en-us https://www.intensedebate.com/users/768347 Comments by igg5003 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/stories-for-uplift__trashed/#IDComment71009598 The videos were both very uplifting and it just goes to show that there should be no such thing as race. The second video proves that there is no reason for such hatred between anyone. There should be more simplicity in the world between religion, race, etc. Unfortunately, the world is not free of enmity between different social groups. It is really sad that people of different classes “shouldn’t” fall in love or get married. The world would be a much happier place of there was no hostility like this. I wish that we could also watch more videos like this in class, but I do understand that it would contrast with everything Sam is trying to teach. Wed, 28 Apr 2010 01:58:03 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/stories-for-uplift__trashed/#IDComment71009598 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/letter-from-an-inmate__trashed/#IDComment71005143 This letter made me see a side of some people in jail that I never thought I would see, but it doesn’t change my thoughts about anything. He talks about a man who lost his son in an accident, what about the son, daughter, father, mother, brother, or sister, that this man killed. Where is the compassion for their family? People who are killed do not get a second chance at life, so I don’t see why inmates who are sentenced to life should. He says that there are some people in jail who are capable of compassion because they have a deep soulful understanding and can feel another’s pain. I’m sure the families who lost a loved one because of these men in jail can also feel the same compassion because of a deep soulful understanding and feeling another’s pain and wanting to help. Wed, 28 Apr 2010 01:41:57 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/letter-from-an-inmate__trashed/#IDComment71005143 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/what-about-people-who-can-only-afford-hard-work__trashed/#IDComment71002501 This issue is definitely not black and white. Money is always an issue and it is what causes problems and/or happiness. Look at the worth ethic in the United States versus the work ethic in Europe. I studied abroad in Barcelona, Spain and most places were closed in the middle of the day for their siesta. By 2 PM, the metros were packed and my friends and I could never understand why no one was at work. Then you think about the U.S. and there are people who work from 9 to 7 or 8 at night. These differences are associated with the values of Americans versus the values of Europeans. Here in America, everything is based around money. When do Americans get to have lives outside of work? I agree that some immigrants do not have the money to do it legally. Instead, they need to take hard working yet low paying jobs just to support their family. I always wonder why someone who does manual labor gets paid so much less than someone who sits at a desk all day. Physical labor is extremely extraneous and exhausting. There are so many jobs where the salary is way too low for the work that is being done and sometimes I do not understand it. I also do not think that this pertains to only immigrants. I believe there are many legal American citizens who work extremely hard and do not get compensated for it, while others work half as much or hard and get a high paying salary. There are both immigrants and American citizens who have to work 2 shifts of work a day just to get by and provide for their family. It is really unfortunate that if you do not come from money you need to work hard to get by. My dad works extremely extremely hard as an accountant. During tax season he is up at 4 or 5 in the morning and on a train to the city by 5:30 or 6 am. There are some nights where he doesn’t walk in until 10 or 11 at night. I know he is an exceptionally hard worker and wants to provide for his family. Sometimes I feel like there are so many people who get paid so much more than he does and definitely do not work half as hard as him or the same hours as him. I know that this question was aimed toward immigrants and what we spoke about in class, but I do not think that it is only immigrants who take illegal jobs or jobs no one would do. I definitely do believe that people need money to have a better life and if they do not have money they need to work very hard to get by in life. Wed, 28 Apr 2010 01:32:09 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/what-about-people-who-can-only-afford-hard-work__trashed/#IDComment71002501 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/the-tyranny-of-radical-muslims__trashed/#IDComment69075003 I agree with you and I think that is what Sam tried to teach us the other day. He showed us that there were innocent Muslims who live their everyday lives like we do in America. Then he portrayed people who are radical like Osama Bin Laden. This is just like representing Hitler for all Germans or the Ku Klux Klan for all Americans. Like the media in different countries showed, their citizens were persuaded to believe that the war is a Christian Invasion. It is very unfortunate that extremists can represent an entire country. It is a shame that they are so uneducated and cannot realize that we all pray to the same god. Tue, 20 Apr 2010 22:24:40 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/the-tyranny-of-radical-muslims__trashed/#IDComment69075003 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/how-am-i-not-a-racist__trashed/#IDComment69074281 I don’t think there is a fine line between being racist or not, just as there is no true fine line about race. You may act one way in a certain situation that deals with race, and act differently in another and not even realize it. Like Sam has said, it is a political issue. However, if you think you are better than someone else because of your skin tone, then yea, I would probably say you are prejudice. On the other hand, if you feel you are better than someone because you have more wealth or are more privileged, then I probably say that it is not based on the color of your skin. Tue, 20 Apr 2010 22:18:30 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/how-am-i-not-a-racist__trashed/#IDComment69074281 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/christian-invaders-the-turnaround__trashed/#IDComment69073735 I was blown away by this lecture. I was very uncomfortable and actually wanted to leave but at the same time wanted to get credit for attending. Ironically on this particular day the attendance sheet was not passed around. I turned to my friend and said, "Why wouldn't the attendance sheet get passed around? I wish I that he wasn’t taking attendance today because this class made me really uncomfortable and I would have left". She responded, “Well that's the point". I am glad I sat through the entire class because it really made me think about Sam’s lecture. It is really unfortunate that there are some students who do not realize that he is not trying to persuade us to have the same beliefs that he does. Sam is trying to make us think outside the box and realize what is going on in the world. The video of the Jihads frightened me the most. It shows Muslims in dark masks and uniforms holding huge weapons. The music was very eerie and the bombing noises frightened me. It depicted them with swastikas and overall the video was very scary. I just cannot understand why people would want to murder other human beings just because they are not the same race or religion. I also do not understand the thought process of people who want to spread their religion to everyone, like some Islam’s do. Why would they want to murder people just because they do not have the same beliefs? I agree with Sam, why would the god everyone prays to tell one person to murder another human being just because they are not the same religion? I think people who act this way are extremely ignorant. I was also really disgusted by the video Sam showed of the American soldiers. It made sick to my stomach. It was like watching a bully in high school pick on a little kid. I was heartbroken while I watched this video. The American soldiers destroyed these innocent people’s car with a bulldozer. The citizens were minding their own business and were completely helpless. The American soldiers were on a power trip. It is so sad and terrible that we are invading guiltless people’s homes. People in America never get to see this side. I was astonished to watch the news reports that are shown to citizens in other countries. I cannot believe the media was actually persuading their citizens that the war is a Christian invasion. This just goes to show the amount of power the media has on society. I was honestly laughing at the footage of the Christian Americans. I thought they sounded ridiculous and it is unfortunate these Christians represent Americans as a whole. I am glad I sat through this entire class. It is one of the first classes that was entirely focused on current events that is presently spoken about in the news. I saw so many different views of different people and feel that I learned a lot. Tue, 20 Apr 2010 22:14:15 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/christian-invaders-the-turnaround__trashed/#IDComment69073735 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/women__trashed/#IDComment68435626 I agree with you, women are women and they are beautiful. The media plays a huge role on the body image of a woman. Magazines, movies, and television shows are a huge part of our American culture. These methods of the media advertise women who are all beautiful. I have recently started to realize that more and more shows’ characters are women in their late forties out fifties who are beautiful and extremely fit. These celebrities have millions of dollars and can afford the methods it takes to look a certain way. However, this is not reality and it is unfortunate that young girls are growing up with this new type of Hollywood. Fri, 16 Apr 2010 22:14:00 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/women__trashed/#IDComment68435626 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/is-quality-the-question__trashed/#IDComment66305435 I don’t really agree with you. I think that maybe schools might fill its spots with people who should not be getting in over someone else. However, when it comes to employment I would hope and think that businesses would not employ someone just to meet affirmative action standards. Firms or medical practices should look for people who are first qualified for the job. They should not hire someone to meet affirmative actions standards if that person is not as qualified for the job as someone else may be. I believe a company should wait for the right candidate if they need to fill a quota. Wed, 7 Apr 2010 00:51:41 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/is-quality-the-question__trashed/#IDComment66305435 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/i-really-want-to-know-also__trashed/#IDComment66301978 I think the two questions go hand in hand. If something has changed my opinion it has definitely made an impact on me and has changed my actions. I was really surprised to read that most people feel that Sam has not greatly influenced a change in them. I was also surprised when people said they really do not feel they learned a lot from him. Obviously there are some things that I may not 100 percent agree with, but his points during the lectures are valid enough to make me review my thoughts and actions. I am especially interested to know if these people are extremists or very religious that they do not feel Sam can impact their beliefs in any way. One lecture we did in class that affected me was our lecture on being “black” in America. How can we judge someone just because they have a different color skin? It is ironic that people did not vote for Obama because of the color of his skin. He is not even African American. He is Kenyan and has an Irish mother. Obama may identify himself as black, but technically he is not. Race is clearly a political issue and it is not as easy to just say what race you are. Obama should have been judged on his future plans for America, not by the color of his skin. Maybe the things Sam has said or taught us has not changed your opinion, but can it really be said that Sam has not stimulated your brain to start thinking about things either differently or more in depth? I am sure some people were offended by the image of the “real” Jesus. However, I would hope people started to think if they would follow him if he did not actually look the way he does. Another lecture that really affected me was, Sociology of Race. Sam showed us several different pictures of pigment variations. For example we viewed images of Native Americans, Asians, Oceanians. All of these people looked so different. It was hard to tell where they were actually all from. There are several different skin pigmentations throughout a country. It just really made me think what is the point of being prejudice when we may not even actually know what race or ethnicity someone is. Another eye opener for me was the skin whitening cream and also the video where the children picked dolls that were not even their own race. Everyone should be proud of who they are and should not judge anyone unless based on his or her character. I believe that this is what this class is all about and it has greatly changed my perspective on things. Wed, 7 Apr 2010 00:39:24 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/i-really-want-to-know-also__trashed/#IDComment66301978 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/what-about-multiracial-people__trashed/#IDComment65328386 Race is just always such a hard issue because it is not black and white; there is a grey area. I honestly think the whole issue with race is ridiculous. How can we place people into a category based on their coloring and how they look? It’s not just white, black, yellow, and brown; people are all different colors and tones. I think you should just identify yourself with your ethnicity and the way you were brought up. It should not have to be a question whether you’re brown or white. I guess that’s really the entire point of this class. There are no correct answers when it comes to race. Thu, 1 Apr 2010 22:04:14 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/what-about-multiracial-people__trashed/#IDComment65328386 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/those-damn-dolls__trashed/#IDComment65325752 I was very surprised while I was watching this video. I definitely did not think the dolls of their own race would not be chosen. It was really upsetting to me that even at such a young age, subconsciously, these children do not think they are good enough. They do not know any better, but they should not have to feel that one skin color is better than the other. I definitely believe that this is a good case of nature versus nurture. The media has a huge affect on how we think about things, but comments children make in the classroom and the way parents raise their kids also affects how their children think and behave. Thu, 1 Apr 2010 21:54:54 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/those-damn-dolls__trashed/#IDComment65325752 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/the-white-minorities__trashed/#IDComment65323710 I think this article is very interesting. I knew white people would one day become the minority, but I never thought that “majority” births would drop below fifty percent around the year 2012. I think this is a huge deal, especially now that I am in a class that deals with race relations. We learn about all of the different racial identity stages and it is a little strange to think that in years to come, the subject of the class will dramatically change and will be geared toward something else other than the majority white race versus other races. I also think that it is important to note that this article is only referring to the United States. This might play a huge role on how Europeans, who are mostly white, will feel towards the United States. I am not sure how this will affect us in the future. I think this is a very important statement and extremely thought provoking. I am not sure exactly what this al really means, but I definitely do have a little bit of a “twinge of concern”(referring to Sam). As a member of the majority, I do not know what I will feel when my children are the minority. I already face being a member of the minority because of my religion. I definitely do feel like a lesser person at some points in time, so I can definitely say that I do have a little bit of concern about my race not being the majority in future years to come. I think the reality of it for some white people might not kick in for them and they will not be able to face it. I also believe that it is definitely going to be extremely difficult for groups like the Ku Klux Klan and white supremacists. These groups are extremists and I think they will be very closed minded to the fact that another race will be a majority. On the other hand, I feel that whoever is the new majority and feels very strongly or even feels hatred toward white people will take advantage of the fact that they are the new majority. I definitely think extremists from the white race and other races will cause chaos and violence to one another and definitely believe this will be a problem in the future. The article states “Since 2000 alone, the proportion of people under age 20 who are non-Hispanic whites has dipped to 57 percent, from 61 percent. In 2008, Asian, black and Hispanic children made up 47 percent of the population under 5. “ I believe this will have a huge affect on the outlook children have on different races based on American history. Most history in the United States is about the white race and how they overtook the American land and put people into slavery. Without white people being the majority, I truly believe white children will start to learn that everyone should be treated equally. Thu, 1 Apr 2010 21:48:02 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/the-white-minorities__trashed/#IDComment65323710 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/what-happens-to-multiracial-people__trashed/#IDComment63733146 I think this is a really interesting point to make because it is not one we really ever thin about. With the case of multiracial people, I think it can either be a positive for negative thing for them. Race is basically judged upon the color of your skin. For example, President Obama is technically not black, but he is known as a black man and the fact that he is the president of the United States is very symbolic to our country and people who are black. It is hard for people who are multiracial because technically, there is not such thing as race;it is only political. Tue, 23 Mar 2010 22:46:15 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/what-happens-to-multiracial-people__trashed/#IDComment63733146 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/what-to-do-about-white-guilt__trashed/#IDComment63732383 Hi Abril, I have e-mailed you three times now about my grades and have not gotten a response. I did not receive credit for my posts on 2/15, but I did to them and you can see them when you click on my screen name, igg5003. Also, I did not receive credit for registering for intense debate probably because I did a section switch from section 014 to section 033, so I should have received credit in section 014 for signing up for intense debate. Thank you. I am not really sure where I stand with this question. Yes, I do believe that history books could be changed in some ways to provide a true realization of what really happened. For example, the real history that Native Americans were overthrown from their land instead of the story that Christopher Columbus “sailed the ocean blue” and discovered America. However, pertaining to slavery, the history books do tell the true story. I think the only way we could change the history books regarding to slavery is making the text more emotional and telling several stories from the side of the slaves. Tue, 23 Mar 2010 22:40:07 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/what-to-do-about-white-guilt__trashed/#IDComment63732383 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/native-hawaiians-ever-think-of-them__trashed/#IDComment63730579 I agree that I think of Hawaii as a vacation spot; a place with beautiful beaches, weather, land, and people. I always think of the citizens of Hawaii as people that are “live the good life”. I was very intrigued by Sam’s comment that many of us believe Hawaii is a beautiful place for relaxation, when really the people that live there do not live the life we all think they do. I never knew that Native Hawaiians earn less money, live shorter lives, get sent to prison more often, and are more likely to end up homeless than other ethnicities. The lives of Native Hawaiians can greatly be compared to the lives of Native Americans; their kingdom was overthrown. Like we discussed in class, Native Americans have the highest unemployment rate, receive less loan product information from banks, have higher interest rate quotes, and are more likely than any other race to be a victim of a violent crime. While this may not be exactly in tune with the lives of Native Hawaiians, it seems pretty relevant. The article states “A disproportionate share of Native Hawaiians find themselves homeless, huddled beneath plastic tarps in beach camps or living shelters”. Native Hawaiians are treated very unfairly and do not have the opportunity to live their lives to the fullest. It is clear that there is an unjust system of rights in Hawaii. Although I do agree that it is not the role of the government to make up for past wrongs, I feel that it is the government’s responsibility to help citizens of the state who are in need. It says in the article “‘It’s about correcting the injustice’ Namuo said. ‘When you look very closely at the numbers-prison, health, wealth, education-we are not at the level that our colonizers are at’”. I am not exactly sure what laws should be passed or if they even should receive a new Hawaiian government like Alaska, but something does need to be done. I think our system of Affirmative Action is a precedent that should be followed by Native Hawaiians. They should be able to receive jobs, loans, and shelters to raise their family. Although I do agree that laws need to be passed within the state of Hawaii to help the indigenous Hawaiians, I am not sure if I fully agree that a new Hawaiian government needs to be set up. It seems as if the only people who need help are the Native Hawaiians, so I am confused as to why a government would be set up for all of the citizens of Hawaii. That would be like setting up a new legislature in the United States to only benefit Native Americans, which does not make too much sense. Instead, laws should be passed by the State of Hawaii to help Native Hawaiians. Tue, 23 Mar 2010 22:25:33 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/native-hawaiians-ever-think-of-them__trashed/#IDComment63730579 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/women-and-sports__trashed/#IDComment62486222 I think it is great that a woman is coaching a male oriented sport. It is also more fascinating that she loved football so much that she played when she was younger. She truly followed her dreams. There is definitely another side to her, there has to be if she plays the role of an aggressive sports coach. However, I do think that the tone of the questions changed also. They began first from her emotions and developed into deeper questions about it. I definitely do agree though that there seems as if there is another side to her. Wed, 17 Mar 2010 00:44:38 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/women-and-sports__trashed/#IDComment62486222 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/the-world-is-full-of-surprises__trashed/#IDComment62484858 I think it is great counteract to the previous article “The tragedy of dying languages” and also a great inspiration. I do not think this story is far-fetched at all. It can be very likely that this is where the religion was founded and people immigrated out of the land. I think this could be a great way for people who are Jewish to learn more about their history. Also, the people of Lemba may possess artifacts that take us back to thousands of years ago. This could be a great discovery for the Jews of the world to see. Wed, 17 Mar 2010 00:34:37 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/the-world-is-full-of-surprises__trashed/#IDComment62484858 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/prom-or-no-prom-just-dont-let-the-queer-students-dance-together__trashed/#IDComment62468208 While reading this article, I was honestly laughing out loud. The teachers, parents, and any members of the board of education supporting the ban of this high school prom are being absolutely ridiculous. They are clearly all extremely uneducated about today’s current culture and society. First of all, I do not know who they think they are canceling an entire prom because they do not agree with one couple. It says in the article “Itawamba County Agricultural High School in Fulton also reserved the right to ask Ms. McMillen and her girlfriend to leave it made any other students feel uncomfortable”. There are numerous things that can make someone uncomfortable. For example, a male and female couple kissing. However, if someone were to say that this public display of affection made them uncomfortable, the couple would not be asked to leave. It is a complete double standard. On top of that, these people are extremely ignorant. Why should a board of education be in charge of what a student does with his or her life? Why should a board of education be able to judge your life and then punish you for it? It sounds like the board of education is acting more like a group of parents than people running a school. It is unfortunate that Ms. McMillen even bothered to share her future plans for prom. I do not know why these people are so against same sex couples showing up at a school dance. I also do not understand, unless for extreme religious purposes, why someone would not agree with the partnership between a same sex couple. It has been proven in many studies that the children of gay couples will not grow up to be gay. I know a gay couple that love each other dearly and share their love with their family and children. They bring up their children in a happy family. I also know another couple, male and female, that argue all the time and are raising their children terribly. The values that are learned by the child of the same sex couple are more beneficial in building a good character than the values taught by the heterosexual couple that resent one another. The people allowing the cancelation of the school problem are absolutely ridiculous. I also do not understand why the board of education is ruining everyone’s prom. If they have such a problem with the lesbian couple, then the board should not allow them to attend (although I think this is completely wrong). Not everyone should have to be punished (although I believe no one should be punished at all). This board of education has way too much power on the children’s lives outside of school. Tue, 16 Mar 2010 22:28:48 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/prom-or-no-prom-just-dont-let-the-queer-students-dance-together__trashed/#IDComment62468208 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/inequality-class-question-four__trashed/#IDComment58567130 I'm definitely not putting all of the blame on that "particular scapegoat". I am saying it is ironic that when I look at someone's life who is poor and selling drugs to make a living, there is someone who knows better and could be investing their money elsewhere for a more ethical business deal. I understand there are obviously more than just two dealers involved in the process of smuggling drugs. I'm from New York and I've experienced people buying drugs from all different races, I never once said there are only black level street dealers. I also never said the word black. To rephrase, I think it is interesting that I have never thought that any wealthy person of any color, religion, sex, is sponsoring something that is illegal and morally wrong. On top of that, I never said it is okay for poor people to sell drugs to make a living but not okay for someone who is wealthier. What I did say is that I can understand why someone who is living day by day would sell drugs, but I find it unbelievable that someone who is wealthy would sponsor something so terrible. Thu, 25 Feb 2010 00:29:33 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/inequality-class-question-four__trashed/#IDComment58567130 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/native-americans-question-one__trashed/#IDComment58556126 I think I may have to disagree with you. Of course, I think it is important for us to learn that what we did was wrong, it is a part of our history. However, I did learn the truth about our beginning history once I attended middle school. I do not really think that it is sad that children could not draw a Native American. I do not believe you can teach children that their ancestors murdered innocent lives when they arrived in America. It is just not what you teach to a child, we all learn our true history within due time. Wed, 24 Feb 2010 22:48:25 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/native-americans-question-one__trashed/#IDComment58556126