en-us https://www.intensedebate.com/users/3560898 Comments by rose5792 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/11/29/voices-from-the-classroom-80/#IDComment230543421 This is a hard question to answer because watching those videos caused me to experience a vast variety of emotions. The videos were disturbing and really opened my eyes. They opened my eyes to the fact that this was is much more complicated then I could ever wrap my head around. I left that class feeling more confused than ever and could not really stop thinking about it all afternoon and evening. First was sadness. Sadness that those Iraqi men had to endure that torture. People in the U.S who stole firewood would receive little, if any, punishment. What those soldiers did was not justice. Then came anger. Anger that those few men are the kind who taint the name of the American Armed Forces. Although I still have many mixed emotions, I have come to a conclusion. And it is a conclusion for a lot of things these days: over-generalization. Which seems to be a theme in this class, and this society. It would be a crime to look at those few soldies that committed those unnecessary heinous acts and generalize it to the whole entire army. That’s just wrong. I think that those soldiers that did that to those men who stole the wood are the minority. And, I think it is disgusting that those few men ruin it for all the good ones. The good ones being the brave men and women who put their lives on the line by joining the army to serve and protect the American people and our country. Yes, they may not all agree with every mission they go on. But they do it because they made a promise to this country. A promise to do everything in their power to protect and make it possible for American citizens to go about our daily lives. You can’t call all the men and women that risk their lives for you bad and we can not denounce all that they have done. I am not ignorant. I know that there are some individuals in the armed forces who do not use their power for good. BUT it is not all of them. There are a select few who may not have the right intentions, but I firmly believe the majority do. I have family members who have served, friends, close family friends, and my brother is going to med school to become a doctor in the army. We need to stand behind the men and women who fight everyday for this country. But, we also need to make a stand against the actions of the few who could disgrace the name of the U.S Armed Forces, like those few men in those videos did. Wed, 30 Nov 2011 22:23:07 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/11/29/voices-from-the-classroom-80/#IDComment230543421 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/11/15/voices-from-the-classroom-76/#IDComment222555962 If I was a victim and was trapped in silence, what would it take me to speak out? That is a very tough question for me because fortunately I have not personally had to deal with this. But I have had friends and cousins who have struggled with the matter of sexual abuse and have witnessed how difficult speaking out can be. I think the main thing I would need if I were to break my silence would be to know I had support. When asked in class about what does it mean to support victims my group came up with numerous answers. But most of my answers revolved around the idea of just knowing people were there for you, backing you, helping you get through it. I think it is of vital importance to know that people care and are invested in helping to get you through the incredibly trying time. I think the fact that Sam mentioned about seeing that people are not exhausted on the subject and are willing to talk about it would help me break my silence. If I saw that people were over it and exhausted by the subject, I would be afraid to speak out. I would fear that through that exhaustion they would not want to talk about it or try to help me. I would need my family there as well. 100%, because my family is everything to me. And if I knew that they would not be there to support me, I may never break my silence. I think this is one of the biggest factors that keeps victims in silence. They do not want to bring shame to their family, they don’t want their family to change, and they don’t want the bonds of their union to break. I think the main issue today is how it is not openly discussed in society more often. I would need to know that I was not alone and that there are others out there in the same situation. We can not be afraid about talking about this issue anymore, and Sam made me open my eyes to this in class today. We need to talk openly about sexual abuse and abuse in general just as we do race relations, sexism, LGBT rights, and every other social factors we regularly discuss throughout our day to day lives. Sam and his wife emphasized that in order for there to be justice in the world, victims need to be willing to tell their story. WE are the ones who can make it possible for them to break their silence and share their stories. They just need to know that we are here for them, we will listen, we care, and we will not desert them. We will not give up on them until justice is served and their wounds are healed. Tue, 15 Nov 2011 22:53:24 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/11/15/voices-from-the-classroom-76/#IDComment222555962 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/11/09/voices-from-the-classroom-32/#IDComment219513397 Do money and happiness really not correlate with one another? I think for the majority of people, it would be foolish to say yes. Because contrary to what some may say, I think for most people, if answering with total honesty, would have to say somewhat no. Before I even started writing this blog, I asked my roommate and other friends what they thought. And through all their answers I heard the same phrases keep popping up. It “depends on the person.” Which is the truth. Because we are all different and we all value different things in life. I think there are many different kinds of happiness for different people. And for some, money can create happiness. I guess it just depends on the individual, what they value, and their outlook on life. For materialistic people, the answer to this question would be 100% no. Because they discover their happiness in the cars the drive, the houses they live in, the clothes they wear, etc. But is this really true happiness? Because imagine if that was all ripped away from them. Then what? Personally, I think if I was surrounded with the right people and had other things in life to set goals towards, I could be happy without money. But it would be foolish to say that I wouldn’t be happier without money. Growing up in a big connected family, I witnessed how when money is tight at times it can cause great stress. If you have more money, then you do not have to worry about getting the bills paid, or paying for your sick child’s medical bills. If it is a daily struggle to make ends meat, put food on the table, pay the bills, etc., then these burdens could, and for most will add excessive tension and and discontentment. However, on the other end of the spectrum too much money is a bad thing. In 8th grade, my father was offered a GM job of a CBS company in Michigan. We bought a huge house, brand new cars, and so on. But my parents HATED it. Hated the town, hated the superficialness. So senior year, we moved back to Pittsburgh and have not looked back since. Money-hungry often lose site of what’s important to them, like family and TRUE friends. Luckily my parents realized this before it was too late. Also, money can also open doors and can lead to opportunity. Studying at a University such as this, we are encouraged to seek internships. Many of my friends that have received internships have not received them from attending the job fair. Instead, they have gotten them through family connections, money, and power. But I think if anyone has enough tenacity and perseverance, even without money they could reach these opportunities as well, although the road will be a bit more challenging. Wed, 9 Nov 2011 21:40:55 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/11/09/voices-from-the-classroom-32/#IDComment219513397 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/11/01/voices-from-the-classroom-20/#IDComment216455910 Although it doesn’t really seem to be on the surface level, this is an extremely complicated question. It is a question that I have wrestled with for a very long time. My family is from Connecticut so I am there VERY often. Specifically, my grandparents and a few of my Aunts and Uncles live in Greenwich, and particularly wealthy community. Therefore, they can not even get teenagers to perform minimum wage paying jobs, such as Mcdonalds, Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts, Grocery Stores, Drug Stores, restaurants, and the list goes on and on. So they have immigrants working nearly ALL of these positions. I remember one specific occasion in a Dunkin Donuts where a very nice Latino worker couldn’t understand what I was trying to order. Others in line had the same problem and one man even flipped out on her in front of all the other customers, which was totally the wrong way to handle the delicate situation. I guess my answer to this question is that I think they need to know how to speak English. American does not have just one language. But English is the language we have been speaking since the early settlers and it is the language the majority of people speak. They do not need to know how to perfectly speak it with flawless grammar, but I feel that they need to be able to talk, communicate, and articulate in English. When we move to other nations, we are expected to learn their languages. I had a friend study abroad in Italy and she was kicked out of a store because she couldn’t speak the language. I went to high school in a town where the Dow Chemical Company (largest chemical company in the world) is headquartered. They have locations all over the world and many of my friends‘ parents got re-located to these international locations. The majority of them had to learn the language in order to prosper in the schools and communities. As humans, we are dependent upon communication. It is nearly impossible to get anywhere in life if you can’t communicate. Therefore, I think learning the language would help immigrants in getting ahead and making a better life for themselves and their families. But if they are surrounded by hostility like the man in Dunkin Donuts, that will get us no where. We need to be supportive and all help. It is not easy for immigrants. They pick up their whole entire lives and move to a foreign land in hopes of a better life. We need to create a supportive and friendly environment and help make their transition a little easier. One thing I feel extremely strong about is language in teaching positions. I feel that if you are a teacher at an english-speaking university, you need to learn how to speak English. Last year, my math teacher could barely speak English and had an extremely difficult time answering questions and articulating the lessons. It makes it harder on both the students and the teacher, who seemed utterly overwhelmed. Thu, 3 Nov 2011 21:01:44 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/11/01/voices-from-the-classroom-20/#IDComment216455910 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/10/27/voices-from-the-classroom-58/#IDComment213517124 I knew this question was coming and I thought I was fully prepared to answer it. But, I sitll find myself wavering from side-to-side as I try to come up with a sufficient answer. When the one guy raised his hand and answered that he really didn’t think white becoming the minority in a couple of decades was that big of a deal, I agreed with him. And in a way, I still do. However, part of me (I guess somewhere deep inside) is a little hesitant to be fully comfortable with it. Part of me doesn’t care; In the words of the Black Eyed Peas, “we are all one people.” But there is a small part of me that is a little scared. I mean, it is a little monumental. Whites have been the majority in this country since the beginning of its time of the original colonies. So this is a HUGE change. And naturally, I am an individual who is not particularly fond of change, however small or big that alteration may be. So, I think this is where the origin of my hesitance comes from. Just the plain and simple fact of change. I was born white, therefore I was born into the majority. And to think that this will suddenly be no more at the midway point in my life is a little unsettling. Therefore, I think it is natural to be a little afraid. Although, I think many are ashamed to admit this fear. Another thing that scares me is the history of our country, and our world as whole. We have all read the books and all have been taught since the early days of elementary school, the hardships and brutality that minorities have had to go through. And we are all aware of the struggles that many minorities still go through today. So this is what scares me the most. I do not want to revert back to the old ways of extreme discrimination just because a new minority emerges. I am not just saying this because I am white. Historically, majorities have banded together to discriminate against minorities, which is totally and utterly wrong. The world is not perfect now. I.e, discrimination still exists and racists still roam the streets. But we can’t look past how far we have come. Looking back to the days of slavery, The Holocaust, and the Civil Rights Movement we have made tremendous strides, leaps even. I just do not want the emergence of a new minority to change this and reverse all of progress that we have made. It would be wrong to take away everything that so many endlessly fought for, and still fight for today. Fri, 28 Oct 2011 18:06:53 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/10/27/voices-from-the-classroom-58/#IDComment213517124 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/10/20/voices-from-the-classroom-51/#IDComment210615302 If you hang out with a mixed-racial group, does that make you a poser? This is a really tough question. But, after thoroughly thinking about it for a few minutes, I think that it DOES NOT make you a poser. If anything, I think it makes you an extremely outgoing individual who is very comfortable in their own skin. At Penn State, I think a lot of people hang out in groups of individuals just like them, i.e, their own race. I will be the first to admit I am white and most of my friends in my close group are white. I would love to be in other racial groups as well but I think I would feel a little out of place. Not because I am white. Just because I am a person who cares about what other people think about me (wish it wasn’t the case) and am afraid of being judged. Walking around PSU, for the most part you see whites with whites, blacks with blacks, and asians with asians, etc. So I think people who step away from their own race and step into groups of other races are extremely courageous. Because in a way you are going against the instilled social norm of Happy Valley, which I think is utterly ridiculous. You come to college to experience different races and cultures but instead the majority of us stick with what we know, what we are comfortable with. And unfortunately, in most cases, this means the color of your skin or where you are from. So I do not think people who hang out with other races are posers. I think they are brave and very comfortable with themselves. Granted, there are some exceptions to this. If you hang out with a different racial group, and change the person you are in order to fit in with them, then yes, that can qualify you as a poser. For example, what white people like to call other white people who pretend to be black just to fit in. (I guess for non-offensive terms, I will call it “the n word” with a w instead of the n). But you do not have to do this to fit in with individuals around you. If your friends make you change the person you are just so you look and act like them, then are they really worth your time? Is it worth all those troubles just to call these shallow individuals your friends. I say no. My close group of friends is mostly white. However, my roommate is Puerto Rican, one of my best friends in Colombian, we have friends who are black and brown, friends from Mexico. I would be willing to welcome anyone into this group as long as they are nice and mesh well/ get along with everyone. But the color on your skin or how you dress should not change the person you are. Fri, 21 Oct 2011 18:42:43 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/10/20/voices-from-the-classroom-51/#IDComment210615302 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/10/13/voices-from-the-classroom-46/#IDComment207196183 This is a really tough question because I feel like personally I don't think I can fit myself into one stage specifically. As humans, we are always changing. On a day to day basis. And I am not exception to these daily alterations. Because of this constant change, I think I can see myself in stages 1, 2, 3, and 4. For me, it depends on what situation I am in and who I am with. I am the kind of person who gets my energy from those around me and I also allow those individuals to greatly affect me, in both negative and positive manners. As for stage one, sometimes I do not even think of race unless it is drawn to my attention. I barely ever think about it if not in certain situations. For example, if I am walking down the street and I pass a black female I don’t think to myself “Oh I am white, she is black.” But, on the contrary, in my discussion class when race is focused on, I see and think of the physical differences. So I guess in situations such as these, where racial differences are brought to my attention, I am in stage two. When prompted, I begin to see myself as white and others as black, Asian, Hispanic, etc. I think about my life and how it may differ from theirs just because of physical features and something we like to call skin color. I don’t normally think in negative ways, but I do realize the differences that I guess are created by society. Sometimes, I can see myself in stage three. If I see someone getting discriminated against or hear a negative thought spoken about someone just because of race I tend to get defensive. For example, sometimes my Grandma will make negative comments about the Hispanics in her small Connecticut town. I often find myself correcting her. I have a grasp on white privilege, racism, and racial inequality although at times I do not completely understand. Although, I can also see myself in stage four at times. I believe that I am not racist. And it makes me angry when the heinous actions of SOME whites are generalized to the whole white population. So if one white racially discriminates against someone, then in means all white people are racist, right? WRONG. I think this pinpoints the biggest problem in our society today: over-generalization. Over-generalization of the actions of few members of minorities and majorities that taint their entire race. I think I will always be like this. I do not want to limit myself to one stage because I honestly believe I am always changing due to what situation I am in and the people that surround me. Fri, 14 Oct 2011 00:45:39 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/10/13/voices-from-the-classroom-46/#IDComment207196183 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/10/06/voices-from-the-classroom-40/#IDComment204062854 I kind of disagree with this question. There is a difference between having to and wanting to. I am a girl, and yes sometimes to go out at night I sacrifice my comfort in what I wear. But I do not HAVE to dress this way. At times, I want to though. Maybe it is to fit in with my surroundings. Maybe it is to be confident in the way I look around other girls dressed the same way. I don’t know why I do this. I think for me it all boils down to fitting in. Although, I normally don’t go as far as most females as Penn State. Or at least, those visible to us at PSU’s night life. Walking down Beaver, College, and “frat row” on a Thursday, Friday, or Saturday night, all you see is short skirts, short dresses, see-through tops, revealing tops, and high heels. Even in the dead of winter, this is still pretty much all you see. Sam talked about how girls convince themselves that they are warm. But I think instead, they convince themselves they look hot and that makes all the suffering worth it. Beauty is pain, right? But why do we do this to ourselves? So many girls think they have to look a certain way to get guys. But are those guys really worth getting-if they only want you if you look that particular way? I think many girls WANT to dress this way. They want to get that attention from many guys that they think will get if they dress sleazily. Also, I think everything goes back to how Sam said everyone sees the world through the male lens. So basically, we dress like that for the men. In turn, they feel like they do not have to suffer in their appearances because it is all for them. I am not saying this is every guy. But I believe this is just a social norm that the majority have come to accept, whether consciously or subconsciously. To add to this, there is nothing really “uncomfortable” that a guy could wear. Many wear jeans and a nice shirt as party attire. Girls are free to do the same. But they choose to go above and beyond this because maybe something in their head tells them they have to. Times have changed and we have come a long way. It used to be women HAD to dress in ways that sacrificed their comfort. What comes to my mind is movies where girls must put corsets on to the point where they can’t breathe normally. Or multiple layer dresses that the majority used to wear. Women in some Asian cultures used to wear painful shoes that would stop the growth of their feet because “petite” feet were the only kind considered feminine and attractive. But we do not live in a world like this anyway. We have the freedom to choose what we want to wear. So the choice is ours. Thu, 6 Oct 2011 20:57:43 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/10/06/voices-from-the-classroom-40/#IDComment204062854 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/09/27/voices-from-the-classroom-22/#IDComment201025519 Unfortunately in today’s society, I would have to answer yes to this question, even if I do not totally agree with it. It may not affect EVERYONE but I believe it minimally affects the majority in one way or another on how we view criminals. This minimal effect, however, is over-generalized to the whole public. This is a tragedy because not everyone feels this way. The majority of the time I do not let race effect my judgements/ opinions on criminals. But, as much as I hate to admit this, I have found myself allowing by opinions to be distorted by others around me. But I in no way consider myself a racist. I went to a high school in a town with mostly white people and Asians. And that’s about all there was. Maybe one or two black families. And unfortunately, I am not exaggerating. However, the town of Saginaw was right next to us and the news made it seem like one of the most dangerous places out there. Granted, it had been on list for the most dangerous cities which was true but most blamed this on the fact that it was nearly an all-Black community. But it being a mostly Black community did not make it that dangerous city. The media just made us perceive it as this. I may have believed it when I was younger but now that I have gained perspective I think it’s ridiculous. I believe this all can be blamed on the media (well, most of it anyway). I strongly believe they have the power to distort our views and perceptions in anyway they please. I mean, look at the impact of media on our daily lives. It is ALL around us, ALL Day. We go on our computers to do homework, watch T.V., listen to radio, surf the web. The media can reach us through all of these ways! With such a strong grasp on our lives, it is no wonder they can distort mass groups of people. Most outlets of media instill in our citizens that a correlation exists between race and criminals. They do this through fear, which can be the most powerful tool one can utilize to gain power or control. We are taught to fear suspicious African Americans over suspicious white people. It’s like that bike example on “What Would You Do?” Individuals called the police more for the black man than they did the white man. I blame most of this on the way media brainwashes us into thinking blacks are to be feared and commit more crimes than whites. We are taught to fear individuals around (especially airports) that if you wear a turban (or a similar garment), you must be a terrorist of related to Al Queda. It upsets me that we have to live in a society controlled by these false senses of fear. I hope one day we can break free of the control the media has over our society. Thu, 29 Sep 2011 21:19:40 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/09/27/voices-from-the-classroom-22/#IDComment201025519 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/09/20/everyone-respond-to-this/#IDComment196979667 First off before I get to the entrepreneurs, I would like to say that discussing the whole Haitian Rice situation is class today was extremely eye opening for me. I always have thought that anything we do (e.g, send money, food, supplies, etc.) makes a difference. But in my little bubble of a world, I never thought we were doing more harm than good. Watching T.V, you see all those celebrity endorsed commercials about “how you can help.” But I never even imagined that participating in those meant that you would actually being doing harm to the developing world. Back to the whole rice thing, we think we are helping these developing worlds, when in actuality we are just bettering ourselves. The Haitians were doing fine with their natural supply and demand balance before we stepped in and ruined the livelihoods of many people. I think we need to stop just sending money over to these nations and help them help themselves. They need to be able to stand on their own feet without relying on foreign aid because it will not last forever. That is why I am very impressed with this project and all these entrepreneurs. I love that we can help better a struggling nation from our homeland. In some of the videos Sam mentioned that we need to give them advice for improvements. Which is exactly what they need. As I could see in the videos, there are so many eager individuals to make a difference in the lives of their families and nation by starting these businesses. But, they need our help in expanding them and getting them up and running. For example, Clorene Blaise’s specialty is being a seamstress. You can tell she loves what she does and puts so much care into her work, which is evident in the embroidery that Sam points out. She also buys used products (jeans) to make her clothing. So right there, she is buying things from her community so they get more money and business. She is also putting things that would often be wasted and turning them into a source of revenue and profit. This has been a popular trend in America as well: using recycles goods to make new ones. I feel that with some minor tweaks and improved technology she could have something big. I also liked Sonia, who makes the insulated lunch boxes and told the story of how she supports her whole family: parents, children, brothers, sisters, and so on. It is people like this that will go far. All of these individuals need our help. But it is individuals like Clorene and Sonia who will go so far with our help. They genuinely care about their mission and their work. And sometimes, with a little help, that determination is all you may need. Thu, 22 Sep 2011 20:45:51 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/09/20/everyone-respond-to-this/#IDComment196979667 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/09/13/voices-from-the-classroom-9/#IDComment193366718 I think that it has more so to do with the opportunities that you are introduced to with a higher income, rather than just the higher income factor. For example, you could be sent to a private school where they provide immense individual attention. One of my best friends went to Western Reserve Academy and they literally planned everything for you. They also had numerous one-on-one SAT and ACT prep classes if you wanted to attend them. But that is just it...if you WANTED to attend. If individuals actually made an effort they could attend prep classes. It does not just have to do with income since some classes are a lot cheaper than others. It has to do with effort and tenacity and whether or not you are willing to put in extra time and effort to improve your scores. This doesn’t regard everyone but I believe most are just lazy. If your parents can’t afford it, then go out there and raise the money to do it on your own. Place and extra emphasis on the success of your future and work towards it. However, this doesn’t go for everyone though because some aren’t given these opportunities. I.e, you attend a school that doesn’t offer or make you aware of these. Or, maybe they just do not put a lot of emphasis on these tests. I think the biggest contributing factor is the environment in which you grow up. And not just how big of a house or what kind of town you grew up in. I am talking about schooling, along with parents and mentors around you. If you grow up in a home like I did, parents put an emphasis on working hard to develop skills necessary for success on these tests, in college, and throughout the rest of your live in the “real world.” So, I did just that. I worked hard and took advantage of opportunities that came my way. Another factor is your personality. I.e, are you lazy and don’t care about your future? Or are you tenacious and determined to have a bright future? If this is the case, scores have to do with how much time and effort you put into them. You can go buy books at Barnes and Noble or Target for about $25 dollars to prepare you. You do not necessarily need a $500 class. I do not think it’s fair to attribute it all to income. I have known many individuals from lower-income families that just put extra time and effort into it and come out on top because of all their hard work. NOT because of how much their parents make. Wed, 14 Sep 2011 17:42:51 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/09/13/voices-from-the-classroom-9/#IDComment193366718 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/09/07/questions-from-the-classroom/#IDComment191271433 This is a question I have asked myself ever since I was a little girl and could actually understand that there were physical difference between me and my classmates. But that is all it was: physical differences. And that is all it still is. Just PHYSICAL difference...so what is the big deal? I mean, physical variations exist within races too. My hair is brown, yours may be blonde. My skin is a littler tanner, while my roommate has more fair skin. I have brown/hazel eyes, you have blue, or green, or amber. My hair is long, yours is short. You have high cheek bones and I do not. Some of my friends have big noses, while others do not. Who cares? They are just differences. The color of your skin or where you come from does not change the person that you are. It may alter the way you grow up (surrounding, culture, ect). But, odds are if you took someone representing every race and put them all on an island to grow up in the same culture and surrounding they would be similar. It is not the physical features that make you who you are. It is things like your family, where you come from, and the people surrounding you that help to shape the person you become. Even at an older, more mature age this question still baffles me on a daily basis. I think it has crossed everyone’s mind at least once in their lifetime. It makes me so sad to see the emphasis that the majority of human beings put on race and ethnicity. We have come a long way with racial discrimination but it still exists even though it may not be blatantly obvious on a daily basis. I went to a high school in a small down in Michigan surrounded by a town with mostly black people. Members of my mostly white and Asian community looked down on this surrounding town at times. And, I couldn’t understand why. Yes it had some rough neighborhoods but that shouldn’t be generalized to every Black person that lived there. And that is where I think racial stereotypes orginate from: they are over generalizations. One member of a race might do something so then every other individual of that race must be the same, right? Wrong. But I do not think everyone is our society has realized this yet. I often see older family members of mine especially doing this and I always try to correct them. But they grew up in different times so many are set in their ways. I feel like it may be different though when our generation grows up. Maybe as the children of today grow, they will learn that we are all just human beings and that’s all there is to it. This could provide a glimmer of hope for individuals discriminated against based on race and ethnicity. Fri, 9 Sep 2011 00:33:30 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/09/07/questions-from-the-classroom/#IDComment191271433 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/09/01/how-do-you-feel-about-interracial-dating/#IDComment189081079 How do I feel about interracial dating? Honestly, I do not care and don’t think much of it. I do not understand why some people make such a big deal about it and why as a society, we put such an emphasis on it. I remember in psychology we watched this video where a Hispanic girl brought her black boyfriend to dinner in a flashy restaurant hoping for the best. Her parents freaked out and caused a ginormous scene in the middle of this fancy restaurant. Granted, it was an experiment to test the bystander effect to see what people would do but I still always think about this video when the topic of interracial relationships is mentioned. I wonder if that is really how family members react. I am sure that not all, but some, do. How can you do that to your child, sibling, grandchild, etc? Aren’t you supposed to want the best for them? I mean, these days it is hard enough to find true love. Who cares if that someone is of a different skin color or ethnicity. Would you rather your child be miserable in a forced relationship with someone of the same race that they don’t truly love? I know I would not want that for my child. Personally, I am a white female and I tend to be attracted to white males. I do not consider myself racist or prejudice by any means. That is just who I find myself being attracted to. I think many black men, Asian men, etc. are attractive...I just do not often find myself being drawn to them in that way. Granted, if someone came along that I truly cared about, I would not refuse to date him solely based on his race or where his ancestors came from. I think it is sad that today, much of society puts such a spotlight on interracial marriages. We should not have to put such an emphasis on it. I just do not see the big deal. They always say you can’t help who you fall in love with. I truly believe that. Some people just can’t help it when they fall in love with an individual of another race. But they should be able to feel totally comfortable with that decision. I would hate for someone who followed their heart to feel like they were being scrutinized by society every time they held hands or showed affection in public. Whenever I see an interracial couple out and about I give them so much credit. It’s amazing that we have the ability to fully explore the great diversity that our world has to offer. I applaud those individuals for exploring the variations and following their hearts in their search for TRUE love. Fri, 2 Sep 2011 17:45:34 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/09/01/how-do-you-feel-about-interracial-dating/#IDComment189081079