en-us https://www.intensedebate.com/users/758796 Comments by mrm5360 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/stories-for-uplift__trashed/#IDComment71519516 Yeah, I definitely wasn't crying but that's because I only cry when I am sad and these videos made me super happy so I didn't cry. Isn't it crazy that that little Chinese boy wanted nothing more than to just hold that little girl's hand and (figuratively) he just couldn't. It will be a great day on this planet when that young man can look at that young girl and have absolutely no ethnic bounds to cross in making his decision for love. We must continue to strive for a life that offers us the freedom to live and the freedom to love who we please. Fri, 30 Apr 2010 17:31:02 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/stories-for-uplift__trashed/#IDComment71519516 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/stories-for-uplift__trashed/#IDComment71519044 These really are great stories for sure. To see the care and love that these humans exhibit toward each other is really astonishing. There really are completely selfless people in the world, you just have to look in the right places. Makes the world feel a lot less empty. Basically, all you can do is control the way that you treat other people. From there, it's pretty much just a roll of the dice. It's just so refreshing to see these two young people completely ignorant of their ethnic differences. We really can live in harmony, I've seen it with my own two eyes. Fri, 30 Apr 2010 17:27:06 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/stories-for-uplift__trashed/#IDComment71519044 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/stories-for-uplift__trashed/#IDComment71518193 You know, sometimes I sit down and start thinking about the past for quite a while. As I mull through some of the good memories, the bad ones, and everything in between, there is usually a moment of realization that follows. I'm never going to be a kid ever again. Isn't that odd? Thus far (depending on your definition) I have been a kid for at least 50% of my life. That's a pretty sizable chunk! So, when I look at a video like this one and see the genuine care that little boy has for the other girl, it's a pretty cool thing. The longer that we as individuals are here on this Earth, the more and more conditioned we become toward its consistencies. Young children though are merely living on a whim. It's one of the most refreshing things you could ever experience, I'm sure. This young kid has absolutely no idea what the implications of dating a young Malaysian girl could be, and he doesn't care. He likes HER. Not her status, her nationality, her parent's bank account, but he likes HER. You know, the thing that really is a shame is that, we can't find anything remotely like that amongst American adults. It's almost like the thing to do nowadays, get married 2 or 3 times. We're witnessing completely unconditioned, unaltered love. How is it that we can let all of these "problems" with ethnicity and skin color get in the way of one of the most important things we have as humans? To deny someone the right to fall in love is to deny someone the right to life. It is unlikely that that little boy and that little girl will be around each other long enough to where they could take a serious shot at being together, but if they could, it would end in total devastation for both of them. Of course, this isn't any one person's fault or anything like that but this video really has to bother you. There's just something about their blissful naiveté that speaks infinitely louder than any words could ever hope to. In the end, that's really the only thing we're seeking: happiness. These two young kids, unbeknownst to them, are seeking pure happiness. Who is to deny them that right? When cultures begin to deny the happiness of its citizens, perhaps it is time to think about the place you live. Love and happiness are the only two basic human rights that require not one possession or dollar to obtain. So I ask, what is the sense in denying two people their rights to happiness and love? Especially since it affects others in absolutely no way whatsoever. Fri, 30 Apr 2010 17:20:10 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/stories-for-uplift__trashed/#IDComment71518193 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/is-quality-the-question__trashed/#IDComment65691067 I hear what you're saying about some more qualified people perhaps missing out on a job opportunity but think about it, if they're "more qualified," they're probably going to get a job of similar merit elsewhere. It's not going to ruin that person's life, you know? Affirmative Action, in my opinion, is a great thing because now instead of one person getting a job, two people have jobs; this ultimately stimulates the economy and provides a better future for more American families. That's really what it's all about, everyone's just trying to have a roof over their head and some food to eat, you know? Sat, 3 Apr 2010 03:26:04 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/is-quality-the-question__trashed/#IDComment65691067 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/is-quality-the-question__trashed/#IDComment65689702 I totally hear what you're saying, but I don't think that anyone was saying that minorities are less qualified. In fact, if you remember Sam told us that most of the beneficiaries of Affirmative Action are actually white women. Personally, I think Affirmative Action is a fantastic way to create more jobs for all people which ultimately stimulates our economy and provides a better future for more American families. In the end, we're all just trying to get by you know what I mean? If Affirmative action achieves the results that the policymakers set out to attain, then its a great thing in my book. Sat, 3 Apr 2010 03:11:36 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/is-quality-the-question__trashed/#IDComment65689702 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/is-quality-the-question__trashed/#IDComment65688388 I think that the kid in this video asks a great question. In reality and in theory, Affirmative Action probably does place less qualified individuals into jobs that maybe they wouldn't have gotten otherwise. Can this kind of thing become directly detrimental to individuals? Certainly. However, I think this is tightly connected to what Sam was saying at the beginning of last class. Surely, some people will be negatively affected by Affirmative Actions, or any policy for that matter. The thing is though, the nation and the economy benefits overall from something like Affirmative Action. As Sam was saying, the idea is not to make every single individual better off than they were before, because that's not really a realistic goal. Affirmative Action makes our economy better off by giving jobs to those who, for some reason or another, could not get a job. Now, personally I've never lost a job opportunity or anything like that because of Affirmative Action, so I can't empathize with those who have, but even if you do I don't think you should get very upset about it. If you had the qualifications to be considered for the job, you can probably get another job, right? The person who took your spot was given the job because they couldn't get one on their own accord. I understand that the initial reaction is to get angry about something like that, but three or four weeks down the road you're going to get a job too. Now, two people have jobs instead of one. Expand that over the entire country and you've got more people with jobs, and more money flowing through the economy. The point that I'm trying to make is that I understand where the kid in the video is coming, but the beneficiaries of Affirmative Action are not getting jobs conducting brain surgery, I promise. So, while he makes a completely valid point by voicing concern about diminishing quality of service, I think this sort of policy has more pros than cons. Also, was anyone else as astounded as I was when Sam asked how many people had benefited or had family members who benefited from Affirmative Action and almost no one had? I honestly thought there would have been way more people than there were. However, this helps to pad my point because it's not at all like the government is displacing millions of people from jobs, they're trying to improve the future for as many people as they possibly can without completely acquiescing to everyone's individual needs. To me, the majority of the problems that people have with race and politics stem from polarized media attention. If you think about it, almost every political pundit on television is either unwavering in their conservatism or drowning in liberalism. Guys like Bill O'Reilly, Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh are quite literally extremists. They automatically ridicule anything that a Democrat says purely because of their political affiliation, and it frightens me that that's who the conservatives are primarily getting their news from. Whereas, I also have an incredibly difficult time watching anyone on CNN because they've made a career of kissing President Obama's behind. There's no possible way to agree with one idea or ideology all the time. Sat, 3 Apr 2010 02:57:56 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/is-quality-the-question__trashed/#IDComment65688388 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/if-men-could-menstruate__trashed/#IDComment64077830 I literally couldn't agree with you more. I commented in the section with Laurie speaking and said pretty much the same thing. As a guy, I'm very comfortable with the notion of the menstrual cycle, etc. We're just trying really, really hard to not picture it. Thu, 25 Mar 2010 18:51:27 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/if-men-could-menstruate__trashed/#IDComment64077830 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/what-are-all-of-you-thinking-about-asians__trashed/#IDComment64077270 I know what you're trying to say here and I agreed with much of it a few comments down, but i was thinking about your post for a minute or two and thought about something which may or may not sound bad. Do you think maybe the reason Sam doesn't talk about Asians as much is because there isn't as much (from a relatively naive white male's perspective) outward racism toward Asians in America as there is to this day toward African-Americans. And even if there is, I don't know how many people would be offended by jokes about being good at math or being intelligent. Those are really the only steady generalizations I hear about Asian people. I don't mean to downplay anyone's situation at all, I'm just trying to get to the bottom of this whole ordeal. I would love to hear the Asian people's opinion on this matter. Thu, 25 Mar 2010 18:46:54 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/what-are-all-of-you-thinking-about-asians__trashed/#IDComment64077270 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/what-are-all-of-you-thinking-about-asians__trashed/#IDComment64076186 I thought about this for a few minutes before answering, and I realized that there's really nothing you can say about any race that would hold true all the time or even most of the time. Sometimes I can distinguish between Asians and Asian Americans, but to be honest other times i cannot. I don't think that really means anything other than that I see way more white people on average than Asians. Some of my best friends on the planet are these Korean Americans from my hometown. I've never met funnier people in my life, I swear. But, that has nothing to do with the rest of the Asians because they are, as we've clearly established, 100% individuals. The thing I'd like to propose to minorities and sociologists alike is, maybe the questions that we're asking are too limited. Asking what people think about Asians in general sets them up to immediately generalize about an entire race. We've got to be more careful. Thu, 25 Mar 2010 18:38:02 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/what-are-all-of-you-thinking-about-asians__trashed/#IDComment64076186 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/in-her-own-words__trashed/#IDComment64075194 Okay, well I understand what you girls are saying, but if we're really going to be honest, I'll give you the guys' side. Surely, there are guys in our class who reacted harshly or crudely or whatever you'd like to call it, but to most guys its something that we acknowledge freely and comfortably that happens to women. Unfortunately for the girls, we cannot empathize with the pain and discomfort that goes along with the menstrual cycle, but certainly we can understand. However, there is not one guy that I know who really wants to think about it in depth. I have no problem talking about it in terms of the operation of the human body, life cycle, etc. I hate to be so blunt about this but here's the deal: for guys, the vagina is pretty much the holiest of all holy places in the world. I understand that may be a kind of odd way to put it, but that's pretty much how it is. With that in mind, you have to realize that while we grasp that it is a totally natural and "beautiful" occurrence, we really, really don't want to think about our "Mecca" doing things that it does every cycle. Again, while it is natural and happens to every woman, I just don't think men really want to think about it. I grew up as an only child, and have lived with only my mom for my entire life. I would consider myself quite privy to female issues and biology. However, I just really don't want to think about it. I'm sorry if that offends any of the girls but I'd be willing to say that I speak a good portion of the guys in our class. I've heard the phrase "get over it" from many of the girls speaking on this topic and I just wanted to make it clear that I don't think many of us guys are too hung up on girls menstruating. But, we (guys) are and always have been programmed to try very hard to have sex with girls because, from a biological standpoint, it's what we're put on the Earth to do. Procreation is burnt into our minds. The only way to procreate, that I know of, is through some form of sexual intercourse. From a straight male's perspective, that is by means of the female and the vagina. As I said earlier, this leads guys to, quite literally, worship this very thing to a level that is much different than other things. Please try to understand, this isn't something that we hold against girls or makes us think differently of women, it's just something we're trying really hard to not picture. Thu, 25 Mar 2010 18:30:07 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/in-her-own-words__trashed/#IDComment64075194 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/does-this-rudeness-thing-cut-both-ways__trashed/#IDComment63031607 I agree with what you're saying. I think until everyone can learn to drop the filters that they've strategically used over the years, we could get the root of the race issue. However, until that day arrives I don't think we can ever really squash racism. As I'm sure most know, it's not just as easy as getting angry at those who are racist because, for the most part, they're immobile in their ideals. But we must take the focus away from people who are racist, and put it on the people who aren't. Subconsciously, the brain does not differentiate between positive and negative, so just introducing the idea of racism creates more racism. It's time to get honest. Fri, 19 Mar 2010 20:34:20 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/does-this-rudeness-thing-cut-both-ways__trashed/#IDComment63031607 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/does-this-rudeness-thing-cut-both-ways__trashed/#IDComment63030899 Agreed, I think if we do continue to do this texting thing we should have to register it. I just can't stand to see people hide behind technology, or anything else for that matter. But you know, there's nothing we can do. There's always going to be people with different morals and opinion than us. The thing is, they never will stand up and say it. Don't expect them to (as I'm sure you didn't). Maybe one day we’ll be able to move past the ideologies that hold us back, but not until we start being honest with ourselves and others. Fri, 19 Mar 2010 20:28:20 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/does-this-rudeness-thing-cut-both-ways__trashed/#IDComment63030899 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/does-this-rudeness-thing-cut-both-ways__trashed/#IDComment63029371 Call me immature, short-sighted or maybe just easy going but making jokes about the white does not offend me in the least. To me, I think that a lot of things that white people do, actually are noticeably stupid and therefore funny. So, when I hear them, I laugh. Similarly, when something goes up onto the projector that pokes fun at black people, I laugh. But, I can't help but cringe. I can't really say this for sure but I feel as though when someone black writes something derogatory about a white person, black people don't cringe. Now, I'm quite sure that everyone who was reading this just stopped because that last sentence sounded kind of bad. However, what I am saying is not at all that black people should feel bad about making fun of white people, but maybe what I'm saying is that maybe white people shouldn't cringe when a white person says something about a black person. Think about it, the only reason that white people cringe when another white person says something about a black person is because they think that black people think that that represents all white people. Confusing and wordy, I'm aware, but the idea that I'm trying to get across is along the lines of what Sam was saying at the beginning of I believe it was Tuesday's class. There is NOTHING inherently offensive. I understand that black people have been mistreated by a very large amount of white people in history. Certainly, there are still plenty of racists in the world today, but there's a lot more people who do not carry around this prejudice, relative to how it used to be. The world is developing. I think we all must understand that not everyone on the planet is carrying a degree from Harvard, so, there are going to be things that you disagree with. The only thing that can be done is to overcome obstacles one by one. If you ask me, there is a double standard for the things that white and black people can and cannot get away with saying. But, that's not really an issue that you, I, or anyone can fix in any sort of immediate fashion. During times of slavery, there were white people who were harboring slaves, illegally, because they disagreed with the principles of slavery. By the same token, you had whites who were holding slaves captive for the duration of their lives. Point being, there's no so thing as an issue of color. Sure, issues will emerge within races, but this couldn't be any less related. We are all individual people living exactly the way that we think we should given the summation of our life experiences, each totally unique and unprecedented. So why then must everything come back to issues of race? I think it is because everyone is so ready to jump on anything that sounds remotely like racism. It would be really nice if we could try to start from a clean slate and leave color behind. All I'm saying is, I've never seen a rabbit kill another rabbit. Fri, 19 Mar 2010 20:20:13 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/does-this-rudeness-thing-cut-both-ways__trashed/#IDComment63029371 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/when-do-we-do-or-say-something__trashed/#IDComment58876780 To one of your initial points, I don't think that the constitutional right to free speech makes it "okay" or excuses the store clerk's actions. However, it is most certainly his right to say/do exactly what he did provided that he has not physically harmed her in any way. I think that everyone in the class has clearly identified that this man was in the "wrong" for his comments, but in principle he did not do anything outside of his rights and therefore warrants no reaction other than reciprocated speech. However, if this man made the choice not to serve this young woman, I don't think he would "show her some respect" because he clearly has something against Muslims. As wrong as it is, that's just the way this world works as of right now. Hopefully we'll live to see the end of racism. Fri, 26 Feb 2010 21:47:27 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/when-do-we-do-or-say-something__trashed/#IDComment58876780 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/when-do-we-do-or-say-something__trashed/#IDComment58875348 There is absolutely no way that I could agree with you more. I just wrote my comment about the very same thing (two comments down). I really just feel like everyone speaks with their moral sensors in this class instead of what they actually think. Of course everyone and their mother is going to say that they would stand up against the store clerk, but I would be really interested to see how many of those people would actually step in and take action. I think you summed it up best when you said, "If the shopkeeper had physically caused harm to the woman then there is no doubt every single person should step in and help the Muslim woman." I just really wish that people would start being honest, and stop censoring their own thoughts to the point where they don't even know what they actually think. Racism will never go away until we're completely honest with ourselves and others. Fri, 26 Feb 2010 21:35:02 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/when-do-we-do-or-say-something__trashed/#IDComment58875348 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/when-do-we-do-or-say-something__trashed/#IDComment58874062 This is an incredibly touchy subject in my opinion. Morally, it is as "wrong" as one could get to not say something in this kind of situation. Don't get me wrong, I love the vast opportunity provided in a country like America, but for those of us who have lived here our entire lives, it has been indirectly pounded into our heads from a very young age that there is America and there is everyone else. Personally, I think racism is one of the most ignorant thoughts a person could have, but it really is not hard to see how some people end up in this mindset. America LOVES isolation. The vast majority of Americans have never left this country at any point in their lives. They have no concept of thinking outside of their cranial walls. Everything is completely relative to the way that you were raised and the ideals that you have constructed from a very young age. Now, the reason this becomes such a touchy subject for me is because I have always been a ardent proponent of free speech. Although this does not give the man from the video any justification for his hurtful and ignorant comments, it is hard to say what someone else should or could have said to that store clerk. He is, in principle, completely entitled to do exactly what he did in his store. Although it was wrong and hurtful to the young Muslim woman, it does not revoke the man's right to say exactly what he did. I understand that this probably is not the point that everyone wants to hear but it is the truth. This is a country founded on freedom of thought/speech, and it should not be limited. Having considered that point, the "right" thing for any bystander of a situation like this to do is to speak up. If we went around the class and asked each person what they would do in the very same situation, most would probably say that they would speak out against the store clerk. But, what I would be interested to see is how many of them would actually do it. I would be willing to bet that it is less than half. The thing that has really been getting under my skin about this class is that I feel like there are tons of kids who comment on these blogs and do nothing but rip on America and white people because they think that absolves them of their responsibility or connection with these problems. Certainly I'm no Kant or Emerson but I really do like to sit down and think about my blog entries, because it DOES matter. I try not to approach this class with ANY preconceived notions about anything in the world, whether its being white (which I am) or black or brown, etc. Point being, I really wish the people in this blog would let their guard down and say exactly what they think. That is the day that we'll make some sort of headway on the racism issue. Fri, 26 Feb 2010 21:24:08 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/when-do-we-do-or-say-something__trashed/#IDComment58874062 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/swinging-past-the-other-end-of-the-ideological-spectrum-on-the-way-to-the-intellectual-gray__trashed/#IDComment56444403 I completely agree with what you're saying. There is absolutely no way to polarize the way that our lives turn out. Every second we're making billions of choices, all the while 7 billion people around the world are doing the same. To rule either side of the spectrum out is sheer ignorance. The "gray area" is where we should all try to place ourselves. No extreme has ever been a correct point-of-view. There are way too many things going on in this life of ours to take such an extreme stance. Certainly, we have some degree of control over our lives but in the end, it's pretty much a total toss-up. Fri, 12 Feb 2010 05:02:08 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/swinging-past-the-other-end-of-the-ideological-spectrum-on-the-way-to-the-intellectual-gray__trashed/#IDComment56444403 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/swinging-past-the-other-end-of-the-ideological-spectrum-on-the-way-to-the-intellectual-gray__trashed/#IDComment56443985 I see the point that you are trying to make, but with the logic that you're using, I can comfortably say that you have absolutely no idea what is going on in someone else's life. Granted, everyone does have problems, but some people's are quite a bit larger than others. You said it yourself, "...everyone faces hard times in their lives but people handle them in such different ways". You seem to be more worried about how other people handle their problems rather than your own. Thinking that you're in control of your fate is quite a notion, but just remember the next time you get in a car, walk outside, or take a breath, in one second something outside of your control could be the last thing you remember. Fri, 12 Feb 2010 04:56:09 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/swinging-past-the-other-end-of-the-ideological-spectrum-on-the-way-to-the-intellectual-gray__trashed/#IDComment56443985 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/swinging-past-the-other-end-of-the-ideological-spectrum-on-the-way-to-the-intellectual-gray__trashed/#IDComment56442288 There never has been, and certainly never will be an extreme that is the correct option. This life that we have been shoved into is quite an odd thing. At any given moment, we are experiencing and gathering billions upon billions of tiny pieces of data, all of which combine in our brain and create our thoughts, opinions, etc. What can sometimes be very difficult to understand, since we have never been anyone but ourselves, is that every single person on the planet is doing the exact same processing that we are. From a philosophical standpoint, there are an infinitely small amount of things that we can know are the (capital T) Truth. So often we see these so-called "experts" on television, battling back and forth, screaming at each other, not allowing a word edgewise. Granted, I have only been alive for 19 years, but I have never seen any conflicts solved in this manner. The fact is, as I said earlier, extreme points of view are never the correct point of view. With all of the processing that we humans must do on a daily basis, things are bound to get lost before the senses are processed in our brains. Then, compound that a few quadrillion times over a lifetime and you would be absolutely blown away by how wrong you really are (for someone who believes in an extreme). The gray area is where the genius is. It is completely asinine to say that all events in our lives are completely our choice, or determined by factors and forces outside of our control. This world is so vast and sprawling that there is literally no way to quantify something with one point-of-view. Every single second the world changes completely. There are nearly 7 billion people on this planet. The amount of choices and decisions that happen with every tick of the clock is quite literally unfathomable. So, being as polarized as to say either free will or determinism is the absolute Truth is ignorance at its highest level. To say that you are a "liberal" or "conservative" is, in my opinion, a completely legitimate claim provided that you actually feel that way. But, when you are no longer making your own decisions about issues and are conforming to whatever your political affiliation says, you have officially relinquished the title of human being. The wisest person in the world is the person with the most perspective. You really never know what is occurring in someone else's life at any given time. An extremist point-of-view, in any case, is a self-absorbed one. There is good and bad in everything on this planet, the smartest people are the one's who pick through it all and decide what to hold on to. Fri, 12 Feb 2010 04:40:06 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/swinging-past-the-other-end-of-the-ideological-spectrum-on-the-way-to-the-intellectual-gray__trashed/#IDComment56442288 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/avatar-and-the-white-mans-burden__trashed/#IDComment55432751 I completely disagree about the whole "White Messiah" theme. In fact, I would argue that it's racist to take notice in the skin color of the characters of an animated movie. It really seems to me like Brooks is searching for this sort of thing. Look, you and I may be white people, but we're not stupid. Do you really think you would have gone into a movie like that, sat down for a few hours and completely missed blatant racism? Probably not considering our "sensors" for racism are so touchy nowadays. The bottom line is: this is an animated, fictional story from make-believe land; stop digging so deeply below the surface for something that isn't even there. Fri, 5 Feb 2010 03:17:30 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/avatar-and-the-white-mans-burden__trashed/#IDComment55432751