en-us https://www.intensedebate.com/users/760845 Comments by kaith2690 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/stories-for-uplift__trashed/#IDComment70773538 After hearing Dan Coyne explain how Myra is such a nice woman it makes me wonder why such bad things happen to nice innocent people. What made Myra deserve this illness? Myra’s story brings questions to my head such as, is illness something that is truly someone’s destiny that God chooses for us or is it just utter bad luck. It is true luck that Dan Coyne, a man so willing to donate a kidney to Myra, was actually a match for her. It was touching to see how generous Dan was. He is a very considerate man and the fact that he started to cry tears of joy after he found out he was a match is great proof of this. I thought the idea that Dan Coyne had to offer Myra his kidney was so touching and also creative. I cannot believe that many people like Dan Coyne exist in this world. I agree with Myra when she calls him an angel living on earth because he truly seems like an angel from God to me. When I think of angels these are the kinds of things I imagine them doing for any human. I have never heard a story of such generosity especially between two people who are in no way related. I think the video below this story of the little boy is also very touching. I cannot believe how maturely this boy talks at such a young age. I was also surprised to hear how readily and openly he shared his feelings. I have never heard a young child talk so seriously about a crush and I wasn’t aware they could experience such strong feelings for the opposite sex at that young of an age. The line at the end of the video was a very eye opening moment for me because it is so true. Children are color blind then when they grow up to read and see things on television this is when they develop racist attitudes. So in a sense, what I’m really saying is that I think we should all be more like children. Most young children accept each other regardless of their color, unless they grow up in extremely racist families and are taught prejudice behaviors at a young age. It’s sad that young children could teach educated adults a very good lesson that they have grown to forgot. We are all human and we are all equal. No man or woman is better than the other and people need to start realizing that and treating each other fairly. You should never look down on someone unless you are helping them up. If every child from now on stayed “color blind” throughout adulthood the world would be a much better and just place. Everyone would get along and no one would be judged just because of the color of their skin is different. Tue, 27 Apr 2010 04:53:22 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/stories-for-uplift__trashed/#IDComment70773538 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/christian-invaders-the-turnaround__trashed/#IDComment68890509 While sitting through this class I experienced a variety of unexpected emotions. When same was telling a story about the Chinese coming to America to steal our coal and use it for their own personal benefit it made me feel upset and useless, like things were out of my control and that we Americans were being treated unfairly. Then same continued to point out that Americans are in Iraq to take there oil and use it for our own good. It was not until then that I could truly view things as if I was a citizen in Iraq. It was like my world stopped for a moment and I could truly see things from a whole other perspective. During this class was the first time that I felt guilty for American soldiers being in Iraq to benefit our country. It sounded selfish to me and it made me feel that we had no right to be there. I know that each individual soldier that goes over to Iraq to “serve” our country is probably a good person that means well but what I also know is that our overall purpose of being in Iraq is unjust. I can openly admit that if a large group came to America from another country trying to teach me a new religion I would be scared and I would be wondering why they even cared what religion I practiced. I have realized throughout this one class period that whichever side you are on you only here the most negative news about your supposed enemy. I was shocked when I saw the news that the citizens of Iraq watched. I didn’t know that they feared Americans as much as we feared them. I was very surprised to see them tuning into the behavior of American radicals. There is one point that I can understand to why Christians think its right to try and teach Muslim children the way of Christians. I have heard many times that they think it is an honorable to kill yourself while bombing others. I have heard that they believe you get sent right to heaven if you are suicide bomber, and maybe Christians are just trying to prevent young Muslim children from committing suicide. I don’t truly know why Christians are trying to teach their religion in Iraq but after this class I realized it does feel like an invasion. Maybe if they realized how they are making all of the Iraqis feel they would stop trying to teach Muslims about Christianity. Also, I really don’t like how Sarah Palin refers to this war as a mission from God or how George Bush calls it a crusade. I think both of their comments make them appear dumb. Stealing someone’s oil is definitely not anywhere close to a religiously sanctioned military campaign. Mon, 19 Apr 2010 20:32:13 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/christian-invaders-the-turnaround__trashed/#IDComment68890509 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/want-to-learn-chinese__trashed/#IDComment68094294 The first emotion that I felt while reading this post was scared. While continuing to read the article I realized that this is such a foreign idea to me. Since I am way past elementary age I cannot imagine learning a foreign language at such a young age. The fact that being bilingual may be essential to succeed in the economic world is a scary thought. I believe that America is a free country but I don’t think other languages should begin to dominate our economy. The amount of schools that are teaching Chinese today is a big shock to me I would have never guessed that as many as 1,600 schools are teaching this language. It makes me think how I will fit in once all these children learning to speak one or two foreign languages come into the business world in which I work in. Will bilingual children be pushing elders out of there jobs once they are ready to find careers? I’m not comfortable with my future depending on my knowledge of a foreign language. Since I am older I do not have great faith that I will be able to learn a new language now. I feel that it is so much easier to learn a new language when you start at a young age opposed to starting to learn it in high school and college. As this article says, even after studying a language in high school for four years most teens can still not speak the studied language fluently. I feel that most teens will forget a majority of what they learned in there foreign language class in high school by the time they graduate from college. I myself have taken a Spanish class in high school for four years and I happened to really enjoy learning this language, yet most of my peers were not very fond of it and when they moved on to take Spanish in college they did not do well. While watching this video of the man teaching viewers to speak Chinese I realized that Chinese is taught differently then Spanish. It seems to me that Chinese is taught at a lot faster pace than Spanish is generally taught. I feel that Chinese classes teaches phrases at a time while Spanish focuses on single words at a time and then builds up into phrases. After watching both Spanish and Chinese lesson videos I noticed that the teachers are always very animated and hyper. I think this is because It is hard to get most people to stay interested in learning a language other than they’re own so they display these attitudes to attempt to keep viewers attention. Either way, if learning a new language is something I really need to do to have a career that I love I will just do it. Wed, 14 Apr 2010 21:46:30 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/want-to-learn-chinese__trashed/#IDComment68094294 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/those-damn-dolls__trashed/#IDComment64948149 The Doll video was one of the saddest things I have ever seen. It almost brought me to tears while watching it. It is awful that something has been instilled in those children’s’ minds that makes them feel inferior or that they are not the “nice” one. It is awful how racist attitudes affect young children. This video just makes me feel that I wish things were different and that these children do not deserve the feelings that they have at such a young age, or ever. I feel that it is extremely important for children to be taught at a very young age that they are beautiful how they are and they should love the skin they are in. If it was my child participating in this video I would be devastated that they are feeling that they are the “bad” one. As a white person, it was extremely painful for me to watch this. I felt very upset and when the little boy was asked which one was the nice doll and picked up the white doll it made my stomach turn. When the little boy was asked why that doll was the nice doll and he responded with “cause he’s white”, those words burnt into me. I feel so many emotions while watching this video, especially anger because this world is a racist world and this video is great proof of that. I have never considered myself a racist by any means and I never knew that such young children were impacted by racism and its affects. This video has changed my point of view on the affects of racism and it has created a new anger in me. I just feel so awful that young innocent children are subject to racism when they did absolutely nothing wrong. I felt a sense of relief whenever the young children chose a doll of their own color; it was like I could breathe again. This video just makes me want to change racism but I know that if this could have been done it would have been done a long time ago. I cannot say the real reason why these children picked the white doll, maybe it is because if you search beauty on Google it is all white people, or maybe because white characters are more commonly seen on television, I don’t know but the world obviously needs to become a more diverse and accepting place. One race is not the right race, and no color is wrong. There isn’t a “right” kind of hair or a wrong shape of eye or nose. No one is perfect and no race can be portrayed as perfect. This video is proof that not everyone in the world thinks this way if these children have been influenced to think white is right. Wed, 31 Mar 2010 03:08:38 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/those-damn-dolls__trashed/#IDComment64948149 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/what-to-do-about-white-guilt__trashed/#IDComment63544155 I have never looked at things in this point of view that was talked about in this video. It was interested to hear this girl’s suggestion and I wonder if it would change anything, such as white guilt. I think if we did change our history books that it would still take decades for things to be noticeably different. Literature is not the only reason for our beliefs and feelings but also word of mouth is responsible. It may take quite a while for people to forget the past history between whites and blacks. I feel that if our textbooks were changed today those who experience white guilt would not stop feeling it but maybe their children would not ever have reason to begin to feel it. In regards to white guilt I can’t say I have strong feelings about it. I do not feel extremely guilty because I myself have not inflicted pain on the black race but I have uneasy feelings about them being discriminated against and I also feel nervous about ever offending someone of a different race because everyone prefers to be called something different. I feel that most of the time not everyone is not completely open in discussions about race because they are afraid that they’re language might be offensive to someone else or they might use terms that are not politically correct. Many may think that white people who are not open in race discussions are being so quiet because of white guilt but I think it is because they fear that they do not know how to speak in the correct and appropriate terms. When Sam says, “And I respond to that by saying that most of these white people are missing the point of white guilt, that a deeply rooted shame for past history exists in most white people.” I cannot relate to this line because I do not feel that I hurt anyone or ruined anyone’s lives. I do not know who my ancestors were and if they were slave owners or if they were poor slaves themselves. If I found out that my ancestors were terrible people who enslaved many innocent black people then yes, I would feel extremely awful and disgusted with my family. In the terms of the Native Americans, I do feel bad about their land being stolen and blood being shed but I cannot go as far as saying I feel very guilty about it because I did not make any decisions that influenced a Native Americans life negatively just as I have not made any decisions that hurt an African American. I think true guilt comes from an interaction that you are completely involved in when your words, decisions, or actions have hurt another person and hindered their chances at success in this world. Feeling sympathetic or bad about what has happened in the past is not what I would describe as guilt. Mon, 22 Mar 2010 21:31:07 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/what-to-do-about-white-guilt__trashed/#IDComment63544155 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/women-and-sports__trashed/#IDComment62315643 Not to come off as sexist, because I have never thought myself to be so, but I have never considered a woman being a football coach. I also would like to say that by no means am I against a woman being a football coach. Natalie Randolph’s first impression on me was that she is very sweet and sincere. She seems to be very excited about her new endeavor and I feel that she can contribute a lot to the Calvin Coolidge high school football team. I was very surprised to hear that Coach Randolph’s football team immediately applauded when they heard that she was their new coach. I would expect the team to have confused looks on their faces and ask if she was serious. I am just assuming that they were well aware of this new installation before Natalie Randolph stood before her new team. Although it was not what I was expecting from her team, I am very glad that Natalie received such support and applause from the teenagers on her new team. Natalie looks so sweet and girl to me and I was so shocked to see her in a football uniform jumping up for the ball. This really makes me realize that you truly cannot judge a person by what they look like on the outside. I would have never expected Natalie Randolph to have the background that she does just by looking at a picture of her. It must make her football team feel more confident in her because not only does she know and love the game, she also had played tackle football before. Natalie Randolph seems to be a very easy going woman and I don’t think much can stop this woman from being successful. Phrases such as “that’s the way the cookie crumbles”, makes me think that Natalie accepts things as they are and can easily overcome the obstacles presented to her. Natalie does not seem one bit worried about her first game or about coaching the football team at all. I would not be surprised if other coaches were intimidated by her. I am sure some male coaches might be a little bit more upset if he lost to a football team with a woman coach opposed to a football team with a male coach. I feel this way because a male coach who does not know Natalie and her background may assume that she does not know the game as well as he. I firmly agree with Campbell Brown when she states in the last seconds of the video that Natalie Rudolph is downplaying the history of this whole scenario. I am not sure if Natalie is being very humble or if she truly does not think this is as exciting a moment for her as Campbell Brown does. I am glad that a woman has become a high school football coach because maybe this will decrease the sexism some women experience in the American culture. Tue, 16 Mar 2010 01:13:42 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/women-and-sports__trashed/#IDComment62315643 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/this-is-getting-to-be-too-much__trashed/#IDComment61553761 I was so surprised at the amount of students that were openly expressing their rage. I respect the students that were open about their feelings and it is good to know that these students will not put up with racist acts regardless of which race they are towards. I think it is very important for a campuses climate to be very welcoming and hospitable towards every race. I think that UCSD is doing a good job working towards this welcoming environment and they have made it very obvious that racial and social injustices will not stand a chance in their community. I hope that Jiggaboo Jones realizes in the near future that it is not ok to encourage stereotypical themed parties. I am sure that the students’ outrage has shown him that it was very insulting. Fri, 12 Mar 2010 00:22:56 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/this-is-getting-to-be-too-much__trashed/#IDComment61553761 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/this-is-getting-to-be-too-much__trashed/#IDComment61553716 Although this party was offending to many people I do not think this was the intention. I truly believe this party was sponsored by Jiggaboo Jones because he wanted to get his name out there and bring in money. No matter what the circumstances were this themed party was very unnecessary and insensitive. Also, this party was degrading to many African Americans because they all do not dress and act the way the students at this party were acting. I am sure African Americans do not appreciate the misrepresentation. I feel that it was not right for the students to take part in this party and feel that it was ok just because a black male was hosting it. It does not change the fact that this party was stereotypical towards all African Americans. I agree with David in the video that a two hour teach in is nowhere near enough time to speak to students about racial issues. Obviously, a whole semester or more could be spent on discussing racial issues. Fri, 12 Mar 2010 00:22:37 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/this-is-getting-to-be-too-much__trashed/#IDComment61553716 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/this-is-getting-to-be-too-much__trashed/#IDComment61553668 I think it is wrong to judge to UCSD campus off of certain acts of particular students. I do feel hanging a noose is a very vulgar action and someone really crossed the line, but I am not making assumptions about the entire student body. I hope that the student responsible sincerely regrets his/her actions. When it comes to the Fraternity party, better known as the Compton cookout, I would completely understand if black people took offense to this. In discussion group we visited Jiggaboo Jones’ webpage, the man who sponsored the Compton cookout. Jiggaboo Jones is a black male who considers himself the number one N word. He actually stereotypes black males and I feel he shines a bad light on them. When I first heard about the Compton cookout I figured it was the idea of all white males and I thought it was very offensive and inappropriate. Once I realized this party was Jiggaboo Jones’ idea I felt less anger. Fri, 12 Mar 2010 00:22:10 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/this-is-getting-to-be-too-much__trashed/#IDComment61553668 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/why-is-this-racist-really__trashed/#IDComment59457672 In my opinion this isn’t necessarily racist, well at least not the idea of it. I would like to make note that I do think the quote that Sam included from Moose was racist but I don’t think his plan is promoting to form this basketball league is promoting racism. I think that this is the type of situation that is racist just if you think it is. It is what you make of it. There is nothing wrong with forming an all American league, just as there is absolutely nothing wrong with forming an all African American or Asian league. Although I personally don’t think that this is a form of racism I can see how others might think it is. I also can understand how this might make other races mad because they feel excluded. To be honest, when I first started reading this I thought, Oh this is for the slower paced basketball players who usually can’t jump quite as high; white guys. I thought it was kind of degrading to white men actually. It sounded like white men can’t keep up with the current basketball league and that they need to move at a slower paced. Maybe they can’t keep up and maybe white men are slowly going to vanish from the professional basketball league. I’m giving Don Lewis the benefit of the doubt that he wants to create an environment for white men who are starting to feel excluded. In my head Moose is just creating a league where men can enjoy themselves and not be worried about being weeded out because their skills are not great enough. I am not quite sure about how I feel about paying for one of these tickets. I am pretty content with the professional basketball league that exists now and I think the pace of the game makes it exciting. I don’t think Don Lewis’ basketball league will be taken as seriously by the public at first if ever at all. I know that this is causing large controversy so maybe this league will never really be in full fledge action. I know that this league will be discriminated against if it does eventually exist. All in all I don’t think Don Lewis meant any harm but I did not appreciate some of his words. I just think he needs to filter his thoughts before they come out of his mouth. Maybe if he had promoted his plan in a different way and with different words it wouldn’t have been taken as racist. I think that if people think this is racist that they should just ignore it and not let it bother them because I really don’t think segregation was Don Lewis’ intentions. Wed, 3 Mar 2010 01:51:49 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/why-is-this-racist-really__trashed/#IDComment59457672 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/who-could-compete-with-this-woman-on-a-level-playing-field__trashed/#IDComment58301449 Yvrose Jean Baptiste’s story has truly inspired me. Her story is also proof that sometimes life is just absolutely and mercilessly unfair. She is a woman with great work ethic and I cannot believe a woman with a fifth grade education even realized that she could make a great amount of money by taking loans and lending food to people. It is astounding that she could form her own small business. I would expect this kind of business planning to have come from a college student in a business major. Yvrose displays true motivation. I would never expect a woman with her level of education to be able to support a family. There is no doubt in my mind that she would be extremely successful in a country of opportunity such as the United States and I wish that she could have a chance to come to our country with her family. I feel so horrible that she lost her money and has to pay the bank back. It was very hard to listen to that part of her story. I hope that donation fund has helped her out significantly and that she was able to pay the bank back already. Her situation is very unfortunate and it is really not fair. She absolutely did not deserve to be put in this situation. If Yvrose is still short on money to pay the bank back I have great faith that she will get back on her feet and pay the money back and find another way to support her family. Yvrose’s family is very lucky to have her and her children must be very well raised. They will most likely have the determination of their mother because she is a great role model. Yvrose is obviously a woman of determination and hope. This sounds awful but to be honest, this story makes me not feel bad for those who are homeless because of their own personal decisions and actions. This is a country of opportunity and if Yvrose can manage to make money and support a family and have a home in Haiti than anyone is capable of doing that in the United States. Americans need to realize that if they apply themselves they really can be successful. We have plenty of resources here in the United States and no one should make excuses for being unsuccessful. Yes, many people have obstacles to overcome in their lives but most of them are no excuse to be unsuccessful if you truly want to be. Many people who become homeless have dropped out of school, and denying an education is probably very shamed upon in Haiti. Receiving an education should be an honor. Tue, 23 Feb 2010 06:44:17 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/who-could-compete-with-this-woman-on-a-level-playing-field__trashed/#IDComment58301449 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/the-xxx-bible-who-wouldve-thought__trashed/#IDComment57549619 I wasn’t far into the Adam’s family jewels article when I became appalled. I have been unsure about the bible for a long time and I knew that there was a translation there that I did not understand, but what I have read in this article is not what I was expecting at all. There were so many things that I did not know about the bible. I think it’s so weird that men used to grab each others testicles to prove they were telling the truth. I suppose it isn’t a coincidence that the two words testes and testify are spelled so similarly. I am glad I read this article because it is helpful in deciphering the bible. I am interested in hearing what other phrases from the bible translate too and now I wouldn’t be surprised what I hear. I really agree that the bible is very dirty and I can’t imagine hearing the words that I read in the article in mass. I wonder if most priests believe that the bible really translates into sexual innuendos and if they do believe I would like to hear what they have to say. I cannot believe that I have been abiding by rules in practically a pornographic book. I also think its funny that people place their hand in the bible in court when they are under oath. I no longer find significance in being under oath while holding onto the bible. This makes me wonder so many things and my imagination is soaring. Was Mary really a virgin? Was incest a commonality in ancient times and why are things no longer ok today when they were back then. Why incest is looked down on and why did fathers use to offer their virgin daughters to house guests are two questions that are stuck in my mind. The sentence about fathers offering their wives and daughters made me feel disgusted. I am glad that times have changed since then and that fathers cannot just offer up their daughters. I would be very unhappy if men still grabbed each others testes, if women got their hands chopped off as punishment, and if siblings slept together today. I also agree that the world would be a barbaric place certain beliefs and the cultural expectations that we have today. I notice that in this article they said a bone was taken from the first man’s penis and that is the reasoning why no man has a bone in his penis, but you could also argue that women have one extra rib then men and it could be because the first woman was indeed made from the first mans rib. It’s a shame that we will never no the truth and I feel that the bible will be argued about until the day the world ends. Fri, 19 Feb 2010 01:26:45 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/the-xxx-bible-who-wouldve-thought__trashed/#IDComment57549619 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/why-is-the-conversation-always-about-black-and-white-people__trashed/#IDComment56441401 I think Laurie Mulvey makes a great point in her video and I too agree that the race relations conversations that are constantly about black and white people stem from slavery. The fact that many white people realize their descendants may have once owned African Americans as slaves makes them feel obligated to speak about those racial problems and past inequality errors. As a white person, those kinds of thoughts disturb me and make me absolutely sick to my stomach. I am ashamed to admit that people of my color have owned slaves. I firmly believe that when a white person hears the term racism they immediately think of their relationships with African Americans. Laurie states that we have seen their plight and I feel that this is the main reason why their race comes to mind when we hear the word racism. It is something that people in the white community have seen and read about many times. Images of protest posters and of African Americans marching in the streets fighting for equality come to mind when I think of racism. I think that white people still have this underlying guilt about making black people feel unequal and also feel that we have displayed the most racism towards them in the past. To be very forward, I agree with Laurie’s so much because I can understand a white person feeling guilt towards an African American while not feeling any guilt towards Asians, Mexicans, and etcetera. I have never heard of Asian hardships provoked by white people so I therefore do not feel that we have done any harm to their community. It is the extreme inequality that many racist people believed existed between whites and black many years ago that bring rise to the topic in many conversations. It was the segregation between schools, bus seats, and water fountains that is responsible for our current conversations on relations between black and white people today. I do feel that the race relations discussions that I participate in would focus on different or maybe more races if I was from a different area. I also feel that my conversations would differ if I had seen and heard different things throughout my life. This topic is very much related to many peoples idea of diversity. Most white people think of a diverse community as a neighborhood with many black and white people. I believe this is true because long ago whites would not live in a community where black families also resided, nor would they send their children to the same schools. These conversations and ideologies truly do stem from our experiences and how we were raised. Although the majority of race conversations are still about white and black people, since taking this class I have a new perspective on diversity and believe racism does not just exist between these two races. Fri, 12 Feb 2010 04:29:29 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/why-is-the-conversation-always-about-black-and-white-people__trashed/#IDComment56441401 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/avatar-and-the-white-mans-burden__trashed/#IDComment55264260 I cannot understand how these accusations were directed toward such a particular film but not others. Just because white people look like they are being heroic in a movie does not mean that the director believes only white people can be heroic. This movie may have had open auditions where many different races tried out and maybe the actors selected for this film were selected for their acting skills. I presume that is normally how actors/actresses are chosen for a part. If David Brooks thinks this is a form of white people trying to say that they are superior then he must be thinking most movies are conspiracies too degrade other races. I have seen many films that poke fun at other races and where one race seems superior throughout the whole movie. I have seen movies that poke fun at stereotypes and people with certain careers. I am just appalled by Brooks accusation because I feel that all movies can appear as if their applauding one race/stereotype/sex and frowning upon another. The films Superbad, Departed, and Changeling make cops look like they are all either a joke or two faced. The movie Bring it On gives you the vibe that black cheerleaders can dance far better than white cheerleaders. I just don’t find it necessary to make accusations towards a movie about racial superiority because I really don’t think movies are made to display power of a certain race. A lot of time, money, and effort goes into making a movie and I don’t think all that energy would be expelled just to be racist or prejudice. Most movies are made for entertainment not to be cruel. I think that Avatar was viewed in a bad light in this case and falsely accused. I really think that David Brooks read way far into the film and everything isn’t about race and pointing fingers. From the aspect of David Brooks saying a white male always needs to lead people of a different race I don’t believe this is true. I don’t think that all movies do this maybe the majority of them are in America but I’m certain that all movies do not make white men seem superior. I may just have these opinions because I have never been a person who believes in race. I don’t see people that have different skin tones than me as having different qualities. I don’t think one race is better than another and when I here people say that Asians are better at one thing and whites are better than another I think it is completely stereotypical. I wish that the rest of the world could look past the fact that we have different skin tones and realize that this does not mean anything at all. We are all humans. This may be a rather forward statement but I feel that the fact that David Brooks accused this movie of being racist simply means he is a true believer in race, meaning that are skin tones separate the kind of people we are. Thu, 4 Feb 2010 01:26:32 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/avatar-and-the-white-mans-burden__trashed/#IDComment55264260 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/01/the-enlightened-west-knows-best__trashed/#IDComment54418098 I was interested to read about this subject because I never knew what the situation was with burqas. I didn’t know how the women felt about it and I always thought it was forced upon them. I have mixed feelings about the video because even though I feel that banning burqas is a bit racist and certain women won’t be allowed to practice their culture it also might be for security reasons. In this world there are many sneaky people out there who have things to hide and wearing a burqa is a good way to do it. You never know who someone is if they are wearing a burqa and in a time of war and security concern I could understand this situation if their main reason was to protect other citizens more efficiently. When I really think about it I kind of disagree with the culture that these women practice because it seems like they are ashamed of whom they truly are and everyone should be comfortable in their own skin. I would like to read more about this subject so I could be more educated about this and understand why women do wear them and how wearing a burqa came about. I am very curious about this culture and would like to read more about it. I was very surprised to hear that women wear a burqa even when their husbands really don’t want them too, it makes me realize it is really about whom these women are, expressing their religious beliefs, and where they come from opposed to something that is just a rule forced upon them. Growing up I just figured that women were forced to wear them because men didn’t want the rest of the world to see them. I thought that it was rude of men and sexist. I thought it wasn’t fair that men could show themselves to the world yet women couldn’t. To me, it seemed as if men and women weren’t equal in their culture. It makes me more comfortable hearing that there are some women that prefer to wear a burqa. Overall, I think that these women should still be aloud to wear burqas and the French government should focus their concern on more serious problems in France. I think saying that they need to be “enlightened French citizens” is offending and maybe the French government needs to be enlightened about these womens’ cultural values. The French government has come of as racist and it’s inappropriate. I am interested to see where this goes and to see if this ban actually occurs. I am sure that there will be many fines given out and many controversies if this becomes a new rule in France. Fri, 29 Jan 2010 23:35:26 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/01/the-enlightened-west-knows-best__trashed/#IDComment54418098 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/01/last-name-begins-with-h__trashed/#IDComment53878767 hey Tue, 26 Jan 2010 02:39:18 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/01/last-name-begins-with-h__trashed/#IDComment53878767 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/01/clubbing-the-bejesus-out-of-rationality__trashed/#IDComment53115260 Firstly, hearing Pat Robertson’s reasoning of the earthquake in Haiti was bone chilling and sounded a bit idiotic. He sounds racist not religious and as if the Haitian people have done something personally to him, which certainly does not seem to be true. If he wants to be greedy and selfish and not contribute to any Haiti relief funds so be it, but he is certainly not stopping the rest of the country. I agree with Sam, Robertson needs to be challenged, and he sounds like he needs some serious medication. He sounds like a man living in a different time. I myself, as a Christian, would never come close to being on the same attitude level as Pat Robertson about this whole incident. In the wild scenario and in a different world, if Haiti did make a pact with the devil, it still does not mean we cannot lend our help and donations. The right thing to do is to support and help others in need. We should not turn our hearts away from the starving and dying in Haiti when they have not done anything personally wrong to us Americans as individuals. I do not consider what Robertson said to be a “slip of the tongue” I think it is selfishness, greed and stupidity etcetera all rolled up into one. I was offended reading this and I am not even from Haiti. If Robertson is viewed by many Christians and they are following him and trusting his word than religion is taking a turn for the worst. As a Christian I was taught to feed the hungry and even love your enemy. It is mind blowing that Pat Robertson can be referred to as Reverend. Keith Olbermann’s video clip made me laugh and I really enjoyed watching it. What Olbermann said was very powerful and extremely necessary. I too am now more likely to believe that Robertson is the devil himself. I agree with Olbermann that it seems that Robertson gets some kind of sick pleasure out of others misery. Addressing a country in a time of desperate need and in intense agony the way that Pat Robertson did is not typical of your everyday reverend. Jon Stewart’s remark about Rush Limbaugh, “I think I know the cause of your heart trouble, you don’t have one”, was funny yet sadly Limbaugh’s comments really make this statement seem true. The fact that such beings exist like Rush Limbaugh and Pat Robertson are really troubling. In a time like this how can one be so selfish and point fingers and try to find someone to blame. This is not about whose right or wrong or whose fault this was. This event was obviously no ones fault. An earthquake is clearly a natural disaster and the fact that these two men cannot even grasp that concept is a disgrace. I feel that these two men just make themselves mad and think up conspiracies in their heads. Maybe when they join the rest of the world on planet Earth I will tune into what they have to say, but this event is no where in the near future. Thu, 21 Jan 2010 03:38:05 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/01/clubbing-the-bejesus-out-of-rationality__trashed/#IDComment53115260