Personally, I think it is horrible the way Muslims are treated. They are automatically stereotyped and judged right away. We need to give people a chance before we judge them. We need to be accepting of not just Muslims, but of people from all races. One person who was Muslim messed up, and that caused the entire religion to be stereotyped. This does not happen with other religions. For example, if a Christian commits a crime, you don’t see news labels saying “Christian Man Does This or That” but when a Muslim commits a crime that’s all that seems to be focused on; the fact that they’re Muslim. Maziar along with many other Muslims do feel empathy and some Muslims are American too. That is one of the biggest stereotypes. Muslims can be from any country, Islam is a religion, just like Christianity. Muslims are not always Arab and Arabs are not always Muslim. Arabs are people who come from the Middle East. Muslims are people (no matter what part of the world they are from) who embrace the religion of Islam. You can be both, or you can be one and not the other. To answer the question I feel like Americans should be more sympathetic like Maziar, but not just sympathetic to our own country, we need to feel sympathy for people around the world. It doesn’t matter where people are from, a human is a human, and when they are killed it should make us feel the same way, race shouldn’t matter. Maziar was very thoughtful when he offered his condolences. We should offer our condolences to the many people who are dying in other parts of the world like Iraq, Syria, Palestine, and Afghanistan. I think a lot of people believe what they see on the news and that causes them to think in a certain way and it creates these kinds of stereotypes. The media is so full of it. Islam is a peaceful religion just like most other religions are and people need to quit making judgments about things they don’t know much about. It was so sad and disgusting to see all those tweets that were anti-Muslim because everyone automatically assumed that Muslims were the ones who were responsible for what happened in Boston even before any evidence was given! People should not respond with so much hate. He is halfway around the world and praying for our country, when people here could not care less what happens over there. We are barely even informed to know that there are problems even occurring there. Since the media is not doing this, we should take it upon our selves to educate and inform ourselves about what is happening around the world.

If I were to send a message to the American people it would a message about acceptance. Acceptance of yourself, first and foremost, and acceptance of other people, cultures, traditions etc. Nobody can control where they come from, its just something you are born with and you have to deal with it. It is not easy for people who come to the United States and have to put up with stereotypes and racial profiling. Not everybody is the same and everyone deserves a chance to be accepted and loved for who they are no matter where they come from. It isn’t always our fault because as humans we tend to judge people and that is normal, but we should try to open our eyes more and judge people by who they are rather than where they come from. It can be so interesting to learn about different cultures and people, if only we gave people a chance to teach is. Because America is not the only place in the world. There are other countries and people out there. We are all one human species. It is sad to see so much hatred going on. I think that with acceptance comes peace, and with peace comes love. Wouldn’t it be great if we lived in a world where everybody was loved? The sad reality is that we probably never will, but we can come close. That’s why I think acceptance is important. Another part of my message would be to accept yourself. Love, honor, respect, and take care of yourself and your body. Nobody is going to care about you more than you can care about yourself. Cherish the body you have. Be grateful for everything that you have. Once you accept yourself many doors will open for you. You don’t need to stress about things or worry about things you don’t like about yourself. That will get you nowhere. If everybody accepted themselves we would have a much more productive society. Accepting ourselves can also lead to accepting others. Welcome people generously, show them that you are willing to interact with them and that you have nothing against other people. People in other countries would love to visit America if we were more like this. A lot of people might picture Americans as being racist and that makes them not want to visit this country. We cannot change how people think but we can try. The way I would want to portray my message would be mainly through written forms of media such as advertisements or in magazines. Also, I would want my message to be stated in an indirect way, it might push people to do the opposite if it just pushed an opinion on them.

First off I would like to start off by saying that this is a very interesting question, and I think it would be cool to read what guys have to say about this topic. Personally, I think every guy will have a different preference when choosing women but I do agree that most men generally seem to be attracted to white girls. When people are drunk, they tend to do things they don’t mean and don’t think about consequences. Everyone is beautiful and minority girls are great but honestly I think guys just tend to go for white girls. It’s hard to tell why; it could be because of the kind of society we live in where white girls are usually the ones to be portrayed as beautiful in the media. It could also be the fact that the men who do not go for minorities are not very open minded or just want someone they can relate to culture-wise. I think that most people instantly form assumptions about others based solely on looks or background. I am strongly opposed to this but I can see why it happens. We are hard-wired as humans to judge others and its not necessarily our fault but it is important to step outside your comfort zone and explore other cultures and races. It is understandable when people like to be around other people who are like them or come from the same place, but you may even come to realize you have a lot in common with a person who is of a different race than you. I think especially at a place like Penn State, where there is not a lot of diversity, interracial dating is not common. I think people are just more confident at parties and they do what they want without caring what their friends might think. That’s why you might see people behave differently at parties and do things they would not normally do in other situations. Also, maybe it is not so much caused by personal preference or judgment, but by the way people are brought up and what they are used to. While some people may have traveled a lot or interacted with people from different backgrounds, others may not be used to the idea and may find no need to change. I think it is sad that people need alcohol in order for this to happen. I don’t necessarily think there is a solution to this problem, some may not even see it as a problem, it just depends on the way a person thinks and if they’re willing to step outside of their circle and interact with people who aren’t like them. Its college for God’s sake, this is a time to explore and learn about different things, including people and culture.

I think it is our job to help ourselves first but we definitely have a responsibility to help other countries as well. I think because of things our country has done to other countries in the past, it is somewhat our duty to help them. We have a lot more than what other countries around the world have and we would be changing people’s lives by offering them help. I think it is ridiculous that we spent most of our money on military and such. I’m not saying that is not important too but I believe we overspend a lot of money on military. We really didn’t need to spend that much and we could’ve fed a whole third world country with that same amount of money. Helping ourselves is very important too. We have many problems here in the U.S. that we need to acknowledge. There are a lot of homeless people and many areas where people are extremely poor. It is important for us to help people as much as we can and to be honest I really don’t see that happening at all. People need to open up their eyes to the many neighborhoods in the United States in which people are living in extreme poverty. It is amazing how our Soc 119 class is raising money for people in Haiti. Small acts such as this can be life changing and have an extremely large impact on people. We need to bring these matters to peoples attention. Many Americans who live in higher-class neighborhoods do not even know about all these neighborhoods and the horrible conditions that people are in. With knowledge comes change. We need to motivate people to act upon this and try to bring change. A lot can be changed if people contribute. It is so unfair that Native Americans were the first people on this land yet they are the ones living in the most poverty. They did so much for this country and it is a shame that they have to be living their lives the way they do. Sadly though, all of this is easier said than done. Usually people who have the power to help are the ones that want power and money the most. What would make them help others below them? In my opinion, we need to stop wasting our money on wars and intervening in other countries, and start using it a little more wisely like spending it to change things for the better. We can start by improving the horrible conditions some Americans are living in everyday and at the same time help people who are suffering in other countries. We are all human and we should all look after each other.

I think it is our job to help ourselves first but we definitely have a responsibility to help other countries as well. I think because of things our country has done to other countries in the past, it is somewhat our duty to help them. We have a lot more than what other countries around the world have and we would be changing people’s lives by offering them help. I think it is ridiculous that we spent most of our money on military and such. I’m not saying that is not important too but I believe we overspend a lot of money on military. We really didn’t need to spend that much and we could’ve fed a whole third world country with that same amount of money. Helping ourselves is very important too. We have many problems here in the U.S. that we need to acknowledge. There are a lot of homeless people and many areas where people are extremely poor. It is important for us to help people as much as we can and to be honest I really don’t see that happening at all. People need to open up their eyes to the many neighborhoods in the United States in which people are living in extreme poverty. It is amazing how our Soc 119 class is raising money for people in Haiti. Small acts such as this can be life changing and have an extremely large impact on people. We need to bring these matters to peoples attention. Many Americans who live in higher-class neighborhoods do not even know about all these neighborhoods and the horrible conditions that people are in. With knowledge comes change. We need to motivate people to act upon this and try to bring change. A lot can be changed if people contribute. It is so unfair that Native Americans were the first people on this land yet they are the ones living in the most poverty. They did so much for this country and it is a shame that they have to be living their lives the way they do. Sadly though, all of this is easier said than done. Usually people who have the power to help are the ones that want power and money the most. What would make them help others below them? In my opinion, we need to stop wasting our money on wars and intervening in other countries, and start using it a little more wisely like spending it to change things for the better. We can start by improving the horrible conditions some Americans are living in everyday and at the same time help people who are suffering in other countries. We are all human and we should all look after each other.

It is not fair when a person who is well qualified for a job does not get it because of a certain factor like race or ethnicity. In my opinion, affirmative action is a good thing for society in that does help it somewhat forces employers to hire minorities and such, but a lot of discrimination still goes on in the hiring process. If a person who is very well qualified for a job but doesn’t get it because of discrimination and a less qualified person is hired, we are all harmed in some way, because when we could have people who are very good at something not doing it and someone less qualified performs the job, we end up with a society in which we are not progressing and achieving the most we possibly can. I have a friend who is trying to get a summer internship. He applied to so many but still cannot land one. His name is Arabic, but he was born and raised in the United States and he has a GPA of 3.8. He is probably very qualified for a position but still does not seem to get hired and we can’t quite figure out why. We cannot and should not automatically assume that you are not getting a job or scholarship or whatever it may be because of racism, like Sam mentioned in class, but in this case I am starting to believe that it really is because of racism. It is a very sad thing. Why should a person be judged by their name or ethnicity? I strongly believe that it is wrong to do that because peoples’ names have nothing to do with who they are as a person and what they are capable of. Hiring a person just because their name is “Stacey” or a “Jake” and not something like “Jamal”, “Abdullah” or “Xavier” is just wrong and needs to stop. People need to open up their eyes and look beyond these things. I think affirmative action helps in someway, but in the end it is up to society and its norms. Don’t get me wrong though, I still think it depends on who can perform the job better. So if a white person, for example, can perform a job better than a person who is a minority, by all means let them have a job; they deserve it. A company can become less productive if it keeps hiring people just because of affirmative action, and not hire people who are actually more qualified. I don’t think affirmative action is necessarily creating equality for our society. When a person is deciding who to hire, they should look at the resumes but not judge people by ethnicity or gender but rather their qualifications. I think that is the right way to go.

When Sam first asked the question and asked females who were “bleeding” to raise their hands, I think the whole class was really shocked, because suddenly the room was filled with gasps and giggles. Me and the people in my row just looked at each other like, “Did he really just say that?” Then he rephrased it and it confirmed that he was asking what we thought he was asking; because bleeding can mean a lot of things. He then clarified, that yes he meant menstruating. It was really unusual and out of the blue because you would not necessarily think of menstruation when you think of freedom. In response to his question, only less than a handful of the class raised their hands, out of 700 people! It shows that even though we live in a free country, there are certain boundaries that we have set for ourselves. We cannot openly discuss certain topics, which can in some way disrupt the freedom we think we have. To a certain extent, however, I think we are free. There are just some things we do not want to discuss with other people. It is okay to have a little privacy. Sometimes our personal matters are not and should not be anyone else’s business. A girl in class mentioned that she would be a lot more comfortable in openly admitting she is on her menstrual cycle if there were no males in the room, just females. I can definitely relate to her. It is a topic you generally discuss with your female friends and not so much with your male friends. Most males think it is disgusting they don not even know what it is but they have an opinion about it. Regardless of everything mentioned in class, I still think we have a lot of freedom. I don’t think this idea is related to freedom as much as it is to privacy and personal will. I do agree that if we made it more socially acceptable to talk about things like this in society, then we would be a lot more comfortable doing that. You could say that the people who did raise their hands were “brave”, but honestly, I see myself as a brave person but I would not raise my hand in a situation like this because there is a line between bravery and personal choice. I would not choose to admit something like that. It is a personal matter and doesn’t have anything to do with my freedom; I am free to say what I want. Nobody can do anything about it, but I still would not choose to. I think many other girls in the class also felt the same way.

When Sam first asked the question and asked females who were “bleeding” to raise their hands, I think the whole class was really shocked, because suddenly the room was filled with gasps and giggles. Me and the people in my row just looked at each other like, “Did he really just say that?” Then he rephrased it and it confirmed that he was asking what we thought he was asking; because bleeding can mean a lot of things. He then clarified, that yes he meant menstruating. It was really unusual and out of the blue because you would not necessarily think of menstruation when you think of freedom. In response to his question, only less than a handful of the class raised their hands, out of 700 people! It shows that even though we live in a free country, there are certain boundaries that we have set for ourselves. We cannot openly discuss certain topics, which can in some way disrupt the freedom we think we have. To a certain extent, however, I think we are free. There are just some things we do not want to discuss with other people. It is okay to have a little privacy. Sometimes our personal matters are not and should not be anyone else’s business. A girl in class mentioned that she would be a lot more comfortable in openly admitting she is on her menstrual cycle if there were no males in the room, just females. I can definitely relate to her. It is a topic you generally discuss with your female friends and not so much with your male friends. Most males think it is disgusting they don not even know what it is but they have an opinion about it. Regardless of everything mentioned in class, I still think we have a lot of freedom. I don’t think this idea is related to freedom as much as it is to privacy and personal will. I do agree that if we made it more socially acceptable to talk about things like this in society, then we would be a lot more comfortable doing that. You could say that the people who did raise their hands were “brave”, but honestly, I see myself as a brave person but I would not raise my hand in a situation like this because there is a line between bravery and personal choice. I would not choose to admit something like that. It is a personal matter and doesn’t have anything to do with my freedom; I am free to say what I want. Nobody can do anything about it, but I still would not choose to. I think many other girls in the class also felt the same way.

Nowadays, the majority of the people around the world use skin whitening creams. Everybody wants to look white. Some people associate it with having higher status, others many think it looks more beautiful. Everybody has his or her own reason for doing so. Here in the United States, other minorities tend to “Americanize” themselves. Everybody wants to be accepted, and sometimes people feel like they need to be white in order to feel that way. In some countries, being white can mean being superior, more elegant, or having more money. There are so many products nowadays that help achieve this look; they claim to help make your skin look lighter. Some of them do work, and tend to make skin a few shades lighter. I just think that people should accept themselves for who they are. You don’t have to be white to be beautiful. If everyone in the world were white, there would be no diversity in the world. History has also affected peoples’ views on skin color. In particular, the topic of slavery usually comes up when discussing this issue. In the past, those who had black skin were enslaved; sand white people were usually the ones doing the enslaving. So I am thinking that maybe we subconsciously associate black skin as a lower status and people try to sway away from that. When you don’t like something about yourself, and there is an easy solution to fix it, you would most likely go ahead and do what it takes to solve your problem. So if a person does not like the color of their skin, and they see these products being advertised, they try them out because they have nothing to lose, and once they work and they like the results, they keep on using them. I am not saying this is the right thing to do because personally I believe acceptance of ones’ self is the way to go. People who judge you by your skin color are not worth your time, so why even bother changing yourself for them. Another thing that influences people’s views on skin color is the media. Where do I even begin? They basically brainwash people into thinking white skin is better. You see all these advertisements for skin whitening products, and these happy white women in the commercials. There are rarely any skin darkening products. Generally, people tend to want to whiten or “brighten” up their complexions. Tanning, on the other hand, is a whole different story. Many people in the United States, and Europeans, tan because they want to get a “glow” from the sun. Many people who are pale try to darken their skin. From the way I see it, dark people want to be light and light people want to be dark. We humans are never satisfied with what we have.

This is an extremely interesting question. If I were to wake up tomorrow morning and everything in the newspapers and television claimed that, I would say who are you to make this statement? I would throw out the newspapers and turn off the television. All this stuff would go in one ear and come out of my other ear. My beliefs make up a large part of my life. My faith in God affects how I live my everyday life, and my everyday thoughts. Everything I do, say, and think ultimately centers around my religion. I definitely respect other peoples’ religions but I do not think anybody can just go and claim something as controversial as this. Religion is an exceedingly touchy topic. People have to be careful about what they say, how they say it, and who they say it to. Everybody should have the right to believe what they want. It is a part of our rights as Americans and as human beings. So basically, if what you said happened, it would definitely affect a lot of people, and I think people would really start to ponder the answer to your question, except those who are strongly committed to their religions, like myself, and would not let anything come in the way of them and their beliefs. I would still go on with my daily life. I would still attend Penn State, pray, eat, sleep, and study. I mean who care what other people think. It is what you think that matters, and I truly believe in my heart that God exists. God has been there for me all my life, protecting me and guiding me. I am Muslim, so I believe that there is only one God. I would keep on believing that. I would keep praying and thanking him for all that He has done for me. Other people in your life aren’t always going to agree with you. You can listen to what they have to say because everybody has their own opinion. That’s just how it is. But you don’t necessarily have to change your ways to please them. I feel that God is always there for me whenever I need him, and I can’t imagine my life without him. I love Him the most. He is the only one who knows what is going on in my head and in my heart. He created me. I am alive because of Him. Life is very short. It is good to say “What if this” and “What if that” sometimes and wonder about things because it helps you learn and try to see things from other peoples’ perspectives, but don’t over think. Life is very short.