en-us https://www.intensedebate.com/users/762351 Comments by jyc5172 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/i-really-want-to-know-also__trashed/#IDComment66721717 My opinion of this guy has changed from what I thought of him in class, based on this question. But I’ve often wondered how much of Sam’s opinion really affects mine. I can honestly say that at the beginning of class I was so engaged and intrigued by what Sam was saying and his opinions that I didn’t listen or accept them objectively. As class has gone on I’ve found that I have disagreed with him more and more because I haven’t been taking everything he says at face value. But even though I may disagree with Sam I still appreciate the course and what it does for the student body. Without the opportunity to discuss race issues and have the opportunity to sit down at the race table no one would ever make any advancements in their own thinking. Even though I don’t agree with everything Sam says or take his words as complete truth I am grateful for the opportunity he gives us to think in a different way and reevaluate our previous notions. Without this class I would have never known the difference between Hispanics and Latinos or all the struggles Native Americans have gone through. There’s also the idea of inequality that has been discussed about and it has opened my eyes to the idea that minorities especially blacks are not the only racial group that suffer. When Sam showed us the story of the woman in the middle of nowhere it really opened my eyes to the idea that inequality is not specific to one group or race it can hit the most "elite" race or group. It allowed me to see that we cannot judge people or assume that people don't know our point of view, where we have been or what shoes we have walked in; essentially when it comes to inequality to make assumptions is to be ignorant. It was also evident that no one can say that they have it worse off than someone else or that someone should be able to survive and fight for themselves, you never know where someone is coming from or what circumstances that they couldn't control put them in their current situation. It is unfair to assume that everyone deserves to be in the situation they are currently in, or that they earned whatever was coming to them. In the case of the lady in the middle of nowhere it is in no way her fault her parents had nineteen kids, and that they struggled throughout their whole lives. Poverty is all that she has known since she was born and she decided for herself not to go on welfare which in my eyes is extraordinarily commendable. This story is a prime example of something that made me think, something that made me reevaluate my own opinions. It is not Sam’s opinion that changes my own, but rather the information and truths he brings to the table that make me think. Fri, 9 Apr 2010 04:10:16 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/i-really-want-to-know-also__trashed/#IDComment66721717 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/whats-the-big-deal-with-periods__trashed/#IDComment64285251 My mother has never been one to sugarcoat anything about bodily functions; ever since I started asking questions she started giving honest answers. So when she saw that I was probably going to start “bleeding” she prepared me for the idea. And when it actually occurred she walked me through all the steps I needed to know. She gave me books to read that not only assured me that what had happened was okay but that it was a part of life, a part of becoming a woman. Throughout life I never felt ashamed that I was bleeding, but at the same time I realized the unwritten rule that came with having my period: “Do not mention it to people of the opposite sex.” It was never a big deal but now that I think about it a lot of effort went into hiding it from men, secret code names like “Aunt Flow” “My Little Red Dot” “Time of the Month” “Mother Nature’s Gift” “Crimson Wave” and tons of others that girls make up on the spot to keep it a secret from guys. It’s all extra work to avoid an awkward conversation with men or make them feel out of place or uncomfortable, but why are we as women on our periods trying to make men feel comfortable? It seems backwards. After class me and my friend were discussing why periods are such a big deal? And I brought up the idea that maybe it has to do with the fact that you are bleeding. Like some people are just turned off or even disgusted by blood, so the idea that someone bleeds for a week straight might be a little nauseating for some people. So she posed the question, so if your period wasn’t blood if it was just clear, or even just water would it be as shunned upon, or such a sore subject? Who knows? But I also think it has a lot to do with the advertising and commercial aspects that are associated with periods. The countless products that try to “fix the problem” of a period, and various pads, tampons and medicines that try and solve our periods. And recently the addition of new types of birth control that try to cut down a period to 4 times a year (which doesn’t seem natural to me). But regardless all of these new products are trying to slowly eliminate something as natural and wondrous as a period. It’s like no one is thinking of the fact that having a period truly is a gift and that without it we wouldn’t be here. So I think that everyone should just start a new movement and start talking about what to do to make periods more acceptable in society. Sat, 27 Mar 2010 02:28:39 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/whats-the-big-deal-with-periods__trashed/#IDComment64285251 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/what-happens-to-multiracial-people__trashed/#IDComment62894750 It’s very interesting that he brings up this topic because this class has made me even more curious about generalizations that are often innocently made by white people. However sometimes it is not even white people that make these racial generalizations it is “people of color” as well. In class Sam brought up the topic of what white people say about themselves or what black people think about whites, the whole time I was thinking “Well, what about everyone else’s opinion?” It’s frustrating because in some classes all we do is talk about Native Americans, or Asians or Hispanics and Latinos and then we return to their issues until we feel it is time or it becomes relevant. Sometimes the excluding of other races is so blatant but because it seems innocent we let it slide. I have the feeling that other races outside the white team and black team have come to an understanding that their issues will never be discussed as intensely or with such detail unless someone from their community is leading the discussion. But it must be frustrating to see Sam reach a point of realization when he has several different races come in front of the class to demonstrate that there are an infinite amount of races in the world yet exclude those races from involvement in future conversations. Being black I do not have to deal with the issue or annoyance of constantly being excluded from most race conversations; however I still find myself frustrated for others. But sometimes it seems like we talk about black and white to much. I understand why black and white race relations dominate over others, it’s significant and more recent and in some cases some would say more relevant. But in education is it really fair to exclude others from these conversations? Education is supposed to be about discovering and exploring new ideas, not re-learning old ones. Sometimes I feel that other races aren’t discussed as often because educators or group leaders think that because they might not be as relevant they won’t be as entertaining; but the goal of education is not always to be entertaining. Laurie herself brought up the point a few weeks ago in a blog topic about how difficult it is to stay off the black and white issue when discussing race; and it is true it consumes our ideas of race. However when asking these questions like Sam did about what white people think of themselves and what black people think about whites doesn’t that make quite a few assumptions. It assumes that all white people think the same way; that white immigrants and white people who can trace their ancestry to the pilgrims think the same way. What about white Russians VS white Brits? Did we even ever define what it means to be white? And for black people it is assuming once again that all black people think the same way. What about black Africans who just moved here for college VS blacks who cannot trace their ancestry to anything? And the difference between blacks who grew up in white suburbs VS blacks who grew up in mostly black urban areas? And if you were to ask what do colored people think about white people doesn’t that then assume that Asians, Indians, Hispanics, Latinos, and Blacks regardless of where they are from on the planet all have the same opinion of white people? It’s all too complex for these nonchalant generalizations we make. Fri, 19 Mar 2010 04:30:47 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/what-happens-to-multiracial-people__trashed/#IDComment62894750 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/avatar-and-the-white-mans-burden__trashed/#IDComment55428239 When previews for Avatar came out I had no idea why there was so much "hype" and excitement surrounding the film. Eventually all the discussion drew me in, and I grew excited to see the film. After sitting through the rather lengthy film with my family I can honestly say it is one of the best movies I've seen in a long time. The movie world has been suffering over the last decade with a lack of originality and substance; the two things that draw people to spend sometimes over ten dollars to see a movie they only have to wait a few months to view on their own television at home for a quarter of the price. Regardless Avatar was one of the view movies that excited audiences about going to the theaters again. After viewing Avatar, I was pleased, more than satisfied with what a lot of people I knew said was an "over-hyped" movie. I thought it was a beautifully done movie, never had I seen special effects like that in a film before; which was the point. I even enjoyed the storyline, it was interesting enough to entertain me for over two hours; however after contemplating the movie and the subtle inferences I found that there was a lot more to it than what people were openly discussing. Perhaps they weren't discussing it because they were outside of the audience that was made to recognize the inferences, or maybe they just did not care to concern themselves with some of the underlying issues that Avatar discussed. Nevertheless, when my family and I got in the car after the movie we started discussing exactly who this Na'vi tribe was modeled after. Considering all their physical features our first conclusion was Native Indians, looking over their attire, beliefs, behavior; but we also noted that facially they looked more African inspired. Concluding that this tribe was modeled after the two most discriminated against groups in America, why? Maybe James Cameron understands how easy it is for a modern audience to sympathize with a tribe that he modeled after these two groups; or maybe it was an unconscious design that just happened to look like these two groups (Yeah right). Regardless I found myself slightly opposed and a little bit offended that the tribe looked the way they did. However, even after all of these conclusions were drawn and assumptions were made I never saw "The Messiah Complex" David Brooks is discussing, most likely because I'm not white. Instead I saw the victimization of a native peaceful people by "the big powerful inconsiderate white man"; why did I see it this way? Because I'm black. The conclusion I come to after reading Brooks' article is that we see things through the eyes we were given before we are able to see them through anyone else's eyes. Jewelan Cleveland Fri, 5 Feb 2010 02:18:39 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/avatar-and-the-white-mans-burden__trashed/#IDComment55428239 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/01/racism-looks-pretty-good-on-this-side-of-the-atlantic__trashed/#IDComment54300805 I've been told my whole life that I cannot pass up the opportunities I am given because people have died to provide them for me. When I think about movements that have afforded me the ability to come to College and live in the free world, I think of figures like Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, Gandhi etc. But when I think about all that people have gone through for me to have the life I have it has never crossed my mind that such a huge movement has only happened in America. I guess because I always viewed America as such a young country I made the assumption that the Civil Right's Movement was the way that America was able to catch up to other countries' progressive thinking. I never thought of the idea that they were not all progressive thinkers in regards to race; I just assumed everyone had gotten over the overtly racist ways that existed with Hitler; obviously I assumed wrong. The idea that people still have to endure such strong and intense racism as that experienced by the football players discussed in the video, is disturbingly fascinating. This blog post alone opened my eyes to the racism that is still in existence in Spain, France and other countries. It was hard to believe that these practices are still going on in this decade. My own reaction while watching this video surprised me, because it was so strong. Within the first five minutes when the experiences of the footballers were being outlined and detailed, I got so angry my eyes started to water ( not an abnormal response for me). It was so angering because these were recent events, because people had to go through these tragic and unthinkable torments in the present today. And what's most surprising is that these are not everyday people that this is happening to, it's professional athletes. Athletes in the most famous sport globally. Athletes who are being paid to play for countries and represent them everyday. But how can you represent a country, represent a people who don't support you? Represent a people who not only don't support you but degrade you and speak about you in the worst way possible? Plus you have to endure it when you're doing the one thing you love the most in the world, it subtracts from the joy that normally accompanies it. When the story of Marc Zoro was discussed it amazed me that two players from the opposing team were the ones begging him to stay on the field, not his own teammates. Naturally these players were on the "black and brown team" with him, but nevertheless how could you not have sympathy for someone in his position. Also when the story of Thierry Henry was discussed, I was baffled; someone with his fame and skill set to still have to go through such blatant racism is ludicrous. It made me wonder what if one day the L.A. Lakers were playing the Utah Jazz, and throughout the whole game bananas were being thrown at Kobe Bryant, people continually called him a monkey; but the fans that were doing this weren't the Utah Jazz fans they were actually Lakers fans, just racist ones. It's unthinkable, because Americans understand the companionship between humans, we understand it a lot more than we give ourselves credit for. Jewelan Cleveland Fri, 29 Jan 2010 03:39:50 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/01/racism-looks-pretty-good-on-this-side-of-the-atlantic__trashed/#IDComment54300805 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/01/last-name-begins-with-c__trashed/#IDComment53881094 Cleveland Rocks! Tue, 26 Jan 2010 03:07:00 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/01/last-name-begins-with-c__trashed/#IDComment53881094 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/01/clubbing-the-bejesus-out-of-rationality__trashed/#IDComment53405474 (Part 2) And while some would say Keith Olberman takes his “Final Comments” too far – how else can he match the nonsensical statements that come out of Limbaugh and Robertson’s mouths every day? While his comments do tend to come of “preachy” at times, it does not take away from the truth they so often hold. I cannot say that I am a fan of Olberman, because to me that assumes that I agree with all of his reporting, but I am a viewer and one that understands why he does the things he does. As for Rachel Maddow, I’ve watched her rise from her guest speaking stints on random MSNBC shows to having her own prime time gig and I can’t help but be proud of my fellow female in that regard. However like Jon Stewart said, “Wrong place, wrong time...” She’s still getting her bearings, obviously. With all this being said there is a freedom that all viewers have that no one seems to be thinking of, the ability to CHANGE THE CHANNEL. Fri, 22 Jan 2010 17:38:06 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/01/clubbing-the-bejesus-out-of-rationality__trashed/#IDComment53405474 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/01/clubbing-the-bejesus-out-of-rationality__trashed/#IDComment53405254 (Part 1) To think that I share the same religion as someone as ludicrous and insane as Pat Robertson, is sickening. In no way do I ever want to be associated with someone as cruel and manipulative as him, but unfortunately I have no choice but to call him a brother in Christ. However, I can still refer to him as a senile and callous person, who believes that all that he says and thinks is truth and can do or say no wrong simply because he puts the title Reverend before his name. What I find so amazing is that someone like him who most likely references the Bible every day, sees nothing wrong with talking about Haiti in such a degrading manner while they’re suffering such a crisis, it makes me wonder if he truly is a Believer or follower of Christ. To not have sympathy for your fellow man after seeing all the hurt, pain and suffering they have to endure right now seems unthinkable. As for Rush Limbaugh, I gave up on him a long time ago – if anyone, he has made a pact with the devil. Fri, 22 Jan 2010 17:37:32 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/01/clubbing-the-bejesus-out-of-rationality__trashed/#IDComment53405254