en-us https://www.intensedebate.com/users/758638 Comments by lar5074 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/stories-for-uplift__trashed/#IDComment71355360 While these videos did not bring me to tears like so many people are mentioning, they did touch me. It is nice to know that there are still plenty of good people out there in the world that would help a stranger out just as easily as they would help their own family. As far as the second video goes, it is very cute and if only we could shelter kids nowadays so they could keep their innocence for as long as possible. However, life is so sweet and innocent, life is tough and kids need to know about it and how horrible it can be. As beautiful as the fairytales are that we read to our children, they need to know that those are just stories and life doesn't always end up happily ever after. Thu, 29 Apr 2010 19:43:19 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/stories-for-uplift__trashed/#IDComment71355360 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/what-about-people-who-can-only-afford-hard-work__trashed/#IDComment71353928 This is a really good question and I think I need more information to answer it correctly. However, from what I understand plenty of people migrated to the United States in the past with not even “two dimes to rub together” and some how they managed to make it in the United States legally. It takes not only a lot of hard work but a lot of courage to pick yourself up and move with no where to live or to work, but there are plenty of people in this country that have done just that. Some times not everyone can hack it, sometimes people have worse luck than others, but when it comes down to it, it can be done. Just like we talked about “King of the Mountain” in past classes, life is not only about hard work but it is about luck of the draw as well. Someone could work their butt off and still fail, when someone else could just be at the right place at the right time and manage to be successful in life. This shows that it is not fair and maybe some things should be done to equal the playing field, however, life is not fair so why should we try and make it? However, there are plenty of other ways the United States tries to make this country fair, like affirmative action, so why shouldn’t they come up with a fair way for immigrants to have a fighting chance at a good life in the United States? Immigrants tend to be the ones who are willing to the “dirty” work and manual labor jobs, apparently legal Americans are too good to work those jobs, however these immigrants are paid at very low wages. One could say that they deserve to be paid minimum wage, but if the ones doing the work are illegal immigrants, who they usually are, they don’t have to pay taxes so making less than minimum wage would be ok. There should be a program in which immigrants can do these jobs and work towards citizenship in the United States. I still stand by my original point, where I believe all immigrants should get their citizenship legally, like so many have done in the past. However, I also understand that times have changed and if the United States can offer programs to help equal the playing field for its own citizens, perhaps it is time to create one for those who wish to become citizens. These immigrants tend to do the dirty and manual labor jobs that most citizens would never take on, however there is a current rise in unemployment so allowing more and more immigrants to come into the United States may not be feasible. It would take time and research but I think a solution is out there to this problem, we just need to find it. Thu, 29 Apr 2010 19:32:50 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/what-about-people-who-can-only-afford-hard-work__trashed/#IDComment71353928 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/what-about-health-care__trashed/#IDComment71350685 I believe access to healthcare should be a right for all legal citizens of the United States. Immigrants who come to the United States and follow the proper protocol should have every right every other American citizen has. However, I do not believe that illegal immigrants have a right to healthcare. Don’t get me wrong, if someone is sick or hurt I believe they should be treated without question, and not denied help, but that should only go as far as stabilizing them. American citizens pay taxes and some of those taxes are used to pay the hospitals bills for those who cannot afford to pay for their treatment. I do not think it is fair for non-citizens to benefit from the taxes of working American citizens. Thu, 29 Apr 2010 19:07:35 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/what-about-health-care__trashed/#IDComment71350685 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/300000-whats-it-mean-to-us__trashed/#IDComment69841196 I agree that people can generally be self-centered but i would not necessarily say it is just an American trait. I agree it has to all do with media coverage. We are not in Haiti so all we know about the situation is what people tell us. And even then, no matter how many pictures you see in the news, seeing it in person is a completely different experience. Unfortunately the news is still a business and cares most about ratings and newspaper sales so they are going to push whatever is "hot". It is our society, as well as others, the richer countries that people are more familiar with are going to be the "hot" topics. And i do not see things changing anytime soon... Thu, 22 Apr 2010 23:58:56 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/300000-whats-it-mean-to-us__trashed/#IDComment69841196 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/300000-whats-it-mean-to-us__trashed/#IDComment69840501 I think that we all know, as unfortunate as it is, that people die. Sometimes people close to us, sometimes people we have no connection to whatsoever. We also know that terrible things occur whether it is attacks like September 11th or natural disasters like the earthquake in Haiti. However, unless it hits us close to home, it does not always hit us hard. I remember when the World Trade Centers were hit, students were allowed to go home if their parents wanted to come get them, but the rest of us (in 8th grade) were told to go on with our day; teachers were told to not speak about it in class (though they did) and just to teach like nothing happened. Pretending like nothing happens is the wrong thing to do, however sometimes whats done is done and the only healthy thing you can do is to move on. Thu, 22 Apr 2010 23:52:53 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/300000-whats-it-mean-to-us__trashed/#IDComment69840501 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/letter-from-an-inmate__trashed/#IDComment69839781 While reading this letter I felt as though I was reading an excerpt from a book or a poem. The way this man speaks about this act of compassion that he witnessed and the realization that came to him after thinking about that moment is beautiful. Sam says this man never even graduated high school but the way in which this letter was written seems scholarly to me. I am assuming he has been in prison for quite some time and in that time he has probably gained a lot of knowledge and education from reading and observing the behavior of others around him. I liked the point he made about how you would think an act of compassion within the walls of a prison would be rare and stand out when it occurs. However, it really did not stand out to him until he really spent time pondering it. In the beginning of the letter he writes, again so poetically, that this realization of an act “wasn’t something that I didn’t already know; I just didn’t realize that I knew it. Nor was it something that I didn’t already do; I just didn’t realize how natural it was for me to do it.” He believes, as most people do, that compassion is a natural feeling humans have for each other, but considering the environment he was in, compassion is an amazing act. When people come together to help others in need, or if just one person attends to another in need, it seems to be one of the most beautiful but natural occurrences in life. Caring for people who you do not even know, and may never know, or even showing compassion towards an enemy is amazing to me. The two men this “lifer” writes about were known to be enemies within the prison, but yet one was showing compassion to the other. The act that this man was showing compassion to another was not so surprising, like previously mentioned it is a natural human act, however the fact that a man was showing compassion to a known enemy was what caught this “lifers” attention. It just shows that no matter what kind of grudge or hatred someone has towards another human being, we are all still humans and we are all essentially the same. I am sure the man comforting the other man whose son passed away had people in his life he cared about in the same way this man cared for his son. He understood how the mourning father was feeling and how terrible of a situation he was going through. We all feel the same emotions and we all know how horrible some of them can make us feel. Compassion helps the pain. Thu, 22 Apr 2010 23:46:29 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/letter-from-an-inmate__trashed/#IDComment69839781 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/christian-invaders-the-turnaround__trashed/#IDComment68412379 I had the exact same reaction! This lecture opened my eyes so much more. I have always supported our troops regardless of the situation because those are our boys and girls out their fighting for our country and doing what our country tells them to do. However, i am one of those people who Sam talked about who only sees the "good" pictures of the troops, like them carrying innocent victims to safety and handing out candy to children. I never thought about the "bad" pictures and everything the people of the Middle East see our troops do. I would say i am not completely proud of some things that our troops are doing but i still believe in standing by them and i know that now though is because of the patriotism that Sam talked about. Fri, 16 Apr 2010 19:01:00 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/christian-invaders-the-turnaround__trashed/#IDComment68412379 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/christian-invaders-the-turnaround__trashed/#IDComment68411945 I do not think that it has to do with Christians wanting and trying to take over the world, but i think by the videos and footage Sam showed us, that is how Christians are being perceived. I am a Christian and i get that God wants us to spread his word and all but i would never force it on anyone. In fact i do not think i am educated enough to inform someone who wanted to know about the religion. However, there are those extremists that push their beliefs on other people and what sucks is that some people perceive all Americans to be just like that even though most Americans think of these people, Like Sarah Palin, are just crazy! Fri, 16 Apr 2010 18:57:47 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/christian-invaders-the-turnaround__trashed/#IDComment68411945 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/christian-invaders-the-turnaround__trashed/#IDComment68407823 I walked away from this lecture contemplating the world we live in. It was hard but I did my best to put myself in the position of an Arab Muslim. I thought it was going to be difficult since I do not know a lot about those people and the way they live their lives, but what Sam said and the pictures he showed of those people, it was easier than I thought. I put myself in the position of an Arab college student and the more I thought about it and listened to what Sam had to say, the more pissed off I became. I would hate Americans too if I were an Arab Muslim. Personally I do not follow the news and politics the way I should but I thought I knew enough about the war… I was wrong. I honestly was not completely aware as to why we, Americans, are at war in Iraq. I originally was under the impression that it was because we had to defend ourselves as a result of the attacks on September 11th. Then I learned that we were trying to bring democracy to the people of Iraq, which I obviously as an American believed was the best way to live and run a country. Now I am learning that this war that we are in, the war that my friends are over there fighting for, is over oil? I believe in defending our country and I believe in helping others but this does not seem to be the case anymore. If I lived in Iraq and saw things like the video clips Sam showed us in class, I would want American soldiers dead too, which makes me sad. So we need oil to function in America, that’s understandable and that’s cool if that’s the way things are. We do not have enough oil in our own land though so we need to get it from somewhere else; I get that. However, when did we think we had the right to practically steal this oil from another country and get rich off it while that country is suffering? I feel like I have been so ignorant for so long over a war that I have friends fighting. I will support our troops because they are only doing what they are being told to do and they are fighting for us, but I just do not think that the benefits are worth what we are losing. How about America either finds a substitute for oil or stops relying on it to the extent that we do because oil is not worth my friend’s life, oil is not worth anyone’s life, and the deaths need to stop. Fri, 16 Apr 2010 18:26:30 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/christian-invaders-the-turnaround__trashed/#IDComment68407823 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/what-if-we-got-rid-of-welfare__trashed/#IDComment66836528 I agree. I think all hell would break loose if we just upped and stopped welfare one day, especially since most of the individuals on welfare are children. One of the changes that you might be referring to that you support would be the drug testing of individuals on welfare. I have heard a lot about that topic but still am not sure; I also wonder how much money it would cost to drug test everyone receiving money? Would it even be financially beneficial to the system? It makes sense when you think about it but maybe it has not been initiated yet because of the finances or the fact that it may be looked at as an invasion of privacy, however I am sure if you can drug test someone for a minimum wage job, you can drug test someone receiving governmental assistance. Fri, 9 Apr 2010 17:23:30 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/what-if-we-got-rid-of-welfare__trashed/#IDComment66836528 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/i-really-want-to-know-also__trashed/#IDComment66835713 I would not necessarily say that Sam has made me change my opinions in life, but I would say he has opened my eyes a little more and made me look at things differently. I still think the same way, I just find myself questioning it a lot more, and questioning the opinions of others. Ultimately I think Sam has supplied with a lot of weapons if we ever do get into some sort of racial debate with anyone, but I do not think that was his plan. I believe he is just sharing his information to whoever wants to listen (or is forced to, lol) and this semester we are that audience. It is a fun class and I feel as though I have retained more information in this class than a lot of any of my other class, so to me going to class has been worth it, regardless as to whether or not my opinions were changed. Fri, 9 Apr 2010 17:17:56 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/i-really-want-to-know-also__trashed/#IDComment66835713 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/this-is-totally-off-the-hook__trashed/#IDComment66834575 Part of me wants to stand by our freedoms as people and not push censorship but the other part of me is just so sickened by this that I feel as though something needs to be done. As said by Sam, a video game like this may help release tension and prevent a rapist from raping, but it’s highly unlikely this game was created for that reason; otherwise it would have most likely been released in prisons and studied. However, if we are going to ban or stop the production of video games that virtually “rape” women because it is too violent, then what about all the war games? What about the games where characters gain points for how many people they assault and crimes they commit? Where is the cut off for what is appropriate and what is not? And we all know that the parental guidance sticker does not do much, if anything at all; parents are the ones buying these games for minors and if not, most kids nowadays know how to burn a copy of a video game even though it is illegal. I think it is more so the parent’s responsibility to monitor what their child is doing, but unfortunately a parent cannot be around 24/7 and I even remember when I was a kid and I would go over a friend’s house to watch a show or movie that my parents told me I could not. One point I wanted to touch on though is that I once saw an episode of “Law And Order: Special Victims Unit (SVU)” that dealt with this topic. There was a video game based on assaulting, raping, and stealing from women who were dressed provocatively in the game. A couple kids supposedly became “addicted” to the game to the point where it was not enough; they had to take the game to real life to get the fix they wanted, the high the game used to give them. The attorney on the show actually used this as a defense for a kid who raped a woman, stating that it was not the kid’s fault; it was the game’s fault. If the release and sale of these video games can lead people to take them to real life standards, or worse, allow people to not take responsibility for their actions because they can use a video game as an excuse for killing someone, we as people are in for a lot of trouble. But the ultimate question is what do we do? Do we stop the production and sale of violent games? Do we ban them? Do we censor them? Do we put an age limit on them? I am not sure what the answer is, however I am sure that something needs to be done and hopefully a solution to this problem occurs before it gets out of control. Fri, 9 Apr 2010 17:10:55 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/this-is-totally-off-the-hook__trashed/#IDComment66834575 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/those-damn-dolls__trashed/#IDComment64952842 Good question. It's kind of like what we discussed in class today.... if they all choose white dolls it's bad, if they all choose black dolls it's bad. I feel like even if it were 50/50 people would still find something to complain about. Our society likes controversy and is unhappy unless they have something to bitch and aww over. I do wonder what would cause more of a disturbing reaction in people though, all the children picking a white doll or a black doll. I honestly think a more intense study should be done to get to the bottom of this, one small study is enough to stir up the fact that our society has issues, but a more extensive study might be able to get to the root of it and figure out a way to fix it. Wed, 31 Mar 2010 03:47:09 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/those-damn-dolls__trashed/#IDComment64952842 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/those-damn-dolls__trashed/#IDComment64952148 I understand what you are saying... media may be the problem. However, if parents were to censor their children from media programs that put being white up on a pedestal, i would think that just leaves the children more vulnerable in the future. Parents are not the ones that need to change, society does. Unfortunately, we all know that is not going to happen any time soon so i agree parents need to do something, but monitoring what their children see and experience is not the answer. I think it would be more helpful if parents played more of a role in their childrens' lives instead of allowing the television to raise them. Maybe teach them the true meaning of beautiful so that they do not feel the need to google it to know what it means. Wed, 31 Mar 2010 03:40:31 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/those-damn-dolls__trashed/#IDComment64952148 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/those-damn-dolls__trashed/#IDComment64951796 Even though I am a girl, when I was younger I typically played with G.I. Joes and Ninja Turtles. However, I did have a big sister and she played with dolls, so we had them around the house. I do not remember ever considering the color of their skin, since I am white and so were the dolls. We had Barbie Dolls, the cast from 90210, and Disney movie characters. Other than Jasmine from the movie Aladdin, who looks like she barely has a tan, all the characters had white skin. I never really wondered what it would have been like to be forced to play with a doll that did not look like me. I feel like that would have only made me feel more like an outsider as a child because I would have felt like I did not fit in. I think the saddest part of this youtube clip is when the black girl is asked which doll is “bad” and she picks the black doll and then she is asked which doll looks like her and she picks the black doll again; the same doll she just picked up as the bad doll. That part looked so traumatizing to me. This little girl looks in the mirror and sees the same image as this baby doll that she refers to as being the “bad” doll. Growing up as a girl in is complicated enough, but thinking in those terms at such a young age would make it so much more difficult. In a lot of cartoons and children’s movies the “bad guy” is depicted wearing black clothing and the “good guy” wears white clothing; or the good guy comes riding in on a white horse and the bad guy on a black horse. Because this scenario is repeated in a lot of childhood stories so even at a young age we are conditioned to believe that black is bad and white is good. This is why my father always taught me that, “bad guys do not always wear black”. However, it is clear in this clip that these girls believed that not only someone wearing black should be considered bad, but those whose skin color is dark are also “bad”. I was under the impression that the media was getting better about what was considered beautiful. Tyra Banks became the first black model to be on the cover of sports illustrated swimsuit edition. Not only is she a black female, but also she is curvy and was not the typical size model. Since then it has been more popular for models to at least be toned and more fit rather than just skinny and they also tan to look darker. Wed, 31 Mar 2010 03:37:06 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/those-damn-dolls__trashed/#IDComment64951796 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/if-men-could-menstruate__trashed/#IDComment64138048 I kind of agree with the whole that's what children do when they act out, but i think Sam is just trying to stir up controversy to make us talk about things we do not normally talk about. I like that we get off topic in class, it keeps things interesting and keeps people on their toes. It also gets people to come to class and personally, it keeps me from falling asleep in class. However, i think it is important to also stay on topic in class so that we can keep up with notes and be prepared for exams. But i got to say, for a class that runs until 5:30, Sam has very useful techniques of getting people to stay, aside from taking attendance... i find myself wanting to leave early but i cannot because i am too curious to see what he will say next! Fri, 26 Mar 2010 03:27:10 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/if-men-could-menstruate__trashed/#IDComment64138048 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/if-men-could-menstruate__trashed/#IDComment64135154 I agree completely! Unless you had parents who talked to you about puberty first, which mine never did, then the first time you ever have "the talk" is in elementary school. The boys go off with the male teachers and the girls get sent off with the school nurse and the designated female teacher. As a female, we were showed pads and a what happens to a tampon when it is put in a cup of water. All the boys said they talked about were playboys and erections. Both groups were supposed to write down any questions they had anonymously and they'd be answered. First off, making us write the questions down anonymously only pushes us to stay embarrassed about the topic. And to top it off, the majority of the questions girls had, mostly about their menstrual cycle, were told to that they could not be answered by the teachers and that the girls should ask their mothers. Fri, 26 Mar 2010 02:57:03 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/if-men-could-menstruate__trashed/#IDComment64135154 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/women-and-sports__trashed/#IDComment64133524 I think it is awesome that a female is coaching a high school football team. However, I feel as though it will be tough on Natalie Randolph depending on how the season plays out and the feelings of the community. I am not sure how Calvin Coolidge High School feels about football, but most high schools are pretty competitive about it, some more than others. Some communities even revolve around local high school football games. If this community feels this strongly about the game, the coach may suffer some extreme consequences and judgment if the team loses a game. If the season does not go well, I could foresee the coach being ridiculed with sexist remarks. However, if the team were to do well and win, I feel as though her gender would not play a role at all, which is unfair. I mentioned this story to a guy friend of mine and asked his opinion on the situation. He brought up how a woman coaching football goes against everything boys are taught about football. It is seen as a very tough sport revolving around masculinity. Considering in 1909, 30 people died while playing football, the game has never been seen as a woman’s game. Progress has been made with professional women’s football leagues like the Diva’s, which Natalie Randolph played for, but it is still not an equal opportunity sport. Football is a contact sport where the bigger and tougher you are the better and your goal is to “kill” your opponent. Movies like “The Water Boy” and “The Replacements” represent how males are supposed to use their anger and rage on football field when playing the game. At a very young age, boys are socialized into using their aggression on the field while girls are on the sidelines cheering for them. Now this team of boys is going to have to listen to a women coach them, instead of cheering them on. People are questioning whether she is going to be inspiring enough or if the boys are going to respect her authority. I think that if she was a woman was coaching a professional male football team she would not get much respect. However, the fact that she is an adult should command some authority from the teenagers she is coaching. I wonder how the team is adjusting to this change? Are some of the boys going to quit the team because they do not want to play for a woman? Most high school football coaches have their offices in the boys locker room, is that something that is going to be an issue at this high school? Typically coaches give pep talks in the locker room before the game, during halftime, and post game. Will this coach have to do things differently with her team? Surely it is not appropriate for her to be in the locker room while the boys are changing or showering. It should be interesting how her first season works out. Fri, 26 Mar 2010 02:40:21 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/women-and-sports__trashed/#IDComment64133524 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/prom-or-no-prom-just-dont-let-the-queer-students-dance-together__trashed/#IDComment62518205 Exactly! What happened to this being the land of the free and we having the right to make choices on our own? When i was in high school i actually heard about other schools who would not let students attend on their own, they said they had to have a date and come as a couple. I thought that was the most insane prom controversy i was going to hear about, given the times and how far i "thought" we had come as a society. As someone previously mentioned, this does not effect me because i am a straight female, but i still care. I do not know McMillen and this story has nothing to do with me, however, the fact that it makes me sick and want to puke clearly means i care about it whether i want to or not. As an American who may or may not raise a child in this country one day, i do not want my child to grow up where people can still think like this. Wed, 17 Mar 2010 04:07:44 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/prom-or-no-prom-just-dont-let-the-queer-students-dance-together__trashed/#IDComment62518205 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/prom-or-no-prom-just-dont-let-the-queer-students-dance-together__trashed/#IDComment62516891 I agree completely! I feel like this school is going to end up with a horrible reputation as a result of this situation, as it should! Not only was the school board unable to handle the situation, they just jumped to the most drastic quick fix... cancel prom. The sad thing is that the school board is not even taking the hit for canceling the prom. Instead, they are using McMillen as their scapegoat and i am sure other students and parents are upside with her instead of at the school board as they should be. It is easier to blame the "outcast" or "different" girl, but in reality this should have been something that went on between the school and McMillen, no one else. Wed, 17 Mar 2010 03:57:37 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/prom-or-no-prom-just-dont-let-the-queer-students-dance-together__trashed/#IDComment62516891