en-us https://www.intensedebate.com/users/758591 Comments by jor5107 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/south-park-off-the-hook__trashed/#IDComment70045184 I just feel like in America its just so hard to say what you want anymore. I feel like its just impossible for things that could be said before to be said today. People are a lot more sensitive to what is going on now and because of that no one is really aloud to say anything or make fun of anything just for fun. I think that when things are that sensitive in order to keep things from getting worse, people should not try and fight what is going on anymore. I think it just becomes hard to distinguish that point Sat, 24 Apr 2010 01:17:43 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/south-park-off-the-hook__trashed/#IDComment70045184 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/what-about-people-who-can-only-afford-hard-work__trashed/#IDComment70044397 I completely agree with this girl! Thank you! I mean like I don’t even think she was all that informed at how things work. To become a citizen or even be considered costs a lot of money and quite frankly when people from another country who are far more poor than Americans try and go somewhere to provide a better life for their country its all of a sudden a terrible thing. Like how do people just say that its not okay when they preach all the time saying with hard work you get to where you want, yet when they try and do that it becomes impossible. Sat, 24 Apr 2010 01:14:53 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/what-about-people-who-can-only-afford-hard-work__trashed/#IDComment70044397 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/isnt-migration-conflict-inevitable__trashed/#IDComment70042501 I mean I don’t think it was ever a legit and fair war between the pilgrims and the native Americans. From the beginning, the whites or pilgrims always felt that they are just superior and deserve to take over but then when other people want to go and do the same thing then they freak out. I think its stupid that people think like that. Like what makes them any better? They complain that the current immigrants right now are illegal but white were really legal when they decided to just take over the US. Ok so they fought and what not but how does that make it okay? I guess what I am trying to say is why is it such a big deal now and why do white people think that they can just sit there and determine who gets to come in and just discriminate? Ok so they say they are taking white people’s jobs away but really you are going to tell me that a white person would sit there and do the jobs Mexicans or Hispanics do? Yeah I highly doubt that. And even those people who complain about illegals or Hispanics or whatever I mean they sure take advantage of it when they just use them to do some kind of construction work for them so I just think people who say that are really big hypocrites. And yeah times were different but and like yeah the US is strong. I mean I understand that they can just take whatever they want I mean even with the war going on Americans think that they can just go where ever they want and get whatever they want. They want the oil so they go and get it. Does anyone else see that as being wrong? Its almost like Americans will do whatever they want whenever they want simply because they want. I don’t know I just feel that a lot of people are so quick to jump at making sure that illegal immigration stops by like saying that they would do it legal but like did any of anyone’s ancestors do that legally? Like why do people just think that they can just change all the rules around when they were the first people to do that themselves. A lot of those people who immigrate do it to just try and find a better future for themselves or their family. How is that not the same thing as what white people did when they came to America? Didn’t they come and reproduce and what not and fill the entire country with their kids? I mean complaining about stealing jobs? Tell me how many Mexicans or Hispanics have taken big jobs that are meaningful that do not require manual work? Sat, 24 Apr 2010 01:08:04 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/isnt-migration-conflict-inevitable__trashed/#IDComment70042501 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/women__trashed/#IDComment68228372 I completely agree and I feel like girls who have small boobs want big boobs and no one is ever content. But I also know of someone who hit puberty faster than the rest of the girls and had pretty big boobs at a young age. She HATED them because she felt that the only reason guys paid her any attention was because of the size of her boobs. I almost feel that because I saw her so upset it was almost very comforting to not have really big boobs because I feel that if guys want to talk to me it’s not because of how big my boobs and that really makes me feel even better about myself. Thu, 15 Apr 2010 16:18:02 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/women__trashed/#IDComment68228372 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/women__trashed/#IDComment68227659 I think that a lot of times it is easy to just see and compare yourself to what the media portrays. I think that because you’re so exposed to it, it’s hard not to compare yourself to all the beautiful women. And even though it is true that you are a beautiful woman when you see these beautiful women everywhere from the TV to movies to magazine covers, it’s so easy to compare and point out your own flaws and instead of just loving who you are and what you have you begin to want to change every possible part of you in order to look that much more alike to the models or artists on TV. I also feel that Hollywood has a special way of portraying different women. I mean black women are always viewed as angry with more to love, always proud of their bodies regardless of the way white women are viewed as. White women are portrayed as being blonde, thin and white and Hispanic women are often portrayed as being brunette, sexy women. So I feel that if these are the types of women that are put in the media then what is to be expected? I mean if everyone portrays them as being the most beautiful women, then of course you’re going to want to look like them whether it’s losing those extra few pounds and having the right hair cut. However, I also do feel that women crave to feel sexy and attractive and sometimes the only way they can feel that way is to try and become those who are portrayed as being beautiful. I feel like a lot of the whole esteem thing comes from how you’re raised. If from a young age you don’t value yourself for being the way you are and you don’t have that self esteem, then it is going to be even harder to go through teenage years without trying to compare yourself and always feel like you’re not beautiful the way you are. But, if you are raised and told from a young age that you are beautiful regardless of how you look, then you grow up with a really good self esteem and do not really fall into comparing yourself as much as those who have a lower self esteem. I guess also your experiences you go through in life factor into how you look at yourself. I feel like if you have bad teenage years then you will have a lower self esteem than those who are confident in themselves. You just have to learn to happy with whom you are and are proud of what you look like because every woman is beautiful regardless of how the media may portray beautiful as. Thu, 15 Apr 2010 16:12:37 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/women__trashed/#IDComment68227659 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/what-are-we-doing-here-really__trashed/#IDComment68224778 I think the end goal is just being able to treat people regardless of the color of their skin. I think that once everyone can get to that point where race is no longer an issue and it can be openly spoken about then that is where we would want to be. With no more racism or discrimination and just really being able to look at people for who they are and not the color of their skin. I feel that once we get there then everything will be so different and maybe people would be a whole lot happier! Thu, 15 Apr 2010 15:47:45 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/what-are-we-doing-here-really__trashed/#IDComment68224778 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/what-if-we-got-rid-of-welfare__trashed/#IDComment66518899 i think that the whole issue with welfare shouldn’t just be about completely eliminating welfare or just keeping welfare. Im sure there are people who absolutely need the welfare program, but there are also those people who abuse the system and I feel like if there were some kind of oversight over it that would keep people from abusing the system it would have us in a better position than we are today. I think that there should be requirements into receiving welfare instead of just sitting around and not doing anything productive with their lives except cashing in the checks that they receive. otherwise the problem will just keep happening over and over again. Thu, 8 Apr 2010 05:04:49 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/what-if-we-got-rid-of-welfare__trashed/#IDComment66518899 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/i-really-want-to-know-also__trashed/#IDComment66517140 I feel that a lot of what Sam has said has changed my perspective about a lot of thing. I do not really know if it changed my views because a lot of what he has said I already knew. I do believe though that although a lot of what he does say tends to be something that is drilled into our minds, but I think that if you really open up and think about what he is actually saying it makes a lot of sense and what Sam does say does get you thinking about race in a much more different way. I think that there are also a lot of things that I did not know about that are really interesting and I think that what Sam says has a lot of meaning behind it which a lot of people tend to just brush off as if it were nothing. I think that if there is enough time and effort put into actually listening and taking in the information that Sam shares, everyone would be surprised at what they learn. Hearing Sam talk and actually understand what he has to say are two completely different things. Going in with the attitude of I know exactly what he is going to say and yeah I have heard that before about a million times immediately blocks you from really understanding what Sam is trying to say. I think the whole part on identifying what step you are on was a very interesting part of the class that I enjoyed very much. I feel that I really learned a lot and now that I can identify where I am at helps to identify where to go from this point. The part with the video of the little girl picking the dolls also really made me realize that although I may have thought that the race issue was pretty much over with and done with and that there really wasn’t much wrong with the black race, that they were getting treating just like everyone else because they were equal, I realized that I was completely wrong and it really changed how I felt about that issue. It made me realize that although we’ve come a pretty long way, there is still a lot more to go in order to get to where we should be. That whole lesson changed the perception about how black people often find themselves as being less than others simply because of their skin color. It was a huge realization to see that and really understand that when I heard people from class speak out about it. There was something about hearing actual stories that helped me really try and understand a little more about a part of how they view themselves. Thu, 8 Apr 2010 04:46:30 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/i-really-want-to-know-also__trashed/#IDComment66517140 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/revisioning-the-revisioning-stage__trashed/#IDComment65248937 I actually attended a high school where the student body was divided up into equally among Hispanics whites and blacks with the only real minority being Asians. Even though the school was so diverse it was still weird because the majority of people tended to be friends with their race/ethnicity. There were only those who participated in sports and other extracurricular activities that really had friends of other races and didn’t mind the color. Many times though it seemed that because of the division among races there was also some kind of altercation among those who hung out with strictly their race. Thu, 1 Apr 2010 18:22:01 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/revisioning-the-revisioning-stage__trashed/#IDComment65248937 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/what-about-multiracial-people__trashed/#IDComment65247723 I think you should just be like well im not white im on the brown team since it seems that that is where you identify yourself as. I guess through having those experience through your mom and the Hispanic culture you can probably relate more to the brown team than the white although if you’ve been treated as being on the white team then maybe you would be part of the white team and not the brown one ..i guess it just all depends on what you see yourself as because you look white but youre really brown so I guess you could pick either one or both Thu, 1 Apr 2010 18:17:38 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/what-about-multiracial-people__trashed/#IDComment65247723 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/those-damn-dolls__trashed/#IDComment65246461 This video made me so upset because it was a complete slap in the face at how things still continue to be similar to what they once were. The video has such an effect I feel because it is done by little kids who are not what to do, but simply tell the truth about what is really going on around the world regardless of how much we may preach that inequality no longer exists. To see such an innocent little girl struggle that much in wanting to identify herself as “white” she has no choice but to pick the colored doll because it is based on what she sees herself and that’s the part that leaves me feeling so shocked. Seeing in the video and then hearing what other people have gone through and how they can relate is very disturbing. The fact that there are people who do remember wanting to have the white doll or picking the white doll over the doll that they are depicted as representing is so sad. And the worst part is that it still continues to go on because many times the topic of race is not brought up in hopes that that’s what will make everything go away. It makes me sick to my stomach to see the frustration and anguish in a little girl’s face because they are brought into a world where inequality continues to exist and will continue to exist unless we decide to confront it and talk about it but not just behind doors and among people of our same color but to reach out to others of different races to understand the real perspective behind how they feel and the experiences that have shaped their particular perspective about race. Being lectured and told about how inequality exists is so easy to just brush off by saying “he has no idea what he is talking about things are not like they used to be” and that is completely naive to think that such a place exists because it doesn’t. If you think everyone is equal, you would be shocked to realize the struggles and obstacles that colored people continue to confront each and every day. Its easy for white people to say that its not true because there’s affirmative action or whatever but really? If you could switch lives with what it is like to be on the other side and vice versa if browns could switch with whites and experience how their lives differ from each other then a whole lot more would be understood and perhaps there would be a much better communication between all racial groups . I think the most effective way to actually learn about other cultures is to have someone tell their personal stories. Thu, 1 Apr 2010 18:13:21 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/those-damn-dolls__trashed/#IDComment65246461 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/what-are-all-of-you-thinking-about-asians__trashed/#IDComment64221744 Personally I really do not think that it is easy to distinguish between Asian American and Asians. To me I feel like if I see an Asian vs an Asian America they would look the same to me. I think it would take a bit more interaction on my part to be able to distinguish the two. I mean I guess in the way they speak I would be able to tell whether or not someone was Asian vs being Asian American. But I think it is similar to how to distinguish different African Americans and Hispanics/Latinos, that you have to spend time to distinguish the groups. Fri, 26 Mar 2010 17:14:56 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/what-are-all-of-you-thinking-about-asians__trashed/#IDComment64221744 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/if-men-could-menstruate__trashed/#IDComment64220855 I feel like if men knew more about menstrual cycles then maybe they wouldn’t be as freaked out about the fact that girls bleed. It is a normal thing that happens every month just as you pee every day. It really is not such a big deal but if girls seem to feel ashamed about their menstrual cycle then of course guys are going to be like ew that is gross. I think it would take a bit of effort from both parts in order to stop this weirdness about a period and just be able to have a conversation about periods if that’s what they want. Fri, 26 Mar 2010 17:06:55 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/if-men-could-menstruate__trashed/#IDComment64220855 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/whats-the-big-deal-with-periods__trashed/#IDComment64218446 This girl is so funny! I mean I agree with the whole if you want to talk about go ahead but personally I would not want to hear about someone else’s bleeding. I find it funny that this has been a big topic in class as well as blogging and I find it interesting because I do not feel that it should be such a big deal. I guess maybe because of how I was brought up it was like a very personal thing that only happened to girls. I suppose that there really isn’t much of a big deal about it since it is a normal function but just the thought of talking about it still grosses me out. I know I should not be this way since it is normal and it happens to all girls but there is just something that I find myself shying from. I guess perhaps it is the fact that I am uncomfortable with the situation because I do find that I can discuss my period fine among my sister and mom and at times I can get some really funny reactions out of them but the minute it is not a girl I refuse and do not like talking about it. My boyfriend is completely okay with the whole “menstrual cycle” and what not and understands that I go through my moods and can be quite bitchy. I do feel that part of why he understands is because of his sister and he has had to live with someone who does in fact bleed. Even when he is completely okay with me bleeding I find it very uncomfortable even talk about in casual conversation even though he seems quite comfortable with the conversation. I mean I guess a part of why I do not mind talking to other girls about my period is because I feel like they completely understand what I am going through. With guys I feel that it is hard to relate and be like I know how you feel because no you really don’t. Don’t get me wrong I think it’s an amazing thing that women can give birth and bring a new life into this world but I just find it very weird to talk about and I guess it does go back to the way society is. To society it is uncomfortable to talk about and the easiest way to go about it is to just not talk about it. But by not talking about it I feel like it doesn’t make the situation any better and instead encourages the silence among women. Like Sam said if guys were to have periods they would walk around bragging about it yet men and other women refuse to even talk about periods because it’s disgusting. Fri, 26 Mar 2010 16:52:42 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/whats-the-big-deal-with-periods__trashed/#IDComment64218446 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/what-happens-to-multiracial-people__trashed/#IDComment63010119 i think for the purpose of being time effective Sam just divides the class as black/brown and white just because everyone identifies themselves as either or. It all just depends on what you identify yourself as. I mean I guess multiracial people are probably confused as to where they belong and do not necessarily know how to answer. I think it’s a very complex thing and very interesting as to how people being multiracial would identify themselves and as to whether or not they view themselves as both. I cant really say what I would do if that were me because I really don’t even know how I would decide to that simple question as to what side to be on. Fri, 19 Mar 2010 18:02:04 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/what-happens-to-multiracial-people__trashed/#IDComment63010119 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/is-anyone-else-getting-this-stuff__trashed/#IDComment63009286 I think that the most important thing and what Sam has been trying to get everyone to do is to open up about race topics. I know its said a lot in class and what not but I think the main part is just learning to listen to what others have to say to try and understand where they are coming from in order to understand them more and learn something new. I think that a lot of the times it is really easy to just become so defensive the minute someone says something about a particular race but I feel like people should just try to take the time and understand why they have a particular view about something. Fri, 19 Mar 2010 17:55:17 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/is-anyone-else-getting-this-stuff__trashed/#IDComment63009286 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/what-to-do-about-white-guilt__trashed/#IDComment63008586 I agree with this comment. I mean I didn’t learn that there was anything wrong with the fact that Christopher Columbus came and “discovered” America and the European settlers came and took over Native American land. As far as I knew I was taught that these poor Europeans needed a place to live never even thinking about the fact that the land they came to live in belonged to someone else. That the Native Americans were pushed out of their land with no remorse. I find it very weird that when I think about it this is what you’re taught growing up. I remember praising the fact that Christopher Columbus came and discovered America and it wasn’t until like middle school maybe even high school that I was taught that something was clearly wrong with taking over someone else’s property. It was then that I realized that something is wrong in the way that we are taught and I feel that that has a lot to do with why white people tend to not feel as bad about what happened even though it was a long time ago. I don’t really know to what extent the writer of these history books have their own influence on that book like whether there are certain guidelines in how they tell the history. I definitely think that if the history books were written the other way around- the actual truth then maybe there would be a totally different way of looking at the history of the US and everyone would definitely view the history a different way and maybe the guilt would also not be as great. I think that by not telling the truth about what really happened, in a way is kind of like hiding what really happened and I think that is what makes a big difference. It is because of the fact that this information is hidden that it comes as such a shock. I think that if as kids we are presented with the right and legit information about the past it would be easier to realize the differences among everyone who is colored instead of just acting like nothing is wrong. I mean you can’t really blame white people today for not feeling that guilt because their entire lives they’ve been told a different story and instead of learning at a young age how wrong it was for settlers to just take over and push the natives away. I feel like if the history books were changed and the right story was told, it would be a lot easier to understand what was going on and to be more open to how much damage has been caused to the original settlers of this country. Fri, 19 Mar 2010 17:49:31 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/what-to-do-about-white-guilt__trashed/#IDComment63008586 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/inequality-class-question-three__trashed/#IDComment58277919 i do not think that all white people think that especially at school. I do feel though that if they were lets say walking down a city street in front of you then maybe they would be scared but I feel like skin color would not apply that much. I mean I’d get scared walking down dark streets regardless of who was behind me. I feel like yeah maybe you were discriminated against but I don’t think that you should feel that all white people would think that because I doubt that that helps the whole color situation. Not everyone is like that and making assumptions isn’t any better either. Tue, 23 Feb 2010 02:04:01 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/inequality-class-question-three__trashed/#IDComment58277919 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/inequality-class-question-one__trashed/#IDComment58276004 I agree and think this kid does make a valid argument I mean of course this could have a huge impact on the results because in urban areas cops probably assume or already know what kids are up to and can catch it much easier than in rural areas. I feel like a lot of people who live in urban areas such as black people who grow up around their particular surroundings and end up being a cop, they tend to hate the scene around that particular town. They probably feel ashamed of other black people making the town look bad and think that by arresting every single one they will clean their town up so I do feel that they would be more inclined to arrest more people. In rural areas I feel like there wouldn’t really be much going on and since black people don’t tend to live in and therefore there wouldn’t be as many drug related arrests. Perhaps it is the fact that black people aren’t as sneaky about doing or dealing drugs? Maybe white people do it more behind closed doors. So maybe black people shouldn’t be so obvious about their dealing? Sometimes it seems like they are just so proud about it though which makes me not feel as bad for them especially since they flaunt it so much. Why do they have to flaunt it like it’s not a bad thing or the fact that they are breaking the law? I get that okay they might have to do it to survive in the streets but do they really? Or do they just like seeming all badass about it and wanting people to talk about them and what not? Why? I don’t understand why you would even want to be known as the biggest best drug dealer out there. I feel like I see that a lot back home but I don’t really live in a city. The black kids tend to lean more towards this whole badass image and strive so hard to achieve that “respect” they claim to have. Personally, I don’t feel that if they do have the respect for it they shouldn’t because how is that a positive thing? They brag all the time about how much money they have to buy this and buy that but they fail to realize that if and when they get caught their lives are pretty much over. I guess if what they’re really looking for and they really do want to end up in jail sometime or want to rap about it then be my guest. Work the streets if that’s what you’re into- just don’t blame other people for the choices you make and say there’s something wrong in the system. Tue, 23 Feb 2010 01:42:45 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/inequality-class-question-one__trashed/#IDComment58276004 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/inequality-class-comment__trashed/#IDComment58273726 I think you’re a bit naïve about how things really work. I mean I get that times have changed and what not but it’s totally not an even playing field at all. And the whole if you work hard enough you can achieve whatever you want isn’t true either. Perhaps you don’t really know how things work. Even without talking about color there are limitations on how far women get in work positions so you can’t say it’s equal. And he's not saying that the entire criminal justice system was racist you need to try and open your eyes...yeah theyre elected officials but how long did it take for a black person to be president and how hard is it for a ton of people to still accept it? Until you live the life black people live and truly understand what it’s like then you’ll understand. Tue, 23 Feb 2010 01:18:23 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/inequality-class-comment__trashed/#IDComment58273726