Sam! I enjoyed the open feel of this class; you facilitated discussions that outside of this classroom would have many cringing. I learned that political correctness and my fear of being misjudged holds me back from having a true conversation that could possible facilitate change. I realized that there is so much I don’t know and being a brown person I assumed that race was something I am completely comfortable with. But in reality I was missing pieces of the race puzzle, I never focused on the problems within my race or the actual impact of the “white man”. I also was quite unaware of the terrible circumstances of Native Americans, I never realized how much they were destroyed. At the same time this class showed me how equal we all are, no matter what color we have our insecurities; whether it is being too dark or being too white to approach the race table. It’s nice to be in an 800 person classroom and listen to polar opposites express their views.
I love just listening to people talk, without any fear of being misjudged. I feel so much more educated and intellectual after hearing people talk about their passions and feelings without any barriers. How else can you truly create compromises and build a bridge between differing opinions if you aren’t willing to hear the truth? And this political correctness prevents real communication.
I also learned not to speak about a topic without educating myself. I have no right to talk back about a topic or to talk for a point without doing proper research and knowing both sides. Because there are people out there who have spent their entire lives understanding and pouring over stacks on stacks on stacks of books, articles, interviews, and information about a certain topic. And then there are people who read an article get all riled up and post an ignorant status on social media thinking they are all knowing. From now on I vow to control my emotions and really get to know the topics I am passionate about so I can help facilitate positive change. It isn’t fair to those I argue against if I don’t really know what I am talking about because uneducated opinions are worthless.
I hope to eventually have the influence and standing in life to be able to express my opinions on the world stage and help make the world a saner place. And being able to enjoy such a class has made me understand the importance of my goal. Because no matter what field you wish to go to in the future everyone should aim to understand the working of the world through its people, people who differ in ethnicities, sexuality, social standings, and opinions. Then empathy can help prevent hate.

One of my fantasies as a female has been to have a man in a fitted, tailored suit with hair and scruff like that of the Murdock men, and exuding confidence with a charming smile and of course the ability to sweep me off my feet both literally and emotionally. Roses and a tendency for wild romantic gestures like those of Ryan Gosling make frequent appearances in my fantasy as well. What and how was this fantasy fueled? It was born through influences by the media, social networking sites, movies, books, and human nature. We as women have been molded by the bods of Channing Tatum and the lives of Beyoncé and Jay-Z. The female gaze encompasses the female desire for appreciation and the need to get what we deserve. So when we see Shemar Moore being a buff, bold, and incredibly sexy man with feeling s on a show, we want him. We want a slow, passionate love that makes us feel like queens and yet allow us to retain our sense of self, we want to be protected and yet allowed to be independent, we want a fit body that reflects the bikini bodies we work so damn hard for, and lastly all we want is a romantic. When we see power couples like Beyoncé and Jay-Z we crave that type of relationship, we want to be envied as the stunning couple with a dynamic that puts others to shame. We want a man that is a MAN. But hey, that is an image that is molded and carved and perfected through Photoshop and then put out to the public. We don’t see what happens behind closed doors, all we see is what we are meant to see to keep the industry strong and rich. According to the needy penis lecture men want instant gratification, they want to thrust and get what they want while women want to savor the moment. That may be why some men don’t have time for romance they don’t have time to make the woman swoon, they go get what they want. Not all men though, some have learned from Gosling and have learned some suave lines to get the ladies. But lines are not enough, we see Noah in the Notebook wrote 365 letters to Allie for every day of the effing year, and in P.S. I Love You Gerry has it all planned out that even after he dies Holly receives a cake and a note from him for her birthday, seriously, with these examples we cannot be blamed for high expectations. But in reality all we want is a bubble bath with champagne, a candle lite meal, or a picnic. Not a lot but extremely meaningful.

When people are inebriated they let loose. Ya know. They aren’t restricted by the rules of society, anyone is fair game. When you see a girl who is from a different ethnic group that you are used to especially when sororities seem to be of one color, you’re intimidated and thus are afraid to approach her. But when he has some liquid courage in his system he feels like he has to strength to break the racial barriers he has made in his mind. But really girls are girls, show us the proper kind of attention and we will grant you some of our time. It also depends on what kind of environment you’ve grown up in. If you grew up in a city and diversity is a casual thing to you, approaching someone of a different race is just second nature. But if you come from a small, rural town where everyone spoke like you, acted like you, and basically looked like you being intimidated is something that is expected. So to break out of that fear they use alcohol as their crutch. And then everyone has fun!

But in actuality, this problem isn’t that prevalent. I see people of all colors talking and mingling at parties. To meet new people and enjoy oneself is the point of going to a social event. The ones who don’t come and talk to you are probably the wall flowers and they probably aren’t even aware of the color difference, they are just nervous in general. So if you think that white boys are not approaching girls of color, then you need to be the social butterfly and go introduce yourself to the handsome white boy and get the party started. You don’t need alcohol to make friends contrary to popular belief. And usually when you introduce yourself before y’all are drunk he is more likely to remember you. Coming from a city like Chicago, I’m used to always hanging out with people from different backgrounds and that makes for a colorful friend group in both looks and personalities. It makes for a fabulously fun group of people. And because of this I’m not afraid to put myself out there and meet new people and that usually leads to new experiences. But interactions between different races on a campus like Penn State where it seems to be majority white and international students is lacking. But it really only takes a “Hello” to start a conversation, so if we all took our time to meet someone new we’d eventually get comfortable enough to make this a daily thing.

I personally would take it as a compliment that you feel that the white boys need some alcohol to approach girls of different ethnicities; they know you won’t be easy, they need some courage. Make them do work.

Individuality can move mountains or at least create the tremor that causes the mountain to crack and eventually fall. This may seem like a cliché but it is the absolute truth. If you can look at yourself and be the person you believe you should be and mold yourself according to your story then empathy will come naturally. Since you know that you could not have become who you are without your experiences, the stories of others will be the first thing you want to know before passing judgment.
Personally, I have mad respect for graffiti artists. It is freedom of expression at one of its most expressive outlets. Whether it is through spray paint or the use of stencils or even reverse graffiti used by Smirnoff and Microsoft the message is intelligently placed where everyone sees it. While graffiti may not appeal to those of higher authority under basis of vandalism, the focus put on the work because it is illegal is some places brings more attention to the artist’s message. Take Banksy for examples his works have not only causes people to petition against the removal of his works but this work has even been sold by major art dealers. He speaks against greed, poverty, hypocrisy, boredom, despair, absurdity, and alienation as well as other topics like anti-War, anti-capitalism, anti-fascism, anti-imperialism, anti-authoritarianism, anarchism, nihilism, and existentialism. So much passion for his work, passion that radiates in his art and makes others feel what he feels.
You tag to express who you are. So people recognize your mark and see your work as a representation of what you believe in. It’s a concept that is hard to see in a world where there are more followers than individuals and leaders.
You want to promote marriage equality? Make sure everyone is educated about your story, how you discovered your sexuality and your road to believing in yourself and finding the strength to help others understand your stance.
You want to promote the truth about the effects of the ghetto? Educate everyone about how you “started from the bottom” as in how you ended up in the ghettos and what is truly preventing people from leaving. Help others understand the culture.
There are the critics that point out the similarities between artists techniques and some may call that a flaw but I see it as an individual touch. You take something that inspires you and add your own twist to it. This way you help continue a movement you believe in. The art is easy for many to understand, those who are illiterate can form ideas without the need to read, those who are ignorant are blasted in the face with what they refuse to learn. There is a need for an explosion of self-expression, for people to stay true to themselves first before joining any movement.

Personally it baffles me that racism is a thing. I can’t wrap my mind around white supremacy. To me it isn’t a word in my vocabulary but then neither is slavery or skin color. When I judge a person I don’t focus on color of their skin or even ethnicity the first thing that captures my interest in their smiles because I think that smiles define a person as well as their intellect. By intellect I don’t just mean book smarts but their ability to talk in a way that makes my mind wander to places I never knew existed. I don’t understand why race and color makes people feel so good and helps them feel better about their lives. I don’t even know what to think. Why is he the intelligent black kid and the other guy the good looking white dude, why can’t they just be smart, attractive men. Why the color? Weird. Same with the staircase example you did in class, why do people want to be king of the mountain. The fact that you are higher than you were at one time in your life should warrant a pat on your back and happiness. You already came so far and throughout life it’ll be an uphill climb. But then you die and go into the ground, or into the wind, or whatever. Why can’t you chill at where you are and appreciate all the goodness in the world and help everything surrounding you be in a positive light. Why do we make others feel like they aren’t the same because we are the freaking same, inside and out. WE breathe, eat, think, and shit the same way so where is your basis for our differences. Why can’t she have mocha skin and him alabaster skin. Like, why not? I sit in bed at night and all I can think of is how stupid these rules of life are. Why in the world would you spend your entire existence making excuses or blaming others, accept yourself, truly accept yourself and you will see that everyone is the same. No matter what religion, what race, we are humankind. We only have each other and it is sad that the loyalty we have to our own kind is non-existent, while animals who apparently aren’t as “smart” as we are have it down pat, they chill in groups and protect each other. Instead of understanding each other’s pain we throw groups of people under the bus to stay safe. Comeeee on. Why is money the main focus in this world, what happened to making sure everyone is living a chill life with what they need, why the hell do you need your own country, why can’t you accept that your “claim” is gone and help your people up on their feet and stay positive. What is the point of having a civil war with your own people, why does it even get so far that a civil war seems necessary? I don’t understand, no matter how hard I try, no matter how many history books I read, and no matter how much I immerse myself in all these “race” problems I can’t wrap my mind around the immense amount of ignorance in this world. It sucks dude.

Any aid is important but it is also critical to remember that the form of aid decides whether or not it is completely beneficial to the needy. Giving aid to a country is not just out of moral obligation and country like the US does not make decisions without weighing the benefits to the country. In the world of politics being able to help the needy to some extent, while improving the country is a pro. But the most efficient way of improving the unfortunate circumstances of a country needing aid is to improve that country’s economy. By providing the country with the necessities needed to set up small businesses and providing the people with the education to run these businesses successfully the country can emerge as an independent country. So that way when a negative event occurs again the people don’t need to solely depend on aid from other countries. This dependence on other countries to pull them back on their feet is misguided and leaves the people in tents and poverty for an elongated period of time. The people have no idea how to change their circumstances, they need the proper guidance and their ability to thrive will shine through. Also, just sending cash money doesn’t mean the people need money, they need food, they need supplies, and they need help rebuilding their lives. For example, instead of providing them with clean water, teach them how to dig wells or how to filter their water. Thus, following where your money goes and keeping track of what specific supplies your money buys is a responsibility that you must shoulder once you provide aid. Just sending money over to corrupt governments and into the hands of the greedy actually steals from the people and their faith that the aid can help will go unwarranted.

So, teaching the people how to empower their country and strengthen their country to the point that aid only helps and doesn’t hinder them from trying is the best sort of aid any country could provide. And making sure that the aid is in the hands of the people and not in the hands of an unfair government will lead to less separation regarding who ends up thriving and who is left living under a tarp with unclean water for ages. Hearing stories about how people who have been affected by a natural disaster are still suffering to an extreme extent years after the event is ridiculous. The existence of tent cities with prevalent rape cases, the loss of a middle-class, and the high percentage of debris still there points fingers at the inefficiency of the aid received by the affected countries. Aid needs to be to the point, fast, and efficient. People can only live in depressing circumstances before they lose hope and the country stays in this stalemate, stuck in the disastrous aftereffects.

Every day I think about my future and indirectly my death. I plan my future and all my actions because I feel like I’m running out of time. But at the same time thinking about my death makes me realize that I’m getting closer to death every day, I’m dying, it doesn’t matter how many hours I log in the gym or how much I watch what I eat eventually I’m going to drop dead. So, I feel like I should stop planning and stop looking so far into the future. I should be waking up every day not knowing if it my last and live the day to my absolute best, fill it with things I love and do what I want to do. To stop procrastinating, because there is only so much procrastinating you can do until you run out of time. If I truly accepted death I wouldn’t be stressing out so much and life would be lived by the day.

But it is hard to accept death, to accept something that you have no control over is not something I can take lightly. I like to have control and to relinquish control of my life to death is tough. But really I have no control, the universe works on its own and seriously all I can do is let it happen and accept life for being life.

Lately I’ve made plans for the future and made goals for myself but if an event doesn’t go the way I planned I don’t dwell. I try and make the situation better or move on. When I dwell it is because I’m afraid of moving on and facing the fact that life goes on.

Death is a part of life. IF you truly live life, like actually live, death is just a passing event. And for those that believe in an afterlife or reincarnation death is only a checkpoint. After death life goes on either in the form of a cockroach or in a heaven or hell scenario. So while death scares me at this point in my life and I want to do so much my belief in the afterlife gives me a crutch that it’s okay if everything doesn’t work out because according to what I believe life doesn’t end, this life on Earth is just a tiny part. So I fear more what happens after death not necessarily dying, since I believe pretty strongly that good deeds and belief promises a better afterlife my constant worry is whether I’m doing enough good. I stress whenever I do someone wrong and then I try and keep everyone else happy and forget about myself. It’s a constant cycle of worry but were all dying so I just have to live life happily.

This event will only get rid of the label of religion, and the specific names will cease to exist. Faith itself will always be prevalent. It won’t be easy for people who have grown up with religion to just forget about God, they will always believe in a divine power. Otherwise, life will no longer have a meaning. Does the lack of God mean the lack of an afterlife? So, is this life it? And is death just purely death? If all these questions are answered then my optimistic self believes that people will try and live their life to the best. Good deeds will run rampant, and no one will settle for less than what they deserve. The Earth will be taken care of, because this is it, there is no Paradise to look forward to. But then my sensible mind tells me that crime may become more rampant, since there is no eternal punishment anymore. You can do as you please. The lack of God will also place a huge burden on those who blame God for all that happens or for those who believe in destiny, because now every action, every word, and every single deed is on you, it was solely your decision to do what you did and what you do.

Personally, it would not change much; I will stick with what I grew up learning. Because my religion, Islam, has molded my values and morals thus not much would change. I will dress modestly, watch my tongue, and do my best to stay sane. I may let loose a bit more but otherwise I would still say a little prayer before everything just because it’s second nature. I might go dancing a bit more and get scandalous but it would take me a while to do that. Plus it would take a lot for someone as critical as me to believe that God doesn’t exist. How is it possible to disprove a divine power that cannot be seen or sensed except through blind faith? Who is to say this new proof that God doesn’t exist is just another hurdle for believers to get through and help strengthen their faith.

Religion always brings up so many questions, and it all comes down to personal faith and belief. Nothing expect for a personal experience can truly strengthen or break your faith. It is all personal. No matter what the media says and what the world has “proven” personal opinions and personal faith will always triumph what others say. So whatever happens, hopefully everyone stays true to themselves.

The negative feeling towards Muslims is more of a stereotype than true hatred for Muslims. Everyone kind of has in the back of their minds a sort of negative feeling toward Muslims because of what the media portrays or what they have heard not because they truly hold a grudge against us. The same goes for people’s fear of black people. The only reason they feel negative towards black people is because of what they have heard or what they saw on television. The media’s negative portrayal always leads to an irrational fear. People don’t necessarily hate black people they are just uncomfortable with what they have heard. Same with Jews, why are Jew jokes so prevalent. Why is the saying, “You are such a Jew”, so negative? It’s all stereotypes that have been passed on and the true reason for the stereotype is not even evident.
The only way the stereotype that Muslims are all linked with terrorism, radicalism, or bombings can be taken apart is if everyone is kept well educated and informed. If you have a question about a specific group of people make sure you do research and if you are fortunate enough travel as much as you can to get a true feel of the world. Keep informed and make educated opinions that reflect a worldly view not a biased one.
The Muslim community should also be held accountable for how people view us. Since terrorism and hatred is against the religion of Islam which promotes peace and oneness, we as a community need to portray ourselves as positive reflections of Islam. Be it something small like holding your anger and forgiving, or helping someone out, to an entire country showing the world that they do not support the terrorists and by peaceful protest. The burning of American flags and the gestures of hatred and anger that flows from the mouths of Muslims when they are personally affected is a rash act, on based on anger of the injustices. But if they had given themselves the time to truly understand the situation, they can get spread their message in a more positive tone.
It will take a while for these stereotypes to take a backseat when all you hear and learn about is the terrible actions of a few individuals that are translated into the acts of an entire religion. And once another traumatic incident like 9/11 occurs again these backseat stereotypes come right back out into the open. But if the targeted community has a reaction that is more peaceful and understanding of the world’s view of them regarding the specific incident it will prevent these stereotypes from reoccurring.

Sexuality is a journey. Not something a test or a person should have any say in. A good comparison would be going to the fortune teller. Before going to a fortune teller the future is a mystery and while the forces in the world influence what happens you have no definite idea what will happen. Once you go to a fortune teller what you are told will stick to the back of your head, and this could possibly become a self-fulfilling prophecy. You’ll always think of what you were told, no matter how ridiculous. The same applies to telling our child what their sexuality is. When you tell your child, hey you like boys because this test told me, how is that child supposed to process this. This would lead to sexual confusion and he wouldn’t ever know whether girls make him happier, he just wouldn’t. He’d live a narrow minded life where he doesn’t explore the possibility of a heterosexual life, how are we to know if the test was right, what if we mess up. Then your child will forever live a confused life because you decided to handle him the card of fate too early. Let your child find himself and live a passionate life that he found for himself. That goes with religion as well; if you force someone into a religion they will never be as faithful or as passionate as someone who found God themselves.

And if the tests were right, then your child will be gay. That gives you some time to pull yourself together accept it and love your child for who he/she is while your child finds himself/herself. This test would allow people to become more tolerant and either way if we have a test that points to a proved gay gene, then all of us whose religious values speak against homosexuality just got played by God. So being gay shouldn’t be a problem, its natural.

Allow your child to grow up innocent and carefree, allow them to experiment, and find themselves. Allow your child to grow free of constraints, teach them good from bad, teach them the importance of education, and most importantly teach them the important of love for everybody. Don’t tell them to look for differences in people, don’t teach them about differences in skin color or sexuality, and just make sure they are cultured and not ignorant. Teach them to chill out, and live each day to the best of their ability because tomorrow may never come. Teach them to not be scared to question the world and to keep searching for answers. Teach them to love themselves, no matter who arouses them.