en-us https://www.intensedebate.com/users/3579935 Comments by jac111 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/11/29/voices-from-the-classroom-80/#IDComment231907332 It is not surprising that the poor people living in Iraq are viewing us as violent after watching the video clips in class. It was absolutely horrible to see American soldiers terrorizing other people like that. I was in complete and utter shock when I saw them run over and crush a delivery truck with an army tank. That was completely uncalled for and cruel as well as them running a random truck off the road for no reason whatsoever. Another large part of all of the world’s judgments is the fact that the media only shows videos of parts of the truth and distorts people’s opinions of reality. When we are only being shown bits and pieces of videos or bias articles getting the facts wrong is so easy. Soc 119 has made me realize that not everything is what it seems, especially this last class. I wish that the rest of Americans and the world would look passed the media’s bias, whoevers side it may be on, and look into the reality and different perceptions of serious situations we face. Sat, 3 Dec 2011 00:41:43 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/11/29/voices-from-the-classroom-80/#IDComment231907332 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/11/29/voices-from-the-classroom-80/#IDComment231907247 I never realized how terrifying it would be to watch a war being fought in my home town or having my neighbors, friends, or family being harmed. I cannot even imagine having my brother being killed from a bomb like the example Sam gave about his friend in class. I would probably kill the person who did it. Also, I don’t think that it is right for us to go into their country and fight a bunch of people who are just like us for oil that does not even belong to us. I think putting myself in the shoes of the Iraqis was an extreme eye opener. Because we have so many preconceptions about these people being “terrorists” and what not America has made it seem as though they are the bad guys when from their perspective it is the other way around. I think that is the problem with the world, people live each day stuck in their own world and prejudices rather than taking the time to step back and look at the point of view of others. Sat, 3 Dec 2011 00:41:27 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/11/29/voices-from-the-classroom-80/#IDComment231907247 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/11/29/voices-from-the-classroom-80/#IDComment231907161 After watching the lecture and videos shown about Iraq in class this Tuesday, I was appalled and my opinion on our soldiers and the war was changed dramatically. I realized that it is so easy for us as Americans to have a bias point of view about the war because we are not the ones living with the fight in our country. The war is being fought so far away from us that it has been detached from many of our realities and overlooked even though it is extremely heart wrenching. Sat, 3 Dec 2011 00:41:10 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/11/29/voices-from-the-classroom-80/#IDComment231907161 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/11/15/voices-from-the-classroom-78/#IDComment227437984 My heart truly goes out to all victims of sexual abuse and I wish it was easier to prevent these kinds of things from happening. As for learning to do the right thing in a difficult situation, I think it obvious that this kind of tragedy should not be silenced under any circumstance. There is no good reason that Sandusky after being seen should not have been prevented from committing such disgusting acts in the future. I am sure by the outcome and devastation of this tragedy that those involved have been deeply affected and aware of how important it is to report incidents of abuse. I hope that this will allow others who experience or witness sexual abuse in the future to speak out and do the right thing as well. Sat, 26 Nov 2011 02:35:21 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/11/15/voices-from-the-classroom-78/#IDComment227437984 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/11/15/voices-from-the-classroom-78/#IDComment227437930 From this, I also have realized that reacting to such a situation is a lot more difficult then it may seem. It is so easy for people to place judgments on others, and yet in reality none of us know the full story so it is ignorant to do so. Ironically, and devastatingly my roommate was very recently a victim of sexual abuse. One of my other best friends walked in on this rape and is still completely scarred from it. It has been even more difficult and heartbreaking while dealing with this personal situation at the same time as the scandal because it makes everything so much realer and vivid for me. I’ve seen how much my roommate, one of my best friends, has been terribly affected by the situation and I feel almost helpless in making it better. I want to help but it is extremely hard to do so considering actions cannot be undone. I have learned that being a good listener and friend is the best way to get through situations such as this one. Sat, 26 Nov 2011 02:35:10 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/11/15/voices-from-the-classroom-78/#IDComment227437930 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/11/15/voices-from-the-classroom-78/#IDComment227437816 It is clear that the scandal has had an enormous impact on the entire Penn State community. Although there are numerous amount of negative outcomes from this tragedy, there are also many things to be learned. For one, I think this is a great opportunity to help other victims overcome their fear of speaking out about their story. It is a great way for our society to become educated on the devastation of abuse and how to prevent it as well. Before our soc class the other day, I was completely unaware of how many victims of sexual abuse there essentially are and how much it is covered up. It is terrible that so many people have had to experienced such a horrible thing and have to deal with the silence of it. Sat, 26 Nov 2011 02:34:51 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/11/15/voices-from-the-classroom-78/#IDComment227437816 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/11/09/voices-from-the-classroom-32/#IDComment220718574 This is sad because there is so much more meaningful things to life. True happiness comes not from external materials, but from inner peace and truth. When people are faced with nothing but themselves to distract them, they are forced into seeing that good things are internal. At the end of life, it is doubtful that one will be reflecting on the clothes they have bought or the television in their living room. But focus will lie on how far they have come as an individual and how many of their life goals they have met. They will think of their relationships with the people that mean the most to them, and how they have affected them. Sat, 12 Nov 2011 03:55:20 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/11/09/voices-from-the-classroom-32/#IDComment220718574 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/11/09/voices-from-the-classroom-32/#IDComment220718469 For instance, all the famous people who are suffering from depression or addicted to drugs. Clearly there is sadness related to problems in their life that we as outsiders will never be able to fully grasp. Like I said before though, I am not saying that money can’t enrich a lot of things in people’s lives for the better. When people are rich, they can buy their way around a lot of situations that otherwise would be troublesome. Also, they do not need to stress about financial issues which may be truly devastating to some individuals. Poor people have to worry about crucial problems in life such as paying bills and putting food on their table. Although this may be extremely difficult and heartbreaking, it allows them to appreciate the smaller more important things in life. Especially in today’s society so much focus is put on materialistic things. Sat, 12 Nov 2011 03:55:04 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/11/09/voices-from-the-classroom-32/#IDComment220718469 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/11/09/voices-from-the-classroom-32/#IDComment220718352 In this argument, I would have to take the side that money can’t buy happiness. This is not to conclude that money does not make life easier in many ways, but I think that is a different concept. Look at all the celebrities out here whose lives are run by constant interference by the media. Although they have an extremely large bank account you must consider the stress that is added while living under the cameras. These people are being suffocated in a sense; they barely have any private time in which nosy people are not in their business. When is fact, why should we care about what they do and how they live their lives? If everyone would worry about their own life and personal situations I think this world in its entirety would be a whole lot happier. But back to my main point, money can’t completely affect all personal situations people deal with and suffer from. It is hard to look passed the image of people with mass amounts of money and realize that they have their own problems that sometimes money cannot fix. Sat, 12 Nov 2011 03:54:44 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/11/09/voices-from-the-classroom-32/#IDComment220718352 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/11/01/voices-from-the-classroom-59/#IDComment217067925 No one wants to be getting secretly bashed or be missing out on important information. But, on the other hand, people need to understand that learning a new language is difficult and takes time! I have been taking Spanish classes since I was in elementary school and I still do not have it down perfectly, speaking wise and understanding it. It takes a lot of dedication and hard work. If people are not willing to work towards understanding other languages then they should not be offended when they can not understand what people are saying. Obviously a person is going to speak the language they feel most comfortable with that’s second nature. So before you get mad, take a step back and walk in someone else’s shoes. Sat, 5 Nov 2011 00:43:12 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/11/01/voices-from-the-classroom-59/#IDComment217067925 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/11/01/voices-from-the-classroom-59/#IDComment217067860 It is really difficult because they speak a lot faster than how I do in Spanish. I think people tend to get offended when others speak a different language around them but in reality they would probably do the same thing if they went to a different country. Learning multiple languages and cultures is not an easy thing to do and it takes time. I think if you are going to live in America permanently you should have a good idea of how to communicate with the rest of the people that live here. That is just common sense. So all in all, it is understandable that not knowing what people around you are talking about is uncomfortable for obvious reasons. Sat, 5 Nov 2011 00:43:00 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/11/01/voices-from-the-classroom-59/#IDComment217067860 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/11/01/voices-from-the-classroom-59/#IDComment217067756 When people talk a different language around me it does sometimes make me feel uncomfortable just because I have no idea what they are saying or if they are talking badly about me. For example, when I go to the nail salon and it is all Asian employees speaking in a different language. Most of them know English but talk to each other in a different language in front of their clients and it makes it kind of awkward. It would almost be like if someone was whispering in front of your face. There is no way of telling what the conversation is about which is the reason it makes people feel uncomfortable. Besides that issue, if I can tell the conversation has no focus on me I can care less what language other people speak. I understand that If I went to another country to visit, although I would try and learn the language, I would still probably be speaking mainly English. I do have some knowledge of the Spanish language which is really cool. In the summer I work at a restaurant with Mexicans in the back and I try to pick up on what they are talking about in conversation. Sat, 5 Nov 2011 00:42:42 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/11/01/voices-from-the-classroom-59/#IDComment217067756 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/10/27/voices-from-the-classroom-54/#IDComment213599615 For instance, I have heard white people throw around the “n” word loosely and in a derogatory way. For some people this word is not offensive, but I personally don’t think it should be used unless it is with someone who knows that you are kidding around and will not take offense to it. Racism is probably easier to define for people who experience it on a day to day basis. I am from a dominantly white area so in my high school there was not much racism that was taking place. Overall, basically I feel that people need to understand that racism is a term that can be interpreted in many different ways. We need to realize that what is okay or “not racist” to one person could possibly be completely offensive to someone else. I think if we take this into consideration the world will be a lot more peaceful. Fri, 28 Oct 2011 21:35:46 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/10/27/voices-from-the-classroom-54/#IDComment213599615 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/10/27/voices-from-the-classroom-54/#IDComment213599552 . I learned that the reason black people are “afraid to swim” or “Can’t swim” isn’t necessarily because they don’t want to, but because their bodies will not allow it. Black people are naturally made up to be very muscular and muscle sinks in water. This gave me much clarification to the so called “racist” stereotype. Our discussion group also talked about how people of different ethnic groups are less likely to tip at restaurants. People may sound racist when they say this but in reality it is true. This is most likely not because these people are trying to be rude, but because they do not fully understand the American culture and what is expected. I cannot specifically recall a time where I have experienced racism against me, but there have been plenty of times that I have witnessed racism. Fri, 28 Oct 2011 21:35:34 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/10/27/voices-from-the-classroom-54/#IDComment213599552 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/10/27/voices-from-the-classroom-54/#IDComment213599386 To begin, racism is a very broad term that is loosely interpreted around the world. It is difficult to define the word racism because of the many different perspectives have about the term and how it can be used. Dictionary.com defines racism as “a belief or doctrine that inherent differences among the various human races determine cultural or individual achievement, usually involving the idea that one's own race is superior and has the right to rule others.” To me, racism is simply discrimination due to a person’s color or culture. Some people consider stereotyping racism but personally I do not feel like that is always the case. Sometimes these things we consider “stereotypes”, although it is not right to just assume things about a person, are actually true. For example, in my last discussion group class we spoke of certain stereotypes like that black people cannot swim. I have always heard that but never knew the reason behind the matter. Fri, 28 Oct 2011 21:35:19 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/10/27/voices-from-the-classroom-54/#IDComment213599386 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/10/20/voices-from-the-classroom-51/#IDComment210725563 When I am around my friends of color I don’t act any differently than when I am around white friends. To be quite honest, it is all the same to me. Friendship has nothing to do with trying to be like someone. If that question does not even get considered when you are hanging out with people of the same ethnic group as you then why should it when you are not? I shouldn’t. It simply does not make sense to consider a person a poser due to who they have friendships with. So, In summation we all are unlike the people we are friends with and that is actually a good thing. This allows people to come together and share their point of views from their own eyes and for people to get new perspectives of thing. If anything, hanging out with a mixed group opens doors to new insights rather than closing them to imitation. Sat, 22 Oct 2011 00:09:39 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/10/20/voices-from-the-classroom-51/#IDComment210725563 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/10/20/voices-from-the-classroom-51/#IDComment210725479 Personally I think it’s a great thing when different cultures bond with each other. So often people put boundaries between different races and they are completely unnecessary. For example, my roommate has a mixed racial group of close friends and she is the whitest girl ever. As I write this there are boys with Indian background, friends of my roommate, hanging out in my room. No one is attempting to be like them, we are simply going along with our day as if race does not exist. I also hang out with a very diverse group of races. Some of my best friends have color and I’m not trying to adopt their culture or anything of the sort. Sat, 22 Oct 2011 00:09:27 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/10/20/voices-from-the-classroom-51/#IDComment210725479 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/10/20/voices-from-the-classroom-51/#IDComment210725381 To answer the question, no I do not believe hanging out with a mixed crowd makes someone a poser. All the friends I have are different from me in one way or another, whether it is color-related or personality wise, yet hanging out with them does not make me a poser. This is basically the same concept; you can’t consider someone a poser for being friends with someone. In fact, being friends with someone has nothing to do with “posing” to be someone else it has everything to do with who you get along well with and can maintain a positive relationship with. A poser can be defined as “One who pretends to be someone whose not.” It would be one thing if a white person who hangs out with a lot of black people went around with their face painted dark, but that is not the case. In actuality, hanging out with a mixed group of people probably accentuates the person of different colors difference, rather than making them seem more like someone. Sat, 22 Oct 2011 00:09:05 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/10/20/voices-from-the-classroom-51/#IDComment210725381 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/10/13/voices-from-the-classroom-42/#IDComment207631943 This is where political correctness becomes a problem. In my opinion, people should start being more open about racial discussion and not feeling uncomfortable talking about it. After all, race plays a huge role in our society, especially for non-white people. So overall, I don’t think racial labeling in conversation is something that is done purposely, but out of automatic reaction. It is important for people to start taking note of this happening in order to avoid any unintended racial slurs. I know I never paid attention to racial labels or realized I used them until after Thursdays lecture. It brought be back to so many times that I have categorized people by color. It is that simple “Some Asian kid of a bike” or “That Arab kid in line” that could be offensive so I am going to take note of it now. Sat, 15 Oct 2011 00:12:05 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/10/13/voices-from-the-classroom-42/#IDComment207631943 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/10/13/voices-from-the-classroom-42/#IDComment207631839 What does it matter if the person who hit your car is black or white? The main part of the story is that your car was hit and that should be most emphasized not little details like race. What Sam also mentioned in class is that sometimes people purposely avoid racial labels for political correctness when in fact they are needed. If you are trying to describe a person to someone, clearly their image is needed. It doesn’t make sense to feel uncomfortable about describing a person by the color of their skin because that is part of their physical appearance. For instance, the other example that was given in class about students being uncomfortable about describing the Soc TA’s by their color. People need to realize that in that case it is not tied with any racial ideas that are offensive it is simple for clarification. Sat, 15 Oct 2011 00:11:48 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/10/13/voices-from-the-classroom-42/#IDComment207631839