I believe that the main reason people dislike immigrants is because of fear. There are many different fears that are associated with immigrants, that I believe mainly stem from insecurity. They are afraid what these new people will bring to their country. I lot of people don’t like change, and they like to feel comfortable with where they are at. I think that people have the idea that if our country would allow immigrants to come that they would take over our culture, language, jobs, and many other different things that we hold dear to our hearts.

Even though I believe that a lot of these fears don’t make sense, I also think that it is normal to feel that way. People are losing jobs because employers know that they can hire immigrants for the same job at a much lower cost. I believe that people have the idea that if these employers didn’t have that option, then they would be forced to hire Americans at a much higher rate. At the same token, people don’t realize that these jobs are ones that most Americans don’t want or would take, so we shouldn’t really care too much whether or not they are hiring people illegally. Another thing that Sam mentioned is the fact that price would go up a lot if it weren’t for illegal labor. If it weren’t for cheap work, we would be paying a lot more than $1.79 a pound for pears.

It is also normal for people to get worried about their culture being taken over by illegal immigrants. As people see more and more people entering their city that are aliens they become worried. They see signs in Spanish, and bilingual options everywhere. Obviously their first reaction is to take offense that people who cant speak English shouldn’t be hear. Sam quickly dissolved this argument with the graph that shows the change of language after three generations of immigrants. Of course out of all the first generation immigrants, only 29 percent can speak English. But after that, the second and third generations quickly learn the native language, and this study has held steady for many years.

What the main problem comes down to is the fact that most Americans bring up stereotypes of illegal immigrants. A lot of people generally think that immigrants are lazy and come to our country to exploit our people. After listening to Sam, I have realized that this is not the case. If people are coming to the United States, they are generally extremely hard working individuals. They come to exploit the job opportunities because our working conditions are better in our country, but they are very hard working people. I believe these false stereotypes and fears are what drives Americans opinions on immigrants.

Of course I wouldn’t try to not benefit from nepotism if I was presented with the opportunity. I feel like you have to take every opportunity you get in this world, no matter where it comes from. It is extremely true that “it isn’t what you know, it’s who you know.” Although there are some instances such as in the movie Step Brothers, when Dale says he will join the family business (Doctors), where you do need some skills to make that happen. But it is definitely easier to get where you want to be with the help of people who came before you and can give you a hand.
When I was in high school I benefited from nepotism in a lot of different ways. I grew up in a small town where everybody knows everybody. My grandfather was the mayor before I was born, my uncle owned one of the only restaurants in town, and my dad is a manager at one of the only two banks in town. Not to be conceded, but obviously that helped me out in a lot of different ways. I know I have gotten out of speeding tickets and other fines because of it, I received jobs that I probably would have never gotten otherwise, and overall I was just put in a much better situation than some of my friends. Although looking at this from an outside perspective that may not be fair to the others who don’t receive the same benefits, I feel like it is fair. Mainly because I am the one benefiting so it is harder for me to say that it wouldn’t be, but I am not going to turn down opportunities just because other people don’t have the same ones.
Yes I am a white male, and yes I have connections that some people may not have, but I feel like it would be wrong not to exploit those connections. Yes people have proposed the argument that you cannot help the family that you are born into. I agree that you cannot control that, but it is what you do in those situations that make you who you are. It is just as easy for someone born into a poor family with no help or connections to be successful, just as it is easy for someone who has everything to throw it all away.
I totally understand why some people would say that nepotism is a negative thing and that we shouldn’t take advantage of the system. I disagree with that, and I say to exploit any situation you are ever given if it means to succeed and increase your happiness. It is who you know, and not what you know, and I would definitely take advantage of that if I got the opportunity.

The lecture “Christian Invaders” was definitely a great lecture. Although there were a number of great lectures throughout the year, I do agree that this was the best one. It is unusual to talk about the number of good lectures that a professor has throughout the year, but Sam continues to pull off interesting and exciting ideas. His controversial and provocative ideas always leave me exploring deeply into new issues.

This lecture in particular raised much thought for me, and made me rethink my original beliefs. I am in the Army National Guard, and the wars in the Middle East are something that I have strong ideas about. To stop and look at this whole topic through the eyes of the people that is native to the land, was extremely different and challenging for me. From being in the military I have only really looked at one side of this topic. I haven’t really looked into what their point of view was or what they may be feeling or going through. Viewing the terrorists as the enemy, it is hard to change that one track mind and realize what the native people may be thinking or feeling. I also have never even thought about the fact that they are looking at this as a religious battle, and didn’t know that Christian extremists were going over and trying to influence their people.

I am a spiritual person, not a religious person. I don’t like the idea of the different religions and all of the crazy ideas that extremists put along with them. That is why I find it is absurd to have people trying to conform others into believing as they do, especially when they do it in a terroristic and violent way. No one has the right to impose their ideas and beliefs to anyone else in such a manner. This class in particular has made me open my eyes and really made me double think my own actions and ideas. It is easy for us Americans to sit here and learn on the news what is going on and make decisions on what we believe is really happening and what should happen. But when Sam made us look at this whole situation through the eyes of an average Iraqi boy or girl I really had to second guess myself.

There were some parts of class I didn’t like, such as showing the videos of the American soldiers “harassing” the Iraqi people. This is controversial for me and I see a side of this that an average person wouldn’t realize, but that’s a whole another topic. Now that I can see that some can say that this is a Holy War and that this is about religion, it definitely made me think. This was an awesome class.

I have been in situations where people have been speaking different languages in front of me. During these times I have felt extremely awkward. Not because of their language though, I think it was mainly cause of my own insecurities. If the people who know how to speak English are talking in a different language around me then I feel like they could say something about me or talk behind my back. This is generally with friends that I know choose to change languages just to say random things.
My answer changes though, if we are talking about people who I do not know. If I’m walking on campus and I hear people speaking in a different tongue, then I generally don’t care. I understand that they may feel more comfortable speaking a different language and that is their choice. Who am I to judge what language people should talk in, especially if they are not talking to or about me. I don’t believe that it is fair for me to really feel uncomfortable around people though.
I think that this uncomfortable feeling stems from people misunderstanding what is going on. They feel like they are out of their element and may not be happy not being able to understand the people around them. I definitely don’t feel comfortable when I get the vibe that people may be talking about me behind my back and using a different language to aid in that. But on the other hand if I’m not even in that conversation or associated with the people talking than I don’t get upset or mad about it at all.
I definitely agree with the others that say it depends on the situation. In most circumstances, hearing people speaking in other languages is refreshing and considerably interesting. I find it intriguing that people do know more than one language and have the ability to switch which one they would prefer to use at any time. I can also say that I am jealous that I only know one language. On the other hand I believe that people who do choose to speak another language around others should be careful. I don’t think it is considerate to talk behind someone’s back and make jokes and laugh at someone else’s expense. Using another language to aid this indecent act is just wrong.
In some situations it is impossible to help the language that must be spoken to have people understand you. I know that if I went to another country that people may think that I would be talking differently. I would hope that I wouldn’t take advantage of the language barrier in that situation. Like I previously stated, I feel that every situation is different and as long as people are aware I don’t see this as a huge issue.

Would I point out people of my own race making prejudice comments or racial slurs? I believe that this question is really hard to answer. I can sit here and say that I would “call out” anyone who said something, but it is a lot harder said than done. Of course I know there are a lot of racially ignorant people in this world, but it would be hard to call someone out on their beliefs. It is especially hard if I don’t know these people that are making the comments. I am a firm believer that most people generally do all they can to avoid confrontation and conflict. That is why I think that even though many people may disagree or want to say something, it is harder for them to provoke confrontation.
I do have friends that enjoy joking around about stereotypes of all kinds, and sometimes these remarks do get out of control. Now that I have been taking a part of Sam’s class and lecture I believe that I am more aware than they are and it is easier for me to point out these slurs. Sometimes it is hard to tell the difference between innocent fun and ignorant cruelty, but I have been spreading the knowledge I have gained. I have been standing up to my friends more and more, and I truly believe that their misguided information is becoming less prevalent in their forethought. Although no one can really control what another person may be thinking or saying in some cases, it does feel good to stand up for something you believe in, even if you already know and feel comfortable around these people.
With that being said, I would say that it is a lot easier to confront issues with your friends. It is, however, harder for me to say that if I was at a KKK rally, that I would stick up for people of different ethnicities. I am not a huge fan of confrontation and I don’t believe that sparking a debate with people I don’t know is ever the safest thing. In this day and age, you never really know how extreme another person’s beliefs and ideas are, and provoking an argument could be a life threatening task. I guess what I am trying to say is that there is a time and place for everything. If the situation is right then I believe I would stand up for what I believe in. Talking to friends, family, and “safer” people about this topic comes easy for me and I do that on a regular basis. The hard part in this question is whether I would confront anyone in my race. I don’t believe I can answer yes to that question, not because I don’t want to or don’t care, simply because I am not an argumentative creature, and avoid confrontation at all cost.

During class Sam showed a video that contained little black boys and girl choosing between two different colored dolls. The interviewer would ask these children to pick between a white baby doll and a black baby doll based on different questions. Such questions such as “which doll is the good one, which doll is the nice doll, or even asking which one is bad were asked to be answered by these children.” The answers that these children gave the interviewer shocked and disturbed me. Before this class I was completely ignorant to the fact that children were being raised with these ideas. It is a very real and scary situation and it is hard to say where these ideas are derived.
Is it fair to say that these children are being raised to believe they are unequal to their white peers? Do they believe that white people are nicer, more beautiful, and good? If that is the idea that society puts in their head at a young age, there is something wrong. I believe that part of these ideas come from the media, although that’s not the only area to place blame. I do not know if the media sends the messages that white is good and that black is bad. I believe that messages mainly contain the idea that being white is the norm. There are so many shows that show white families, and white children in comparison to the select few that show black families. I believe that everyone tries to conform to the social norm, and because all of these TV shows the youth is led to believe that white is normal. And even though the majority of Americans are white, I don’t believe they should be deemed normal. I think that instead of having a vast supply of white entertainment, our country should incorporate more shows that show black families and other racial groups. I believe that if we start making shows with interracial families we may also spread the idea that everyone is good, and everyone is nice, rather than one skin color being better than the other.
I also think that part of the problem arrives during the child’s upbringing. How their parents raise them has to have some affect on how they feel about skin color, even at that young age. I think that if parents start educating these children on skin color and the simple fact that everyone is different these children may have a different idea. They need to realize that everyone is beautiful, and “good” no matter what their skin color is. Although there may be different reasons these children chose the doll that they did, I believe this study was really sad. It is hard to say what needs to be done, and my only opinion is better education.

What can we do to save and conserve our resources? The answer is not really black and white. His question addresses the issue of controlling the population rather than the resources we consume, so I am going to comment on this part first. Do I believe that we should control how many children we can have, or at what age? I do believe this is a good thought because I don’t think it is right that some are now having children at the mature age of 14 and 15 and sometimes younger. I am a firm believer that in most cases when children are having their own children, they cannot fully support them. When you are that young and immature, you are not financially stable enough to support yourself, let alone other children. This comes down to lacking the economic resources, not just goods. In a perfect world it would be nice to be able curb the baby making in younger individuals, but unfortunately that is not going to happen. You can’t force people to not have sex, and once they do you can’t force them to use contraception or have an abortion. Hopefully if we better educate the youth, we will be able to lessen the number of teenage pregnancies.
I believe that is also impossible and unjust to tell people how many children they can have. There is no way we would ever be able to pass laws to stop people from having children. With that being said, it is also unrealistic and unfair. Some people who can support and want children should be allowed to have as many as they would like. It is impossible to draw the line and say who can and cannot have children and be able to enforce that. I believe that overpopulation is a huge problem that we may be facing, and having all of the resources necessary to support everyone is nearly impossible. But trying to enforce regulations that stop reproduction is extremely unrealistic in my eyes. I feel as though it would be better to conserve the resources themselves. I also am a firm believer in Social Darwinism. I do believe that conserving resources and helping those in need is a good thing, I also believe that at a certain point it is out of our hands.
If resources run out or become scarce, I believe through evolution we will eventually balance ourselves out. If the individuals get ahead whether if he was born into it, or works hard for it, he will still survive. If there aren’t enough resources for everyone then eventually those who don’t have means to those resources will become less and less based on evolution. The bottom line is it is nearly impossible to prevent people from reproducing, and it is equally as hard to get the necessary resources to everyone. I believe Social Darwinism is the answer.

As much as we “white folk” like to believe that the white man privilege does not exist, it is a factor in our society. When he asks if I believe that his lighter skin color gets him ahead, I believe the answer is yes. Unfortunately the color of your skin does have an impact on your social status and the privileges you may receive from some people. Although he still is an African American, the fact that he isn’t as dark as others would probably give him an advantage to those who are darker.
When Sam showed us the research they did about the job market and the experiment of the resumes that were turned, my eyes were opened to a new world. I always knew that being white did give an advantage in some areas, but I did not know that it was that prevalent. The fact that the identical resumes were handed out with just different names, and the response to those resumes, made me think twice about discrimination and the affect on skin color. Even without seeing the individuals they still made decisions based on the origin of the name whether it was black or white sounding. With this being said, it is easy to tell that somewhere along the lines skin color does make a difference in our society.
It is sad that after all of these years, that people of minorities are still being affected by racism and discrimination. It is unfortunate that people do look at skin color and ethnic backgrounds, whether they are realizing it or not. I know there are many people that have been affected by this and are continuingly being affected by discrimination all around. With all of the research and facts that Sam showed us in class, one would think that it would be easy to put a stop to it. But like Sam said, it is hard to pinpoint where these discriminations are actually taking place because people won’t admit it and sometimes don’t know they are doing it. It is hard to ignore these problems, especially when people like Sam and others are pointing them out in such a concrete manner.
Yes I do believe that this man can get ahead in society because his skin may be lighter than others in his race. It is hard to pinpoint but somewhere along the line there are bias and racist people making these decisions. It is to the point that knowledge is power, and the only way we are going to stop these advantages is by spreading that knowledge to everyone. I personally was ignorant to such extremes until taking this class, but now that I am aware I can use this knowledge to benefit society. Hopefully someday there will be no benefit to having a lighter skin color than someone else.

I am a firm believer that the increase in arrests for African Americans is not due to the police enforcement being racist. I believe that there are a number of other contributing factors that affect the amount of arrests for black males, but I do not believe that this is due to the police officers themselves. I believe that one of the main reasons we find a higher arrest rate for black men is in fact due to the high population in urban environments. Because there are so many people in urban environments, there is a lot more law enforcement and crime control. It is a lot easier to get busted in a city for selling drugs, than in a rural area. I also believe that because minorities, including African Americans, live largely urban areas, they are more likely to get involved in crime.
When people are surrounded by peers that may be using drugs or involved in crime, it is common that they themselves may partake in such activities. Although I am aware that I am generalizing and this may not be true in all cases, I believe there is some support for this statement. I m also inclined to relate these arrest rates to the downward spiral that the minorities are faced with when born into these environments. With the decrease in jobs, and the increase in unemployment rates, there is a higher rate in crime. It is extremely hard to find jobs that will hire young black men in these urban environments. Because the lack of jobs and steady paychecks, people have to make money by stealing, selling drugs or whatever other means necessary.
When minorities are born in these urban environments, their situation makes it extremely hard to get out of this situation. Whether it is being impacted by peers to join gangs or start using drugs, or trying to support your family by nickel and diming weed on the corner, young black men are sucked into this vicious cycle. Once they have entered this it is extremely hard to get out. In this environment it is hard not to get involved in some sort of crime, and once in jail it is nearly impossible to get a job, and so the cycle continues.
In conclusion, I would disagree with the idea that the law enforcement officers are racist. There are many factors that contribute to the number of arrests for young black males, but I do not believe it is the law enforcement. I believe we could point the blame to the urban areas as a whole. Whether it is the people that we are associated with, the jobs that we couldn’t get, or maybe just the way we were raised, I still believe it would be unfair to blame the law officials.

When I saw that there was a blog in response to lyrics by Lupe Fiasco, I had to write about it. I love all of his music and if you look at his lyrics it is easy to tell he is a very educated rapper. This song in particular, “Words I Never Said,” covers a lot of the topics that we are covering in lecture. Although there are a lot of great topics covered throughout the song; the war, the media, and the economy, I will just focus on the last verse.
“I think that all the silence is worse than all violence” relates to what Sam was talking about in class. If we do not talk about these problems that we face in society, they are just going to get worst. By ignoring the problems and being afraid to talk about them, they are growing and becoming stronger. The next couple lines in the song address why I believe we aren’t talking about these issues. “Fear is such a weak emotion, that's why I despise it. We're scared of almost everything, afraid to even tell the truth. So scared of what you think of me, I'm scared of even telling you.” I believe that fear is the driving emotion that hinders us from addressing the issues. Political correctness holds us back from addressing the race relations and the cycle continues with all other problems we face as well. If we are afraid to talk about something, things go unsaid and problems remain unsolved. This is why race issues go on and on to infinitum because no one has the courage to tell how they really feel.
The last line in this verse is what really stuck out to me after listening to a couple of Sam’s lectures. “My screams is finally gettin free, my thoughts is finally yellin through!” This class has taught me that the only way we are going to get anywhere with this situation is by confronting the problem and talking about it. Voicing our opinions and ideas is not as bad as many people believe. Being afraid of political correctness is what is hurting our society. To some extent political correctness can be good so people are not completely ignorant of people’s feelings and background, but at the same time it holds a lot of people back. Being afraid of causing confrontation leads people to hide their ideas and beliefs and provides a much more single viewed society.
This is an amazing song and I suggest that people listen to the lyrics carefully. I find that the silence is worst than all the violence, and it is time to act on that. We need to put our fears aside and talk about these issues our society faces. It is time to be free and share what we are thinking and finally make some progress.