en-us https://www.intensedebate.com/users/2403656 Comments by joyceellen524 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/19/were-you-surprised-to-find-that-business-is-the-factor-that-shapes-immigration-policies-119-blog/#IDComment144674814 I was both surprised and unsurprised to find that business shapes illegal immigration. I was surprised because I hadn’t really thought about it before. You don’t think of illegal immigration as a necessity to our country. However, after hearing the story about the farmers in California and how they lost thousands of dollars one season because they refused to hire illegal immigrants, it shows how necessary they really are. It was also interesting to learn that California will never question the use of illegal immigrants after that fiasco because it wasn’t worth the economic downfall many business owners faced. It was cool to see how illegal immigration actually makes a positive situation in our country at times. Sam brought up how immigrants—illegal or not—are often extremely poor. They will do anything to make money at whatever pay people are willing to give them. It was just surprising to actually see how necessary it is for businesses to function with illegal immigrants. However, at the same time I wasn’t surprised to learn that business shapes illegal immigration. It makes sense that in order to get their products out to the public for the smallest price possible, business owners are going to want to hire people that are willing to work for ridiculously cheap pay. The cheaper the labor, the more they will be willing to bring the cost of their item down. Think of how expensive things would be if businesses hired extremely well trained and experienced people that could easily go elsewhere for a job? Prices would skyrocket because businesses would have to make up for the amount they spent on hiring a work force. However, with illegal immigrants, they know they can offer them a lower pay and probably get harder working individuals than they would otherwise. Sam mentioned that in class as well. Think of any illegal immigrants you may have worked with. They always work their butts off in fear of being ratted out by their employees. They are risking their lives and their livelihood—along with the well-being of their families—to work here, so they are going to do the best they can to make sure they make enough money to send home to their loved ones. However, after seeing both the surprising and obvious factors of illegal immigration in the United States, I am still not 100 percent clear if it is truly a positive for our country. I think there are both negative and positive aspects to illegal immigration, and in this case I feel like too much of something can turn into a bad thing. I think illegal immigration definitely has benefits for businesses and consumer life, but I think for our country overall it isn’t necessarily a wonderful thing. I think it just depends on what angle you take on the matter, and it will be interesting to see where we stand on the issue in the years to come. Thu, 21 Apr 2011 01:20:00 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/19/were-you-surprised-to-find-that-business-is-the-factor-that-shapes-immigration-policies-119-blog/#IDComment144674814 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/12/what-are-your-thoughts-on-everything-we-saw-and-heard-in-lecture-about-native-americans-119-blog/#IDComment142574275 #4: My roommate is Jewish, and she doesn’t hold any hatred against me because I have German blood. And Shirley, my neighbor from the Lacota Sioux tribe, holds no hatred against anyone in our community because we are living on her people’s land. All of those actions are in the past, and while they were horrible, there is nothing for us to do but to move on from them. As long as we can acknowledge that, yes, a massive genocide did occur here in North America, and, yes, all of our houses and buildings and property are on Native American land, then I think that is all we can ask. We should all be able to live in peace amongst each other, and if we can do that then I think we’re doing the best we can. Wed, 13 Apr 2011 20:08:49 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/12/what-are-your-thoughts-on-everything-we-saw-and-heard-in-lecture-about-native-americans-119-blog/#IDComment142574275 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/12/what-are-your-thoughts-on-everything-we-saw-and-heard-in-lecture-about-native-americans-119-blog/#IDComment142574214 #3: Other than that, I can’t say I have had too many experiences with Native Americans. However, I don’t think it is fair that Americans—of any kind—should pay for the actions of our ancestors. It isn’t fair that the Native Americans are forced to live on reservations, and it isn’t fair that European-Americans should live in guilt for what their ancestors did. I will never disagree that the Native Americans were treated horribly and massive genocide occurred in this country and all other countries in North, Central and South America. However, those things happened hundreds of years ago. Wed, 13 Apr 2011 20:08:29 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/12/what-are-your-thoughts-on-everything-we-saw-and-heard-in-lecture-about-native-americans-119-blog/#IDComment142574214 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/12/what-are-your-thoughts-on-everything-we-saw-and-heard-in-lecture-about-native-americans-119-blog/#IDComment142574128 #2: There was no way she would live a high quality of life if she stayed in South Dakota. She married one of my dad’s co-workers, and good friends, and they now live in our neighborhood. She is now in her mid-40s, and although she and her husband love children with a passion, they decided to not have any of their own. Instead, they opened their house to Shirley’s nieces and nephews who still live on the tribe, so they could have a better quality of life. They have had several of them come through their house, and they stay for a few months up to a few years. Denny and Shirley never turn one of them away, and are happy knowing they can provide some sort of safe haven for these kids. Wed, 13 Apr 2011 20:08:03 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/12/what-are-your-thoughts-on-everything-we-saw-and-heard-in-lecture-about-native-americans-119-blog/#IDComment142574128 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/12/what-are-your-thoughts-on-everything-we-saw-and-heard-in-lecture-about-native-americans-119-blog/#IDComment142573881 After hearing the lecture on Native Americans, I left class feeling very somber. It is sad to think that the reservations offer such a low quality of life for the original people of this country. Obviously we know that Native Americans still reside in the United States, but I don’t think we take time to really think about that. The only real encounter I have had in my lifetime with a Native American is with one of my neighbors. She actually grew up on the reservation the video talked about in class—she is a member of the Lacota Sioux tribe. However, she left the reservation as soon as she turned 18 because she knew that was the best thing for her. Wed, 13 Apr 2011 20:06:49 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/12/what-are-your-thoughts-on-everything-we-saw-and-heard-in-lecture-about-native-americans-119-blog/#IDComment142573881 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/05/after-this-class-do-you-still-blame-terrorism-119-blog/#IDComment140604031 Oops! This was supposed to go under the video about the 29:1 ratio (the question right below this). My apologies!! Thu, 7 Apr 2011 00:30:44 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/05/after-this-class-do-you-still-blame-terrorism-119-blog/#IDComment140604031 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/05/after-this-class-do-you-still-blame-terrorism-119-blog/#IDComment140603767 I was shocked to find out that the number the United States takes into consideration when planning a bombing or raid is 29 civilians to one bad guy. However, as bad as it is to say, it would be impossible to go through with such tasks without innocent people getting harmed. Obviously no sane person wants to harm people that don’t deserve it, but as Sam mentioned in class, our government does the best job it possibly can to avoid fatalities of the innocent. The whole topic reminded me of an episode of The West Wing. In the episode, the president is planning a bombing to get rid of a bad guy. The episode goes through the planning procedure and shows how difficult it is for the president to choose a time for the bombing because he doesn’t want anyone to die that doesn’t have to. However, the location they are bombing is a very public place and the chance of getting the pretty number of 29 civilian deaths is nearly impossible. In the end, the president and the army generals decide to bomb during the night, that way the only other people who should die are janitors and workers. The episode shows how distraught the president is over this decision and how he feels he can never live with himself again knowing full well that he caused the deaths of dozens of people that should’ve lived a much longer life. It is sad to think that people that don’t deserve to die have to during a war, but that is part of what comes with a war. Our army—and most armies around the world—do as best as they can to avoid killing innocent people, but it can’t always be avoided. If most people had it their way, they would say their magic number of civilian deaths would be zero, but we just aren’t capable of that yet. But we have come a long way. Think of World War II for example. The United States bombed Hiroshima and Nagasaki, killing hundreds and hundreds of completely innocent people—just to send a message. As Sam said in class, the United States army’s number of 29 is by far the best the world has seen in modern day warfare. The United States really tries to go out of its way to ensure that the least amount of innocent people gets killed. So I guess, in short, it is hard to give you an answer to what my magic number would be. Ideally it would be zero, but realistically I am impressed with what the United States is doing now. Who knows, maybe in the future 29 will seem outrageously high for all armies and the world will have an even lower number. And if we’re lucky, someday we will find a way to get that magic number down to zero. Thu, 7 Apr 2011 00:29:05 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/05/after-this-class-do-you-still-blame-terrorism-119-blog/#IDComment140603767 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/29/have-you-ever-witnessed-english-being-the-only-language-forced-to-be-spoken-119-blog/#IDComment138738572 I have never personally witnessed English being forced to be spoken, however, as a Spanish minor I have heard stories of where it has been. One of my professors—who is white, with blond hair and blue eyes and is originally from Spain—decided she was going to teach her 3-year-old daughter both Spanish and English. She decided that her family would only speak Spanish at home and English would be spoken with company and when her daughter was at school or other activities. However, she said there were several times when out in public with her child that people would look at her funny for speaking Spanish to her kid. And she told us one time in particular where she was speaking Spanish with her daughter at CVS when a woman approached her and very rudely told my professor that she should be speaking to her child in a “real language” aka English. My professor didn’t say anything in return, but expressed her outrage to us in class. I couldn’t believe that someone would think that, let alone say that, to someone and her young child. There was also another story that was brought to my attention from a classmate, Maria, who was born and spent the first 11 years of her life in Venezuela. I would’ve never guessed she was born in a Spanish-speaking country, as her English is impeccable, and even though her appearance makes it obvious she has Spanish heritage of some kind, her accent didn’t lead me to believe Spanish was her first language. Anyway, she told me a story of when she was walking in State College earlier this year and was talking on the phone with her mom. Maria still speaks only Spanish with her parents, and this time was no exception. As she was walking, a girl ripped the cell phone out of her hand, yelled something nasty to her and started beating Maria up—all because she wasn’t speaking English. Maria handled the situation very well and holds no grudges against the girl that beat her up, but I was appalled by the act. It is just so hard for me to believe that people in our country are so against people speaking Spanish—or any other language for that matter. The United State is the third-largest Spanish speaking country in the world, meaning there are more people in our country who speak Spanish than in most predominantly Spanish-speaking countries in the world. It is so unfortunate that people are still against this when being bilingual and multi cultured has so many advantages to a society and to an individual’s development. Maybe if people took the time to step back and appreciate these things for what they add to a society, then we wouldn’t have so many outbursts against it. Thu, 31 Mar 2011 01:40:48 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/29/have-you-ever-witnessed-english-being-the-only-language-forced-to-be-spoken-119-blog/#IDComment138738572 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/22/for-the-white-females-would-you-ever-date-a-black-guy-119-blog/#IDComment137111306 I would absolutely date a black guy if the opportunity presented itself. Currently I am in a year-long relationship with my boyfriend, Josh, who happens to be white as well. However, the idea of dating a black guy has never been something I have been opposed to. Actually, one of the first crushes I can remember in about middle school was on this boy named Alex who went to my school who also happened to be black. He was the nicest guy and we even though nothing happened between us, he remained one of my good friends for many years. I’m not going to lie; I’ve always found black men attractive. I don’t know what it is about them that attracts me, but I do find them appealing. I think part of it is their smiles. They just look so much fuller and brighter in contrast to their dark skin, and I find that very attractive. Other than that, I can’t pinpoint what it is that I like about them, but I just know that I do. The only thing that would’ve deterred me in high school or earlier on in my life would’ve been my family’s reaction to an interracial relationship. However, those questions have all been answered for me. My younger sister, Brenna, has been in a relationship for just about two years with Darius, who is black. She too was nervous as to what my family would think, but she found that everyone was very accepting of Darius and treated him as if he were a member of the family. Even my grandparents were eventually okay with the relationship, even though they were slightly uncomfortable at first. One of my cousins also married a black man named Romero. They have two beautiful children and are very happily married. Becky (my cousin) kind of paved the way for interracial dating in our family, and once people saw how smoothly it went for her, it seemed as though several other people were willing to try it. And now there are a handful of people in our extended family who are in an interracial relationship. I think the biggest thing that makes me comfortable with dating a black man—or any man for that matter—is the way I was brought up. My parents never discouraged us from interacting with people of different races or ethnicities. In fact, they encouraged that we did so. I think that plays a big part in me and my sisters being open to dating a black man. All of us like to please our parents (as I’m sure most people do) so I think it would be a different story if they were outwardly opposed to the notion. But it’s nice to know that if the opportunity presented itself, I could take full advantage and have the full approval of my family. Wed, 23 Mar 2011 22:59:05 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/22/for-the-white-females-would-you-ever-date-a-black-guy-119-blog/#IDComment137111306 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/15/how-do-irrelevant-racial-signifiers-affect-racial-stereotypes-119-blog/#IDComment135437565 With that being said, we all know that there are different races out there and no matter how we were brought up on the issue we still find the need to point out the differences. I would never introduce one of my roommates, as “white Diana” or “white Leah.” However, I fully admit to introducing my other roommate as “Emily, the Jewish one” or something to that extent. Or one of my roommates will refer to one group of her friends as “the black guys” and whatnot. And the same thing happens with other races too. I know my sister’s boyfriend (who is black) has referred to my sister as “white” when talking about her, and has referred to our whole family with that classifier. I don’t know why we do it or when we will realize that it’s not necessary, but I do know that we need to be aware that we’re doing such things. Maybe if we all make a conscious effort to eliminate these unnecessary racial references from our dialogue, then maybe it will encourage others to stop doing that as well. We’ll never know until we try. Thu, 17 Mar 2011 00:02:00 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/15/how-do-irrelevant-racial-signifiers-affect-racial-stereotypes-119-blog/#IDComment135437565 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/15/how-do-irrelevant-racial-signifiers-affect-racial-stereotypes-119-blog/#IDComment135437513 They never told us that we were better than any other racial group, and they never discouraged us from having relationships with people who weren’t white. In fact, they made sure we were enrolled in racially diverse schools (as much as they could find in our suberb of Minneapolis and St. Paul) and they brought us to different ethnic events such as a service at a Jewish temple or a Native American rain dance on the Sioux reservation. Thu, 17 Mar 2011 00:01:45 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/15/how-do-irrelevant-racial-signifiers-affect-racial-stereotypes-119-blog/#IDComment135437513 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/15/how-do-irrelevant-racial-signifiers-affect-racial-stereotypes-119-blog/#IDComment135437462 By saying that you passed a black man on the street or you bumped carts with an Asian lady in the Supermarket has no substantial meaning to one’s story, but for some reason we still feel the need to do it. I think it is because people need to point out differences. We were all raised in a household where race was brought up at one point or another. The talks in my house began when I was just under two years old after I pointed out a black man in the mall to my mom, pointing to him and asking her why he looked different than us. Luckily for me, the man was very understanding after my outburst and actually came over to me and my mom and explained to me that, yes, he was different than me and everybody looks a little different. I was obviously too young to know any better, but it was from then on that my parents made sure we were aware of race and ethnicity in our household. Thu, 17 Mar 2011 00:01:29 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/15/how-do-irrelevant-racial-signifiers-affect-racial-stereotypes-119-blog/#IDComment135437462 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/15/how-do-irrelevant-racial-signifiers-affect-racial-stereotypes-119-blog/#IDComment135437312 I don’t necessarily think that irrelevant racial signifiers affect racial stereotypes, but I do think that they put our racial insecurities on display. As we discussed in class, people become aware that people have different skin colors at a fairly young age. We learn about slavery and how the only reason people were chosen as slaves is because of their “black” skin, and how other people felt superior due to their “white” skin. We learn that people come in all sorts of different shapes and sizes, and, yes, colors. And because our society can’t let go of these color variations, we continue to feel the need to classify people based solely on the color of their skin. Thu, 17 Mar 2011 00:00:33 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/15/how-do-irrelevant-racial-signifiers-affect-racial-stereotypes-119-blog/#IDComment135437312 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/24/is-it-selfish-for-people-in-poverty-to-have-more-kids-because-of-their-lower-income-119-blog/#IDComment131420421 This question is a hard one for me to answer. I am a firm believer that children shouldn’t be brought into environments where they can’t be provided for. However, I am also a firm believer that children should be brought into environments where they are loved unconditionally. Therefore, those beliefs make it difficult for me to answer this question. On the one hand, I don’t think it’s fair to bring children into an environment where the parents can hardly provide for themselves. This is going to hinder the children from getting the absolute most out of their life in a determinist mindset. They won’t get certain benefits out of life and will have a harder life in terms of money, healthcare, social standing, etc. They will have to fight to earn things and to move up in society and they won’t be able to do everything they want growing up. They won’t get to play on soccer teams or take piano lessons or get a treat from the ice cream truck. I have always told myself that if I got pregnant today (I am in a serious relationship, so I would have someone to help me) that it would not be fair to the child for me to keep it. I struggle to pay rent every month and when I move in May to start my job I will be commuting via bicycle because I cannot afford a vehicle or gas to put in that vehicle. In my eyes, it would be selfish of me to have a child and bring them into an environment where I can barely take of myself. To watch my child suffer and struggle through life would be the hardest thing to watch as a parent, and I would feel guilty every day for doing that to them. However, the only thing that would make me think otherwise would be that the most important thing in a child’s life is love. If a child has parents who love them and do all in their power to provide and take care of them, I think that child is capable of having a good life in a free-will sense. They will be in a loving atmosphere where they will feel special and cared for, and that is the most important thing in someone’s life is love and affection. But at the end of the day my first point is the one that holds stronger in my head. As much as love is important, I think the ability to provide for a child is just as important. Parents want the most for their children, and if they aren’t capable of providing I think it is only right that they reconsider their decision to have kids. But I am sure the answer varies from person to person. Mon, 28 Feb 2011 22:19:37 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/24/is-it-selfish-for-people-in-poverty-to-have-more-kids-because-of-their-lower-income-119-blog/#IDComment131420421 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/22/do-you-think-in-today%e2%80%99s-society-people-are-more-racist-toward-muslims-or-blacks-119-blog/#IDComment130212571 I think both Blacks and Muslims experience equal amounts of racism in today’s society. It is often misconceived, in my opinion, that Muslims have experienced the brunt of racism recently, but that is just because racism toward Muslims has drastically increased in the last decade—since the aftermath of September 11. However, that doesn’t mean that racism toward Blacks has completely disappeared. People in America, especially the older generations, still show their dislike for people of African descent. They were brought up in a different world, and it can be argued that the bulk of that population will never fully come away from the segregated world they grew up in. However, now their racist attention has been brought to another group as well, making it seem like Blacks are off the hook. But that isn’t the case. In today’s society, as unfortunate as it is, people are afraid of Muslims. They look the other way when they see someone in traditional Muslim apparel or even if they see someone from the Middle East in general. The media has brainwashed us into thinking all people of Middle-Eastern dissent are suicide bombers whose main goal is to destroy the world. However, just is the case in every group, those people are extremists who don’t in any way represent the whole population. But our society can’t seem to shake those images out of our heads and have attributed them to the group as a whole. All of a sudden Muslims can’t walk alone places, are being uprooted out of their homes, can’t get through airport security without being questioned by 75 security guards, and can’t go out in public without people turning the other way. They are experiencing the same thing Black people have been experiencing the whole time they have been in this country. So the real question is, will either of these populations ever be free of racism? And my answer to that question is that right now it is too early to tell. Our generation wasn’t around during the Civil Rights movement, and I would argue that more people in our generation are more accepting of Blacks than any other group before us. However, that doesn’t mean everyone is discrimination free. And now, we are the generation that grew up with the bombing of the World Trade Centers. Does that mean we are doomed to be like our grandparents and have a strong hatred for Muslims the rest of our lives? I certainly hope not. And I’m not trying to generalize and say everyone fits these molds, I am simply trying to give examples to how this might play out. It will be interesting to see where discrimination goes in the future. It would be nice to say it will eventually be gone, but we won’t know until we get there. Thu, 24 Feb 2011 00:57:19 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/22/do-you-think-in-today%e2%80%99s-society-people-are-more-racist-toward-muslims-or-blacks-119-blog/#IDComment130212571 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/16/why-with-more-education-do-people-believe-that-success-is-mostly-a-result-of-hard-work-119-blog/#IDComment128430440 Take for example some of my roommates. One got a job in August 2010 that would begin in October 2011. She got an internship because her dad is a bigwig at Penn State and used to work at the firm she was applying to. She had no experience in the field and had good, but not great, grades in her major classes. She immediately got offered the internship and they didn’t even second-guess themselves when it came time to pick which interns they were going to hire, as she got the job. On the other hand, one of my other roommates took a lot of time on her schoolwork. She was genuinely interested in the topic and worked really hard to get really good grades in those classes. She worked at a lab in her spare time doing research for various scientists; however she never really established a relationship with those people. She had a hard time finding an internship for last summer, and although she applies to jobs at least a couple times a week now, she is still waiting to get even an interview. It just goes to show that, as unfortunate as it is sometimes, success does come from schmoozing and making connections. No matter how hard you work, you have to make those relationships to make it count. Thu, 17 Feb 2011 00:19:56 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/16/why-with-more-education-do-people-believe-that-success-is-mostly-a-result-of-hard-work-119-blog/#IDComment128430440 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/16/why-with-more-education-do-people-believe-that-success-is-mostly-a-result-of-hard-work-119-blog/#IDComment128430388 However, as we progress through life and reach various educational milestones, we are told a very different tale. All of a sudden our advisors are telling us that it’s about whom we know, not what we know. Our professors are telling us to email certain people to get an “in.” And we are constantly getting invited to events where we schmooze with various people with smiles plastered on our faces while we try to make a good impression. And while we worked hard to get to where we are at that point, all of the sudden the focus gets turned to marketing yourself and making as many connections in life to get to where you want to be. And it makes sense. Employers want somebody they can trust to get the job done; therefore, they are more likely to hire someone they know rather than a random person who looks good on a resume. Think about how hard you think about you “references” part of the application process. You put people on there that will put in a good word for you and make you look good to a hirer. It no longer matters as much what you did in high school, but the connections you made. Thu, 17 Feb 2011 00:19:38 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/16/why-with-more-education-do-people-believe-that-success-is-mostly-a-result-of-hard-work-119-blog/#IDComment128430388 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/16/why-with-more-education-do-people-believe-that-success-is-mostly-a-result-of-hard-work-119-blog/#IDComment128430257 I think the statistics that Sam brought up in class about the idea of hard work and connections with others when it comes to success is very true. And I think it makes sense that with more education you would be less likely to think that success comes mostly from hard work. We are taught when we are young that working hard will get you the things you want out of life. Our parents or guardians tell us that if we do our chores and do a good job at them that we will be rewarded with money or a treat. Our teachers tell us that if we work hard we will be rewarded with a good grade. The people we look up to tell us that if we work hard we can go to college and be whatever we want when we grow up. We are constantly being told that if we work hard we will reap the benefits. That is why, I think, people with less education believe more so that success comes mostly from hard work. Thu, 17 Feb 2011 00:18:53 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/16/why-with-more-education-do-people-believe-that-success-is-mostly-a-result-of-hard-work-119-blog/#IDComment128430257 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/08/how-have-the-choices-youve-made-and-determinism-affected-your-life-119-blog/#IDComment127033462 There are many other scenarios in my life where things were either determined for me or I chose on my own. I think every act in our life comes down to one side of the spectrum or the other—it just depends on which end is more prevalent at the time. To sit and list every way these two things have influenced my life would take a lifetime, but this is at least a start for people to see that both free will and determinism were major factors in who I am today. Thu, 10 Feb 2011 02:26:16 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/08/how-have-the-choices-youve-made-and-determinism-affected-your-life-119-blog/#IDComment127033462 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/08/how-have-the-choices-youve-made-and-determinism-affected-your-life-119-blog/#IDComment127033403 As far as free will goes, I have had a lot of experience with that as well. I chose to continue on with dance instead of gymnastics and soccer when I was in elementary school. Some people may argue that was my parent’s choice, but it wasn’t. They sat me down and asked me which one I liked the most, and since we didn’t have enough money for me to be in all three, I got to remain in the one I chose. When I was a senior in high school I got to choose where I wanted to go to college. I had worked hard in high school, accumulating a 4.0 GPA, so I had a good chance of getting in no matter where I applied. I chose Penn State. My mom wanted me to go to the University of Minnesota to be close to home, and my dad wanted me to go wherever I would be happy. In the end, both of them were happy with the decision I made. Once in college, I chose to major in sports journalism and minor in Spanish. I chose to write for The Daily Collegian. I chose to take an internship with the Associated Press. I chose to take an internship with the Minnesota Twins. Those were all things that I worked hard to get—they were acts of free will. Thu, 10 Feb 2011 02:25:56 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/08/how-have-the-choices-youve-made-and-determinism-affected-your-life-119-blog/#IDComment127033403