en-us https://www.intensedebate.com/users/758766 Comments by rtesh36 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/letter-from-an-inmate__trashed/#IDComment69967048 This article was particularly intriguing to me because I am a Crime, Law and Justice Major, so stories like this are always very interesting for me. Ever since Professor Richards brought up his experience in visiting the "lifers" I was very intrigued on how these people continue to live their lives knowing they will never get out. Being a CLJ major, over the years in my college career, I have been learning a lot about different cases on murder and I have also watch television shows dealing with mysteries and murders. I think it is always interesting to study the mind of a criminal, and I find it very interesting what is the roots of the criminal’s motive. This is why this blog immediately caught my attention and this letter was shocking in a different way to me, it definitely touched me. This is honestly a very touching piece of writing and I can definitely say that I appreciate it. There are always two sides to every story and people tend to think that everyone in jail is an evil person and deserves to spend the rest of their lives in jail cells. After all, there an alarming number of people who are on death row for crimes that they never even committed. You have to look at things rationally and while most of these men are convicted murderers they still have feelings even after making an unforgivable mistake. These people unfortunately made larger mistakes than others. Reading this letter has made me feel a different way about these people. It gave me a different perspective, and I tried to put myself in the s hoes of a “lifer” as I read the letter. I could never in a million years being in jail for life, it is a very scary thought. I personally feel that it is also very interesting the way that a person changes while in prison. Everyone goes through the life cycle, and all people are different at different points in their life. Basically in conclusion, I think there are two ways these convicted felons can look at their situation. They can sit around in your cell thinking how bad your life is or you can get over it and realize that this is your fate and you will be here for life. The people who finally accept it end up being better people because of it. The least you can do is try to help others and steer them away from the mistakes that you have made. People like convicted serial killers try to say things along the lines of finding God while in prison and other things in hopes of parole. Whether that is true or not, this letter was good to read, it was very touching and it definitely opened my eyes. Fri, 23 Apr 2010 18:51:14 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/letter-from-an-inmate__trashed/#IDComment69967048 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/christian-invaders-the-turnaround__trashed/#IDComment68436141 I honestly think that this lecture was one of the two or three best lectures of the semesters and it is definitely one of the ones that I will remember, even after this class is over. Professor Richards did a great job looking at the issue with a very open mind and his approach was very strategic I think. I think sometimes us as Americans are quick to judge others and we all know that there are always two sides to every story. It was good to look at it through the eyes of Arabs, and see the other side of the coin you could say. The great thing about the lecture was that Professor Richards was not afraid to call out us Americans and say that we are selfish and look at this war in a close-minded ethnocentric manner. I am sure that there are a lot of people that sat there in class and felt very offended by Professor Richard’s lecture. I think that is because people hate admitting that they are wrong. You have to look at this issue rationally and that is what I think Professor Richards’s goal was. I’m sure that there will continue to be people who think that their point of view is still right and that our military actions were justified. I think this lecture could have been an eye opener to a lot of people, because the idea that Professor brought up was that although our primary goal is to hunt the terrorists is that really true? Oil seems to be another key factor after the presentation, and the U.S. government is using terrorism as another reason to justify the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. After the lecture, I am absolutely convinced that our government has obligations other than just trying to fight and rid the terrorists. Another interesting point that came up in the lecture was much like the way some people in our society may think and want to unfairly assume that “all Arabs and Muslims are terrorists”, the Arabs and Muslims may also think that the “Americans are all evil”. The thing people do not realize is that people in both groups are mostly good, and that there are only a few bad in the majority of good. Now am I saying that there are not things that the Arabs and Muslims are not doing wrong either. There is probably a lot more we need to learn about this issue to make a realistic decision to the question of if we would fight against the U.S. army. It’s a great debate topic and a very important issue in our country today. The great thing about this issue of the war is something we can all relate to. Most of us are American citizens in the class, not all but most, and this is such a polarizing issue that it is going to divide people one way or another. Fri, 16 Apr 2010 22:19:13 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/christian-invaders-the-turnaround__trashed/#IDComment68436141 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/how-can-we-ever-win__trashed/#IDComment66872149 I completely agree with what Professor Richards has been saying. When Professor Richards brings up examples such as Jesse Jackson, I think he’s goal is to show us that it is that his highest priority is his race and other members of his race. Now personally I do think that sometimes Jackson gets annoying, but when Professor was lecturing and went over to a dominantly white area I saw that he was trying to show that he has realized through his. I do not know if there is definitely a way to determine if you can win or not. Because at the end of the day there will always be people who get offended and are too sensitive to certain things. Professor Richards I think does a good job of trying to stay neutral and making people look at things from a different side of the spectrum. People have to get to the humanitarian stage I think to fully understand the premise of what Professor Richards has been preaching. Now the LL Bean catalog in my mind could definitely be perceived as a joke, but I can see through it and say that it was not meant to be a joke. I guess he was trying to demonstrate the immersion stage and just how far people in this stage will go. We did watch the video with the black man wanting to exterminate all whites, and I think that was to illustrate how someone in the immersion stage looks at people of other races. People like this see people of other races as inferior to them, and I think that is garbage. The LL Bean example shows how a person in the immersion stage might react to those that might react to someone of their own race who is not coming up to their own particular standards. LL Bean has been a dominant brand over the years. It is a white dominated brand. I think the key is that they are having people of different races meaning that this line of clothing can and should be worn by people of all races mot just whites. I do not have an issue with that at all. I do not know if the same would be said for a white male modeling for a predominantly black brand such as Roccawear or Enyce to name a few. I don’t know the answer to the question of if you can win, but I do think that if you can finally get to the humanitarian stage you would be in good shape. A lot of people get caught up in the lower stages but I think that it is important to balance and try to understand neutral level with all races. Fri, 9 Apr 2010 20:54:41 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/how-can-we-ever-win__trashed/#IDComment66872149 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/nothing-about-the-census-is-easy__trashed/#IDComment65650760 I definitely agree with Professor Richard’s stance on this situation and when he says that the people who write the Census are NOT incompetent. In today’s world, I think we all know that it is hard to make everyone happy, and no matter how fair people try to be, there are going to be some people that are upset or disappointed for whatever reasons. I think that people need to stop being so sensitive and some of the people in this news clip definitely fell under that too sensitive mold for me. It was almost irritating to me how much people are being offended by a simple questionnaire. I think that CNN chose arguably the most diverse metropolis in the country when they did this report in New York, and I thought it was very interesting to hear the CNN reporter start off with the conversation by saying that he wasn’t offended when he saw “Negro” being placed in the Census. Now when the black woman was interviewed, she in my mind had a big overreaction. I think it is because of over sensitive people like that woman that there is an issue. People in this society, especially certain minorities are way too over sensitive when it comes to racial identity. People like this woman, and many others I think are way too close minded when it comes to racial issues, I mean after all, the census’s goal is not to offend people at all. Certain people are spending way too much time sweating, stressing and fretting over the small stuff in my opinion. I am a minority, and I can still say that these people overreacted and attest to it. I think it is also interesting, that some of the same people in this interview who were so overly offended by the categories on the census, did also not have full knowledge of their full heritage and race. People are making judgments about the census without even knowing the full extent of it, and the whole goal behind it. Now on the opposite side of the spectrum, I am not saying that the word “negro” is not offensive to African Americans, because it absolutely is. And there are definitely modifications that need to be made to the census as well. Because the reality is, our country is coming to a point where everyone has such a diverse background, that it is hard for people to pinpoint one race they identify as. Yes there need to be changes made to the census I am not going to deny that, but I think there is also a change that needs to occur in the way people take the census. There is a clear objective for the census, and it does not need to be taken out of context, the way that the media at times and some of the interviewees in the clip do. Fri, 2 Apr 2010 23:33:42 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/nothing-about-the-census-is-easy__trashed/#IDComment65650760 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/flip-the-script-for-a-moment__trashed/#IDComment64271041 As a minority, this post by professor Richards definitely caught my eye and I agreed with a lot of the things that he said. I have never actually asked myself that question, what if instead of the gender issues; we tried to play it out with race. It really is a mind boggling question if you think about it. I mean if we as a country went back to the days of segregation where people of color had to sit in the back of the bus and have separate water fountains; it would be absurd in today society. I could never ever imagine living in segregation. I mean me as a person, here I am junior here at Penn State, and I just look back and think of all the discrimination and all of the stuff my parents went through when they immigrated to this country, and I am so blessed to be where I am. And then I look at myself in the mirror, and there is not a thing I would change about myself, but I still feel as if I face an uphill battle at times in society. If no one ever brought up the race issue, I think our society as a whole would be totally different. I mean think about it, so much of today’s society is predicated on colored people. Whether it is athletics, acting or singing, technology or whatever it may be. We as a country and a society would not have been the same without minorities and moving past segregation. I don’t care what people say, there is no way we would be as far as a society without people of color. It is up to white Americans I think to realize and close the still existent gap on racial inequality. I can definitely see the correlation Professor Richards tries to make between the “28 day cycle” and race. Ethnocentrism is still a dwelling issue I think and it definitely still goes on today as well. The people that say “that’s just the way it is” are kind of ignorant and oblivious in my mind. I think that still to this day, it is a very touchy feely issue, and that is definitely why people do not like talking about it. And at times like the when it is crucial to talk about, I couldn’t agree with professor more on when he says that that is when people ignore, when in reality they should be considering it. I think overall, it will still take a long time for people to fully accept people of color and actually be proactive on talking about the issue. There are so many intricacies and ideas that go into a topic like racial or gender inequality that it undeniably takes a long time to dissect. Fri, 26 Mar 2010 23:53:39 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/flip-the-script-for-a-moment__trashed/#IDComment64271041 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/women-and-sports__trashed/#IDComment63022938 When I first looked at this story about Natalie Randolph, a female becoming the first female high school football head coach, I was in obvious shock. After all, she is the first of her kind and this is an unprecedented feat. This is a very intriguing story because football has always been looked as the stereotypical manly and macho sport among the other major sports. Common perception has always been that it takes a man to play football. I played football for a long time, including all of my years in high school, and I can’t even imagine what it would be like to have a female running the show in and being in charge of high school football program. Watching my coaches over the years, I know being a head football coach at even the high school level is stressful and brings upon a lot of pressure. The thing that makes football different from the other major sports is that there is always a male and female team for each sport all the way through college. There are both men’s and women’s teams for baseball/softball, basketball, soccer and even ice and field hockey among others. If I was a football player at Calvin Coolidge High School, I would at first be a little skeptical towards this move. My questions would include how much experience does this coach have in football? What kind of schemes does she run on offense and defense? Can she hold authority among teenage boys, some of whom who may have motivational, morale, ego and other issues at that age? If I determine the person to be capable of doing all of those things successfully, I would have no problem with her as coach. It would be a tough pill to swallow at first but I think over time I would accept this drastic move. Certain things would definitely be awkward when she addresses the locker room or demonstrates something to be incorporated onto the field, but it seems that with Natalie Randolph she seems to have answered a lot of those questions. She does have some experience playing football and has loved it all of her life, so for me, I know that her passion would be there. I’m sure that when she gets into football mode on the practice field, in the weight room, the film room and the football field on game day, she has a completely different demeanor than she did in the interview, portraying the shy and humble female. I think change is good, and this is just a small step in the gender equality process. Maybe females seeing Randolph becoming head football coach will inspire them to take unprecedented strides. She has a set a great example and standard for women everywhere becoming head football coach at a high school and I think she should be an inspiration to others. Fri, 19 Mar 2010 19:35:49 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/women-and-sports__trashed/#IDComment63022938 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/why-is-this-racist-really__trashed/#IDComment59645364 Being the huge sports fan that I am, I found this particular post by Professor Richards very interesting. I have watched the NBA for a very long time and started at a very young age, and personally speaking, I think that this is an absurd idea. I don’t think I could agree with Professor Richards more when it comes to this story. Yes, the majority of the superstars in the NBA are of African American decent when you talk about players such as Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Dwyane Wade. There are also however a lot of foreign born white stars such as Dirk Nowitzki, Steve Nash and Manu Ginobili. To contradict Don “Moose” Lewis’s point, the picture of a potentially “white” roster that Professor Richards alluded to includes two guys, David Lee and Brad Miller who have made All-Star teams in their career. I think Don “Moose” Lewis is borderline racist. Lewis even points out guys carrying guns, running into the stands after fans and going through the motions of just playing the game. He is referring to black players in the NBA in all three of his examples. Most recently, Gilbert Arenas was found with a gun in his locker, a few years back Ron Artest ran into the stands in a game after having soda thrown at him. Both men were suspended for the rest of the season by the commissioner in their cases. And when Lewis says there are many guys just going through the motions, he is referring to players of African American decent who are notoriously known for not playing hard enough during games and not being team players. All of these remarks in my mind point to racist. Yes, some of the white players in the NBA may not be as physically gifted as the black players, but that does not mean they’re not talented or valuable contributors to NBA teams. Guys like Mike Miller and Kyle Korver are some of the most feared 3 point shooters in the NBA. I will even go as far as agreeing with Moose saying that white players are more fundamentally sound. They may be more fundamentally sound, but that is because they may have to rely more on those fundamentals than just sheer talent. Lewis talks about this White League being simply a marketing niche, but the real niche in my opinion is the one white players and all players for that matter have to adjust to in the NBA. Regardless of race and not counting the Superstars and All-stars, there are players who are extraordinary jumpers or guys who rely on speed and quickness, some are defensive specialists, and some are shooting specialists. My point is that the players that aren’t stars in the NBA have to find their niche in the league. They have to adapt to the talent level in the NBA and find their niche on their own teams. Players of all races in all of the different sports have found success. Creating a white only league is an outrageous proposition. White players can succeed and do have talent in the NBA, all that matters is their work ethic and them realizing that they have to find their role in a highly talent driven NBA. Fri, 5 Mar 2010 08:41:10 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/why-is-this-racist-really__trashed/#IDComment59645364 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/why-is-this-racist-really__trashed/#IDComment59832274 Being the huge sports fan that I am, I found this particular post by Professor Richards very interesting. I have watched the NBA for a very long time and started at a very young age, and personally speaking, I think that this is an absurd idea. I don’t think I could agree with Professor Richards more when it comes to this story. Yes, the majority of the superstars in the NBA are of African American decent when you talk about players such as Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Dwyane Wade. There are also however a lot of foreign born white stars such as Dirk Nowitzki, Steve Nash and Manu Ginobili. To contradict Don “Moose” Lewis’s point, the picture of a potentially “white” roster that Professor Richards alluded to includes two guys, David Lee and Brad Miller who have made All-Star teams in their career. I think Don “Moose” Lewis is borderline racist. Lewis even points out guys carrying guns, running into the stands after fans and going through the motions of just playing the game. He is referring to black players in the NBA in all three of his examples. Most recently, Gilbert Arenas was found with a gun in his locker, a few years back Ron Artest ran into the stands in a game after having soda thrown at him. Both men were suspended for the rest of the season by the commissioner in their cases. And when Lewis says there are many guys just going through the motions, he is referring to players of African American decent who are notoriously known for not playing hard enough during games and not being team players. All of these remarks in my mind point to racist. Yes, some of the white players in the NBA may not be as physically gifted as the black players, but that does not mean they’re not talented or valuable contributors to NBA teams. Guys like Mike Miller and Kyle Korver are some of the most feared 3 point shooters in the NBA. I will even go as far as agreeing with Moose saying that white players are more fundamentally sound. They may be more fundamentally sound, but that is because they may have to rely more on those fundamentals than just sheer talent. Lewis talks about this White League being simply a marketing niche, but the real niche in my opinion is the one white players and all players for that matter have to adjust to in the NBA. Regardless of race and not counting the Superstars and All-stars, there are players who are extraordinary jumpers or guys who rely on speed and quickness, some are defensive specialists, and some are shooting specialists. My point is that the players that aren’t stars in the NBA have to find their niche in the league. They have to adapt to the talent level in the NBA and find their niche on their own teams. Players of all races in all of the different sports have found success. Creating a white only league is an outrageous proposition. White players can succeed and do have talent in the NBA, all that matters is their work ethic and them realizing that they have to find their role in a highly talent driven NBA. Fri, 5 Mar 2010 03:41:10 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/why-is-this-racist-really__trashed/#IDComment59832274 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/why-is-this-racist-really__trashed/#IDComment59646817 Being the huge sports fan that I am, I found this particular post by Professor Richards very interesting. I have watched the NBA for a very long time and started at a very young age, and personally speaking, I think that this is an absurd idea. I don’t think I could agree with Professor Richards more when it comes to this story. Yes, the majority of the superstars in the NBA are of African American decent when you talk about players such as Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Dwyane Wade. There are also however a lot of foreign born white stars such as Dirk Nowitzki, Steve Nash and Manu Ginobili. To contradict Don “Moose” Lewis’s point, the picture of a potentially “white” roster that Professor Richards alluded to includes two guys, David Lee and Brad Miller who have made All-Star teams in their career. I think Don “Moose” Lewis is borderline racist. Lewis even points out guys carrying guns, running into the stands after fans and going through the motions of just playing the game. He is referring to black players in the NBA in all three of his examples. Most recently, Gilbert Arenas was found with a gun in his locker, a few years back Ron Artest ran into the stands in a game after having soda thrown at him. Both men were suspended for the rest of the season by the commissioner in their cases. And when Lewis says there are many guys just going through the motions, he is referring to players of African American decent who are notoriously known for not playing hard enough during games and not being team players. All of these remarks in my mind point to racist. Yes, some of the white players in the NBA may not be as physically gifted as the black players, but that does not mean they’re not talented or valuable contributors to NBA teams. Guys like Mike Miller and Kyle Korver are some of the most feared 3 point shooters in the NBA. I will even go as far as agreeing with Moose saying that white players are more fundamentally sound. They may be more fundamentally sound, but that is because they may have to rely more on those fundamentals than just sheer talent. Lewis talks about this White League being simply a marketing niche, but the real niche in my opinion is the one white players and all players for that matter have to adjust to in the NBA. Regardless of race and not counting the Superstars and All-stars, there are players who are extraordinary jumpers or guys who rely on speed and quickness, some are defensive specialists, and some are shooting specialists. My point is that the players that aren’t stars in the NBA have to find their niche in the league. They have to adapt to the talent level in the NBA and find their niche on their own teams. Players of all races in all of the different sports have found success. Creating a white only league is an outrageous proposition. White players can succeed and do have talent in the NBA, all that matters is their work ethic and them realizing that they have to find their role in a highly talent driven NBA. Wed, 3 Mar 2010 23:13:38 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/why-is-this-racist-really__trashed/#IDComment59646817 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/who-could-compete-with-this-woman-on-a-level-playing-field__trashed/#IDComment58696910 First of all, after reading this article, you cannot deny Yvrose’s hard work and drive. After all, this is a woman who did not have a full education, and some of the things she has done and overcome are really remarkable. Yvrose running a micro business is almost like a shock to me, and you have to tip your hat to her. It is quite an accomplishment for her I think when she did not have the complete education to learn about the inctracies of business and finance. It is almost mind boggling when you think of how she learned everything about currency and accounting. The tragic events in Haiti are so devastating for people such as these and to me it’s just so heartbreaking to see stories like that of Yvrose. We in this country take so much for granted, and you can’t help but feel for this woman, who started from scratch and became successful with business, only to have Mother Nature take it away. She does everything from top to bottom in her business, from the planning to executing and everything in between and after. I feel so blessed and fortunate that I have the life I have as a young adult. Yvrose maximized her potential from the little opportunity she had. After all, she does not have the same chances to succeed as other people all around the world. Another thing I feel after reading this article is that we here in this country have so many different options. Options in everyday life as where we want to live, work, what we want to eat, etc. In countries such as Haiti even before the earthquake, you either have one option, and you either take it or leave it. This story of Yvrose was one that was very touching to me. It is inspiring and if you cannot help but admire her courage. I think and believe in time, Yvrose will continue to fight because she will have so much resiliency and perseverance. In time, she will be okay, hopefully. As far as competing on a level playing field with this lady, I think she can run with the best of them. Thu, 25 Feb 2010 20:49:31 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/who-could-compete-with-this-woman-on-a-level-playing-field__trashed/#IDComment58696910 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/the-xxx-bible-who-wouldve-thought__trashed/#IDComment57501616 I am a person who follows the Hindu religion, so even though most of my friends and roommates are Christian, and have heard stories about going church and bible studies and what not, I’ve never actually read more than a page of the bible. I think because I am looking at the Bible and Christianity from the outside but have also had it around me for my whole life since I was born and raised in the United States, I can be neutral towards it. Looking back at this article, I think it was intriguing and almost a bit humorous if you read it with an open mind. Any time you read something people follow, it makes for some interesting ideas. Now I do not agree with everything in this article about a bible, and that is my honest non-bias opinion. I don’t think that people should have to follow every single word in the bible or whatever book in the religion people follow. Certain decisions need to be rational in believe. Not everything we are taught when we are younger is true, and I think that it is up to us to decipher the differences in what we believe to be true and what is a little farfetched. It is important I think in society to play devil’s advocate and think really deep about some of the things we hear and believe with religion, the bible and Christianity in this case. Analyzing this article even further, I will say that I’m not one of these people who refuse to look into and consider evolution, and the same goes for religion. I do believe in god, but I am also open to the theories of evolution. For the people who do take an extreme stance against religion or evolution, I think they are depriving themselves of having full knowledge. As I stated before, you have to be rational when you try to judge evolution or what the bible says in this case. When these people say that the only way to do things right is to do them by the Bible, I believe that is wrong and those people are being close minded. Christ, god or whomever in any given religion should be part of your beliefs and ideologies in my mind, not the only thing. In conclusion, I can say that yes I do find some of the religious preachers for any religion kind of annoying, but at the same time I do respect what they do. Their great in their approach about god and everything, but I think that those type of people and others need to be more open-minded. At the same time the people who strongly advocate evolution should not be so radical in their theories either. I definitely think this was a good article, that made me think, and I would definitely suggest it to others. Thu, 18 Feb 2010 20:50:44 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/the-xxx-bible-who-wouldve-thought__trashed/#IDComment57501616 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/negros-of-the-world-unite__trashed/#IDComment55541294 I chose this article particular article because I feel it so closely relates to what we have been talking about in class over the last few days. I think that it is well written and also well thought out making some very interesting points. Personally, I do not find the word Negro offensive but I can see how it may rub black people the wrong way. The word is definitely one that can be found derogatory to people of African descent. With that in mind, there are so many countless other words in today’s society that are used to describe people of black skin color. Even some of those words used today are very derogatory. I think they use of the word “Negro” has been outdated because of the generation today. It was a word that was used in everyday language to describe an African American over 25 years ago. It has been outdated but because it is so outdated, in my opinion, I don’t feel that African Americans should take real offense to it. Looking at this from the perspective of the census, I think that it is a move that has been long overdue. Citizens should be able to check off more than one box, because people in this country should not be limited or have to put a label on just one race in which they identify themselves. This is part of the reason I feel that some people do not take things such as the census so seriously. Because after all, things such as the census can be in ways ignorant when trying to cater to and identify people of the different races. People are so quick to judge whether people are either this race or that race, without thinking about what if they are a cross-bred and have can fall under more than one race. Fri, 5 Feb 2010 23:10:56 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/negros-of-the-world-unite__trashed/#IDComment55541294 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/01/the-enlightened-west-knows-best__trashed/#IDComment54383657 There were two things that came to my mind after reading Professor Richards post and watching the news video clip on the French government trying to ban burqas. First, going back to what Professor Richards said, my question after reading and watching this is since when does the French government and its people know what’s best for the Muslim people? Second, there is no way that the French know exactly what they are doing is correct, and I personally think the French in this particular scenario are just being ignorant and close minded. The last quote in Professor Richard’s blog is one I absolutely agree with:”Seems to be that truly enlightened governance allows people to pursue the path toward self awareness and growth that best suits them-as long as they don’t harm others in the meantime”. Well in this case, I believe that the French government is harming the Muslim culture and the people of that decent in France, especially the women. I do not understand how the French government can possibly believe that they are helping Muslim women by not allowing them to wear burqas and other clothes of religious significance. I mean looking at this situation from a neutral perspective, I don’t know why there would be an issue or problem with Muslim women wearing their outfits, and after all it’s their culture and heritage. With the pending mandates that would be passed by the French government, women would not be allowed to go through their daily lives without getting citations. I personally think it is absurd and that the French government is essentially oppressing these Muslim women. There is a quote in the video that says that these new rules would in essence make the Muslim religion even worse. It brings the more negative light on the Islam religion in my opinion as well. I completely disagree with the French thinking that passing this mandate to ban women from wearing burqas will make them more enlightened French citizens. I actually think that this will make the Muslims unhappy because you’re taking something that is important to them, something that is a part of their lives and heritage and religion away from them. There is no need for a dress code in France against Muslim women, that’s pretty ridiculous. This is already causing uproar in the Muslim society within France, and the government is only going to hurt their cause more than they will help it once this mandate is passed. I think the French need to stop be close minded and over conservative and let the people be. There is no need for this drastic of a rule to be passed within the country of France to ban Muslim women from wearing burqas. Fri, 29 Jan 2010 17:34:26 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/01/the-enlightened-west-knows-best__trashed/#IDComment54383657 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/01/last-name-begins-with-p-or-q__trashed/#IDComment53940758 1 word response Tue, 26 Jan 2010 15:17:02 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/01/last-name-begins-with-p-or-q__trashed/#IDComment53940758 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/01/is-that-negro-or-negra-harry__trashed/#IDComment53237220 After reading this blog, and hearing about Senator Reid's comments, I am surprised but only to an extent. When you think about it, no one should be surprised by people within our own government saying thing. And referring back to what Professor Richards said, Republicans do seem to be more "sensitive" to comments derogatory towards people of other skin. My question is who knows if they really even knows if they are that sensitive to those comments. To say and believe are two very different things, so who knows if these Republicans are just saying that Senator Reid's comments are insensitive to make it seem like they actually care and not make Reid just look bad. And if you actually think about what was said by Reid, he does make a valid point. Would the American population been willing to vote for Barrack Obama if he was an African American with darker skin pigmentation? Plus the fact that the man was a highly educated and respected individual who didn't "talk like a negro" undeniably helped his public perception. The way Senator Reid made his comment or his choice of words could have been a little bit different, but I can’t say I necessarily think that what Reid said is false. Do I think what he said was right? No, because as a person of foreign decent, I don't think how light or dark of skin pigmentation a person is should affect anything. And there are probably several other white men both in and outside of the Senate that quietly agree with his statement. You also cannot forget that a lot of what you believe or the way you carry yourself, has to do with the time and people you grew up around. In the time at which Reid grew up, the way African Americans were perceived in this country were very different. With all of this in mind, I do not think that Senator Reid should have made this comment at all. After all of his years in politics, he should know how others within politics and the media can exaggerate a story or what someone says. After all, when something gets into the hands and eyes of the media, we all know how glorified it becomes and how it may get twisted around. We should all give Senator Reid the benefit of the doubt and hope that others in the Senate and all parts of our government learn to filter some of the things they say when speaking about their actual beliefs. At the same time, Republicans should not be so sensitive to comments made by the democrats, because I am sure they did their share of Obama bashing during the 2008 election campaign. This was most likely blown out of proportion by the Republicans to make the Democrats to look bad. Fri, 22 Jan 2010 00:40:15 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/01/is-that-negro-or-negra-harry__trashed/#IDComment53237220