en-us https://www.intensedebate.com/users/764158 Comments by las5545 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/300000-whats-it-mean-to-us__trashed/#IDComment70022317 Our society conditions us to be a self-centered country and only care about our own lives and how we can benefit our lives for the better. If we do not feel any personal connection to a disaster or death then we do not take the time to mourn. I honestly believe that, especially in college, people are not educated on what happened in Haiti. They do not know how many people died, who died or what has happened to them since the disaster. Especially since this disaster did not occur in our own country, it is difficult for people to try to connect and take time away from their “busy lives” to help other people who they have never even met before. I live in New York and know many people who were affected by 9/11 and we still discuss it on a regular basis, yet I do not know anybody affected by the New Orleans hurricane and never talk about that. Within our own country we cannot even have enough compassion to care, so how are we expected to care about other countries. Fri, 23 Apr 2010 23:49:05 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/300000-whats-it-mean-to-us__trashed/#IDComment70022317 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/how-am-i-not-a-racist__trashed/#IDComment70022214 You are not judging these people based on their race, you are just noticing the lack of resources they have available to them. If their country as a whole is developing it is not realistic for one single person to make a giant impact on the world. In the United States we have every resource imaginable available to us to further ourselves in the world and make a difference. Racism is judging people due to simply their race, there are many white people, black people and every type of person in all different developing countries around the world. Even though it is hard for some people to admit, living in the United States alone makes you more empowered then many other people in their world. It is not your fault that you were born in America, when others were born in a suffering country. Fri, 23 Apr 2010 23:48:26 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/how-am-i-not-a-racist__trashed/#IDComment70022214 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/what-about-people-who-can-only-afford-hard-work__trashed/#IDComment70022121 I feel that immigrants should work hard in their country before coming here. They should work as hard as they have to, to obtain the necessary money to enter the country. I know that immigrants want a better life for themselves, and see that opportunity in America but sneaking in illegally is not the way to begin a new life in America. As well, coming into America illegally makes it more difficult to gain a better life in America because it is more difficult to find a job and if an illegal immigrant is lucky enough to find a job it is probably an illegal job making under minimum wage. It is American citizens hard work that forces them to pay taxes to support the government as well as the poor American citizens. I do not feel that these hard working Americans should work any harder just so that illegal immigrants can work and make money and not pay taxes until they become American citizens. I feel that it is wrong to assume that illegal immigrants do jobs that Americans would not do. There are many different types of Americans and those who do believe that hard work yields a better life will do practically any job to better their lives and the lives of their families. It is sad to say but I do believe that people need a little bit of money to obtain a better life. If this wasn’t the case then the stories of the poor rising up and become rich in their lifetime wouldn’t be so idealized in our country. Movies such as The Pursuit of Happiness, that are supposed to be based on a true story, are so popular and gross large amounts of money because this rarely happens. It is basically a fairy tale. In the first half of soc 119 we saw statistics about students who attend college and which colleges they attend. Some extremely large number around 93% of ivy college students are in the top financial percentile in this country. That alone proves that the wealthy stay wealthy and even become wealthier, and the poor stay poor and become poorer. Hard work can get you to a better place then you were previously were in your life but if everybody just “worked hard” then most people would be rich. It is upsetting to think about but the poor and middle class work harder then most of the upper class. Even though hard work should be enough that is not the way our country works. Hard work and money are not the only two factors in making someone successful but they are two main determinants. Often times I do not feel that it is pick one or the other, rather that hard work and money have a direct relationship. People who do not have money argue that hard work does not have any rewards and people with money believe that hard work takes you far. Believe what you want but I do not thinking that picking one or another is the key to success. Fri, 23 Apr 2010 23:47:49 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/what-about-people-who-can-only-afford-hard-work__trashed/#IDComment70022121 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/what-about-the-men__trashed/#IDComment68450665 I feel that now more then ever men are conforming to societal views of what the perfect man should be. Men now a days use the term “metro sexual” and it is not an insult. Men are not looked down on for getting manicures and pedicures and going tanning. I personally like how men care more now because women are not the only ones who are trying to impress the opposite sex, or the same sex. Women now wait around while men are getting ready. There are still men who do not care but as well there are women who do not care about their appearance either. I feel that this equals out the playing field, and everybody should try to look the best they could. Everybody wants to fit in and be told that they are attractive. In our society where everybody is judged upon their looks men now feel the pressure as much as women do. Sat, 17 Apr 2010 00:37:20 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/what-about-the-men__trashed/#IDComment68450665 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/women__trashed/#IDComment68450589 I feel that there is a bond between women similar to a bond between African Americans. African Americans have suffered through being discriminated together and so have women. Women didn’t gain full rights and equality to men until the 1970’s. Women all say how all women are beautiful, yet they all compete with each other to a disgusting level. Society makes us believe that all women are good for is their looks and that is all they should care about. I feel that now women are fighting back and are entering the work force more then they used to and taking their careers more seriously then in the past. Women are using their looks to further their careers and use societies negative effects to get ahead of men in the work place and manipulate their looks for something useful. Sat, 17 Apr 2010 00:36:39 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/women__trashed/#IDComment68450589 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/christian-invaders-the-turnaround__trashed/#IDComment68450490 Fear is the first thought that enters into my mind after this lecture. If we can be convinced to join the fight against Americans, from the Islam side after one lecture, then the feeling that they must feel against the Americans are stronger than any of us could have thought. Whenever I hear about the war, I automatically think about oil. I never thought that the war had anything to do with religion or a Christian crusade I just think of 9/11 and the need for oil. For most of us, our daily lives in America are not affected by suicide bombers or police surrounding us. The lives of those in the Middle East are affected every day by this war, and personally I would want to fight back when I know that I am not safe from day-to day. In the way that we all group Muslims together and view them in one way, when in fact they are all individuals, just as we are in America, I now see that the Muslims group us Americans together and view us as one from the minimum media they see about us. It was tough seeing the video clips of our leaders talk about the war as a “crusade”. If our leaders do truly believe this war has something to do with religion scares me since I am not of the same religion as our country’s leader. I’ve never thought about how the people in the Middle East actually feel and what they want our of their lives. I knew that they were living unsafe lives but I just never thought about Americans part in the way there lives played out. There is no way to deny that the Taliban and terrorists are the bad people we are fighting, and after viewing the pictures of the student who went to visit I finally realized that there are “normal” people their just like you and me who are trying to live “normal” lives just as we are trying to do. We allow the media to influence our view of the Muslims and we do not even consider the way that the media in the Middle East allows their citizens to view us. The only part of the lecture I disagreed with was the Christian invasion. I am not a Christian but I am an American. I feel the religion has less to do with the war then Sam is making it out to be. I do not feel that the spread of Christian ideas and beliefs is linked to trying to gain oil for the country of America. Since the Christian religion is so large there are many different levels of belief within the religion and many different ideas within the different divisions such as Catholic, Baptist and Lutheran. Sat, 17 Apr 2010 00:35:36 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/christian-invaders-the-turnaround__trashed/#IDComment68450490 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/the-white-minorities__trashed/#IDComment68090214 To me it is hard to picture a world where “white” is not the majority in America. My whole life I read about white people in history textbooks and white people being in control, and when I think of the United States I think of most states being mostly white. I am not upset that white people will not be the majority, I just personally cannot picture it because my whole life I have never been introduced to that idea. I do not think the color of skin really matters and that white people are better then brown people. The only thing that frightens me a little is “immigrants” taking over America. I would be upset to see America turn into a country full of immigrants and there is no one who is “proud to be American” anymore. I feel that Americans have more pride in their country then any other country, and I feel as if it would be a shame to loose that pride and have it become a country that looses its history.-march19 Wed, 14 Apr 2010 21:15:19 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/the-white-minorities__trashed/#IDComment68090214 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/what-might-be-the-second-step__trashed/#IDComment68090081 Sam was talking about that we all benefit from slaves. The way in which we benefit from slaves is by the prices being low on the products that they work on. Therefore the second step would have to involve something that affected the price of these products. I feel that when the United States is doing well economically we care and focus on other countries, but when we are suffering economically we tend to focus more inwardly on our problems. If the United States simply opted to stop importing chocolate and only sold chocolate that was made in the United States it would be an easy fix to the problem. I do not feel that the American public go out and think to themselves “hmm I want to purposely purchase slave chocolate today” , I just think that they purchase the products provided to them.-march 19 Wed, 14 Apr 2010 21:14:21 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/what-might-be-the-second-step__trashed/#IDComment68090081 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/this-is-totally-off-the-hook__trashed/#IDComment68089994 This video game depicts everything that America has been working again for 50 plus years. The men players want to rape and kill the woman for firing him from his job, that truly disgusts me. I do not see the goal at the end of this video and this game ever being created. As a parent, I would never purchase this game or this type of game for my child. A parent buying this for a child promotes this type of behavior towards women, and men for that matter. It is sad that Japan is one of the world powerhouses now and they are promoting morals and ideals such as these. As long as no games such as these enter America I can still feel happy that we have higher morals and standards then other countries-march 12 Wed, 14 Apr 2010 21:13:27 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/this-is-totally-off-the-hook__trashed/#IDComment68089994 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/native-americans-question-one__trashed/#IDComment66230995 I feel that as a nation changing an education plan or trying to enforce one is difficult. In different areas of the country there are different budgets and different types of people that would not enforce a nationwide plan. I feel in New York the education system is very liberal in their teachings from growing up and learning things that were sometimes questioned. i feel that I did not have the same schooling as a teenage girl from the south where there is still a larger issue with race and segregation. I admit I did not learn alot about native americans in my schooling and I feel that I should have began to learn more in middle school. I do not remember anything about preschool and elementary school besides playing on the playground and taking naps. I feel as if teachers should discuss the current standards of the native american lifestyle instead of focusing on the past because the main problem is fixing equality now. Feb 26 Tue, 6 Apr 2010 15:45:34 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/native-americans-question-one__trashed/#IDComment66230995 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/whats-with-the-theme-parties__trashed/#IDComment66229872 I have to say i disagree what this female is saying about theme parties. I do not agree at all they are racist. Most of the theme parties are done by different generations such as togas - anicent greece, hippies- the 60's, punk rock- the 80's. I feel that theme parties are similar to halloween where people are bored being themselves and want to slip into a different role for a little bit. Any of the themes I just mentioned do not exclude black people one bit. The only "racist" party theme can be gangasta and hip hop but that should not be racist. If hip hop artists want to be successful and make alot of money then they have to be willing to accept that other people will want to dress and act like them. I agree that more white people hold theme parties, especially at Penn State but that is often because for greek life frats and sororities are forced to have themed week longs instead of plain parties. The theme party is about pretending you are somebody else for a night and I think that white and black people all like to do that once in a while. Feb.26 Tue, 6 Apr 2010 15:36:26 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/whats-with-the-theme-parties__trashed/#IDComment66229872 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/fired-for-a-scarf__trashed/#IDComment66228149 I think that this is a horrible story. The girl should have realized that there would be a problem when she was told that there were only certain colors allowed to be worn. The Abercrombie “look policy” has been a problem in the past. This young female was wearing her hijab because it is a religious practice and I think that was pretty obvious when the company was going to hire her. Quiet honestly if this was going to be a problem the whole time they just should not have hired her. Abercrombie and Fitch tries to be an “all American” company but what that don’t realize is that as time increases America is getting more and more diverse and less and less white. It is sad how they are still a successful company and can behave in a racist manner...Feb19 Tue, 6 Apr 2010 15:22:06 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/fired-for-a-scarf__trashed/#IDComment66228149 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/i-really-want-to-know-also__trashed/#IDComment66227260 I feel as if honestly I was more interested in the class in the beginning. It is selfish to say but when the issues relate to me I pay attention more. I enjoy Sam’s blunt opinion and maybe it is because I am from New York and have been exposes to many different people and situations in the world but many things he say I feel are not new to me personally and do actually reflect my beliefs as well. In recent classes I feel that we have been discussing the same topic for multiple classes where in the beginning of the semester we would discuss something new and exciting every one or two classes. Sam has definitely effected my thinking in class but has not changed my world…yet. Feb19 Tue, 6 Apr 2010 15:14:42 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/i-really-want-to-know-also__trashed/#IDComment66227260 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/is-quality-the-question__trashed/#IDComment65625173 I completely agree with this video. I feel that affirmative action is actually unfair to the majority. In my high school in new york the majority of students worked their hardest to get into the college that they wanted, yet there were some people who did not work hard and were accepted into colleges due to their racial background. From my personal knowledge I know that these people accepted to college for the wrong reason tend to be unsuccessful in school and often times drop out and transfer to a school on their level. I also think this system is degrading to people who it is trying to help because it is basically saying that we know you cannot achieve this status on your own, so since you are the underdog we will give you a boost. I feel that hard work leads people to where they deserve to be. Fri, 2 Apr 2010 21:34:41 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/is-quality-the-question__trashed/#IDComment65625173 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/what-if-we-got-rid-of-welfare__trashed/#IDComment65624913 I feel that we should get rid of welfare. I personally believe that hard work leads to success. I have seen my father work too many hours but accomplish many benefits from his job. I feel that their should be a system for people who could physically not work and make enough money to live but for people who are drug addicts or lazy they should not be granted a certain amount of money. People should fend for themselves and think “what if” the American government wasn’t able to support them when there are others who are making a living for themselves working day and night to get it done. I feel the welfare system is taken advantage of and there is a better option that would allow the government to give out money in a live or die situation. Fri, 2 Apr 2010 21:33:46 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/what-if-we-got-rid-of-welfare__trashed/#IDComment65624913 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/what-about-multiracial-people__trashed/#IDComment65567458 It is sad that the way we look on the outside sometimes does not match up with the way we feel on the inside. His whole life this boy has grown up feeling a certain way and identifying with certain people, of Hispanic race and now in this one class he is being told that is he is and he has to be white or black. Clearly by the color of his skin he is not black but he is not white either. Multiracial people I feel are more confused then people who are strictly black or strictly white. A white person identifies with a white person and the white persons struggles and a black person knows they are black and has learned the embraced what comes with the territory and accept the good and the bad and know about all the hardships their people have went through. When you are multiracial you normally associate with the “team” of which you have been brought up on, but what if you were brought up equally? If you have a white mother and a black father but you are darker skinned then a regular white person how are you supposed to feel when people make rude comments about black people because you look like one of them? If you have a white mother and a black father but you are lighter skinned and blend in more with white people how do you feel when people make rude comments about black people because you do not look like one of them but still feel black on the inside? As well, when I looked at this boy I wouldn’t call him out in front of a class and ask him questions about being white. I feel that he has a mixed ethnic look and would rather call on a blonde hair, blue eyed boy then a boy who looks cultured. I think that you feel inside should just represent the way you look but in this world it does not work that way. I know this is a very extreme care but when a transsexual is born a man but feels female on the inside he knows that he cannot stay a she and must become a women. When you grow up your whole life feeling one way it is not easy for somebody else to come up to you and try to change your views. I do not know this students whole life story but if his dad was white but he grew up with his mothers side of the family and his dad was not a part of his life then being white should not even affect his life if he grew up around Hispanic people. Yes the color of his skin is not black but it is not white either. Many people through out my life have asked me if I was Hispanic or Latin because of the way my skin color looks just because I am a naturally tan female. Life your life the way you feel on the inside, not look on the outside. Fri, 2 Apr 2010 15:45:45 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/what-about-multiracial-people__trashed/#IDComment65567458 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/if-men-could-menstruate__trashed/#IDComment65051290 I know that men and women do not talk about a womens period together but I feel as if their are things that men do not talk about with women and it is not made into a big deal. There is a reason as to why men are men and women are women and we all have things that are not discussed to eachother. As sam said in class when he goes abroad sometimes he just wants to be with people like him, Americans. Well sometimes men just need to be with men and women need to be with women. I dont know if i am missing something I just do not understand what men having their period has to do with tampons being free. Men eat and food isnt free? I like that their is a distinction between men and women and we have something that they dont and they have things that we do not, such as a penis. I think we should educate men so that they are not disgusted when women discuss their periods and feel the need to flee the room but we have to realize they will just never menstruate. (feb 12) Wed, 31 Mar 2010 22:55:01 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/if-men-could-menstruate__trashed/#IDComment65051290 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/nothing-about-the-census-is-easy__trashed/#IDComment65053509 Anything that is directed at every single American will offended atleast one person. Everybody cannot be happy and that is simply a fact. The problem with African Americans in America is that their freedom is realitvly new that there are still people around from the slavery generation. Even though something offends people if they grew up hearing it and associating by that term it is hard to simply stop just because you are freed or have more rights. The point is plain and simple, the United States government needs to put out a cencus and they do not mean to offend people. Even though we expect the people making the survey to not offend people they are trying to get the best possible answers to their questions in the easiest way possible. Please just fill out the census and move on with your lives. (feb.12) Wed, 31 Mar 2010 19:14:19 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/nothing-about-the-census-is-easy__trashed/#IDComment65053509 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/in-her-own-words__trashed/#IDComment65050134 Personally, the message I took from this video is that even though women get their period they can still do anything a man can do. And even though we are different, it does not make us less capable of doing everything that they can do, or doing it better. Having your period is discouraging and make daily tasks difficult but we trek through the pain and still perform the same tasks as men and accomplish the same assignment’s. I understand why people got offended in class because the manner in which Sam was talking and the language he was using but I feel he was still trying to get the same point that it should not matter if or when a women has a period because it is natural. (feb 2) Wed, 31 Mar 2010 18:45:08 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/in-her-own-words__trashed/#IDComment65050134 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/those-damn-dolls__trashed/#IDComment65049811 I am sadden by the results of this video, but not completely surprised. Our society has idolized dolls such as, Barbie since the 1960’s. Barbie who is famously white with blonde hair has been the image of the “perfect” women for all young ladies growing up. Even though Sam said we would be shocked after we watched the video he always talks about how African American women desire straight hair and lighter skin so what is so shocking? It is truly upsetting that even though she did not prefer the black doll she still associated her with being “bad”. I feel as though that when I was a young girl I didn’t even realize the color of the dolls I was playing with I just played with the dolls that my parents bought me. It is not okay that from such a young age these African American children are raised with the mentality that they are “bad”. (feb 2) Wed, 31 Mar 2010 18:42:25 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/those-damn-dolls__trashed/#IDComment65049811