en-us https://www.intensedebate.com/users/764519 Comments by psunutcase https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/south-park-off-the-hook__trashed/#IDComment69999311 I honestly have yet to see the second part of the last two episodes, but I did hear about the controversy behind it. Thr creators of South Park have been turning heads of how they examines today's current issues with complete bluntness. I think that it is great that they proceed with what they do despite the many threats and lawsuits they have received in the past and currently. Bringing these issues to light in a humorous content is one of the perfect ways to express an opinion on a matter. While I'm sure many people disagree with what they do and think what they're doing is wrong, I think it is more wrong to just hide this issue. What they're doing is fine, and if people have a problem with it, they can ignore it like so many other people do. Fri, 23 Apr 2010 21:26:34 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/south-park-off-the-hook__trashed/#IDComment69999311 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/tent-cities-in-haiti__trashed/#IDComment69997465 Like everybody else is saying, it is amazing that the people of Haiti are able to stay in the spirits that they are in despite the disaster that occurred. It also amazing about how the economics have changed since then. There is much more competition among others because of the lack of other services people can provide now. Eventually all of this economic gain that many of these people currently have will run out when the country is able to rebuild. I never would have thought that there could be competition like that in such a devastated area, and it's great that the people are able to come through on their own. Fri, 23 Apr 2010 21:20:46 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/tent-cities-in-haiti__trashed/#IDComment69997465 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/letter-from-an-inmate__trashed/#IDComment69990607 It is interesting hearing stories that come from people inside of prison. While I agree that some of the inmates can find remorse and that many do regret what they do, the fact is that they are in there because they have committed some sort of crime. The man who wrote the letter says that he wished he could be out of prison so that he could try to help our trouble world. Honestly in my opinion, it is because of people like him that the world is in the poor condition that it is in. While the letter does not state the story behind the murder, it is probably likely that there was no good reason for committing the crime that he did, thus he belongs where he does. I'm sure if I was to say what I just did to his face though considering the logic that he seems to have, he would agree with me. Regardless, I do believe that prisoners can feel remorse for what they do and I believe that this man probably has realized what he's done. But the act of compassion seen there is no uncommon occurrence. No matter what people do, there is a certain feeling of compassion inside of everyone, even if they decide to never show it. If I was a prisoner, I would feel sorry if the child of an inmate I dislike died. What I would want to know is how can a prisoner who is convicted of first degree murder, a person who destroyed the life of another human being, feel compassion for that man who lost his child. It sounds illogical, but there must be some reason that he was able to kill somebody but then feel sorry for someone else's loss. When I see something like this, it reminds me of the movie The Shawshank Redemption. Andy is an innocent person convicted of murder and is thrown into the slammer with a bunch of other lifers. The movie goes on to show the bonds that the other prisoners share with each other and the friendships that they create, even though it also shows the corrupt side of prison. This movie is what I think about most when it come to prison life, so in a sense, this letter is not too surprising to me because it shows similarities to some of the things that happened in the movie. While I can't feel sorry for what the man has done considering the nature of his crime, it is great to see that his experiences in prison has taught him a greater lesson than the ones that he had on the outside. I'm sure that if he was to ever be freed, the general public wouldn't have to worry about a relapse in bad habits, but he committed a crime and is now paying the consequence, and that's the way life goes. Fri, 23 Apr 2010 20:59:23 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/letter-from-an-inmate__trashed/#IDComment69990607 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/in-her-own-words__trashed/#IDComment64285710 I honestly don't see why the topic of a girls period was so disturbing to so many people. Sure it may have been sort of a random shock for so many people and it was quite a bit off topic. There is really nothing wrong with discussing it. Many of my female friends openly tell me that they're on their periods. While it is really something that i didn't need to know, it also is useful because I know that they're not feeling particularly well at the moment and pissing them off would more than likely lead to bad things. While I don't share the same enthusiasm about it as Sam, I don't see why people freaked out so badly about it. Sat, 27 Mar 2010 02:33:38 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/in-her-own-words__trashed/#IDComment64285710 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/what-to-do-about-white-guilt__trashed/#IDComment64285190 Personally, I feel bad about what happened to others in the past, and I would agree that there are still repercussions to what happened back then today, especially when it comes to Native Americans, but there is no reason for me to feel guilty for what happened. Those things happened way before my time, and I have nothing to do with what happened back then, so why should I feel guilty for it. We have come a long way since then, especially within the past few years. At some point, whites will be a minority group in the United States. When this happens, what will the odds be that the group or groups in the majority will feel guilty to what may happen to us? Sat, 27 Mar 2010 02:27:58 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/what-to-do-about-white-guilt__trashed/#IDComment64285190 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/flip-the-script-for-a-moment__trashed/#IDComment64284153 I agree with Sam when it comes to answering the questions brought about in class. Everything that is said is a factor in life, whether it be a natural occurrence such as a girls period, or an issue such as race. Honestly, the thought of a girls period doesn't bother me at all, and I'm a twenty year old male. It may be because that so many of my female friends have no problem telling me when they are on their period, so I'm just so used to it, but that brings up the point that maybe if we talked about things such as this a little bit more often, such problems wouldn't be nearly as bad because they are commonplace and easy to talk about. And while Sam's definition of ethnocentrism is wrong...sorry but it really is the idea that one's culture is the most important and that a person of another culture will be judged based on the first one's culture....he is right when saying that things are the way they are, everything has a place somewhere whether we like it or not, it is just our ability to suck it up and take it like it is. Sat, 27 Mar 2010 02:15:50 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/flip-the-script-for-a-moment__trashed/#IDComment64284153 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/those-damn-dolls__trashed/#IDComment64282897 When we saw this video in class, I was surprised by the answers that the black children gave for the study. While I don't think it would be surprising if many white children had answers like that, I found it really surprising that a few of the black children actually called the black doll "the bad doll." While all of us hopefully know at this point in time that there you can't judge between good or bad when it comes to color, it goes to show that some of the things our youth are learning at an early age are just down right wrong and are also alarming. As a white child, i had no notion of the difference between black or white when it came to social aspects and i played with action figures of all colors, not noticing the difference between the colors. It may be because I grew up in Harrisburg, where I lived in a dominant white development surrounded by dominant black developments, and where over half of the population of the city is black, but I really never noticed a difference in skin color. In a sense, I ended up being one of the lucky ones because skin color and race never ended up influencing any of the decisions I have had to make. Sadly for these children, the same cannot be said. At that early of an age, they should not be able to distinguish a difference between good and bad based solely on the color of the skin of a doll. The fact of the matter is that they shouldn't have been able to make that choice in the first place, a better answer to the question "which doll is the bad doll?" would have been "what is the difference?" Hopefully this is the answer all of us would give right now, and will probably be the answer for those kids in the future, but the fact of the matter is what ended up influencing those kid's decisions and why. Whatever or whoever it may be, what thing or person needs a major readjustment. There's a good chance the cause of that answer has to do with the influence of the media, which while hard to change, has become one of the major sources of education for young children, possibly surpassing that of the parents, who often let them sit in front of the television or computer and rot instead of letting the be involved in real social interaction, such as the summer programs my parents made be be in or the sports that I played throughout my childhood. This kind of interaction is the kind of thing which lead to answers which would be more appropriate for a child to answer. This is because they get to make their own decisions on how they feel instead of relying on the media to give them an answer. Sat, 27 Mar 2010 02:01:32 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/those-damn-dolls__trashed/#IDComment64282897 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/why-is-this-racist-really__trashed/#IDComment59816773 It is very easy to get mixed feelings form an event such as this. On the one hand, the way the idea was out forth, it does sound sort of racist, the idea of a whites only basketball league definitely carries the notion of racism, and some of the reasons for it were a little out of line too, such as that "other" players carry guns around or attack the fans. But the likelihood of that happening is just as likely with white players as black, it's just thta the majority of people in the NBA are black so more incidences off the court involve black people. On the other hand, a good majority of white basketball players are not up to par with black basketball players due to height and the perceived notion that black players are generally better than whites at basketball. However I can understand if some white players do not want to be constantly outplayed and put aside by black players. My personal opinion is that this white only league should be allowed because the NBA has pretty much become a mockery of traditional basketball in the sense that there is no real defense in the game anymore and that the majority of the game is just a offensive showboating spectacle. But there is a solution to this issue, and that is the idea of a black only basketball league. It would be built along the same lines as the white basketball league. No one would be able to complain about it and odds are the blacks only league would be a lot more popular anyways because in general black players are more exciting to watch than white players and more people would want to see a more exciting game anyways. I'm sure either way people are going to consider this to be an attempt to discriminate against black people, but I disagree. Basketball has become a predominantly black sport and this league would give white people a chance to play on a level that is more their own. If there is anything remotely discriminatory about this whole idea, it is the thought that this white only league would only accept white people from the United States. So in this case, black people are not the only ones who are being singled out for something that they can't control. The odds are that this league will not actually become existent considering the circumstances under which it wants to be created. Another thing that will keep this league form being any bit successful is the money involved in creating and maintaining a sports league. Since not too many people in my opinion are going to spend their time watching a bunch of white guys play basketball I'm guessing that the league won't even last that long anyways. Fri, 5 Mar 2010 01:08:45 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/why-is-this-racist-really__trashed/#IDComment59816773 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/when-do-we-do-or-say-something__trashed/#IDComment58867715 I thought that the experiment from class was very interesting. Personally if it was me inside that store I probably wouldn't have said anything and just paid attention to my own business, unless it was a matter of some person's safety. It also makes me wonder what would have happened if the same thing would have happened to an American or someone who acted American in another country. Would the members of that country who were inside that store come to my rescue or would I have to fend for myself? In the end, it really all depends on the ethical beliefs of the people who are around you. Fri, 26 Feb 2010 20:32:44 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/when-do-we-do-or-say-something__trashed/#IDComment58867715 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/who-could-compete-with-this-woman-on-a-level-playing-field__trashed/#IDComment58867135 This story about Yvrose is about as inspiring as you can get. Getting the kind of job that she has and only based off of a fifth grade education level is pretty much unheard of in the United States. I'm sure she is very proud to be able to stand above many of her own countrymen. It would be really interesting to see what would have happened had she gotten her education in America and competed on the American circuit for a job, but by the looks of it, she would have done a fine job and gotten many of the bonuses that today's corporate CEO's and other important businessmen and women get. Fri, 26 Feb 2010 20:27:21 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/who-could-compete-with-this-woman-on-a-level-playing-field__trashed/#IDComment58867135 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/1880__trashed/#IDComment58760138 I think that it is a good thing that this large amount of oil was found on the land of a group of people who needed the money as compared to say a wealthier establishment. While the second part of the post does mention a couple true facts about how drilling for this oil will bring more pollution and how it will negatively affect the environment as well as the people living there. But for these people, the repercussions of the drilling probably does not mean as much to them now that their livelihood are changing for the better. Sure when we think of Native Americans, we think of a group of people who are in touch with mother earth and care about the environment around them. But it looks to me like they may have found the value of the almighty dollar, and that the environment has taken a backseat. But then again, we may not have gotten the whole side of the story. There could be a large group of people on that reservation who wish that these oil barons would just get off the land. But in a sense of how they have normally lived compared to this oil boom, I really cannot blame them. How many of us would really take the environment in lieu of big money settlements for drilling oil. If a group of 12,000 people is receiving nearly 250 million dollars from the government and oil companies plus royalties in the span of a year, that equals out to over twenty thousand dollars a year per person. I'm not going to lie when I say that I would probably take that money over the welfare of the environment. An issue would be if the government would decide that the Natives are making too much money, and decided to kick them off the reservation, seeing as it is federal land. But I feel that considering the ethical values of people nowadays, they wouldn't get away with it. Another issue is the health repercussions of the drilling. With all of the pollution occurring because of the drilling, odds are that many people might get sick due to it. I'm not sure if the Natives have stronger or weaker immune systems due to the presence of other people. but the bottom line is that any health issues are going to cost major money for those Natives, because I'm sure they do not have much in the way of health insurance. So with the cost of medical help, chances are that some of the natives will probably end back where they began, in poverty. In the end, this is a good thing for the Natives, it's just whether or not this is too much of a good thing. Fri, 26 Feb 2010 05:57:09 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/1880__trashed/#IDComment58760138 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/lgbt-class-question-six__trashed/#IDComment57575370 I think that lesbians are definitely more accepted by society than gay men are. When you think about it, how many times have you seen two girls walking down the street hand-in-hand and though that they were gay. Odds are not too many because it is such a common occurrence that it mostly goes unnoticed. However if a person was to see two men walking down the street like that, the general assumption would be made that they are gay. I think it's also considered relative fact that man men are turned on by lesbians, and men are usually more open about sex and the things that they like pertaining to sex, which really makes a big difference in acceptance of it. Fri, 19 Feb 2010 04:18:48 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/lgbt-class-question-six__trashed/#IDComment57575370 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/lgbt-class-question-one__trashed/#IDComment57461833 There really is no difference between two men adopting a child and two women. While they may be raised differently depending on how the men or women act, the fact of the matter is that either way, the child is going to receive the best possible love and care. If the men are more masculine they may end up the same way as if a straight couple had adopted them or raised them, and same with a female couple. In the end it really makes no difference. While they may not be accepted the same way in society, they know they will be accepted at home. Thu, 18 Feb 2010 15:44:40 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/lgbt-class-question-one__trashed/#IDComment57461833 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/men-and-women-were-really-this-different__trashed/#IDComment57163124 It is really sad to see how the new developments being made in technology are being out to use. I won't discredit the inventor of the robot, hell I'll even give him credit for it, it's a very inventive piece of technology, but I feel that that technology could have been put to better use. The intimacy needs of men are by far much stronger than most women, but $7000 for a sex doll is just ridiculous. I could find a much better use for that much money, such as a new car, or paying off loans. If a person wants sexual satisfaction, all they have to do is go on the internet. It is really degrading to men to bee so socially inept that they can't even go out and meet people on their own, and have to resort to buying artificial love. Although sickening, it is really easy to believe that over 4000 people have already put in an order to buy one of these. I know plenty of socially awkward people, even a couple who I could actually see buying this hunk of metal, but the necessity of it is just baffling. The male version of the doll disturbs me too. I find far less likely that women will but a lot of these, as they usually have more self-respect for themselves. In general, I think that this doll gives people a false sense of satisfaction, not just sexually, but also socially. What they don't realize is that this doll is not really a real world type of object, so when they actually meet someone who they are interested in, they'll probably do the wrong thing, just making their whole situation worse. While this inventor is making millions off selling this toy, he is jeopardizing the social lives of thousands of people. I honestly hope that on the packaging of the doll, there is a waiver saying something along the lines of that this doll is not intended as a way to make your life feel better, because it may help the people buying it to realize that in the end, the only way to find true love is to get out of your house and find it. It has become a sad ordeal seeing all of these innovations compounded with the internet to make socializing out in public a much less common occurrence than it used to be. With more innovations in technology such as these, the future of person to person socialization is in a lot of jeopardy. While these inventions are in a sense brilliant considering the technology behind it, they would be much more beneficial in a field such as medicine, where these interactions could help people recovering from health related issues. Just a thought, but it's worth looking into. Wed, 17 Feb 2010 02:28:00 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/men-and-women-were-really-this-different__trashed/#IDComment57163124 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/why-is-the-conversation-always-about-black-and-white-people__trashed/#IDComment56520494 The argument between blacks and whites is the most noticeable because it has been the biggest racial discrepancy in our country in modern times. I'm sure back when we were mass killing and moving Native Americans, the same issues involving race came up, and when we were fighting the Mexicans before the Civil War the issue of race came up. It is just the same now, except that we have had a longer, more intense relationship with black people. It's no lie that whites have treated black unfairly in the past and still do today, but it's not like they haven't been the same about us. Fri, 12 Feb 2010 17:40:51 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/why-is-the-conversation-always-about-black-and-white-people__trashed/#IDComment56520494 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/all-that-is-solid-melts-into-air-including-our-words__trashed/#IDComment56519814 I agree that losing a language and culture as old as this one is a loss to mankind, but in this day and age of globalization, it may not necessarily be a bad thing. The leaders of the world have been striving for some sort of unification for decades, and the phasing out of dead languages is a good way to start. Am I saying that losing a culture is good? Absolutely not, all I'm saying is that cutting down on things such as the number of languages being spoken is a good way of starting to unify the world Fri, 12 Feb 2010 17:35:33 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/all-that-is-solid-melts-into-air-including-our-words__trashed/#IDComment56519814 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/animals-vs-humans-vs-welfare-cheats__trashed/#IDComment56519331 I honestly disagree with what this politician said. Working at a grocery for the better part of three years, I have seen the effects of our welfare system on the general public. There are those who abuse what they receive from the government, by buying things that people who receive government assistance shouldn't be buying, i.e. very expensive brand name food products and on the cash side of the ACCESS things such as tobacco products. But I have also seen the better side of the welfare system, people who are genuinely humble, and would put the middle and upper class to shame. One example would be my cousin. She receives government assistance. But she also is raising two teenage children while trying to get a degree in education and working a full time job. If anybody deserved to be helped, it would be her. I never did think about the subsidy side of the government as a form of welfare, but I guess that it really is. If anything, these people are the animals. They are the ones who go around complaining about the way things are and not having enough while the poor populations of the country sit around hoping to receive something that they probably will not. It is not a fair system, but odds are it will not be stopped or changed anytime soon. I do agree that some recipients of welfare act like animals, just because I have seen it with my own two eyes, but honestly, they are some of the hardest working people out there. Those are the people who are willing to take those minimum wage jobs that high level corporate bosses would never dream of taking, like the people who make their mocha lates at Starbucks every morning. I'm really glad that this government official apologized for what he said, because considering the lower economic state of the south, I'm guessing that a sizable chunk of the people in his district are government assistance recipients. I personally disagree with how our current welfare system is run, and think that it is in major need of an overhaul. There are many people who abuse the system and those people need to be punished for it in some way. This small percentage is the reason why so many people dislike the welfare system and it would be incredibly easy to correct it. There are also people who refuse to get jobs. I do believe that one of the stipulations for government assistance is that you have to at least apply for jobs, but that doesn't mean that they actually have to work, which is something I totally disagree with. A person should at least have some means other than the government to support themselves. Fri, 12 Feb 2010 17:31:11 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/animals-vs-humans-vs-welfare-cheats__trashed/#IDComment56519331 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/01/voters-and-their-senseless-stories__trashed/#IDComment55569065 I agree wit most of the things being said right here. The media does have their own agenda, and they don't care what they may say or do in order to get the ratings they desire. As for the bad economy, it is not the fault of Bush and Obama alone. They had Congress backing up what they believed, and even though they sign everything into law, it all has to go through Congress first. The general population isn't well informed at all. I still have no clue what the hell all of this healthcare stuff is. All I know is that I owuld have to purchase healthcare once I get off my parents plan and that it has angered and delighted a lot of people. Politicians cannot be trusted nowadays, because all they care about is the money. Why else would they continually pass laws raising their own income when that money is needed else where. Politician greed is sinking this country so fast it's not even funny, and we are the victims of it all Sat, 6 Feb 2010 04:05:43 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/01/voters-and-their-senseless-stories__trashed/#IDComment55569065 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/avatar-and-the-white-mans-burden__trashed/#IDComment55568035 I completely agree with this. Personally I never look into interior meanings behind things such as movies, books, etc... When I first saw the movie Avatar, I was a little turned off by it. After the first week it came out and everybody loved so despite the supposed motives behind it I gave it a shot, and I loved it. When I watched the movie I did notice that those motives were there but then again, I really didn't care. I go to movies to be entertained, and I was. So the movie served it's general purpose in my opinion. Sat, 6 Feb 2010 03:51:13 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/avatar-and-the-white-mans-burden__trashed/#IDComment55568035 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/negros-of-the-world-unite__trashed/#IDComment55567130 Being that I am only twenty years old, I'm not very educated when it comes to the demographics of the census, since I was less than a year old for the first one and only ten for the second one. Even now that I'm twenty, because I'm still considered a dependent because of the financial situation regarding college. However, the significance of race does always seem to be an issue. Personally I don't understand why so many people make a big deal about it. Sure I could understand the use of offensive words to describe people like back in olden days could be a problem but I really think that we have moved on from that kind of pointless banter, and if we haven't, we need to take a good long look at ourselves as a people of this country. I can also understand why ethnicity would be important when it comes to things such as the census. It is very important to have an idea of the demographics of a country or region, because it affects the resources that go into that particular area. Although the question comes into mind why would that matter? The answer is because some regions of the country need resources more than others, even though it usually works out that a general white population will still get more resources than that of a minority region nearby in clearer need of necessities. But honestly, because I really have no idea, what is the point of having different label associated with generally the same group of people i.e. Black, African American, Negro etc. All it leads to is senseless quarreling. If anything, the census should have all of the countries of the world on it and then families could go down through it and pick the different countries of origin that they're from. So they may be able to lie and put a different origin down, but honestly they could do that right now anyways, and what kind of person doesn't have pride in where they came from. I have no problem telling people that I'm part Lebanese despite looking (and mainly being) either eastern or western European. I would gladly put down Lebanese on a census form, because honestly, that is the country I most recognize when it comes to my culture, despite looking as white as flour. I still don't know how some people want to be classified. It all really comes down to how a person is born and raised. I normally call people of color black, and I have yet to be chastised for it. I feel that negro sounds slightly more offensive, but if so many of them put it down in their own words on the census, then I guess that it is not as bad as I thought it was Sat, 6 Feb 2010 03:38:28 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/negros-of-the-world-unite__trashed/#IDComment55567130