This is a really good question and could bring up a huge debate. SO MUCH of life on Earth has become dependent on money. But when people risk their lives to come to a country where they can be free (to a certain extent) and able to work for a better life, it almost seems unfair to be so against them. I'm not sure how I for sure stand on this issue (I need to research more and learn more about it first), but I did used to think that it would be okay if they just came legally. But then I remembered family friends we had from Turkey. They were here illegally; it was a long journey but they came here to make a better life for themselves and for the son (who was on the way). Here, they worked in factories and didn't have much money. They didn't have much help from their country's ambassadors and officials in the US to aid them in becoming legal immigrants, and after a lot of back and forth, they were warned about getting deported. They were about to be deported back to a country they had worked so hard to get away from, and from a country that they had been working so hard in for years. It just doesn't seem right to me. I don't have a solution, or a complete idea about what I think on the situation, but I do think that there should be SOME way to help immigrants become legal if they are here in the US, contributing to our economy. And that Americans should put themselves in their shoes so that we as a country can be more open to an idea like that.

This was something I wondered about too while listening during lecture, and just have always wondered in general. Guys' social dynamics are so different than that of girls, so it's hard to really compare the two cultures. I think that women are so exposed and judged in the media, so that the idea of judging overflows into everyday social situations. We talked about this in my discussion group.. how women find it okay letting each other know when they look good or have a cute outfit, haircut, purse, whatever. As well as negatively judging other women (mostly likely not aloud). And we wondered about WHY we think that outfit is good-looking, because we secretly desire that for ourselves? Maybe. But then when it comes to men, you hardly hear men complimenting each other about their looks. However, if that was accepted in society, I'm sure we'd hear it a lot more. I just really wonder if, even though it's not vocalized all the time, men get envious of others' looks or look to them as "trendsetters" like women do. It's true that men do make fun of each other and comment on each other when it comes to bodies, like at the gym or the beach or something.. I've heard that. And that could go along the same lines as women who comment on each others' thinness or breast size. So I feel that men do have a lot of pressure to conform to what is socially acceptable image-wise, which does cause insecurity and envy of other men, but it is not recognized as much because the media doesn't expose men as much as women. I also feel that this socially acceptable image comes from both men and women, not distinctly from either party. The same for women- I feel that women dress to impress guys but also other women, showing that they are trying to be socially acceptable in the eyes of men and other women. It may sound weird to say that men dress to impress other men, but I think they do, just not in the same way as women.

THANK YOU! I just want to say that I am completely in the same boat as you in this class. My dad is half Peruvian (born and raised there) and half Italian. And my mom is half Mexican and half European (Welsh/English/French). So that means I'm.. basically a mutt. In this class I don't feel like I am really on either "team" that Sam addresses. I have been raised to appreciate my dad's Peruvian culture, but like you, my race is probably considered "white" because of the actual color of my skin. What I really don't get though is how Sam took so much time in the beginning classes to explain to us that race doesn't really exist, and we can't label people by race. For example, the whole demonstration where he had the guy try and group everyone by race/skin color and it was completely off. But he still talks about the "white team" and the "black and brown team," and points out people, calling them white or black or brown. I understand that if he went off the idea that race doesn't really exist, then what would we talk about in class? But I just want to point out that our country's population is increasingly multicultural, and it's hard to just split people between white and black and brown. And people may not identify with what they're "technical" race is, but more so with the culture they are a part of. So when Sam talks about the different race teams, I mostly just take in both sides and make sure to understand both, but still don't feel as if I'm a part of either "team."

I think that periods are really amazing actually; just the fact that it happens because a woman is fertile. However I think it is something that people don't talk about because of the where the bleeding occurs. Sam didn't compare periods to other "natural bodily functions" that are also taken care of in the bathroom that people don't talk about either. Why is that? Because these bodily functions are occurring in private areas of our body. At least that's what I'm thinking. In almost the same sense of why we wear clothes that cover up our private parts, we don't talk about them either (except with those that we're comfortable with). Periods have to do with women body parts which makes it an uncomfortable thing to talk about and hear about. I don't think it is the same as getting hungry or your fingernails growing. I do think that it is more similar to peeing or pooping since it is a natural thing but involves the bathroom, and private areas. And I don't know if I think it would be any different if men had them, but that is definitely a good concept to think about.
Periods are not something to be ashamed of, and I do think men should be educated about the effects periods have on women, but I can see why it is a topic not usually talked about.

This is great! We discussed this in class so I wanted to put down some of my thoughts on it after that discussion. First of all, I think it's awesome for a woman to take on the head coaching spot for such a male dominated sport. I feel like this could only be achieved if she were truly qualified, otherwise she, the school, and its football program wouldn't take that risk (media, criticism, etc.) Also, this means that she is going to have to try extra hard because it has gathered so much attention and because she is the very first woman to do this.
Some criticisms could be the fact that she cannot relate to the males on the team so it would be more difficult to coach them, or that she will have a hard time earning respect from the team or other staff. Also, that the team as a whole will have to put up with criticism from other schools and teams. There is also the fact that she is not experienced in playing men's football, since she has only had experience playing women's football, on the "Divas." I do agree that relating to your team has a lot to do with respect and relationships within a team. In high school, my girls soccer team was coached by a man and it was difficult for him to relate to us in certain situations. We, however, had an assistant coach that was a woman which helped with that dynamic of the team, and we were able to respect our head coach simply because of the knowledge, experience and discipline he had with the sport. I feel like this can hold true for this football team. The team can still have respect for their head coach because of her knowledge, experience and discipline with the sport, but then also have other coaches that are easier to relate to. And whether or not Natalie Randolph played men's or women's football, she knows the sport and knows what it's like to make a tackle.
This team will probably have a lot to deal with this season, but they are marking a new path for gender equality, with a lot of support to back them up. I really hope they do well!

Okay, so that's fine if you want to make money, fine if you want to have a "traditional" basketball league, but not fine to make it "whites only" so as to leave out everyone else who would want to be a part of it. His reasoning is really off too.. his comment about players on professional teams carrying guns and attacking players is really stereotypical and generalizing. All these professional players that he is generalizing under one black stereotype is completely off. There are so many other kinds of players in the NBA (international and multicultural) and many who play the game beautifully. I understand that middle-aged people and older may have a hard time appreciating how basketball has evolved, and would like to go back to the "traditional" ways, but you cannot completely go back considering how far we have come! Tradition is important, but segregation is not something to be proud of or desired to return to. Plus, like Sam said, there's definitely people who don't fit the required description of the league who would want to participate in this type of basketball, but they wouldn't be allowed to, solely based on their race. How is that not racism?
A sad thing, however, is the amount of support he already has from people for this league. I think the video said he had over 300 responses from 48 hours? Wow. If this gets through, it could start a wave of segregated sports, which like Dr. R.L. White says in the video is a step backwards. Or many steps backwards.
I notice that this league is happening in the South, and I really don't think it would survive in the Northeast or West, because of the grown contemporary society and diversity we have more in those areas than in the South.
And even though in the video "Moose" claims to be "promoting a niche, and not promoting racism," that's definitely what it is doing.
America has grown, we are a diverse nation with much tradition, but going back to a tradition of segregation will only tear us apart and all that growth would be for nothing. I don't think "Moose" is necessarily racist, but this idea of his that he plans to carry out definitely is.

This is a really interesting question, and it's good to wonder about how things would be if the roles are reversed. I think it's important to remember that everyone feels more comfortable with people who are like them (in a number of different aspects). That's just how it is. I went on a field trip to an elementary school recently, and watched the interaction between young kids. I didn't see any mean or disrespectful behavior between them; they all seemed to get along pretty in this certain situation. But as they sat down at tables, all of the white kids sat and talked together and all of the black kids sat and talked together. I could even see that to a certain degree in my high school. There were some racial groups, but also groups developed based on sports teams, clubs, and high honors classes. People relate and are comfortable around people who are like them. I feel that initially any employer would be more comfortable hiring someone they feel that they can relate to and can be comfortable with. I think culture and race have a lot to do with that comfort and relation. And I think that although it may seem surfacy and assuming, that could be why employers tend to hire people they believe are the same race as they are. So I feel like a black employer would tend to hire a black person over a white person, like how a white employer tends to hire a white person over a black person. I'm not completely sure if my reasons are valid or if my assumption is true, but that's just what I think from what I have observed in parts of society. I also noticed this when we did the activity in class about choosing students to accept into a college. I noticed that I was figuring out who I could relate to from the list and hoped that my group would end up choosing them. The list showed a variety of aspects that I could relate to, but I noticed that one of the applicants was Chinese and Peruvian, and since I'm part Peruvian I instantly starting rooting for that person in my head. I lucked out in the fact that he did well actively and academically, because I'm not sure if I still would have pushed for him if he had poor scores. But I do think that relating has a lot to do with the choices people make, whether it be who they want to hang out with or who they choose to employ.

Amazing points! I feel like Sam didn't give the Gospel a fair chance when he was going over 1 Corinthians. I feel like he made the points of showing that we are all guilty of sin, laughed about it and moved on. What maybe not everyone realizes is that's the basis of Christianity! We are all guilty of sin, which is why we need a Savior, THE Savior. Christians don't claim to be perfect, we realize our sinful nature, admit it, and work to be better with our loving God on our side. One problem I struggle with seeing is the condemnation/exclusion/discrimination against homosexuals. We have NO right to judge or condemn anyone and we are called to love ALL people, because God loves ALL people.
Now, about marriage, it is true that this was created by God for man and woman to become one before Him. When people get married, I believe it should be to commit yourselves to each other before Him and to have that commitment be blessed by Him. However, in our society today, the term marriage has become a general term (social norm) describing what people do when they decide to commit themselves to each other for the rest of their lives (with or without God's involvement). And with that, the government has tacked on security, benefits, etc. I believe that anyone should have the right to declare their commitment to another person, but saving marriage for those who wish to make this declaration before God. As for a solution to the issue that "marriage" has a skewed meaning now, I have no clue. But I do know that we should work to fix it, just like the question post says.
I like what tryingtomatter4 says about those fighting for marriage to stay between a man and a woman not being a personal attack against the gay community; also about “taking God out of classroom.” The gesture was actually amusing, knowing that you can’t ever take God out of anything in life. One thing that Sam said in the lecture was “why are you so passionate about something that doesn’t affect you?” which is what I wonder about the many people who work so hard to defy God, or disprove Him. And people who are working to make marriage what it was created to be are so passionate about that because it DOES affect them. I’m not saying that marriage should be exclusive, I only mean that people should realize what exactly marriage is, and decide if that is what they believe for their lives. And I hope that many people do decide that they want God to be a part of their marriage.

I saw Avatar and I thought that it was an excellent movie. The effects and the story were amazing. But afterwards, I heard about all the controversy that never even crossed my mind as I watched the film. The things that did cross my mind were the demonstration of conquering other lands for one's own benefit, and trying to "socialize" the inhabitants to be like the conquerers. That is NOT only an American thing, but America is guilty of it. I felt that having an American learn about the ways of the land and the people living there was an inspiring concept. Instead of them becoming assimilated into American culture, he became assimilated into their culture.
I also noticed when watching it that it does have the same kind of plot as Fern Gully and Pocohontas, which were kid movies. So now that it is an adult movie with the same story line, it causes controversy. I saw in some of these comments about how other movies who have themes similar to each other aren't seen as controversial. Like Remember the Titans and Coach Carter. And I agree with that! They don't need to be controversial, and I don't think Avatar does either. It is a different insight to the film, but I don't think it needed to be taken that far. Whether or not the director was trying to portray the film in that way, it is a fantasy film meant to be enjoyed by all.

Wow. As a soccer player and fan, and as an American, I am stunned from this video. I'll be honest, my parents and I really idolize European soccer and their fans. Over there, so much heart and devotion is put into the sport. Soccer is the most popular sport there, and runs peoples lives like football or basketball teams generally do here. We always admire how passionate the fans there are, and how talented the players are. And then we look at American league (I am a Galaxy fan though), and are disappointed. However, I am NOT disappointed in the way we treat our players. This is wrong. Not only is it wrong to taunt and demean people in general, but also players of your own team? Those talented people who are a part of the wins and losses that your life revolves around? It's not right, and makes me definitely rethink my admiration of European soccer. EVERYONE deserves respect.
I do admire the amazing players who put up with this. Henry is such an awesome player, and I really admire him for stepping up to do something about the racism that exists in European soccer. I hope that there are more commercials and information out about stopping the racism, because people NEED to be informed. I can't even imagine if something like that were to occur here at a football or basketball or soccer game. Yes, there is a lot of bashing on opposing teams, but it's not heard of to verbally abuse players because of their race. Nobody deserves that.
I think the man had a good point about what it is such a big deal to be taunted about your race, when compared to being called fat. People have DIED because of this issue, and because of others' discrimination. This is abusing someone's culture, who they are, but based on what the look like. While they are out there playing the game they love, and that everyone in the stadium loves as well.
I find my admiration for European soccer diminishing on some part; yes, I love the teams, the talent, the passion, and the devotion. But European fans and soccer need to take a lesson from America in treating people equally with respect. Although sometimes it may seem like we have a way to go with racial issues here, stories like this show me how grateful I am that we have come so far already.