After the talk about terrorism, I have sympathy for the people in Iraq. I don’t believe that the civilians should have to suffer for the actions a few radicals. Sam’s thought exercise was very effective in helping me put myself in the people of Iraq’s shoes. I can’t imagine being in a country where walking out of your door everyday is a life risk and the fact that Americans have imposed this threat on innocent people is a huge tragedy. The film clip of the soldier commanding that the tank run over a taxi driver’s car was very moving as well. I realized that some American soldiers are terrorists. To be so close minded and not see the struggle of the people and take out anger on the civilians is terrorism. They are holding innocent people responsible for the mindset and actions of a select few. In America, we have our fair share of radicals. There is a preacher that runs his own congregation that stands and rallies at soldier’s funerals. He holds up awful signs saying degrading and obscene things that disrespect the soldiers and their families. Just because this man and his followers decide to be ignorant and radical doesn’t mean that all the people of America should be labeled as ignorant pigs. I feel that this is what people do to Muslim people. They discriminate and stereotype them all and it’s totally not fair. Before this class, I never realized how much people discriminate against Muslim people. I think it’s sad that this kind of ignorance runs rampant in our society. It is through this discrimination that I have learned that fear breeds hate. People are afraid of Muslims and therefore they hate them and blame all of them for the actions of a few. Sam’s demonstration also made me realize how entitled America is as a nation. It’s amazing to me that this anger and turmoil all originated from oil. I think that it’s ridiculous that America believes that they are entitled to bully Iraq and other oil rich nations into giving them their oil. If I were an Iraqi, I would absolutely hate Americans. The videos that Sam showed in class were preposterous. I realize that a few of them devastated millions of American’s, but it is our duty as people to be educated and understand that most people of this nation aren’t terrorists and that they are fearful people living in impoverished situations. They have as much power to control the government as normal civilians here in America. I think that it’s a sad situation and though I am supporting the Iraqis, I understand why Americans feel the way they do. However, I think that if people took the time to truly look into the situation, I think their opinions of Muslims would change for the better.

I felt that the information about men was more enlightening to me. I never realized how hard it is for a guy to say no to sex. I thought it was interesting when Sam and Laurie brought up the point about men and sexual assault. I completely understood what they were saying and I agree that women should try and avoid those situations. I think that a lot of women put themselves in those positions because they don’t understand that men have a biological difference when it comes to sex drive. I realized that Sam wasn’t making excuses for men but more or less was explaining how they feel. I enjoyed the talk and Laurie’s point about men being needy was very interesting. I now realize how language impacts people’s opinions. I know that people do believe that women and men are equal but it is things like the needy penis that make me see just how unequal the sexes really are. I actually don’t think that men are the problem when it comes to inequality among the sexes. I think that women perpetuate the problem by putting other women down and calling other rude names. I am guilty of this too. When I see a girl that sleeps around I am very quick to refer to her as a whore or look down on her and say that she’s easy. When I see a guy doing the same things, I almost just think of it as something that men do and I accept it. I think we as women need to change our language and gain respect for each other. We need to stop putting each other down and support one another. I think that we should try and change the injustices between the sexes starting with ourselves. The talk also opened my eyes to how sex is driven towards a man’s desires and not a woman’s. Our society is so male driven and Laurie and Sam really pointed this out in their talk. It made me wonder why women just accept the inequality and even put a man’s needs and wants before their own. It made me wonder if it is biologically programmed in a woman to be a caretaker and put everyone else’s needs and wants above their own or if they are like that because our society has trained them to think this way. I think that women are trained from a young age to be this way and that’s where the inequality stems from. This is apparent even in my own household. Both my mother and father work but for some reason it has always been my mothers responsibility to care for my brother and I and make sure that dinner is prepared and dishes are done and things like that. I feel that women are just expected to put themselves second and everyone else first. This is not expected of men.

I feel that white men don not approach black women because they exude an aggressive confidence. This confidence intimidates white men especially because they are typically raised with mild mothers. They also fear rejection and honesty and expect black girls to shut them down immediately. I think that they are intimidated by black women because most of them give off this type of vibe. White households typically have mothers that are quiet and polite and only aim to please people. They don’t express themselves. They tend to try and be politically correct and would rather not approach confrontation. I think that white boys use their mothers as examples and don’t want to date girls other than what the women in their households are like. I think white men also have big egos and totally fear rejection. I believe this is why black guys tend to be more aggressive and approach women more readily than a white guy. I think that they know that a black girl won’t let them get away with anything and that totally turns them off. They present themselves as more dominate and aggressive which in a lot of white households is the male’s role and this threatens them and turns them off. I think it’s a great quality to be assertive even if it turns some people off. I also believe that white girls don’t go for black girls because it may be socially unacceptable for them to do so. I think that their families, especially their grandparents, would disapprove and even take it out on the girl. I know that I wouldn’t bring home a black guy to my family for fear that they would insult him. I fear even bringing home someone of a different religion because my family members are very quick to make comments and at times even make me feel uncomfortable and I wouldn’t ant to subject someone I was in love with to their criticism. I also think that there would be a significant culture difference between black and white families. This would create a lot of friction and stress because they would be so different in their traditions and dispositions. I think that there are a lot of obstacles that interracial couples have to jump through in order to work out. I think this is sad because we should be able to love who we want to no matter what but unfortunately our world is still primitive in this sense. I think that a white guy would have to be very secure and confident to approach a black girl just because I don’t think she would sugar coat things for him and work to keep him around as some white girls do.

I think that the idea that white skin is good and black skin is bad comes from our media sources and the fact that no one points out the inequality from a young age. We grow up seeing billboards and magazines and TV shows that are predominantly white so that’s what we think is “right”. If you sit and look through a magazine, the majority of the models in the ads are white with light features such as blue or green eyes with light hair. The reader subconsciously believes that because these people are getting the opportunity to be in a magazine that someone important must think that they are beautiful and therefore we are tricked into believing that these characteristics define beauty. I believe that our parents also never tell us that this is wrong and that this is not the way it should be. My parents always taught me to like everyone and not be discriminatory but they never pointed out the fact that these injustices were in magazines and so therefore I assumed that it was ok. I remember when the movie the princess and the frog came out. It featured disney’s first black princess. It had never occurred to me before the movie was released that a huge percentage of little girls didn’t have a princess that was like them. I remember feeling sad that this didn’t happen sooner and even more sad that I had never noticed it before. I personally love Disney and would feel horrible if I couldn’t relate to a princess as a child. I also think that this message is continually being spread throughout our culture because people find whiteness appealing and buy the magazines. Unfortunately we live in a very money and material driven society and I believe that the publishers of these magazines won’t fix things unless we as a culture decide to stop buying these items. I feel disappointed in myself that I don’t see this more in my everyday life. I remember during one group session, Raneisha said that she liked white men but she doesn’t even try to talk to them because she knows she doesn’t have a chance. I remember feeling upset that she felt that way and even sadder if it were true. I think that she feels that way for this very reason. We are all programmed, black people included, to believe that whiteness is beautiful and anything that deviates from this standard is less than beautiful. Another reason that I think it lives on in our society is that we as white people don’t see it. I know I don’t until it is brought to my attention and I really hate that.

No, I don’t feel guilty about the disadvantages of black people in history. I feel sad that they had to be subjected to such hardships but I don’t feel responsible for the actions of all white people in history. I definitely don’t think that the conditions of living for blacks in history were fair or justified, but I don’t see how the white people today should feel guilty. We have no control on what people did in the past. We can only make things better by educating ourselves about past transgressions in order to prevent current and future racial injustices. I believe that white people that perpetuate racism today should have a sense of shame rather than guilt. They should realize that they are promoting ignorance and hate in our society, which can only drive us back to unequal and unjust conditions that were experienced throughout history. I believe that because of our history, white people have an obligation to acknowledge race and educate themselves and the people around them about race. I think that everyone should take a race relations class in college. It opens people’s minds to different concepts and can help to stop stereotypes that ultimately cause racist feelings. Although I don’t feel guilt for the actions of white people throughout history, I do feel a sense of shame and sadness. While watching the hour-long movie on race, I couldn’t imagine living in that time period and feeling such absolute hate for another person to put them through such unimaginable pain and torture. I remember thinking that we shouldn’t be required to watch this film. I wanted to turn it off so many times because it was so hard to watch. As I continued to watch, I realized the impact that it had on me and the importance of it. In my history classes, I have always been informed of the lynching hate crimes that were inflicted on blacks throughout history. Until I watched this film and saw first hand how blacks were treated and to what degree they were tortured, I was never really impacted by racism. Watching that film helped me understand and finally realize the severity of the hate that blacks suffered through. I now understand how toxic racism is to society. I think that all people should watch a film like this that shows how blacks were treated throughout history. I believe it will cause a lot more people to think twice before they criticize black people today for being sensitive to racist remarks or situations that involve race.
I feel that guilt is the wrong word to use when referring to my feelings towards this situation. Shame for the actions of my ancestors is definitely a better way to put it.

I think that it is remarkable how different people live in the United States than people in impoverished places like Haiti. I think many people, including myself, take for granted the everyday luxuries that are at each and everyone of our fingertips. I think that we as Americans cannot fully fathom the state in which people in third world countries live. I cannot fully understand their struggle because even if I lived an impoverished life here in the United States, it would still be much better than the life of those living in impoverished countries.
When Sam was talking to Ryan during the last class, I think that he didn’t understand that he wasn’t comparable to people living in poverty in any way, shape, or form. I noticed that he was dressed nicely and even had a blue tooth in his ear. I found it shocking when he insisted that he was in the same situation as these people that are sleeping on dirt floors and can barely afford to eat everyday. I feel that many people in the USA think the same way as Ryan. They don’t realize just how severe the situation is in these countries. I find it very sad that slavery still exists in modern day society. The film that we watched the other day in class really had an impact on me because it made me realize just how much injustice exists in our world. I feel helpless sometimes when it comes to being instrumental in the change of these injustices. I only know what the media publicizes and I now realize that it is not always the full truth. I think that we as Americans need to be reminded just how lucky we are to be in this country and enjoy and take advantage of its opportunities. I think that we can make a difference and help these impoverished people by being aware of their struggle. I feel that if we are aware, we will be motivated to participate and volunteer in service projects and activities that are devoted to bettering the lives of those less fortunate. I think that we as American’s, have a responsibility to help those that are impoverished in other countries simply because of the opportunities that we are exposed to. We have so many sources that would allow us to help the people in third world countries and there are a lot of organizations that already help them, especially here at Penn State. The Global Brigades is a great example of how we as Americans can do more to help others less fortunate. The Global Brigades go to Honduras ever year and supply them with water, proper architecture, medical care and so much more.

Sam’s Demonstration of king of the mountain was very interesting. It really got me thinking about the fact that no one can really tell you what to do. It made me think about how we need to take responsibility for our own oppression. I feel like a lot of people feel as though they can’t achieve certain goals because they don’t deserve to. They don’t strive to accomplish their greatest dreams because they think, “what makes me special” or “why do I deserve this”. I thought it was very interesting when he said about the two guys that were off to the side, joining forces and overthrowing the king of the mountain. It made me wonder why people don’t do this more often in situations where someone is in control and oppresses them. I wonder why people just take the abuse of others and accept their status in life when it is quite clear that it is a socially imposed idea rather than something that we are born with. I believe that if more realized this idea and actually practiced it, the world would be a better place.
Although it may be cliché to say, I walked away from yesterday’s class completely enlightened. I now realize that I should never let people tell me what to do or how to do it. I feel like I rely on other people to make decisions for and allow them to either encourage me or discourage me. I understand now that there is no reason for any of that. It has inspired me to not dig my head in the sand and to just go out and do the things that I want to and not worry about what anyone thinks.
I also thought that the whole idea of not taking a strict side in certain situations and remaining in the middle was an awesome concept. I have always felt this way about politics and things like that because I realize that we don’t know everything to make an educated decision. People always say that if you don’t take a defined side and a stand of situations you are uneducated. I have always felt the opposite and in Sam’s lecture yesterday, he confirmed what I already knew.
I think it’s important to keep an open mind and respect others and that’s also what I think Sam was trying to say yesterday. I appreciate how he listens to our opinions rather than shutting them down if he doesn’t agree. I really find his take on life interesting and believe that a lot of what he says makes sense and should be practiced by more people. The king of the mountain example showed me that I am the one that controls my destiny. I could chose to let people take advantage of me and tell me what to do or I could choose to grab life by the horns and be an individual who speaks up and doesn’t feel inferior to others.

Yes, when I travel to other countries, I always identify as an American but when I am asked where I am from while in the United States, I state my heritage. I think that most people do this because America is a melting pot of nationalities and we identify with our heritages to show others our identities. It is common knowledge that we are all Americans, but that doesn’t really mean anything because no one is originally from America unless you are Native American. We are Americans but we celebrate many different cultures within America. To be an American means to celebrate holidays such as Fourth of July and Labor Day but it also means that we celebrate traditions within the specific heritage that we each are from.
Another reason that we identify as Americans when we are in foreign countries is because most of us identify with more than one nationality. When visiting other countries, most of the natives are one particular nationality and I feel that it would be pointless to go through my laundry list of heritages. I am Italian, Polish, Ukrainian, Scottish, and German. I feel that I can’t really identify with any of these because I’m a very small percentage of each. I believe that I am more American than anything. When asked the question of my heritage or nationality, I find myself only identifying with Italian because that’s what my maternal grandfather is and growing up, I feel that this was the culture most imposed on me. At times I feel guilty even saying that I am Italian, because I am other nationalities and I don’t want to discount those but it gets to a certain point where it becomes excessive and I become just a little bit of everything. I often wish that I had a defined heritage so that I could appreciate and identify with one specific culture with solid traditions. My paternal grandmother is 100% Ukrainian. All of my cousins practice the culture and religion of Ukraine except for my brother and I. We are always invited to their religious celebrations and are expected to be there, but when I am there I feel like an imposter because I don’t fully understand the traditions and their meanings. At times I appreciate my “Mutt-like” heritage because I have been able to experience a flash of many different cultures. I have seen these cultures through my great grandparents whom I have had the privilege to know. I have experienced much of the Italian and Polish cultures through them. Italian and Polish food has been a staple in my life since I can remember. Although I am a little bit of everything, and at times wish that I had deeper roots in one specific nationality, I am grateful to have experienced the cultures that I have and will continue to explore other cultures regardless of whether I can identify with them or not.

I would say that these two women look like they could be cousins but I would never say that they are sisters. Their faces aren’t similar at all and even their skin tones are quite different. I think that the girl on the left looks as though she is Indian while the other looks Asian. It seems that they both are black but are definitely racially mixed. I would say that they are both from a geographically similar area perhaps from the continent of Asia.
The girls look more alike if you just look at their profile but straight on, they look nothing alike. The girl on the left is also significantly taller than the girl on the right and if they were sisters, I wouldn’t think that the height difference would be as significant. I also notice a significant difference in the shape of their eyes. The one on the left has rounder eyes than the girl on the right, whose eyes look Asian. Their forehead sizes are also very different and their noses are completely different. If these girls were closely related, I would think these features would be at least similar because of the fact that our physical features are due to genetic inheritance as Sam said in class on Thursday. You can see that their noses are completely different. The girl on the left has more of a European nose in the sense that it is longer and her nostrils are less spread out. The girl on the right has a nose that is of African American descent because her nostrils are more spread out and her nose is tiny. If these two were sisters, I think that they wouldn’t have such a difference in the shape and size of their noses.
Both girls have slightly similar cheekbone structures and an extended bottom lip, however the girl on the left’s lips have very defined borders whereas the girl on the right has more of a round shape to her lips. The eyebrow line is also slightly similar. Each girl also has a widows peak and larger earlobes. The chin on both of the girls have that crease that makes is very pronounced but the girl on the left has a broader chin whereas the girl on the right has more of a point to her chin. The girl on the left has more of an oval shaped head with ore symmetrical features where if you were to draw a line down her face, it might be superimposable . The girl on the right has a less symmetrical face. Her right eye (anatomically speaking) is more round towards the outside but her left eye come more to a point like the girl on the left.