en-us https://www.intensedebate.com/users/2441484 Comments by igotmine http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/03/women-and-war/#IDComment140231879 She knew what was important in her life, which was for the children she taught to have the opportunity to continue to play and learn music. Her fight was not to change the circumstances, her fight was to continue life. She did not let the fighting affect her role in society, and in turn, helped her students retain a type of normalcy. We don’t think about this type of war. The constant struggle, with bombs exploding and people dying all around, to continue to live your life is not a battle you think of when you think of war. It is easy for us, as Americans, to continue to live our lives. Other than a possible friend or relative we know who is serving as a soldier, we can detach ourselves from the wars our country is fighting. While I can sit here and read about the economic effects of the war o U.S. stocks, there are the music teachers of developing countries teaching the piano in war zones. There are still the women who are singing lullabies to their children to mask the distant sounds of missiles bombing the nearest city. In this time of social unrest in many parts of the world, it makes you wonder who is actually responsible for making the world run. Tue, 5 Apr 2011 19:21:25 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/03/women-and-war/#IDComment140231879 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/03/women-and-war/#IDComment140231862 When we think of war, as Americans, we picture our soldiers fighting in a foreign land. We picture battles between our military and the opposing countries military. While many may say that this is the extent of fighting in war, it is not. The speaker speaks of the other side of war. She talks about the war that happens because of the military war. This war is fought by civilians, mainly women, and it is a fight to keep their lives and their culture. The story of the music teacher walking to her school amidst snipers, putting her life on the line every day, for the children. Now, when you think about a war, you don’t think that a music teacher can make any kind of difference. But she did, without firing a single bullet. Her fight was not for one side or the other, but was for the continuity of life. Tue, 5 Apr 2011 19:21:20 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/03/women-and-war/#IDComment140231862 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/30/so-what-your-take-on-those-inequality-classes/#IDComment139192272 I believe that inequality in social classes will always exist. The United States government has set up a system that will inevitably have extremes on both sides. We live in a capitalist system, which basically means that money is the ulterior driving force behind all aspects of government. You can’t be surprised that, when politicians get into office, they are inevitably going to help the people who got them there, and the people who are going to keep them there. Yes, you can say that the system is based on “bribes.” I understand what that comment means, but I am not angry at it. I don’t see any other political system that would run more effectively. As much as you want to say our system is corrupt, the fact still stands that the United States has one of the highest standard of living in the world, as well as one of the richest countries in the world. Obviously, in class, you mockingly call the US the “greatest country in the world,” but you cannot deny that there are many worse places to live. Yes, our government is run more for the interests of the wealthy than for the interests of the greater public, and yes, the richest companies experience tax cuts at higher frequency than the majority of our country. These are problems that can only be fixed by major changes in our government makeup, the type of changes that do not happen, unless in the wake of revolutions. The idea seems ridiculous, and it is, because most of the public is terribly under informed. Most people hear “more tax cuts for the rich” and they get pissed, and that’s the end. As an individual, there is no sense of “maybe I can change this.” There is a collective feeling that what is happening is wrong, but what am I going to do about it? Massive change does not happen without careful organization and execution. While the corporations in America pretty much run the country, I feel that the situation we have is better than having a over bearing dictator making the decisions. Fri, 1 Apr 2011 20:34:50 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/30/so-what-your-take-on-those-inequality-classes/#IDComment139192272 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/24/b-s-response/#IDComment137558353 llions of homosexuals who are shunned by their parents for the orientation. If it is simply a choice, who would choose to be shunned? Sexual orientation is a biological trait. My personal arousal does not come because my parents taught me to be aroused by the female body. I learned that one on my own, believe me. I cannot see the reason of a life sentence without parole. It goes against what the prison system is set up to do. It is a reform system, and even if that reform takes twenty or thirty years to take place, you cannot deny that it has. Yes, I do understand that there are people who do not deserve to be release from prison. However, you cannot determine how a person will reform, or when. Hearing the professor speak of his meetings with you, I can tell that he believes that some of you should be released. He expresses his trust for you as individuals, and even speaks to your personal character. I believe every prisoner should be eligible for a second chance. Fri, 25 Mar 2011 19:53:15 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/24/b-s-response/#IDComment137558353 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/24/b-s-response/#IDComment137558331 When a felon receives a life sentence, one can only assume that he committed a heinous crime, murder being a common thought. I understand your frustration being stereotyped and lumped into a category of murderers. However, most who receive life sentences were involved in a crime that ended in fatality. I’m not talking to your position in particular, as I do not know your situation. I believe that our legal system is constructed to send the most criminals to jail for the longest amount of time possible. One can argue this point however you may, but the reality is our prisons are full, and our taxes are paying for it. At a time when Pennsylvania has a Governor cutting my university’s appropriation in half, our state should not be paying to care for reformed prisoners. The idea, ridiculous as it is, is that a child won’t learn about opposite sex marriages, or will be raised by their parents to be gay. Sexual orientation is not something someone can persuade, or raise you to have. The proof should be the mi Fri, 25 Mar 2011 19:53:10 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/24/b-s-response/#IDComment137558331 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/15/lgbt-families-theres-a-lot-of-fear-out-there/#IDComment135394795 So if the sexual orientation of your parents does not affect your sexual orientation, than what is the argument for not letting homosexuals have children? Will their children be unproductive members of society? Zach Mills is clear proof that that is not true. We are caught up in analyzing at homosexuals’ ability to raise children, but shouldn’t we look elsewhere. Just because I have a penis, my partner has a vagina; We are automatically allowed to have children. It doesn’t matter if I am addicted to drugs, have no job, have no love or respect for my significant other, and live off of government welfare. Give me a wild night and nine months and I’ll have another person depending on my worthless self. Wed, 16 Mar 2011 20:07:11 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/15/lgbt-families-theres-a-lot-of-fear-out-there/#IDComment135394795 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/15/lgbt-families-theres-a-lot-of-fear-out-there/#IDComment135394709 Sexual orientation is not something someone can persuade, or raise you to have. The proof should be the millions of homosexuals who are shunned by their parents for the orientation. If it is simply a choice, who would choose to be shunned? Sexual orientation is a biological trait. My personal arousal does not come because my parents taught me to be aroused by the female body. I learned that one on my own, believe me. So if the sexual orientation of your parents does not affect your sexual orientation, than what is the argument for not letting homosexuals have children? Will their children be unproductive members of society? Zach Mills is clear proof that that is not true. We are caught up in analyzing at homosexuals’ ability to raise children, but shouldn’t we look elsewhere. Just because I have a penis, my partner has a vagina; We are automatically allowed to have children. It doesn’t matter if I am addicted to drugs, have no job, have no love or respect for my significant other, and live off of government welfare. Give me a wild night and nine months and I’ll have another person depending on my worthless self. Wed, 16 Mar 2011 20:06:44 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/15/lgbt-families-theres-a-lot-of-fear-out-there/#IDComment135394709 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/15/lgbt-families-theres-a-lot-of-fear-out-there/#IDComment135394692 Zach Walls lays out a compelling case for the rights of homosexuals to marry, and reap the benefits of the laws for married couples. Obviously, coming from a household where the parents are lesbians, he is very passionate about the subject. I agree with him on the stance he is making. I believe that to question the ability of homosexuals to raise children is ridiculous. Adopting a child is a long and arduous process, where social workers will break down every aspect of you and your partner’s lives. You must meet every requirement placed by the state in order for an underprivileged child to join your family. This is true for both hetero and homosexuals. The difference for homosexuals is the stigma placed before them, that they cannot produce “normal” children because of their sexuality. The idea, ridiculous as it is, is that a child won’t learn about opposite sex marriages, or will be raised by their parents to be gay. Wed, 16 Mar 2011 20:06:39 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/15/lgbt-families-theres-a-lot-of-fear-out-there/#IDComment135394692 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/21/stranger-kidnapping/#IDComment130164070 However, I know most of my friends and colleagues would do the same thing I would. I feel like most of my classmates would react similarly. In fact, most of the people I know, or have even met, in my life would act similarly to me. Even the people that I know who are assholes, the worst they would do is say, “sorry kid, get away from me.” It takes a certain breed of human to think, “I’m going to steal this kid.” I believe, and statistics will back me up, that there are far more helpful people, than people who would want to steal your kid. Personally, I have spent most of my life making sure I do not end up with a child, so the fact of stealing one would take any kind of fun of having one and throw it out of the window. Wed, 23 Feb 2011 20:44:38 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/21/stranger-kidnapping/#IDComment130164070 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/21/stranger-kidnapping/#IDComment130164022 News broadcasts, such as this, pertain to extraneous circumstances that do not happen every day. They report these stories often, and I can see no other reason for it than to induce fear into the viewer. For those of us who are not from New York, we see this as, “wow, next time I take my child to New York City, I will not let go of their hand.” However, statistics show that you are more likely to get hit by lightning than to be a victim, or relative of a victim, that is involved in child abduction. We see news stories like this one, and we think “New York, watch out, someone’s going to take your kid.” I tend to try to think about it in a different way. I’m not talking to exactly this scenario, where the abductor attempted to grab the child right out of the parent’s hand, but more to a lost child scenario. If I was walking through a public place, and a child came up to me and told me he/she had lost their mother, I would undoubtedly stay with them and try to find their parents. Many people will say, “Understandable, but not everyone is a good person like you,” and I completely understand this. Wed, 23 Feb 2011 20:44:24 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/21/stranger-kidnapping/#IDComment130164022 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/06/empathy-might-be-our-natural-drive/#IDComment127021906 Although we do well in showing empathy for natural disasters, we do not show up so well when others face economic disaster. What’s worse about these is that they are created by us, and when I say us I mean Americans. When we see homeless people on the streets of your nearest major city, most of us pass by without thinking twice. Yes, it is true that the when you see these less fortunate people, something in your heart feels for them. This might be the empathy that we are born with, but it quickly leaves us no more than a block down the street. I believe that with natural disasters, we feel as though no one could control it, or do anything to stop it, so we feel sorrier for those affected. However, when you see the homeless, you feel as though they had a chance to prosper, as is promised us in the constitution, and they messed it up, so it’s their fault. As far as achieving global empathy, I believe that this is an impossibility. If we cannot gather enough empathy for someone who is obviously in need when we pass them on the street, how could we possibly begin to feel someone’s pain who live on the opposite side of the world. Thu, 10 Feb 2011 01:07:05 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/06/empathy-might-be-our-natural-drive/#IDComment127021906 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/06/empathy-might-be-our-natural-drive/#IDComment127021881 The idea that, as humans, we are born with empathy for others can be shown through young children. When the narrator talks about how, when one baby begins crying in a maternal ward, the rest will follow suit without actually knowing why they are crying. If you fast forward a few years, you can see the attempt to preserve happiness in toddlers. Having worked with children, you may see one child take a toy from another, making the child cry. In most cases, the child who took the toy will give it back, if only for a moment, to make the other stop crying. The idea of a global empathy is a far cry from where we stand today. We, as Americans, do have a sense of national empathy, shown through disasters such as Hurricane Katrina. In this case, benefits were held all over the country, with the American public donating large sums of money to help the relief effort. Thu, 10 Feb 2011 01:06:57 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/06/empathy-might-be-our-natural-drive/#IDComment127021881 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/30/conformity-rules-the-day/#IDComment125988929 Topics such as evolution, gay marriage, heaven and hell, etc. came up, and she kept giving me the same answer for each of them, God. God created everything, and did everything, and everything that happens is because of God. When I brought up the point of freewill, she shut it down right away. We couldn’t have a constructive conversation, because she was set in her views. These are the same views shared by any devout Christian, and they’ve gone to church for years learning this stuff. I believe that any religion is a perfect example of groupthink. It is also shown in politics. With the republicans attempting to repeal the Healthcare Reform, they voted unanimously to repeal it in the House. That is to say, we have 242 separate elected officials, from 50 different states; all voted the same way, because of loyalty to their party. They are not thinking “Hey, maybe I should look to see if I think this bill will help our country.” If they do, some will think it is good, and will be outcasts in their party. Groupthink is the reason the two party system is ruining American politics. Fri, 4 Feb 2011 20:56:42 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/30/conformity-rules-the-day/#IDComment125988929 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/30/conformity-rules-the-day/#IDComment125988891 Social conformity happens every day and is committed by everyone. It stems from the need to feel as though you are doing the correct thing, whatever that may be. This was shown in the video by having everyone face the opposite way, and the target always conforms. No one wants to be the only one on one side of an issue, and then turn out to be wrong, and be the only one who is wrong. It is not a decision we make consciously, it just happens when you feel out of place, or on the wrong side. The idea of groupthink comes into play when talking about social conformity. Groupthink is when, as individuals, we neglect to voice opinions that are against the collective group idea. I feel that this is shown very clearly through many religions. I will focus my attention on Christians, because that is the group that I am exposed to the most. I was having a conversation with a devout Christian a few days ago about religion. First off, I want to say that anytime you start a conversation with a religious person, they are always welcome to talk about it. Through the conversation, I began to question some of the stories from the bible that many Christians take literally, she began to become angry. Fri, 4 Feb 2011 20:56:28 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/30/conformity-rules-the-day/#IDComment125988891 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/24/life-without-parole-001-blog/#IDComment124408889 I believe that the prisoner is sincere in the fact that he lives his life by the morals he listed out. Although his environment is dramatically different than any of ours, his values do not look different than any college student''s, or professor's, or janitor's would. As a prisoner, he is exposed to many more people with little or no morals. By living with these people everyday, his perception on a moral compass is definatly skewed, however, maybe in a good way. Being surrounded by criminals for 22 years might give you the best idea of how a person should live. I would bet that most of the people who read this almost feel sorry that this man will never life a free life. I cannot bring myself to do this completely, because i have no idea what he has done, or how he has ruined someone else life. However i can argue that fact that our prison systems is not set up for reform, but is seems that this man has. This may be the simple fact of growing older. It is a shame that a mistake this man made when he was 14 has completely changed his life for the worst., but that's the system, and we all live with it. Fri, 28 Jan 2011 20:58:20 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/24/life-without-parole-001-blog/#IDComment124408889 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/24/life-without-parole-001-blog/#IDComment124408859 I believe that each of us has an idea of what a "good person" should be. There is an obvious set of social rules laid out by our government: No murder, no theft, no rape, etc. However, when the prisoner talks about his moral compass, he is speaking of a way of life, not a list of do's and don'ts, or right and wrong. He has taken the time to evaluate himself and the environment that he will inevitably live the rest of his life in. Most would agree with the ideas he has based his decisions on, whether they follow them or not. Most would probably add a few more moral values to their list, and they would love to believe that they live by them. If asked about your core values, anybody can write down a list of 5-10 morals that they say they base their lives on. This is not your moral compass. Your moral compass is how you react to your social decisions everyday. Many would say that they are morally against theft, however when put into certain situations, they commit these acts. Fri, 28 Jan 2011 20:58:10 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/24/life-without-parole-001-blog/#IDComment124408859 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/18/suicide-in-japan/#IDComment122542618 If you can turn to religion for comfort, especially in times when you feel most vulnerable, more power to you. However, if you feel that God is responsible for your troubles, this may turn you to spite him, and make suicide seem like a viable option. I understand that not working, not having an income to support your wife and children, makes you feel like less than dirt. These times do pass however hard it might be to get through them. But once you go through it, you will find that it brings you closer as a family. I know it may seem like you will never find another job, but you will. Not to sound cliché, but hard times do pass, making way for the good ones. Life is a process of ups and downs, and however down you may feel, there is an upswing coming, even though it may seem it’s not. Thu, 20 Jan 2011 16:49:47 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/18/suicide-in-japan/#IDComment122542618 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/18/suicide-in-japan/#IDComment122542544 Everyone who enters the forest, or calls the hotline, has had something happen that they feel makes life not worth living. When these types of things occur, it may seem like you have nowhere else to turn, or nothing else that you can do to amend the situation. However strong these feelings may be, sharing them with someone always helps. As it pertains to the economic situation, losing your job may seem like the end. No being able to support your family, especially in the Japanese culture, where pressure for the man to provide for his family is huge, may seem like you have no reason to go on, or make you think that you are a failure. However, the only way to fail, in the eyes of your family, is to take the easy way out, or to take your life. It takes a strong person to come face to face with adversity and come out on top. Life has a way of challenging us, and even when the challenge seems too great; finding a way to push through is what shapes us as people. I don’t want you to take this as a religious belief the God is testing you, because religious ideologies are only there to help. Thu, 20 Jan 2011 16:49:31 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/18/suicide-in-japan/#IDComment122542544 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/10/last-name-%e2%80%9cl%e2%80%9d-%e2%80%93-intense-debate/#IDComment122331969 Soc 001 Sec 003 Wed, 19 Jan 2011 18:13:51 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/10/last-name-%e2%80%9cl%e2%80%9d-%e2%80%93-intense-debate/#IDComment122331969