en-us https://www.intensedebate.com/users/1115586 Comments by jav5188 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-8-lesson-14-affirmative-action__trashed/#IDComment84932155 It is really unfortunate about your brother. I feel like even if your dad is the coach, you shouldn’t have that advantage. You should be able to show the potential to be that great athlete and then, if you are deserving, you should be rewarded with a position on the team. I also, have seen an example of when a kid slacked in school because he knew his future was already set with his parents business. I feel like this is the downfall of nepotism but there is nothing we can really do about this. The only thing we can do is try as hard as we can to benefit from nepotism because it will never go away. Mon, 5 Jul 2010 16:25:59 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-8-lesson-14-affirmative-action__trashed/#IDComment84932155 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-8-lesson-14-affirmative-action__trashed/#IDComment84930012 The one thing that I really agreed with at the end of the lecture was the fact that President Obama knows his girls will benefit from affirmative action. I feel like just because you have a notable father, or a notable last name, such as Paris Hilton, doesn’t mean that you should have the right to be able to do what you want when you want, or get the jobs you want when you want. Mon, 5 Jul 2010 16:18:33 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-8-lesson-14-affirmative-action__trashed/#IDComment84930012 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-8-lesson-14-affirmative-action__trashed/#IDComment84929989 I have also, like Dr. Richards, have been the victim of nepotism when it comes to getting jobs. The only job I actually got myself was the one that I currently have. All my other jobs have come from family members, knowing people that own businesses or just name dropping one of my friends names in an email so that I could get it. To me though, as stated before, I would love to be a victim of nepotism whenever I can because that is the only way we can advance in today’s society. One thing that I found extremely comical, especially since I am a catholic, was the response to the Ten Commandments and how all these people feel they follow it in daily life. I know for sure that people do not follow this at all. I try to use this in daily life but even trying to do this is hard. The only one that is even reasonable to follow is do not kill. Otherwise, most of those people in the survey were blatantly lying. Mon, 5 Jul 2010 16:18:19 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-8-lesson-14-affirmative-action__trashed/#IDComment84929989 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-8-lesson-14-affirmative-action__trashed/#IDComment84929854 This lecture was very interesting in the facts and some of the surveys that were taken to show how this country really operates. First off, nepotism is something that, I feel, can’t be avoided in today’s society. It is one of those things that are encouraged by most people, especially here at Penn State and by various employers as well. I have been told from a young age that I will succeed in life, not because I was the smartest person or because I got the best grades, but because I am very outgoing and very personable. In the industry I am studying, hospitality, it is especially important to network and it is preached in every class that it is who you know not what you know. We are encouraged to make business cards and when we go to conferences, just meet employers, talk to them, and give them a business card because that one time you talk to someone at a conference, it could be that one person that helps you get a job or that person that knows an alumni. Even though nepotism is something that is being frowned upon in this class, it is unfortunately a way of life and a way to get ahead in this world. Mon, 5 Jul 2010 16:18:01 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-8-lesson-14-affirmative-action__trashed/#IDComment84929854 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-7-lesson-13-immigration__trashed/#IDComment84428308 I couldn’t agree with you more. I feel like people out there don’t realize what this country is coming too when it comes to ILLEGAL immigration. Our ancestors did it the right way. I am not talking about the Pilgrims and the Native Americans. That is a completely different story. I am talking about the immigrants that came through Ellis Island; those immigrants that did it the right way. I am kinda ticked that some stupid Americans are being brainwashed to believe that what the Mexicans are doing, standing on a corner, looking for jobs, coming over here and taking these jobs that other people could have is truly ridiculous. Sat, 3 Jul 2010 01:51:32 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-7-lesson-13-immigration__trashed/#IDComment84428308 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-7-lesson-13-immigration__trashed/#IDComment84425637 They should be able to come over here but they must have a green card and they must do whatever it takes to become an American citizen the right way. My ancestors did it, why can’t they. Sat, 3 Jul 2010 01:45:11 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-7-lesson-13-immigration__trashed/#IDComment84425637 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-7-lesson-13-immigration__trashed/#IDComment84425574 . I feel like since the US has been under attack as recent as the Times Square bombings and the Russian espionage case, we must take all measures possible to make sure that we are safe. I also feel like we cannot take the blame anymore for what our ancestors did and as much as Dr. Richards wants to push the point that we are on “red land”, I am not taking the blame anymore. I cannot take the blame for the things that my happened six generations ago. I feel like the problems aren’t with the immigrants from Asia, Europe, or even Africa. I feel like the one place where we need to pay all of our attention to is the Mexican border. It is the main place where these immigrants are coming over illegally. Sure, my ancestors came over here as well, but my ancestors did it through Ellis Island in New York. They went through physicals and tests so that they could be put in a better opportunity. I understand where you might say don’t these Mexicans have every right as your ancestors? Well, they should but only if they do it legally. Sat, 3 Jul 2010 01:44:44 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-7-lesson-13-immigration__trashed/#IDComment84425574 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-7-lesson-13-immigration__trashed/#IDComment84425253 Immigration is one of the hottest subjects in today’s society, next to BP oil of course, and to me, I find that immigration to be interesting before Dr. Richards talked about it. I personally found Glenn Beck to be a great example of how this topic is not a republican issue, democratic issue, it is just an issue. I myself, growing up and living through the trauma that some friends went through with 9/11 I have a very different feeling about the topic of immigration. I feel like it is too easy for people to come into this country and do what they want. Here is my background story. I am still currently young. I am only 18. When the attacks on the World Trade Center happened, I was just starting 5th grade. I lived in northern New Jersey and from my house; I could clearly see the WTC. This event overall traumatized me for days because I knew one person that died in the attacks and two people that should have. This is why my stance on immigration is as it is. I feel that if you want to come into the United States for an extended period of time, one must go through extensive tests such as background checks and previous jobs must be presented as well. Sat, 3 Jul 2010 01:44:11 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-7-lesson-13-immigration__trashed/#IDComment84425253 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-7-lesson-12-multiculturalism-lgbt__trashed/#IDComment83307367 I completely agree with you with what you are saying about the difference between a Chinese flag and an American Flag. To me, the American flag holds a certain place in my heart. To me it stands for liberty, freedom, justice, and that pursuit of that dream that is possibly here. I feel like I could be the same way with the Chinese flag because our values that are in our flag such as freedom, is a fight that is still being fought today in the Middle East. That flag embodies everything that I believe is right and wrong. It embodies the country that I love (even when they blow it in the World Cup) and will forever love as long as I live. Wed, 30 Jun 2010 03:16:19 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-7-lesson-12-multiculturalism-lgbt__trashed/#IDComment83307367 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-7-lesson-12-multiculturalism-lgbt__trashed/#IDComment83306504 I felt like the second lecture dealing with LGBT relations was really interesting because not too long ago, I myself had to deal with this issue. I used to be one of those guys who had a problem with it because I wasn’t really brought up thinking that it was acceptable to be a gay man, especially as a catholic. Then, about two years ago, my uncle came out and told my family that he was gay. I had a hard time changing my overall feelings about the LGBT community, but then I realized that he was happy and that there was nothing wrong with being a member of the LGBT community. Just because you don’t have the same sexual wants as a heterosexual doesn’t make you any different than another person. Some people that are a part of the gay community choose to act differently, such as dress differently or speak in a higher tone, or any other of those stereotypes that come along with being gay. Honestly though, if you were to meet my uncle on the street, you would think he is a normal, hard working guy. He doesn’t dress different or speak different. He just has a different sexual preference. That is the only difference between him and a heterosexual man. Wed, 30 Jun 2010 03:08:39 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-7-lesson-12-multiculturalism-lgbt__trashed/#IDComment83306504 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-7-lesson-12-multiculturalism-lgbt__trashed/#IDComment83306460 Another piece of information that I found interesting was the non-European immigration is rising. I feel like it isn’t that non-European immigration is happening, it is just that the interracial relationships and the acceptance for these relationships are rising as well. With these numbers rising, it is not necessarily that more Mexicans or Asians are coming into America; it might just be that the number of relationships that are interracial is rising. Wed, 30 Jun 2010 03:08:22 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-7-lesson-12-multiculturalism-lgbt__trashed/#IDComment83306460 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-7-lesson-12-multiculturalism-lgbt__trashed/#IDComment83306421 I again found both of these lectures to be very interesting and I can see why Dr. Richards put them together. So of the information and statistics that were presenting during the presentations were amazing. The first thing that was presented, people who would want to live in diverse communities didn’t really shock me at all. With democrats being predominately colored, I can see the similarities in the percentages there. Where I don’t see the percentages connecting is between the whites and republicans. I, being a white republican, wouldn’t want to live in a diverse community because I just don’t feel comfortable in that situation. I was raised in predominately white, hard working; blue collar neighborhoods and honestly I feel more comfortable in those communities because that is what I have grown up with my entire life. That is why I feel like these numbers could be skewed a little because I feel like people feel more comfortable living in the communities and neighborhoods that they grew up in. Wed, 30 Jun 2010 03:08:04 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-7-lesson-12-multiculturalism-lgbt__trashed/#IDComment83306421 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-6-lesson-9-stages-of-racial-identity-people-of-color-stages-1-4__trashed/#IDComment81709037 I agree completely with the white doll and black doll video. I wish they would have gone a bit more in depth with why some kids considered the black doll to be bad strictly because it is black. I also want to know why they considered color to be such a big fact in what makes things good or bad and who taught them these things. If these kids are learning it at such a young age as well, what would happen when they are ten, twenty or even thirty? If they are learning this at such a young age, how hard is it going to be to change this mentality? Wed, 23 Jun 2010 15:02:44 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-6-lesson-9-stages-of-racial-identity-people-of-color-stages-1-4__trashed/#IDComment81709037 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-6-lesson-9-stages-of-racial-identity-people-of-color-stages-1-4__trashed/#IDComment81707805 The last thing that really got me was the one kid that asked, “Isn’t the whole joining a black caucus group against the whole point of unity?” I felt the same exact way. We still have groups such as the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and other racial differential groups still exist which is going completely against the point of unity. I feel like if we want to become one nation, we want to become this greatest unified nation in the world, then we must eliminate these racial differential groups. Although some are historic, we must move passed the time where our country was in such turmoil and race was one of the biggest problems in our country at that time. We need to realize that we have the opportunities to have the most powerful and the greatest country currently. We need to put our racial problems aside and have this unity work out. Wed, 23 Jun 2010 14:54:17 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-6-lesson-9-stages-of-racial-identity-people-of-color-stages-1-4__trashed/#IDComment81707805 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-6-lesson-9-stages-of-racial-identity-people-of-color-stages-1-4__trashed/#IDComment81707777 I also found it truly amazing the connection between race, grades and popularity. It was amazing that the smarter white kids are, the more popular they are. Unfortunately, the smarter a black kid is, the less popular they are. I really wonder why that is. Is it just a mentality among young blacks? Or is it because the groups that associate together in school are the blacks with lower GPA’s don’t associate with the blacks with the higher GPA’s? I also found the Hispanic’s popularity vs. GPA to be very interesting as well. It was very similar to the blacks. Is it because of the younger kid’s mentality as well? Or is it something different? Wed, 23 Jun 2010 14:54:03 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-6-lesson-9-stages-of-racial-identity-people-of-color-stages-1-4__trashed/#IDComment81707777 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-6-lesson-9-stages-of-racial-identity-people-of-color-stages-1-4__trashed/#IDComment81707743 Lesson 9 Blog I felt like this was one of the more interesting lectures that Sam had this year. I felt like he covered many controversial topics that were interesting just to hear people’s reactions. The one thing that he constantly preached which I found interesting every time was the fact that the experiences each of us have, whether we are white, Asian, Black, Hispanic or any other race, change the stage that we are at. For example, I came from an all white public school in the middle of nowhere Pennsylvania. Coming to Penn State, for me, was an eye opening experience to say the least. I didn’t live in the storied East Halls, but living in South Halls gave me quite the variety of people. I lived with a white roommate but next door to me, I had an Asian international student and a Hispanic from Los Angeles. On the other side of me, I had a two African Americans from inner city Philadelphia. To me, this experience really immersed me in the culture and diversity Penn State had to offer that my hometown didn’t have. Wed, 23 Jun 2010 14:53:52 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-6-lesson-9-stages-of-racial-identity-people-of-color-stages-1-4__trashed/#IDComment81707743 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-5-lesson-8-stages-of-racial-identity-white-people-stages-3-4__trashed/#IDComment81101377 I was a bit confused with the Red House furniture commercial as well. I guess your color matters where you buy furniture from in different areas of the country. I found it kinda weird that the black guy just jumps on the couch and explains that this couch is good for both black and white people. Along with that, the white guy jumping on the bed and saying the same thing. I just feel like the marketing aspects of that commercial is very flawed just because of how offense some people may construe it, the commercial may actually be driving customers rather than drawing them in. Sun, 20 Jun 2010 15:36:02 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-5-lesson-8-stages-of-racial-identity-white-people-stages-3-4__trashed/#IDComment81101377 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-5-lesson-8-stages-of-racial-identity-white-people-stages-3-4__trashed/#IDComment81100477 The one letter that Sam read from the girl was very interesting as well. It helped me understand the stages a lot better. Before coming to college, like this girl, I didn’t refer to myself as white, Italian or even Italian American. When I got to Penn State, I had an experience exactly the same as this girl. Everyone on campus referred to themselves as a certain nationality or color. I feel I am not in the beginning stages of the revisioning stage though. I feel like I am starting to feel guilty for some of the things that my ancestors have done and I haven’t really thought much in detail of what they actually did to get this land of to farm before this class. I was more worried about myself but now, I feel, like if I don’t understand these concepts, how will I survive in the real world? Sun, 20 Jun 2010 15:28:26 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-5-lesson-8-stages-of-racial-identity-white-people-stages-3-4__trashed/#IDComment81100477 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-5-lesson-8-stages-of-racial-identity-white-people-stages-3-4__trashed/#IDComment81100350 I found the two white nationalist girl singers to be absolutely shocking and I kinda laughed at the same time. It is amazing that parents promote children doing this at such a young age and that they are doing this dance around a SWASTIKA for fun. I just wonder sometimes how they can have such strong opinions about such a controversial topic at a young age. I feel like it shows how a few bad white people can give a bad name for the whole race. This also reminds me of a 20/20 video that showed a 7 year old boy, whose parents were a part of the famous Westboro Baptist Church. This child is telling the people from ABC that God hates fags, Jews, and gays. This kid is also saying that all Americans are going to hell because we support the military and gay rights. Sun, 20 Jun 2010 15:28:12 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-5-lesson-8-stages-of-racial-identity-white-people-stages-3-4__trashed/#IDComment81100350 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-5-lesson-8-stages-of-racial-identity-white-people-stages-3-4__trashed/#IDComment81100322 6/20 I found this lecture to be very interesting because most of the things Sam was talking about, I could relate to. I remember at a young age, I was taught by my grandfather just to keep my thoughts to myself about race. I remember him telling me that it is a very touchy subject and since he lived through most of the hard times that they had to go through, such as the protests and a vital event like the March on Washington. This lesson just reinforced those ideas that I shouldn’t use it race in certain situations but I also learned when it is acceptable to use race in daily conversation. When talking about this subject though, I found it very comical when the washcloths were mentioned. I felt like in every friend’s house I have been in, including mine, there are washcloths on display, but they are never used. It is just funny because I have never noticed that. It has always been just a formality I guess. Sun, 20 Jun 2010 15:27:53 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-5-lesson-8-stages-of-racial-identity-white-people-stages-3-4__trashed/#IDComment81100322