en-us https://www.intensedebate.com/users/759296 Comments by kxt226 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/letter-from-an-inmate__trashed/#IDComment69831103 Reading that inmate’s letter really seemed to open my eyes to certain things. It gave me more of an understanding to the inside of someone’s mind. He seemed so educated and full of remorse, not like something or someone you picture in a cell for first degree murder. I can’t believe that he is not bitter or full of rage knowing that he will no longer taste freedom ever again. His words seemed moving to those who may feel that their lives are worse off than others. I have heard that many inmates are part of gangs or “clicks” in prison, and to read that the two opposing members who hated each other came together because the one was upset, seemed human. I felt that those stories are the kind of stories you need to hear more of, because we have a general view as a public that people inside prison walls are genuinely nasty and not worth living. I’m sure there are some that are that way, but I’m sure there are inmates who feel that they have changed…feel that they are different than before. This inmate’s story reminds me of the movie The Shawshank Redemption, because those inmates create a friendship and bond with each other that they, as inmates, could only understand. Knowing that they would be in prison for the rest of their lives, without hope for parole would seem heart wrenching. These men seemed to be able to bear it. Also, it makes you wonder how the inmates that have been in jail for decades would deal with society after finally being set free. My point would best be exemplified by a scene from The Shawshank Redemption. Brooks Hatlen was let out in Shawshank because his time was served and Brooks couldn’t handle the real world since he was locked up for so long that he ultimately killed himself because it was too much. Before they let him out he even contemplated killing another inmate because the thought of the real world was so scary to him. I wonder if inmates think like that. I wonder if they feel that after being in jail for so long that the real world technology and fast pace would be too much for them to handle. Does being in a prison with a life sentence make you start utilize the Monday morning quarterback concept. You look back at your life and realize how you should have acted and regret the decisions you made. You become more compassionate and more appreciative of what little you can control in your life. You may learn to take advantage of your surroundings to try to make the best of it. If you don’t, you might go mad. You resent your situation but you learn to develop a family of sorts. A very dysfunctional family but, none the less, a family unit that has allowed you to learn a lot about the people in your circle. These people surrounding you are ultimately the people that live in your home. Compassion is a luxury they now have time for. Thu, 22 Apr 2010 22:48:55 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/letter-from-an-inmate__trashed/#IDComment69831103 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/this-is-totally-off-the-hook__trashed/#IDComment66622034 First of all this is the most fowl, repulsively disgusting, and perverted thing I have ever witnessed in my life. This just adds a different level to “mentally raping” someone. The thought that there are people out there who could play this game to actually rape and harm a woman astound me. It also disgusts me. After reading this article, I discussed this with my guy friends. and they stated that they would in fact play this game. I guess whatever sells best is what will be on the shelves. It makes me wonder if people who actually play this secretly have feelings of causing harm, or having very rough sex with their significant other. I also find it disgusting that it is only women that get degraded like this. And to those women who find that this is not repulsive at all definitely have daddy issues, or have been abused by people in their lifetime. I wonder if this would be more controversial if it was a male getting raped by other men. I wonder if that were the case that something would be done about it because it is “too graphic” for people to view. Secondly, this is a very smart plan by the video game company. They know that sex sells, and they know that even rough, taboo sex sells even more. When did we grow up in a society where it was okay to kill someone or rape someone for pleasure. I feel that if it is taboo in this society someone wants to do it or sell it. For example, Britney Spears and Madonna’s make out session during the MTV awards had a lot of hits. MTV had rave reviews by people wanting to see more things like that. People love to see and rebel from what isn’t allowed. When my parents were younger, the Catholic Church used to make lists of movies and books you weren’t allowed to see because you would be considered a bad catholic. This list was called the Legion of Decency and it was posted at the back of the church. Well, naturally, everyone went to go see those films or read the books. It’s human nature to rebel. Now, I’m not condoning this video game at all. I think that violence and sex go together but not like this. What this Japanese company is portraying to be okay is that violence towards women is unimportant. I find it interesting that this would come from a country that still holds women as sex servants. The shock factor seems to be number one in marketing something different. I am a very open minded person but I feel there are lines that have been crossed. I guess the video games that shoot and kill people have been tolerated so they need to take the next step. Where does this kind of thing end? I guess when we played cowboys and Indians as kids or even doctor, we were allowing the imagination to blossom. I think this, however, has turned into a sickness. Thu, 8 Apr 2010 17:36:37 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/this-is-totally-off-the-hook__trashed/#IDComment66622034 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/what-about-multiracial-people__trashed/#IDComment65196731 I don’t think we talk enough about multiracial people. Like this guy said on the flip cam, we associate with the black or brown team or the white team. Where do the multiracial people fall? Where do they base most of the steps that Sam has been talking about? My thoughts are that those of a multiracial race can listen and understand both sides. Because they have both sets of colored parents they are able to listen to both sides; instead of the blind hatred or views of parents of the same orientation. It is very interesting to me that when someone who is a product of two different races, they are automatically assumed to be the race that prejudice people resent. If someone hates blacks, it doesn’t matter how white they might look, a bitter person will say they are black. Why not just say they are white if they have white in them? It almost seems a little racist to me. For example, Barrack Hussein Obama is listed as "the Black Senator" from Illinois, but his mother was white. He is just as much white as he is black, yet he is portrayed as “the Black Senator.” In the old days of segregation, mixed children were sent to the schools for blacks, so their black side was viewed as being more dominant. Guess it's still that way today. For me, I find it offensive that people discriminate against people of two or more races. especially those who are in a different race relationship. My (white) male friend is dating a (black) female. They seem to be happy and people are happy for them. However, the minute they leave people start with the gossip or the trash talk about them dating someone of a different race. People get on him because he isn’t “man” enough for a black woman, he is stealing out of “their” dating pool, and that she is just using him for his “white status.” On her side, people are getting on her because she is a “home wrecker”, only after his money, and sleeps around on him. Both sides get the same amount of abuse mentally. I feel really bad for them, but I guess it shows that it will take time for people to “allow” people of other races to get together. A lot of the time people think about their children, if they were to have any, because what are they going to have to deal with growing up. Like we are talking about in this blog, are they black or are they white? That is a lot for a small child to deal with growing up. It used to be that way between different nationalities. Since this country has really become more of a melting pot, we encounter people with heritage of so many nationalities they can’t remember them. It will take some time before the black and white mix will blend into the melting pot. All the nationalities in the world can still have the skin color white, so I guess it seems fine to blend nationalities. However, when it comes to skin color, that is much more obvious between black and white. Thu, 1 Apr 2010 15:02:49 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/what-about-multiracial-people__trashed/#IDComment65196731 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/whats-the-big-deal-with-periods__trashed/#IDComment64055284 I totally agree with this girl. Who cares about periods! It’s a fact of life, and since guys are so obsessed with sex and vaginas, they better get used to it. I mean do men not know that during intercourse they stick there penis into the exact spot where women menstruate. That is where women give birth. I am so very proud to have my period because that means I am able to have a family one day! Not my future husband, me! I’ll be the one carrying the child and giving birth. Menstrual cycles, I feel , are a “taboo” topic for men to speak about because it is something that men do not understand. I’ve heard many men speak jokingly about it. They mock women’s periods in the movies; for example, in “Superbad”. This does irritates me. Yes it is a gross thing to deal with, but it is not like women parade around with bloody pants and leave used tampons around for others to get disgusted by. Periods are something that should be kept private or shared among women, but men should be mature enough to deal with it when the situation comes up. I’m sure one day their future spouse will have a period that they will have to deal with. They don’t need to talk about it, but need to be mature about something so bizarre. When I say bizarre I mean, how can a creature bleed for 7 days straight and not die! That’s also why I believe women are the stronger of the sexes. Seriously, women deal with their periods for years and most women do not complain. The ultimate purpose of having periods is to enable a female to have a baby. That is such a miracle and so amazing. To think that you don’t bleed during pregnancy but it is a necessary female function that would enable your ability to have a child. Many find it to be a blessing, because once it ends other problems come from not having a period. A young girl becomes a women when she starts her period. They also refer to the end of your period as “The Change of Life”. Fortunately, things have progressed for a woman to where she can use tampons instead of just pads. That would be disgusting. I don’t think you could ever feel clean. If a man had a period we would never hear the end of it. Men are such babies, especially college aged men. The way people handled the situation in class was ridiculous. People should not have acted so childishly, but maybe the way Sam termed the topic of “bleeding” made it immature. Women do not get together and say “dang, I started to bleed,” most of the terms that women use are menstrual cycle and period. I feel that if there are to be rude or funny comments made about periods, women are the ones to make those comments. It almost is in relation to the derogatory n-word. White people can’t say it, but black people can. Thu, 25 Mar 2010 16:14:39 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/whats-the-big-deal-with-periods__trashed/#IDComment64055284 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/does-this-rudeness-thing-cut-both-ways__trashed/#IDComment62820638 I really think rudeness does go both ways. It is terrible to think, and lately in this class I’ve been feeling this way, that white people are the only people to be racist. I find this hard to believe when so many “people of color” are also just as racist if not more. I was raised to treat everyone equally, and to not be rude to anyone. To treat people as you would want to be treated. Through some of my journeys around Penn State, I’ve heard of the nasty ways white people have treated black people, but usually the people treating black people horribly are older people. I do not know of any openly racist people my age. I know that black people have had a hard road dealing with things but a lot of the time they pull the “race card”. Several instances of my experiences at Penn State were that this one gentleman got mad at me at a bar because I wouldn’t accept a drink from him. He instantly called me racist, saying “Oh you don’t want the drink because I’m black!” That was not the case at all. The other instance was when a group of black girls at McDonalds pushed me against a door and told me to “move my skinny white ass out of the way.” When I said that was rude this one girl started screaming that I called her the “n-word,” when in fact I had not said anything. A great question to ask is why are black people unable to let racism go away when many white people our age are ready to. I find it interesting how many people our age do not think about racism. In some cases racism is inherited. In 1949 the musical “South Pacific” opened on Broadway. There is a song in the musical “You Got to be Taught” that seems very relevant. “You've got to be taught To be Afraid Of people whose eyes are oddly made And people whose skin Is a different shade You've got to be carefully taught You've got to be taught Before it's too late Before you are 6 or 7 or 8 To hate all the people your relatives hate” At that time, this made quite a statement. Maybe because I live in Happy Valley I have a different mentality, but I really don’t believe that black people have it that bad. I mean, we have a black president, and a female African American football coach has been appointed this past year. I feel that yes rudeness goes both ways because one of two sides want it to be there. They do not know anything else so they force what they know, which is hatred. Thu, 18 Mar 2010 19:08:32 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/does-this-rudeness-thing-cut-both-ways__trashed/#IDComment62820638 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/are-whites-the-only-people-willing-to-humiliate-themselves__trashed/#IDComment59775870 I agree with what this girl is saying about contestants on ABC shows being mostly white females, but your only looking at just “The Bachelor”. There are people of other race and bone structure on these shows. For example, last year they had a season of “The Bachelor” that was aimed towards the overweight society. Most people on these shows are white, but, basically, it is based off a demographic that watches the show. If you watched “The Bachelor Tells All” episode, the spectators in the viewing area were mostly caucasian. I’m sure people of color watch the show, and yes, they should have an African American bachelor or a bachelor of another ethnicity, but most people who watch “The Bachelor” are white, female, and in the middle-upper-class society. I think a lot of the time it is who ABC recruits to find these women. If you look at other shows, you can see a more broad choice of ethnicity. A good example of that is “Survivor”. I don’t believe that white people are the only ones open to humiliating themselves. Yes, these shows need to do a better job when it comes to equalizing someone’s chances on the show, like “The Bachelor”. However, if you think about it, most people are attracted to people of the same ethnicity and giving people of opposite ethnicity’s a chance to be together could be “taboo” or even not worth it for the show. I also believe that the there is a lot of red tape to get on to these shows. Other ethnicities, I believe, are just as willing to make it on a TV show for their 15 minutes of fame. Look at how many people are on “American Idol”! So many people of different backgrounds, ages, and cultures come on that show to either purposely humiliate themselves or to make it big. “The Bachelor” is basically aimed towards a white demographic. If the network had the chance, there would be a bachelor of different ethnicity and culture, but as rude as it is to say it…he would have to be something special because I believe they would lose a lot of ratings. Although times have changed, there is still the social taboo of willingly establishing a relationship with another race. In England, that is not a social taboo. I’m sure there would be the additional concern that the viewing public might be concerned about relationships with mixed races. It makes it difficult to go against the “norm”. That being what society has deemed acceptable at this time. We still have a long way to go before we can position ourselves to accept that by just arbitrarily grabbing any race. People would get concerned that might offend same sex partners, a major age difference. They fell that this would be safer. Although the ratings might even be higher, they would not want to start that kind of controversy. “The Bachelor” is mostly white for the same reason that “For the Love of Ray Jay” is mostly aimed towards black people. Thu, 4 Mar 2010 19:08:14 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/are-whites-the-only-people-willing-to-humiliate-themselves__trashed/#IDComment59775870 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/native-americans-question-two__trashed/#IDComment58735258 In response to Vincent’s post, I would have to agree with him about the whole “why am I being blamed for things that I didn’t have a part in?” I agree with him on the Native American aspect of it and the African American aspect. I had nothing to do with the hostility that the Native Americans had to endure, yet to this day they hate “the white man, or the white society.” Do I feel bad that most of these Native Americans are living in poverty and terrible living conditions, yes! But what can I do about it, I’m just a student. It is not about the “white team” or “dark team” on this issue but more along the lines of segregating what is different. I think it’s wrong that the Native Americans of the United States are treated so poorly. Their culture is the most cherished and strong culture that I’ve ever learned about. To have the land ripped away from them is terrible, and do I feel bad, absolutely! I just do not know how to go about fixing the issue. I mean, we can bring it to people’s attention in schools, newspapers, and books but that only goes so far. It drives me crazy that the United States government pays so much money over in Afghanistan and Iraq when there is much to be fixed here in the United States. I was not aware of how bad Native Americans had it until Sam’s video. I feel terrible, and there really isn’t anything I can do about the situation. I always thought that the Native Americans were a cherished people. They are always portrayed in a good light during parades, and they were in the opening ceremony in the Salt Lake City Olympics. They have a place in our history. I mean, Sacagawea has a display devoted to her in the Museum of Natural History in New York City. That’s why I do not understand why and how they live like this? I know they live on reservations, but are they allowed the same jobs we are allowed as “white people?” I get really annoyed when the blame is pushed towards my generation, regarding racism towards a person of any color. Yes, there is racism but it is towards all colors whether you’re white, yellow, brown or black. I was born in 1987, and had absolutely nothing to do with stealing the Native Americans land or the Civil Rights movement, but yet I’m still getting blamed for them as a 22 year old white girl. There needs to be a time when people just relax and stop blaming each other. Once the blaming of one another ends so will this racism. So much of racism is inherited from our parents or society. The best thing we can do is to be open-minded and try to resist the influence of other people. Take the opportunity to establish your own opinions based on your own experiences. Fri, 26 Feb 2010 02:36:46 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/native-americans-question-two__trashed/#IDComment58735258 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/lgbt-class-question-four__trashed/#IDComment57363639 My first thought on this statement is that yes, marriage is a “religious” aspect and yes, people who aren’t religious get married every day. I absolutely despise that the United States feels so strongly to not allow same sex couples the legal rights of opposite sex couples. They say that the government separates church and state, but I do not feel that they do a great job of doing that. If they separated church and state then many “taboo” things would be accepted in the world. Who’s to say what a person can or cannot do! My thought is that marriage is about loving someone and wanting to be with that person, whole heartedly. The church and government have taken things too far. as to say they are taboo. What is taboo? Just because these people, in the privacy of their own homes, have sexual relations with each other makes them unable to be married? It is unfair to those couples who want to be married and want to have a family with the one they love. There was something in the news the other day about how homosexual couples were now getting divorced...who cares!!! People have taken this notion too far. These lesbian and gay couples do not bother the straight society. When the divorce rate in this country is so high, I would expect gay and lesbian couples to get divorced. It is not fair that these couples must endure such hardships to be with the one they love. When you have 2 willing adults that are attracted to each other, their love will develop into something that they want to totally commit to. Marriage being that commitment. And as for Caligirl8, you need to be aware of something. The religious types are the worst when it comes to condemning these couples. By saying you don’t have a problem with gay relationships but do when it comes to marriage actually DOES mean you have a problem with gay people. So you being religious makes you self-righteous and holier than other people? I guarantee you that there are religious gay couples devoted to a church or a religion, and it even makes me wonder if Jesus was a flamer. I mean, hey, why would that be written in the bible if they didn’t want to throw the gay trail off of Jesus. If you are so religious and righteous, why are you judging and condemning people in the first place. The first thing that God teaches you is to accept and love everyone. I feel that some people in our society live in a “cookie cutter” world, and most people will be disgruntled toward something that is different. For example, I’m sure that most people who were Christian would have a hard time becoming Jewish. All of those views and traditions can’t be thrown away because, as a Christian, you are always going to want to celebrate Christmas, and same goes for Jews, when it comes to Hanukkah. You can’t ask or tell a person who they can or can’t love. It doesn’t work that way. The heart wants what it wants. Thu, 18 Feb 2010 00:03:55 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/lgbt-class-question-four__trashed/#IDComment57363639 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/all-that-is-solid-melts-into-air-including-our-words__trashed/#IDComment56261023 “I have to talk to myself. There's nobody left to talk to, all the elders have passed on” ~ Johnny Hill, Jr, Chemehuevi tribe, Arizona. How ignorant we are as Americans. This article really got to me based on the statement that when our generation passes away most of the world language will die before us. Most schools today do not teach a foreign language until it is too late. I know my high school doesn’t teach a foreign language until high school, which is 9-12th grade. I have taken several foreign language courses but at the age of 22 English is engrained in my brain and another language is impossible to retain. Learning a new language should start at an earlier age. Practice makes perfect is a statement that really applies to learning foreign languages. We feel superior because all other countries are making English a universal language. That is to their advantage when you realize this is a global economy and they can comfortably converse and do business in their own language as well. I know we are at a disadvantage because without using that language it can easily be forgotten. The rest of the world is further ahead of us because we as Americans are too lazy and vain to think we need to communicate with other countries. Those people that can speak multiple languages are ahead of people trying to get a job because international experience this day and age is very important. Being able to communicate with other countries on behalf of a company is very appeasing to an individual in the job market. It also shows what kind of a person you are, that you are willing to learn other cultures and that you are not opposed to new things. Wouldn’t it be something if our president didn’t need a translator at certain foreign meetings? I find it astounding that officials from other countries know our language and can speak it at meetings, but our officials need a translator to communicate. I feel embarrassed for the United States. I know that the government is trying to change that, but it is taking a while to be taken seriously. Reading this article made me want to cry. Listening to that woman sing the language that would die with her is heart breaking. The first quote in my blog is correct, I can only imagine what those people go through not being able to communicate to others. When I think of this article it reminds me of the movie or book The Last of the Mohicans. How terrible it would be to be the last of anything let alone your ancestry and culture. I can’t imagine what that woman felt being all alone, without anyone to speak the old language of her elders. Years ago there were regions in the United States that were Polish, Italian, etc. Now we are becoming a true melting pot of nationalities. As a result, so much of the heritage, culture and language is being lost. Wed, 10 Feb 2010 23:43:38 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/all-that-is-solid-melts-into-air-including-our-words__trashed/#IDComment56261023 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/avatar-and-the-white-mans-burden__trashed/#IDComment55406656 First off, Avatar is a movie that people have been waiting for. I rarely go to the movies because they are so expensive, but this movie was so so worth the money. Now comes the crazy debate. Although I agree a little with Mr. Brooks on his Messiah Complex, I’d like to point out that maybe he’s missing another crucial point in the movie. Another hidden meaning that I believe most people probably haven’t thought of is that in the movie yes, Cameron shows the “white guys” attacking the wholesome native people, but what does that remind you of? Well, let me think…The United States a few years ago? Yes, we are still in a war that most people don’t know why we started in the first place. The movie almost gives off a little bit of the era of George Bush, and how he played a part as our president. He showed no mercy while some of the military were heartless, and I’m not trying to offend anyone when I say this. The way they portrayed the military and the corporation as very heartless and ruthless wasn’t too far from the truth. In the movie the Americans are attacking the native people because their home is located above an abundance of expensive rock. Doesn’t that sound familiar? George Bush and the United States government started a war over in Afghanistan and Iraq to “save freedom” but how ironic is it that the place we are attacking has an abundance of oil underneath them. How ironic is it that a movie was created based on the same reasons some people believe started the war. Yes, these movies show how terrible the white man can be and how ruthless they act when they want something, but doesn’t it show a little bit of truth? This movie really makes you think. You are thrown into this world that we don’t understand and the business world and government didn’t care to understand. Trying to pretend we are there for their good while we rape the land. I believe this movie has so many hidden meanings that people just can’t grasp them. I also believe the meanings are what you believe them to be, because people who live in China seeing this movie may have a totally different perspective about it. I’m not going to lie, it wasn’t until after I watched the movie that I started thinking about hidden meanings that might exist. Have we really gotten to this age where people can’t go and just enjoy the movie for what it is…entertainment? I enjoyed the movie for what it was because the graphics, the images, the creativity were amazing. It is sad to know that some people would go to this movie and just rip it apart because of some “perception” they have. I would like to see this movie again with a different perspective. I would like to determine what comparisons I would find in the world today. Fri, 5 Feb 2010 01:05:31 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/avatar-and-the-white-mans-burden__trashed/#IDComment55406656 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/01/racism-looks-pretty-good-on-this-side-of-the-atlantic__trashed/#IDComment54426745 This video shocked me! I went to Europe four years ago and experienced a different culture, to say the least. There were many people of different races and ethnicities. I also saw so many mixed race couples, and my parents explained to me that in Europe mixed race couples weren’t looked down on…like in the United States. How shocking that these people could say such rude things to sports players that they idolize. I heard that soccer fans in Europe are crazy, and I have never heard such racist views toward a player from the team they enjoy watching. I thought we’ve evolved more as a people. While watching the YouTube clip, I had thought that at least all the “bad mouthing” would keep the team closer. However watching what Thierry Henry’s coach had said about him falsified that thought. I know that there is racism in the United States, but I had no idea that racism was that bad over in Europe (even though the clip was four years old). I wonder if racist precautions for this year’s World Cup have been taken, or even if there has been racist activity in the stadiums during the matches. I would like to think that the European government has acted upon these barbaric actions, and come up with a procedure for the safety and sanity of the players that are being taunted. What kills me is that the racist slurs aren’t coming from the soccer teams or the coaching staff, but rather the fans. I’d like to know what FIFA officials are going to do to deal with the crazy soccer hooligans that run amuck throughout the stadium. This is a world event, and I’d like to think that people would get together and have a great time, rather than dealing with the hatred they have for someone’s skin color. Just like Sam stated, their actions now in Europe are what the United States seemed to go through during the Civil Rights movement. Maybe I’m just naïve, but I thought that Europe had an understanding between different races, because of where they are located. I’ve heard of crazy stories from students that have studied abroad explaining how much fun European fans are during the soccer game days, but nobody ever told you about the racism that takes place in the stands. It also goes to show how different the United States and European governments are, because the United States government, in this day and age, would never let that behavior continue to happen. Although, it makes me wonder if the United States has some racist issues like this and the media keeps it on the down low. Once again that YouTube clip blew me away. It’s very upsetting to see how awful someone could be treated, even when they are one of the best soccer stars in the world. Unfortunately, so much of this is taught and will continue unless the cycle is broken. If it is encouraged, it will never end. Sat, 30 Jan 2010 01:25:22 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/01/racism-looks-pretty-good-on-this-side-of-the-atlantic__trashed/#IDComment54426745 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/01/last-name-begins-with-t__trashed/#IDComment54089861 GO STATE!!! Wed, 27 Jan 2010 16:39:01 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/01/last-name-begins-with-t__trashed/#IDComment54089861 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/01/clubbing-the-bejesus-out-of-rationality__trashed/#IDComment53397665 In response to the Keith Olbermann’s YouTube clip, I believe that although it was harsh, it was needed. His words were exactly what a lot of Americans around the United States were thinking, regardless of race, gender, or ethnicity. I was aware of what was happening over in Haiti, but was unaware that political figures, people in general, and/or the media were trying to use this as a publicity stunt. I’m not agreeing with what Pat Robertson and Rush Limbaugh had to say, because I believe the only people using this tragedy for publicity or campaign material were these two men. Professor Richards was right. When you surround yourself with people that believe in the same views as yourself, you tend to become very closed minded. That can ultimately make you very biased. I’ve been around people that have certain views in their minds and refuse to let other ideas play a part in their thinking process. Being open to what others believe is what makes this country great. What’s scary is that there are people out in this world that actually agree and believe what these two men have to say. It’s sad to think that our world has come to this hatred. Diversity is the best medicine, and I believe that these men are not getting their daily dose of argument. By argument I mean in a good healthy debate kind of way. These two men obviously have diarrhea of the mouth. Now I know that the media is having a field day when it comes to responses from Limbaugh and Robertson. These two men feed off of that kind of media frenzy. They want to be controversial, because it keeps them in the news. This is helping their ratings, and the media keeps talking about it, which adds to their fan base or their egos. These two men feed off of this energy. I mean, come on, who seriously thinks this stuff up. These men are known to say untrue things, and the people of the U.S. need to not give in to their childlike behavior. I also find it interesting that these men are publicly humiliating a country that just went through, and is going through, a horrific ordeal. One is bashing a people who just have been shocked by Mother Nature, and the other is insulting a President who is trying to help out a country that is in need. I’m sorry to bring this up, and in the words of Jonathan Stewart “Not the right time,” I feel that had President Bush still been in office, Limbaugh wouldn’t have negatively talked about the care the president was taking. Also, Robertson would have been on the “path for saving.” Yes, we all know what side Limbaugh is on. But really, why is the first thought that pops out of his mouth something negative about President Obama and not “Gee, what can I do to try and help.” His show could have been done some good; like trying to raise money for those in need. However, he chose a more negative route, as will most of his followers. No matter what side of the political mountain you belong, what happened in Haiti was tragic. Calling names like pre-school children has become old. I thought our country had evolved more than this. Fri, 22 Jan 2010 16:55:00 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/01/clubbing-the-bejesus-out-of-rationality__trashed/#IDComment53397665