en-us https://www.intensedebate.com/users/2395452 Comments by kristinlynn002 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/11/transgendered-complications/#IDComment144836655 #3/3: Although I am unsure whether the actions of the treatment center would be seen illegal under the BFOQ’s policies, I don’t see why it would be. I don’t have a problem with a treatment facility hiring only men in this particular circumstance. As a female, I would not want a man standing by my side watching me urinate into a test tube. I’m sure males would feel the same way about females. Since I do consider El’Jai a female, I do not have any issues with this “man” getting fired. In my opinion, it is irrelevant whether El’Jai identified as a male, had surgically altered genitalia, and took testosterone steroids in order to create male secondary sex characteristics - she is still a female! This whole topic leads to another heated debate that people have contrasting opinions on: are transsexuals who have male genitalia really males and are transsexuals with a female genitalia and breasts really females. Many would argue yes, but I argue no. Thu, 21 Apr 2011 15:32:10 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/11/transgendered-complications/#IDComment144836655 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/11/transgendered-complications/#IDComment144835685 #2/3: Let me make this clear before I continue: I do not view El’Jai Devoureau as a male. She still has female XY chromosomes and female reproductive organs. In fact, many male transsexuals can have children if they had not had an oophorectomy or hysterectomy. Also, a woman changed into a man is not able to ejaculate semen because, as mentioned formerly, they do still have female reproductive organs and lack the necessary male organs. I think it to be very foolish if people consider transsexuals to be the sex that they transitioned into over the course of life and not the sex they were born into. As far as I am concerned, El’Jai was not a man: she still has XY (female) chromosomes, a female reproductive system, and lacks the necessary male organs needed in order to impregnate a woman. Thu, 21 Apr 2011 15:27:34 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/11/transgendered-complications/#IDComment144835685 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/11/transgendered-complications/#IDComment144835612 #1/3: To be quite honest, I don’t feel as though the Urban Treatment Center committed any wrong. While one may initially think that the actions against El’Jai Devoureau may initially seem discriminatory, under certain conditions discrimination can be legal. Yes, that’s right…legal. I’m sure many people reading this are not aware of the BFOQ (Bona Fide Occupational Qualifications) law, which is “a defense to acknowledge discrimination, usually based on the existence of a facially discriminatory policy, such as ‘individuals over the age of 50 shall not be hired as police officers.’” Aside from age discrimination, discrimination of gender is also permitted under certain circumstances under the law. Thu, 21 Apr 2011 15:27:11 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/11/transgendered-complications/#IDComment144835612 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/07/war-vets-and-ptsd/#IDComment142591475 # 3/3: On a side note, I do not solely blame the individual for not seeking help from outside sources. Rather, much of the blame lies on the military system and how superiors deal with subordinates who are experiencing psychological issues. There is definitely a VERY social stigma associated with soldiers who are affected by PTSD, anxiety, stress, depression, etc. The stigma created by superiors is then adopted by many subordinates, which makes it even more difficult for those experiencing PTSD or other mental issues to admit they have a problem and get help. Clearly, something needs to be in order to negate this social stigma. If the social stigma is not addressed and taken care of, it seems only obvious that soldiers will continue taking their lives at rapid rates. Wed, 13 Apr 2011 21:30:03 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/07/war-vets-and-ptsd/#IDComment142591475 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/07/war-vets-and-ptsd/#IDComment142591389 # 2/3: However, he is not alone in his reluctance to seek help. Like the video we watched in class, many soldiers do not seek help for their post-war psychological issues. Many post-war veterans feel that it is a sign of weakness for them to admit that the war has caused them problems, but I strongly disagree. How can one kill people and watch others kill and NOT be affected by it? To feel psychological effects from fighting in a war is not a sign of weakness at all. Wed, 13 Apr 2011 21:29:41 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/07/war-vets-and-ptsd/#IDComment142591389 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/07/war-vets-and-ptsd/#IDComment142591325 # 1/3: The video we watched in class last Friday was very, very powerful; I found myself tearing up multiple times. As a psychology major, I am aware of PTSD and the effects that it has on people. In fact, I have experienced them first hand -kind of. My boyfriend's Dad fought in the Vietnam War. Although he never sought counseling for the psychological effects that the war has left on him, my boyfriend tells me that his Dad still suffers greatly. For example, he continues to have nightmares about the war, reliving the trauma in his dreams. Sometimes he will wake up screaming. Additionally, he is a very heavy drinker- possibly even an alcoholic. He has gotten two DUI’s and has even had to serve a year on house arrest. According to my boyfriend, the next time his Dad gets caught he will serve a jail sentence. Clearly he was a problem, but both he chooses to ignore. Although I am unaware if his alcoholism is a direct result of the war, I always assume that it is. Wed, 13 Apr 2011 21:29:22 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/07/war-vets-and-ptsd/#IDComment142591325 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/03/what-a-man-is/#IDComment141017482 # 3/3: Also, I would like to point out one more thing. It seems as though you indirectly blame the media and outside sources for your mistreatment of women in past relationships. Perhaps you may have seen things in movies and television that portray the mistreatment of women by a man and, in turn, thought that’s what the woman wanted or how a man should be treating his woman. If I have interpreted you correctly and this is what you believe, I think it is a very poor, sorry excuse. Being from Philadelphia, I have seen murders and crime first hand as well as in the media. However, this does not prompt me to think that these things are right. Fri, 8 Apr 2011 15:00:43 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/03/what-a-man-is/#IDComment141017482 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/03/what-a-man-is/#IDComment141017430 #2/3: Successful relationships don’t ever entail the ‘perfect man’ or the ‘perfect women.’ Sure, you may think your partner is perfect initially, but you will soon begin to realize flaws in him/her. If these flaws are not realized, then I believe the relationship is unhealthy. Being with my boyfriend for as long as I have, I have realized that he has flaws- some of which cause occasional fights. However, he has more good qualities than bad ones and I try to focus on them. You cannot change a person, and if you want to then you should probably not be in the relationship. My boyfriend’s flaws make him he who is and I wouldn’t change a thing about him. Fri, 8 Apr 2011 15:00:25 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/03/what-a-man-is/#IDComment141017430 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/03/what-a-man-is/#IDComment141017360 #1/3: First, I would like to start off by telling this inmate the following: many women don't want a man this perfect. Sure, I would like my boyfriend of four and a half years to possess some of the qualities mentioned here, particularly that he be more in tune with his emotions, but I would not want him to possess all of these qualities. I am not a 'perfect women,' if there is such a thing, and so I do not want or desire a perfect man. Additionally, just because you think you know what a women wants does not mean that she wants it, that you will give her those things, or that the relationship will be successful. I have a male friend from high school who many women would classify as the 'perfect man.' When I was reading the above, I actually thought of him because he possesses almost, if not all, of the qualities mentioned. In fact, he is so perfect that all of his relationships have been unsuccessful because he was ‘too’ perfect, always gave the women what she wanted, and never got into fights with her. Fri, 8 Apr 2011 15:00:08 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/03/what-a-man-is/#IDComment141017360 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/24/religion-in-the-future/#IDComment138695690 # 3/3: My main point being this: there are thousands of gods in existence; many of who have a great ‘fan base,’ but all of them cannot be real. I do believe that there is a higher power, but I cannot say whether that higher power is the God I believe in. In today’s society, religious people make the mistake by assuming that their religious views are the only correct ones, and that other people’s must be false. This is only one of the major problems of religion in today’s world. Wed, 30 Mar 2011 21:25:36 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/24/religion-in-the-future/#IDComment138695690 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/24/religion-in-the-future/#IDComment138695637 # 2/3: First of all, I believe that a major problem with religion lies within the fact that there are SO many gods that people put faith in and believe to be true. While one religion group is putting faith in one particular God, another religion group is putting faith in a totally different God of the same nature. For example, as a Catholic Christian, I believe in a God who created the world over a period of six days, as stated by the bible. On the other hand, the Hindus believe in a creator God named Brahma, who created the world in a totally different way than what Roman Catholics believe. With this being said, a major issue has been presented: Which God really exists and which God really created the world? Additionally, why should I believe my religion to be more correct than the Buddhist’s religion? Why is my God more real than theirs? Wed, 30 Mar 2011 21:25:19 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/24/religion-in-the-future/#IDComment138695637 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/24/religion-in-the-future/#IDComment138695451 #1/2: This article immediately jumped out at me, particularly because I am observing the Atheist and Agnostic Organization of Penn State in order to write an ethnography for my English 202A class. Lately, religion has been in the forefront of my mind. I have been thinking about and questioning the role of religion in my life as well as the role that it plays within a society. Therefore, I have many things I would like to say concerning the topic of religion. I am a Roman Catholic. I was raised by devout Catholic parents. Growing up, I went to Church every Sunday with my family. In fact, I still do go sometimes by myself here at school. Anyways, despite the fact that I do consider myself to be a religious person, I believe there are a lot of issues concerning religion that I would like to address- and believe me when I say that there are A LOT of them! For this reason, it does not surprise me that, if statistical trends remain consistent, religion in a number of countries will become all but ‘extinct’ in the near future. Wed, 30 Mar 2011 21:24:18 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/24/religion-in-the-future/#IDComment138695451 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/24/b-s-response/#IDComment137365863 post three: Another thing that I have learned is that not all lifers are in prison because they have killed somebody. This man is so correct in pointing out this common misconception! Additionally, many people who are in prison for life have accidently killed someone (for example, if they ran a stop sign and got in a car accident). When Sam mentioned that many murders are accidents and have never been planned, some ignorant fool had the audacity to say that 'he would never run a stop sign or comment another traffic violation and kill someone.' Really? REALLY? I guess you can see into the future. Anyways, my point being: don't assume that people 'lifers' are there for murder and don't assume that, if they killed someone, it was on purpose. Additionally, don't be naive enough to think that it cannot happen to you! Accidents happen; they're a part of life. No one is perfect! Fri, 25 Mar 2011 00:29:17 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/24/b-s-response/#IDComment137365863 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/24/b-s-response/#IDComment137365820 post two: Because this man came to prison, he was removed from much of the societal factors and forces that influenced him in his daily life, and as a result was able to focus more on himself. Instead of focusing his attention on what his society wanted and expected of him (drugs, violence), prison allowed him to shift his attention to new ways of channeling his angers and frustrations (playing the guitar and painting). As this inmate said, if he had not come to prison, he probably would have not recognized his love and ability for playing the guitar and painting. And why is this? Because it is not what people in South Phila do! Fri, 25 Mar 2011 00:28:59 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/24/b-s-response/#IDComment137365820 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/24/b-s-response/#IDComment137365581 post one: First, I would like to mention that I find it so interesting that you and many people who serve life sentences consider themselves to be freer than they have ever been. Before taking this class, if one were to ask me if those serving life sentences are free, I would respond with a confident 'definitely not!' However, because of this class and the letters that I have read written by you and other 'lifers,' I have adopted the notion that people who are imprisoned really are free. I would not argue that they are 'more free' than people who are not in prison. However, there is an aspect of freedom experienced by those in prison, especially lifers, that is not experienced by other individuals within a society. While in prison, individuals are MORE free from the factors, forces, and influences of their families, friends, and society that had governed their behaviors before coming to prison. Fri, 25 Mar 2011 00:27:13 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/24/b-s-response/#IDComment137365581 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/15/lgbt-families-theres-a-lot-of-fear-out-there/#IDComment135723877 #3/3 Looking back on my childhood, I remember that I always loved going over her house. Her parents were so kind, considerate, loving, and caring towards her and others. While all of my friends' parents possessed these qualities, this friends parents especially displayed them. Her family would always do things together. I often wished my family did things together and enjoyed each other's company like hers did. Her family was full of so much love. They were no different than the normal family. In fact, I thought they were better. As discussed in class, homosexual families meet all the same functions of the family as compared to heterosexual ones. Based on this and my personal experience, I strongly believe that homosexual parents are great parents and can create and maintain loving families. Fri, 18 Mar 2011 01:32:37 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/15/lgbt-families-theres-a-lot-of-fear-out-there/#IDComment135723877 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/15/lgbt-families-theres-a-lot-of-fear-out-there/#IDComment135723751 #2/3 As demonstrated by this video, children that are raised by same-sex couples have a just as likely chance of success as children raised by heterosexual couples. Additionally, children raised by same-sex couples are loved, cared for, and supported just as children of heterosexual couples are. In fact, I would even bet that homosexual couples give more love, care, and support to their children than do heterosexual couples. I say this based on personal experience. I had a childhood friend who was raised by two male parents. I can recall the first time I went over her house. She did not tell me that she had two dads, and so one can imagine that shock and confusion that I felt when she introduced both men as her father. "How can she have two dads," I would often think. Being around ten years old, I had never experienced anything like this. Although I didn't really understand that the men had a homosexual relationship back then, I now know that that is undoubtedly what it was. Although I was shocked, confused, and little scared of the situation at first, I got used to it. Fri, 18 Mar 2011 01:31:52 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/15/lgbt-families-theres-a-lot-of-fear-out-there/#IDComment135723751 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/15/lgbt-families-theres-a-lot-of-fear-out-there/#IDComment135723636 #1/3 I would like to first say the following: I have NO clue why many state governments prohibit same-sex marriage. What baffles me even more, however, is why many people question the quality of same-sex parenting. In my opinion, preventing same-sex marriage and questioning the quality of parenting among same-six couples is not only foolish, but also rude, ignorant, and downright wrong. Fri, 18 Mar 2011 01:31:09 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/15/lgbt-families-theres-a-lot-of-fear-out-there/#IDComment135723636 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/01/lighting-our-way/#IDComment132995312 #3/3: So where does the sociology of all of this come into play? The answer is simple. The weather within a particular state, town or country shapes how societies behave and interact with one another. During the gloomy winter months in Helsinki, an overwhelming amount of people tend to be depressed, cold, and yearning for sunlight. But, if we shift gears to the warmer, sunnier winter weather in Miami, Florida, for example, locals cans be seen smiling and relaxing while basking and soaking up the sun on the beach or swimming outside in their backyard pools. In conclusion, ‘invisible strings,’ which refer to factors and forces outside of our control, shape individual lives and, more collectively, societies as a whole. Mon, 7 Mar 2011 00:31:01 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/01/lighting-our-way/#IDComment132995312 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/01/lighting-our-way/#IDComment132995244 #2/3: According to the video, seasonal affective disorder is characterized by symptoms of depression, such as increased appetite, weight gain, and long sleep. While a small number of Americans suffer from seasonal affective disorder like symptoms in the winter months, the amount of those who suffer from SAD like symptoms in the winter months in Helsinki, Finland is much greater. This is due to the fact that the winter months Helsinki, Finland consists of only five hours of daylight, whereas Americans experience much longer periods of daylight (excluding those who live in Alaska). Aside from affecting an individual’s mood, lack of daylight also affects other facets of life within a society. For example, lack of daylight leads way to particular traditions and holidays. In order to brighten things up, Helsinki has introduced an annual event called the season of light. During the event, excessive amount of lights are placed around buildings, statues, houses, etc, which aid to brighten up the town. Mon, 7 Mar 2011 00:30:33 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/01/lighting-our-way/#IDComment132995244