What can I feel about an inmate who committed a first degree murder? To be convicted of a first degree murder, it had to be premeditated and willful of an intentional killing of anther person. How can I feel about a person who committed this heinous act? Even though, as Sam mentioned, that this type of crime has a low retribution rate of re-offending again because once the person is dead their gone for good. I believe that no matter what someone can have done to that person, I don’t believe it makes it justifiable to kill that person. I don’t have any sympathy for anyone who committed a first degree murder and strongly believe in the modal of an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. Once you take the life of another you should not be able to see the light of earth as well. I show no mercy for offenders who commit this kind of crime. No that he is a lifer and once you go behind the bars, you evaluate yourself and rethink about your crime. Everyone is going to feel regretful and wish they could go back and change what they have committed. Their going to feel sympathy for the victim and family and offer their deepest sorrow and ask for forgiveness. As shown in the letter, he seems he is truly regretful and a change man, a mature individual who seems that would not commit another type of crime if he had a second chance. I believe tat just judging form the letter he seems to be a very smart individual if he had never committed the crime. He seems as he could be able to be a productive individual in society and able to integrate himself into the community. Even if this was the case, I still believe these type of people have to be made an example of. If he was given a second chance that means it would have to apply to every inmate who committed any heinous crime because the type of crime he committed is one of the worst crimes any person can commit. This would give everyone an incentive to commit crime and have that hope of one day of release if he truly felt regretful of their crime and a change individual. There is no question that many of these men in prison are one of the most progressive and best persons in the world after they have deeply have evaluated themselves and truly regret their actions. I’m cold hearted towards individuals who kill intentionally and I ask, why didn’t they feel any kind of sympathy for that person at the time of their killings?

Never really took into prospective and took their position because never thought that killing others was the solution to anything, but digs oneself deeper in with hatred and revenge. Now that most of us have put ourselves in the shoes of the terrorist and support them, do we really? Are we really the bad guys now? It seems that we still or are trying to take over the war. It is in our genes to expand and take over what we want. It’s all about us and everyone is wrong; so is this ethnocentrism. I just cant process this, it is overwhelming how much hate and war is taken over us, even though, yes we live in the most powerful country in the world and we live all happily by the shed of blood of those of were here before us in how we conquer the world. Question if I am wrong, but are we really the bad guys because were able to achieve all of this through our power of money. Does history have a tendency to repeat itself? Can I compare ourselves to Rome and what Germany could have been if they have succeeded? If it is when is the end because as we know it all came to an end. Can 2012 be that yar, yes its random but this is all that goes through me when such devastation and blood shed is occurring throughout the world and its our way or no way. My opinion on all of this is something needs to be done, but is there any real true uniform solution? It is something that needs to be done within all of us, not just a few. Which I think it is impossible because we don’t like drastic change, we don’t like equality, we don’t like to see other people happy, but us, we want to remain on top. We want to be the idols of everyone. Were happy the way we are and do not want to give up our lifestyle, our glamour so ours can be happy and we know that our habit cannot be supported by the fair trade but their the slave work of others. An impossible task to change regardless if we knew what it may happen to our children who would have to fix what we broke, which I think our model is, don’t fix what is not broken. Don’t even know what to explain what there already is, no real solution but for this to start all over, as sad as it may seem. It is hard to change, but time will tell. Very interesting compelling, eye opener lecture that I believe the world should see and create a possible solution if there is any.

This game just shocks the conscience. I mean I don’t find it surprising, now in days almost anything and everything is possible. Today computers and the virtual world we are able to create ideas, games that has revolutionize the world, able to create fantasies, models that are used to entertain the world. Of course, there is going to be good or bad games created regardless of one’s moral belief because this is what says; money is what talks now in days. Just having a rape game is disturbing because even if it is possible to create an outlet for rapist in fulfilling these crimes through a game that harms no one physically, I don’t believe these people just have such mentally, but what solution can we do for them? Who knows what outcome can such games create, lesser or more rapes? Can we compare this to shooting games? Ever since, the creation of shooting video games has this promoted killing? I don’t know but it creates a world of a fantasy, where the question maybe to some is, what if? Curiosity is the level of what promotes such games, since what sells are illegal actions that cannot be fulfilled in the real world. I don’t see what benefits such game can bring to our culture, but a malice thought. What we really maybe concern is our children and if we allow such games to be readily available to adults how far in can we protect our children, regardless of regulation because how far can we protect our children from such games that maybe become a hit in our markets, maybe a popular demand that word may spread like wildfire, through media and word of mouth. Rape is such a horrific act against any human, especially women who are the prime victims in this kind of act where you are forcibly violating and damaging this person life. Now promoting and making this the objective of the game is really disturbing, don’t even know how to described this with words. Now we have to look at Japan’s culture of whether such action is not harmful through a virtual game and their ideology throughout the country. This is the one of the leading or leading country in creating some of the best technology in games. I do not know their mentally behind this but I believe that anyone with a moral, sane mind would know that is this type of action is not acceptable. Like Sam, how can one sit next to their mother, sister sharing a meal after you just done raping a female through a game? Now I may sound hypocritical, but now that this has become controversial game it makes me curios in playing the game.

The first thing I can remember from this class to prior watching the video was, Sam mentioned that this was one of the most disturbing videos he was ever watched and I totally agree. It almost seemed after the experiment that blacks were ashamed of who they were. I found it very upsetting because they were just children who saw the black doll as evil and the unwanted one. They were identical dolls with the same features just on the basis of a “color” one was seen as bad and the other of good. It seems that racism is implemented to children at such a young age. What is the answer in understanding this kind of mentally just based on a skin color you’re automatically seen as something. What influences this, can it be media? Media has influence the mind of almost all of us, especially the younger the generation. We see everything that goes on in the world and unconscious many of these images portray what is good and bad, evil and good. What does this say about other cultures, minorities who want to be something they’re not because they see others as beauty or acceptable. This is the earliest forms of racism and it all comes back in life and affects all of us in a form. I can tide this to the application experiment, where two identical resumes were given to employments one being from a black person and another to a white person, the white person for the most part got accepted over the black. What does this imply, just based on stereotypical ideas it can be the life decision of many individuals. Never thought this was the case of many minorities who were basically ashamed of whom they were just because of their skin. I am Hispanic and I don’t think I can be any prouder of whom I am; I wouldn’t change it for the world. I find it very difficult to understand this mentally, you are who you are and make the best of it. I know that I am Hispanic and cannot understand the view of those affected; I know racism does affect me. For the reason affirmative action was put in place because it is a proven fact that racism does exist in this country and many opportunities to the minorities are lost because it is sometimes based on color. I found the video very disturbing and do not even know if there is any solution to this problem, but just to educate our generation for a better tomorrow. The answer is not simple and as we see throughout the world nothing cannot be equal because of what history has done to us, so it is us to in turn change it to progress and improve.

I don’t think that men are not educated about the issue; I seem to guess we all know the what it does to women, the reason behind it and the concept of it; in some sort of way I believe all men have had a deep connection to a female, being mother, sister, girlfriend and have experience a sort of understanding of how this is a thing or part of a women’s life. I don’t know what makes this so taboo in our society because we know that without it we would not be right here talking about this but, I can draw concepts in why I believe we see this a thing that must not be talked about. Since us men understand the concept behind the menstrual cycle and where it comes from we do not want to imagine this or create images of a female going through this and prefer not to talk about it all. Just the word bleeding may bring us to the state of vomiting and do not want to know anything associated with it because we know what follows. Another reason why I might conclude is the fact that it does not affect men’s life or the world in anyway drastically. What I mean by this life continues, we don’t need to know it in order to be productive. There is not much to it, but a cycle that occurs every month and may cause cramps, pain and mood swings. Now me talking about a women’s issue I have no position to be talking about because of the effects caused by the menstrual cycle is that I cannot relate to or no men can. We can experience the change of attitude women have at this time and we adjust to it and this is the inconvenience we face and women due to this female process. Talking from experience I have no problem talking about it, it’s just the fact knowing the concept and mental image created when talking about is uncomforting, but something I can talk about openly without any issue, it is the reason why I don’t talk about it is because there is not much to it to even talk about it. It is something I am not embarrassed to talk about and I know if my mother or whoever would be, needed tampons I would buy some at a store without a problem. now when it would come to the day that I become a father and my daughter starts having her menstrual cycle, it is something I would direct to the mother because it is obvious that this is something I cannot relate to at all and would better be understood by females.

Ok well the answer seems simple but it’s a complex one. We just have to look at history and why is it that white people get the harsher blame than color people. There was very harsh rudeness given on black people on the board that seem to be given a white person who had to hear two loud black women in the computer lab. This was the comment that uproar the whole class even being addressed by Sam. The only other harsh rudeness that I can remember said to white people was something about girls wearing Uggs and something about frat guys and of course the historical one benchwarmers. Going back to class Sam mentioned that what is the worst thing one can say about a white person and that is a racist or a derogative word, “cracker,” other than that we can mention far beyond endless negative words towards color people. Now looking into history as also mentioned by Sam that brought my attention was that white people know they have a bad reputation in how they basically conquered the world and oppressing the color people in the new world by making them their property. Today, every white person seems to have a sort of guilt as Sam explained if white people were to walk through a reservation, one would feel guilty about their ancestor past and feel guilty by their conditions they live and what we have stolen from them. Now that we see the past history of the white person being the evil one and hold the position of power described by the metaphor, king of the mountain, we can imply that we use them as role models. If any worst racism can come from anyone it would be the white person. As described by Sam as well, it is the reason why white people stay silent in the race table because anything very minor that can come from a white person that maybe to the slightest unintentional remark, they can be label as a racist. This is why using the computer as a media to portray one’s ideas without anyone knowing the identity of the individual; they would say whatever comes to mind. This is why they’re still is this issue of racism still America, still a developing issue that is progressing through time, but still that boundary or line dividing the world. It is different in every location how worst racism is, even here at Penn State, where the majority of students are white and racism will occur. This is a matter of educating the public and confronting bias individuals that we are all humans, 99.9% genetically identical and must united to make it a better future for our children.

I found those pictures pretty dramatic and overwhelming of the whiteness portrayed in the pictures, looks like a snow day. No kind of interracial integration portrayed in those pictures which makes one views change and take to extremes where they just seem racist. I never watched a show to its entirety, but glimpse and understand the concept behind the show. I know that there are few people of color as a contestant but the majority of them or vast majority are white. I understand the concept; I would have to ask whom is the show intended to, who are their audience? My other question would be who are the producers? The producers are there to make money, which requires high ratings, so something must be done right because they have continued for several seasons. I don’t think nobody has minded this question, but us. If I had to guess their audiences for the majority are white, as well as the producer whose paying to produces for these shows. An interesting point made by Sam Richards in one of his lectures was the fact that people of their own race believe they are the most beautiful and best race in existence. As those who were first making up categories for race, they were the most clever, gentle, good, law-abiding and everyone else was a barbarian. So relating to the Bachelor, the mentally carries on to these shows who don’t want to see interracial dating. In my point of view, it can be understandable; I am Hispanic and believe Latin women are the most beautiful women in the world and my preference. We got to remember it was not long ago that we still had a strong segregation of race, Jim Crow Laws, before it was abolish and try to enforce equality between everyone. Time and education is the key factor in understanding and accepting race. I do not want to be contradicting in my following approach, but in a time and society one must think or believe the show can be diverse or a better representation of race displayed of America. This is not the case and do we want to imply racism? I don’t think so just a preference of race and talk if I was the bachelor, I would want a selection of mostly Latin women. I believe when it comes to love, one has their view and knows what they are attractive to. Again, as Sam Richard said you know what you’re attracted to when you feel it down in your pants. It is a situation that is bias and different throughout everyone as we are humans and will discriminate and prefer someone you are willing to spend your entire with. So would we have to promote a better representation of America in race and could we finally say the show is not racist and accepted to everyone? Complicated question, but seems not to mind because of the success in the show.

Alright, so the question is, what is the first thing white people think of you, just judging by your appearance? Well I am Hispanic and maybe bias in my point of view, but I found this to be interesting because I as well ask the question of what do white people think and judge about me just base on first appearance and how this may skew their approach and thought process towards me. It’s nothing I stress over or sit in shame, but when you’re a minority in America it is one of those question you ask and how may it affect my life because as everyone knows racism and discrimination does exist in this country. Another question that I ask is, how this may play a role later in life, as every college student stress about a good job and as Sam showed us who holds the highest capital by race and most elite jobs in America are whites, so yes it’s a question I asked my myself. Now judging on your appearance it would all depend on the situation, time and place. Sure if I saw you here at Penn State, I would probably say he is just a student like me invested in the hip hop culture by his choice of clothing. I would guess he’s from the city, maybe Philadelphia but would not imply that he is an athlete due to his height stature, but someone who just works out and stays in shape. I would not consider him a threat because were here in Penn State, not to say that violence does not occur here; I just feel safer than oppose to if I was in a city. I can see how he is curious about white people image on him, due to the fact of his color and race betrayed by the media and statistics.
I come from the city and before coming to state college I had an inner city look, with the braids and baggie clothes. Coming here to Penn State I felt as an outsider, not fitting into the culture. I had Philadelphia Public School system education, and now know it was not the best as compared to many of my peers but try my hardest to stay on top. I seem to conform to the Penn State culture changing my dress appearance to fit in; I seem to have adapted to the environment. This was all it took to fit in and get accepted by whites and notice the different approach I received than when I had my inner city look. I found it true that many people generalize by appearance and distance themselves because they may feel a threat.

Well, why does society accept lesbians more over gays? I see society today as a man’s world, where men still rule and hold the power in many aspects in life, especially the ideology of society of what is accepted and what is not. I want to mention that this is not at all facts, just what I believe from own experiences and interaction with society. Men in society are supposed to be machos, bread winners, protectors of families, gentleman’s, etc... Women on the other hand, fall under the umbrella of men still seen as minorities to men, not yet equally leveled to men in many important aspects; e.g. employment. I know this might seem like old fashion, traditional ideas, but for the most part it carries on to this day, not to the extremes as before, but still very relevant. An important aspect mentioned by Sam that I heard, that was correlated to this understanding of lesbians being more accepted, was men want and ask for more sex than women and holds true because the porn industry is for the majority supported by men. Just knowing these small ideas and men ideology still holds dominant in society men accept the fact that women could mingle and have sexual relationship between the same sex because it is seen accepted by man oppose to gay men. Woman are seen as passionate and sensitive than man so for the most part it’s conforming to see woman with other woman. Knowing that lesbian are more accepted than gay man to be accepted in society, it is a easier pathway for woman to come out of the closet into society, a easier transition than gay man who might experience harsher acceptance by society. Remember these are lifestyles that go against the norm and those who want to get accepted and receive the same rights as everyone must act upon it and not expect those, in this part who are heterosexual to do anything, but homosexuals to educate the public why they are no different than the rest. It is for the reason we see those open celebrity lesbians coming out of the closet and being open to the public about their beliefs; e.g. Ellen DeGeneres. This in return helps the public understand these lifestyles. Oppose to gay men who come out it provokes controversy and talk these gay men who for the most part are accept by the women population, but not the men society. It is unfortunate overall as society to understand or comprehend that they are humans too, no different than us, who hold 99.9% of our biological genes, but we judge on appearance and don’t want to accept anything abnormal that goes against our moral beliefs.

Well, I just believe Avatar is overrated and taken to extremes! I happen to watch the movie at the movie theaters because I was forced to by my girlfriend because it had a romantic/thrill side to the movie and all the advertisements leading to movie a month before its release, which had an expectation to be the best movie of the decade. Oh, I didn’t watch the 3-D version because they sold out, which I heard it had an even more overwhelming and stunning experience. Overall, it was a good pass time but an extremely long movie with all the talking and planning leading to the great attack. I personally enjoyed the integration of real life human to the anime Avatars, they looked very authentic. Now with all the talk about this being a movie of a white man’s burden or an attack on religion, etc… I find it to be nonsense! I understand movies can be a platform to unite people in a readily media available to everyone and share ideas through Hollywood, but it’s a movie. To me Avatar seems to be a repeat of an occurrence of past history and even a remake of Pocahontas with a twist of a modern real-life version. Didn’t the greatest and biggest genocide of human life occur on American soil by the Europeans; according to Sam? Who wanted the land of the Native Americans for their resources? So what’s the problem in creating a movie with a twist of past history? Oh that’s right the white man doesn’t want to hear of what their ancestors did to gain control and make this land into the greatest nation in the world. Were off to blame Germany for having the worst genocide known to human kind but ignore our bad history and don’t talk about it. It is a movie that makes an inverse in the event if the Native Americans would have defeated the European white man from taking their land and it’s the story everybody wants to hear with that happy ending. I want to know if the same reactions were to happen if it was a black/African military trying to invade the avatar community? Of course not, it probably wouldn’t have broken the box office sales of all time. As everyone know we all are racist in a sense of where we stereotype and generalize by race, gender, etc… its how most of our society reacts to certain features and connected it to history. Why didn’t Pocahontas get the same reaction? It was base on the same idea. this is just a movie, enjoy it, form your opinion and thank Cameron because who knows if we would have a director/producer with his kind of ability in our lifetime.