en-us https://www.intensedebate.com/users/2390034 Comments by pennstater2011 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/#IDComment145125234 Overall, whether one was a former illegal immigrant or not they should help illegal aliens in need. It is likely they came here because they wanted a better life for themselves and their families- versus the one they had at home full of poverty and despair. People who risked their lives to get here certainly have the motivation to do better- get a job, get three meals a day and a roof on their head. So let us show these people that in fact the United States is a better place to live for these people. Let us show them kindness and generosity and help them get to where they want to be. Fri, 22 Apr 2011 14:40:26 +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/#IDComment145125234 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/#IDComment145124968 It is not to say that one should give these people all the resources they need so that they can live dependently off others. Too much aid sometimes curbs motivation to do better. It is giving just enough to live- but not so comfortably- and with the expectation that these people are working to enhance their circumstances. For example, giving migrant workers a meal once a day gives them the ability to survive, but not comfortably. One would assume that they would at least like to eat three times a day, have money to send to their family and not sleep on the streets. These important aspects of life that are lacking give them the motivation to work to fulfill them. On the other hand, if these immigrants where fed three times a day, given clothes, and were provided with a bed and shelter – they would do nothing. They would have no incentive to do better since they had everything handed to them. Why should they get a job when they can have food, housing and clothes for free? Fri, 22 Apr 2011 14:39:33 +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/#IDComment145124968 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/#IDComment145124712 If I were a former illegal immigrant I definitely believe that it would be my duty to help the illegal aliens out. Being in the same situation as others puts one at an advantage in understanding the lifestyle and the needs of these people. Knowing what trials and pain that these people are suffering, just for the betterment of their and their family’s lives, should make one have the motivation to help; they should see themselves in these other people. Moreover, in general I do not think anyone should starve; whether it is an illegal alien or a drug addict. I believe it is our duty as human beings to reach out to others when they are in times of need. Helping others can provide hope and motivation for people to get out of their poor situations. When that man provided the illegal immigrants with just a simple meal once a day he drastically improved their situations. Now that their money wasn’t spent on food for them to eat they were able to send more money to their struggling families back at home. Moreover, the food enabled them to have more energy for work and even more importantly, live! Fri, 22 Apr 2011 14:38:41 +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/#IDComment145124712 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/13/dont-drink-the-water/#IDComment143138656 Although these are my recommendations as to how we can gain the forgiveness of Native Americans, I am not really the one to listen to. If we want forgiveness from our bad deeds we must ask our victims. Fri, 15 Apr 2011 15:17:47 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/13/dont-drink-the-water/#IDComment143138656 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/13/dont-drink-the-water/#IDComment143138528 . I believe the first step is bringing awareness to what occurred- the good and the bad- and saying indeed it was a mistake. It is unfortunate that our school systems do not better emphasize what we have done to the Native Americans. All I learned was that we killed a turkey and then shared a Thanksgiving with them. This is not at all an accurate depiction of what occurred. It appears that we are trying to hide our faults in the past because we refuse our accountability or are just plain embarrassed. What does that say about society? What other things are we keeping secret or skewing? Another step in the process of forgiveness could be asking the Native Americans what they need. As mentioned earlier, many are jobless and are facing crime from others. However, instead of giving them the help that we think they need we should give them the help they think they need. For example we should not help them get what we consider jobs but what they consider jobs. The goal is not to help these people assimilate to our society; rather, it is to get their society thriving within our society. Changing the traditions of the Native Americans is only a rewind to our past mistakes. We are helping Native Americans thrive in their perspective. Fri, 15 Apr 2011 15:17:06 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/13/dont-drink-the-water/#IDComment143138528 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/13/dont-drink-the-water/#IDComment143138461 In class when we were asked to say how much we knew about Native Americans there where very few that could say they knew them well. I, along with the majority, know next to nothing about the people who are the first to use the land I stand on. This is a pity and almost ignorant to not know the history and the current issues of these people; especially since we are a big part of these aspects. What I do know is that the first settlers stole the land from the Native American and killed them in the process. Moreover, they left the Native Americans in a state of despair that they have yet to recover from today. Now the land that is stolen is still under control by the descendants of the settlers- us- and Native Americans are suffering from unemployment and have the highest rate of crime afflicted upon them. Because of all the terrible things we have done to these people we owe a lot to them. Although we cannot necessarily compensate what we have done, we can certainly make sure that it does not happen again and we take the steps to gain the forgiveness of the Native Americans. Fri, 15 Apr 2011 15:16:45 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/13/dont-drink-the-water/#IDComment143138461 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/05/what-do-you-think-of-the-291-statistic-and-what-number-would-you-pick-119-blog/#IDComment140621546 Doing things like we did in class on Tuesday- looking at statistics, watching clips of war- will give these people a much clearer look and a better perspective of what’s going on. It is important to take concern for all people- Iraqis’, Libyans and Afghan’s- because they are humans, they are just like us. We should feel the pain and suffering when they die as much as we would as our family and friends. I think that people should see what actually goes on because it may make it more personal. They should see these people actually dying and getting blown up. Anyone who does not sympathize is cold hearted and incompetent. Overall, no one should be killed. If someone has to die it should be that it saves more lives. Thu, 7 Apr 2011 02:13:13 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/05/what-do-you-think-of-the-291-statistic-and-what-number-would-you-pick-119-blog/#IDComment140621546 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/05/what-do-you-think-of-the-291-statistic-and-what-number-would-you-pick-119-blog/#IDComment140621493 Although killing can be justifiable in certain circumstances people should still strive to make sure that it doesn’t threaten the lives of innocent people. In war, I understand that our weaponry is not that advanced where it only hits the target and avoids other people around- or we may have this technology and I am not aware of it. Regardless, if we have it we should use it and if we do not have it we should build it. When we make weapons it is not just about who we are killing but who we are trying not to kill. Many may not have too much concern that innocent people are dying because it is not directly affecting them or they associate the innocent with the enemy. Either way that is being ignorant and wrong. I believe people like this lack information about what is going on in the war and need to get a better understanding. Thu, 7 Apr 2011 02:12:54 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/05/what-do-you-think-of-the-291-statistic-and-what-number-would-you-pick-119-blog/#IDComment140621493 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/05/what-do-you-think-of-the-291-statistic-and-what-number-would-you-pick-119-blog/#IDComment140621429 Ideally I would choose 0:0. I believe that no innocent and guilty, yes even guilty, person should die. I believe no human has authority over another person’s life whether or not they did something unethical and wrong. In my opinion, it is up to the natural world to decide. However, if I want to be realistic killing others is inevitable and necessary. In order to get certain things done drastic measures have to be taken when there are others in the way that refuse to budge. However, I believe killing others should only be done for justice and not to fulfill one’s desires and wants. The ends must justify the means, especially when it concerns taking the lives of others. For example, when the Nazis were killed it was justifiable in that it freed and saved the lives of the helpless imprisoned Jews. On the other hand, the United States killing millions of innocent citizens in Iraq to just gain oil is extremely unfair and unjust. Thu, 7 Apr 2011 02:12:29 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/05/what-do-you-think-of-the-291-statistic-and-what-number-would-you-pick-119-blog/#IDComment140621429 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/31/has-the-class-on-the-needy-penis-made-you-uncomfortable-and-why-119-blog/#IDComment139153396 It angers me that woman cant behave in the way that they want but the way they are supposed to and this way is unfavorable for women. What really scares me is that I feel like there is no sense of agency. What can we do to change this- to make things better? Should I stop wearing makeup, dress and heels? Should I voice my opinions and have sex with as many people that I would like? Would any other women join me or have they all been so socialized into this role that they find it difficult to leave it? If I broke the mold I would become an outcast. Would I rather conform to society and mold myself to fit or live as an outcast. Fri, 1 Apr 2011 17:19:12 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/31/has-the-class-on-the-needy-penis-made-you-uncomfortable-and-why-119-blog/#IDComment139153396 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/31/has-the-class-on-the-needy-penis-made-you-uncomfortable-and-why-119-blog/#IDComment139153232 These terms are all used to socialize woman into something favorable for men. However, it is not just the men who are doing the socializing- it is the women as well. Females will use these names to keep other women in line. It is not because women want to solely exist for the pleasure of man but they are socialized this way. Moreover, it disgusts me that when a female does the same behavior as a man it is looked down upon. For example, if a woman has a strong opinion about something she will be called a bitch. If a man had done the same he would have been looked as a strong leader. Another instance, is when females are called a slut, whore and/or promiscuous when they engage in sex with multiple partners. On the other hand, men are seen as macho, smooth or “cool” when they are able to obtain many sex partners. It is unfortunate that women are unable to engage in the same behaviors as men because they will be labeled with a stigma. Fri, 1 Apr 2011 17:18:09 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/31/has-the-class-on-the-needy-penis-made-you-uncomfortable-and-why-119-blog/#IDComment139153232 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/31/has-the-class-on-the-needy-penis-made-you-uncomfortable-and-why-119-blog/#IDComment139153151 After the lecture in class on Thursday I felt very uneasy as a woman. First, I was uncomfortable with the fact that women are “forced” to live up to men’s standards. The way we dress, eat, act and even breathe has already been prescribed for us. We put on eye liner, mascara, eye shadow and lip stick for men. We wear short skirts, skin tight jeans and platform heels for men. We must be submissive, nurturing and quiet for men. Why are we doing all this for men? What do we do for us? Almost nothing. It scares me to think that everything we do is centered on pleasing a man. And when we do not meet these expectations of men we are hit with criticism and out casted. A woman who may be overweight is seen as disgusting and unattractive. A woman who wears baggy pants and a large t-shirt is seen as uncleanly and risks being called a dyke. Fri, 1 Apr 2011 17:17:48 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/31/has-the-class-on-the-needy-penis-made-you-uncomfortable-and-why-119-blog/#IDComment139153151 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/22/why-do-we-need-to-show-the-clips-of-comedians-before-having-serious-discussions-about-race-119-blog/#IDComment137593625 Overall, providing a humorous clip before a serious conversation- like the ones we have in class- makes our conversation more efficient and productive. It eases the feelings of anger and apprehension and makes the topic easier to talk about. Moreover, it sparks the interest of others to get involved in the conversation because it is a form of entertainment and makes the topic much more relatable. Fri, 25 Mar 2011 23:33:11 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/22/why-do-we-need-to-show-the-clips-of-comedians-before-having-serious-discussions-about-race-119-blog/#IDComment137593625 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/22/why-do-we-need-to-show-the-clips-of-comedians-before-having-serious-discussions-about-race-119-blog/#IDComment137593589 Next, not only do the funny videos set the right mood for a serious topic, they make something serious appear not as serious. Although, something’s importance should never be undermined taking it down a notch makes people more willing to participate in the conversation because they feel like there is a lot less pressure on them. For instance, race can be an extremely touchy subject. Many times people do not want to involve themselves in a highly intense conversation, but if the topic is made fun of it does not seem as serious anymore. Finally, the videos make the matter much more interesting. Most people find watching a comedian very entertaining so they will actual listen to what they say. By hearing the topic in an entertaining context makes it more interesting to the person. In turn, the person will more likely be invested in the conversation. Fri, 25 Mar 2011 23:32:54 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/22/why-do-we-need-to-show-the-clips-of-comedians-before-having-serious-discussions-about-race-119-blog/#IDComment137593589 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/22/why-do-we-need-to-show-the-clips-of-comedians-before-having-serious-discussions-about-race-119-blog/#IDComment137593540 Moreover, with serious topics arise feelings of anger and bitterness. Especially when speaking about race an African American may be angry towards white people because of the disadvantage and injustices white people have put on them for so long. They may either refuse to listen to the perspectives of other people or lash out. Both the anxiety and anger inhibit from efficient and productive conversation from occurring- it becomes a conversation led by emotion rather than rationality. However, there is one strategy that allows conversation to form and that is comic relief. Comic relief prevents awkward and chaotic exchange by easing the anxiety and anger. Consequently, people are more willing to talk about a stiff subject and actually get somewhere. Fri, 25 Mar 2011 23:32:32 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/22/why-do-we-need-to-show-the-clips-of-comedians-before-having-serious-discussions-about-race-119-blog/#IDComment137593540 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/22/why-do-we-need-to-show-the-clips-of-comedians-before-having-serious-discussions-about-race-119-blog/#IDComment137593383 I think it is a great idea to play funny videos about a serious topic before discussing it. First, it provides an environment that facilitates discussion by relieving tension. With serious and controversial topics such as race it is likely there will be apprehension before and during the discussion. This worry stems from the fear of saying something that may offend another person. Because many of these matters are deeply rooted in people’s values and beliefs, everything that is said can get really personal. For example, a person may refrain from participating in the conversation because they do not know whether to call someone black, African American or who knows what- it is a matter that varies by individual. Even though there may be several people in the discussion that may not find the term they use offensive there is a high possibility that at least one person will take it to heart. Fri, 25 Mar 2011 23:31:40 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/22/why-do-we-need-to-show-the-clips-of-comedians-before-having-serious-discussions-about-race-119-blog/#IDComment137593383 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/15/have-you-ever-felt-guilt-from-being-of-a-certain-race-119-blog/#IDComment135930350 Another advantage school has provided me is a scholarship for having high academics, and yes of course, for being Hispanic. I do believe that my hard work did qualify me for some financial help, but I don’t think the fact that my parents were born in Cuba did. I feel guilty taking this money for my own when I don’t think that I earned it. I am sure there were other students who worked just as hard but didn’t get the money because of their race. In fact, I feel so guilty about my scholarship that I rarely mention it to anyone. I can imagine the anger that may fill up in people when I mention that I got money for being Hispanic. I would be the same way if I ever heard that someone received financial aid for being white. Fri, 18 Mar 2011 23:08:11 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/15/have-you-ever-felt-guilt-from-being-of-a-certain-race-119-blog/#IDComment135930350 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/15/have-you-ever-felt-guilt-from-being-of-a-certain-race-119-blog/#IDComment135930293 When I use this concept and I apply it to myself it certainly tells me that I should not feel guilty about being Hispanic. I should not feel like I am a part of the bad things members in my race have done. What others do should only reflect upon them and not me. However, that is not to say I feel guilty about being Hispanic because, at times, I certainly do. I unfortunately share the advantage of my group- that brings other to a disadvantage- despite my choice in the whole matter. For one, I feel guilty that Hispanics are given a lot of advantages from colleges. First, colleges pick many of their students based on affirmative action, that is, they admit minorities such as blacks and Hispanics over whites. I cannot help but feel like this advantage has left others unfairly in the dirt. I would never want to be the cause of someone not getting into college because admissions chose me based on my race. I could not imagine someone working so hard to get into school and didn’t because they were white. Although I see the purpose of affirmative action I still believe that is unfair. Fri, 18 Mar 2011 23:07:48 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/15/have-you-ever-felt-guilt-from-being-of-a-certain-race-119-blog/#IDComment135930293 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/15/have-you-ever-felt-guilt-from-being-of-a-certain-race-119-blog/#IDComment135930221 There are many instances in history and now were certain individuals do particular actions that are generalized to their “group”. For instance, there is a small portion of individuals in the Middle East that suicide bomb and have a vendetta against America. Despite the fact that there are so few doing this, people relentlessly associate all Middle Easterners as cold-blooded murders. I believe this concept can help explain why many white people feel guilt about being white. Some Caucasians have put black people into slavery, have restricted them from jobs, lynched them and prevented them from buying homes. Because some Caucasians have done these terrible things to blacks, all whites are seen to be the same way. Consequently, many whites feel guilty for being white even if they do not enforce or agree with the negative actions that have occurred. Fri, 18 Mar 2011 23:07:17 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/15/have-you-ever-felt-guilt-from-being-of-a-certain-race-119-blog/#IDComment135930221 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/28/scholarships-for-white-men/#IDComment131950619 First, the proposal supports the idea of providing opportunities for education to ALL people- no one should be left out- blacks, Hispanics, females or whites, no one. The idea behind scholarships is the same thing- to eradicate the unfair fact that certain groups of people could not get into school because they were in need. So would it not be hypocritical to not allow disadvantaged whites to receive aid as well based on the fact that they are white? By providing opportunities for needy whites, just like other groups it keeps the system of helping those in need consistent and fair among all parties. Next, the scholarship will most likely increase white males entering the education system. However, this has no effect on the amount of people from the other underprivileged groups from going. The scholarships or all separate thus, the other groups will continue receiving aid and there will be no decrease in the amount of money they will receive. Wed, 2 Mar 2011 22:25:26 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/28/scholarships-for-white-men/#IDComment131950619