en-us https://www.intensedebate.com/users/2416148 Comments by gratefulife http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/16/the-kill-team-tragedy-in-the-middle-east-001-blog/#IDComment144578880 What has become apparent to me after reading this article is how war perverts the soldiers who are subjected to its truths. After occupying Afghanistan for some ten years now, the war has taken a toll on the soldiers fighting it. Being involved in such a perverting war for so long, it is hard to keep ones head straight. It is difficult to decipher who truly is the enemy. The soldiers have come to not only discuss the killing of Afghan civilians, but also go ahead and kill them. It is an unfortunate consequence of war that causes such brutality from both sides as we can see in this example. The soldiers involved in the killings of civilians have been tried as such and it is premeditated murder that they committed. While the myths of war have over taken the truth of what is actually occurring in Afghanistan, it has lately become more apparent that the realities of past wars such as the Vietnam War are true for wars being fought today. While we easily blame the soldiers who commit war crimes against the civilians, war perpetuate violence and demonize the enemy into a nonhuman form. This is what is occurring and has always occurred in the past. There is one side that you are on, patriotism for your soldiers and land creates the myth that there is a purpose for the war that is justifiable. In reality the Afghanistan War is obviously one for the purpose of grasping a hold of natural resources held in the Middle Eastern territories in preparation for our future lack of oil. The myth is that which portrays Afghanistan as one that is the “War on Terror”. The soldiers, unfortunately, are the ones who are subject to understanding the full extent of extortion when they go overseas to fight the War on Terror. It is depressing, disturbing, and demoralizing to find out that your life has been put in the hands of those seeking money and power not freedom and justice. This hate, I feel, has a great effect on the soldiers who participate in war crimes such as the killing of innocent Afghanis. They see the corruption within their own organizations and from there on become corrupt themselves. They feel no pain for those they kill and understand far more the extent of the “War on Terror” than any of us back in the United States ever could. Wed, 20 Apr 2011 17:59:57 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/16/the-kill-team-tragedy-in-the-middle-east-001-blog/#IDComment144578880 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/03/what-a-man-is/#IDComment140295894 The first thing that I wish to address after reading this piece is the influence that the media and public has on our opinions. Specifically the fact of being a male can generate some ill-fitting understandings of how one should act towards the opposite sex. To a greater degree in modern times, male superiority and one’s own manhood is something that is being fought for. The media portrayal of a man is one who drinks, smokes, and treats women as objects rather than other human beings. It is hard to overcome these traits being pushed on us since it means facing our own humanity which no man wants to do. C. brings up an interesting point about the issue of male dominance in the fact that after being imprisoned for so many years he now understands how one should treat another individual. I believe that lifers come to terms with themselves as people because of the time in which they inevitably will be in jail. C. asks us readers as to why it has taken him so long to realize how a woman should be treated. It stems from the social barriers that we put up between the sexes and the immaturity that overcomes our intuition of what is right versus what is wrong. In prison, C. no longer deals with the influence of media and social biases allowing him to recognize every individual for who they are. Women are no greater or less then men. We all are beings of our own and it is inhumane to treat one another as anything less. Now in our day and age men have barriers that enable them to overlook these faults they posses and continue to see women as objects. Prison has made C. more capable of seeing past the social barriers and into the deeper meanings of life. These understandings are that a woman possesses the qualities of any other being. In order to treat one another with decency a man and woman must have mutual respect for each other. They must have a love that surpasses any physical boundaries and comes down to the yearning to be with one another at all times. This true love comes not from the mind that can be manipulated by the slightest of implications, but the heart. Wed, 6 Apr 2011 00:28:35 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/03/what-a-man-is/#IDComment140295894 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/27/family/#IDComment139284055 The fact that someone can do just one thing wrong and be imprisoned for the rest of their life is a scary thought. Every day I myself and everyone around me make mistakes and learn from them. C. is very right in saying that love is a reciprocal relationship. He has known this his whole life and it is not just something he learned once in prison. It is hard to see such a person imprisoned but, as we can see, it happens to many. Love is a powerful thing and goes along with support. If you have love to give then your love will be reciprocated no matter what your past holds. The fact that C. has been able to find a support group within the prison system is evidence to the fact that a person’s “I” will never change. He has been through a lifetime of challenges and unfortunately did not come out on top, yet he still is a fully functioning individual with emotions and the rest of human traits we all share. The public eye views him as a prisoner. No longer a free man, C. is viewed from the perspective of what he has done and where he is currently. For people like this it must be very difficult to overcome the idea that you are what you have done. It must also be very hard to not see yourself as a prisoner as you are labeled and as your life is, but it is very refreshing to see that C. has not taken his new “me” to heart. He continues to express his love despite the hard times he knows he will never be able to get out of. In my opinion C. is one of the strongest people that I have encountered in an emotional sense. Controlling ones sense of themselves is very difficult and C. seems to be doing a terrific job at finding the bright side to his situation. I hope to be as emotionally strong as C. in order to keep my sense of who I truly am. My “I” will never change and I realize this, but it is often hard to see past the labels we are given from society. Sat, 2 Apr 2011 03:31:36 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/27/family/#IDComment139284055 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/28/the-lottery-as-a-blessing-or-a-curse/#IDComment137070216 Change is a difficult thing to deal with. Regarding the lottery, the change is exponentially distinctive for it brings one from a lower/middle class standing suddenly to an upper class standing monetarily. Coming into such a large sum of money such as five million dollars is definitely, in most cases, a difficult thing to deal with. For the mother with three children and four jobs, those close to her did not perceive her winnings in a positive way. Their own greedy human nature caused them to hassle the mother and really create difficulty in her life where they used to assist her in her struggles. The question is brought up of how money changes a person as an individual. It is a fact that the “I” does not change but it is the “me”, the perspective which people see you as, that changes. Who you are is not any different, yet your lifestyle suddenly jumps a massive cliff reaching the heights of the rich. The people surrounding the mother were the ones who changed because the knowledge that she now has multiple millions of dollars while the she herself did not change. Her lifestyle though was something that was forced to change. Michael Norton brings up a great point that if the winner of the lottery made changes in his/her lifestyle through slow increments of money, it would ease the grand scheme of things. The person would be able to adjust over time instead of being shocked into making ill-advised investments and spending most of their winnings within the first few months of coming into the fortune. Unfortunately this still does not stop the way in which people will look at the individual. The “me” is no longer a lower/middle class standing while the “I” has yet to understand the true implications of having a large sum of money. Furthermore, Lee McDaniel is one of the exceptions mentioned, but we must look to the position he was in when he won five million dollars in the lottery. 67 years old, retired, and already living a leisurely life, McDaniel was one to be generous with his winnings and fortunate enough to live an even more relaxed life with much financial security. Wed, 23 Mar 2011 19:31:20 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/28/the-lottery-as-a-blessing-or-a-curse/#IDComment137070216 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/07/who-am-i/#IDComment135474727 From reading about J.V.G., I have come to understand the consistencies of every individual. We all have a heart, fears, accomplishments and ambitions. What particularly inspires me is the fact we all are people in and of ourselves. We have been different in the past and will change for the future, but what remains constant is the fact that we have a soul. The human soul is one of the most pondered concepts throughout time. What will happen when we die is relative to where our soul will be taken. Whether we have a good soul or bad soul is rooted in our religious tendencies. The soul is the cause of frustration, fear, anger, and happiness all provoking actions. What people misconceive is that the individuals who end up in jail have no souls. Murderers, for instance, act because of their evil soul that they have possessed from birth. In reality this is a complete delusion. Lifers have souls and many are those of kind hearted, caring people just like J.V.G. When the soul is in need of calming where there is nothing to aid, people act irrationally on their emotions. I can only assume that a good number of lifers have been in these situations and are paying for their bad decision for the duration of their lives. J.V.G. never mentions why he has been in jail for 10 years thus far. I believe that this makes the strongest point in his argument that all humans have souls. They feel just as any other person would during their lifetimes. Judgments of the past must be put aside in order to truly and fairly understand a person. Unfortunately, this is not how we determine who a person is. We all have biases that hold us back from openly accepting someone for who he or she is. This has a great deal to do with those in jail, whether it be lifers or not, because one will initially believe that individual to be of bad quality. In conclusion, J.V.G.’s letter has made me realize that every person has a soul equal to that of my own. I myself and others alike need to reevaluate our perspective on the world considering how we are all one, united by our similarities within and must not allow biases to overpower openness to one another. Thu, 17 Mar 2011 03:27:37 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/07/who-am-i/#IDComment135474727 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/28/aging-out/#IDComment132571836 After reading Tyrone Werts’ article Aging Out: True Justice, Fairness, Mercy, I have to say that some of his ideas were appealing while others seemed contradictory to his point. What I am going to do is present my own belief as to how lifetime prisoners should be dealt with followed by a sociological critique of the proposed plan for lifers. I believe as evidence shows that age 25 is the peak of a human’s likelihood to commit crime, we can see most lifers having been sentenced before or at age 25. Further statistics reveal that past the age of 50, participation in crime sinks far below the previous years. If I had it my way, once a first time offender sentenced for life reaches the age of 50, or around that age) he or she should be able to apply in front of a jury for parole in his upcoming years. Lets face it, not all those who commit crimes are “criminals” and if prison is to serve as a correctional facility then the court system should be evaluating each inmate for a potential change in habits and/or desire to be redeemed. This would of course come with many conditions as to how many times the person has been an offender, age, intentions for the future, etc. What comes to me simultaneously is the sociological aspect of what would be occurring with said jury in a case against involving such circumstances. This comes down to one invisible string of the many that exist: fear. Within the jury there will be those who are fathers, mothers, the straight-edged, and the not so straight-edged. I believe that in such a case the advocates to allowing parole for a convicted murderer would be slim to none. The opposition lies within the jury; each individual’s own personal experience and circumstances create the fears that would most of the time cause their vote to be against granting parole to any lifer. Within the jury’s mind forms a fantasy of this murderer somehow directly affecting their own lives and this thought pulls at their fear and unwillingness to be open to the subject. Aside from that, the issue regarding whether a lifer deserves the chance to be put on parole in his latter years could really push the institutions of imprisonment to a new and logical rationale. Sat, 5 Mar 2011 07:58:24 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/28/aging-out/#IDComment132571836 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/13/whats-the-sociological-message-here/#IDComment130250579 Tim Minchin really is a comedic genius in his performance of “If I didn’t have you”. The humor derives from two factors, the significant truth to what he is saying coupled with the fact that the average individual would like to think that they are special. I believe it is true that we are all beautiful people, and the sociologically troubled individual finds it hard to adapt in order to get along with others. Minchin brings up a good point that it is mathematically not likely for one individual to find their true love at age 17. Yet, stranger things have happened. I believe this is suggestive of human nature to both crave the company of another and, because of that need, search for the similarities we have with one another. Sociologically we can delve into many human actions resulting from interaction, but every individual develops a need for company. When bad company is found within a short period of one’s lifetime, one may become detached from personal relationships and seek the comfort of being alone. From another point of view, people develop the need to be with someone. Whether in a relationship or just a friendship, the individual seeks to be in the company of others to ensure his own existence and potentially raise his own ego. What the video has also brought to mind is the pedestal which the word “love” has been put upon. In a relationship, being in love is a huge step for some. It is all from the sociological perspective of culture, background, and invisible strings pulling at one’s mind. I am not shy about declaring my love for another individual. In fact I love many people and openly too. I believe that the concept of “love” infers for most individuals the deepest of emotional feelings while it shouldn’t be taken so gravely. Minchin really displays how when we break up with another “lover” it isn’t the end of the road as many take it to be, just a pothole. Once we get ourselves out of the ditch we shall be on to a new road with newer and better experiences. Although many believe there is one true love for them out in this rapidly growing world, there are indeed more than one and it comes down to whether you are able to make the commitment to compromise and adjust for whomever it is that you find. Thu, 24 Feb 2011 04:57:16 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/13/whats-the-sociological-message-here/#IDComment130250579 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/16/reflections/#IDComment128963220 After reading “Reflections”, I was very moved by the thought process, which the lifer put into his own existence. He wished, as we all do, to pinpoint where our lives went wrong, why we are in the situation we find ourselves in. His writings delve first into the social-psychological aspect when looking at his father as the cause for his misfortune. Then, after negating that, he moves onto the reason that he was apart of the violence and gang-war occurring in his day and age. Yet, his family and friends were a great support system. Moving on to drugs, the lifer realizes that there was no need to be indulging in illegal drug activity aside from the fact that it was so available in his area. I found that the main reason for this lifer’s downfall stemmed from both his fight to push away from his parent’s guidance as well as the socialization hanging around with the wrong people. While his parents were married, did not partake in illegal activities, and very helpful in guidance. He did not follow their lead, however. And while there are some factors contributing to his dissonance from their ways, he could have been much more than he turned out to be. What is very uplifting is the fact that this lifer has come to terms with his own shortcomings. I believe the main reason that he fell into such violence and criminal activity was because he did not surround himself, as he could have, with the right groups of people. He would be out hunting for the next rush, to “attain greater conquests.” What he missed was the fact that life is not essentially lived in the moment. There are over 50 some years in a given person’s life and they are to be regarded with caution and foresight. This is not to say that we all don’t love to live in the moment, myself included. What I mean is that one can never continuously live on the edge, in the present, without an outlook on future events upcoming. This can be detrimental to the next forty years of one’s lifetime as is has for this lifer. Sat, 19 Feb 2011 00:24:42 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/16/reflections/#IDComment128963220 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/04/the-not-so-invisible-structure-that-shapes-us/#IDComment127448722 After reading this article, I have to say that I am not totally in shock regarding the lack of travel outside of the United States. Being someone who loves traveling, as opposed to my parents, I do have a passport of my own and can be included in this 30% of Americans. Most of my friends as well as acquaintances do not travel and do not like to travel. It is the fact that not only is the US a melting pot of many various cultures, but we have a large variety of territories and cultures to delve into aside from countries outside our borders. The article pointed out that fear of foreign nations is a factor that pushes people away from traveling. This seems to be a major factor in curbing our traveling abroad. From a sociological perspective, our culture is very intent on stability while believing we have it best. I ask you: How would one know if one has not experienced other cultures? Of course we can see pictures and read newspaper articles about these foreign lands, but does that really mean that we understand what we are seeing. It does not, and it in fact contributes to the fears of travel since the media tends to focus in where trouble is occurring. I think that this article shows how Americans fear foreign environments and are not open to exploring them by any means. Some are content with what they have, but a majority of people are inexperienced. They should travel abroad to understand and experience foreign cultures despite the fact that they may feel like an outsider. When they are back at home, safe and sound, the experience will strengthen them and greatly widen their sociological imagination. Personally, my own experiences outside of the US have brought me to the understanding that while cultures cause humans to act in various ways, the basic human nature for every individual is essentially the same. I hope that more people could realize that the vast expanse that is the world does not end at the border. The US has been created from the mixture of so many differing peoples and we all need to get out and explore. Sat, 12 Feb 2011 01:27:50 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/04/the-not-so-invisible-structure-that-shapes-us/#IDComment127448722 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/27/americans-gone-wild/#IDComment125969547 From reading about this child, it makes us all gain an unfortunate understanding on how absurd the legal system is. While this 5-year-old pre-kindergarten student came into school with a loaded .22 caliber handgun, is he really to be blamed in any way for his actions? No. Looking at the incident from a sociological perspective, it is shown how any system needs to keep a steady course. If exceptions are made, then the system begins to unravel and one exception leads to another. In the case of Moseley Elementary School’s incident, how else was the school administration to deal with such an incident than alert the police and suspend the student. It is, in fact, obvious that the 5 year old is not the one at fault, yet the circumstances are indisputably dire. I understand, as do the police and the school board, that the main fault was that of the stepfather, yet it is a situation that cannot be left alone without investigation. One may ask whether the government has gone too fare in their attempt to fight crime. The child is innocent and it is the stepfather’s negligence that is to blame. Despite the outrage from the public, I believe there was no other way for the school to deal with a student carrying a loaded handgun in class on school grounds. He needed to be taken out of class and questioned. Contacting the police was also the right step to take, yet it is the fact that the boy was brought into the station for questioning as a suspect in a crime worthy of a felony that crosses the line. It seems that the legal system is so intent on abiding by the rules that have been laid out; logic and common sense are disregarded. It is especially stunning in this case because of the pure innocence that is obvious to all involved. Still they boy is suspended and interrogated for his unknowingly heinous actions. The standards of the legal system come under great scrutiny because of what has occurred here. While there is a guilty person, it is obvious to not be the child but the stepfather and the fact that, nonetheless, he was suspended and questioned as a suspect shows how the legal system has too much power and thus often crosses the line in cracking down on “criminal” acts. Fri, 4 Feb 2011 19:05:02 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/27/americans-gone-wild/#IDComment125969547 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2010/04/21/letter-from-an-inmate/#IDComment124180580 From reading these letters from “lifers”, I have truly gained a greater outlook on what it is to be human. Every individual has some understanding of what they believe it means to be human, to feel emotion and act accordingly. For these inmates it is no different and that is what a large majority of the world does not realize. Whether it is at the age of 14 when an individual begins to perceive the adult world from a youth’s perspective, or at age 40 where the understanding of freedom and morality truly sets in, it is within one’s mind that the world of reality is shaped. The letters from lifers were very moving and I feel that their insight into the concept of freedom surpasses any of our own. This is because from having been a free man to now one with much greater restrictions and no hope to regain the freedoms of the past, the lifers are ones who fully understand the concept of being a prisoner. One of the inmates focused the majority of his letter on the physical freedoms, which he no longer can obtain: petting a dog, swimming in a pool, taking a bath, etc. And in the end what he has come to realize is that he, and all of us alike, will forever posses the freedom within his mind. Freedom of thought. It seems that while trapped in their prison cells, the lifers have come to appreciate the pieces of freedom that they still posses. From exploring the human mind, the capacity of thought, one understands human nature and unbiased morality. To be alive stretches beyond the solid facets of life such as material goods and wealth. It comes down to understanding your own freedom and what it is to be human. The main point that stuck out to me is the humanity within these convicted criminals. While sheltered from the life that could have been, their experiences of human compassion, selflessness, and hope differs little from the life I find myself in. Having known someone who committed suicide, I understand his own mental entrapment. He formed a prison within his own mind, which he could not break free of. From reading what the lifers had to say I have come to recognize how powerful the mind can be in not only bringing us down in times of strife, but also overcoming pain and striving for a better future. What I will take from the things I learned today is the ability to look around at all the pain and suffering there is in the world and realize that I will forever be one person: me. And so I must strive to overcome difficult times while helping others with theirs. Thu, 27 Jan 2011 20:54:37 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2010/04/21/letter-from-an-inmate/#IDComment124180580 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/18/suicide-in-japan/#IDComment122852702 Well…as a sociologist I feel inclined to tell you that while the financial pressures occurring within Japan have been pushing people to the edge of suicide, ending one’s life is not, in fact, the answer to the failures that come up so abruptly. Occupation in Japan is a very significant role for all who live there. When one loses their job it seems to be the end of the road. Fears of the future overcome any optimism that there could have been. But I say that you who are in desperation, look to your family and friends for support. They will, and can find a new job, a new life, and even a better place for you mentally. The social pressures in Japan’s culture are formed into psychological inquiries about your individual worth. If you lose your job you cannot give up with the notion that all is lost for your family is still depending on you. And when you are gone, if you did potentially follow through with the suicide in those woods, your family would be at a loss for support. You are not the only one who suffers from Japan’s societal pressures. It is a nationwide epidemic which must be overcome. Escaping through suicide from a changing world is the feeble way to go out. You must see your future, fight for your own right to live and to be happy. I understand how the hardships seem to be insurmountable, but over time and effort you can and will see a brighter day. Although there have been stories of suicide, look at those who have overcome such hardships that you face and created new lives for themselves. This is not the end of the road, just a glitch in your path. My goal is to lead such a person into thinking beyond their own selfish need to escape and see how their death would affect so many of those around them. Also, I will show them how their worries and pressures are not uncommon to the current Japanese culture. They, hopefully, will be able to see through the immediate desperation they feel inside and fight for a greater future that they can and will have. Fri, 21 Jan 2011 21:39:46 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/18/suicide-in-japan/#IDComment122852702 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/10/last-name-%e2%80%9cj%e2%80%9d-%e2%80%93-intense-debate/#IDComment121395253 SOC 001 Sat, 15 Jan 2011 00:03:21 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/10/last-name-%e2%80%9cj%e2%80%9d-%e2%80%93-intense-debate/#IDComment121395253