gdp's Comments

World In Conversation : What Americans Fear -- 001 blog

Sat, 23 Apr 2011 00:39:10 +0000

Watching this video, as to my own personal reaction from the music to the images and quotes this is what we fear and does provoke what it is that we Americans fear when we think about Islam and the Middle East. I know this video neglects to spotlight the vast majority of Muslims who strongly denounce not just terrorism but also narrow fundamentalist thinking and reinforces the bias to think that every Middle Easterner is involved in this Jihad group and to stereotype people just because they wear a turban or Burqa but from what we have experienced and events that have occurred internationally can you honestly criticize someone for feeling this way? Throughout the video what made me uncomfortable and provoked fear in me were the signs made by the followers and people of the Jihad and quotes by their leaders. “Kill those who insult the messenger” and “Exterminate those that insult Islam.“ The word “exterminate” is reminiscent of Nazism and the genocide of the Jews, and if you look closely one of the posters of the Muslim flag has swastikas painted on it. President of Iran Mahmaud Ahmadinejad quoted “The Islamic Revolution will soon reach the entire world.” Like Hitler and Mussolini and their intent of expanding their government, policy and beliefs. As I said, as we see similarities to previous wars in history can you criticize an American for fearing the Middle East? What I do not understand is, if Jihad is a “holy war” and Jihad means a “struggle” to do so then why do they make these posters, and say these quotes? I am not sure which is worse, but I do know that both are wrong. As we saw in the video, as said in The Hidayah the Muslim manual, "If the infidels upon receiving the call (to Islam) neither consent to it nor agree to pay the infidel tax, it is incumbent on Muslims to call upon God for assistance and to make war upon them." In my Christian “manual” the Bible in response to The Hidayah it tells me in Luke 23:34 “Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing”

World In Conversation : War Vets and PTSD -- 001 Blog

Fri, 15 Apr 2011 23:31:43 +0000

I am the girlfriend of a United States Marine, he is three years in and has three more years to go until he is done with his contract. The slogan for the Marine Corps is “The Few. The Proud. The Marines” and I can honestly say I have one of the good men. Not until I met him and we started dating did I have knowledge, be aware or pay attention to the war, the news or the military and PTSD. Watching this video and the interviews of the soldiers, especially the soldier who went into depression and committed suicide after coming home from deployment and when his girlfriend was interviewed were emotional to me. Though my marine is not currently deployed/active I know the possibilities that he could be. I understand this and accept this because I know this comes with being the girlfriend of a Marine. You have to be in the military or be with someone who is to know what I am talking about. For you, you can watch the news reports and change the channel because you’re not interested and unaffected. When I watch the recruiting commercials I am proud, when I watch news stories of the war I do not see nameless soldiers I see my boyfriend and those in his unit. Recently one of Marines in his unit died while serving his deployment in Afghanistan, just turned 21. He died for us, he died for you to be able to party every weekend and getting drunk and not being able to go to class or work. You will never know him or know his name but he died for you, a stranger. I want to think watching “A Soldier’s Heart” in class has effected those who were in class that day to watch it, or if it didn't I want to think it made them more aware of those who serve our country and the war and like I said that life is not just partying and drinking because for some students in our class like my boyfriend and other military men in our class or the wives and girlfriends of those who serve that is our life.

World In Conversation : What a man is...

Fri, 8 Apr 2011 20:50:56 +0000

Reading this blog it makes you think about your relationships, what you think and what from a relationship and the men and women in our class can relate to. To me, these are some of the qualities I look for in man. I think we can read this letter from the lifer and think of our own relationship or previous relationships and ask ourselves who has these qualities and thought of us the way he describes. I know from personal experience I look for these qualities and with previous relationships one in particular that like “C” said why did it take so long for losing that person and that experience for him to figure it out and realize like that expression says “you don’t know what you have until it’s gone?” For that person who was in my life, what took that person to realize was when the guy who I am still with to this day and who I can see myself with in the future knew what “C” knows now and treats me how he describes what a man is and what a man should be. I think us girls and some of the guys in our class can write more than just 350 words on the topic of relationships. Like “C” wrote in his letter, I can understand what he is said about media having influence on what a relationship is and how to treat your significant other, but as I read in a previous blog I agree with the issue that this letter does describe what is wanted in a relationship and boyfriend or girlfriend but the issue I am having with this letter is that he has learned this but is unable to do this in his previous relationships. Do I believe his apology to the women he has hurt in his past relationships? Yes I do, I do think he means what he says. I guess in other words what I am saying is actions speak louder than words, we can be told what we want to hear but we need to see it and feel it to believe it.

World In Conversation : So what your take on those "inequality classes"?

Fri, 1 Apr 2011 23:12:41 +0000

As stated in a previous blog post, if you want to talk about invisible string this is the topic. We get an education not only to learn but to be somebody by society’s definition of being a productive individual in our society. Because even though we say we do not judge people, we do. What type of career and position in that career you hold, what kind of salary you make, what kind of car you drive, what kind of clothes you wear, what kind of house you live in...they say money cant buy happiness, this could be true but it does buy self worth, esteem and security. People like myself before writing this blog I was not familiar or educated about the tuition increase, if you are like me before researching this topic you do not understand that this tuition increase alone does not represent the real cost of providing an undergraduate college education, you have to think about living, food, transportation if you commute among other factors. Like our major university Penn State with advanced technology, labs, libraries and other resources, the cost of educating students like ourselves is significantly higher. Though having a parent working for the university I have the opportunity of having a 75% tuition discount this tuition increase will affect me, and what about those who have to pay full tuition in or outside the state? I have heard opinions from both my student peers who are against the tuition increase, and those for it. What is the price of this? A student, this could be any of us who is trying to learn and become an independent and self reliant individual. To do this, we cannot be stressing while we are trying to study for classes about how much debt we will be in when we graduate. The United States is a country which prides itself on equality, but we see inequality in education every day. As said in a recent Collegian article regarding the student opinion of the tuition increase, the student voice is still being expressed but instead of yelling it's only mumbling.

World In Conversation : Religion in the future?

Fri, 25 Mar 2011 23:40:19 +0000

“Religion in the future?” People have believed in a god, people of differing cultures, times and places. Different people, denominations, affiliations, orientations and so on have had different expectations from religion especially now questioning the future of religion. Mankind is what is called homo religiosis, a religious creature. A personal diety, that we can identity ourselves and our own personal meaning. It gives us something to believe in. I am aware that science has shown answers to the questions of religion but religion is in my family, part of my identity, gives me morality and meaning to why I am here. I practice my faith through my everyday actions I am a leader not a follower, I make choices that would be acceptable and respected. Probably attending a Christian school has been a influence on the way I practice my faith and helped me through my teen years and adolescent struggles. For me personally, God does exist but I know for other people who I sit in this class with He may not. The existence of religion and God gives humanity morality and the sense of right and wrong. I believe that faith whether you believe or not the basic principles of it influences a sense of morality which we I dont know if otherwise could find on our own.People need a sense of where they came from, how they got here, and where they are going. Morality is a human concept just like purpose. It is possible for non-religious people to have morality and the ones that do are usually trying to prove that they don't need religion. I honestly think this is a topic where you have to agree to disagree, just like the separation of church and state. They say a person is only as good as his or her word. How can you argue the topic of religion and faith so that it is spoke to both the heart and to the head of every student in our forum classroom? To put my argument in a sociological terms, truth is relative to the perception of the individual.

World In Conversation : LGBT families. There's a lot of fear out there.

Fri, 18 Mar 2011 22:05:05 +0000

Listening to Zach Wahls and his argument I was interested beginning to end. My only issue is that I am a Catholic and do not believe in gay marriage especially the social acceptance of it. In Matthew 19:4 Jesus says: And He answered and said to them, "Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning made them male and female”. I do not disagree that same sex relationships can love and can marry, but what I do argue is that I do not think that same sex couples should be allowed to be married in a church that they do not believe in and that does not believe in what they are doing. Researching this topic after our family discussion in class and to write this blog I think this will be a “agree to disagree” issue and about the separation of church and state (government). Our government's role is to give us the opportunity of freedom and equality of every citizen under the law. However, a church's teachings and beliefs regarding the definition of marriage should not have a finger pointed at by the government. First Amendment says "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion." Obviously this is a controversial topic of our society and I have my questions and concerns about a child's outcome with how they are being raised and what they are being raised to believe. Putting my religious and political beliefs aside, from what I learned researching this topic though same sex relationships are non procreative and cannot replace generations I do believe they are capable and should have the opportunity to raise children who not have parents and to quote on quote “replace generations”. As said in a previous post, I agree that we should not be questioned about our beliefs toward whether or not a gay or lesbian couple can adequately raise a child because it is just as it is for child services to investigate a heterosexual couple who are neglectful and inadequate parents. The word “homosexual“ does not take away a persons ability to love and raise a child.

World In Conversation : The R Word and the Oblivious Rest of Us

Sat, 12 Mar 2011 05:00:31 +0000

There was a time in our history that the word, 'retarded' was socially accepted, until it had been misused like, today. There is increased national attention on the use of the 'R' word because of a statement by a senior White House official. Putting aside the national attention of the use of the “R” word, it is not like we have not heard or used the word ourselves before. The word "retarded" is a politically incorrect and degrading term that many individuals use to describe those who were born with mental disabilities. The dictionary defines the word retarded as slow or limited in intellectual or emotional development or academic progress. In our society people use this word in the ignorant derogatory manner. The word "retarded" is a politically incorrect and degrading term that many individuals use to describe those who were born with mental disabilities. But in today's society, the word "retarded" it has become a term to describe in which one acts or what you are doing. It offends those who are mentally handicapped or associated with those who are. What I do not understand is the subject of being politically correct, different races and sexual orientations want us to be politically correct but use the “R” word? Those who are black, brown, gay do not want us to use the "N" word because of its disrespectful meaning, gays do not want to be called fags because of the sensitivity because they believe God created them to be this way but what about the mentally challenged? Like we were told in grade school, “think before you speak” obviously this saying has continued through the years because it has meaning. The word retard has been seen as a negative word since early history just like other racial slurs for different races. Discrimination is not determined by what a word means in the dictionary. It's determined by how words are used in a social context, and we need to remember that the dictionary is something we've created. While the term "retard" might mean slow, that's not an excuse for referring to people as "retarded."

World In Conversation : Stranger Kidnapping

Fri, 25 Feb 2011 22:50:50 +0000

When I was growing up, I was taught "don't talk to strangers." In regards to our discussion in class I am bias from growing up in a conservative old fashioned family. I think you need to be appropriately honest with children, it is important to be honest regarding who not to talk to, what to look for and what not to do. It’s common for children to think that “bad strangers” look scary, like the villains in cartoons or like kidnappers you see in movies. This is not only not true, but it’s dangerous for children to think this way. Normal people can be just as dangerous as the stereotypical idea of what a stranger looks like. As a psychology major specifically talking about cognitive development I do not believe or support that parents should trust children to talk to adults. Conversations should begin at an early age, with information continually adjusting to the age of your child. At the toddler age children are egocentric, in other words focused on themselves. Since they're not yet able to recognize the possible motivations of others, they may be easily manipulated and deceived. As toddlers grow older known as the “elementary stage” children are concerned with issues of right and wrong and can learn basic safety rules. Since they want to cooperate and to please, this can also be a possible manipulative age. What I am saying is they need to know the difference between choosing which stranger to talk to or if a random stranger comes up to talk to them and what to do in the situation. Like we discussed in class these situations do not happen often, but to say that 99.99 perfect of the time strangers will help what about that .1%? There are reasons why the saying “better safe than sorry” has continued throughout the years. I don’t know about how you were raised, or how you will parent in your future but I know I will not risk my future child or children’s life for that .1% because of statistics I learned in a class when I was in college. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPB8mBZmb2A&fe...

World In Conversation : What's the sociological message here?

Sat, 19 Feb 2011 00:59:08 +0000

I think the question of this blog discussion cannot be concluded, we all have different beliefs both about love and religion that will affect our answers. I think this song “tugs” on our so called invisible strings, and although we are free to make our own decisions is it thought that factors and forces beyond us are shaping our lives. Do I believe in fate? I don’t know, but what I do know is I believe in everything happening for a reason and how it has changed and matured me. On the subject of love, my decisions have led me to where I am today, who I am with and how we met. People come into your life and you know or not know at the time he or she is meant to be there, to teach you au lesson that you don’t understand but in reflection you realize what you learned, to for you to find yourself, or who you are meant to be with. I am a psychology major, so here is some real “chemistry” about love. The physical attraction we have or “love at first sight” can develop into an emotional attraction. The chemical that comes attraction is phenyl ethylamine or PEA, it is a natural substance in the brain and a natural amphetamine. It stimulator and increases both physical and emotional energy. Our attraction causes us to produce more PEA, resulting in those feelings that we call love. Another substance that is released by PEA is dopamine. This chemical increases a desire to be physically close aka sex. This blog being posted because of the theme of Valentine’s Day, we celebrate it but what are we celebrating? When I researched this quote on quote “holiday” there are varying stories but none that are said to be the story. The modern St. Valentine's Day celebrations are derived from both ancient Christian and Roman tradition. Some say it originated from St. Valentine, a Roman who was martyred for refusing to give up his Christianity and died on February 14. Others say that when he was incarcerated St. Valentine fell in love with the jailer’s daughter and before he died he left a farewell note for her and signed it “From your Valentine”. Whatever the true story is, I think it is the true love that compelled him to give up his life rather than stop sharing his faith. What I am saying is, I do think this video contradicts our thoughts of romance, through society, media and other ways we have learned what love is and what we want in a significant other. What can be learned from this song pertaining to the questions asked about this song can be related to the personal trouble and public issue perspective? What can be thought as a personal trouble, I think is a commonality but seen as an individual issue by who it affects. When falling in love, ask yourself what kind of love you are falling into. Is it true love or infatuation? Is your love based on unselfish and realistic expectations or on a fantasy? The public issue in this situation is that there are many people single any or every day of the year.

World In Conversation : Freedom and Toddlers in Tiaras - 001 Blog

Thu, 10 Feb 2011 17:41:44 +0000

Believe it or not, I myself was a toddler tiara that was short lived because of my stubbornness but the pictures still hang in my parents house to this day and are a conversation piece to those who visit and a laugh to the relatives. On the topic of discussion of freedom and constraint, it is argued that these little girls are not "freely choosing" to be beauty queens. Yes and no. In the beginning of their career as you see on the television show the infant category with the outfits, make up and time needed to do these the children are impatient and uncomfortable with no interest in competing. In the toddler group, some can be bratty but are used to the pruning and tweening of this career. About the mothers? I think viewers can agree that some of these Moms are living through their daughters, or do not understand the affects of what they are doing now and how it will affect their daughters in the teen and adult years. What about the thousands of dollars put toward their make up, outfits, lessons and transportation that could be put toward an education? What about when these girls are teenagers when a boy gives them attention or calls them beautiful, if beauty is what wins crowns when they were young will they want to “perform” for these boys in a different manner to win their attention too? None of us are free to decide what and who is not beautiful or to say what beauty is. Fake eyelashes, spray tans, fake whitened teeth, beauty pageants set an image of superficial beauty, what is beautiful and what makes you beautiful. If these toddlers continue this career at this early age which are the most formative years where they are learning information from their environment that can structure their character. The cognitive and developmental stage of adolescence these girls will be both physically and mentally affected by the stresses of what this career is about. Toddlers are not old enough to make an informed decision as to whether they should compete. Nor are they able to separate the competition from reality, which can make participation even more damaging to their self-esteem. The stress of competition and performing for crowds that is put on these girls could cause to grow up too fast and in the wrong way, with cameras following their every move and lose their childlike innocence. I guess it is the parent’s prerogative but in the future when we are flipping the channels we should not be surprised if we see them on the news for sex, drugs, alcohol or parole violations like grown up exploited young stars like Lindsey Lohan or Britney Spears.

World In Conversation : Conformity Rules the Day

Sat, 5 Feb 2011 03:39:51 +0000

Sociology is the study of functioning human society and behaviors. Throughout our life we learn from others and others learn from us from the way we talk, act, who are friends are and what we wear. When I was deciding what blog to write about this week I thought the subject of conformity especially here and the Penn State “norm” for both the girls and boys here would be the topic to voice my opinion toward. We are told our college years determines who you and what your future becomes but not that conformity and peer pressures continues from high school to college. Search the word conformity in the dictionary or thesaurus and you find synonyms like consent and submission, you talk and dress to conform to the social pressures of your peers. Define sociology, the prefix “soci” or “socio” indicates that social modifies the word. The word modifies as to modify, by definition is to change or adapt as in to conform. Conformity is the change in behavior in a group because of the group's influence on an individual. It is the social influence and because of these social pressures you conform to the behavioral conformity of your peers. The song “I love college, I love drinking” by Asher Roth is a describes how the word “college,” has become synonymous with drinking. Going to college at Penn State University, recently was known as the #1 party school it has become synonymous with partying. Unlike most of the student population State College and Penn State is my hometown, now being in college I think growing up in a college town has matured me and I do not have the “norm” college social pressures of partying, drinking and dressing up in skimpy clothes and walking around downtown on cold winter nights until the early morning hours. Instead, I choose to be independent and have self respect and look from behind the counter at my work at Canyon Pizza on weekends and watch the girls by the end of the night have no self respect stumble down the East Beaver streets and the immature drunken boys come into Canyon. Being a social job, I usually get asked at least once a night as a drunken peer eats their pizza or while we exchange money why I am working all night and not out them partying, I laugh or smile and answer “It’s not me” and remember who I am and why I am respected by my friends, boyfriend, parents and elders.

World In Conversation : How "free" are these 90 students?

Fri, 28 Jan 2011 23:31:12 +0000

As a woman, to watch this video on these Memphis teens I can write more than 350 words on the teen pregnancy issue. To have sex is a choice, and if you’re responsible to have sex you are responsible for the consequences of your actions if you become pregnant. “How free are these students?” Boys are free to unzip their pants, girls are free to open their legs, boys and girls are free to walk into any store and purchase condoms or birth control pills or free to keep their legs closed. About sex education and contraceptive methods, I have been taught both abstinence only from going to a private christian school up until my junior year of high school and public school birth control. The idea of abstinence until marriage is a religious belief that will lead to more pregnancies, because youth who believe that sex before marriage is sin will not prepare themselves. I mean, if you are told that sex before marriage is a sin then buying a condom and putting it in your pocket still would be premeditated sin. For those who criticize Teen Mom and 16 and Pregnant about being a negative influence, I disagree. Yes it is reality television but this is our reality! I think that MTV, with its audience, has the opportunity to be able to talk to teenagers and get through to them much better than teachers in sex education, or parents can. It is a needed birth control for our teenage girls today and should be watched. The show follows the lives of teenage women after having their children, and focuses on the struggles of raising them. When you hear the girls stories they all became pregnant from not using forms of birth control, and at the end of almost every episode the mothers say they wish they used protection or waited to have sex. Each end of the show the commercial that states that teen pregnancy is 100% preventable and has information to the it's your sex life website.Therefore, if shows such as Teen Mom can help raise awareness about safe sex and pregnancy prevention for girls or could be the reason why girls get on birth control then why should the immaturity of a few like these Memphis teenagers change that?

World In Conversation : Last Name “G” – Intense Debate

Mon, 24 Jan 2011 18:12:39 +0000

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World In Conversation : Letter from an Inmate

Fri, 21 Jan 2011 23:31:24 +0000

This letter from the anonymous “B” inmate does not change my thoughts toward people who kill another human being and the consequence of their actions with a life sentence. As the saying goes “should the punishment fit the crime?” My Catholic faith affirms the sanctity of human life, and I believe our comments and opinions toward this blog is a question of our own morality and beliefs. It is debatable to ask should prisoners who have committed crimes who deliberately and violently killed have a chance of parole or even be excluded from the death penalty? When Cain murdered Abel, God voiced his disapproval of any form of personal vengeance, however I know and understand that our government is obligated to enact laws that protect society and punish criminals. Though giving prisoners life sentences is costly toward the government, I do not agree by playing God with the death penalty because I am a believer that he or she will be judged when their time comes rather if it is by the death penalty or by natural causes. The act of taking another life consciously or unconsciously done should be punished. I know their are inmates like the man who wrote this letter with life sentences who has had time to reflect and now regrets his decision of committing his crime and for those who do not have remorse I would think they would at least regret being caught and “getting life”. Reading the comments from other students in this class, people argue just because a person has committed a crime does not mean that person does not have feelings. I guess I can agree, but why should I feel sympathy for first time offenders let alone repeat offenders? Consciously or subconsciously their “feelings” that I would like to argue the lack of there of is what got them behind the bars, I believe in retribution more than rehabilitation. For those who believe in rehabilitation more than retribution, look at the repeat offenders in prison. He is being punished with a life sentence, able to live out the rest of his life and not have his life ended and taken by the sentence like the individual he murdered.

World In Conversation : Letter from an Inmate

Fri, 21 Jan 2011 23:28:45 +0000

This letter from the anonymous “B” inmate does not change my thoughts toward people who kill another human being and the consequence of their actions with a life sentence. As the saying goes “should the punishment fit the crime?” My Catholic faith affirms the sanctity of human life, and I believe our comments and opinions toward this blog is a question of our own morality and beliefs. It is debatable to ask should prisoners who have committed crimes who intentionally killed have a chance of parole or even be excluded from the death penalty? When Cain murdered Abel, God voiced his disapproval of any form of personal vengeance, however I know and understand that our government is obligated to enact laws that protect society and punish criminals. Though giving prisoners life sentences is costly toward the government, I do not agree by playing God with the death penalty because I am a believer that he or she will be judged when their time comes rather if it is by the death penalty or by natural causes. The act of taking another life consciously or unconsciously done should be punished. I know their are inmates like the man who wrote this letter with life sentences who has had time to reflect and now regrets his decision of committing his crime and for those who do not have remorse I would think they would at least regret being caught and “getting life”. Reading the comments from other students in this class, people argue just because a person has committed a crime does not mean that person does not have feelings. I guess I can agree, but why should I feel sympathy for first time offenders let alone repeat offenders? Consciously or subconsciously their “feelings” that I would like to argue the lack of there of is what got them behind the bars, I believe in retribution more than rehabilitation. For those who believe in rehabilitation more than retribution, look at the repeat offenders in prison. He is being punished with a life sentence, able to live out the rest of his life and not have his life ended and taken by the sentence like the individual he murdered.