en-us https://www.intensedebate.com/users/762171 Comments by krw5119 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/stories-for-uplift__trashed/#IDComment71133732 Wow Dan Coyne is a good example of the good people that are still in our society. It really shows the effect that simple kindness can make. This is obviously more than simple kindness, this was a huge donation on his part, but it makes you think what have you done today? Even doing something as small as picking someone’s books up when they drop them all or giving someone an extra dollar when they are short. I know that these simple gestures can truly make me smile and brighten up my day. Dan gave a part of him, literally, and he was more than willing to be able to make a difference in this kind grocery clerk that he had been going to for years. It just makes me feel so unkind when I think about how I am too lazy to take a few hours out of my weekend to go to a philanthropy event. He underwent pain so hers could stop. If everyone did small things like this, well we would never be short blood for one. I have to admit that I have rarely given blood simply because it takes time out and will make me weak for a few hours. What about the people who are weak for weeks and years? This really put things into perspective for me. If Dan gives a kidney I can give my blood along with a few hours of my time. Some people are so easy to simply give a few dollars donation, but sometimes there are things more important and necessary than money. Surprisingly enough people’s money can only go so far. In America we often think money buy happiness but in reality kindness like this makes happiness. People caring and loving builds happiness. Obviously money helps but it isn’t necessary. I would love to be able to meet Dan Coyle and the lady he donated his kidney to and see how it has affected their lives. I know that for me it would be a life-changing experience and I hope that someday I will be able to make a difference like this person made a difference. For now though I will get by giving small kindness to whoever is willing to take it. Whether that is opening a door for another, telling someone I love his or her outfit, or reaching a hand out to someone in need. I know that even these small outreaches can and will make a difference. Then hopefully my outreach will help that person in turn to do the same to another. A cycle of kindness quickly begins and how difficult was it for each of those people to take a few minutes out of their time? Not difficult at all, but that is how we can slowly change the world. Wed, 28 Apr 2010 15:29:14 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/stories-for-uplift__trashed/#IDComment71133732 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/what-about-people-who-can-only-afford-hard-work__trashed/#IDComment69968874 I agree with the girl in this video greatly. The girl talking in class didn’t really think about all the things in the way of an immigrant becoming legal. It not only is a great financial investment but there are many other things in the way of becoming a legal citizen. Most immigrants don’t have much financial stability in the first place, which is why they want to come to the United States for better opportunities. It sucks that they have to put up so much right in the beginning. Obviously all of the rules and regulations are making roadblocks for them on purpose and are working towards not allowing a lot of immigrants into the country. Even for people who can afford it it’s hard to become a U.S. citizen. I have a friend who is studying abroad here currently and wants to stay here to work but isn’t allowed to because his VISA is up and he is trying so hard to find some way around it so that he can stay here as a citizen. It’s sad that some of the hardest working people in this country are immigrants. It is also sad that they are one of the lowest paid people in this country. So many jobs here wouldn’t be done without all of these immigrants because none of us are willing to do the grunt work. U.S. citizens could learn from their hard work and dedication. I wish that we could just let anyone who wanted to live here live here but I understand that is impossible and there has to be some rules and roadblocks. I just wish there could be a better way about it and that so many people didn’t have to live here illegally. I also wish that the people who do live here illegally didn’t have to get paid so poorly that it’s hard to make a living. As Americans we take for granted all of the things that we were born with. We were born with so many rights and privileges that we take for granted everyday. I hope that more people will become aware of what’s going on with immigrants and stop taking for granted everything we’ve been handed. I know that I enjoy working hard for everything I do because once I achieve it it feels so much more well deserved. Looking at things in an immigrant’s perspective really puts everything in perspective. I think it would be really interesting to have a class where we are all in the immigrant’s perspective for the class, like the class we were in a Muslims shoes. I hope everyone really pays attention to these lectures and lets it set in and makes a difference in their life rather than just memorizing things for a test because this class isn’t about memorizing facts but rather dealing with these issues. Fri, 23 Apr 2010 19:07:07 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/what-about-people-who-can-only-afford-hard-work__trashed/#IDComment69968874 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/women__trashed/#IDComment68383503 I really liked this blog question because it is such an important issue in society today. Women are constantly haunted by the picture perfect Hollywood portrayal of what a woman should look like. Everywhere a woman looks she sees pictures of women with perfect bodies and big boobs. The media falsely shows a society of perfect looking women when the truth is everyone has different body types and needs to embrace it. Everyone is born with a different body and everybody is beautiful in its own way. With the way the media portrays women it is hard for people to accept themselves for who they are. Why are women expected to have big boobs, what is it about them that makes it sexier? I liked the fact that the play showed an opposite society where it was more lust worthy to have a small chest. Society always adheres to what is “supposed to be” sexy or attractive but in some cultures big woman are found more attractive. Society needs to stop dictating what is attractive and allow people to be attracted to what they like and accept themselves for who they are. Being a woman means that you have a vagina, and yes boobs. It means that you are generally more empathetic and are the one who must bear children. It means that you are born with a disadvantage in the workforce and have to deal with different things than men. However, it does not mean that you must be skinny and thin. The play so greatly showed how many insecurities teenagers feel to fit in. Teenage girls never feel like they are good enough they are always saying, “Does this make me look fat”, “But my boobs aren’t big enough”, and “I’m too ugly for him”. Society doesn’t help these issues it only reinforces it. These issues are greatly shown at Penn State where many girls are thin and walk around with minimal clothing flaunting their bodies. Girls here feel so much pressure to be able to fit in and wear and look like the rest of the crowd. I wish that this play along with other plays with similar story lines could be shown to a larger audience so that girls could maybe understand how trivial these issues truly are. The face that people are willing to go through such major surgeries that are extremely expensive as well as dangerous is amazing. The amount of plastic surgery that takes place per year is only increasing and coming to ridiculous levels. When looking to Hollywood it is disgusting how far some actresses and models will go to have the perfect image. I understand doing something that will make you feel better about yourself, but putting yourself in danger at the same time? Many girls need to get their priorities in line, but the question is how to get this to happen? Fri, 16 Apr 2010 15:07:10 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/women__trashed/#IDComment68383503 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/is-this-just-a-few-bad-apples__trashed/#IDComment63748454 “Is this just a few bad apples” blog really shocked me. I had heard a little about this through the news and friends but was awestruck at the severity of the things that occurred at the “Tea Party” protests. The big question is what were these protests really about?! It seemed they were more showing how disrespectful people could be and trying to go against all of the progress we have made in the civil rights movement. I was so baffled by why things like this are still going on. Comparing Obama to a Nazi or Bush to Hitler is simply ludicrous. Not only is this disgusting and wrong but if these are the thigns we are saying about our own President then what are other countries going to think about us. The donkey poster with Obama and the caption, “You can keep your change,” was simply ridiculous. Yes we have freedom of speech, and when people do these types of things they are abusing that freedom. In the article I did not see anything about healthcare or the people making rational objective claims against the new plan for healthcare. It is one thing to protest and have legitimate things to say and to do in a civilized manner- a whole another to do it in the way these protesters did. It seems as though we are backtracking all of the progress we have made. The title of this blog addresses this, are these protesters a “few bad apples” or are there many people that still think and act like them. I really hope that this is only a few bad apples. I have never witnessed this degree of racism and outright rudeness to anyone; however, I have seen small signs of racism. This just makes me wonder how much more we have to do to be able to overcome all of this racism. I simply don’t understand how a human being could spit on another person like that, let alone an elected official. Clyburn’s response about how this isn’t about health care that “it is about trying to extend a basic fundamental right to people who are less powerful,” might be right and maybe we should be looking at the other issues involved with this. Also with this issue comes when does free speech go too far? In many countries people disgracing their administration in this way would surely not be allowed or punished. Obviously the fact that we have such great freedom of speech is amazing and a privilege. People need to take this right and use it in good ways to speak their mind, but in a way that is appropriate and not disgraceful. I hope people will see this “tea party” and learn from it and see that there is a right way to do things and a wrong way. Wed, 24 Mar 2010 00:39:50 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/is-this-just-a-few-bad-apples__trashed/#IDComment63748454 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/women-and-sports__trashed/#IDComment63079073 “I Reckon She Can Hit” is a pretty cool video that shows the progress we have made in society. I think it’s awesome that a woman was able to gain this ground that she was able to enter a majority male sport as a coach. She comes across ad a very confident and strong woman who is both comfortable with herself and her job. I liked the fact that she really wasn’t cocky about the fact that she was the first woman football coach or trying to play up the historical part of it. And with this she is right, this shouldn’t be a big deal it should be something that is normal and generally accepted. The problem is that, like she said, football is mainly played by men and the woman who plays it or largely overlooked. Even if woman don’t play the sport I still know many who are so into the game that they would be just as capable as a man to take the role as coach. I’m glad that she entered into it trying to prove herself by being confident in the fact that she can coach and she holds the ability to be able to both teach and be a coach. Not only is she a woman but also African American, which also helps show the progress, we are making. Sports are so largely male dominated that it helps to show that woman have the capabilities to do everything that men can- just in different ways. There are so many categories and breakdowns in the world today it is always a great feat when we are able to break down another wall. Natalie Randolph was able to break down another wall by becoming the football coach for Calvin Coolidge High School. Hopefully this will be followed with many more jobs for woman in male dominated sports. This only makes sense considering there a great number of males that are head coaches for female teams and this is looked at as if it is no big deal. The hope is to one day not notice race or sex and have it simply be something that is- in a sense be color as well as sex blind. The day when we don’t have to make a big deal of a woman coach or create a “national holiday” for something that should be so trivial will be a great day. The day when we no longer have to have a race relations class because there is no longer any separation. I love this class because it does teach you so much or makes me more aware of issues that I often don’t think about. Which shows me how ignorant some people must be about race and sex issues because I am pretty open minded. Hopefully this day will come soon. Sat, 20 Mar 2010 01:05:45 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/women-and-sports__trashed/#IDComment63079073 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/why-is-this-racist-really__trashed/#IDComment59502263 “White’s Only” basketball league….really? What does a different style mean, a fundamental style? He doesn’t even explain what this really means just uses a lot of vague terms to describe it. Moose describes him well, the fact that he looks and is a goofball. If he really didn’t expect a backlash at this “All American league” he was joking himself. I like how Sam continually uses the name Moose because it just makes this topic even more of a laughing matter. If people allowed this to happen then what would happen next? This would escalate into other sports and other matters. This is taking a big step backwards. We talk so often about all the steps we have made and how much progress we still need to make, and also the things that set us back again- this is an example. No matter his intentions, racist or not, this will hurt some people with different skin colors and they will take it personally and see it as a race issue. This portrays well the issues in “Making Peace Between our Colors”, in that so many people see things differently- they see things from their own “box”. It is so difficult to see people’s perspective because we have a hard time putting ourselves in their shoes. So Moose may see things from his own box- that this isn’t racist this is just wanting a league for white people to be able to play and to play in their own style. I can see where he is coming from in part but from my own box I don’t understand it and see the faults behind it. He needs to come to the race circle and try to see the views of others and see what is wrong with his view. In the very least he could do this on a smaller scale simply with his friends so that he as a white man can be involved- but he should still like people of other races get involved if they so wish. White men may find this idea attractive because they have difficulty entering high level basketball because their skill isn’t as great as many people of other races. This makes the issue with sports difficult because many times certain races do dominate certain sports because of their body type. But the idea overall is way too controversial and opens the door to so many other issue that other people would then try to justify as okay. This incident shows the many people who believe that race is no longer an issue that obviously it is. Can’t we just all play together in this game and the game of life and slowly let the colors fade? Hopefully with classes like this and people actually voicing their thoughts and feelings about race relations we will one day be able to do this- and hopefully that day will be soon. Fri, 5 Mar 2010 20:25:02 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/why-is-this-racist-really__trashed/#IDComment59502263 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/why-is-this-racist-really__trashed/#IDComment59803160 “White’s Only” basketball league….really? What does a different style mean, a fundamental style? He doesn’t even explain what this really means just uses a lot of vague terms to describe it. Moose describes him well, the fact that he looks and is a goofball. If he really didn’t expect a backlash at this “All American league” he was joking himself. I like how Sam continually uses the name Moose because it just makes this topic even more of a laughing matter. If people allowed this to happen then what would happen next? This would escalate into other sports and other matters. This is taking a big step backwards. We talk so often about all the steps we have made and how much progress we still need to make, and also the things that set us back again- this is an example. No matter his intentions, racist or not, this will hurt some people with different skin colors and they will take it personally and see it as a race issue. This portrays well the issues in “Making Peace Between our Colors”, in that so many people see things differently- they see things from their own “box”. It is so difficult to see people’s perspective because we have a hard time putting ourselves in their shoes. Fri, 5 Mar 2010 20:15:28 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/why-is-this-racist-really__trashed/#IDComment59803160 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/why-is-this-racist-really__trashed/#IDComment59898421 “White’s Only” basketball league….really? What does a different style mean, a fundamental style? He doesn’t even explain what this really means just uses a lot of vague terms to describe it. Moose describes him well, the fact that he looks and is a goofball. If he really didn’t expect a backlash at this “All American league” he was joking himself. I like how Sam continually uses the name Moose because it just makes this topic even more of a laughing matter. If people allowed this to happen then what would happen next? This would escalate into other sports and other matters. This is taking a big step backwards. We talk so often about all the steps we have made and how much progress we still need to make, and also the things that set us back again- this is an example. No matter his intentions, racist or not, this will hurt some people with different skin colors and they will take it personally and see it as a race issue. This portrays well the issues in “Making Peace Between our Colors”, in that so many people see things differently- they see things from their own “box”. It is so difficult to see people’s perspective because we have a hard time putting ourselves in their shoes. So Moose may see things from his own box- that this isn’t racist this is just wanting a league for white people to be able to play and to play in their own style. I can see where he is coming from in part but from my own box I don’t understand it and see the faults behind it. He needs to come to the race circle and try to see the views of others and see what is wrong with his view. In the very least he could do this on a smaller scale simply with his friends so that he as a white man can be involved- but he should still like people of other races get involved if they so wish. White men may find this idea attractive because they have difficulty entering high level basketball because their skill isn’t as great as many people of other races. This makes the issue with sports difficult because many times certain races do dominate certain sports because of their body type. But the idea overall is way too controversial and opens the door to so many other issue that other people would then try to justify as okay. This incident shows the many people who believe that race is no longer an issue that obviously it is. Can’t we just all play together in this game and the game of life and slowly let the colors fade? Hopefully with classes like this and people actually voicing their thoughts and feelings about race relations we will one day be able to do this- and hopefully that day will be soon. Fri, 5 Mar 2010 15:25:02 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/why-is-this-racist-really__trashed/#IDComment59898421 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/why-is-this-racist-really__trashed/#IDComment59897369 “White’s Only” basketball league….really? What does a different style mean, a fundamental style? He doesn’t even explain what this really means just uses a lot of vague terms to describe it. Moose describes him well, the fact that he looks and is a goofball. If he really didn’t expect a backlash at this “All American league” he was joking himself. I like how Sam continually uses the name Moose because it just makes this topic even more of a laughing matter. If people allowed this to happen then what would happen next? This would escalate into other sports and other matters. This is taking a big step backwards. We talk so often about all the steps we have made and how much progress we still need to make, and also the things that set us back again- this is an example. No matter his intentions, racist or not, this will hurt some people with different skin colors and they will take it personally and see it as a race issue. This portrays well the issues in “Making Peace Between our Colors”, in that so many people see things differently- they see things from their own “box”. It is so difficult to see people’s perspective because we have a hard time putting ourselves in their shoes. Fri, 5 Mar 2010 15:15:28 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/why-is-this-racist-really__trashed/#IDComment59897369 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/why-is-this-racist-really__trashed/#IDComment59897219 “White’s Only” basketball league….really? What does a different style mean, a fundamental style? He doesn’t even explain what this really means just uses a lot of vague terms to describe it. Moose describes him well, the fact that he looks and is a goofball. If he really didn’t expect a backlash at this “All American league” he was joking himself. I like how Sam continually uses the name Moose because it just makes this topic even more of a laughing matter. If people allowed this to happen then what would happen next? This would escalate into other sports and other matters. This is taking a big step backwards. We talk so often about all the steps we have made and how much progress we still need to make, and also the things that set us back again- this is an example. No matter his intentions, racist or not, this will hurt some people with different skin colors and they will take it personally and see it as a race issue. This portrays well the issues in “Making Peace Between our Colors”, in that so many people see things differently- they see things from their own “box”. It is so difficult to see people’s perspective because we have a hard time putting ourselves in their shoes. So Moose may see things from his own box- that this isn’t racist this is just wanting a league for white people to be able to play and to play in their own style. I can see where he is coming from in part but from my own box I don’t understand it and see the faults behind it. He needs to come to the race circle and try to see the views of others and see what is wrong with his view. In the very least he could do this on a smaller scale simply with his friends so that he as a white man can be involved- but he should still like people of other races get involved if they so wish. White men may find this idea attractive because they have difficulty entering high level basketball because their skill isn’t as great as many people of other races. This makes the issue with sports difficult because many times certain races do dominate certain sports because of their body type. But the idea overall is way too controversial and opens the door to so many other issue that other people would then try to justify as okay. This incident shows the many people who believe that race is no longer an issue that obviously it is. Can’t we just all play together in this game and the game of life and slowly let the colors fade? Hopefully with classes like this and people actually voicing their thoughts and feelings about race relations we will one day be able to do this- and hopefully that day will be soon. Fri, 5 Mar 2010 15:14:58 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/why-is-this-racist-really__trashed/#IDComment59897219 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/why-is-this-racist-really__trashed/#IDComment59819095 “White’s Only” basketball league….really? What does a different style mean, a fundamental style? He doesn’t even explain what this really means just uses a lot of vague terms to describe it. Moose describes him well, the fact that he looks and is a goofball. If he really didn’t expect a backlash at this “All American league” he was joking himself. I like how Sam continually uses the name Moose because it just makes this topic even more of a laughing matter. If people allowed this to happen then what would happen next? This would escalate into other sports and other matters. This is taking a big step backwards. We talk so often about all the steps we have made and how much progress we still need to make, and also the things that set us back again- this is an example. No matter his intentions, racist or not, this will hurt some people with different skin colors and they will take it personally and see it as a race issue. This portrays well the issues in “Making Peace Between our Colors”, in that so many people see things differently- they see things from their own “box”. It is so difficult to see people’s perspective because we have a hard time putting ourselves in their shoes. Fri, 5 Mar 2010 01:32:29 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/why-is-this-racist-really__trashed/#IDComment59819095 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/why-is-this-racist-really__trashed/#IDComment59803129 “White’s Only” basketball league….really? What does a different style mean, a fundamental style? He doesn’t even explain what this really means just uses a lot of vague terms to describe it. Moose describes him well, the fact that he looks and is a goofball. If he really didn’t expect a backlash at this “All American league” he was joking himself. I like how Sam continually uses the name Moose because it just makes this topic even more of a laughing matter. If people allowed this to happen then what would happen next? This would escalate into other sports and other matters. This is taking a big step backwards. We talk so often about all the steps we have made and how much progress we still need to make, and also the things that set us back again- this is an example. No matter his intentions, racist or not, this will hurt some people with different skin colors and they will take it personally and see it as a race issue. This portrays well the issues in “Making Peace Between our Colors”, in that so many people see things differently- they see things from their own “box”. It is so difficult to see people’s perspective because we have a hard time putting ourselves in their shoes. So Moose may see things from his own box- that this isn’t racist this is just wanting a league for white people to be able to play and to play in their own style. I can see where he is coming from in part but from my own box I don’t understand it and see the faults behind it. He needs to come to the race circle and try to see the views of others and see what is wrong with his view. In the very least he could do this on a smaller scale simply with his friends so that he as a white man can be involved- but he should still like people of other races get involved if they so wish. White men may find this idea attractive because they have difficulty entering high level basketball because their skill isn’t as great as many people of other races. This makes the issue with sports difficult because many times certain races do dominate certain sports because of their body type. But the idea overall is way too controversial and opens the door to so many other issue that other people would then try to justify as okay. This incident shows the many people who believe that race is no longer an issue that obviously it is. Can’t we just all play together in this game and the game of life and slowly let the colors fade? Hopefully with classes like this and people actually voicing their thoughts and feelings about race relations we will one day be able to do this- and hopefully that day will be soon. Thu, 4 Mar 2010 23:01:33 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/why-is-this-racist-really__trashed/#IDComment59803129 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/why-is-this-racist-really__trashed/#IDComment59561336 “White’s Only” basketball league….really? What does a different style mean, a fundamental style? He doesn’t even explain what this really means just uses a lot of vague terms to describe it. Moose describes him well, the fact that he looks and is a goofball. If he really didn’t expect a backlash at this “All American league” he was joking himself. I like how Sam continually uses the name Moose because it just makes this topic even more of a laughing matter. If people allowed this to happen then what would happen next? This would escalate into other sports and other matters. This is taking a big step backwards. We talk so often about all the steps we have made and how much progress we still need to make, and also the things that set us back again- this is an example. No matter his intentions, racist or not, this will hurt some people with different skin colors and they will take it personally and see it as a race issue. This portrays well the issues in “Making Peace Between our Colors”, in that so many people see things differently- they see things from their own “box”. It is so difficult to see people’s perspective because we have a hard time putting ourselves in their shoes. So Moose may see things from his own box- that this isn’t racist this is just wanting a league for white people to be able to play and to play in their own style. I can see where he is coming from in part but from my own box I don’t understand it and see the faults behind it. He needs to come to the race circle and try to see the views of others and see what is wrong with his view. In the very least he could do this on a smaller scale simply with his friends so that he as a white man can be involved- but he should still like people of other races get involved if they so wish. White men may find this idea attractive because they have difficulty entering high level basketball because their skill isn’t as great as many people of other races. This makes the issue with sports difficult because many times certain races do dominate certain sports because of their body type. But the idea overall is way too controversial and opens the door to so many other issue that other people would then try to justify as okay. This incident shows the many people who believe that race is no longer an issue that obviously it is. Can’t we just all play together in this game and the game of life and slowly let the colors fade? Hopefully with classes like this and people actually voicing their thoughts and feelings about race relations we will one day be able to do this- and hopefully that day will be soon. Wed, 3 Mar 2010 14:18:22 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/why-is-this-racist-really__trashed/#IDComment59561336 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/why-is-this-racist-really__trashed/#IDComment59502986 “White’s Only” basketball league….really? What does a different style mean, a fundamental style? He doesn’t even explain what this really means just uses a lot of vague terms to describe it. Moose describes him well, the fact that he looks and is a goofball. If he really didn’t expect a backlash at this “All American league” he was joking himself. I like how Sam continually uses the name Moose because it just makes this topic even more of a laughing matter. If people allowed this to happen then what would happen next? This would escalate into other sports and other matters. This is taking a big step backwards. We talk so often about all the steps we have made and how much progress we still need to make, and also the things that set us back again- this is an example. No matter his intentions, racist or not, this will hurt some people with different skin colors and they will take it personally and see it as a race issue. This portrays well the issues in “Making Peace Between our Colors”, in that so many people see things differently- they see things from their own “box”. It is so difficult to see people’s perspective because we have a hard time putting ourselves in their shoes. So Moose may see things from his own box- that this isn’t racist this is just wanting a league for white people to be able to play and to play in their own style. I can see where he is coming from in part but from my own box I don’t understand it and see the faults behind it. He needs to come to the race circle and try to see the views of others and see what is wrong with his view. In the very least he could do this on a smaller scale simply with his friends so that he as a white man can be involved- but he should still like people of other races get involved if they so wish. White men may find this idea attractive because they have difficulty entering high level basketball because their skill isn’t as great as many people of other races. This makes the issue with sports difficult because many times certain races do dominate certain sports because of their body type. But the idea overall is way too controversial and opens the door to so many other issue that other people would then try to justify as okay. This incident shows the many people who believe that race is no longer an issue that obviously it is. Can’t we just all play together in this game and the game of life and slowly let the colors fade? Hopefully with classes like this and people actually voicing their thoughts and feelings about race relations we will one day be able to do this- and hopefully that day will be soon. Wed, 3 Mar 2010 06:43:44 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/why-is-this-racist-really__trashed/#IDComment59502986 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/native-americans-question-three__trashed/#IDComment58533168 I decided to respond to question three regarding Native Americans because I found it extremely interesting and a great point. I know that the huge genocide that occurred when we came to this country is often forgotten about or put in the back of our minds. I can admit that I haven’t thought about it since learning a small amount about it in high school. Also what we learned in high school didn’t stress what a terrible thing our people did to the Native Americans nor show the huge affect it had on their population then and today. When I learned about it I looked at it in terms as history not something that had anything to do with me or a reason to look negatively at our nation. When we discussed the genocide in class and Sam stressed how it was the biggest genocide to date it really hit me just how big of an issue it was and is. It also dumbfounded me to see how much Native Americans are now struggling. To see the amount of poverty they are in and that about 50% are unemployed is really upsetting. I don’t understand why the US isn’t doing more to help them and to in a way (even though we could never truly) make up for the harm we have done to them. We discussed in class how part of the reason there isn’t help for them or we don’t recognize them as true Americans is because that would mean we would have to credit for the terrible things we have done, and some people don’t want to do that. This question asks people to take credit for what has been done and asks why they don’t see how terrible the oppression of Native Americans is. I was really astonished by some of the comments made in class by students dismissing the subject and not seeing how big of a deal it really is. I understand in part because I know that I don’t know everything that happened or is happening and our ignorance helps us ignore this issue but when we are really shown the facts in class I hope it helps students realize this issue and see how our ancestors took part. This is why I enjoy this class so much because it brings up issues that in society we usually don’t think about or acknowledge to the extent we should and really makes me think more about society. Obviously our society has grown monumentally since this genocide but we also have so much more ground to cover. So many people live everyday completely oblivious to the discrimination and bigotry that takes place everyday, or the fact that people obviously are born with a predisposition that can and will affect their future and how successful they will be. There are so many things people really need to think about and try to live everyday with these things in mind. Wed, 24 Feb 2010 19:36:28 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/native-americans-question-three__trashed/#IDComment58533168 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/lgbt-class-question-one__trashed/#IDComment57587103 In response to the question, “How do you feel about gay men couples adopting versus a lesbian couple adopting?” Personally I think that both lesbian and gay couples should be able to adopt children. Obviously they cannot consummate children on their own and adopting gives them the ability to have a family like many people want. I don’t understand why people don’t think that gay people should be allowed to adopt. Gay couples will care just as much for their kids as a straight couple, if not more. There are so many children in need of a loving home but the government doesn’t want to give these kids a home in a gay household, that is completely ridiculous. A loving home is a loving home. A gay couple will often care even more for the adopted children because they care so much to have a kid that they are willing to adopt and go through all of the processes needed to do so. No there will not be the “picturesque” mother and father but the child will still have two parents who love for them, which is more than many children in America have. In regards to the question I think she may have been asking if people think either lesbians or gay men are more qualified to adopt. I would say that I do not think it makes any difference between the two and that they are both highly qualified to adopt. It really depends on the actual people and not a couple’s sexuality. Whether a couple is gay, lesbian or straight will not affect children as much as if they are caring and loving parents. There are so many more qualified gay couples out there than straight couples who have children. I find it so sad that couples are unable to start a family like they hope for because of stupid laws and prejudices. It is time to overcome all of our stupid preconceptions about what a family should look like or what color of skin makes you “superior”. What makes one person think that they are better or more qualified than another? What does sexuality have to do with being a good parent? Our LGBT class was so interesting because it amazes me how closed-minded people can be and how unaware they are of what is going on in the world around them. What is the difference between a gay couple and a straight couple holding hands? Nothing! People just see things differently; they see more PDA because to them it is not as acceptable. What makes a good couple is that the two people care about each other and help each other become better people- not that they are of opposite sexes. I really hope that in the near future all couples will be able to not only adopt children but also be completely open about their sexuality and be accepted for it! Fri, 19 Feb 2010 06:53:24 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/lgbt-class-question-one__trashed/#IDComment57587103 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/negros-of-the-world-unite__trashed/#IDComment56054155 There is so much controversy over how to designate races and what words to use to describe someone. Why do we need these meaningless descriptions? In our recitation class yesterday we talked about this article and how some people may find it insulting to use the word Negro. There is so many different ways people take and interpret words it makes it difficult for anyone to speak about race. This shows why race is such a difficult topic. Everyone is always tiptoeing around race too scared to say or show what they really think because of worry that it may offend someone or that they will take it the wrong way. This makes it difficult in recitation and Soc 119 for people to talk openly about race- but slowly people open up more and become more able to talk about race issues. I am not of African assent so I don’t know if someone who is black may take the designation Negro; however, I could see that they may take it offensively. Also on the other side like the article discusses some older African’s use this to describe themselves and wrote this on previous censuses. I would say the important thing would be to discuss this with other Africans and see what they think on the topic and with they think should be done about the census with wording and different questions. Another topic to discuss with this is why we need so many designations for race. What is the significance of any of them? Why do we need to have this question on the census to begin with? As we discuss in class race really means nothing because we all have practically the same genes, these small differences in appearance and where we come from make hardly any difference. Personally I do not really care what I am called whether it is white, Caucasian, American, they are all fine with me. It seems like we are getting way too into things and needing too many designations- we have too many ways to try and separate and distinguish ourselves from each other even more. We have come so far and made so many great moves in solving social inequalities that these types of things make us go backwards. What is the difference? Why does it matter what race we are or how we like to distinguish each other? We need to all come together as one and unite rather than separate. The civil rights movement brought us all together and tried to solve racial problems and slowly it made a huge difference in our society. We need to continue these improvements on social problems and get rid of these social dividers so that we can further society. Race should not affect anything we do in society- whether it is getting a job, playing an athletic sport, or getting into a certain college. These barriers need to come down so that we can all come together and enjoy society as one unit. Tue, 9 Feb 2010 19:21:17 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/negros-of-the-world-unite__trashed/#IDComment56054155 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/avatar-and-the-white-mans-burden__trashed/#IDComment54985968 When reading this blog I was taken aback at first. When I first saw commercials for Avatar I wrote it off as another dorky animated movie of which I wouldn’t be interested; however, I started to hear rave reviews about it from friends and families and was told I simply HAD to see it- so I did. I was thoroughly impressed. When I walked out of the theater I thought about how I had just seen an awesome movie that was both extremely visually pleasing but also held a great message. The message I took from the movie was how in today’s world we have become so focused on bigger and better, technology, the bottom line that we have forgotten about the importance of culture and nature. I saw us becoming ahead of our time and trying to overcome nature with technology and in the progress taking down anything in the way. I saw the culture clashes as a representation of the many conflicts in the world between different countries. There were multiple strong messages to be taken from this movie- yes it was a similar story of Pocahontas and such but I felt that it had powerful messages and a good storyline. It used amazing colors, a new race, 3D, and a future civilization to captivate an audience and woo them with different devices while displaying important messages and warnings. A warning of what we could come to- a warning of the extremes that we push technology and civilization to. So when I saw Sam’s blog and then what David Brooks said it was interesting to think about the movie in a different way. I can understand and see where Brooks is coming from when discussing “the messiah complex” and see how in a way that could be taken from this movie; however, I do not see it as a major aspect. Yes there are many underlying themes of the white man rescuing another in movies and stories I feel that it is not the focus of many stories and most importantly the story of Avatar. The story in Avatar is about the cultures coming together to protect nature together, a story of making the white man see the importance of nature. Yes, if you choose to look at it as a white man rescuing the “lesser” culture then yes this does happen in the movie, but it is also the white man attacking the other culture. Also I wouldn’t say that the Avatars were particularly made to represent other races by being tall and skinny and whatnot as Brooks said. Everything about them is so different than anything we have seen in any movie and I find the Avatar race hard to compare to anything else. The mind sees what it wants to see- and if David Brooks wants to see the messiah complex then he will, but the storyline is SO much more than simply this. Tue, 2 Feb 2010 07:37:14 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/avatar-and-the-white-mans-burden__trashed/#IDComment54985968 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/01/racism-looks-pretty-good-on-this-side-of-the-atlantic__trashed/#IDComment54400611 I would definitely say that your title is accurate. The United States obviously still has problems with racism in society, more in some areas than others; however, I would say the racism here looks quite mild next to what is displayed in this video in Europe. I was disgusted and amazed at the obvious racism present in Europe during these soccer (football) events. I am appalled that such racism was allowed and that nothing was truly being done to stop such blatant racism. My heart goes out to Samuel Etto, Marc Zoro and all of the other amazing athletes that are being harassed for the color of their skin. These athletes are some of the best athletes in the world and people can’t look past the color of their skin to see all of the amazing skill they possess? I completely understand how Marc Zoro and other athletes broke down and couldn’t take the racism anymore as they tried to play the sport they loved. I can’t even image playing a sport and having my own fans harass me. There he is trying to play the game he loves and is skilled at and he has to deal with bananas being thrown at him and racial slurs. Aren’t we past this yet? When will all of this end for good? It seems like every big step we take in ending racism and stereotypes we take a step back in another aspect. Soccer is such a widely watched sport and has such worldwide appeal it should be something that is able to bring us all together rather than tear us apart. It also amazes me because it seems as though Europe has tried to blind this racism from soccer viewers because I know that many Americans have not seen any of this racism apparent on the television programs showing the games. These European countries should be making a stand- showing the fans, players, coaches and everyone involved that this is simply not appropriate or okay in any way. At the end of the video it shows the efforts that FIFA was finally putting towards ending this racism, this is definitely a step in the right direction but I would say it’s not enough. The major actions that they made were towards if an actual player or coach was involved in racism by deducting three points from their score; however, the majority of the racism is coming from the fans. Obviously the work FIFA made was not enough because this video is a few years old and the racism shown in the video is still strongly present. I thought the Nike campaign that the players made to show how this racism was affecting them was great. I think the best thing we can do to stop this racism is to publicize it and show just how wrong it is and that it must be stopped and hopefully slowly it will. I think being another country watching this racism we should have a part in stopping it. If other countries and authorities come together the message will only become that much stronger. Fri, 29 Jan 2010 20:36:12 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/01/racism-looks-pretty-good-on-this-side-of-the-atlantic__trashed/#IDComment54400611 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/01/last-name-begins-with-w__trashed/#IDComment53873714 Race Tue, 26 Jan 2010 01:39:22 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/01/last-name-begins-with-w__trashed/#IDComment53873714