en-us https://www.intensedebate.com/users/4278477 Comments by lmr5218 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2012/04/17/voices-from-the-classroom-150/#IDComment342959049 Personally, I feel that people are born with a certain sexual preference, and they eventually discover what their true preference is at some point in their lives. I found this class discussion to be extremely interesting, especially because Sam asked the question is being gay a choice or are you born with it. I thought it was interesting to hear different points of view on this subject. This blog question brings up a third factor that could lead to someone being gay, which is the environment, and I definitely agree with this thought as well. I do think that most people are born gay, but I can see in some cases how it may be a choice. I also think that one’s environment can influence this sexual preference as well. For example, normally we are like our parents because when they raise us, they teach us certain things about life. We normally believe these things because it was they taught us, and we do not have much exposure to the world to think about things on our own. In many religious households, homosexuality is not okay, and parents will teach their kids this. I feel that a person that grows up in this type of environment would be scared to come out if they had gay feelings. They would feel neglected from their family and this may cause them to have a huge inner conflict on what they should do. On the other hand, I feel that if a person grows up in a very free and accepting household, they would not feel apprehensive about coming out to their family because they know that they will accept anything. This is due to parents and their views on homosexuality. It is definitely passed down to their kids and then their kids know what is “right vs. wrong” to their parents. I also think that if someone already has a gay family member, it would be easier for someone to come out as gay as well. They would be more certain about these views and maybe not be so confused as opposed to someone who did not have any gays in their family. Even though I believe someone is born gay, I find it extremely interesting when people get married, or have kids, and then come out as gay. I just want to know what drives this and why they did not think they were gay sooner. It is very interesting to me, and I wonder if this is related to psychology in any way just because I don’t see how someone can live most of their life straight, and then come out as gay. I am not saying this is wrong at all – I just am very curious about cases like these. For example, my mom’s best friend married a man who later came out as a gay. He is know happily in a relationship with another man, but I just don’t see how he could go through with a straight marriage if his feelings were someone else. Thu, 19 Apr 2012 22:42:54 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2012/04/17/voices-from-the-classroom-150/#IDComment342959049 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2012/04/10/voices-from-the-classroom-146/#IDComment337791550 I thought that the results of the poll about child kidnapping were interesting. I didn’t think the number would be as high as 10,000, but I also was shocked to find it was only 100 children per year in the US. I know this number is by strangers only, so I am curious what the number is for a child being kidnapped by their own family member, because this unfortunately occurs as well. I think I was so shocked to hear that low number because I feel like missing children cases are talked about each day and you definitely hear about something as tragic as this. Sometimes I feel that when you turn on the news, all you hear about is the bad things that are going on at that moment. It is kind of depressing when you hear that the news will be on in 10 minutes and you’re going to hear about this murder, that shooting, etc. I feel that this makes us think that the world is worse than it is. We get most of our information from the media, and when the media portrays negative things, we just expect everything that is going on to be negative and fail to focus on the positive. For example, putting this into a Penn State perspective, during the Sandusky case, I feel that the media focused on everything that went wrong with the case and huge newscasters flooded our campus. Well, as Penn Staters, we also have the largest student-run philanthropy in the world, and did CNN come to film that? No. That’s absolutely ridiculous to me because if they can focus on the negative aspects of Penn State (and this wasn’t even Penn State as a University’s wrong-doing), why can’t they focus on the positive philanthropy thousands of students work so hard for year round? This is just an example of how the media makes the bad things seem like that’s all there is. So, unfortunately there is a lot of bad that goes on, but I believe that there is more good in the world, it is just not highlighted like it should be. Sometimes I hear of charities or people doing great things that I have never heard of, and this amazes me. I love this kind of news and think that if the big news channels focused more on them, we would view the world as a whole as “better”. It is easy to believe what we see on TV as being true, so many people fear the world and take extra precautions with what they do/allow their children to do. I think some people take this to the extreme, but I guess can we really blame them? They are just fearful because of what they see is going on in the world due to the news and articles that they read. I think it is important to look for the good in the world though, which will give you a positive outlook. Fri, 13 Apr 2012 00:12:33 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2012/04/10/voices-from-the-classroom-146/#IDComment337791550 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2012/04/03/voices-from-the-classroom-141/#IDComment333568102 I thought that this class discussion was very interesting. I liked hearing the Muslim women talk about their headscarves and the meaning behind wearing them. I knew that it had to do with modesty and privacy, but it was still informative to hear their personal takes on the reason for wearing them and covering their bodies. They both said it was their choice to do that. They also said that they cover up so much because they are respecting themselves. The Western Christian and Jewish women discussed a different point of view on the way women dress, which I am sure most of the class agreed with since it is what we are used to. I also thought the cartoon figure was interesting since it portrayed both sides negatively judging the other side. The women in the bikini was judging the Muslim women for covering everything while the Muslim women judged the girl in the bikini for covering just her eyes. Personally, I don’t think showing skin makes women disrespectful to themselves. I feel that there are a lot of motives behind why we dress and it might not always be for attention. Sometimes, when you think you look good, you feel better about yourself, so how you dress is just a self-esteem booster. This is different for everybody so I think it is unfair to say that all women who show skin are putting themselves out there and disrespecting themselves for dressing that way. I also feel that how we dress is because of norms as well. When you go to the beach, people find it weird when they see people in pants, even sneakers! It just isn’t something you are used to seeing at a beach and I feel like when you are surrounded by people who are dressed just like you, you cannot say every single person at the beach in a bikini is dressed like that for the wrong reasons. This topic is interesting because I feel like it is not the same for women as men, which I feel is another issue that we actually talked a little about in my discussion group. Overall, I feel like there are many reasons why we wear the things we do. I feel that everyone is entitled to wear what they want, even if others many not agree with it. I respect the Muslim women who cover up and wear their headscarves because it is part of their religion and culture and they feel respected by the way they dress. As for the Western Christian and Jewish women, they dress for different reasons, and I think that is okay too. We all dress differently for different occasions. For example, we wouldn’t wear a bikini to Church, or even to go out to a nice restaurant. That would be inappropriate and disrespectful so we dress accordingly. Sat, 7 Apr 2012 03:42:30 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2012/04/03/voices-from-the-classroom-141/#IDComment333568102 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2012/03/27/voices-from-the-classroom-136/#IDComment327139288 I completely agree with this blog post because I too find it interesting that the white person was called out for thinking the video was funny. In some ways, I can see why because he elaborated more on the topic of why he thought it was funny. For example, he said that it was funny that the Asians knew nothing about American sports and were being made fun of in the video because of this. I feel like comments such as these grasped the attention of the class and that is what caused the controversy. The Asian didn’t elaborate as much when he was explaining why the video was funny. Also, in some ways, I feel that we tend to think things are “okay” when the person being made fun of makes fun of the topic as well. For example, because the Asian said he thought the video was funny, then I bet at least half of the class thought it was okay to laugh at it then, because he was Asian and wasn’t offended by it. Once the white boy said something though, then half the class thought he was being racial and ridiculous. I really believe this is true in so many other cases and we do it without thinking. It is much easier to agree with something or believe something when you have support. When something is racial, then we tend to look to that race to see what they are thinking about it before we make a decision. My personal view on the video was that some parts were funny, but I think maybe the video went a little too far. Yes, I thought the Asian comments were funny but to think that they were uncomfortable when speaking in the video makes me feel bad for thinking that it was funny. This might sound a bit silly, but because I am an education major, I am very against “bullying” and in a way, the reporters were kind of “bullying” the Asians to make a response about sports. Even when the Asians didn’t know what to say, the reporter would say, “Say this....” I just don’t like when people feel obligated to do something even if they may be uncomfortable. With all of this being said, I still believe every individual is entitled to his or her own opinion. We don’t all agree on everything so some of us might find something funny, while others do not. We might not understand why someone finds something funny, but we can’t jump to conclusions and think that it’s because they are being racist. It is so hard to accept this though, because some of us might find it hard to see why something is funny, but we just have to accept the fact that we are all different. This is a tough subject, so overall I just feel that we have our own opinions. Thu, 29 Mar 2012 14:43:30 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2012/03/27/voices-from-the-classroom-136/#IDComment327139288 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2012/03/15/voices-from-the-classroom-123/#IDComment317796211 My view on war has always been very limited because I feel that I am very naïve about the topic. I really don’t like the idea of war (I mean, it’s not like anyone does) but I feel like I sometimes choose to ignore it because I don’t like the purpose of it. Now as I become more informed about the reasons for war and such, I understand that it is necessary in some cases, but I still don’t like it. I also feel that my view on war would be completely different if I had a personal connection to it from a family member or friend that was or is involved in it. The idea of war becomes very real when you have a tie to it in some way. I do not have this personal connection so I have never really heard about the hardships of war from someone that I love, which would definitely change my perception. After these few days in class though, I have thought about the war in Iraq more because of some of Sam’s ideas he said in class. The statistic about killing 29 people to save 1 American soldier really stood out to me and we talked about it in our section as well. At first, this number really seems sick and someone mentioned that it would mean one of those innocent civilian’s life is then worth 1/29 of an American life. That is crazy to think about and definitely does not strike me as justified. I really don’t see how you can put a number with this concept that makes it okay. In my section group, someone talked about the other side of this though and how it can be justified to save that one person because that person is in danger. I find it interesting to see the different perspectives about such a tough issue to talk about. I definitely feel that I am an open-minded person compared to some people because I really don’t get too offended by ideas I do not agree with. One thing that struck me from class were the videos of American soldiers crushing the car with a tank, and just casually pushing a truck off of the road because it was moving too slow. These two short clips displayed such unnecessary actions compared to the bigger matters at hands, and why they are even over there in the first place. I feel that these actions are not displayed in the media, and it is because they are rude and portray American soldiers in a negative light. It would be unfair to many of the other soldiers that would never do things like that. I just feel like actions like that should be avoided because its not right to harm the innocent civilians for dumb reasons such as a driving too slow. Overall, I still don’t really know where I stand on the topic of war. The Americans that are strong and brave enough to go through such a terrible thing are great people because I know I could never do it. I definitely honor what they do and find them to be heroes. Fri, 16 Mar 2012 20:15:03 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2012/03/15/voices-from-the-classroom-123/#IDComment317796211 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2012/02/23/voices-from-the-classroom-115/#IDComment311615764 Personally, I think this issue is pretty ridiculous. From the situation given in class, it is extremely unfair for a white sounding name to have a 50% more greater chance to get a job over a name that doesn’t sound white. Given this circumstance, especially if the resumes are exactly the same, minus the name on it. It is a very unfair advantage, which makes me think that maybe people should start sending in resumes without names. To make the process completely unbiased, I feel like names and race should be left off of these things. This would make the job hiring process more “blind” in a way, and then people would be offered jobs based on their abilities, which is how it should be. Also, when I think about a name, I feel that they should be different and creative. My name is Lillian, and I’ve only met a few other people named Lillian throughout my life. I like my name because it is different and unique and sets me a part from people. Not to stereotype names, but I feel like the classic “white” names are pretty boring and get old when you meet 8 people with the same name. I feel like the more “blanks” you know, the less unique that name becomes for you. However, from the demonstration in class, it seems like the people with generic names are the ones that get the job, since they are seen as “white.” When I think about this issue in a deeper way, it really does connect to race. If you were required to put your race on your resume, rather than your name, it would be the same turnout, which is awful. I feel like someone should not be judged just because of these things for a job. Name and race have nothing to do with abilities. One could be extremely qualified for a job and then be denied because of their name or race. This is very sad that this still exists in today’s society. It bothers me because you never know what a person is like before you get to know them, and you are not even giving them a chance before you reject them because of their name. I know a girl named, “LaTisha” and by the looks of this name, you would think she was black. She is actually white. This is the same for black people too, they can have “white names.” I feel like it is impossible to group people by race based on their names because names are different across all races. It is unfair to do this. As a future teacher, I want to make sure that I do not stereotype my students before I meet them based on their names. I know it is easy to get caught up and do this without even meaning to, but I want to make a point not to connect names with race before meeting my students. I need and want to see them all as equals, which is what many people do not do in today’s society. Thu, 8 Mar 2012 20:45:45 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2012/02/23/voices-from-the-classroom-115/#IDComment311615764 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2012/02/19/this-week-winc-18/#IDComment299428789 I also agree with this whole statement and idea of slowing down to pay attention to the little things in life that may not be a part of your own life. I am actually quite involved with THON, and I feel like this philanthropy has taught me to take a step back from reality and realize the bigger problems occurring around me that I sometimes do not see when I get caught up in other things. I worked closely with many of the Four Diamonds Families, and to hear their stories about all they go through is so inspiring and makes me want to be there for them. It is crazy to think that a 3 year old has had endless amounts of chemotherapy and hospital trips, when I have never been to the hospital for any illness of my own and I am 21 years old. I have seen the strength these families have and am honored to have the opportunity to be a volunteer for such a great cause. These families are so appreciative of everything THON volunteers do, and when I am doing something for THON, I step out of my personal life and pay attention to others. As a future educator, it is really important to do this because you must be observant of others and put them essentially first while on the job. I definitely agree with the statement you said, “I like to think that knowing one another and taking the time to care about what is happening in the background doesn’t really slow us down. It makes our work stronger.” This is so true as a teacher because you are doing your job if you know your students. It is so important to understand the needs of each and every one of your students because that is what you are there for and they will get the most out of school if you can target their needs for learning and growing. Also, when someone other than a family member notices something about you, congratulates you for something, or even if they just take the time to talk with you, it really means something and gives you a boost to keep going. I feel that the little gestures in life mean the most and when you know you’re cared for, it makes everything better. Overall, I think that many people in society do get caught up in their personal lives and worry about things that don’t really matter in the big picture. As for THON, parents with healthy children should really appreciate what they have because many families are suffering from the dreadful disease of cancer and are losing their loved ones at even young ages. As for school, teachers cannot lose sight of what they are doing for their jobs. Teachers are there for students, so they need to learn about them before they can teach them anything. It is so easy to get lost in a schedule, but it really is important to take a step back and do something for someone else once in awhile. Thu, 23 Feb 2012 03:00:46 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2012/02/19/this-week-winc-18/#IDComment299428789 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2012/02/10/voices-from-the-classroom-104/#IDComment294120253 I would define my own race as white. Both of my parents are white, and their parents as well. I am a mix of Italian, Irish, German, and Polish. I characterize myself as white because it is just the way I look. I feel like how you define yourself though, isn’t just and only based on skin color though. I feel like skin color has something to do with it, not because it separates us from one another, but you can tell a person’s heritage from their looks. It’s kind of like looking at skin color would be the first step in defining someone’s race, but then you have to go much deeper to find the true story. This is shown from this video because you would never know that her parents were African American based on her skin color. This is why I think race is hard to really define because skin color is just one small aspect that may, or may not define who someone is. I feel like the environment in which someone grows up in is a big part of the definition of his or her race. We are all raised differently, and how we are raised is based on how our parents were raised and so on. When you are around a group of people, you tend to associate with that group more because of assimilation. We pick up habits and tendencies from one another and then these things become a part of ourselves. I feel like if you grow up in an urban atmosphere, your characteristics will define more with the people in that area than in the countryside. This relates to race in a sense because race can be defined as “humans considered as a group.” Humans placed together geographically are similar because of where they live and the habits they know. They are “grouped” together based on their history in that particular area, not necessarily because of their background and skin color. This class has made me think about the categories of race more. It is really hard to separate people into just 4 basic categories of race because everyone is so diverse. Just because someone’s skin may be light or dark, doesn’t mean they will fall into the stereotypical race category. It is interesting to learn about people’s true heritage and ancestry and where their family members came from. Also, where they grew up is an important aspect of their race and how they categorize themselves. Overall, even though I can define myself as “white,” that doesn’t mean that’s it and there’s nothing more about me. I feel like on questionnaires and surveys and things, there are not enough options of race to choose from, and this is why people become so narrow-minded about their own race. When you are limited to options, this just sticks in your mind and then you too limit race options without even realizing it. It is important to take a step back and realize that there is more to race than just pre-determined categories. Thu, 16 Feb 2012 18:29:21 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2012/02/10/voices-from-the-classroom-104/#IDComment294120253 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2012/02/02/voices-from-the-classroom-96/#IDComment289266281 On the topic of interracial dating, I really don’t have a problem with it. I feel like people should date whom they want to date because ultimately it should be up to the person and how they feel. I really believe people have the right to their own opinion on dating and know what type of people they are most attracted to. I feel like people shouldn’t be judged based on their dating preferences. Even though this is my preference, I know that there are people that would not support interracial dating because of multiple reasons. One reason would be because of different generations. I definitely think that our generation’s grandparents would not agree with interracial dating since they grew up in a different time period. This is especially true for older white American adults because their view on race is more negative because of the era they grew up in compared to this current time period. Growing up with segregation in schools and public places would make it hard for them to be accepting even in today’s “more equal” society. It is what they are accustomed too. I feel like some of our generation’s parents would be more accepting then their parents, but there are still exceptions. Some of our parents were raised in a household with such strong racial beliefs. These perceptions then pass down until someone just doesn’t agree with them. I feel like for our generation, we have more people that are more accepting of interracial couples because they are around more often. Also, the media exposes us to more interracial couples, which is an interesting thought. I feel like people are more accepting to things when they see celebrities doing it too. I do not think this is a big factor on why there are more interracial couples but I definitely think it plays a part. Another reason I think people are not super accepting to interracial couples is because of stereotypes. People have stereotypes of other races so it is hard for them to accept the fact of dating someone else because of these. I think this is a terrible reason not to date someone because I believe people should date someone because they like their personality. I feel like someone shouldn’t judge someone based on stereotypes, but that’s how I was raised. Also, I am going to be a teacher so it is really important for me to not listen to typical stereotypes because I cannot let these things happen in my own classroom. I really try to look for the best in people because I think everyone deserves that. Overall, I feel like interracial couples are more accepted in today’s society because of the increasing exposure. I also feel like people today do what they want and do not listen to their parent’s views as much as they did in the past. People are more rebellious and want to date who they like, no matter what other people think. This is definitely not always true, but I think it happens more today. Sat, 11 Feb 2012 01:42:58 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2012/02/02/voices-from-the-classroom-96/#IDComment289266281 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2012/01/31/voices-from-the-classroom-93/#IDComment283226582 I feel like this is an interesting topic. It is easy to say, yes, we should all learn another language, but that’s just one part of it. It’s a lot harder to actually take the time and effort to learn another language and become proficient enough to be bilingual. When I think about the issue of Americans only speaking English, it makes me think about why this is. As an elementary education major, I really think that I will incorporate learning some other language in my classroom, even if it is just was few words a day. I especially think they would enjoy learning Spanish and it is beneficial to start teaching children another language at a young age because they will retain these information and keep it for a longer period of time than if they learned it in their later years. I remember my second grade teacher taught us sign language. Even though this is not a spoken language, it is still another means of communication and I still to this day remember the whole alphabet just from learning it when I was nine. I want to be a teacher that offers this experience to my students and I feel that because of children television shows, many students could relate to Spanish because they hear it on TV. I also think that teaching children another language at a young age will spark an interest in keeping up with it throughout the rest of their school years. This will help them become more fluent in the language as well. Personally, I loved taking Spanish in school. I took it for 8 years and wished I had continued it throughout college – it was just too hard to take classes with my regular course load. I think being bilingual is extremely beneficial and helps make you a more “rounded” person. It definitely doesn’t hurt you so I feel like Americans should be more open to this idea. Like I mentioned before, it does take time, but I think the benefits outweigh the costs in the long run. I also think learning another language is interesting. It is fascinating to see how other languages are processed and it also helps you with thinking about the language rules of English. English is a complicated language itself, so learning another language helps you to see how they are processed in your mind before speaking. Another point I thought was interesting from class was that people look down upon the President knowing multiple languages. I find this interesting because I cannot see why people would not want our President to know multiple languages. He is responsible for communicating all over the world so this is just a great characteristic that would help with means of communication. I really don’t see the other side of this issue because I don’t think knowing multiple languages should hurt someone’s status. Overall, I think Americans should be open to learning new languages because it’s just something extra that benefits you in the long-run! Sat, 4 Feb 2012 00:28:11 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2012/01/31/voices-from-the-classroom-93/#IDComment283226582 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2012/01/20/do-i-really-need-to-learn-spanish/#IDComment270000877 I can definitely admit that I am one to believe what I hear without thinking about the source. I do this a lot and have to catch myself to ponder whether I really think something is true or not. I feel like it is really easy to be swayed by things you hear at first because I personally just want to believe what I hear because I would hope that someone wouldn't be lying to me. I know that this is a very naive way of thinking, but it's sad that we cannot just believe what we first hear about an issue or topic. Regarding this issue, I think that it would be important for these firefighters to be able to communicate effectively because they are put in very dangerous situations. If they do not all speak the same language, this could get confusing and people's lives would be in danger due to lack of communication. I do not think it is right to fire people because of the language they speak, but they should be placed in another group or job that would be more fitting for what they can understand. This would resolve the criticism about this topic because people wouldn't be getting fired because of the language barrier. After watching the video and seeing your research on the topic, it did open my eyes to how things can be so misconstrued. Fri, 20 Jan 2012 23:52:48 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2012/01/20/do-i-really-need-to-learn-spanish/#IDComment270000877