When I read this story and watched this video I tried to put myself in a similar situation to try and understand why someone would take this type of action in order to avenge the loss of a loved one. Obviously I do not live in a world like this woman does in which there are innocent people killed every day in such a manner. I do not have the harder life that many people do outside the United States that fall victim to this type of situation very often and have to deal with the effects of the aftermath brings. I can only imagine the type of mind set I would be in if I were to lose someone in that manner and have to live without them. I do however disagree with the actions carried out in this situation because I feel that violence after a situation such as this does not go on to solve anything. They said that there were three people who were killed during the attack which only causes this cycle to continue. Now three families are without a loved one and are left to wonder why something like this should happen and why violence was turned to in order to solve this issue. We do have a tendency to glorify the vigilante killer in certain aspects but this is not the message we should be sending. It is obviously wrong to use violence to solve an issue even in the event that a loved one is cut down in a way that makes you want to turn to violence to seek revenge. Our law system and the court system that we follow works in a way that we can have justice for crimes that are carried out and committed against us or our loved ones. For those that commit the crimes are hunted down by police and held accountable for their actions. That is the type of system that we should be following, not turning to carrying out acts of violence against those who were responsible. When you turn to a gun or a bomb in a situation like this, you are stooping to the level of the one you are seeking revenge against and it makes you no better than they are. It is a wrong thing to think and a wrong way to bring the perpetrator to justice. I do feel for the families that are in situations when they lose someone and don’t think they have anywhere to turn in order to get their justice, but violence is definitely not the option and killing more people in order to be even is the complete wrong way to do it.

After watching the video about how Japanese games are out there that allow, as well as encourage, the user to rape a victim in a video game, I was truly surprised, disgusted and appalled all at the same time. This type of game should not only be banned from existing but is horrible enough that anyone even thought of something like this. Why would someone in their right mind think it was not only a good idea to have a game in which they rape women, but to put it out there for people to buy and play? There are some people who would have the argument that there is the freedom to produce certain things like this because it takes place in a virtual reality world rather than in real life. This is partly true but I don’t see how anyone could actually market this item and want to put it into the hands of people around the world. I am a firm believer in the fact that people should be able to be held accountable for their own actions. When there was a very large outcry about the violence that is involved in video games such as Grand Theft Auto or other games of the genre, I was not on the side of those who would protest against it and deem the game evil. This may seem hypocritical because of the all out violence and mayhem that would take place in the game in which you could run down civilians after hijacking their car, beat up unsuspecting victims or even commit acts of murder. But in my mind this is all part of a video game world that has been built up over the years and has been distinguishable from real life. At no point in that game do you take part in being in a first person mode and forcing yourself on a woman in different settings including public places such as a subway. This in my mind is completely different and should not be put in the hands of any individual anywhere. Like I said before, people should be held accountable for their actions and I don’t agree with the fact that people would be highly influenced to go out and rape people after playing the game and strictly blaming the video game for their actions. That is why I had such issues with those who blamed school shootings or outward violence by children because they saw these acts in video games or movies that were on the market. I believe that this game was completely out of line when it was made and should not be available for anyone to purchase or download. This is a horrible subject to offer to people and should be pulled immediately. The developers should have a better mind than to market this and think that by profiting on the idea of rape, they have a solid business model and are just making a living.

It was truly a shame and certainly was heartbreaking to watch this video and to see how many of the children thought that it was a better decision to choose the white doll rather than picking the black doll who looked more like them. It seemed that with each of the young children, there wasn’t even much of a hesitation from the moment they saw the two dolls and were given the opportunity to choose which one they wanted to have rather than the one that was considered to be bad or not as good as the other doll. It was a quick decision that they didn’t even have to ponder or consider. How is it that society has had it drummed into these children’s minds at this point that they should be choosing the white doll rather than choose the doll that looks like them and should be considered to be the same doll? It was definitely shocking to me to watch this whole video and realize that people at a young age are not being taught to be proud of who they are and proud of their skin color. The fact that they are so young and turning away from their heritage and wanting to be considered lighter skinned is just an eye opening experience that I wouldn’t have known had I not watched this video. It must be taught to these children that just because they have a certain color skin, does not mean that they should be judged by it and should certainly not shy away from the fact. To see these children struggle with the fact that they had to choose which doll was “the good doll” vs. which doll looked like them was a shocking and heartbreaking sight. I realize that there are certainly more dolls out there that these children are being exposed to rather than the African American dolls that they look like, but they should not have the mind frame that the dolls like them are bad and they don’t want to play with them. This is obviously something that society needs to relay better to our youth and make them realize that there is not one of us that is better than the other. We are all equal as people and should not consider one race to be bad and one race to be good. We are all living here on the same planet and should be considered to have the same opportunity and same ways of living. To have these children fall into these pattern of not being proud of whom they are and knowing that most of them will hold onto this stigma as they grow older is something that should be closely watched and fixed in the future. I’m glad that I was exposed to a video such as this so I can truly understand the pressure that is placed upon these children at a young age and realize that they should be encouraged to support who they are rather than shy away from that. In essence this whole class has been a large awakening and has really helped me understand the hardships that are still experienced by minorities and how we need to change this in the future.

Reading an article like this makes you feel a bit shocked that there are still so many people out there who are close minded and completely ignorant as to ruin something that is supposed to be a large part of a teenagers’ life. Prom for many is a big celebration at the end of their high school years that they can look back on and laugh at the fun they had, how ridiculous everyone looked in their different formal attires, and to reflect on a milestone that usually happens in every teenager’s life. When people attend this event, they are generally encouraged to go with a date but in the case of my school many people just went as singles and were able to go and just enjoy themselves. After our discussion group and reading this article it had come to my attention that many schools do not allow people to go unless they have a date. I feel this concept is a very unnecessary and discriminating clause that really shouldn’t be included in many of the “rules” that go along with having a prom. There are plenty people who just choose not to go with a date and want to go to soak in the experience in a way that they feel comfortable. Many people can go with friends and it wouldn’t be an issue. This is a whole different topic that is both wrong and should not continue in schools. Now going to the article it makes me mad to have to read that some school administrators would take their discrimination and homophobia to such a high level as to cancel an entire prom because one girl wanted to go with her girlfriend. Schools should be a place that children should feel safe because their teachers and administrators care for the students and their well being. They are there to help mold them into mature adults and to learn ways to really express themselves while feeling comfortable in their own skin. There are many LGBT clubs in high schools around the country that are perfect who children who need an outlet and they are all endorsed by most school systems. It should be a standard that all schools allow their students to be whatever sexual orientation they want without discrimination or judgment and allow them to have all the same rights as any other student. This one girl happens to be in a relationship with another and simply would not stand down from the oppression and discrimination she was receiving from the school system. When they felt threatened and uncomfortable with her going to the prom they decided to cancel the entire thing putting a damper not only on the prom of this one girl, but for the entire student body and placing her as a target. This was a terrible act by the school system and I’m glad the family is suing to bring the school system to justice and not allow this type of hate and close mindedness continue.

I personally feel that the opinion put forward here is one that does not really see as many theme parties or situations in which she can really relate to the whole manner. I have been to and have even hosted theme parties that in no way are considered racist or even go against a person in a discriminatory way. There are many parties in which people can dress up like they are a certain type of high school student (nerd, jock, prep, etc.), there can be situations in which people dress like they are from a different time period, or there are even situations in which people dress like a certain celebrity. I would not say that the majority of theme parties thrown are in the racist sense at all. There are certain parties in which people can dress a certain manner such as a “ghetto” style or something of that sort that could be construed as racist but these are rare events that I don’t personally see as being in a discriminatory form. There can be situations in which people can take a certain theme party too far and that can be understood as a rare instance. It can in no way be considered the majority. And to say that it is only white people who do this also is not fair, because it really is a type of event that both races no matter what they are, can enjoy and take part in especially when they attend a school such as Penn State.
The reason people have theme parties in reality are a way people can have fun and to dress up in a manner they wouldn’t normally dress. For situations in which people need to dress like nerds or jocks, it’s a fun way to really go out and be out of your box and really have a funny side that you can share with others. People have different ways they dress up for these parties and it is fun to compare with others on how they dress up and what they wore to the party. It is really just another reason for college students (or people of other ages as well) to drink and have a party. Not everyone likes to go to parties without a theme because sometimes the theme can act as an ice breaker. It is unfortunate that some situations require extra incentive to drink and have a party such as one of these stated theme parties but we really only have so much time where we can truly have fun and act in a manner that we can like when we attend Penn State. I participate in these parties and will continue to participate in them, and I feel that saying that the majority of these parties are racist or discriminatory is a false statement even though I respect the opinion.

I do not agree with the common misconception that a male gay couple should not be as accepted as a female lesbian couple when adopting children. In reality there are many situations in life when it shouldn’t matter what gender a person is when they are raising their children, but what matters is that they really love their children. There are plenty of families that have a father figure who raise the children because the mother does not or is not able to provide the assistance that a mother needs to bring to the table. This can be either due to the mother’s career, her lack of commitment in raising a child, or in some situations even death leaving the father to look after the children after her passing. Who is to say that a male, or two males in this situation, are less fit to raise children rather than two women?
I can play Devil’s Advocate and see the point where people would say, “Having two mothers is better than having two fathers because a mother ultimately knows how to care for a child better.” This is not necessarily true and that tends to be an issue that blocks the truth about certain parents and how they raise their children. There are plenty of men who are more capable of raising children than certain women and just because two gay men decide that they want to have a child doesn’t mean that they should be denied these rights or looked down upon for it.
Our country always likes to say that we are equal and everyone is given a fair chance if they work hard and do their best to achieve their goals. Unfortunately this American Dream is not always achieved due to prejudices that exist in our society. The LGBT community does not get the same rights as the straight community and travels on a much harder path to do something as easy as having a child. Gay men especially have it extremely tough because of that preconceived prejudice that they would not raise their children correctly or they have more of a chance to raise their child gay. All these ideas are very wrong and I find it very difficult to understand why people in this day and age just accept people for who they are and truly practice the equality that is so often preached to us as citizens of this country. As long as a child is brought up in a household in which the parents love the child dearly and give them the support and essentials to live, you cannot decide that one couple is more qualified instead of the other. This is big problem that must be sorted out and really looked at before we are all truly equal. It is unfortunate to see but it is the reality that we face today and it must be changed.

The comments made by Andre Bauer are completely out of line and are unbelievably offensive to not just people on welfare, but to the likes of all citizens. For him to compare people on welfare as animals is so far from the truth that it warrants a need for action to be taken. People on welfare are not there because they choose to be and they want to mooch off of the American people. They are there because they were the “unlucky ones” who ended up there. They didn’t choose what social class they were born into or what wealth their previous family members earned. They are there because they were dealt a harder hand in life and they are finding ways to make ends meet.
Many people on welfare are supporting their families due to unforeseen circumstances such as the death of a family member, the loss of a job, or the simple inability to afford the simple staples of life on their current job pay scale. Times have certainly become tough with this economic downturn and there are plenty of people who are quite capable to earn a living in jobs but companies are simply not hiring because they too need to cut back. We cannot hold it against the people on welfare that they need the extra assistance to get back on their feet. It is the duty of all Americans and all citizens of the globe for that matter to come together and help those that are in need. Many times it is the luck of the draw as to who is well off and who is in need of assistance.
I personally am not in the in either group, but I highly disagree with the comments that were made. Who is this lieutenant governor to determine that these people are worse than him? They are not animals; they are people that deserve the same chance as everyone else, including Mr. Bauer. What about all the students who are some of the smartest people in the world but simply don’t have the money to balance the essentials and paying for a prestigious college education. They are the future as well as they deserve the same chance. These programs are available to assist those in need and they should not be ridiculed for that. It is not for people to judge them on their abilities.
I think that this government official should definitely be stripped of his political responsibilities and asked to step down. These types of comments are not to be spoken in a private setting let alone in a setting where the press will publish them and bring light to these words. It was completely out of line and a real shame that there are people out there that are ignorant enough to make these comments.

The census serves a purpose that obviously can be positive for citizens but in certain situations I feel it unnecessarily puts people in a certain box that they do not need to be backed into. By asking someone flat out to say what race and ethnicity they are on a piece of paper that is to be sent along to people who will never meet them seems to be somewhat of a breach of privacy if the person is not comfortable with sharing such things. An example I have of this is when we all had to apply to colleges. After we filled out our applications and wrote our essays on why we thought we should be accepted into this school or that we were prompted with another questionnaire. It asked up to fill out what race we were, and I had to specifically fill out white/non Hispanic. Now to me it seems that something of this is irrelevant when I am applying to something so important such as my college education. Why should it make a difference what race I am or what ethnicity? The decision of whether I am accepted into a school or rejected should be based on my accomplishments up until that point rather than what color my skin is.
For the census to ask people to check this box or that to say who you are is not entirely right in my opinion. I think their choice now to leave more spaces to be filled in so people can put down as the way they feel comfortable explaining is a great idea. What a certain person is called or how they refer to themselves should be their opinion not that of someone who is writing the census form in some office not knowing exactly what type of people will be filling out the census and how they feel about the way it is addressed to them. This article written in Time/CNN doesn’t directly affect me because I don’t have to state what race I am besides the fact that I’m white, but I can see how it can be a topic of debate among those that it affects. One should not eliminate the world negro entirely from the census because it is obvious that there are many people out there who still identify themselves as that and need that option on the census. But it doesn’t mean that we should not have to list every single name to put a label on every citizen that fills this out. By having the blanks for people to write in, I feel that it makes more sense and it seems like less of a labeling system than what is in place currently. It may cause for less efficiency after all the census takers finish the surveys but I think it makes for a less forward system that ultimately should not serve as a label for those filling it out.

psu

Too often certain political commentators use what they believe in their own minds that whatever they really think is essentially fact. They are separate from the common closed-minded individuals in that they have an audience of several listening as they spew distorted facts to the masses. The words spoken by Pat Robertson is a perfect example of someone who hides behind the title of being in the religious community as he speaks the words of hate and ignorance against something he has no idea about. He speaks of the “deal” that was made between Haiti (an entire nation that cannot possibly be lumped into one such deal) and the devil and that is the reason for all of the disaster and death that has happened because of these tragic events. He places the sole reason on a “true story” that happened in the 19th century. How does this man become qualified to know that such an event occurred and give his “its true” stamp of a approval if such a story is in fact fake?
I touch on the point that Sam makes about whether we could believe that a person of Detroit made a deal with the devil to revitalize the auto industry because I feel that that is a very valid comparison. How can someone be in Robertson’s corner and actually believe that what he was saying is correct when there is no way that anyone could believe the statement about Detroit? It is simply because too many people in the world are close minded and follow the masses in what they think they should believe in. The listeners of Robertson of the ever famous Rush Limbaugh are led to believe the “facts” presented by these personalities are the truth and could not possibly be challenged by opposing views. The fact that Limbaugh still spews his hate for Obama and claims that he was born in Kenya when it has been present countless times that he is in fact a United States born citizen. How can anyone in their right mind listen to these liars and, for lack of a better word, haters gather such an audience to speak of these extravagant stories that they pass as fact? It is a shame that people can put their morals and thoughts aside and follow these words as if they speak the truth.
I try not to listen to these people but that simply isn’t enough. It is the job of the public to challenge these words being spoken and to really address the issue at hand. There are countless numbers of lives broken and destroyed by recent events and someone has the audacity to blame it on a deal with the devil that simply did not happen. I hope that these recent events make people realize that these comments cannot continue to be spoken and they must be vocally opposed in the future.