en-us https://www.intensedebate.com/users/2413329 Comments by pennstate5014 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/21/would-you-help-out-or-turn-away-immigrants-in-the-poor-situations-we-saw-them-in-and-why-119-blog/#IDComment145739227 If someone said that an immigrant had entered the U.S., I am surprisingly not the type of person that would shun them away and turn my back on the individuals, wherever they may be from. On the other hand, I know numerous people who would turn their backs on illegal immigrants because, well, it is illegal to enter the U.S. when you are not a citizen and many people have strong American pride and do not want other people not from the U.S. in their own patriotic country. In my opinion, I do definitely realize that it is very illegal for people to run the border and come into the United States without being an actual citizen, but I also personally believe that there are many great aspects of immigration that help American citizens out in more ways than one. Almost always, I think the reason immigrants come into the United States is to find work and make money for their family. They come to find the “American dream” because wherever they were from, they are not able to climb the social ladder and find the success that they hope for. The point of coming here is the freedom aspect and to decide and choose their own future. In the United States, no one can boss us around or tell us what to do. We have he privilege to choose what life we want to have, what job we want to work for, where we want to live, and all other aspects of a free life that is amazing. Due to this, the illegal immigrants who are coming here are not here to take over the actual United States citizens. These immigrants are here to help our actual economy by doing certain jobs that no American really wants to do for their daily jobs. These jobs, whether they are doing random manual labor or working in a manufacturing factory, most Americans do not want to do these jobs thus illegal immigrants do them. Because of this fact, I would have to say yes to the question on whether or not to take in illegal immigrants. I feel as though we need to look at these individuals as actual people trying to live their dreams, rather than illegal immigrants trying to take over the United States. Why turn our backs on the people who want to be like us and be free? If the immigrants aren’t harming or hurting anyone and they are valuing our country as a whole, why should we turn them away? We need to take a step back as a country and view these people as individuals and not illegal immigrants. Of course, if it got out of hand we would need to cure the problem, but for now I believe everyone should be treated well due to the fact that everyone is trying to live freely. Mon, 25 Apr 2011 02:02:39 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/21/would-you-help-out-or-turn-away-immigrants-in-the-poor-situations-we-saw-them-in-and-why-119-blog/#IDComment145739227 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/07/do-you-agree-with-foreign-aids-use-of-pictures-of-children-119-blog/#IDComment142276593 After hearing this, I think I do agree when Ernso says that he doesn’t like how non-profits and certain corporations come into his own country to take pictures of poor children then using these pictures of the innocent children to use them in media just so people donate to the specific cause. I think this issue has to do with perspective and where people come from. As Americans, it is challenging, on some level, to understand how sensitive this would be, and how hurt a person could get by living in poverty. In this case, these individuals, I believe, would feel that the people taking the pictures are using their children not for anything but making a profit, as well as using them as “objects” instead of looking at the innocent children as human beings in this world. It’s hard to grasp the fact that the people living in this poverty probably hate when people are only characterizing, or paying attention to them because of their poverty; an aspect of their life that most likely they are greatly ashamed of and do not want to be seen and magnified. Even so, the pictures that the corporations are taking are the pictures that make people feel bad for them thus donating money. To me, the sad thing is that we are so use to these pictures that no one thinks twice about them. If you think about it, we are staring at pictures of starving, dying children on the television and yes, I feel that the non-profit and other corporations are trying to help them, but it is so strange how they do it. Americans are sitting back, eating their dinners with their cell phones and iPods in their hands gazing upon dying, starving innocent individuals as though it is normal. So now what? Are we supposed to send all the money over there so there is no poverty in the world, or starving individuals? The answer is yes. Food distribution and money is crazy in our world. If everyone would send just a little money to the poor places in our society, then we would not have to take terrible pictures just so Americans will feel bad and give them money to help out. It is sad to think that we have sunk so low to take pictures of dying children just so American will give money, instead of people actually wanting to help the world and make it a way better place. Even though, if we take a step back, it is ridiculous that we take pictures of poverty-stricken areas, in the end it is the premise of why we are taking the photographs, and that is to help. At the end of the day, the non-profit corporations and all the other corporations are just trying to help out and give the poverty filled countries money. So, after all that, I believe that these pictures should still be taken because without them, I am almost 100% sure that a lot of money that usually goes to places that are not filled with luxuries would be lessened dramatically. Tue, 12 Apr 2011 19:45:04 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/07/do-you-agree-with-foreign-aids-use-of-pictures-of-children-119-blog/#IDComment142276593 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/05/did-putting-yourself-in-the-shoes-of-the-middle-easterners-change-your-views-on-the-war-in-iraq-119-blog/#IDComment140621313 When I put myself in the shoes of Middle Easterners, the war on Iraq definitely changed, yet stayed the same. When I first put myself in their shoes, I realized that the Middle Easterner’s actions were a direct result of what they believed, valued, and what they think is right. To them doing certain things, whether it may be flying a plane into two buildings, or practicing a religion, is right so, if you think about it, whose to say what is right and what is wrong? Yes, I know killing innocent people on September 11 is without a doubt terrible and not right, but if you were a Middle Eastern and the people you look up to are telling you that it is okay, wouldn’t you think it is okay too? This act of terrorism had a snow ball effect on the whole Iraq war so thus, again, if the people you have faith in and believe in tell you to fight, wouldn’t you? In this sense, I definitely understand how the Middle Easterners feel and think when I put myself in their shoes, but at the same time my views have not changed. It’s weird to think, but every time I somewhat sympathize with a Middle Eastern I cant help but feel guilty and bad. It’s not that I don’t like Middle Eastern people, or I am some sort of racist that discriminates against them, I just can’t get the image of the plane hitting the Twin Towers. It kills me to think innocent people died and were snatched away from their families and friends. I have no problem understanding their perspective, but at the same time I feel as though I cant “turn my back” on my own people, the people of the United States. I hate to sound ignorant because that is not my intention at all, it’s just about remembering how that event impacted our nation, and how the war is impacting us as we speak. I don’t want to get into my really personal opinions about the war and what we should do, but I definitely stick to what I think is right and wrong regardless of how others think and act. I believe I have a pretty good insight and sense of right and wrong so even though I can put myself in someone else’s shoes and learn some things, I still hold strong in my beliefs and what I value as a person. I love looking at other peers blogs and relating them to mine, but this week I couldn’t help but disagree with Bedford2108 when he/she stated “When some one would talk about the war, the first thing I think about is 9/11. I still remember that day as if it was yesterday. I was in 5th grade and at the time I didn’t know what was happening or why. When I got home my parents explained to me what happened and why and they said that this meant we were going to go to war. From then on I blamed the terrorists and I blamed them for this war.” This comment bothers me when people say this because this is not the case. When I think of the war yes 9/11 pops in my mind, but I stay educated on the news and the topic so I know there is so much more than that. With this, I think people, especially the youth, need to stay educated by reading newspapers, listening to the news and radio so they don’t just side with the image media shows them. Thu, 7 Apr 2011 02:11:46 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/05/did-putting-yourself-in-the-shoes-of-the-middle-easterners-change-your-views-on-the-war-in-iraq-119-blog/#IDComment140621313 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/05/did-putting-yourself-in-the-shoes-of-the-middle-easterners-change-your-views-on-the-war-in-iraq-119-blog/#IDComment140621294 When I put myself in the shoes of Middle Easterners, the war on Iraq definitely changed, yet stayed the same. When I first put myself in their shoes, I realized that the Middle Easterner’s actions were a direct result of what they believed, valued, and what they think is right. To them doing certain things, whether it may be flying a plane into two buildings, or practicing a religion, is right so, if you think about it, whose to say what is right and what is wrong? Yes, I know killing innocent people on September 11 is without a doubt terrible and not right, but if you were a Middle Eastern and the people you look up to are telling you that it is okay, wouldn’t you think it is okay too? This act of terrorism had a snow ball effect on the whole Iraq war so thus, again, if the people you have faith in and believe in tell you to fight, wouldn’t you? In this sense, I definitely understand how the Middle Easterners feel and think when I put myself in their shoes, but at the same time my views have not changed. It’s weird to think, but every time I somewhat sympathize with a Middle Eastern I cant help but feel guilty and bad. It’s not that I don’t like Middle Eastern people, or I am some sort of racist that discriminates against them, I just can’t get the image of the plane hitting the Twin Towers. It kills me to think innocent people died and were snatched away from their families and friends. I have no problem understanding their perspective, but at the same time I feel as though I cant “turn my back” on my own people, the people of the United States. I hate to sound ignorant because that is not my intention at all, it’s just about remembering how that event impacted our nation, and how the war is impacting us as we speak. I don’t want to get into my really personal opinions about the war and what we should do, but I definitely stick to what I think is right and wrong regardless of how others think and act. I believe I have a pretty good insight and sense of right and wrong so even though I can put myself in someone else’s shoes and learn some things, I still hold strong in my beliefs and what I value as a person. I love looking at other peers blogs and relating them to mine, but this week I couldn’t help but disagree with Bedford2108 when he/she stated “When some one would talk about the war, the first thing I think about is 9/11. I still remember that day as if it was yesterday. I was in 5th grade and at the time I didn’t know what was happening or why. When I got home my parents explained to me what happened and why and they said that this meant we were going to go to war. From then on I blamed the terrorists and I blamed them for this war.” This comment bothers me when people say this because this is not the case. When I think of the war yes 9/11 pops in my mind, but I stay educated on the news and the topic so I know there is so much more than that. With this, I think people, especially the youth, need to stay educated by reading newspapers, listening to the news and radio so they don’t just side with the image media shows them. Thu, 7 Apr 2011 02:11:39 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/05/did-putting-yourself-in-the-shoes-of-the-middle-easterners-change-your-views-on-the-war-in-iraq-119-blog/#IDComment140621294 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/29/what-reasons-make-multiculturalism-positive-for-the-us-119-blog/#IDComment139778881 Personally, I think multiculturalism is a great thing because it basically forces citizens to accept and try to understand other people in your community/civilization who are outwardly different than you. Overall, it makes people try to experience others who may live a different life, have different goals, or encompass different morals. This rule of thinking makes people be open minded, and farther away from thinking in one particular way, which leads to ignorance, in my opinion. Having multiculturalism in someone’s life lets an individual open their own eyes to a world of unique people, which then opens up someone’s mind to change the way they think for the better. When I came to college, I didn’t really know how to act around people that were very different than me. I thought when I came here it would be easy, but it was actually a challenge to open my mind and understand other people’s views. Now that I have studied in this class, and have traveled a lot throughout my whole life, multiculturalism is an aspect of my life that I became use too. When I visited places with different people dissimilar to myself, I was able to experience different cultures that let me open my eyes and mind to other ways of thinking that made me a better person. Bossplaya96 stated, “Multiculturalism is what America was founded on. It is important that we embrace all the cultures in America, called the “great melting pot”. Had it not been for the great migration, immigration and Ellis Island in the 19th century, our country would not have the character it has to this day. It is something that gives us our identity, how could it not be a positive thing? Looking at other countries, European countries for example, they each have their own identity and history, going back centuries further than ours. But the attraction of the US, cities like New York especially, have been world renowned for being a global center of culture”. This statement is something that I totally agree with. As I wrote this, I couldn’t think of a word to describe our country, but Bossplaya96 hit the nail on the head when he/she said “melting pot”. To me, our country is a melting pot of all different people filled with multiculturalism. As stated by my classmate, because of the “melting pot”, or multiculturalism, so many different significant events have happened in our country, which is just another aspect that makes this concept amazing. Overall, this term, in my belief, is a positive expression and phase. Without it, our world would be filled with people that close their minds and eyes to others that are different which furthers our progress in a negative way. Mon, 4 Apr 2011 02:36:34 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/29/what-reasons-make-multiculturalism-positive-for-the-us-119-blog/#IDComment139778881 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/18/what-is-your-opinion-of-the-video-119-blog/#IDComment136571390 The black/white doll video really sparked a reaction out of me that I did not expect when I heard what video we were about to watch. When I first watched this video, I was utterly shocked how the black children constantly picked the white dolls. What does this say about our world? For starters, it is very evident that our world is still, undoubtedly, seen as white and black. This is absolutely accurate because the youth of our world sees color (when the children have to choose between black and white). In addition, this doll game resembles harsh segregation. The children must choose either doll, and when the other doll regardless of the skin color is cast aside, it forces the children to see that skin color alone, isolated and lesser than the other. In addition to the utter shock I felt, I also felt a huge amount of sadness and somewhat felt guilty. I never thought that I was going to feel guilty watching this video, but when I view it, it makes me feel as though I am personally making the young child pick the white doll, when I know that I obviously did not. It made my eyes tear up when I saw the innocent faces of the children having to choose between the dolls puzzled when they reached to either of the two. It made me sad that they looked at the person talking for some sort of answer, or encouragement to choose either of the dolls, yet they had to do it by themselves, which was a hard and harsh task. Also, on another note, I would love to know if these children, when they grow older, would remember this experience. Usually, when young, experiences and events like this would never be remembered. Only events such as a fun birthday party, playing with a friend, or a fun moment would only be remembered, yet something like this could be impacting for the rest of a person’s life. Although I personally never felt discriminated based upon my race, in my recitation group, many of the people in my group have which hit hard because they were just like me, or so I thought. These stories hurt me even though I personally did not go through them, which is crazy. It makes me wonder, did this video hit the individuals in my recitation group that have felt discrimination harder than it hit me? I couldn’t imagine what it must have felt like to view that video as a darker skinned individual and think that those little children already feel as though the white skin is better. To me, this thought process needs to be eliminated and stopped or our world is going to be the same as it was years and years ago: segregated and wrong. Mon, 21 Mar 2011 20:58:32 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/18/what-is-your-opinion-of-the-video-119-blog/#IDComment136571390 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/15/what-is-your-view-and-experience-with-white-privilege-119-blog/#IDComment135388794 Being a white individual, I have never felt white privilege. Yes of course, I do notice when someone is black, Latino, Chinese, etc. not because I think I am different and better because I am white and not their race, or ethnicity, I notice because every individual on this earth is different in their own way. When I notice these differences, it is blatantly obvious why I notice them: because everyone is different. Overall, no matter what, I have never been in a situation in which I thought I was better than someone else because I am white. When I hear that there are definitely events that express this notion of white people feeling better than other people, it makes me extremely angry because I truly believe that no one person is better than another person. It also makes me frustrated because before I entered this class, I thought and believed that our society, or civilization, our entire world is passed racism, and feeling as though one race, or ethnicity, is better than someone else. Sadly, after hearing personal experiences from other classmates and statistics about issues such as superiority, this issue is definitely still present in our world. It makes me even more mad and disappointed that my race, the white race, is the individuals causing this problem. I have never felt that I was privileged because of my skin color. To me, this makes no sense. On the other hand, I have absolutely felt privileged only when I work hard and prospered due to my efforts in school, sports, and other events, not because my skin is light. I feel as though this issue needs to be solved in a way that puts white individuals in the shoes of people that have felt as though white people think they are better. The way that this could be accomplished would be simply talking to other individuals different than you, put yourself in their shoes and see how maybe, even if you don’t think so, white individuals act as though they are “better”. When I think about my life, I consider myself very privileged and blessed. This feeling is not because I am white and I feel better because of this fact, it is because my father worked very hard throughout college to acquire a job that has given me the opportunity to visit amazing places, earn certain material items that I want, and overall open me up to experiences and events that I wouldn’t have been able to go through. In general, everyone needs to understand that race is something that we came up with to boss people around, put others down, and make ourselves feel superior. Skin color is simply skin color, which is nothing important. What is important is our thoughts, opinions and outlook on life and what it means. Wed, 16 Mar 2011 19:35:07 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/15/what-is-your-view-and-experience-with-white-privilege-119-blog/#IDComment135388794 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/15/what-is-your-view-and-experience-with-white-privilege-119-blog/#IDComment135388766 Being a white individual, I have never felt white privilege. Yes of course, I do notice when someone is black, Latino, Chinese, etc. not because I think I am different and better because I am white and not their race, or ethnicity, I notice because every individual on this earth is different in their own way. When I notice these differences, it is blatantly obvious why I notice them: because everyone is different. Overall, no matter what, I have never been in a situation in which I thought I was better than someone else because I am white. When I hear that there are definitely events that express this notion of white people feeling better than other people, it makes me extremely angry because I truly believe that no one person is better than another person. It also makes me frustrated because before I entered this class, I thought and believed that our society, or civilization, our entire world is passed racism, and feeling as though one race, or ethnicity, is better than someone else. Sadly, after hearing personal experiences from other classmates and statistics about issues such as superiority, this issue is definitely still present in our world. It makes me even more mad and disappointed that my race, the white race, is the individuals causing this problem. I have never felt that I was privileged because of my skin color. To me, this makes no sense. On the other hand, I have absolutely felt privileged only when I work hard and prospered due to my efforts in school, sports, and other events, not because my skin is light. I feel as though this issue needs to be solved in a way that puts white individuals in the shoes of people that have felt as though white people think they are better. The way that this could be accomplished would be simply talking to other individuals different than you, put yourself in their shoes and see how maybe, even if you don’t think so, white individuals act as though they are “better”. When I think about my life, I consider myself very privileged and blessed. This feeling is not because I am white and I feel better because of this fact, it is because my father worked very hard throughout college to acquire a job that has given me the opportunity to visit amazing places, earn certain material items that I want, and overall open me up to experiences and events that I wouldn’t have been able to go through. In general, everyone needs to understand that race is something that we came up with to boss people around, put others down, and make ourselves feel superior. Skin color is simply skin color, which is nothing important. What is important is our thoughts, opinions and outlook on life and what it means. Wed, 16 Mar 2011 19:34:58 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/15/what-is-your-view-and-experience-with-white-privilege-119-blog/#IDComment135388766 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/24/how-conscious-are-you-of-your-seat-in-class-before-and-after-todays-lecture-119-blog/#IDComment131738322 Although I am commenting on this blog a couple days later, I still have strong feels in regards to the topic. Overall, after hearing the lecture about picking my seat, it had no affect on me. When I chose my seat in the class, I chose it due to the fact that there were only a couple seats left because I was running late and, as everyone knows, once you choose a seat in a huge classroom it’s yours for the rest of the semester. If I would have walked in on time and had seats to choose from, I wouldn’t think to sit near, or farther from another group of individual because my mind doesn’t work like that. I have friends of all races, ethnicities, genders, etc., so it never holds me back to sit near someone that doesn’t look exactly like me. At the same time, if I look deep into the reasons why I sit where I do, I could probably pick apart my subconscious thought process. At first, I could not think of why I would choose my seat the way I do, but after that class it made it extremely evident as of why I do what I do. I think I sit next to people that I feel comfortable and safe by. I am a white American (I know, I definitely am a lot more than just a “white American” but we’ll label me as that in this circumstance), so when I choose my seat I probably sit next to someone that looks like me just because it is comforting. I definitely am not saying that I am scared of someone that doesn’t look like me, or I am judgmental, I simply am accustom to usually getting assigned to seat near people that look like me by chance in classrooms thus making it easy for me to keep doing the same trend; which makes me feel comfortable and familiar. Even if this may be so and actually in the end I do subconsciously pick where I sit based upon looks, I feel as though I am definitely not racist, or discriminate against certain groups of people, yet am just programmed, through repetition, where to sit. On the other hand, I want to make it perfectly clear that I have absolutely no problem sitting next to someone that doesn’t look exactly like me, or if someone that is different than me decides to sit beside me because that has definitely happened in many of my classes. Overall, to sum my argument up, I have never actually thought about why I sit where I do, but nonetheless, I feel I pick my seat based upon my comfort level that has been the result of being assigned a seat next to someone that looks like me. Wed, 2 Mar 2011 01:44:30 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/24/how-conscious-are-you-of-your-seat-in-class-before-and-after-todays-lecture-119-blog/#IDComment131738322 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/21/stranger-kidnapping/#IDComment129831456 When I first watched these videos, I truly wasn’t surprised with what was being said. Although there have been many abductions over the years, I always felt that these abductions were over dramatized thus making people in our civilization too paranoid and scared. In addition to this, when we see these abductions in the media, they are usually over dramatized, having scary music in the background, making the viewers even more hesitant of strangers all over the world. Consequentially, these over dramatizations may be needed for people to grasp that; indeed, you cannot trust everyone in the world. Even though I may feel this way, and still knowing everything from the video with all the statistics/facts, I still would keep my child close when out in a public and area and make her stay near me at all times. Even though I know the statistics and facts, I feel as though being a mother is a huge responsibility so why take a risk of loosing your child when you can easily just keep them close? Out of the whole video, I found it fascinating about asking a stranger direction and most likely they will give you the correct feedback on the issue. When I take a step back and look at my life, I would agree that nine times out of ten when I ask a stranger directions, or another seemingly easy question, they usually have the correct answer. Although this may be true, there are definitely distinct rules and precautions everyone must take when asking for directions, or some sort of question, to a stranger that goes without saying thus making it clear that everyone still is weary about asking strangers about certain topics. Furthermore, I also believe that people are more sensitive, or insensitive to the topic of abduction because of how they were brought up. If you live in a household filled with trusting in others and having faith in people around you, you most likely would be more willing to ask for directions for a stranger, with the right precautions of course. On the other hand, this would not be true for a person that was raised in a household filled with rules, regulations and worry. For me personally, I was raised in a house based on faith and trust therefore making it easy for me to have faith in people when I need help and ask for it. Also, I feel as though if you do not risk talking to strangers you will start to get caught up in being scared all the time. My family does not fear others in almost all situations, yet my grandmother does. She is constantly telling us to stay away from strangers and to be safe. Although this is true, my grandmother has yet to leave the country on vacation, visit new places, and get to know new interesting people. In this case, I feel as though if people are overly cautious, they can miss out on new amazing experiences. Tue, 22 Feb 2011 13:16:57 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/21/stranger-kidnapping/#IDComment129831456 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/13/dont-be-spreadin-the-love-around-here/#IDComment128314046 I think it is unnecessary to implement the notion in Muslim’s minds that Valentine’s Day is a bad and is highly suggested to not take part in it due to the fact that it may cause people to have sex. Of course, there are going to be people all around the world, Muslim, or not, having sex on Valentine’s Day, but I think that this is not a great concern. If Muslim’s wanted to celebrate the holiday with a loved one and enjoy each other’s company, I see no harm in this act. In my opinion, I think that the officials need to concentrate on more serious activity, instead of concentrating on a day when no one is harming anyone. When I read the article, it stated, "I've given my wife flowers and taken her for dinner on Valentine's Day before," Khairy Jamaluddin, a prominent ruling party politician in his mid-30s, wrote on Twiiter. "I am still a Muslim. If people want to do it because they feel like it's a nice occasion, as long as they're not committing sin, why not?" What Jamaluddin says is exactly how I feel. If the Muslim people that celebrate and take part in Valentine’s Day aren’t hurting anyone, committing any sin, or negatively affecting their culture, I do not see the problem. To be devil’s advocate, I can also see why officials are strongly telling their people not to participate solely based on the fact that it may go against their values, morals, outlooks on a happy life, etc. When I began to read the article, I was totally against banning valentine’s day but, as I read it a second time and pretended I was a Muslim and believed in their values, I realized that Valentine’s Day is one day out of the year that goes against their beliefs thus making it not okay to celebrate. As I read in the perspective of a Muslim official, the article stated something that caught my eye saying, "We accept and celebrate Mother's Day and Father's Day ... to commemorate our love for our parents," Wan Mohamad told the national news agency, Bernama. "At the same time, however, Islam would reject anything, even from the Eastern culture, if it contravenes the Islamic teachings." What Mohamad is saying is a clear indication that he, as well as the officials, are not trying to stir up any trouble, they are simply trying to keep the Muslim beliefs sacred and are attempting to take away any temptation that may make Muslim citizens go against what they believe thus regretting it later. To me, it is very interesting to read an article with one set of eyes, then go back and read it in another person’s shoes. When I read it the second time in the eyes of a Muslim official, I could definitely see why Valentine’s Day could be a day of temptation and going against religion, while when I read it in the eyes of an American citizen of the United States, I really didn’t feel like it was a big deal simply because my beliefs as an American are not the same as the Muslim culture. Everyone should read this article with another set of eyes and maybe their opinions will be changed just like mine. Wed, 16 Feb 2011 13:48:14 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/13/dont-be-spreadin-the-love-around-here/#IDComment128314046 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/13/dont-be-spreadin-the-love-around-here/#IDComment128313849 I think it is unnecessary to implement the notion in Muslim’s minds that Valentine’s Day is a bad and is highly suggested to not take part in it due to the fact that it may cause people to have sex. Of course, there are going to be people all around the world, Muslim, or not, having sex on Valentine’s Day, but I think that this is not a great concern. If Muslim’s wanted to celebrate the holiday with a loved one and enjoy each other’s company, I see no harm in this act. In my opinion, I think that the officials need to concentrate on more serious activity, instead of concentrating on a day when no one is harming anyone. When I read the article, it stated, "I've given my wife flowers and taken her for dinner on Valentine's Day before," Khairy Jamaluddin, a prominent ruling party politician in his mid-30s, wrote on Twiiter. "I am still a Muslim. If people want to do it because they feel like it's a nice occasion, as long as they're not committing sin, why not?" What Jamaluddin says is exactly how I feel. If the Muslim people that celebrate and take part in Valentine’s Day aren’t hurting anyone, committing any sin, or negatively affecting their culture, I do not see the problem. To be devil’s advocate, I can also see why officials are strongly telling their people not to participate solely based on the fact that it may go against their values, morals, outlooks on a happy life, etc. When I began to read the article, I was totally against banning valentine’s day but, as I read it a second time and pretended I was a Muslim and believed in their values, I realized that Valentine’s Day is one day out of the year that goes against their beliefs thus making it not okay to celebrate. As I read in the perspective of a Muslim official, the article stated something that caught my eye saying, "We accept and celebrate Mother's Day and Father's Day ... to commemorate our love for our parents," Wan Mohamad told the national news agency, Bernama. "At the same time, however, Islam would reject anything, even from the Eastern culture, if it contravenes the Islamic teachings." What Mohamad is saying is a clear indication that he, as well as the officials, are not trying to stir up any trouble, they are simply trying to keep the Muslim beliefs sacred and are attempting to take away any temptation that may make Muslim citizens go against what they believe thus regretting it later. To me, it is very interesting to read an article with one set of eyes, then go back and read it in another person’s shoes. When I read it the second time in the eyes of a Muslim official, I could definitely see why Valentine’s Day could be a day of temptation and going against religion, while when I read it in the eyes of an American citizen of the United States, I really didn’t feel like it was a big deal simply because my beliefs as an American are not the same as the Muslim culture. Everyone should read this article with another set of eyes and maybe their opinions will be changed just like mine. Wed, 16 Feb 2011 13:47:00 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/13/dont-be-spreadin-the-love-around-here/#IDComment128313849 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/08/how-have-the-choices-youve-made-and-determinism-affected-your-life-119-blog/#IDComment126995336 One aspect about my life that I never think about is who I am as a person that gets me through the week, the year, and my life. I believe my religion has gotten me through my day-to-day life ending me up at Penn State University. Every person is made up of characteristics that make them who they are. These characteristics, I believe, form who you are as a person thus guiding you through life. I am a religious person that believes in trust in god, treating others the way you want to be treated, and overall living a life that you would be proud of. My faith has brought me to believe that I am able to achieve anything and conquer any problem that has come my way. Through the belief I have in myself, I use all my talents and try my hardest in every situation which ended me up here at Penn State. Years ago, Penn State was a safety school for most eager high school students, yet now it is extremely more competitive to get into. Because I believe in who I am and have faith in myself through my religion teaching me to always have a positive attitude, I was able to conquer any problem that came my way throughout high school and work my hardest to get into my dream school, Penn State. As I was reading through my classmate’s posts on this question, I could really relate to kmpto when he/she said, “I can see in my own life how both the choices I have made and determinism has affected me. Both my parents have attended college and it has always been expected of me to do the same. Through the money my family had, I was allowed to go to very distinguished schools where other students’ families also had money, were expected to go to college, and the school had high graduate rates and high test scores. My parents could not see me doing anything but going to college after high school and this was reinforced by my peers and teachers looking and pushing me towards college.” I could have easily written this quote because this way of thinking was enforced in my head throughout my life. Along with having faith in god and myself, I was constantly encouraged to always be determined and study so I was able to better myself in the future through a great education then eventually a rewarding job. Also, I believe where I am today, and where other people are today, has to do a lot with who your friends and family are. If you grown up in an environment with friends that are not academically inclined, or in family that does not push going to college after high school, you are most likely not going to put college on the top of your list. On the other hand, if you grow up in a household with both parents going to school and other friends aiming towards the same goal, then college will be on the top of your list for this aspect of your life is mandatory and important. Wed, 9 Feb 2011 22:24:06 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/08/how-have-the-choices-youve-made-and-determinism-affected-your-life-119-blog/#IDComment126995336 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/01/do-you-describe-yourself-differently-in-other-countries/#IDComment125445893 Years ago, describing yourself was as easy as saying the color of your skin. No one cared who your ancestors were, where they came from, why a particular individual possessed certain traits, or any other specific information that made, and still makes, someone special. Now, in modern day today, everyone describes themselves in whatever way they want. If you ask a girl to describe herself she may say that she is white, while if you ask another individual they may say German, Irish and Scottish. No matter what the case, does someone describe themselves differently depending upon where they are in the world? Personally, I believe it depends upon where you are when asked that question. If someone would come up to me in the United States and asked for me to describe myself, I would most likely say a female white American. I would also say I am German, Swedish, Scottish and Irish from my family members. If I would travel around the world and go to Spain and someone asked to describe myself, I would, again, most likely say I am a female white American, but this time I would add I am from the United States to further specify where I live. Nonetheless, whether I am across the world, or in my hometown, I would generally state the same thing about the description of myself. Although this is true for me, I think describing yourself differently in different places has to do with the individual. As I read a previous blog by hyp5023, he/she stated, “When people ask what I am in the United States, I say Chinese. When I am anywhere else in the world, I say American. If the person seems familiar with the United States, I will say I am from Philadelphia, and if the person does not, I just leave it as the United State.” After reading his/her blog, it made me think about why he/she says this and overall, I think it is insane that we have to change who we are and think so specifically when describing ourselves. Does hyp5023 do this because, stereotypically, Chinese individuals look different than the generalized “American” person? Is it because he/she simply feels the need to change their description based upon where they are at that time? In my opinion, I think that any individual should not have to change their personal description of themselves just because they go somewhere distant. It is crazy that we have to put so much in depth thought on how to describe ourselves when we visit a certain place when, instead, we could be doing more valuable things with our time. This concept clearly shows that our world still stereotypes people into racial, religious, and ethnic categories thus making people feel the need to conform to this notion and describe themselves differently when traveling, or visiting, other areas in the world. This needs to change. Wed, 2 Feb 2011 15:34:20 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/01/do-you-describe-yourself-differently-in-other-countries/#IDComment125445893 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/27/why-do-we-need-to-be-politically-correct-119-blog/#IDComment124336003 At first, when asked the question about politically correctness, I immediately thought that it was undoubtedly necessary. Without being politically correct large amounts of people, regardless of their race, ethnicity, gender, etc., could be extremely offended if you say the wrong thing, call them the wrong name, or talk about them in a way that they feel belittled. We have come such a long way with creating equal rights for people that if we cast politically correctness aside, we could start pedaling backwards and repeating the future of white people being superior to other races. Nonetheless, I feel as though at times being politically correct limits expression and start to become very confusing. What does it ACTUALLY mean to be politically correct? Does it mean simply not offending any other individual? Does it mean being correct in the political arena? I think no one really has a clue. I believe when people think about being politically correct, it means not offending any other person in their society and calling those certain people by a name, or names that make them feel comfortable. I know I believe this. Even so, I still don’t truly understand why we get so involved and occupied with making sure we don’t say this, or don’t say that, when we could be doing more with our time. In my opinion, I think everyone should be able to call anyone whatever he or she like as long as it is not being said in a negative, offensive manner. When I asked my roommate what being politically correct meant to her, she said that it meant more than just not offending someone’s race, or ethnicity. To her, it was more about making sure everyone stays equal in our world and we do not go back to times when women were thought of as being the housewives without work, and African Americans being sought out for as slaves and not truly counted as a fully, well deserving individual. This way of thinking sparked a new view that I thought was very important. Is being politically correct not saying certain words, or is it not saying full sayings? There are dangers and consequences in saying what you want to say using specific words that either may, or may not be hurtful, or offensive intentionally. Anything that anyone wants to say can be said, to a certain degree, but it must be thought through very carefully if it is going to be in the public eye otherwise that specific individual will be scrutinized harshly. Of course, there are some words and sayings that should definitely not be said, but nonetheless, on a whole, I think we should start to pump the breaks on the importance on being politically correct and instead have faith in one another that we will not try to offend someone on purpose based upon their race, gender, ethnicity, etc. Fri, 28 Jan 2011 13:58:58 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/27/why-do-we-need-to-be-politically-correct-119-blog/#IDComment124336003 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/18/what-do-you-think-blog-2/#IDComment123573636 At first, when I heard the exercise we were going to do in class, I thought it was going to be extremely easy to group people into categories of race and ethnicity because I believed, at the time, that by the way people looked, it would be a clear indication on their race and/or ethnicity. To my surprise, I was clearly wrong. As the two women grouped their classmates into categories I agreed to almost everywhere they were put. From the Mexican category to the Asian group, it was clear that they knew what they were doing and there would only be a couple mess ups due to lack of time and peer pressure. When they were done categorizing and we asked each student their race, and ethnicity, almost all were wrong except the one White male student. This exercise opened my eyes a lot to now knowing that even though you mentally stereotype individuals into groups in your head, this is a wrong way to approach any situation like this because you may be incredibly wrong. Even know someone may have a certain characteristic; it does not necessarily mean that they are a specific race, or ethnicity. In addition, it makes me fall back on the discussion we had in class about how people created race. We created these stereotypical categories based upon what we look like, so we should never stereotype someone because they have darker skin, or skinnier eyes. Instead of assuming someone’s race, or ethnicity, we need to instead break free of this notion and simply get to know someone thus breaking down these barriers of stereotypical thoughts that turn into actions. By organizing people based on their looks, everyone is merely judging their appearance and their background according to a simple assumption that may, or may not be accurate. Even if it’s not said out loud and talked about on a day-to-day basis, people still stereotype based on peoples appearances and in almost all instances are completely wrong and unaware of who they are, where they come from, and what their family background and roots are. I was very surprised and utterly shocked at one point during the class exercise, when an Asian student was categorized correctly with another individual that did not look like that person at all, yet they had the same race in common. I would have never thought that an Asian could ever look so similar, yet be the same race and ethnicity as the other individual. This example instantaneously proves how wrong people can judge and classify others in simple situations just like this in class. This activity brought the realization of how much stereotyping still exists in today’s world, especially when I, along with almost everyone sitting around me during that lecture, agreed with the categorizes she placed specific people into. Tue, 25 Jan 2011 03:09:21 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/18/what-do-you-think-blog-2/#IDComment123573636 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/10/last-name-%e2%80%9cb%e2%80%9d-%e2%80%93-intense-debate/#IDComment123353755 Soc 119 Mon, 24 Jan 2011 01:42:20 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/10/last-name-%e2%80%9cb%e2%80%9d-%e2%80%93-intense-debate/#IDComment123353755