Somehow the United States is always trying to deal with foreign affairs by flexing our muscle of power. Every time I would hear about our troops or soldiers it seemed like I had almost accepted war. Deep down I try to tell myself that our country is just trying to help out or protect ourself or do what is right. I almost try to justify it because I see no real reason to use brute force over alternative measures. I want to feel pride for our country, but when I hear about war I feel disgusted. Although all wars are unique with varying countries and motives, the Iraq war was always confusing to me. I never knew exactly why we were there. I thought we were helping to rebuild and strengthen their government so the country was better off. I also never knew why we had to be there so long or how we saw it as our duty to intervene. When Sam pointed out the Iraq war was about oil, I was not at all surprised. I hadn’t been explicitly been told this before, but there have been many discussions about our motives to become involved in the Middle East. This news made me feel even worse about the United States. Of course it is all about money and not the good morals that citizens want.
I really thought his ideas connecting war with religion was pretty interesting. I had never thought Christianity was connected for those who saw soldiers reading the bible, but it is totally understandable. I feel like a lot of people connect Muslims with violence because of the images that are always displayed on the media. So why wouldn’t I consider it in the opposite viewpoint? As a Christian myself, after class I had to figure out what I thought about the idea of Christian soldiers. We are told not to kill and I was very conflicted. I also know that there are mentions of soldiers in the bible. They are mostly metaphors about being faithful and selfless like a soldier. I think I came to the belief that the motive behind the force is the most important factor. If a soldier is trying to protect or serve justly then his/her heart is in the right place, but I know there are many soldiers that love seeing things blow up and just shooting people for fun, which really just makes things worse.
Really, the topic was pretty jarring for me. I really enjoyed it. It made me think outside of my bubble. I’m glad Sam talked about this. The presentation did not necessarily change my ideas, but made them more clear and detailed. It was one of the better classes of the semester for me.

When children are involved there are no excuses for doing harm to them. Everyone has been a child once and I think it is an understood idea that everyone deserves a good childhood filled with fun memories and not horrible events. Children do not have the power to speak for themselves and as adults it is important to make sure they are protected and are not afraid to speak up to someone or at least provide them all the information to do something about their harmful situation themselves. This means it shouldn’t matter who is doing them harm. Man or woman, abuse is not ok. I would hope that if all women were involved they would be treated similarly as the men who are currently involved.

Although sometimes I think most women are seen as innocent and caring. Part of me wants to say that the women involved would not have been as judged as badly and publically displayed. This is because women are treated differently. Society is just inclined to think that women are moral and almost not capable of doing wrong. It really reminds me of the clip played in class of the various criminals stealing a bike in a park. The woman was the only perpetrator that was helped to do wrong because she was a woman in need. Of course, this shouldn’t matter, wrong is wrong despite who is committing the actions.

Really, if women were all involved it would probably be handled much similarly. I think women are inclined to look out for each other in bad situations. It’s the idea of being sisters or having a closer bond. This is especially true if this happened in the football building where the majority of the staff is men. The truth would have been kept somewhat secretive if the women had known each other for a long time like Sandusky and JoePa. As far as the media and punishment, it would also be similar. Just think about the Casey Anthony case. I still hear jokes or see posts about her and her child abuse case. Even her charges are very similar in topic. I am positive that just for knowing about the situation Penn State would have also fired every one of the women involved. There may have been more pity for the woman who was abusing the children. Generally, men are seen as creeps and gross when doing sexually wrong but with women it is very different. People usually just feel bad for women when getting punished. I think this refers back to how women are sometimes thought of damsels in distress. That somehow it probably was not their fault. I think women really get away with more things than men.

Everyone has a right to feel how they want to. When the decision was announced for Joe Paterno’s termination some were sad, some were angry, some may have been happy, and some just couldn’t believe it. The real important part is how we act on those emotions. Of course, it’s just normal to want to do something about the situation we don’t agree with. Action defines us as people. If you believe something passionately, the normal reaction is to act on those beliefs. It doesn’t matter how intense you feel about something unless you do something. I will admit, I deliberately passed by Old Main to see the rallying, but once it travelled to Beaver, I knew that only bad things were going to happen. I was all for showing that the student body wants to be acknowledged, but I don’t believe the damaging riots were necessary. What does bringing down light poles and flipping a news van say other than we are angry and upset and physically displaying it? Of course, the media ate it up. They were reporting now on the angry mob of students instead of the past events and any new information after the JoePa announcement. Everyone just saw angry impulse actions. Aren’t we supposed to be somewhat highly educated young adults? We should have given the media something more positive and respectful for the nation to see. I just hope that the media will be there for the candle light vigil and I hope they record the amount of money raised for child abuse through the blue out t-shirts.

I had hoped that throughout all of this, Penn State can still be held in high regards as it once was. I don’t feel that our whole system and student body should be condemned for a handful of actions. We have so much success at this school in academics, research, and other sports. These recent events should not overshadow so many wonderful things that our school has to offer. Unfortunately, I have already heard of the retraction of internships and job offers because of the upsetting incidents. I don’t know if these retractions were due to the actual incidents of Sandusky and others’ inaction or the students’ reaction to the punishment of Joe Paterno. Most of the world has just seen Penn State through the eyes of the media. Even though only 1-2% were actually at the riots, the media didn’t show any other reactions. I know, at least for the rest of this year, the world will view Penn State differently. We have negative connotations wrapped around us. Some even believe that since we support Joe we are supporting the whole event. Of course this isn’t true, but the world can’t get a firsthand opinion to find out otherwise. I know we can bounce back, but it will just take time.

The lectures in class have really changed my mind about this topic. I still believe that illegal immigrants should go through the process of dealing with taxes and having the benefits of being a true citizen, but the videos showed me that immigrants are people just trying to make a better home for themselves. They are families that have come to a better place because they have close to nothing. I feel like this lack of funds may be one reason why some do not become legal. They may just be trying to get into a more stable situation before going through the legalization process. In order to do so, they need a way to make money. They’re just looking for any way to make money.

If I was a farmer, where no Americans would take the jobs I was offering, I would not mind hiring illegal immigrants. They are hard workers who just need money. If they’re willing to do the intense work, I would trust that they have good reasons. Most are either supporting a family or just trying to get started in America. Most illegal immigrants have a low level of education and are not able to take middle class jobs. They end up doing the work that most people do not want because they need any kind of income.

Of course, there are other businesses where the owner thrives by hiring illegal immigrants and paying them ridiculously low wages. These low wages are more than most illegal immigrants would receive in their native countries, but this is not fair by American standards. Although in doing so, the business owner also could have to deal with a lot of legal issues if they were to get caught with harboring illegal immigrants. The owner should be able to still abide by union laws so their positions can be also filled by Americans willing to work. But is this issue of being underpaid the effect of the immigrants’ failure to abide by the laws and become protected by union laws? They wouldn’t get ripped off if they were legal and had American rights.

If I was a business owner that hired illegal immigrants I would hope that most of those immigrants would eventually become legal. They should want to abide by the United States’ rules like everyone else. The threat of being deported and lose their opportunity to make a home for themselves and their family is enough motivation to become legal and gain their entitled rights. I’m sure everyday would be a chance that the illegal immigrant could get deported and lose their ‘American Dream’. So as much as they are motivated to get money, they should also be motivated to become legal.

I hate when people get upset at the number of immigrants that are coming into the United States. As Sam pointed out in lecture, most Americans are originally from immigrants anyway (unless Native American). Isn’t that what makes our country special? We are the melting pot of cultures. Our country was officially started because of immigrants. 'E Pluribus Unum' is the phrase written on the Seal of the United States meaning 'From Many, One'. This country identifies as unifying multiple cultures. The Statue of Liberty is supposed to welcome all immigrants into our country. Our history is filled with immigrants and why shouldn’t more be let in? Everyone deserves a chance to fulfill their “American Dream”.

Each of our families (except for Native Americans) has a story about coming into America. What if they weren’t allowed into the country? I know personally, my mother would not have been able to meet my father, so I would not even be here. This is because my mother’s family is from Italy and my father’s family is from Russia. I would be missing out on having the diversity of both cultures. Our families were allowed and we should be the ones who understand why others would want to start a new life in our country. We should be able to empathize with those entering our country because our families were once in that position. The difference is that our families were not shot at or severely hurt when trying to get into the country.

As far as being legal vs. illegal, immigrants who are legal have more rights than illegal immigrants. Obtaining a green card allows the immigrant to obtain a job that ensures equal pay, be protected by all laws of the United States, and live permanently in the U.S. Although, becoming a legal immigrant now means that you have to pay taxes, and is an extreme hassle to obtain this status. I believe illegal immigrants in our country do not mean any harm, but should go through the normal legal process. I’m sure if they are illegal, they may not have the money to become a legal citizen and because they are not legal are scared to get deported. As an illegal immigrant, they are more likely to get paid less by business owners.

Overall, I really believe that the United States’ negative opinion on immigration is because the white majority is afraid that their power and opportunities may be taken away from them. They don’t see the positive of the mixture of cultures in our country. We should look to history and see that immigration has shaped our country for the better and has given us the opportunity to learn and expand our horizons.

I think a lot of people really misinterpret the ideas of feminism. They think being a feminist is a huge extreme movement of hating men and going against all feminine actions. Of course, this isn’t true. I believe feminism is a push towards strong women who can do what they want and not what the world thinks they should. There are really a lot of influences from the media and society that tell women to fit into a particular role or image. Even when we’re little, girls are dressed in pink dresses with bows and its just understood for them to play with dolls. Why are boys encouraged to play sports and girls are more prone to take up gymnastics or dance? Where did these specific categories come from?
In my mind there is almost as much discrimination against gender as much as there is with race. Women are usually pegged into their specific category of always needing help with physical labor or complicated intellectual issues. As a woman engineer, I even feel segregated in some of my classes because I am the minority. It’s still weird for me to hear that people are surprised to hear that I am undertaking a math and science degree. Just today my friend was describing a commercial where a woman couldn’t change her flat tire and called an auto shop for help. I know a lot of women that would easily have pulled off of the side of the road and just taken care of the tire. Of course it’s unpleasant and calling the mechanic is easier for anyone regardless, but it seems like the woman is usually a damsel in distress.
Just last weekend, I thought about the frat party theme office hoes and CEOs. I brought it up to someone and asked, “why is the girl expected to be the office ho? I’m sure there are promiscuous men that work in an office. Why can’t the women be the CEOs?” In the spirit of the season, I even thought about the ridiculousness of most women’s Halloween costumes. Why do they all have to be sexy? I think you can still look good in a creative costume without cleavage and heels. Especially in college, most girls just don’t see any issue with going out in small dresses even when it’s freezing. This really reminds me of stage one in the racial stages. Overall, I feel like feminism can also go along the racial stages. It probably won’t end with a spiritual journey, but otherwise it would really correlate.
I guess it’s just interesting to me that most people see feminism as an overpowering negative thing. Women just want equal treatment and equal rights.

I usually feel white guilt when I’m reading or hearing about racial inequality and discrimination from other whites towards minorities. I just feel so bad that the color of someone’s skin can have such strong effects on that person’s life. Even if someone of black or brown race is trying to get ahead, something so out of their control like skin color is keeping them down. Just like when the resumes with ethnic names versus white names were submitted and the white named applicant was chosen more. This still blows me away. I just don’t understand why whites have the upper hand. It is just so upsetting that there is such a focus on race in our society. The ridiculous facts about the treatment of minorities make me feel awful. I always feel compelled to try to fix everything, but I get frustrated when I realize I can’t.

The guilt comes from feeling like I don’t deserve the benefits of being white when others aren’t receiving the same treatment. I guess I just want everything to be fair and equal. Does my skin color really make me better and more likeable? Heck no! Then why does society see it that way? I really just don’t get why some people think that being of color makes you different from a white person. Usually, I try to sympathize with people of color by putting my feet in their shoes, and sometimes it is difficult to really know what it is like to be a part of a minority that is treated differently from a white person on a day to day basis. It is really a challenge sometimes to look out of a different lens as Sam would say.
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After I contemplate the guilt, I usually realize that it’s not my personal fault that minorities are treated differently. Of course, I definitely do not try to add to any discrimination or unjust treatment. Really though, I am glad that I can become more educated about the unfair acts towards minorities. This way I am at least aware of what is going on. Before this class, a lot of issues of race for me were just “swept under the rug”. They just seemed so sneakily hidden that I did not realize the differences or issues of being black or brown. This might be another reason why I feel guilt. I have just never really considered the events that go on by having a darker skin color. I always just assumed hateful words were spoken from whites towards minorities but there are so many more subtle events of discrimination that I really had no idea were occurring. I didn’t realize there was such a huge division between most whites and other races.

As a parent, I really wouldn’t mind if my child was gay. It’s just how God made them. The bottom line is that they are still my child. Truthfully, their sexuality really isn’t my business as a parent, I just want them to be happy. Sadly, their sexuality really does affect their life though. I think the moment my child would learn about their sexuality would be really worrisome for me as a parent. It opens a whole new chapter of trouble. Now there are more things to stress about, who are they having sex with, is it safe sex, will it cause problems in their relationship? I’m really a big believer in love in the heart is first, then sex afterwards. Sex just makes things complicated.
My biggest worry though is how others will treat my child. I don’t know if in the future some will still attach negative connotations with being gay when I’m a parent, but it would be hard seeing my child get hurt because of his or her real self. I would do my best to make sure that he or she knows that I will always love him or her. As a parent I would want to protect my child as much as I could from all of the jerks that hurt people because they’re different. It would be hard to see my child have to deal with those jerks on top of everything else in life.
I would just hope that they are comfortable enough with our relationship to tell me about their sexuality. This way I could help and possibly advise my child to be safe. Gay children already have enough conflicts that family should be their support system. Home should be a safe haven where they feel comfortable and loved. At the house, my child’s gay sexuality wouldn’t be big deal, I would treat my gay child no differently than if I had a straight child.
Of course, it would change things alittle, but what’s wrong with that? I’m sure it will be fun explaining the situation to grandma and grandpa. They might be ok with it, but eventually they’ll have to get over it. I think the biggest challenge will be dealing with others and making them look past my child’s sexuality. Why does my child’s sexuality make him or her different from your child?
Overall, it’s really scary to even be thinking about being a parent. I’m definitely not ready for that now, but when it does happen, I hope to be able to deal with all of the crazy curveballs my kids throw at me with respect and good judgment. I hope my actions will affect their viewpoints in a positive way where they can be role models in their society.

The video about the different bike thieves really spoke about how certain people view race. Sadly, there are racial stereotypes out there that some people just believe are true. I think this is because they haven’t been exposed to various races. Most of the people in the park were white, so maybe the community surrounding it was also predominantly white. They may have quickly picked out the black thief because he was out of the ordinary and not from around their area. Although, I’m sure there is more to it and that could be one factor to the difference in responses. Of course, the thieves weren’t exactly the same aside from race either. The most noticeable was their style of dress. First impressions can make a huge impact. The black thief was wearing more baggy clothes which can imply being a “hoodlum” whereas the white thief was wearing more fitted clothes. One woman even described the white thief as “looking like he worked for the park”. These small differences can really impact first impressions, but race had to have played a factor in the different responses. I’m sure the stereotypical black criminal was the automatic response for some.

Really what was most curious was the treatment to the girl. I couldn’t believe that some people would think stealing was ok just because the thief is a girl. There was a lot of stereotyping when people passed her. She was a damsel in distress, or a helpless girl that doesn’t know how to use a saw and chain cutters. If she needed help, she should have brought some with her. This is the 21st century and people still think that girls are not independent or able to do things for themselves. Girls are just like everyone else. Why do they get special treatment? I’m sure it’s very beneficial to receive this attention, but shouldn’t they have equality as well? I guess it’s a man’s world and they just can’t resist a beautiful woman. I really was curious as to how people would react if the girl trying to steal the bike wasn’t attractive. Would she have received the same treatment? What if the girl was black? Would that have changed things?

Honestly, if I was passing any of the thieves I probably wouldn’t have done much. It’s just a bike, and I would’ve been confused as to if they were stealing it or if they forgot their key. I wouldn’t have wanted to spend the rest of my time in a nice park waiting for the police to come or see what happens to the thief. This situation just really didn’t make me want to act on it. I do really like that show and some of the other topics that come up seem more important than a bike.

First, I’m so glad to be able to witness these growing businesses and I think that it is very encouraging to see people who are in tough situations make use of their strengths and abilities to make a living. It is great that they are able to not only learn a skill for themselves, but also teach that skill to others. This really gives me hope that the business industry in Haiti will develop. People are able to learn trades and skills that can better their own lives as well as their apprentices or hired workers’ lives too. It is really a domino effect that will allow for more growth and independence of people throughout Haiti. They will have something to be proud of and be a strong part of their community. This also means that others will benefit from their goods that are Haitian -made. All of the money is not going out of the country to imported goods. These businesses will allow Haiti to be able to rely on itself. They just need accessibility to materials for constructing their product, and I think that once more businesses are started opportunities will be made available.
From what I saw, it is very difficult to get a business going and these people are amazing for putting in the hard work to even get where they are. There are many steps to starting a business and here in America, we take it for granted that the resources are so readily available. We are able to get materials from all over the world very easily unlike in Haiti. I’m sure they have difficulty finding other skilled workers to help run all parts of the business from sales to development to production to security. Even finding a location big enough and not scorching hot would be difficult. Impressively, these entrepreneurs have shown that it is possible to get somewhere by working hard and utilizing ideas and creativity. They have put in the hard work necessary to support themselves. Of course, it’s not always easy and probably not always prosperous, but I’m sure they feel good about their products getting out to the public.
I’m so glad to have the opportunity to give them a little extra help so their business can be the most successful as well as making them happy. I’m totally willing to use my American resources to aid them but do not want them to become reliant on that aid. I hope that the decisions my group make will be enough of a push that it will really make things easier to have a business. Now that the problem has been brought to my attention I am really excited to have the chance to help. It’s awesome that this is way more specific than just send money because we never know exactly where that money is going.