en-us https://www.intensedebate.com/users/764459 Comments by mam5474 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/christian-invaders-the-turnaround__trashed/#IDComment69349182 First off I do not like this video. I loved the lecture he gave, it was very informative and did make me think but this video was crazy dramatized. I think if a person did not come to class they make actually think this is crazy. Sam’s lecture did help me to understand and I was a person who actually voted that I would consider joining the insurgency. He did a great job of putting it into perspective but as far as this blog entry goes, I hate this video. It does not hit all the points that Sam did in his lecture so to watch it honestly makes Sam look crazy and way too intense. So in conclusion, continue this lecture because it really does open people’s eyes up to seeing a different perspective but please don’t advertise this lecture with that video. Wed, 21 Apr 2010 16:41:08 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/christian-invaders-the-turnaround__trashed/#IDComment69349182 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/how-am-i-not-a-racist__trashed/#IDComment69346736 I think this is a great topic to bring up. Like Sam always says, we live in America so we always think America must be the best country in the world. This is a very arrogant way of thinking but at the same time Sam also says the poorest 10% of Americans are still richer than 2/3 of the world. So how could you not think that you are lucky and more capable to help people? I always thought I was blessed and lucky but after Sam’s class it makes me realize how blessed and lucky I really am. So yes some arrogance comes with this. In America we are rich and we are well educated so I think there is some reason to why we think we are better equip to helping people. In counteraction to that though, after the Haiti lecture on Tuesday, as much as yes we do have money and education, sometimes we are not what people need. We can give free hand outs in trying to save the world but what people really need is to be able to do it themselves. If we were to go into other countries and build wells and water systems without explaining and teaching other of how they work, what happens when we leave and the system breaks? The issue I am now realizing is, yes I am blessed and lucky to be living in America and have the education I am having, but that does not make me any smarter in the world as people in third world countries. Even without education people have established amazing things. We may think we are the most capable to helping people in poorer countries but the truth is we may not be. These people may be able to use education but would teach them the same things we learn really even help them. I really do not feel I am better equip to help people in third world countries because to be honest with you I don’t understand all the hardships they have been through. I think the best people to help these people are themselves. Yes we could send teacher over to these countries to help them learn and establish a business and yes we could be free labor that they need when they need extra hands. But as far as I’m the best person and most capable of helping these people, I do not think that is true. I think yes I have the money for it and yes I have been educated in what I need to be educated to be successful in America, but as far as helping someone who I do not completely understand. No I do not think I am the most capable but I hope to try and be an extra hand in helping them establish a life for themselves. Wed, 21 Apr 2010 16:33:16 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/how-am-i-not-a-racist__trashed/#IDComment69346736 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/letter-from-an-inmate__trashed/#IDComment69342742 I really appreciate this man has shared a little piece of what it is like in prison to us. I think if more people who realize this and meet more prisoners like this man maybe they would think differently about the death penalty. As a person who does not believe in it, I think it is important for people to see that everyone should have a chance to realize their mistakes. It is almost worse to have to spend the rest of your life in prison. So the fact that some of these men have changed and have realized compassion is amazing to me. I think it is great for this man to really show the good in people even when everyone else seems to be against them. Wed, 21 Apr 2010 16:20:32 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/letter-from-an-inmate__trashed/#IDComment69342742 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/want-to-learn-chinese__trashed/#IDComment67539226 This is honest amazing. One aspect of my school that was lacking was foreign language. Yes we had it and I even took 6 classes in Spanish but the teachers were American and honestly didn’t care if I spoke in Spanish or not. The class was extracurricular and actually in my school you were only require 2 classes in a foreign language. I find this absurd. I believe that children should be taking a foreign language from the time they start school in kindergarten. Yes it will be difficult at first but starting young is so much better than trying to learn the language in high school. I know a lot of schools that try and teach Spanish at a young age then give up for elementary and middle school days then start back up in high school. This is no way to teach something. I always thought of a foreign language like math, if you don’t use it you lose it. So in order to keep up with this language the students need to be taught every year. I personally think a foreign language should be just as important as math, science, English and social science. I think if a student is keeping up in these four classes they should add on foreign language to their daily schedule. It is just as important to be cultured and able to speak the language of that culture as it is to be able to multiple and divide. I think it is great that these children are learning Chinese too. That is one of the most prominent languages in the world and very important for business and trade markets. I seriously think this is great and long overdue for this to happen. I wish they would have done this when I was a child in preschool. I think it would have broadened my horizons and definitely helped me in future traveling and job interviews. It opens you up to talking to so many more people because it is such a prominent language. I hope that this continues to be a requirement in the future because I really would like my kids to be able to speak this language. It is so important for America to realize that not everyone in the world speaks English and that if we just learn other cultures and languages we could advance in so many ways. I am so happy to hear that this is occurring and I hope it just continues to grow. Mandarin Chinese definitely needs to be offered to all students as a foreign language and I am so happy to hear this is expanding. This is definitely a step in the right directions for American education and if we continue this, maybe we can actually continue to beat out other countries not by walking them and raping their resources but by communicating on more levels than one. Tue, 13 Apr 2010 00:09:07 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/want-to-learn-chinese__trashed/#IDComment67539226 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/what-if-we-got-rid-of-welfare__trashed/#IDComment66139989 Although I think there are people in America that abuse welfare. There is no way I would ever agree we need to get rid of it. With the economy being so bad and the unemployment rate so high, there is no way people with survive without it. After reading the book “Push” I also think that people who need welfare also abuse it but once again there is NO way we could get rid of welfare completely. People need this to eat and pay bills and this can sometimes not be done without a little extra cash. Welfare is also good for the economy, when people get money they spend it on things they need, usually; Therefore stimulating the economy. If they aren’t given the money they can’t spend it. Tue, 6 Apr 2010 01:14:00 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/what-if-we-got-rid-of-welfare__trashed/#IDComment66139989 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/is-quality-the-question__trashed/#IDComment66137891 I agree with this kid completely. I know it may be a self conscious thing that people tend to pick the white people over colored people but what if we could just get rid of that category completely? What if interviews could be completely over the phone or without seeing someone’s face and no one had to check and ethnicity box? In my mind that would be the ideal hiring world. The job should be fully based off of your skills and experiences. The way you look should not be an influence. I know we say that discrimination against race occurs, but I wonder about the studies about people with handicaps or deformities. Do they have an advantage or disadvantage in the hiring world? Personally I completely agree with this person. I want the best qualified person for the job. I could care in the least about skin color. If I have a doctor operating on me, I want the most skilled and easiest to get along with. That is all I need. Tue, 6 Apr 2010 01:04:56 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/is-quality-the-question__trashed/#IDComment66137891 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/i-really-want-to-know-also__trashed/#IDComment66135687 To be honest I questioned this at first too. I thought Sam was a really cool guy but just full of shit. But to be honest I think 50 percent of people are full of shit including myself. The thing that really helped me understand what Sam has been trying to say was going to my race relations project discussion group. I am in section 33 so I only got one of these discussion groups and I wish I had more. The group was so interesting and brought up a ton of points. Since there was a privacy policy in the discussion group I have to be limited with what I say but one of the topics we discussed was what Sam means by not everyone is completely straight or completely gay. I thought when Sam said this he was completely just talking by his own opinion and experiences. The truth is after we talked I finally saw what he was saying. Everyone has an attraction to the same sex. We said that there is not a sexual attraction but there is an attraction. Some brought up points about how when you see other women, as a women, you think they are attractive. You never would think of having a sexual relationship with this person but you can think they are very pretty. As a guy you can even think of the same. The biggest point we brought up that made me agree with this statement is that you have an attraction with your friends. It isn’t sexual but you have the loyalty and trusting you have in a relationship with a mate. It has most of the same qualities. That almost proves that you are not completely straight. And vice versa with people who are gay. They have friendly relationships with people of the opposite sex. Basically all of us have relations with both kinds of sex and that makes us all somewhere in the middle of being straight and being gay. Another topic we discussed was how all of us feel uncomfortable being the minority so it makes us take a step back with approaching a group of people in the opposite race. No one likes to be different so it is difficult to approach a person who is the opposite race. So we discovered that subconsciously that most of us were racist. This proves Sams whole point of discrimination and subconsciousness. I did agree with this kid that Sam does get off topic and I don’t see the point in some of the stuff he talks about then, but when he gets on a topic about race, he does know what he is talking about. He is a good sociology professor in my mind and Soc119 is a nice break from all the engineering classes I take all day. Tue, 6 Apr 2010 00:57:17 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/i-really-want-to-know-also__trashed/#IDComment66135687 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/those-damn-dolls__trashed/#IDComment64939406 This is crazy and disturbing to me. I cannot believe that this is in scripted into their lives so young. It is hard to believe that these children do not think the world of themselves. Children should think the sky is the limit for them and it is hard to believe these children think their race is bad. I understand that blacks as a majority are discriminated against but to think their own children think they are the bad race. This is a disturbing video to watch and I feel horrible that these children in our day and age still feel the same way. Will this ever stop generations from now?!?! Wed, 31 Mar 2010 01:48:49 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/those-damn-dolls__trashed/#IDComment64939406 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/nothing-about-the-census-is-easy__trashed/#IDComment64936793 I agree with this comment. The census has to encompass so many people of so many different backgrounds. We are the melting pot of America and we all come from different cultures. That is the building block for our country. There are a limited amount of categories they can make. The census is so important so even if someone is offended they need to look past this and still fill it out. As a white person it is good to know what people of different colors like to be referred to as but at the same time everyone likes to be referred to as different names so this is a difficult subject to please everyone. Wed, 31 Mar 2010 01:34:29 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/nothing-about-the-census-is-easy__trashed/#IDComment64936793 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/what-are-all-of-you-thinking-about-asians__trashed/#IDComment64774383 First off I think Asian Americans and Asians are completely different. It’s like saying people from France, or Ireland or Spain are like people from America. They are two completely different countries and two completely different cultures. Yes physically they may look similar but talking to an Asian American verse a person from Asia you can tell in two seconds what their background is. Actually one of my friends is Asian American with the last name Martinez. He was adopted by parents who are Irish and Spanish decent. You could tell in two seconds of talking to him he is just as American as greasy fast food. I will agree by first sight you may not be able to tell if a person is from Asia or Asian American but by the way they dress you may actually be able to. But even if you couldn’t tell my first sight you can tell by talking to them for two minutes. I know it is difficult to learn English and especially with the difference in dialect but my father and I actually had this discussion this weekend. Our neighbors from Asia translate from English to another language while Asian Americans can just listen and process a conversation of fast talkers quicker. So it sometimes is difficult to understand people who are still learning English. That first off is a dead giveaway. I actually have two Asian female TA’s this semester too. One is obviously an Asian American. When I go into her office hours she talks to me about going out on the weekend, gives me the answers to the homework, and answers my questions directly. She is a much laid back and perky person. Although this is her personality I think someone who is comfortable with her elements, being from this country, finds it easier to express themselves in this way. My other TA is from Asia. She sometimes address’s me by my last name by accident and takes a little longer to understand what I am asking. Both are extremely nice and very helpful, and both are successful engineering students, you can just tell by talking to them for 5 minutes though, that they have completely different backgrounds and although a lot of it has to do with their individual personality and no t the majority of their minority group, it still has an influence of growing up in the same country as moving to a completely new one. I am not completely great a reading people from the second I meet them but I do feel it is pretty easy to distinguish the difference between Asian Americans and Asians. I mean I would guess this guy talking is an Asian American and not Asian, but once again I could be wrong. Tue, 30 Mar 2010 06:13:11 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/what-are-all-of-you-thinking-about-asians__trashed/#IDComment64774383 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/is-anyone-else-getting-this-stuff__trashed/#IDComment63549325 I think Laurie’s book really gave me a new perspective. I really enjoyed her brother’s comments about how open he is about race. I completely agree with him about his jokes at work and his issues with workers and his harshness on them. I also agree that if you are going to say that people need to be politically correct it needs to be in every aspect. I’m sure his boss did not think of mentioning every issue with any minority but it does need to be clarified that any type of discrimination is wrong. I also agree with her about how it is hard for people to know exactly what to say. Everyone is their own person and how they want to be classified as far as race is completely up to them. So it is hard to address the issues without specifically asking. All in all I think Laurie’s book really made me think and I enjoyed reading it a lot. Mon, 22 Mar 2010 22:14:06 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/is-anyone-else-getting-this-stuff__trashed/#IDComment63549325 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/what-to-do-about-white-guilt__trashed/#IDComment63525372 I think this is definitely an interesting point but I do not agree that history books are only based off of a white perspective. I think there has to be a number of researchers to fully write the history book and not all of them come from the exact same background. I do agree that it is an interesting perspective and I would like to know if this would change anything on how white people feel about guilt. I also think people experiences more so than what they are told is what helps shape their feelings and who they are though. So even if we tell young students they, will it really change their guilt or will they still interpret the history how they want depending on their teacher? Mon, 22 Mar 2010 19:00:48 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/what-to-do-about-white-guilt__trashed/#IDComment63525372 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/women-and-sports__trashed/#IDComment63523659 As a woman, I completely agree with this comment, I have major mixed feelings on this particular article. I understand it is exciting and congratulations Natalie Randolph for accomplishing being the head football coach but, she is the best qualified for the job so why should it matter about her gender. After seeing those pictures and hearing her story she seems to be more than qualified than most high school football coaches I know. I know my high school football coach didn’t even play for his college team, I do not believe he got the job just because he is a male but I do believe this more seems more qualified. This woman has accomplished herself on a professional team and must know the sport extremely well. I think that this is a good step for women entering the sport though. She seems very nice and like she enjoys teaching not only education but also sports. I think in the beginning when she said she has talked to some of the students about it and clarified what she is there to do, she seems to work well with high school students. I personally do not believe this woman would be best the best head coach for college football though. She seems extremely qualified and maybe it is just because she was doing a professional interview, but she seems very sweet also what is needed for high school kids. Most of them are still learning the sport and need a lot of guidance and also some understanding that they may not be the best athlete. But I also think it is difficult to tell a person’s true personality through an interview. I think she may or may not end up being one of the toughest high school coaches these boys have ever seen, but who knows because they did not show her interacting during practice. I do think this coach will probably go through a lot of hardships this year though. I know she claims she doesn’t fully know the pressure that is going to be put on her yet but I feel that there are probably a lot of people who are ignorant and naive to the fact that woman can and do play football. I just hope she can hold her head up high b/c based off of those pictures she seems to have kicked some butt in her day and knows what she is doing. I am fully impressed by what this woman has already accomplished and I hope now given this opportunity and can take and accomplish even more. I know a lot of how well the team does depends on the players but hopefully she guides them in the right direction over the next few years and shows that women really can do anything men can do. Mon, 22 Mar 2010 18:54:31 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/women-and-sports__trashed/#IDComment63523659 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/prom-or-no-prom-just-dont-let-the-queer-students-dance-together__trashed/#IDComment62639682 I would first like to know is this a public school? If so wow is all I have to say. How can they possibly ban someone for wanting to bring their significant other. Personally I am more uncomfortable by the girls who dress in slutty clothes and the couples or dance like they are practically having sex on the dance floor. How is that now banned but a person wanting to bring a date is? This is ridiculous that a school would make this big a deal over a same sex relationship. I honestly can say I’m shocked that this still happens. A question I want to bring up is what if there was an interracial couple. Is the school against that? It is interesting to wonder what people are more comfortable with, racial issues or LGBT issues. Wed, 17 Mar 2010 18:19:50 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/prom-or-no-prom-just-dont-let-the-queer-students-dance-together__trashed/#IDComment62639682 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/what-happens-to-multiracial-people__trashed/#IDComment62638356 This is a great point. In our modern day society there are people of mixed colors. I personally couldn’t even tell you what background I have besides being American and I know this is a race relations class but at the same time this is such a subjective division. So if you have any background beside just European, where do you lie? I think this is why this second half of class when we will talk about race identity is so important, because no matter which way you cut it everyone is different. Two people of exactly the same background say 50% Asian and 50% White can relate to a different race depending on how they were raised. This is a big basis off the question which is more important nature or nurture? Wed, 17 Mar 2010 18:12:01 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/what-happens-to-multiracial-people__trashed/#IDComment62638356 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/does-this-rudeness-thing-cut-both-ways__trashed/#IDComment62637178 I personally think that the uproar was because the person did not answer the question. When the question was asked to white people what it means to be white, a person just put up something offensive about black people. First off the question was not about black people, second off it was unnecessary. As a white person I know we can say that they make a bigger deal about the stereotypes but the fact of the matter is we do not understand what it is like to be the minority and to be oppressed. I am not saying that as whites we should always feel guilty for our ancestry but at the same time colored people have been discriminated against at lot more than most white people ever have. You can say you didn’t get offended when they said some stupid stereotype one time in class, but as colored people they receive it every day so when it happens on a normal basis it takes a different toll on your everyday life. On the other hand I do agree with this person about the fact that there were offensive things to white people on the board. Everyone takes this differently, it doesn’t matter what color you are, every person takes insults differently. There are people in the world who love offensive joke and there are people in the world who are always offended by stupid jokes. Until you know a person sense of humor it is near impossible to make a joke and it to turn out the way you planned. I think it is good to get things out and there and say what is on your mind but in a race relations class you have to be ready for controversy. Not every person in that class has been through the same experiences no matter what color they are. Some colored people in the class have had an easier life and some of the white people but in this particular class we talk about the majority. The truth of the matter is If you ask a question like Sam did based only on the color of one’s skin, the only responses you can really get are stereotypes. From the white people of course they answered from their own personal perspective but from the colored people they have never been white so the only thing they can do is group whites as a whole for that question. If we were to reverse the question and ask the colored people and the white people what it means to be colored. Each colored person could base their response off of themselves and their own lives while the white people would be forced to only use stereotypes. It is basically just the way the question was worded and even if there was offensive stuff texted to that number, it was put out there expecting a certain response and no matter your color, every person is different and will respond differently. Wed, 17 Mar 2010 18:02:22 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/does-this-rudeness-thing-cut-both-ways__trashed/#IDComment62637178 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/whats-with-the-theme-parties__trashed/#IDComment59988683 Although I do believe that it is mostly white people who do have these theme parties and I do agree that it makes fun of stereotypes, I do not agree it makes of fun black people. I have personally been to 80’s themed parties and jersey shore parties. Although the one is offense to Italian Americans, the other is offensive to a whole generation. I do not know exactly what theme parties this person is talking about but I would like to know because in all honesty I cannot think of a theme party I have ever been to that stereotypes black people. Sat, 6 Mar 2010 04:18:28 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/whats-with-the-theme-parties__trashed/#IDComment59988683 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/are-whites-the-only-people-willing-to-humiliate-themselves__trashed/#IDComment59988010 I agree that it is interested that the diversity of these shows I lacking. But I believe I have been told in psychology classes that people of certain races are generally attracted to people of their own race. Although that does not always make sense because there are plenty of multicultural families, but in general people of a certain race are attracted to people of their own color. So why is there not diversity in the one bachelor or bachelorette? Maybe they are really trying to appeal to an older generation. I know being in college I honestly do not have time to get catch up and watch shows like this so maybe in all honesty the reason there is lack of diversity is because they are trying to appeal to a different generation. Sat, 6 Mar 2010 04:11:50 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/are-whites-the-only-people-willing-to-humiliate-themselves__trashed/#IDComment59988010 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/1880__trashed/#IDComment59986884 I have mixed feelings about this situation. Yes I see the good in the money that will come from the oil, but once again we are drilling in their land. It is our fault for putting them on land we will want and I know we are giving them money for it, but we are once again taking their land. I am glad to hear that each of them will be receiving money for the land we are abusing but at the same time are we really going about this wisely. These Native Americans need money because of the lack of jobs in the region but also they need their land to live. This is great to hear that not only are we drilling but we are also giving jobs. This is very important because of the lack of jobs in these regions. It is also good to hear to give these people not only the money for their land but the opportunity to work. We have abused these people for years and have stolen everything from them. I know that this to some people is bypassed and now drilling in their region seems awesome because we are “helping them” re-establish some type of job. This is absurd to me also. How can people not see we are making decisions for them? I do agree to help the Native Americans with jobs but with all this new technology why is necessary to drill on the land and abuse bare land. Another thing that needs to be taught to these people is savings. With none of their ancestries dealing with savings in banks and the stock market, they need some financial help. Every person should have the opportunity to learn how to use their money. Some of us learn this from our parents some from the companies we work for, but everyone needs to learn. If these people were told how to save and compound their money for retirement or even just later use, this could help them with planning how to use these jobs wisely. Although this may seem harsh to say because I’m sure there are some Native Americans in this tribe who have learned how to save and use their money wisely, but for those who have not this opportunity should be available. It is great to know that drilling has opened up jobs for more Native Americans but what happens when alternate sources of energy come about. Will these jobs also be opened to the Native Americans? Now with the “go green” aspects of life being instated we need to take into account that oil drilling cannot and should not be going on forever. Think of the future for all of these people not just the present. Sat, 6 Mar 2010 04:04:54 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/1880__trashed/#IDComment59986884 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/inequality-class-question-two__trashed/#IDComment58507425 I completely agree with her comment. The money factor also needs to be taken into account. I know at Penn State a lot of students have been faced with underage drinking. I am not sure of the percentage but I know there are very few of my friends who haven’t had this charge. The difference is, a lot of them if they received these charges have had lawyers and councils to give them they legal advice they need to work the judges and get out of it. I think money plays a big role in the fact that most of these black people are being screwed over. I find it hard to believe that every judge in the legal system is racist so my immediate response would be we also need to take into account the fact that a lot of these people who make mistakes don’t have the advantages to fix them. Wed, 24 Feb 2010 15:48:34 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/inequality-class-question-two__trashed/#IDComment58507425