Part III: It has always been come here when we need you but get the fuck out of here when we are done using you. Immigrants have and will always be pawns used to build the economy and nothing more. I mean sure they are needed greatly and it’s sad that the country has such a negative view on immigrants, especially since I am the child of immigrants. But call me a pessimist because I do not think that the way this country uses immigrants is ever going to change. It has been this way for a while and that is just what this country is used to. I mean it’s hard to change old bad habits especially when it works in your favor.
Part II: I feel as if we the American people are really just pawns that the government uses to keep the rich richer and keep the poor, poor. This is why I hate how immigration is being used just like America uses everything in life. It’s being used so that America can keep its piece of cake or even make its piece of cake bigger. If you look at the immigration patterns in the past you really wouldn’t be surprised at how business plays a role. Look at how the Asians were used to build railroads but then were barred from immigrating to the U.S. years later. Or Mexicans who at one point were also sent back to Mexico, even the Mexican American children were deported. This country had always been pretty ruthless when it came to immigration.
Part I:To be quite honest I was not very surprised at all when Sam said that Immigration policies had to do with business because honestly everything that has to do with the United States’ policies always end up having to do with pleasing the rich assholes who own like 90% of our U.S. dollars anyway. I always found it funny how nobody cares about immigration as much when the economy is good because you’re not really concerned about the low paying jobs when you are employed and living the life. Which now when I think about it I guess it is understandable. They care about it when the economy is bad. I guess it makes sense because immigrants are needed when the economy is bad so that we can have low rate paid workers to help boost our economy up. I don’t like the whole idea of the government using immigrants when it is convenient for them and then casting them aside like criminals when we don’t need them it is crazy. Whenever I hear the right side speak of this issue I roll my eyes. This country is the definition of catering to the rich.
Part III: Native Americans are the afterthought of the American society. I think that is the saddest part about most of the stats. Even though the Native American population is very small, which is very sad in itself, since they were once a thriving population, it’s hard to believe that the numbers for poverty and assaults are so much more for such a small population of people. I think that it puts questions in your head as to why the oppression of the Native American people still happens and what can we do to change such a modern day oppression.
Part II: The suicide rates, the assault stats, and the derogatory terms were also surprising. Especially the stat about how Native Americans on the Lakota Reservation have a death rate to about 50 years old. That was very surprising and sad. But looking at the conditions that the people on that reservation live in, which pretty much ruined the engrained idea of a reservation that I had in my head, and which looked worse than a trailer park or even the projects, I am also not that surprised in the death rate. The video along with the song, impacted me greatly. I think that the song lyrics harshness embodied the violence of the founders of this country against the Native Americans. The song with the pictures of the death Native Americans and the lynching of the black was very powerful. I think the lyrics and the song were so powerful that I left speechless. Like I couldn’t really think of what to say or how to describe what I felt because the essence of song, the history, and everything was embodied.
Part I:I was actually surprised when I watched the video and the thing that is so sad about it is that we know so little information about Native Americans. I remember when I was younger I was surprised to know that Native Americans still existed because as a child you tend to believe that Native Americans, even though they are people, are somehow figments of the past. Like almost a myth or a group of people who aren’t real. The video we watched was really sad because you see all these people literally suffering to live day to day. I thought that the fact that you have these people, who were once thriving, now demoted to a lifestyle while they were living way way way below the poverty line, they have no electricity or gas, and the government isn’t really helping them just disgusts me. Especially since there is barely any media coverage for their situation. So it’s as if everyone is turning a blind eye to the Native Americans. I guess it is because if we pretend that they didn’t exist or we turn a blind eye to the situation then it’s easier for us to live with ourselves free of guilt and with no remorse.
Part 3: I also bet that many other people did not think the war on terror was about that either but now that we were able to see the videos with our leaders blatantly saying that it was about oil and about how we were going to control the oil reserves for the betterment of our economy I really makes me outraged. Once again people are losing their lives in the hands of fat, white, rich, and wealthy white men’s fortunes. I am already outraged as an American woman and if I were Muslim I think I would be even more outraged. I also found it appalling at how Southern Baptists Churches were sneaking in undercover trying to convert people of Islam into Christianity in their own countries. Even risking the lives of the people. I believe in free choice and the fact that they are pretty much leaving their countries and trying to convert the rest of world makes me shudder in disgust because we as Christians can get away with it but if it were vice versa the world would be up in arms.
Part 2: As someone whose parents are also from a country with lots of oil and a country that has been colonized by European countries it was easy to take on the perspective of people who had to get used to people of powerful countries invading their land and using their resources at the expense of those who dwell in the countries of resources. The lecture also made me see the whole war on terror in a different light. I was only ten years old when September 11th happened. When we did decided to declare war it was easy to jump on the bandwagon of defeating the terrorists who are putting our lives in danger. Especially since so little is known about Islam. I think that it is sad how this country manipulates us into thinking that the War in Iraq was about terrorism and nuclear weapons. I never really thought that the war in Iraq was about oil ever.
part 1:I was very skeptical about the Christian Invaders class in the beginning. I thought that I would be on the defensive for that lecture and I was already preparing myself to get offended by anything Sam Richards was going to say. When I think about it in retrospect I think I was already getting defensive over Christianity because I come from a very Atheist and liberal town where although in the United States I am considered the majority in my town I felt like the minority. So I was ready to hear about Christians being ignorant and horrible and rude. Enforcing their religion on others and essentially even though that is what I heard I pretty much agreed with everything that was said in class and look at the whole war on terror with a Muslim perspective made me understand why there would be animosity from their point of view.
Part III: And it is so annoying especially because you really can’t say anything back to a white person that has the same effect. In you are fighting fire with fire. I mean sure you could call them a cracker or a honky but it just doesn’t have the same stinging effect as derogatory words made for minorities. So I really like if the racist situation has to do directly with you than it is hard to really say how you react to that. Now if it was another person who was going through a racist situation and I was in the presence of the person than I feel like it is easier to react to the situation with wit, quickness, and vitriol. When you’re fighting for yourself it becomes less about your own personal feelings and more about the situation at hand. You quick to defend the person who is experiencing the situation at hand and you are just quick to shut down the asshole who says the derogatory terms. It’s easier to fight for someone else than for your self in situations like these. It’s a lot less introspective in general .
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Brainchild