en-us https://www.intensedebate.com/users/2401024 Comments by pensfan28 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/18/war-through-the-ages/#IDComment145147198 While I was watching this video, I found myself thinking about what historical events were going on that could have caused the many explosions that the video showed. In class, we have been learning that people start wars in order to obtain more resources to allow their society to benefit and grow. Rarely is war fought over anything else. At the beginning of the video, the majority of the explosions were in the Middle Eastern area. I assume that this was caused by different religious groups fighting over (holy) land disputes. Then slowly there appeared to be more explosions located in Europe. Based on what we talked about in class, Europe probably gives the best example. The different countries were all trying to strengthen and expand their empires. In order to do this, they would need to take over the surrounding lands and use their resources. This also explains some of the explosions that occurred in the Americas. Explorers were discovering the rich natural resources that they could exploit from the New World if only they could defeat the indigenous population first. As the years progressed in the video, there appeared to be many more explosions. This is when I think that societies realized that they needed more and more resources in order to survive. People began to wage war with each other for these resources, even if they made up some story about how they are fighting for something else. The locations of these explosions were determined by where the desired natural resources are. I believe that if there were to be another video made of years to come, there would be many more explosions. The world population continues to grow and the amount of available resources remains constant. We are not going to be able to satisfy the needs of people with the amounts of resources we currently have and because of this, more wars will erupt as societies fight to get their hands on as many resources as they can. And this leads me to wonder what will happen when there are no more resources left for people to use. Will war vanish as well? Or is war just something that humans can’t live without? Fri, 22 Apr 2011 15:51:51 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/18/war-through-the-ages/#IDComment145147198 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/11/the-cost-of-empire-soc-001-blog/#IDComment142885633 This was a very interesting video for me. Ever since we started talking about how much the United States sets aside for military spending, I have been thinking a lot about things. Our country prides itself on being a fierce protector of human rights and democracy, however, is that what is really going on? War is romanticized in so many ways in the U.S. too, whether it be in classic war movies or in massive hit video games such as Call of Duty. I, myself, enjoy reading war stories and playing COD. It makes me feel good about our country etc. but I’m well aware that there is much more to war than these fantasy stories. This video announced that the Obama administration wants to increase the size of the military. In class we learned that the United States has one of the largest military force on the planet and we are responsible for more than half of military spending worldwide. Do we really need to increase our forces when we already have one of the largest militaries? To U.S. citizens, increasing the size of our military seems like a must in order for us to be more protected. We don’t see how it might look other people in other countries. They probably think we are going to take over the world if we continue to increase our forces. Another thing that this video brought up that interested me was the issue of the United States “empire”. I understood that we had military bases around the world but I did not realized that we had however many the video said. I was even more surprised when the video said how much it costs to maintain some of these bases. I don’t understand how our country can pour money into these bases when that money could be better used here in our country. Inflation is a major issue today and our ridiculous spending habits only fuel the fire. If we could stop, or at least reduce, the spending on a lot of these bases, I bet our economy might start to look better. War is something that our country holds dear; we fought a war in order to become a country anyway. However, people are blind to the fact of how much we spend on war. If we don’t limit our spending soon, the empire of the United States may just crumble away. Thu, 14 Apr 2011 19:13:32 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/11/the-cost-of-empire-soc-001-blog/#IDComment142885633 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/03/what-a-man-is/#IDComment140822876 Women have always been a tricky subject for most men to completely understand. The majority of men out there don’t know what women are really looking for in a relationship. They think that women only want certain things (such as sex and money), however, these things couldn’t be farther from the truth. Our society revolves around the male ideals about relationships and women. In movies, books, etc. women are portrayed only as how men fantasize they are. Even in the movie about music videos that we watched in class, women were unfairly degraded to being the teenage fantasies of men. As I read this passage, I felt myself agreeing with every line about how a man should treat a woman in a relationship. We love it when men really respect us and try to make us happy. We love it when men try and protect us out of love. Most of all, women want to have men be their friends, to be there to listen to us, to encourage us, to make us laugh, to make everything all better. The lifer basically described the kind of man that women dream about. In the passage, the lifer makes a comment about how if he is right about what women want in a man, why is it that he came to this realization once he was sentenced to prison. I believe that it may have been easier for him to realize this because he was taken away from the male centered society that we all live in. It would have been easier for him to think about women as real people as opposed to the creatures that society makes us out to be. The lifer also apologizes to women for all the hurt they have felt about men’s misconceptions about relationships. I feel that it is not completely men’s fault that they don’t understand women. Society makes them into what they are and they, as well as women, take in the models for each sex regardless of whether they are accurate or not. Its really unfortunate that more men don’t come to these realizations. Thu, 7 Apr 2011 20:44:30 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/03/what-a-man-is/#IDComment140822876 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/27/family/#IDComment139150327 I enjoyed reading this letter and I feel bad for the lifer writing this. It must really be difficult to relate to their family and friends while they are “trapped” inside the prison walls. He comments that it is hard to get his loved ones to understand the situation he is in and I completely believe this. When you ask anyone to describe to you the common prison, they will most likely tell you that it is filled with bad men that deserve to be kept away from society. Through the lectures on lifers and reading their letters on this site, I have come to view some/many lifers as people who unfortunately made a poor decision at one point in their life that now they have to pay for. I felt bad when the lifer described how when he first arrived in the prison, he was surrounded by the love and support of his family and friends, but then as time went by, that love and support seemed to fade away. Losing that support probably made things feel much colder. That’s why, I guess, the lifers bond with each other like they do; to get the love and support that every human needs. In his final paragraph, the lifer states that support is harder to come by now a days. Maybe this lack of support, in prison and outside prison walls, is what leads some people to go down paths that will end them in prison for the rest of their lives. The lifer states that he feels like some of the other inmates are like little brothers for him and he provides them with the encouragement they never received from their loved ones. In his final sentence, the lifer says that it is the relationships between inmates that determine who they will be in the future. I believe this to be very true. Like Sam has said before in class, when you are in prison for life, you have two choices: become cool or go insane. The inmates that he speaks of have obviously turned towards the relationships that they have with other inmates. This has provided them with a sense of love and comfort that has helped them to become what they are today, “spiritual” people. Fri, 1 Apr 2011 17:03:18 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/27/family/#IDComment139150327 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/20/frost-bitten/#IDComment137094590 After the class on lifers, I find myself a lot more sympathetic to the issue. Hearing some of the stories about a few of the prisoners that Sam and Lori know was surprising to me. Just to hear how these people carried themselves in ways that are a complete contrast to how we think prisoners, especially those sentenced to a lifetime in jail, should act. This poem makes feel pretty bad for the author. The author seems to feel lost in all that they are caught up in. They are cold and “alone” from love and compassion. To me this poem is taken as the lifer realizing what exactly has happened for them. They are in prison for life. They have been labeled as an evil person and they are with other evil people. I can only imagine how bleak things would look to someone who first enters this situation. If this is how some of the prisoners feel when they arrive for their sentence, then I can see why many of them turn to a holier outlook on life. They need, just like any other human being, to feel a sense of love and compassion and because of this, they look for a deeper meaning in life and form spiritual relations with god as well as the others being contained in the prison. Even though I can understand why a prisoner would feel the way the poem expresses, I feel like it is a little harsh when describing the others being held in the prison. The author says that the people around him have no hope, no joy, no warmth, no heart. They are just cold souls. Despite what the poem says, Sam talked about many lifers who have embraced a warm compassionate look on life and try to spread love and joy to those around them. I’m not saying that all of the lifers there have adopted this look, but there are some there that the author could turn to for love and support. Like I stated above, the lifers will most likely form a spiritual bond with each other, which could help to “thaw” the author’s heart to the situation. Wed, 23 Mar 2011 21:32:25 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/20/frost-bitten/#IDComment137094590 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/15/lgbt-families-theres-a-lot-of-fear-out-there/#IDComment135615462 I have to say that I was impressed with this guy’s speech. I found it to be very powerful as well as enlightening. The topic of gays in society is often associated with all the negative aspects that these kinds of relationships bring. People view them as completely different people and treat them as such, when in reality, the only thing that may be different is their sexual preference. Now I was raised to believe that being gay is a sin, however, I don’t necessarily agree with that. We are all the same, humans, and should treat each other as such. I have a few gay friends and I personally believe that they would each make great parents if they were given the chance later in life. The one concern that I had about gays being parents was that they would possibly influence their children to be gay as well, however, Sam said in class that most gay parents want their kids to be straight, and his reasoning behind this made a lot of sense. Going back to the video, if the speaker had not said that he was raised by gay parents, I guarantee that no one would have been able to tell. He seems completely normal. So if gays can raise a child like him, why can’t more gay couples adopt and raise children. There obviously didn’t appear to be any issues with the speaker. Also, referencing the video we watched in class about gay adoptions, the gay community adopts many children that otherwise would not have family to grow up in. While the majority of heterosexual couples adopting choose to adopt white and Asian children, gays choose to adopt African American children more often. It would make sense to allow, and even encourage, gay adoption in order to provide these children with more homes, thus evening out the amount of each race being adopted. Its unfortunate that society is so harsh on the gay community, especially whenever the topic of gay adoptions arises. We, as a society, tend to focus more on all the negative things that gay couples bring with them. Very rarely do we look at the good that they can do. If we allowed gays to adopt children more easily, they could provide better lives for many needy children, which can benefit everyone in return. Thu, 17 Mar 2011 16:13:24 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/15/lgbt-families-theres-a-lot-of-fear-out-there/#IDComment135615462 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/28/the-lottery-as-a-blessing-or-a-curse/#IDComment131686687 Most people play the lottery, but no one really thinks much about what will happen to them if they end up winning the jackpot. Of course we all think about what we would spend our new found fortune on, but winning the lottery can affect us in many more ways other than just what objects we can now afford. One thing that can probably change, or that some might attempt to change, is who they associate with. If a person comes from a poor area and suddenly wins millions, chances are that they will move away to an upper class environment just to fit in. Following what Sam said one day in class, these people will still be very much like the people from the class that they came from, regardless of how much money they have. Moving to a different area will probably cause the people to feel more unlike their environment, especially if they don’t fit the social mold of “high society”. Another issue that winning the lottery can bring upon people is overspending. What I mean by overspending is the false sense that they have unlimited funds at their disposal. For example, if a poorer person suddenly wins a lot of money, they will feel more compelled to spend it on things that they couldn’t before. They will probably overindulge in things and end up wasting their fortune away and before you know it, they will be right back where they started or even worse off than before. Unfortunately, the majority of lottery players have not gone to college or possess the knowledge of how to properly maintain their finances. Because of this, overindulgence occurs more often than not. It’s a shame that many people see winning the lottery as the only way to be financially stable. There are many other ways and methods that people can follow in order to be financially secure. While winning the lottery can provide people with a large amount of money quickly, people need to be careful with what they choose to do with their funds. Tue, 1 Mar 2011 20:33:48 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/28/the-lottery-as-a-blessing-or-a-curse/#IDComment131686687 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/21/stranger-kidnapping/#IDComment130679823 As we learned in class one day, our society is afraid of things that we don’t necessarily need to be afraid of. As Sam said in his lecture, we have as much of a chance of being struck by lightning as we do of being abducted by a stranger. In fact, more times than not, strangers are more than willing to help. Why are we afraid of strangers when they are highly unlikely to harm us? Our society likes to focus on all the negative things that happen, even if they are few and far between. All the new broadcasts always tell us how dangerous or how bad conditions are. Because we are constantly being told this, we tend to believe that things really are as they are being described. Our society also views people as being evil, for the most part. Rarely are there stories on the news about all the good that people are doing for society. Instead, we hear all about how certain people are terrorizing all of society. Children are brought up with the notion that strangers are out to get them. I remember in elementary school how we would have different organization come and talk to us about “stranger safety”. We are brought up not to talk to strangers or associate with them because of the potential dangers. When Sam told the class the real statistics of being abducted by a stranger, I was extremely surprised. I remember all the times that my parents have denied me from going places for fear of being “attacked” by a stranger. If most strangers are, in fact, willing to help others, shouldn’t we all be less uptight about the subject? We should tell our children to talk to strangers if they need help. We should not have the fear of being snatched up off of the streets when we are walking alone. The stats are out there for us to use, but we abide by a sort of group think. The majority believes that strangers are bad and only want to cause harm, and no one wants to go against that belief for fear of not fitting in. Society will continue to view strangers in a skewed way, even though there is nothing for us to fear. Fri, 25 Feb 2011 20:42:02 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/21/stranger-kidnapping/#IDComment130679823 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/13/whats-the-sociological-message-here/#IDComment128841116 This song actually made me laugh. It was really funny, but its quite true about a lot of things. There are so many people in the world and its true that its highly unlikely for every person to find their soul mate at college, or wherever for that matter. Minchin says in his song that there are so many possibilities for relationships out there that many different people would create the feeling of a good relationship. Despite what many people may think, there are plenty of other fish in the sea that are just as good as, or better than, the person whom they claim to be their soul mate. Minchin also says in his song that love has nothing to do with “destined perfection”. He says that it is nothing more than a connection that is strengthened through shared experiences with another person. I find this to be very true. When you think about how love is portrayed in society, lets take through movies and show for example, you will probably agree. A couple usually comes together after having experienced many events with each other. Even when we look at how things work in real life, the notion of love at first sight is more unusual than people think. Rarely do any couples come together for that reason. Finally, the part of the song where Minchin goes on to explain the story of his ex-girlfriend made me think a bit. Its true that because of the fact that there are so many people that can satisfy a good relationship, there are so many possibilities for our lives. He could have easily had a similar life with that girlfriend, or even a different person, because the different variables associated with the relationship. I guess we end up choosing one of these people due mainly to the sociological strings that guide our lives. It may be true that personal decisions influence who we choose to be in a relationship with, but the sociological strings can, more or less, lead us to choosing certain options for ourselves. Fri, 18 Feb 2011 16:27:49 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/13/whats-the-sociological-message-here/#IDComment128841116 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/09/4092/#IDComment127186153 After reading Remember, I am reflecting on my personal views and some of the views held by society. This passage really got to me and I feel pretty bad for the inmate. Its sad that our society is so harsh in its punishments but I guess that’s just how things are. If someone does something bad, such as kill another person, then people assume that they will only continue to perform the act unless they are locked up somewhere hidden away from society. In this passage, the inmate referenced remembering how they were in a state of drunken stupidity when the crime was committed. It may have just been an accident fueled by the many forces acting on him at that moment, such as the alcohol as well as other sociological strings. Who are we all to condemn anyone for just a few seconds of their lives and take away their future? The bottom line is that we are all human. We all make our fair share of mistakes. Some may be worse than others but does that mean that those who make worse mistakes than others should be locked up and looked upon as worthless bodies? There are plenty of people who are not locked up that have committed bad mistakes and are still seen as normal or even good people. Its not very fair, but that seems to be how our society works. I especially feel bad for the inmate whenever they references that no one can forgive them or that maybe no one should. They said that they believe that God has already forgiven them. Religion often preaches that forgiveness is important for everyone to express. Its unfortunate to see that society thinks differently, regardless of the beliefs of the individuals that make it up. No one wants to be that person who goes against the group and says that the criminal should be given another chance. Instead, people jump to time in prison, or even the death penalty. Now im not saying that all people who have committed a crime deserve a second chance, but Remember just made me think deeper about this. Thu, 10 Feb 2011 20:45:30 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/09/4092/#IDComment127186153 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/30/conformity-rules-the-day/#IDComment125754764 This video made me laugh. I’ve seen videos like this before and it always made me think about why people feel the need to conform to the group. Society teaches everyone that fitting in is very important. Drawing unnecessary attention to yourself is usually frowned upon. We are brought up with the uncanny need to be just like everyone around us. Even if you think that you are above the temptation of fitting in, chances are you aren’t. Let’s take fashion for example. We all fall victim to choosing clothing and accessories that are popular in society. I know if I see everyone with something, I feel very pressured to go buy it for myself. Why do I feel like that when no one is directly pressuring me to conform? Being that I grew up in this society, where conformity is everything, my subconscious feels the need to fit in with the group. If I don’t fit in, then I feel like an outcast, even though that is not true. These forces eventually lead me to surrender to my individuality and merge into the uniformity around me. The people in the video were no different. Even though they may have tried to resist the urge, in the end they all conformed to whatever the group was doing in the elevator. Society has trained us to act like this and it’s not just limited to mimicking group actions or fashion. Pretty much everything in our lives has been drilled into us by society. The way we talk, the way we walk, the way we eat, the activities we do, and the way we judge others can all be traced back to how society has conditioned us. For example, why do people play sports? Because society has conditioned us to think that sports are cool and that people who play sports have a positive view among others in society. Those who play sports are typically viewed as healthy individuals who understand the importance of teamwork and concepts similar to it. This may not always be true, however, these thoughts are among the first that people think of when they encounter or think about an athlete. It’s kind of sad to see how we all forfeit our individuality so quickly. The forces of society have conditioned us to all do as others do; being different is unacceptable. It’s all about image and society’s ideal image is one where all are the same, no exceptions. Thu, 3 Feb 2011 20:30:06 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/30/conformity-rules-the-day/#IDComment125754764 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/19/rise-in-national-guard-and-reserve-suicides-whats-it-all-about-soc-001-blog/#IDComment124219246 While its sad to hear about an increase in the rate of suicide in the military, it is not all that surprising. Soldiers are a part of a large group of people who are very likely to commit suicide. Soldiers deal with more stress than many of us can begin to imagine. They are constantly on guard from enemy attacks and never truly get a chance to relax. They have seen images and have had experiences that will remain in their minds for the rest of their lives. I felt bad when the soldier on the video said that he didn’t want to go to sleep because he is haunted by his experiences. There are many soldiers that share similar feelings (take Vietnam vets. for example). With 80 percent of suicides among soldiers occurring when they return home from battle, something needs to be done to make them feel like a part of society. Soldiers are highly likely to experience a feeling of anomie, or a state of normlessness. Being away from the battle field, the soldiers need not worry about all the things they once had to worry about. Trying to ease back into a “care free” life, where they don’t follow their normal schedules, increases a soldier’s risk for committing anomic suicide. Soldiers are also likely to commit egoistic suicide. Egoistic suicide deals with those who feel alone or lost in society. Being taken out of the stressful lifestyle of battle and suddenly being thrown back into “normal” life can cause any soldier to feel alone, even with the people they once believe themselves to be close with. Because they have been away from home and have experiences unique to being in the military, the soldiers feel that they cannot relate to other people, which increases their suicide risk. In the video, the women talked about working to provide soldiers with more groups in which they can share experiences and form bonds with the other soldiers in the group. By allowing soldiers to express their thoughts and emotions with people dealing with similar things, their suicide risk drops. Unfortunately, soldier suicides will still continue, however, if we try to integrate them with other soldiers as they return from battle, the numbers may begin to drop. Fri, 28 Jan 2011 00:40:50 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/19/rise-in-national-guard-and-reserve-suicides-whats-it-all-about-soc-001-blog/#IDComment124219246 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/15/blog-1-freedom-and-toddlers-in-tiaras/#IDComment122599142 Having grown up playing many different sports, I have seen how many parents feel the need to live their lives through their children. These beauty pageants are no different. I believe that these pageant mothers are “making” their daughters participate in order to feel better about their own personal insecurities. The mothers may not be forcing their children to participate, but little kids, especially girls, want to please their parents. If the mother suggests entering a pageant, the daughter will probably end up participating in hopes of pleasing her parents. The child doesn’t fully understand the meaning of a beauty pageant and will do whatever she is instructed to do by her mother (which leads to some of the sexual themes like the one seen in the video). The mother in the video was motioning for her daughter to do different things and even said that her daughter didn’t know that how she was acting was sexual. I think that it’s different whenever an older child is participating in these contests. Older children can think for themselves and make their own decisions about the pageants. They can better understand the meanings behind a beauty contest and are more aware of their actions while performing. The older girls who are participating in these events are (most likely) there because they want to be. Also, like some people have already posted, these beauty contests aren’t really a “fair” competition and also fail to teach important lessons to their participants. If beauty is in the eyes of the beholder, how can a group of judges sit there and tell you that you are or are not beautiful? Beauty does not have to be just in physical form. Inner beauty is never really judged in these competitions. What does this teach participants? That the only thing that matters it a pretty face? And what if they are told they are not beautiful enough? Will they waste time and money striving to achieve an award winning body? These messages are ridiculous, as there is much more to being a beautiful person than the physical part. Its also scary to think that young children are being exposed to these kinds of mentalities by their mothers. I believe that society could be negatively impacted if more and more girls grow up with a pageant mindset about life. Thu, 20 Jan 2011 22:04:35 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/15/blog-1-freedom-and-toddlers-in-tiaras/#IDComment122599142 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/10/last-name-%e2%80%9cs%e2%80%9d-%e2%80%93-intense-debate/#IDComment121710483 soc 001 Sun, 16 Jan 2011 18:21:46 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/10/last-name-%e2%80%9cs%e2%80%9d-%e2%80%93-intense-debate/#IDComment121710483