I can remember exactly where I was and what happened in my town on September 11th 2001. I remember it being such a gorgeous day out and sitting in my 4th grade English. It was in first period when my math teacher came sprinting into the classroom and telling our teacher to turn on the television quickly. None of us knew what was going on right away. All I saw at first was smoke coming from the first tower. All I thought was that a smaller plane accidently crashed into the building. That was until we actually watched the second plane crash into the other tower. At that moment I knew something wasn’t right, yet I couldn’t explain to you what it was or why it was happening. As the other plane’s crashed throughout the morning, I just remember their being extreme panic even in our town which is hours away from the true terror. By the end of the day, I believe that at least 20 or 25 students were called out of school early to be with their families. I knew it was something serious that happened but I can honestly say that I’ve never heard of terrorism or and form of hate like that. I remember getting home and being with my parents. All I did was ask questions because this was something I never experienced before. All night long my parents explained what terrorism was and who was responsible for what happened. At that age I think I was too young and naive to understand the amount of hatred between humans in the world. I also remember being scared or suspicious of all Muslims and people from the Middle East. The media portrayed them as being people who hate America and people who can cause more harm.
Growing up, and taking classes like Soc 119 obviously helped me understand people of other races and helped me realize that there is always going to be people in a certain group that just won’t like you and you can’t please everyone. Not all Muslims are bad and hate America. Many of them like America but hate our government, which is totally understandable. Horrific events such as September 11th, Newtown Massacre, the Boston Marathon bombings, and various other attacks have one thing in common and that it hate. This hatred that many people have is what can destroy and will destroy this world. Hatred has killed millions of innocent people. And what many of us have to realize is that is just doesn’t come from countries hating us, but us hating other countries. We as citizens of the United States have to realize that our own hatred for other countries is setting a standard of violence towards others. I don’t see this problem getting any better for many years to come

Throughout the class, the discussions we have had provide a lot opportunities to go back at alter time and reflect on what you just heard and the ideas and facts that were provided to us. Many of the topics that we talk about are things that I have either had no prior knowledge about the topic or I didn’t care to look further into the problem. The topic of Native Americans and how many of them are struggling to survive in the land that was once theirs is a topic that has been again and again talked about in class. I knew the situation with the Native Americans wasn’t great, but I never really cared enough to go further and look and what is actually happening to them what they have to go through on a daily basis. Sam spoke the other day about finding that middle ground between finding a solution to the problem or just looking the other way and not worrying about it. It is sad to say but until the problems have been brought to my knowledge, I guess you can say that I did look the other and couldn’t care less.
Sam’s knowledge about the topic of ho Native Americans are living and poverty and are struggling to survive in a place that was rightfully theirs and taken from them. I am proud to be an American, but the we have treated the Native American people by taking their and land from them, and basically putting them in terrible living situations now is just wrong when you think about it. The first thing that comes to my mind when I hear about how poverty stricken and hopeless these people are, I can’t help to feel sorry and sympathize with them. Once again the topic of having empathy and truly getting a feeling of what it would be like to be in their shoes. Just imagining what they have to go through on the dangerous Indian reservations should make want to help these people. They are the natives of the lands that we are all currently living on and the least we could do is help them overcome this burden. I really don’t know if you can truly find a middle ground with this topic. A topic like this with so many people being affected to me means that you either have to sympathize and do something to help them out or just be totally out of it and be ignorant. I truly believe that it because that so many people have decided to find that middle ground and care but not do anything about it is the main reason why the Native Americans have made no progress and are still suffering. Helping all the Native Americans is no easy, quick solution, but I believe that something needs to done.

I find it is very upsetting that anyone in this country should have to go through what Tammy does, regardless of race. The fact that we are considered the most powerful country in the world, and yet we have millions of people like Tammy’s family who could barely afford to feed themselves and have a roof over their head. For me, this is not a race issue, but a society and economic issue. No matter if Tammy was white, brown, black, or orange, I would have the same sympathetic feelings for her. I know in class many of the students changed the way they viewed the situation if Tammy was of another race other than white. Whether it was that they had more sympathy or cared less if Tammy was another race, many people seemed to change their tune.
Like I stated before, I personally do not care about the color of your skin, especially when in a situation like this where Tammy didn’t know where her next meal was coming from, or just having the mindset that you will never amount to anything in life. It is so sad to see that this is so prevalent in such a great country. I feel that the American dream of growing up, going to school to get an education and getting a good job seems to be a harder task for more and more people. In class we discussed how some people are born poor and don’t have the resources to overcome this poverty. It is almost like their lives are pre-determined and they have no shot to get out of this way of life. While the statistics are out their saying that most people who grow-up in poor families turn out to be poor themselves when they are older, I feel that while it may be true there is one thing I believe that separates the those people like Tammy from the status quo. I feel motivation and determination plays a huge role in a person’s life especially when someone comes from nothing. There are free resources out there for people like Tammy to take advantage of. I’m not saying that Tammy isn’t working hard at all, but I feel so many are just so content with the cards they are dealt and except the fact that they will be poor. I have met so many people in life that came from nothing and have turned out to be some of the most successful field they work in. I think to myself well if life was so bad for these people growing up, then how did they become so successful when the cards are stacked against them according to various reports. I believe that it all comes down to motivation and determination to get out of that lifestyle and promising yourself that you will never live that way again.

Throughout out this class, the subject of having empathy has been brought up a lot when taking about certain issues especially when it comes to race. I believe the biggest reason why there is so much racism is due to the fact that so many people are unwilling to put themselves in the shoes of others and try to imagine what life is like for them. Ever since we discussed empathy and why it is so important I have found myself trying to imagine being in the shoes of others especially of other races and cultures when we talk in class. In order to truly understand any person in life we have to communicate with them and learn what is on the inside and not judge them by their outside appearance. Today’s class with rapper Jasiri X was a class where I personally had to go back and put myself in people’s shoes before I formed my own opinion.
The class with Jasiri X was one of the more exciting classes that had many people expressing their views. Jasiri is a very talented artist who strives to send a very powerful message about controversial topics especially race related. He spoke about “Occupy”, which is something that I have never heard of. He also spoke about illegal immigrants, and racial differences between black and whites. I agreed with just about everything that Jasiri X believed until he started speaking about how the African-American race doesn’t have the same rights as a white person in the United States. Certain discussions about this topic made me feel uncomfortable and angered at times. He used words such as “you” and “your people”, when referring to the white race which I felt as unnecessary. I sat there in class and was becoming upset at was he was saying. I then tried to use empathy later when I got home to try and understand where he was coming from. Jasiri spoke of how black people are as privileged and still aren’t treated with total fairness. My first reaction was that I didn’t agree that blacks don’t have the same privileges as we do because I felt that they have every right just like me to do the same things I do like go to school, get an education, and get a job. I felt that he was using race as a crutch and the sole reason why black people aren’t getting ahead. I then sat in my room for a bit and tried to justify why I felt this way. I tried using empathy and putting myself in the shoes of others. I realized that I have never had any issue when it comes to my race. I have never known what it feels like to not get something because of my race and in order because I don’t know what it feels like, I will never fully understand the pain and just how unfair and unjust the system is unless it happens to me. I’m sure many black individuals have experienced some type of unfair treatment which should give them a reason to be made and want change. It was wrong and irresponsible for me to be mad, I don’t know what they go through on a daily basis. I have no right to judge. But with that said, black people understand the other side of the story and realize that many white people don’t experience the same discriminations as they do.

For the past couple of classes we have really hit the topic of affirmative action and taking handouts or nepotism pretty hard. This is the first time in my life that I have actually given some good thought about those topics. You never really think about topics like those in everyday life. As far as taking handouts and would I still do after taking about it and realizing how it can come off to many people as unfair and wrong. I have personally benefitted from “knowing somebody” to get a job and two separate occasions. While I received the jobs because I knew the person who ran the company, to me I wouldn’t consider it a handout or something I got out of pity or just because of my name. Personally I feel that I deserved the jobs I received. I think one of the biggest reasons why people get certain “handouts” or benefit from nepotism is the fact that the person hiring you has a certain comfort level and trust relationship with you already. I feel that makes them feel better knowing that they can trust and don’t have to form new relationships with people they haven’t met before. I think it all deals with people fearing the unknown and not liking change. I believe people are more often going to feel more comfortable hiring somebody they already know than somebody is completely knew. I don’t know exactly why that happens or is that is the reason for everyone, but I know personally that is how I would feel.
I do understand however how it can see as unfair and not right to receive something that handed to you and not worked for. I have been lucky to receive handouts in the past, but I have been on the other side of the situation. Seeing somebody get something you want, just because they have the name is very tough to take and is unfair. It can be very frustrating but I have learned in the past to do whatever it takes to get yourself noticed even when the cards are stacked against you. If it doesn’t work out in your favor don’t just sit there and complain and wonder why this is happening to you, go out and give them a reason to give you want you deserve over the person receiving the handout. I do not agree with people calling them hand-outs. Life in general is all about connections and networking. So what if I get a job or a position on the team because I knew somebody. I know I wouldn’t feel bad about taking the handout because I would prove to them that I was the right decision. There is no reason for me to feel bad, if I didn’t “earn” the position , I’ll make sure I do the best I can to leave no doubt in the minds of the person offering me the job.

Sitting in class yesterday, you can tell when he asked the question that the whole room kind of got quiet and everyone was looking around to see what females were going to be “crazy” or brave enough to raise their hand and admit they were “bleeding” or currently menstruating. It is a totally natural thing that happens to women all the time, but yet it is still very private and a personal topic for many females. As a male I know that certain topics of conversation especially about my body are very personal to me. They aren’t topics of conversation that occur very often, and when they do it is most likely with a doctor or parent. As far as women not being free in talking about certain subjects, it doesn’t just happen to females, but also males. I think when we talk about something personal like body parts or hygiene; it tends to be a very touchy subject just because it isn’t a common talking subject. I think a reason why we are so against talking about things that are so natural in are bodies is that how the media portrays it. The media will always put a negative effect on whatever subject it talks about, so I think what we see on television or hear on the radio makes us self-conscious about ourselves and especially our bodies. The media doesn’t put a negative aspect on “bleeding”, but it does however give you the impression that this is something that should be done in private and not discussed amongst other people.
Obviously the topic of women not having freedom to speak about these things depends on the person. I believe that it is up to the person on whether they would like to share that information with other people or not. For example in class yesterday, even though we talked about how this is such a private topic to be talking about, six women still chose to raise their hands with no worries at all. I think it is about confidence and self-esteem too. I think people are too worried about others will think about them and how they will be portrayed if they chose take part in such a “private” discussion. If you sat there and didn’t care what anybody else thinks then you will answer whatever question is asked in that class. So, I think that saying that women aren’t free to stand-up and raise their hand when answering a question like that is wrong because I think they have the freedom to do so, but it depends on the person. It goes the same way for males as well. I know I wouldn’t raise my hand if they asked who urinated today. It’s something that is taught to be done in private or it is personal to an individual so that is why is it hard for us to answer in front of a group of people.

Having fear of something we as humans deal with in our lives. Whether it be fear other people or fear of failure, we all have something that makes us afraid or nervous. In class, we discussed death and life after death. Also, we discussed what if nothing happened after you have died and left the earth. I have been brought up to believe that after death, people are either sent to heaven or hell, with all people on earth living their lives so they can ascend into heaven. As I got older however, I started to listen to others and hear their voice on what religion means to them and what they believe occurs after death. Also by taking this class it has really made me think a great amount. What if I die and nothing happens, there is no eternal glory or hell to go to. As I thought about this I realized that this did give me a fear of death. I have always thought about certain scenarios of what if I died what would the world around me be like. How would my parents react? How would my friends be? I have always thought about things like that but never really fearing death itself. As I get older I feel that I have been even more fearful of death.
At this point in my life there are so many things that I haven’t done. While I have accomplished many things in my life and have had memorable moments, I feel there is still so much to experience to experience in life. As a kid I guess I didn’t really think about fearing death just because I was too young to understand what is out there in the world. I know on a personal level, I always use to ride quads and other motor vehicles with my friends. It was something we all loved to do. About two years ago one of my good friends was killed riding one of these vehicles. I was there to see him. I witnessed one of my good friends pass away. It was a huge blow to me and my family. From that point on out of honor and some fear of death, I no longer will ride any ATVS ever again. I guess in that way the fear of death has affected me. Overall, while I do tend to fear death at times, I think it is something that all people do because it is the unknown. Nobody knows what it is like to die and I feel that why people fear death. I would say that I definitely do think about death at times and do fear of dying, but right now Im trying to live my life to fullest because thinking about death will prevent you from doing many things in your life

To begin I’d just like to give a background of my faith and religion. I am part of the Catholic religion and faith. I go to church every Sunday and I do believe in God and have faith in the teachings I have been taught. I have been brought up this way my whole life and have been really only exposed to people who have the same beliefs and faith as me. In college, you experience people from all religions and faith backgrounds. For me, it has been really eye-opening to see what other‘s think about religion and their belief in a God, if they have one. I believe that all the different faiths and religions are special, and there is no correct form of religion. As I have been getting older I have been having thoughts about “Is there even a God out there to believe in?” and “What would I do If there what I believed for so long wasn’t the truth?”
If I were to wake up one day and find out that God doesn’t exist, I would have a feeling of mixed emotions. On one hand I would be devastated to hear that something that has meant so much in my life isn’t real. All the CCD classes, all the sacraments I have received would be meaningless. All the masses I have attended would be for not. It would hard to deal with, but I also would feel a new sense of faith. I am not one of those people who read the bible every night and confess to everyone around me that my religion is superior to all the rest, but I do have a strong faith. I do believe that there is something or was something out there that created us and me. I believe in a higher being, and that it is a good thing to have in your life. If God turned out to be not real, I would be upset, but it also would give me a more open mind and a -minded. new way of thinking. It would even possibly strengthen my faith. My faith is totally different then my religion. My faith is my one way of thinking of what my religion means to me. I was always taught to be open-minded and listen to what others have to say about their own ideas of religion. I think by learning that God doesn’t exist would help me realize what else is out there in the world. The pressure of believing that my God is the best and that any sins I may have committed would be lifted. I think by no longer having this pressure on me may be a good thing. It would let me live a life that truly gives me a chance to let me believe what I want to believe and give me a chance to be more open

If you were to ask me to go to Iran at the beginning of Thursday’s lecture, I probably would have looked at you like you were on drugs and gave my answer of “Never in a million years “would I ever go to Iran. I think it is fair to say that a vast majority of Americans would have had the same or similar reaction if asked the same question. It is very east to get a negative view of the country of Iran and the Middle East. I for one am one of the millions of people who tend to base some of my opinions of certain parts of the country based of what the media have to say about them. If you watch any national news station on television, all you hear about is how Iran is trying to come up with some sort of nuclear weapons and all they want to do is destroy America. The way that the media portrays Iran and the rest of the Middle East, is that they “hate” America. It is very easy for us to fall into that media trap and form those same opinions that the media has about Iran. Until I had this class, I never really gave my opinion on topics such of this. I also never tried to more research on a certain controversial topic and would use the national media as my only source of information. One of the biggest things I will take from this class is when Sam talked about having “empathy” and using it to meet people of other backgrounds and ways of life. I have no right to judge a culture or ethnic background based on what I may hear on television. In order to truly get a feel of what another culture thinks about my race or where I’m from is by talking to them and trying to put myself in their shoes.
I thought that by watching the “Persian Nights” video and speaking with the man from Iran, it truly changed my perspective on how I should think about other cultures. From the video you can see another side of Iran that isn’t showed to the public on television. I had no idea they were so developed. I think it was ignorance on my part to think that the country wasn’t developed. My idea of what Iran looked like was totally off. The pictures showed that they lived a life similar to mine, just not with the same freedoms that we have in America. They were at night clubs, dancing, drinking, and hanging out with friends. Very similar to the things all college students do on a weekly basis. When we talked to the man it also gave me a great idea of how the people in Iran think. He was almost shocked to hear that people in the U.S. think that all people in Iran hate us. In reality, while there are a few people who hate the U.S. in that country, the majority of them has respect for us and wants to be friends. After the lecture, I was definitely interested in going to Iran. Just talking to someone from Iran can change your whole perspective on life and the way we live

As a kid, I would always spend a majority of my time playing with my military action figures, and pretending I was in war and fighting against the enemy. I honestly can say that I would do this every day. Between the ages of 5 and 12, I had always dreamed of being in the army and fighting for my country. I thought that being a soldier was the coolest job to have. I idolized my Uncle Dave because he has been in the Air Force and I thought that was awesome. As I got older however, I found myself not being as interested in joining the Army. I dreamt of other things that I wanted to do for the rest of my life. In high school, I was contacted by many military recruiters who were interested in talking to me about joining. I even went as far as meeting a soldier face to face to discuss the pros of joining the Army. One of the biggest best things for me is that I would be representing my country and defending our freedom. I felt that having that responsibility would be an absolute honor. I also was intrigued by what the Army had to offer after serving the minimum amount of years. Having them pay for you schooling after you’ve done your service time was a big deal for me. It would be a huge burden lifted if I had no college loans to pay after serving. Also I was offered a small scholarship to play football at Navy. It was another dream of mine to play college football, so throwing that into why I should join the military was very hard to turn down. Being able to say I fight for every single citizen of my country would have been an absolute honor, but in the end there were a number of factors why I eventually turned down the offer. I knew what career I wanted to have heading into college. I knew I wanted to be a financial advisor and help people with their investments. When talking my decision over with my family on what to do. My mother obviously didn’t want me to join the military because she would be too nervous about my safety. I also didn’t feel my heart was in it all the way. I never really got that serious about joining the military until I spoke to the recruiter. I feel you have to have your whole heart and soul into being a soldier or anything for that matter in order to do it to the best of your ability. I felt that if I did decide to join, I wouldn’t be able to focus. And a big factor was that I got spooked a bit when I talked to a family friend who told me about life after war and the military. He mentioned some positives but he also talked about some major issues. After that talk it kind of scared me away. However, if there was a need for soldiers or some sort of draft I would join without hesitation.