As a country I believe when we invade a certain country we do so with good reason. We go in so the people of that country are protected from whatever is going on that could potentially put them in further danger than they are already in. When we invaded Iraq I believe so in order to protect the Iraqi people and restore order. Sadam was testing chemical weapons on his own people bombing them and killing hundreds. He potentially had weapons of mass destruction that he could have used on others, his own people, and maybe even sold off to terroristic groups such al queda or to an enemy of the United States. He not only endanged his own people but potentially America as well and that is why I believe we invaded. I wouldn’t call what we do “policing other countries” I would say we occupy a country if need be to balance order and in this case restore it. When Sadam was in power, the people were scared to vote come voting day because they were afraid of relation against themselves and their families. When the American army was occupying Iraq it was the first time in a very long time for the people in Iraq to vote without fear. Thousands went to do so because they were not worried about rebel attacks and bombings. We instilled confidence in the people and as they stood in line and a few stray bullets came by they stood their fearlessly. I think we do much more good than harm when we occupy other countries. Also, we invaded Iraq in my opinion because we the people of the United States wanted to capture the man who was responsible for nine eleven. We invaded both Iraq and Afganistan to find Osama and people ask why we remained in those countries after Sadam. Besides maintaining order and establishing democracy, we were still hunting down this man and we finally got him. If we left and stopped looking for him he could have harmed more American citizens. Infact, they found plans in his house for future attacks on American soil including a plot on the anniversary of nine- eleven this year! So do I support the invasions we have done in our past? I completely support them and it seems that we really only invade when there is a leader in power and he his harming many others. If we didn’t invade when Hitler was in power there could have potentially murdered millions of people and wiped out a large portion of the jewish population. We stepped in then, in Somalia during the genocides were occurring, and now with Iraq. I feel like we do not invade a country to conquer it. Rather, we invade to liberate it. Obviously everyone is going to have their own opinions of that statement but Id like to think all of our veterans believe the same. The problems are home are not endangering national security and we will find balance in our country during war we have been doing it for years in our nations history.

There has been a lot of mixed emotions pertaining to the events that have happened the past week here at Penn State. From the Scandal, to the firing of Joe Pa and ultimately the riots the resulted from Joe Pa being fired. We as a school are outraged by the firing of Joe Pa for many reasons. I personally feel he should have not been fired without the board of Trustees fully evaluating the situation and not just acting without reasoning. Many people do not understand what our school is about and who we are. They think that our school is a reflection of one mans horrendous actions and this is certainly not the case. They do not understand though that Joe Pa is the face of Penn State. He was an excellent coach, a tremendous leader, but most of all he was a great man. Many people are saying that Penn State is a cult and Joe Pa is our leader. That’s completely absurd. They do not understand that he has dedicated over sixty years of his life to this school. He has won countless games for us and could very well be the best football coach that has ever lived. As part of the student body I think I had the same reaction that most people had when Joe Pa was ired. Not to mention it was two days before senior day and it would have been the most games ever coached in history if he did coach Saturday. We were outraged. I don’t expect anyone that doesn’t go here to understand the emotion that any student here felt, but id simply like for the rest of the world to show some compassion. Do not jump to such irrational conclusions about us unless you fully understand the gravity of the situation. We as a school are outraged that people think of us as pedophiles and child molesters because of one mans actions. I honestly believe one must be extremely narrow-minded and rather ignorant to think such things. I understand Ohio State already made shirts that say “We Are Pedophiles.” We are suffering now for recruits for next year for football and 10,000 people who applied from Penn State for next year withdrew their applications. We must urge the media to not form such irrational conclusions and maybe talk to the students and get our opinions instead of just the opinions from the board of Trustees. Frankly we are still an amazing school with academic integrity and honor. We are not just about our football program and people need to understand that. I stand by our school through thick and thin and will defend its name against any ignorant person that dares to challenge it in the future regarding the scandal.

How do I feel about immigrants living in America? In my mind I have to stand points in this matter. They both differ drastically solely depending on whether or not they are legal or illegal. We do base a persons status in our country around an imaginary line that society has created ultimately for control and to mark our territory. Personally I am strongly against illegal immigrants living in the united states. Between 2008 and 2010 over 1 million additional jobs were given to illegal immigrants while American citizens were still losing their jobs. The answer is obvious, lower wages. Also, illegals pay next to nothing in taxes while they live in America. However, they collect billions upon billions of our hard working American tax dollars collecting benefits such as education we American citizens have paid over 12,000,000,000 dollars annually to educate illegal children living in the US. They also collect free food stamps, free health care which in California is about to collapse because illegals can not pay the fees for the treatments that they are receiving at the hospitals, the list is endless. They are stealing from tax paying US citizens and it needs to be stopped. Lets not forget the drug feud raging at the border. It is an open war zone and illegal immigrants attempt to cross everyday carrying narcotics with them into the United States polluting the youth of America and perpetuating the end battle in the war on drugs. Also, many illegal immigrants that are young end up being in a gang. Two of the main gangs that are strictly Mexican and run drugs and weapons for the cartel is MS-13 and the 18th street gang. They lure young illegals in with opportunities to make money and make them feel like they belong by giving them a false sense of security. Millions of illegal immigrants cross the boarder each year stealing jobs and transporting narcotics across the boarder and yet the security at the boarder is in my opinion minuscule. We are out gunned and out numbered. The cartel is always watching and has carefully mapped out the patrols every move. They have over 75 tunnels underground to help transport people and narcotics across the boarder. Now on the other hand, if the immigrants are legal citizens I completely support them being in our country. They went through the proper channels and are documented citizens. In my opinion it is their right to procure jobs and education in the United States like any other American citizen. The illegal crossings are ultimately inevitable without drastic changes made at the boarder. Ultimately, we as a country should think long term. By stretching our budget to secure the boarder and if we don’t stop the bleeding now and take the proper steps in stopping illegal crossings, it may never end.

There are many ways one defines happiness. In the article they previously mentioned that talked about how happiness changed over the course of history. In ancient times it was defined as luck. Whether the gods helped you out or not. As time rolled a long the definition changed. They also talked about how money can temporarily make people happy. However, I believe that money only buys happiness temporarily. Material possessions end up getting out dated and there will always be something better as time goes. Which in turn lowers your levels of happiness because of your out dated possession. Yet, people still think that the cars, the money, big houses, and clothing will make them happy. They are so infatuated with the euphoric feeling of purchasing something new until they find something better. So many people base their happiness on their materialist possessions. Honestly what I have learned that if you do this, the things your own end up owning you and your emotions. I truly believe though regardless of the time period that each person lives in, they have their definition of happiness. Looking at the idea of happiness for colleges students however are usually based on the events that play out during the weekend and the people they spend time with. At this point in our lives, I as a college student has come to notice that many of judge our happiness around others. Whether you are a guy or a girl in college we seem to be happiest when we surround our selves with others. Simply put we base how happy or sad we are by the amount of people we can trust, lean on, rely on, and ultimately accept us for who we are. I don’t like to think happiness based on history. I prefer to believe that the definition of happiness changes gradually through the course of time in each of our lives. At different ages we believe that certain things make us happy. Inevitably we grow out of most of those ideas and move on to something else. For example, if oneself is a college student they are happier when they make many new friends and perhaps even someone they are attracted to. As time goes on and college ends they may want to settle down with someone else and start a family. Their perspective of happiness has entirely changed as time went on. What I completely agreed with though was when the author said " The best way to increase your happiness is to stop worrying about being happy and instead divert your energy to nurturing the social bonds you have with other people ... If there's one thing you're going to focus on, focus on that. Let all the rest come as it will." When the author said this I realized that the best way to be happy is to stop worrying about the things that make you upset. Instead, focus on the things you have that make oneself happy and embrace them. Whether they are your friends or a hobby you have. Focus on those things and people in your life. One should never try to achieve happiness. The very act of doing so will only lead to anxiety and depression if you fail which obviously makes you un-happy. As hard as it is to believe, happiness is best achieved when it is not looked for. There will be both good and bad days in everyones life, but somewhere in between when you least expect it, happiness will find you.

I think that this question is based entirely on womens insecurities. They sacrifice their comfort in hopes of attracted men by showing off their physical attributes when in reality yes it does help attract men but in a positive manner. If women dress based entirely on their intentions then short shorts and mini skirts tell us men a few things. One of which is they are attract a guy and second it clearly shows what their intentions are if they do so. Guys judge whether or not they are truly attracted to someone by their face and they way they talk and act towards them. A girl can wear a mini skirt and a low cut shirt but if she’s a butter face or a total jerk to us we aren’t going to give you the time of day. Now, believe it or not men do sacrifice their comfort as well when they go out. They also maintain and groom themselves to attract women as well. The mere fact that some women just fail to notice is a pity because we notice and appreciate all that you do for us. From hair to make up, heels, the dress, the gym, yeah we recognize it all or most of us do and we are grateful. I think that it is almost selfish and narrow minded that women think we do not make an effort. From the gym, to the clothes we wear and even the way we act when we first meet someone. The argument of whether its harder as a girl to maintain physical appearance than a guy is no contest. It is harder for a women yes. But women think they need to get completely “done up” to impress us. They couldn’t be farther from the truth. Heres some advice ladies, keep it simple. Less is more, literally. Honestly what more would women like us men to do to leave our comfort zone? Should we also pluck our eye brows and spend countless hours at the mall? We men are simple, we find a style that works and fine tune it. Jeans and a T shirt gets the job done for us and quite frankly for you women as well. And are you women genuinely telling me you are out of your comfort zone when you wear something sexy like a yoga pants or short shorts? Aren’t they more comfortable than other things anyway? Who doesn’t enjoy looking good when they go out? If anything scientifically speaking, when you look in the mirror and oneself is satisfied at what they see, endorphins are released in the brain giving you that feel good sensation. Bottom line, as a guy we appreciate all that you do for us physically speaking. Going out of your comfort zone and wearing things that do attract us we enjoy but its not the only things that attract us. Additionally, that does not mean just because we don’t have to do as much we are not trying as well.

When I saw this question on the website I began to think about the day in class when Sam asked all of us if the justice system was racist. My response was immediately yes and as the class went on he showed that more white men are actually arrested more than African Americans. However, more African Americans are incarcerated than white people. A number of reason come into play explaining this but I believe that the more money someone has the better lawyers they can procure for their case. Which in turn gives them a better chance of having their charges dismissed or lowered. In no way am I saying that one race has more money than the other. However, statistically speaking its clear more black people are incarcerated than white people. So when we think of criminals for example gangs. We think of inner city areas where there are more minorities like African Americans or Mexicans. The correlation to criminals like so and their race run parallel to each other. Frankly, I think that a criminal is a product of their environment. If one is surrounded by crime which is usually in inner city areas etc where the majority of the population is minorities, then there’s a better chance they will become a criminal than someone who is for instance living in a middle class suburban area. I think if the justice system wasn’t so bias and everyone was actually given a fair trial with lawyers that were equally good at what they do the incarceration ratio would be backwards. Its clear that more white men are arrested than black people especially for drug crimes. Yet, there are still more African Americans in jail for drug crimes. This I personally find preposterous. Where is the equality in that? That just shows how racist the justice system is. Im a crime law and justice major and even I find this disturbing. So back to the question of do we think of a certain race when we think of criminals. Honestly, is it not inevitable to do so? With the rates and statistics how can we not classify certain people to be more criminals than others? I blame this entirely on the greedy scum bag lawyers that will take client based on how much money they have in their checking account. I understand they are trying to make a living but your dealing with peoples lives. Why should people that don’t have a lot of money not have just as equal of a trial than those with money. The justice system will never be altered though unfortunately. As long as there is still a purpose for it and opeople commit crimes which they will, they will require lawyers. It is those very money hungry lawyers that shape what society views as criminals today.

Let me start this post with how impressed i am at the entrepreneurs in Haiti. After the incident there a few years ago I was honest shocked. To watch the damage play out on television was horrifying. People being trapped under enormous amounts of cement and rock was terrible to see and hear. However, as time has gone by and after watching the videos i saw they are very heartwarming and i only hope Haiti recovers entirely as soon as possible. Having said that the video that caught my attention the most was with Sonia. Even though Haiti went through a devistating earth quake, Sonia still finds the need to help her countries people even in a small way. There were many different entrepreneurs i could have done however for some reason what she is doing has touched me the most mainly because what money she does get from her services she uses to help her family. Each insulated lunch bag she makes and luggage bag is made on this old sewing machine. Many hours of hard manual labor are put into each lunch box for the cost of 4 American dollars. She continues to make these lunch bags every day with this sewing machine and frankly I could not give her more credit. Working for nothing just to give what support she can to her family. Also, she just finished her contract with a company to make luggage and yet she still continues to make individual items to help pay for her family and herself. I issue that Sonia and many other entrepreneurs in Haiti face is getting supplies for their businesses. They struggle to even find supplies and if they do they have to travel far and wide to procure them. So the question i ask myself is how can we get a better supply line to these people so their businesses can thrive. If Sonia had a better supply line she could perhaps be making more money and the possibilities with that extra money could be endless. From helping her family to expanding her business. Even if its to purchase a more proficient sewing machine. More things could be made faster and have better quality. Even though this catastrophe has happened in Haiti and not in the United States, we must not be selfish and look past ourselves. We should be generous individuals because we are so gifted to be living in this country whether we know it or not. Why not be good individuals and help not ourselves for once but others even though we don't know them. As a nation we are not considered conquerors, but liberators. Lets try to free the Haitian people from the hardships that surround them every day.

What do I classify myself as? Like most of these blog responses I begin to classify myself as a male which I am more than proud for a number of reasons actually. Needless to say I don’t need to list all the reasons but to just name a few, no birthing process, no menstrual cycle, and we can eat whatever we want and not get fat. It’s pretty phenomenal. But that’s not just the only thing I classify myself as. I am Italian and a very family oriented person. I go home every first Sunday of the month to have family dinner in New Jersey regardless of what I am doing during that weekend. I also am very religious and go to church at least once a week whether it’s at here or school I make an effort to go. I wouldn’t consider myself a hardcore Catholic I would simply just say I believe more than most college students. I also classify myself as a student as well. Even though work can be overwhelming at times I do my best to balance family, friends, etc. However, living in Pennsylvania for the school year is very different from where my home town is in New Jersey. Here I am stereotyped by the way I dress and tend to be classified as someone from the show jersey shore or a “guido”. In this case, it is others that classify me this way and frankly I find their ignorance rather frustrating because they judge in such a shallow manner. They don’t bother to figure out what my personality is like and just focus on my appearance. Just because someone gels their hair and wears a v neck shirt does not classify someone as a guido. I classify myself in many ways but the two ways I can not is that the University classifies myself as a student because I’m enrolled here and the Jersey stereotype. There are many ways one can classify themselves besides the things that were previously mentioned. One could be classified by someone else as American, a loving son or daughter, a cousin, a good friend, the ways are endless. I think its what we choose to see ourselves as is what really matters. However, I think we give ourselves these classifications at times. Our behavior and actions reflect what people may think of us. So before we decide to dress a certain way or act in specific way one must think to themselves how does this reflect myself as a person and how will I be classified for doing so. Rule of thumb always goes like this. Dress for the occasion and pick your words wisely. It only takes one first impression to be classified as someone your not.

So why do i follow my religion and not others? I am Catholic and as a Catholic our church tells us that Jesus is the only son of Christ. To walk by faith and not by sight. We as Catholics base our religion around this statement. For many Christians, we want to believe that there is something greater than us above. Some want to know that there is life after death and death isn't just the end but the beginning. I truly believe in our darkest moments, when we feel lost and a lone it is God that guides us. I personally can relate to the rapper that did a voice over to "Lighters" in class. My mother too has cancer but she is also very religious. She and I both understand that even when we are over whelmed with fear of any kind, when the world seems to be closing in, we remind ourselves of our faith. And even though we believe so blindly in it, it is that very belief that gives us the ability to fight and move forward regardless of the hardships at hand. When I think of the lowest times in my life a poem named Footprints in the Sand comes to mind written by Mary Stevenson in 1936. It goes like this

. "One night I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord. Many scenes from my life flashed across the sky.

In each scene I noticed footprints in the sand. Sometimes there were two sets of footprints, other times there was one only.

This bothered me because I noticed that during the low periods of my life, when I was suffering from anguish, sorrow or defeat, I could see only one set of footprints, so I said to the Lord,

“You promised me Lord,
that if I followed you, you would walk with me always. But I have noticed that during the most trying periods of my life there has only been one set of footprints in the sand. Why, when I needed you most, have you not been there for me?”

The Lord replied, “The years when you have seen only one set of footprints, my child, is when I carried you.”

I respect all other religions. I feel that any one person should have the right to believe in what they want to. But I follow no other religion simply because at the lowest and darkest times in my life, when i felt defeated, I reminded myself of the footprints in the sand, and i knew the Lord was carrying me.