dont-let-the-queer-students-dance-together__trashed/#IDComment62659913 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/women-and-sports__trashed/#IDComment62645284 It's absolutely wonderful and refreshing for a woman to be stepping into a role that is thought of as completely male dominated. Natalie is really going to prove something by being the head football coach at the high school in which she teaches. It is actually quite ironic that her job is to be a football coach, especially because during that interview with CNN she does not seem to have a strong, tough, and confident exterior like many other athletes and coaches usually do. I can interpret Natalie's nonchalant attitude about her new position in a few ways. First, maybe this isn't a big deal to her. She does not see the line that divides the sexes, and feels that she is entitled to a head coaching position as well as any other qualified person should be. On the other hand, Natalie might be intimidated about how the media is reacting to her newly acquired position, and might feel taken aback by the attention she is getting because it is obvious she does not feel she is deserving of any attention. Whatever is going on in her head, which you really can not assume from the video, it will be interesting to see how she takes control of a group of rough and tough male players, and what new tactics she can bring to the table for the team to follow. As an avid female football fan myself, she is inspiring to other women that wish to acquire roles that are currently male dominated. All the power to her and I honestly wish her the best of luck for this upcoming season and hopefully many others that will follow. Wed, 17 Mar 2010 19:06:24 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/women-and-sports__trashed/#IDComment62645284 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/this-is-getting-to-be-too-much__trashed/#IDComment62642751 While watching the CNN report, I was thinking to myself that this news report was just an immature, irresponsible act that happening on a college campus and receiving too much media coverage without real significance. However, in reading ACL's statistic about how less than 4% of the UCSD campus is comprised of a black community, this gives more of a logical explanation as to why a noose was hung in the library by a black student. Obviously, the noose is being used as a symbol representing the underrepresentation of the black community on the campus. Black students feel alone and discriminated on their own educational grounds, and this was the way it was brought to the university's attention. Although probably not the most effective way, this act definitely made a statement. In my opinion, much unnecessary controversy was caused for such an issue to come to the attention of campus faculty and administration. Blacks, and many other minorities, want more representation on campus, just like the student featured in the video said. While hanging a noose in the library was not the best way to convey this message, the important thing is that this issue was brought to the attention of the University administration, students, faculty, made national headlining news, and action is being taken to address and alleviate controversy on campus. Wed, 17 Mar 2010 18:45:41 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/this-is-getting-to-be-too-much__trashed/#IDComment62642751 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/question-on-discrimination__trashed/#IDComment59763551 I believe this is how the application process should be executed- with a blind eye to race. It is important to focus on the content of the application and the quality of the applicant, and to leave race out of the picture when making a hiring decision. While I believe that this is the way business hiring practices should be conducted, I am pretty confident that a majority of most companies (mostly smaller, sole proprietorships) do not handle hiring in this manner. With no discrimination against race, whether the business owner is white, brown, black, red, etc. most people generally will feel more comfortable hiring people of their own race and cultural ties, simply because they can relate and trust the person more than someone of a different background. However, many larger corporations claim to be Equal Opportunity Employers and are required by law not to discriminate in terms of race. While there are never 100% guarantees that application and hiring processes are completely discrimination free, corporations do tend to have a higher rate of diversity, which adds to corporate culture and enriches the company. Thu, 4 Mar 2010 17:35:36 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/question-on-discrimination__trashed/#IDComment59763551 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/whats-with-the-theme-parties__trashed/#IDComment59749804 I do understand where the person on this video can see how some theme parties are geared towards "making fun" of black people, from never attending a theme party before, and it is obvious that she has not had much exposure. As described by many of the posts above, theme parties can come in any theme, shape, or form- or have no formation or guidelines at all. The point of a theme party though, is to pretend to be something you are not, and have fun while doing it, a concept very similar to that of Halloween. For example, let's take the theme of 'high school stereotypes'. Some possible costumes are to be a teen mom, a cheerleader, a jock, a nerd, a prom queen/king, the gangster, a druggie, a goth, a hippie, etc. Where a black person might see the gangster costume to be a direct stab against a black person, what about the rest of the outfits? Do those cultural groups become offended when they see someone pretending to dress and act like them? The whole purpose of these parties is make fun of each other- not to single out one group as inferior to another. On Halloween, do black people that dress up in a costume feel like they are offending the image in which they are representing on the outside? Thu, 4 Mar 2010 15:37:11 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/whats-with-the-theme-parties__trashed/#IDComment59749804 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/are-whites-the-only-people-willing-to-humiliate-themselves__trashed/#IDComment59747829 I definitely agree with mikehrom that ABC shows like the Bachelor and Bachelorette, and the ABC network in general, cater to a generally white, middle class audience. I am pretty sure that every Bachelor or Bachelorette on the show has been white, and the contestants in which he/she is able to choose from are predominantly white as well, only with a little bit of diversity added into the mix (who usually never make it anywhere towards the end of the show). However, when I look back on my viewing the many seasons of the Bachelor/Bachelorette, I never did realize the lack of other races, probably because I am white myself. In trying to find some justification for the lack of diversity on the show, it is probably not ABC's intention to have a predominately white cast. I can imagine, given the premise of the show, that the Bachelor or Bachelorette is given a series of intense questions and interviews sessions in order for the network to try and find appropriate matches for the Bachelor/ette based on the criteria they are looking for in a mate. Given this, the white Bachelor/ette is probably seeking someone of their same race. On another note, the Bachelor/ette is usually someone in their 30's, maybe sometimes early 40's. Generally speaking, this generation (Generation X) of people are not the most accepting of diversity, nor are they known to be particularly racist. They lack the education about Race Relations that the Milennials (Generation Y) has, but are more accepting of different races and cultures than their parent's generation (Baby Boomers). For this reason, I can contribute to the lack of diversity on the Bachelor/ette show. With that being said, Generation Y, including those born between 1977 and 1994 are more comfortable with diversity and race relations, and have grown up in an environment of equality, for the most part. Marketers target Milennials in a number of ways, however, in regards to today's TV shows, it is more common that this generation of young people will be watching the shows on MTV and VH1, rather than ABC. As mentioned in other student's posts, these networks cater to a young a diverse crowd. Concepts of reality dating shows that parallel the Bachelor/ette, can be translated in MTV or VH1 as "A Shot at Love with Tila Tequila", "For the Love of Ray J", "Flavor of Love", "NeXt", "Date my Mom", and "Parental Control". All of these shows surround the concept of finding a mate, however are not limited to just white race and culture. It is more common to see people of different races and cultural backgrounds being featured on these shows, on networks such as MTV and VH1 that cater to a younger, more accepting audience. Thu, 4 Mar 2010 15:26:38 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/are-whites-the-only-people-willing-to-humiliate-themselves__trashed/#IDComment59747829