en-us https://www.intensedebate.com/users/759859 Comments by jlt5215 http://waterskimag.com/how-to/2007/10/08/no-more-pain/#IDComment77587193 Good tips! I'll look forward to putting them to good use tomorrow morning! Sat, 29 May 2010 04:01:25 +0000 http://waterskimag.com/how-to/2007/10/08/no-more-pain/#IDComment77587193 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/south-park-off-the-hook__trashed/#IDComment69953748 I don't understand why people freak out so much about South Park and Family Guy. They're satirical shows that just poke fun at topics that most Americans are too afraid to discuss openly. I absolutely love the shows and believe that not only do they provide comedy but they also open my thinking. The fact that Muhammad aired on South Park in a bear costume, Santa Clause and then just a black box shouldn’t raise an issue at all. South Park is an independent entity that should be able to do whatever they choose. The New-York group called Revolution Muslim posting a message on its website claiming that Try Park and Matt Stone had insulted their prophet and including a death threat is stupid. If Muslims want to change the western perspective of them, posting a death threat for someone just makes me have the understanding that if you offend any Muslim, they’ll try to blow you up with them. Maybe westerners have become desensitized to religion and we are more lax to caring about what people say about our gods. It seems that Muslims still care very much if their god is shown in any form, which to them is apparently “blasphemous”. I say South Park should air another episode and do something ridiculous involving Muhammad. The Muslim group is destroying the reputation of all Muslims by posting such a crazy threat. Maybe they have never seen South Park and therefore they don’t understand how it’s a joke – an objective view of some people who think they are ideal. For example, I don’t understand how anyone could ever think the Mel Gibson episode(s) is not funny, as well as the Bono being a giant piece of shit. These people have this belief they are untouchable and the ideal being – much like the Muslims feel Muhammad is. South Park is just providing their perspective of what they think is trifling. All sorts of religions get torn apart on South Park and family. In South Park, Kyle’s dad the Jew gets mad fun of at LEAST once an episode and in Family Guy; Mort the Jew gets the same treatment. Now I’m not Jewish or Muslim but I can understand how they might get repetitive and annoying but if they get so mad than why do they watch it?!? If either of those shows made fun of something that directly impacted me I would probably not think it to be as funny as someone who wasn’t affected by it but I wouldn’t complain or feel offended because of it. I heard that Comedy Central actually censored 35 seconds of the Muhammad episode where Jesus, Stan and Santa Clause had a discussion. Muhammad was most likely to be disguised as Santa Clause and it was believed they were discussing the death threats. I hope it appears online because it sounds hilarious. Fri, 23 Apr 2010 17:01:18 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/south-park-off-the-hook__trashed/#IDComment69953748 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/want-to-learn-chinese__trashed/#IDComment68000605 I just finished watching that video and it was hilarious! I actually took three semesters of Mandarin Chinese as my language here at Penn State. I wanted to take something other than Spanish, mainly, because of exactly what Sam said. Spanish is the old world language; China is one of the most highly emerging markets along with Brazil and India. I wanted something that would challenge me but would also provide with me knowledge that I could use to enhance my resume and my abilities. When most people hear that someone is taking Chinese, they are shocked and think that it must be so difficult. Luckily, the staff at Penn State understands this and slowly eases one into the program. Unlike English, there is no set alphabet but instead there are thousands upon thousands of characters that mean totally different things. For example; the word shi, said with different inflections, could mean a variety of things. 事 （shì）and 匙 (shi) mean thing and spoon, respectively. Regardless, I am glad to hear there is growth in Chinese language courses. I completely take the perspective that Chinese is the new and important language and if our students can start learning it earlier, it will only benefit our country and reputation more. I wish that when I was in high school that my school offered Chinese but sadly they were still stuck in the old mindset of teaching French and Spanish. While I do feel that those languages could be beneficial for some I do believe being able to know Chinese offers no bounds. It is an important note that the article mentioned during the 1980s Japanese was following the same course of the Chinese – in that many schools started teaching it since Japan was becoming a large competitor. Not only is beginning to teach kids Chinese in kindergarten a good idea, but I feel it will enhance our country. Right now, the stereotypical perspective of America is that we are arrogant self-minded stuck up pricks who don’t care about what’s going any but our backyard. While I must say we are a very successful country I do believe altering our foreign reception wouldn’t hurt us. Diversifying our children’s speaking abilities is a step in the right direction. Even if I have forgotten the vast majority of words and symbols since I have been out of the class for nearly a semester, it does come in handy when people are speaking Chinese and they think I don’t understand. I still can comprehend a large amount of what people say, which proves to be very funny occasionally. Regardless, I am extremely glad that I took Chinese and I highly recommend it to anyone who is looking to take a foreign language at Penn State or elsewhere. Wed, 14 Apr 2010 15:56:25 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/want-to-learn-chinese__trashed/#IDComment68000605 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/this-is-totally-off-the-hook__trashed/#IDComment66259672 I understand why everyone is freaking out saying how outrageous this is but realize it is just a video game. People need to chill out and quit thinking that dudes are going to go around raping Japanese girls on trains because they played this game. I, along with millions of people, have played Grand Theft Auto (GTA) for countless hours and not once did I feel compelled to go outside and beat up some hookers with a baseball bat and steal a car while shooting at cops – not once. Now that doesn’t mean that everyone is impervious to being affected by video games but people should realize that it doesn’t directly correlate with violence. If anything, people should be worried about others watching “reality” TV shows. People try to imitate what someone did – like on Jackass or the Jersey Shore (I guess they’d just re-enact being a tool for that show) – and that’s where the problems start. Both of the most widely sold video games, most notably the Halo series and Call of Duty, have both been shooter games. A lot of violence is contained within these games. I don’t see people running around shooting at each other – besides the humans vs. zombies – on campus. The Japanese, in my opinion, have always created rather strange games and shows. Pokémon, for example, is essentially an acid trip turned into a children’s TV show. Back on track…while I don’t think making a game about pro-rape is a GOOD idea I also don’t see a reason to have it removed. YOU and YOU ONLY have the final say in whether or not you’ll but and play it. If the developers had some sort of fetish that involved Japanese girls and rape than the game is perfect for them. They wasted their time making it and they’re sharing it with people who also want to indulge into that fetish. I could care less what people do in their free time. I’m sure that there are FAR WORSE things going on in the Porn industry that would downright shock the majority of people responding to this weak sauce video game. Again, I want to ensure that the reader understands I personally have no intentions of buying this game but I want to stress that I don’t care if other people do. I’m sure that the reason there is so much commotion regarding this game because of die hard Christians and parents who think they’re children are going to be corrupted by it. At what point do you draw the line of violence in video games? When there’s gun violence? Assaults? Rape? Nudity? People, it’s a video game. I think we can all agree that we’d rather have Joe Sex Offender release his rape desire on a Japanese girl in a video game than in real life… Tue, 6 Apr 2010 19:30:58 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/this-is-totally-off-the-hook__trashed/#IDComment66259672 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/the-white-minorities__trashed/#IDComment65447950 Although minorities are accounting for more and more births every year, I still believe that (regardless that I’m White) the world will still be a White man’s world. Even though majority births will become the minority, it won’t change the barriers and stereotypes of the minorities. I do, however, believe that as my generation grows older and we replace the baby boomers entirely, race will slowly have less impact upon relations between persons. Our generation is more comfortable with race, sexuality and being open with all ideas than any of our previous ancestors. I found this quote to be very thought provoking, “Will America’s older, largely white population — through the ballot box and collective self-interest — support young people who are now much different culturally from themselves and their own children? Will they vote, for example, to raise taxes for schools that serve young people of ethnic backgrounds different from theirs?” This brings me back to previous generations. Currently, they’re the ones who have the voting power, the financial power and the political know-how to bring about change – or halt it for that matter. As the younger generation becomes more understanding and diverse about race relations I am curious if our deeper understanding of each other influences the elders at all. They are the ones who affect how much funding schools get. I would hope that they would be able to support the new generation – regardless of their different morals. I mean, when they were our age they were going against cultural norms by listening to rock and dancing more provocatively than their parents. Maybe they will be able to relate to the constant change that generations undergo and realize it’s a cycle they can’t stop. As the recession recovers I definitely see an increase in the birth rates. Within the next five years, as the markets turn around (for certain – not just driven by blind hope) people will begin to see it as a good time to start a family. This is where the threshold of minorities becoming majorities will most certainly occur. The simple change of the name minorities being shifted from Asians, Blacks, Browns and every other group that is currently a minority, to being placed on Whites will have an effect on our world, but not enough to bring about true equality. For one, and to lighten the mood, comedians will have a field day poking fun at the matter. But my most important note is that although there will be a shift Whites will still dominate the political field, financial industry and will continue to be stereotypically better. No matter who is the majority and minority there will always be inequality in our society. People will always find a reason to make the other group feel and believe they are less powerful than the majority. Forget about who is the minority and majority, people need to begin to understand each other more in depth in order to truly bring about a change that will level the playing field. Fri, 2 Apr 2010 04:59:32 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/the-white-minorities__trashed/#IDComment65447950 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/native-hawaiians-ever-think-of-them__trashed/#IDComment63744006 This injustice sounds very similar to what the United States Government did to the Native Americans. The government took their land and over time they became some of the most grief stricken and poorest people in the nation. "When you look very closely at the numbers - prison, health, wealth, education - we are not at the level that our colonizers are at." Although the government acknowledged the injustice in the 1993 Apology Resolution, clearly the living status of a Native Hawaiian hasn’t improved. I have been to Hawaii and have seen what beauty it possesses. I am in disbelief that this issue hasn’t arisen to media headlines until now because of the similarities to other mistreated minorities. My only concern for the Native’s cause is that the State and Federal Government isn’t fond of turning over tax dollars if they don’t have to. I’m almost positive that there will be a compromise that won’t reach so deep into the Government’s pockets. Losing an annual $343 million a year in tax revenue if 25% of the state’s lands were turned over doesn’t sound like something that the government would even consider. This would most likely mean that the non-natives would end up paying more for taxes so any congressmen would be foolish to support any sort of mandate or revision. The argument that the opponents of the legislation use claiming that it would give Native Hawaiians special treatment at the expense of other taxpayers are correct. However; one must find a comprise in order to fix the condition of the Hawaiians. Although I feel Native Hawaiians do face an uphill battle to improve their condition, I also see growing support for their cause. When one relates the injustice of Hawaiians to Native Americans we see how similar their situation is. One would think that the colonizers, whether the American government or the Europeans, would consider at least treating the Natives with more respect since they took over their land and controlled their people. I guess the reason that Hawaiian’s have been left out of the injustice struggle is because of their distance from the mainland. Although their cause is similar, Hawaii is small and from my perspective Native Hawaiians don’t remind me of Native Americans. They’re left out of the conversation usually. When children are taught of the creation of America Hawaiian’s isn’t included in that discussion. I am very interested to see what the outcome of such a movement will be. I find it hard to envision a separate entity (or government) controlling nearly a million acres of Hawaii. That’s nearly a new state being created! I thin the best thing we can do for these mistreated peoples is return some land and create a program to provide them with project housing so they can have a place to live beside the beach. Wed, 24 Mar 2010 00:02:21 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/native-hawaiians-ever-think-of-them__trashed/#IDComment63744006 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/prom-or-no-prom-just-dont-let-the-queer-students-dance-together__trashed/#IDComment61959645 This is absolutely ludicrous. I served on the school board as the student representative in my high school years and I'm shocked that the community, pending the fact that it's Mississippi, allowed this happen. Prom is an event that all teens should be able to attend regardless of their sexual affiliation or wealth status. It's a night where these kids are allowed to feel mature and grown up yet typically the actions of those who attend prom are exactly opposite. Regardless, I feel these girls have been served a great injustice and the community has as well. Even though people in that community might not be accepting of gay and lesbian couples, they too have been “screwed” over by the board cancelling prom. Did the board think that they could just cancel prom due to this highly debated issue and not have the press and the ACLU pick this up? Why does it matter so much to them that they can’t allow two girls to go together? Are they not allowed to walk in the halls holding hands? If they claim it is disrupting the school event or whatever they claimed than why should they even be allowed to go to school then? Depriving them of prom, along with all the other students, simply made it the entire community’s issue now. Maybe this actually isn’t a bad thing. Hopefully the ACLU along with lawmakers will be able to instill a new set of guidelines preventing boards from preventing or altering public school events due to sexual affiliation. Again, I am still shocked that this even was allowed to happen. The board, at least, owes the students deprived of prom another chance. This issue could have just slid by the media but I’m glad that it has been picked up and brought to the attention of the world. One concern I have is for the ‘safety’ of the two girls who basically canceled prom. Although they shouldn’t feel any blame I am positive that other students will harass and ridicule them for ruining their prom. I bet parents will be very unhappy being that they probably spent a large amount of money on dresses or tuxes. What these parents should do is turn their anger from those two girls and place it onto the board that did the canceling. This injustice needs to be prevented from occurring elsewhere. Hopefully the other students in the school population won’t blame the lesbian girls but instead embrace them for standing up for their beliefs and feelings. They could’ve just easily given in to the board’s demands but they stood up for what they believed in. Actions like this bring about change to our society. We need more people like them to stand up for what they believe. Sun, 14 Mar 2010 00:49:43 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/prom-or-no-prom-just-dont-let-the-queer-students-dance-together__trashed/#IDComment61959645 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/who-could-compete-with-this-woman-on-a-level-playing-field__trashed/#IDComment58550213 I don’t necessarily feel that everyone who goes into the business field that goes to Wall Street or enters Corporate America is useless washrag; however, I don’t also feel people get there just by their own “hard work.” I fully am aware that there are people out there that don’t get the fair chance and advantages that many of us in America do get. Also, I’m sure that many of them would perform our jobs for less and do it more efficiently than we ever will. This particular story is a clear demonstration that there are others out there that, given the equal opportunity, would completely surpass our work ethic and capabilities. While this obviously isn’t fair, this goes back to the recurring issue of Free-Will vs. Determinism. I know for sure that I wouldn’t be anywhere close to where I am today without the full aid of my parents, their parents, my community, my teachers and my economic class. This isn’t meant to come off as snooty but my ancestors moved to America and generated wealth and opportunities for their kin while persons such as Yvrose Jean Baptiste’s ancestors didn’t – either due to lack of funding to move or choice. Either the reasons, my family continues to work hard to perpetuate our socio-economic class in hopes that we can make our children’s lives even easier and less stressful. In class, I enjoy discussing the issue of having the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. While, at first, one would think that if a poor person truly wanted to get out of poverty they could but in reality the argument holds true. While the rich continue to generate returns on their wealth the poor are left rowing in a canoe next to a speedboat of the wealthy. Persons like Yvrose are the type of people who deserve a fair chance at entering the business world. Maybe corporations like Bank of America, Citigroup and J.P Morgan Chase should recruit in Haiti where people are used to non-stop labor and are willing to take a lower pay. Maybe people like Yvrose wouldn’t accept the multi-million dollar bonuses while our economy continues to struggle. I admire this woman’s drive and motivation, whatever they may be, and I wish that one day I would have the insight and incentive to work as hard as her. People who are born in America have already been given rights and advantages that peoples in Mauritania dream of, yet we complain about the little insignificant issues. Basically, on a level playing field I feel that Yvrose would completely surpass me given her motivation and impetus. While this may be true, one should also think would she actually be as motivated and inspired to work as hard if she were born in my shoes? Wed, 24 Feb 2010 21:57:15 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/who-could-compete-with-this-woman-on-a-level-playing-field__trashed/#IDComment58550213 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/men-and-women-were-really-this-different__trashed/#IDComment56888894 I’m going to go out on a w him on this one and say that the inventor of this ‘toy’ has never been in a relationship before….from a business perspective he is tapping into one of the largest markets in the world – adult entertainment or porn for many. I do find the detail of Roxxxy to be very interesting and that fact that it can carry on a conversation is truly remarkable however it is also quite depressing. Our society has become so obsessed with technology and self-satisfaction that we must purchase $7,000 sex dolls? I’m a guy and I feel that I could spend 7 G’s on so many better things that a talking sex doll….actually if she could play Xbox 360 with me and do my homework for me it might be worth it haha! No just kidding - but seriously, I find it hard to believe that people would be willing to spend that much money on a sex toy when they could spend that money to enhance their own image, try to meet REAL people or do any number of other things with it. In a sense, I feel sort of bad for the people who are interested in purchasing these dolls because I’m assuming that they must not have a partner to talk to or do share their romantic feelings with. This is just going to create a movement for older creepy men to purchase these love dolls instead of trying to clean themselves up and get a real wife. I highly doubt this will be the only ‘version’ of Roxxxy we see and I bet we’ll see many more ‘improvements’ to her. Who knows, maybe one day she’ll actually be able to move on her own and then she can completely take care of these low-lifes. Looking on a positive note, this might be a good alternative to MySpace and Facebook stalking! To the creator of this doll, Douglas Hines, you are truly a genius in the wrong field. I understand that he probably saw a demand in one of the largest markets in the world but I feel he is using his motivation incorrectly. The men who will probably buy this doll clearly lack the social skills necessary to find a real girlfriend. This could potentially just contribute to this problem but, conversely, it could also help them feel comfortable speaking to the opposite sex – even if that opposite sex has a heating fan, a processor and a plug in her back to charge her up! Who really knows the impacts of this doll until it has actually hit the market – of creepers. I know for sure I won’t be buying one and I give my sorrow to anyone who spends their money on such a peculiar ‘girlfriend’. Mon, 15 Feb 2010 07:07:36 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/men-and-women-were-really-this-different__trashed/#IDComment56888894 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/why-is-the-conversation-always-about-black-and-white-people__trashed/#IDComment56575811 In every race discussion, the elephant is the room that is unavoidable is the black vs. white matter. In America, the main tension between races has historically been between black persons and white persons. Conversely, in other countries this distinction isn’t as apparent. In every culture there are people who are discriminated against – like we learned in Sociology on Thursday that one group who takes power convinces another race or culture to remain the inferior. Whatever that reason may be, discrimination exists everywhere. Back to the Black vs. White issue, I feel that this metaphorical tension is only created and enhanced by this sense that all black people still hate White people. Looking back anyone can obviously see that there is a logical reason for this stress however the only reason it has remained empowered is because we, as a culture, have failed to understand each other fully. We still don’t fully understand our cultures because we just assume that we’re different. In my experience I have spent time with friends and families who are black and the life they live is very similar. Personally, I feel that no matter how long our society exists, there will always be a apprehension between these two groups. Hopefully though, as older generations fade out and this new generation ages the apparent racism and awkwardness will dissolve. For example, when Obama was running for President many news stations reported on the obvious fact that he was of a different race than White. The older generation was the first to make propaganda regarding the issue while the younger generation didn’t notice it as much. Race, to my generation, is something we learn about in history. I’m not saying that racism and discrimination doesn’t exist today but it isn’t something that affects us as much as it clearly did 50 years ago. As time progresses and our society continues to be more accepting of all cultures and races I hope that this issue won’t be so present. Currently, I would think it is fair to say that the most “detested” race in today’s society is the Middle Eastern. Since our nation is in a war with countries in this nation and the events of 9/11 the majority of peoples ‘fears’ or shun these persons without truly understanding who they are. The reason I bring this up is because it is a generational issue. The black vs. white issue exists because of the way things used to be. No matter how long I am alive I will never forget the events of 9/11 and no matter what I try to do to remove the stereotypes of Middle Eastern persons I will always hastily assume the wrong thing. I blame the media for this explosion of this stereotype since I do know many Middle Eastern people who are more moderate and sympathetic than most I know that are White. Sat, 13 Feb 2010 01:08:06 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/why-is-the-conversation-always-about-black-and-white-people__trashed/#IDComment56575811 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/avatar-and-the-white-mans-burden__trashed/#IDComment55535677 Like Professor Richards, I too have not seen the film yet. I have never been a fan of these science fiction style movies with extensive alien battle scenes and, oh yeah, blue people…nonetheless I have heard incredible reviews regarding the film so I do intend to watch it. Comparatively, I have seen the movie “Dances with Wolves” which is a parallel to Avatar in regards to ‘The White Messiah fable.’ This movie is extremely similar in that an outside male, a white man, enters a tribe and begins to understand their profound ways of living. No greed with wealth or hunger for power troubles these Sioux people. Throughout the article I continued to feel an overwhelming sense that this movie has been played out through history over and over again. Not necessarily like Avatar portrays it but more the White man’s greed. All throughout history one can see that the Europeans corrupted societies and cultures alike attempting to gain control of slaves, goods and trade routes. Similar to today, Corporate America has done quite the same but with less force (utilizing more money and political influence as a tool). Avatar, after I read a synopsis, demonstrates this issue where the White man feels he can take over whatever he wants however he wants. Whilst reading the Op-Ed I found myself agreeing and completely disagreeing with what David Brooks had to say. I can understand where he is drawing the connection between the “White Messiah fable” and Avatar but on the contrary I felt as if he had made that connection too apparent. Although the main protagonist of the film was a white male it could simply be the fact that we’re being “racist” for noticing. In plenty of other films there has been a man of color who has led humanity to safety. For example, “I Am Legend”, with Will Smith, which is about a man who survives a deadly outbreak of a disease in New York and is the only one who hasn’t turned into a ‘zombie’. Eventually he finds a cure for the insanity and gives his life to rescue humanity as a whole. I understand that my opinions and ideas may be jumping around but that is exactly how I feel. On one hand I can completely understand where Brooks is visualizing the recurring theme of the White man saving the indigenous people and learning the ways of righteousness without possessions from another culture….but also I can just as easily see that this issue is just drawing false parallels. Basically “Avatar” is, from what I’ve heard, a great special effects movie that took 15 years to write the script. It’s a movie – it’s meant to be interpreted in many ways and while the author of the Op-Ed makes a strong case for the “White Man fable” I feel it’s nothing worth losing sleep over. Fri, 5 Feb 2010 22:25:10 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/avatar-and-the-white-mans-burden__trashed/#IDComment55535677 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/01/i-guess-it-pays-to-learn-a-bit-about-other-people__trashed/#IDComment54271083 Having never heard of a “Tefillin” before I too would have been rather concerned with what the young man was doing. All the more reason to pay attention in SOC and discover different cultures and religious practices! Regardless, I feel that it was a slight overreaction to land the plan and cause such a disturbance amongst the American people. While it is true the people are becoming ever worried about terrorists on flights I feel that it was our own fault for not being aware of his religion. This is, from what I discovered in my research, similar to crossing oneself with their hand in the name of the father, son and Holy Ghost. It is simply a tool used by “observant Jewish during morning prayers.” (NY Times Article) Lt. Frank Vanore said it best, “It was unfamiliarity that caused this.” The Flight Attendant’s inability to discern risk from religion is the main basis of this controversy. I strongly feel that traveling as a minority, rather someone whose lifestyle isn’t as understood as the masses, must be very difficult in today’s culture. The young boys rabbi said, ““Nobody would have assumed it would create panic,” he said, “but in today’s environment, I guess everything creates panic.” This is a prime example that people need to look beyond their own culture and gain insight into how others live. I personally have felt apprehensive about flying on a plane with someone who was Arabic or Middle Eastern simply because every terrorist I have ever seen was. On the contrary, it is my fault for not correlating Timothy McVeigh with being a ‘terrorist’ for what he did in Oklahoma in 1995 was identical to what Al-Qaeda terrorists tried to the World Trade Center in 1993. In the future I will think back to this and not be so quick to fall into stereotyping others. As a result of this and many other incidences involving misunderstandings of religion, I see an overall trend with many minority religions. Rabbi Greenberg said, “I would suggest, pray on the plane and put the tefillin on later on. Pray, and fulfill the ritual later.” Sadly, people are being forced to hide their religion or alter it in a way it to not stand out. I have never had to deal with any oppression or censorship regarding my religion because I am a white Protestant. The vast majority of the people in my town follow the same religion and thus I was hard-pressed to find anyone other than Catholic or Lutheran near me. Fundamentally, not being Jewish or knowing anyone who is, I have never seen a Tefillin before. While I can’t blame the flight attendant too much for mistaking the leather straps for wiring to a bomb I can only hope this matter educated those who were unaware of this religious practice - like I was. Thu, 28 Jan 2010 23:12:39 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/01/i-guess-it-pays-to-learn-a-bit-about-other-people__trashed/#IDComment54271083 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/01/last-name-begins-with-t__trashed/#IDComment53874525 Tupac Shakur - Ambitionz Az A Ridah Tue, 26 Jan 2010 01:49:03 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/01/last-name-begins-with-t__trashed/#IDComment53874525 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/01/haitis-calamity__trashed/#IDComment53287258 As long as I can remember I never enjoyed going to Church. It was almost as if it was a habit that my family had put me into. All my family members have always gone to Church however I never felt different or empowered after going. My grandmother saw this confusion in my beliefs and continued to stress the importance of religion and faith. As I have grown up and seen more of the evil and good in the world I have begun to form a sense of what faith really is. I always questioned why things happened to me and to others? If there is such an almighty powerful God than how come people that were close to me were taken so early? Why are people like MLK Jr. and Abraham Lincoln assassinated when they had done such much good for society? If the almighty God did exist then why didn’t s/he intervene? When I first heard the news of the devastation in Haiti I felt a deep sense of sorrow. It really forced me to step back and realize how good I have it, how good we all have it in America. As user JerseyShore mentioned, “My friends and I always complain how we are broke college students, but really we are not. We are so fortunate here in America.” As we learned in SOC 119 in one of the first lectures, everyone in America is the richest of the rich. We are all so gifted and live in a life that only those in Haiti could dream of. The earthquake in Haiti had only stressed the importance in being thankful for the lifestyle in which we live. So, again, why has God given all those in America such a gifted and prosperous life compared to those in Haiti and other third world countries? If there is a God who cares for all and looks over all beings than why do these events occur? This brings me back to my original questioning as a young child – what does going to Church really do for oneself? What is faith? Some believe that when we are at our lowest that one truly expresses what they believe in but even when I have lost those close to me I still felt no empowering sense of faith. For the people in Haiti who have lost everything that they have I can only pray (no pun intended) that they receive all the aid possible and are able to reconstruct their lives. While I don’t fully believe in God I do believe in faith as a sense of determination. Hopefully those in Haiti will be able to come out stronger than before. Maybe, if there is a God, this was intentionally done to bring attention to the world the horrid state that Haitians live in and it will allow them to raise their quality of life. Fri, 22 Jan 2010 05:58:17 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/01/haitis-calamity__trashed/#IDComment53287258