Wow, I am really glad this “lifer” shared his story with us. I found it to be quite inspiring because I never thought about the fact that prisoners can have a compassionate side in addition to their naughty side. I myself never really gave prisoners any credit and I’m not going to lie, I’ve always been sort of afraid of them especially if they are able to escape. I always laughed about the prisoners wearing bright orange vests that I would see picking up trash along the highways where I live at home. They’re in prison for a reason, so doesn’t that mean they’re dangerous? Apparently not…this man’s story changed my perspective on prisoners.

I appreciate how this man is able to make something out of nothing. He committed murder and therefore deserves to spend his whole life in prison, but the fact that he is optimistic and making the most out of his time there is what is so incredible. Prior to reading this letter, I’ve always thought that prison was just a giant shithole; everyone just sits in the corner of their cell with their head in their hands praying that they can somehow take back their crime and find a way out. But it feels very good to know that the prisoners are actually friends with each other and do their best to brighten each other’s days. I realized that no matter how much it might suck to lose all of your freedom for the rest of your life, there is no way out so why not be positive about it? This letter also says that no life is useless. If a life-long prisoner can do something worthwhile with his or her life, then so can everyone else.

Everyone makes mistakes, but unfortunately some mistakes have serious consequences. While some “lifers” are guilty and others are innocent and some acted on purpose while others did so by accident, this letter opened my eyes to the fact that they are still people and still have souls. Thus, they need to be treated as humans. I think that if people start to view prisoners this way, more and more prisoners will reveal their compassionate side. While it is true that some prisoners are indeed dangerous, they still deserve a chance to change others’ perspectives of them.

I think it’s really cool that this prisoner is remaining so positive and I hope he continues to look at the glass half full. He should share his story with more people because I think it will change a lot of people’s opinions about prisoners for the better. I also believe is story can teach a lot of valuable lessons about how to make the most of a situation, no matter how good or bad it may be.

I find it interesting that we’ve had so many blogs about gender issues in a class that is supposed to be about race relations. However, I do enjoy blogging about it because gender issues are such common debates in society today. I like reading about other people’s opinions on the subject because many people have different ideas than me and it’s interesting to consider other points of view on the matter.

As far as Laurie’s play is concerned, I agree with the many people before me who thought the play was very worthwhile viewing. I liked how it introduced the opposite point of view on breasts than the majority of women have. Many women want large breasts to show off their cleavage or pick up guys, but most of those women never really considered how large breasts are also often an inconvenience. I thought the actresses did a great job of expressing the emotions that I’m sure Laurie felt when she was writing the play.

I think the media needs to stop making such a big deal about women’s appearance, whether it is breast size or body tone or whatever. We were all born in different shapes and sizes and we are meant to be happy with the cards we were dealt. However, when magazines and television shows like MTV reveal all these celebrities with the perfect beach body, more and more of us women become uncomfortable with our appearance and strive to look just like them. That’s just the way society is today – everyone wants a “hot” body, including some men.

We shouldn’t want to look differently. Women should be content with the original size of their breasts because every size has its pros and cons. You shouldn’t be concerned about your appearance. Instead, you should be focused on who you are as a person and making good impressions on people based on what’s on the inside. I think it’s ridiculous that women are so concerned with their bodies. We are all beautiful no matter what we think. If you feel that you need to change your body in order to impress your significant other, then chances are, you probably shouldn’t be with that person in the first place.

I agree with the girl who made this video that all women are beautiful in their own way and the guy that you choose to spend the rest of your life with feels the same way. I think the main point of Laurie’s play is that we should appreciate who we are and don’t let our opinions or impressions of ourselves be influenced by the media. Save the breast reduction/implant surgeries for the people who actually need them in order to survive. If your breasts are healthy, then you should be able to live without the surgery.

WOW. I have NO idea what the Japanese government thinks it is doing in allowing these video games to be sold and played. After watching this video, I would be ashamed of myself if I lived in Japan. Actually, I would get out of town as soon as possible, because this is ridiculous. Absolutely ridiculous! First of all, I am a woman, and knowing that there are video games about raping women enrages me beyond belief. These games are so absurd that the reporters can’t even show or talk about what they allow their players to do to the characters! How is that okay? It’s not!

Obviously, Japan’s values and morals must be different from ours, but I think there comes a time when the country should side with other governments and realize that these games are well beyond inappropriate. Like I don’t even know what to say. This is outrageous! Are Japanese women really okay with Japanese males playing video games that totally disrespect females? I don’t think so. And if they are okay with it, then these women have serious issues. I mean, I don’t get angry easily, but I am seriously offended by this report and there’s not even an ounce of Japanese blood in me.

The creators of these games are making money off of something that is sexually and morally wrong. They are forwarding a message that it is socially acceptable to corrupt women, when it is actually 100% inappropriate. Anyone who thinks this is okay should seek a psychologist for severe mental illness. Seriously, there is no way in hell that this is okay. I’m sure, or at least hope, that the producers of these games don’t intend for young audiences to get their hands on them, but in today’s world, anything is possible. And if these kids grow up thinking that raping women is tolerable because their parents allowed them to play these games, can you imagine what society would be like? HELL, that’s what!

Likewise, I am also against the video games that support weapons, killing people, etc. Yeah, they do a lot for the entertainment industry, but in reality, they are only conveying a message that violence is perfectly all right. And we wonder why all we ever hear about on the news is hostility. Maybe if all of these violent and humiliating video games were banned, our world would be a more peaceful place.
Something needs to be done about these games that are a disgrace to society. It all starts with people refraining from buying them. When profits on the games start to decrease, maybe the producers will begin to realize that there is something extremely wrong with their content. I am still totally stunned as to why these games were put on the market, and I can only hope that someday they will not exist. I also hope that the people who thought it would be cool to design video games about raping women are somehow punished!

Wow…I feel really bad for this student that he doesn’t know how to categorize himself. I think it says a lot about how messed up our society is in terms of racial issues, which is really unfortunate. No one should have to hesitate when asked what race they belong to, and the fact that this student does have to makes me very frustrated. I never actually considered a question like this because of the fact that I am as white as a person can be – racially and literally! I have blonde hair, blue eyes, pale skin, etc. and I never before had to put myself in this person’s shoes so I’m glad this question brought up. After listening to his story and seeing his frustration, I must say that I am quite thankful that I never have and probably never will be asked this question based on what I look like.

If I was this student and I had to identify with a particular race, I would probably say that I am mixed because of the whole Puerto Rican background with white skin sort of thing. But I really think that it is up to him to decide which racial group he belongs to. Nobody knows who you are more than you do, so be whoever you want to be. Your skin might be white, but if you feel more comfortable in the black or brown crowd, then circle one of those races on applications. If you feel most comfortable with the white population, then circle white. If you are comfortable with being mixed, then circle mixed. It doesn’t matter what other people want to classify him as and it is sad that we have to have a blog about this. The only thing that matters is who he wants to be. Clearly, there is no wrong answer here because his background is a little bit of everything.

I hope that one day we don’t have to worry or feel sorry for these people who don’t know how to categorize themselves because there will be no such racial tension in society. I can’t wait for the day when everyone is equal with regards to race, if and when this ever happens. It sucks that racial issues are such a big deal in today’s time since that means that people aren’t accepted by others just because of what they look like on the outside. It’s what’s on the inside that truly matters. By choosing his race for him or telling him where he belongs, we are not allowing him to be his own person. If he feels like he needs to identify with a specific race, then fine. But if he just wants to embrace the fact that he is multicultural, that’s cool too. Therefore, let this kid be who he wants to be.

Let me begin by saying that when this topic of menstruation first came up in lecture, I was like “Oh my God, that’s disgusting. Why are we talking about this?” I am a female, and I usually don’t have a problem with listening to someone talk about menstruation, but I always eat dinner right after class. I must say that hearing the word, “bleeding,” coming from a man referring to the 28-day cycle, I was definitely disturbed and definitely lost my appetite for a little while. But it was not so much that the word “bleeding” grossed me out. There are other parts of the body that can bleed besides the vagina, like when you get a cut on your finger. Rather, I thought Sam crossed the line when he said how he likes to look at his wife’s period in the toilet because it is a “work of art.” That was just inappropriate. I don’t like to put words in people’s mouths, but I’m pretty sure I can speak for an overwhelming majority of men who would never even think about viewing such a thing. As a female, I also know there are many women including myself who would never want their boyfriend or husband to admire her period either. That’s just gross and something that women have a right to keep personal.

I understand what Sam was trying to say in talking about women’s periods, but I think he could’ve gotten his point across in a less disturbing and much more efficient way. Yeah, blood coming from the vagina every month is a natural bodily function and something that must happen in order for reproduction to take place. I just think he could’ve talked about it in less detail and kept to himself what goes on in his bathroom at home.

I agree with Sam and Laurie that periods are something that women cannot avoid, much like all humans must eat and all humans must go to the bathroom. I just think we have problems talking about our cycles because of the fact that they can be embarrassing. As Laurie pointed out, sometimes our pads or tampons can leak and then we are left with an awkward stain for the whole world to giggle about. Yeah, there are many women who tell their friends when they have their periods, but who explains in disgusting detail? I mean, pooping is just as natural of a function as menstruating, but no one really discusses that in detail. It’s just an uncomfortable topic to talk about it. If you want to talk about it, all you need to say is “I pooped” or “I have my period.” Nothing else is necessary.

I think men need to be sympathetic of their ladies when their “friends” are visiting each month, but we can’t expect to them to enjoy talking about or listening to the unnecessary and gross details. The same goes for other women, too. I think it's okay to mention it in conversation, but please, keep it PG!

I love the fact that something like this has made national headlines. Simply put, I myself am a female, love sports, and consider myself to be fairly athletic. I hope to one day coach a high school sport’s team, not necessarily football, but nevertheless I want to coach much like this woman did. So I’m putting myself in this woman’s shoes and I can totally understand her excitement about the situation. But I can also see how she fears the unexpected because let’s face it, how many female football coaches are out there? Exactly.

After viewing this video, I think this school is taking a step in the right direction by even considering hiring a female football coach. When it comes to such a male-dominated sport like football, I’m sure many athletic directors immediately put female applications at the bottom of the pile no matter what. It’s just a known fact in the world of sports that “girls don’t know football.” So for a female football coach to be hired, I think that sends an important message that there are definitely women out there who are qualified for these positions than men. This woman played football when she was younger so she must have a decent knowledge of the game, and the fact that she is also a teacher must work to her advantage as well. As a result, I think it would be ludicrous to hire a man instead of her just because he is a man and “knows the game better” according to the sexist stereotype.

I’ve played on a lot of sports teams in my life and I’ve had both male and female coaches for a variety of sports. Speaking from experience, I personally prefer a female coach over a male coach. Maybe it’s just because I’m a female too, but I think girls can listen to and understand female coaches better, and the same goes for guys and their male coaches. However, I don’t think a coach should be hired on the basis of sex or just because society thinks they have more knowledge about the game than the opposite sex. Saying that a woman can’t coach a football team would be the same as saying that a man can’t coach a softball team. We all know this isn’t true. Consider the United States Olympic softball team coached by Mike Candrea who is one of the most successful softball coaches in the world. So, I think either sex can coach any sport if they have the skills, knowledge, and commitment to do so.

I can see how there are guys who can’t take a female coach seriously because football is such a physical sport and obviously the majority of women aren’t built like men physically or mentally. But that doesn’t mean they can’t give this woman a shot at it. She appears to have all the right qualities if she was hired for the job. I think people need to stop being so sexist and give this woman a chance to do something great.

WOW, this video definitely caught me off guard a little. Although I was very surprised about the actions that were reported in this video, I do think the media played a role in blowing the details out of proportion. After all, that is what the media does with news these days. I don’t think it is necessarily correct or moral to consider the campus to be “racist” just because of a couple incidents that occurred there. These kinds of misdemeanors can occur anywhere and everywhere so we should have a substantial amount of evidence before we refer to a specific campus or location as “racist.”

I am certainly not denying the fact that these actions are wrong; they are definitely intolerable and it is sad that we have to read and hear about these kinds of actions in the news everyday. However, I personally do not think the campus is “racist”. The things that happened there are simply a result of the failure to see the world from others’ point of view. So I can see how people would right away think the campus is racist but I don’t think there is enough proof. I also think the campus has too many students for it to be considered racist based on the actions of a very small proportion of its students.

What is ironic about the situation, though, is that it was a black student (from a minority) who thought of the ghetto-themed party and hung the noose. This is another reason why I don’t think the campus is racist. I agree with many of the comments before me in that the student was simply kidding around with his own people or trying to spark the controversy that now exists. If a white student had committed these acts of shame, then I could definitely understand where the argument is coming from. But coming from a minority, I don’t think any racial intentions were involved. He was probably just seeking attention. I could be wrong, but this is just my opinion.

With all this being said, I don’t think we live in a racist-free world. I just think there needs to be numerous occasions among the majority of a population before you can consider that group or place to be racist. There are definitely certain people we need to avoid and others who need our help and protection. Yeah, it’s unfortunate but I don’t think we can dodge the truth, nor do I think racism is something that will not exist in the future. We will never stop hearing about it in the news and that is something that we all have to cope with. However, it will be less of a problem if these “jokes” that were reported here are eliminated. If the people who do these things realize that what they are doing isn’t right, there will be more and more people who are less intimidated by racism.

I find this to be a very interesting question, especially since we talked about race’s role in the application process in my discussion group this week. Although I strongly disagree with it, I firmly believe that a colored person would choose a colored person over a white person and a white person would choose a white person over a colored person. I just feel that this is the way today’s society has been brought up – to favor your own race or ethnical background. However, this is why I think race should be excluded from all job and college applications. It is not fair to accept or reject someone based primarily on race.

I think colored people on admissions committees are more likely to choose a colored person because they know that people of these backgrounds have struggled in the past so they have to be pretty determined and hard-working if they are applying for jobs or colleges. I also think they may choose the colored person over the white person as a way of rebelling against white supremacy. Maybe they’re tired of white people stealing the show all the time so they want to give others a chance to shine.

At the same time, I think white people on admissions committees are more likely to choose white people because of the common belief that whites are more capable of doing the job and have a higher rate of success. Many believe that if they had hired a black person instead in order to fulfill diversity quotas, their business or university may not thrive as much as it would if they had hired a white person. I’m not saying this is true in all cases, but it is the case more often than not. And I do not agree with this at all.

I believe that everyone on an admissions committee should accept or reject their applicants solely based on academic achievements and strength of resumes. While it is true that colored people may not have had the same opportunities as white people to build their resumes, it is also not fair to reject white people with exceptional resumes just to have diversity. I think that by getting rid of the racial/ethnical background questionnaire, admissions officers will have an easier job because they will only have to base their decisions on well roundedness. If it comes down to two applicants who have very similar resumes, the decision should be made according to which person submitted their application first. By doing it this way, diversity quotas may even still be met anyways because there are plenty of colored people who come from all sorts of ethnical backgrounds who are more qualified than white people and vice versa. Whether or not this idea works, I think it’s at least worth a shot!

I agree with the majority of responses so far that there should not be a difference between gay and lesbian couples adopting a child. As long as the couple is physically, mentally, and emotionally strong enough to properly raise a child, then who the heck cares what the couple’s sexual orientation is? I believe some homosexual couples even turn out to be better parents than heterosexual couples. Any couple that really wants a child should be able to have one; they are all equally deserving.

I guess I am also saying that if gay and lesbian couples should be equally able to adopt a child, then they should also be allowed to get married. I support homosexual marriage 100% because I believe that love is love, and if you happen to be attracted to someone of the same sex, then so be it. Just because there are religious values that do not support same-sex marriages doesn’t mean that everyone should feel this way. If your religion says you can’t marry someone of the same sex as you and you believe that, then don’t! Marry straight, but don’t judge homosexuals just because you wouldn’t do it yourself. After all, this is a free country – we should be allowed to be attracted to whom we are attracted to. This concept of gay/lesbian marriage is related to gay/lesbian adoption because they really go hand in hand. If one is okay, than the other should be okay, too.

Although I believe there is no difference between gay couple adoptions versus lesbian couple adoptions, I can see why some people would favor one over the other. I think the majority of people who believe there is a difference would favor lesbian adoptions because of the “women are primary caregivers” stereotype. Many people see women as the ones who stay home to clean the house and take care of the children, while the men go to work to make the money to pay the bills. So if two women have legal rights to a child, then there is potentially double the care. Those who favor gay adoptions may do so because of the fact that if a gay couple is pursuing adoption, they must REALLY want a child for obvious reasons. And those people who are completely against the act of homosexual couples adopting a child should keep that thought to themselves and let these couples do what they want to do, as I mentioned before. If you’re against it, then just don’t do it!

I think that once our society begins to recognize that some people are indeed attracted to the opposite sex and they start to accept this fact, this issue of homosexual adoption will no longer exist. I think this situation is in our foreseeable future; it’s just a matter of our society becoming more understanding of people’s differences.

As interesting as it was, Sam’s lecture on freedom and determinism was nothing new to me. Like Sam, I’ve always felt that everyone, no matter how liberal or conservative, needs to be in the “middle” of the two. Yes, we all have free will to make whatever decisions we please, but there are certainly uncontrollable factors that play a large role in these decisions. However, what many people do not realize is that there are ways to dodge these obstacles. There are many people who come in contact with a situation they have no idea how to deal with so they simply give up. While it is true that life is neither easy nor fair, all it takes is a little determination and motivation to overcome these struggles. As far as socioeconomic status is concerned, it is definitely possible to start at the bottom of the totem pole and work your way up. You just have to believe in yourself and try as hard as you can.

I am one example of these people who have had to overcome a lot of difficult moments in life. I love telling my story because I started out on the path to nowhere, but I learned how to cope with the unfortunate cards that I was dealt. I made a trip to the principal’s office nearly everyday when I was in grade school as a result of my ADD. My younger brother, who I was very close with at the time, ran away from home when I was just 14 (he was 12). He’s back now, but our relationship will never be the same. I was never really interested in going to school or getting good grades. Neither one of my parents went to college and because they had such a dramatic influence on me, I never felt I had to go either. Then all of a sudden, my mom was diagnosed with colon cancer when I was a freshman in high school and that triggered a whole new attitude in me. After witnessing her go through chemotherapy and lose most of her hair, I wanted to make her proud, but more importantly, I knew I wasn’t happy and I wasn’t going to be successful in life if I wasn’t happy. From then on, I chose to take school seriously because I realized that good grades can take you very far. I played on my high school’s field hockey and softball teams, joined various clubs, and visited my mom in the hospital everyday. It was her illness that taught me to never take anything for granted and ever since she was declared cancer free in 2006, I found myself in the middle of the “freedom vs. determinism” track. I enrolled at Penn State in August 2008 and I continue to make the most out of what is in front of me. After all that I’ve been through, now I’m determined that I can overcome anything.

That being said, I completely agree with Sam in that people should never allow uncontrollable forces to hinder them from doing what makes them happy. No matter what race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, etc., we all have the ability to make the right decisions. Effort and determinism will find a way. Strive for the middle!