I think it says a lot about society. It directly focuses on the continued inequality of our education system. From afar, 40 years after the Civil Rights Movement and the era of blatantly segregated schools, it seems as if Americans believe that the education system is unflawed in respect to factors effected by race, such as opportunities and resources. A school in the suburbs is guaranteed to have higher quality books and amentias to help supplement the education of its student body compared to a school in the heart of an inner city or rural neighborhood. The differences among educational capacity due to geographics is a huge issue that I feel hasn’t been addressed appropriately. It seems that it simply manages to stay under the radar from American mainstream. Segregation in schools isn’t as evident as it was in the 70s and because of that I think that it will be harder for society to come up with a solution. It’s deeper than just education. A lot of factors play into why schools are more segregated now, in the colorblindness era, than they were before. Parents play a big role, but the impact society has had on those parents trickles down to their children. I believe a part of it is due to values instilled within people also. Although some things in society are not in our hands, values and views towards education play a role, which sets up somewhat of a trap.
It says that we still have a long way to go , despite having the first ever black President. Some people tend to believe that the United States had taken a monumental step towards breaking racial barriers once Barack Obama was elected, but there are other issues that are still prevalent, this being one of them. Until our country is able to properly deal with the separation of classes the problem will continue to exist.
One may believe that there are a certain group of individuals who want to keep the current separation the way it is. It’s simply a way to keep certain group of people within certain areas of the country. But, that’s not easy to prove and can be viewed as another conspiracy theory by most people who oppose such a view.

I believe that it depends on the situation or the environment I am in. When I initially asked myself the question I thought to myself, of course not. But then I realized that’s the “PC” answer to give. I can honestly say that for most situations I do not become uncomfortable when two people are speaking a foreign language next to me. I have gone to get my hair cut at the same barbershop for 7 years and it is Spanish owned. All of the barbers speak Spanish as I’m waiting and while I’m getting my hair cut, including my barber. This never made me feel uncomfortable because I knew that it was just the language they preferred to speak and its part of their native culture to speak Spanish, even around customers who may not. Never have I thought of going to another barbershop where the barbers spoke English because I am satisfied with the services, regardless of the language they speak. However, if I’m somewhere and its just me and the two people speaking a foreign language WHILE they are looking at me then of course I would feel uncomfortable. I would because I would have reason to believe that they are talking about me, and the simple fact that I can’t comprehend whatever they are saying would agitate me. But at the end of the day, I can understand why someone would feel uncomfortable around people who speak a foreign language, but being that we live in the United States of America, the most diverse country in the world, it comes with the territory and people should at least try to accept the fact that not everyone is going to speak English or a language other than the one they do. I do get annoyed when I hear people loudly speaking a language other than English but I quickly realize that not EVERYBODY speaks the same language I do. Also, being in State College has allowed me to accept other cultures easier therefore I am a lot more used to it. I believe a lot of people feel uncomfortable to some extent. It’s something that will always be a problem and for someone who is easily annoyed by people who speak foreign languages, my advice to them would be to invest in some Rosetta Stone.

This topic is interesting simply because it hasn't been brought up in lectures and because I am guilty of using the "r" word freely without really considering the affects it may have on certain people. I always knew the calling someone "retarded" could be somewhat offensive, but I can't recall actually calling someone a "retard" if they were mentally challenged. If one of my friends says a joke that makes me laugh I might say “you’re retarded” and they’ll just join in the laughter. But I guess it kind of relates to the “n” word in a way because many people use it leisurely to talk with their peers sometimes without thinking of the offensive tone that resonates among certain individuals when they hear it. Now even politicians use the word when describing opposing parties or candidates due to their stances and beliefs on certain policies which makes me believe that the “r” word has fell out of the realm of one of those words that involve being PC. However, a lot of political correctness is involved. Someone I call a “retard” due to his or her funny jokes may have a sibling or relative who is in fact mentally challenged and is called a “retard” on a normal basis. However, with all this said I cannot honestly say that I will stop using the word completely. But, I will be more cautious and considerate. It just seems like it’s in part of my language along with a lot of other people in society. It’s one of those words that will never completely be used correctly. But, can you even use the word “retard” correctly. In a way, whether you’re using it to describe a mentally challenged person or jokingly describing a friend, it is still offensive. It’s offensive whenever it’s being used. I wouldn’t go on to say that the “r” word is more offensive than any racial slur. Yes it is very offensive but it doesn’t carry the historical significance such as the “n” word or any other derogatory slur that has been given to a certain group of people over 100 years ago. On the other hand, I feel like Americans need to make the issue of the “r” word a bigger deal and awareness needs to be increased to inform people of its offensive nature.

I don’t think that race will ever stop being an issue in the world. It is human nature to place people In groups and to recognize cultural and physical differences among people. We all may not be racist, but I believe everyone is predjudice to a certain extent whether they want to believe it or not. We all have pre-conceived thoughts towards certain types of people whether it be due to the color of their skin or their ethnicity. Racism is also passed on to generations in some households. The political beliefs that we gain are largly in result of parent influence that has been enstilled in us. The beliefs that we have towards certain groups of people is also largly influenced by our parents. Therefore, due to this racism will always be an issue because some people choose to hold on to their racist thoughts and pass it onto their children. Also, racism is prevalent across the globe; especially in areas that still harbor slavery. As long as inhumane practices such as slavery continues, then so will racism. This is because racism is the very cause of slavery. It’s simply about enslaving a certain time of people whether it be due to their economical status or ethnicity, most of the time ethnicity. For racism to no longer be an issue, than there would have to be complete equality across the board whether it be job oppurtunities, buying a home, or even renting an apartment. I believe it is human nature to “look out” or give a certain type of person priority over another type. Also many people on this globe who believe they are victims of racism often develop a certain sense of racism themselves. Thus, creating somewhat of a trap or cycle because the citizens who feel alienated by other citizens due to their race sometimes would like to return the favor. However, we all know two wrongs don’t make it right. I also believe racism exists due to the social structure of society. A lot of people have stereotypical thoughts when it comes to social classes and easily place certain races in certain classes. For example, some white people may want all black people to belong in the lower classes simply because of their skin color. They may believe that blacks shouldn’t have the same level of luxury in life that they have. However, if there were no social classes at all and society was completely equal, then racism would eventually become less and less prevalent because people will begin to see people as equal, regardless of race or social status.

From my point of view, the Confederate flag has a lot of negative symbolism. Yes one can say that it is a part of southern culture. But, what is “southern culture?” When I see the confederate flag, the first thing that immediately comes to mind is pro-slavery. I believe that anyone who publicly displays a confederate flag whether on their cars or at their homes is a supporter of enslaving blacks to some extent. To say that someone is racist or pro-slavery just because they have a confederate flag on their car may be overly judgmental. But it is a fact that whoever does supports the south when it comes to Civil War history. And for you to support the south during that time means that you were likely to be in favor of maintaining slavery. If I walked around with a poster of a black panther and said I’m just supporting “black culture” would that be the same? Or would that offend my white counterparts? Chances are that would spark some type of controversy on campus. But why? It’s a means of freedom of expression just as owning a confederate flag. Yet one is more acceptable nationally than the other so one is deemed to be normal.
But this is the real problem I have with the Confederate flag; Not the fact that the person is displaying one. Everyone has the natural born right of freedom of expression in this country, but why are different forms of freedom of expression scrutinized differently. I respect that everyone can have their own opinions but the confederate flag has always offended me and will continue to. I’ve never seen a person with a confederate flag that I thought was approachable. This has lead me to believe that everyone who supports the confederate flag dislikes black people. However, I realize that this could be a serious misconception. But until I meet a person who I believe doesn’t meet any of the characteristics a confederate flag supporter would normally have.
As a young black man in 2011, I feel like the fact that the confederate flag, something that has significance dating back to the 1800s, still exists commonly amongst society. People say it’s a part of southern culture. But why is it still a part of southern culture? I feel like it’s because there is still a select few who still hold predjudice views or southern attitudes towards this country as a whole. Americans should be Americans, north, south, east, and west. The confederate flag does nothing but try to promote further separation, which is what it stands for.