Although same sex relationships have become more accepted in our country throughout the past few years, gay and lesbian individuals are still subject to scrutiny. I believe that because our country’s foundation is built on Christianity, gay and lesbian individuals are looked at as evil or wrong. As a result gay and lesbian couples have had to become more understanding of others views. We have such a distorted, deep-rooted view on how the running of our country should be. Because of that view gay and lesbian couples have a much harder time practicing things than straight couples. These things range from marriage to adoption. It is much harder for individuals to adopt children and be legally married in most states.
Therefore I believe that it would be harder for straight children to come out to their parents, than for children that have gay or lesbian parents. Heterosexual parents are more likely to have deep-rooted religious beliefs and more opinionated views on homosexuality. Therefore I believe that they wouldn’t be as understanding about their own child being homosexual. I believe that a lot of heterosexual parents don’t understand that their child isn’t capable of not being gay or that their child has a choice not to be gay. It is irrational to think that your child has a choice to love and be interested in which he or she is chooses. Also I think that heterosexual parents have a certain image of what their family is going to look like. Generally most parents visualize the picture perfect family, where mom and dad work, Jr. plays football and the younger sister is a cheerleader. Although we have done so much to rid this image of “the leave it to beaver family”, it is still ingrained in our minds. When we think of a family we automatically think of a woman and a man have children and living the “American dream”, white picket fence and all. So when heterosexual parents have a child that is homosexual they aren’t sure how to handle it. This lack of understanding results in anger, confusion, and disapproval. Therefore they forbid their children from even thinking about being homosexual or having friends that are homosexual.
Furthermore, I believe that homosexual parents are more understanding of their child’s sexuality. Same sex parents have often encountered disapproval from their own parents or society as a whole. So if their children end up being homosexual, their children wouldn’t be as apprehensive as children who come from heterosexual families. Children that have homosexual parents are often raised to explore their sexuality and stereotypical gender specific characteristics are not as prevalent. I believe that homosexual parents are more likely to let their children explore a wide range of activities and interests. For example they may let their male child play with dolls, instead of forcing tonka trucks on them. In general I believe that homosexual parents are more open minded and open in general with their children.

Respect is defined as a feeling of deep admiration for someone or something elicited by their abilities, qualities, or achievements. In turn, respect can be personally defined in an infinite number of ways. I believe it is irrational to say that western woman don’t respect themselves based on the attire that they choose to wear. I understand that a lot of women from the Middle East choose to cover their bodies and hair in “respect” to their religion, culture, or men in their country. Western women have been raised to embrace their body and express themselves physically, emotionally, and sexually. I believe that our country is one of the most accepting and open-minded countries in the world. The United States may be over the top in when it comes to appearances, but expression is something that we pride ourselves on. I’ve always struggled to understand why Middle Eastern women choose to cover their bodies in the way that they do. Isn’t that disrespectful to their individuality? I can understand how someone who was raised in a more conservative culture would find that the way western women dress is inappropriate. Although, we don’t judge them for the way that they choose to dress. In my opinion appearance isn’t a good judge of character or morals or self-respect. We have been taught to not judge a book by its cover. Self-respect is more related to the character of a person. If you are intellectual, serve a purpose (no matter how big or small), and are a genuinely good person I will respect you. I don’t want to be judged on how tiny my bikini is or how covered my body is. I want to be judged on my actions, I want to be known for being a good person and impacted others lives. It is ludicrous to say that western women don’t have respect for themselves because they walk around in bikinis. Many find being naked liberating; we come into this world naked why should we be ashamed to show off our bodies? There is a difference in expressing yourself through your clothing and acting provocatively or sleeping around. Again, who am I to judge the people that choose to conduct their lives in that manner? In lab we’ve spoken about the struggling double standard in our culture. The struggle between women being looked at as sluts because they act on their sexual desires or looking at women as equals because they have the same sexual desires that men do. It is interesting that something like sex is often associated with self-respect also. In this day and age, we are taught to put off marriage and relationships so that we can pursue higher education and job attainment. In turn were encouraged to be single in the midst of our sexual heightening. So it is no surprise that we decide to fulfill the physical aspect of our desires, even if we are not yet ready to fulfill the emotional aspect of relationships. Therefore, it is ironic that the association with respecting oneself and acting on physical needs are often correlated.

I have mixed feelings surrounding the war in the Middle East. I’m generally not one who religiously follows politics or reads the newspaper everyday, although I would like to say that I am. I tend to get too caught up in my miniscule life at Penn State to really understand the grand scheme of things. But, before I started investing time into understanding what the war in the Middle East was about I was completely against it. I think that a lot of people are and were under the impression that the war in the Middle East was a result of 9/11, but really was it a result of oil? I think that is something that is commonly overlooked. I believe that the general public believe were fighting for the dignity of our country and the people that lost their lives, but in reality are we fighting for cheaper oil prices and the ability to control someone else’s government? I just have mixed feelings that were spending all of this money to help another country, when our country is in need. We have people starving, we have people committing hate crimes on one another, and what are we doing to fix this in our own country. I think it’s a noble action, if we are indeed trying to help another country “fix” their government, but who are we to say that it is broken. If another country’s government came into the United States and told us we were running our country wrong we would have a fit. Who are we to point fingers? There are numerous people that practice the same religion as the people who flew those planes into the twin towers and do you see them performing terroristic acts? I think there are Christian people who are capable of such terrorism and were not trying to burn the bible and go on a “crusade”. I think were spending far too much money on this war, innocent peoples lives are being risked daily, and for what? More oil? Maybe we should put the money that were investing in this war and figure out another resource that we can use to power our cars, heat our houses, etc. Regarding the 29:1 ratio concerning the amount of Middle Eastern people we are “willing to kill” in order to keep one of our “own” safe is crazy. I don’t think that there should be an acceptable number of people that can be killed in order to save one of our own. When it comes down to it were going to protect those who are closest to us and they are going to do the same. I think that our soldiers need to use their best judgment when they’re away at war and it an altercation arises than deal with it appropriately. I don’t think that it’s a matter of our soldiers lives are worth more than those of Middle Eastern people that is ludicrous. I think that we do what we can to protect those that we care about and we are always going to protect those that are most similar to us and side with our “own”.

Throughout my college career in one way or another a course has inquired about something that I hold close to my heart or something that I am grateful to have. Every year I tend to give an abstract answer to that question. Most people say their friends or family, the opportunity to go to school, etc. But my answer is always freedom of speech and individuality. Which I am grateful for and couldn’t imagine life without it. I am generally a vary out spoken person, I usually say inappropriate things at the least appropriate times, and I love to talk about things I am passionate. But more than that I am grateful to be an individual. I am grateful that my name is Katie; I am a daughter, a sister, and a friend, an Irish Catholic who towers over most boys with heels on. But first and most importantly I’m in individual that can’t be replicated or duplicated. Where am I going with this? Today in lab we spoke about the issue surrounded unusual names in which “white” people names are 50% more likely to get a call back, even if the two individuals had the same credentials. The idea of assigning people numbers on resumes, instead of names arose. The group agreed that this was a brilliant idea, that way everyone was given a fair opportunity in the hiring process. Of course I was the only one to disagree. I’ve been a number before. My freshman year I was asked to write a number on my exam, instead of my name. First, I would like to say, in theory this is a brilliant idea. But, I no longer felt like an individual or a person for that matter. Wouldn’t one think that by doing this we would make people of different ethnicities that have unusual names feel embarrassed or badly about themselves? In general our names describe our culture, like I said earlier my name is Kaitlin, which implies that I am Irish and I am damn proud of it. So why should a person of African or Asian decent be asked to change their name to something that doesn’t reflect their culture? So I would like to ask a person of Asian decent, who often change their names to something “American”, how they feel when they can’t use their birth name? Just thinking about it makes me angry, honestly if someone asked me to change my name I would be beyond offended. This is something that I feel very passionate about, I couldn’t imagine being anyone but me, so why do we feel that we should make others feel bad about being anything but themselves?

Discrimination based on race is something that has been an ongoing battle for as far back as I can remember. Throughout history we have set laws in place to ensure that all races are treated equally, but have noticed that these laws have needed ratification. Starting as far back as the equality act, white people have maintained the advantage in ensuring that people of other races wouldn’t have the same opportunities as white people do. The equality act gave people of color the same number of things that white people had, but not the same quality. Similarly this is occurring with the affirmative action act. The government is trying to give every race and gender equal opportunity by requiring companies to hire a certain number of people that fall into the demographic of women, African American, Hispanics, etc. but this only looks good on paper. Not only are white people automatically given an advantage based on something as simple as their name and appearance. However, it is not a fair opportunity. It would be ideal if one could look at a persons resume and only see his or her qualifications. I agree that what minorities want is a fair opportunity. We don’t want the extra five points to give us that “minority” advantage. In modern times it is difficult for a person to obtain the understanding of cultural relativism. We as a people are conditioned from birth to think and act a certain way that is socially acceptable according to society’s standards. It is a basic understanding that American citizens are raised a certain way and have diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds, but to a capitalist or person owning the means of production it is difficult for the average middle class American to strive. People become exploited and alienated performing monotonous tasks. It is understood that more often than not the people in positions of power have preconceived notions and beliefs towards people different than themselves. A form of prejudice and bias does occur within the labor force. This makes the obtainment of a steady job a great adversity for a minority. Affirmative action only adds to the equation and upsets people within the work force. However, race and ethnicity will always be an issue within any society. We as a people and an American population should come to a common understanding that we cannot stride until we can make change. One must be certain that times inevitably do and will change. We are growing as a nation and as a people, some more than others.

It is no surprise to me that inter racial relationships and marriages are on the rise in the United States. Although I wish I could say that it didn’t surprise me that African Americans are among the most resistant to this rising trend. I agree with the article in that people are most resistant to change because they are afraid of it or because they are trying to preserve something. I believe that African Americans are afraid of both. I think that the majority of the people in this country would agree that slavery was an awful period in our history. Though I believe that slavery has encouraged African Americans not to trust or procreate with white individuals because of incidences that occurred in the beginning stages of our country. I think that African Americans are afraid of the backlash of interracial relationships and I believe that African Americans are trying to preserve their culture by not welcoming white people into it. I can’t say for sure how they feel because I am white, but my only question would be what if they trends said that white people were the most resistant to interracial relationships? Again this would be brought back to the topic of racism, which I won’t further discuss.
I find hope in the fact that this stigma of interracial relationships is fading among younger generations. In my personal experience I’ve found that our generation is more accepting of the idea of interracial relationships than our parents are. I blame the open-minded attitudes that our generation was taught at a young age. For example throughout our young lives gay marriage has been legalized in multiple states, the “don’t ask, don’t tell” motto of the army has been lifted, and the youth has been taught not to judge a book my its cover (aka skin color). Therefore it makes sense that our parents are a little more apprehensive, but the younger generations have embraced different cultures and have been encouraged to go against the grain. For example through my youth I was encouraged to think out of the box and follow my own thoughts and beliefs, while being open to others views. Therefore when my father, who grew up in a predominantly white and racist environment, I wasn’t surprised that he was against interracial relationships. Although my brother and sister follow this belief (because we are or usually are a product of our environment), I’m attracted to and continue to date men of all races. I get in constant arguments about being with African Americans and Hispanic men, but I know my father will accept whom I decide to be with (even if he is forced to). This is an example of how our society and surroundings encourage us to break out of the norm. Although it will be difficult to combine our traditions and values I think that in time our enmeshed relationships will encourage us to start new traditions and a new set of values. We are going to be the beginning of a new norm.

I have mixed feeling regarding the issue of “white” people avoiding the topic of race. From a young age white people have been taught not to acknowledge the color of peoples skin in fear of offending them or coming off as racist. We have been living in a country that is still paying for the mistakes of our past. Obviously slavery was an awful period of time for our country, but I was not the one that participated in those horrific actions. I don’t think that I should feel bad or guilty for the color of my skin. The color of my skin doesn’t define me and I have been subconsciously feeling guilty or self-conscious because I’m white. I think that people of different ethnicities judge us because we “don’t understand what they went through”, well they don’t understand what their ancestors went through either. For instance I’m taking an African American studies course this semester and I’m one of three white people in the class taking the course and I feel that I can’t express my feelings or thoughts because of how defensive the African American students get. Last week we were watching a documentary on the Rodney King beating and the LA riot. After we watched the documentary our class engaged in a discussion and my professor proceeded to say “ I don’t expect you white people to understand, but us black people can feel is pain, we hurt when one of our people hurts.” I literally wanted to be like what the fuck? I hurt when I saw that beating, regardless of the color of his skin I was appalled. But, god forbid I actually do say anything about white people having feelings for black people. Then we proceeded to talk in lab about what race we think is attractive the very next day and why we think we’re attracted to that race. The majority of the students said that they were attracted to white people because they themselves were white. But when I said that I was attracted to African Americans, Hispanics, whites, etc. and didn’t have an explanation as to why no one really knew what to say to me. I think personality and common interests are what makes a person attractive to me and maybe because I am an open minded individual. I believe the only way to break this trend is to educate people, change their perception on race, don’t be afraid to talk about the color of our skin, ask questions if you don’t understand. Otherwise this trend won’t change, we need to talk about uncomfortable things and not be ashamed or guilty for being white. Who gives a fuck what color our skin is, if you have a good heart and I enjoy your company your ok in my book.

Personally I have mixed feeling surrounding the language issue in the United States. On one hand the ignorant side of me believes that if you want to live in this country you should know our language. Being born in the United States I’m naturally going to think that English is the best language and the most nationally known language because we are the best country in the world. After attending my first world in conversation lab this past week a lot of ignorant thoughts and perceptions were brought to my attention that were hiding in my subconscious. In most cases we live in this giant bubble known as the United States, where our country can do no wrong and there is no better way of handling things than the way that we do. In a more relatable topic it was compared to Penn State and the “Sandusky scandal”. We live in this small college town in the middle of nowhere, literally nowhere. We live in the middle of Pennsylvania, two plus hours from any major city and we get sucked into the “Penn State lifestyle”. We live in this bubble where we bleed blue and white, proudly wear the Nittany Lion on our clothing, and State Patty’s day is a holiday that only our campus celebrates. In our eyes Joe Paterno could do no wrong and the firing of him infuriated hundreds of thousands of people. But if you look at it from an outsiders opinion it is amazing the things that we overlook because we love someone or some thing so much that we let our egos and emotions get the best of us. So how does this relate to the topic at hand? Similarly, as Americans were proud of our country, were proud of our language, and where damn proud of where we come from. So, when the question arises regarding our language, yes were defensive. We don’t want Spanish to be our language nor do we feel that we should know Spanish in order to live in our country because English is our language. But, if you look at it from outside of this bubble and realize that being capable of speaking multiple languages could enrich our lives and different cultures could help us grow as people than learning Spanish would be beneficial. The problem is that we live in this country where everything is based of status and if learning Spanish gives another culture recognition, that means that were sharing the attention that we so desire. Therefore the only way to become a better and stronger country is to pop this bubble that we live in and work together globally in order to become a better nation.

Following Joe Parerno’s memorial service a whirlwind of emotions swept through my body. I was deeply saddened by his death, but more prominently I had a conflicting feelings of happiness. To see all of these people from multiple generations speak so highly of him touched me more than most singular events have previously touched me. To see people from all over the country fly in for his memorial and people from all over the world speak of him like he was a God was inspiring. It is hard to believe that a man could touch so many people in so many aspects. He not only was remembered as an amazing football coach, but an educator, a man of high morals and beliefs, I man who simply aimed to better people’s lives on so many levels. I was literally floored when Phil Knight had spoken the words that so many of us believed and thought but didn’t have the guts to say. Joe Pa was and will always be a hero, someone to look up to. Therefore I was learned a lot of things through the events that have transpired. I’m a small town girl with big dreams of changing people lives for the better. Joe Pa has given sons of famers, coal minors, and those of diverse backgrounds the opportunity to have the life they have always dreamed of. Seeing that one man, has the ability to affects hundreds of thousands of people gives me hope that I too someday will be capable of being half the person he was. I have always wanted to believe that I could change peoples lives and be the contributing factor that, that one kid needs in order to make a difference in the world. Upon watching Joe Pa’s death I am starting to believe that I can be that person. I am currently a senior majoring in Human Development and Family Studies and after graduation I want to be a child life specialist. I want to take children in inner city schools that deal with life or death situations daily and give them hope. I want to be able to prepare them for college and help them realize that they don’t have to be a product of their environment. When I pass away I hope to be part of something bigger than myself. Although we live in a country that is money hungry and thrives off of the wrong values I hope to instill the morals and values that were so prominent in past years. I hope that I won’t get sucked into the direction that our current country is headed. I hope that in the future I can be the change that Joe Pa was and instill values such as honesty, trust, genuineness that he upheld through the tough times. I will forever carry with me the impact that Joe Pa has had on my life and I hope I don’t lose sight of what is important.

I completely agree with his frustration in people calling him a murderer. Honestly I probably have more respect for B than most men I have ever met. This man seems to be one of the most understanding, forgiving, and open-minded individuals. Personally I consider myself more forgiving and open-minded than most of my peers and family, but the way that he addressed those individuals that think he is a “murderer” surprised me. Where most people would get defensive, like me, and attack those individuals he understood their perspective. He is not digging for excuses about what he did; he takes complete responsibility for his actions. I am surprised that a teenage boy, who was abused mentally and physically, and as a result of his unfortunate family life turned to drugs, was able to completely turn his life around. Our system works in mysterious ways, although I do not agree with his sentencing, it did indeed reform him. That is the ultimate goal of the system right? He has gotten the opportunity to soberly figure out whom he is, and in that transformation he has learned to love himself. That in itself is amazing. Though I would have chosen a different path for this man. I do not think he deserves life in prison, even if he believes that he does. Did he need some sort of punishment? Of course. But why not send him to a program that would reform him and break him down so he could rebuild himself? Then he could have a life outside of a jail cell. There are murderers and rapists that walk the streets on a day-to-day basis, yet we leave a man, who has something to offer to the world and society to die in prison. Why? He seems like an extremely insightful individual that could help change the path of another troubled teenage boy heading down the same road he was on. In my frustration I ask, why are we not giving him that opportunity? He got sentenced to LIFE, a scared young boy, who did not murder anyone, god sentenced to LIFE in jail and there is nothing we can do to change this.