We are fighting for our freedom? For September 11th? What does Iraq have to do with oil and September 11th? Osama resides in Afghanistan, fyi...

This lecture was completely eye opening to me. First of all, I do not support the war in Iraq and even though I know soldiers that have fought there, and I know that they are good guys, just as Sam says he knows good guys that went there too, I don’t support them going there at all. The main reason I didn’t support people I know going to Iraq in the first place was because it was so ambiguous as to what their mission was. Did they know? I feel like right now I just want to call one of them up and say “Hey, when you were on your way to Iraq, what the hell did they tell you TO DO?!” because I have no idea! Later , and the rest of America, found out that we were there for oil. I was relieved when I found out some kind of information because at least it made some bit of sense, because before all my parents and other people would tell me is “we are NOT in Iraq because of September 11th” and I’d think, okay, well then why the hell are we in Iraq? I had a pretty good idea that Osama Bin Laden was in Afghanistan, and that our main war was being fought in Iraq. Good to know we’re only in Iraq for some greedy personal nature.
Also, another thing I’m wondering about now since this lecture is, why the hell are the US soldiers portrayed as good guys over there?! Not only to us, but to people in Iraq! They can’t possibly be there to punish people for random shit like looting and running their cars off the road, why the hell do they like us? Why are we giving them lollipops!? This situation is so ass backwards and people aren’t looking at all the info. It’s so hard to see all of the information as well. Like, how ignorant are we, really? I have this stereotypical view in my head that Middle easterners are so strict in their punishments and have all these stupid rules and stuff with these extreme consequences, like taking off one of your fingers because you took the lord’s name in vein or you stole a candy bar from a store and you’re being punished for shoplifting. OH, wait- I just watched American soldiers shoot the shit out of a car and then crush it with their fucking tank for… um, looting?! Are we serious? What right do we have as Americans to come into their country and punish them for this sort of thing? Like, oh, I didn’t know we were sent in as the new police in town. That video mad me sick. What was the point of shooting at the car with guns before running it over and crushing it? I’d really like to know that purpose. It totally seemed worth it. Or do American soldiers just want to play with their guns for a while? It made me feel embarrassed that I was American while I watched the American soldiers ruin that person’s car. They were acting like children, and like we are so much better than them. All I kept thinking was wow, the owners of that car are completely screwed now and have to find a new car, if they can even afford it, and they probably need a ride home to wherever they are, since they drove there to begin with, basically that the American just fucked their whole day (more like month) up, and what are the Americans going to do? They are just going to move on, keep driving down the road looking for more ways to ‘help out’, no skin off their backs, noooo.

I find this video so sad and it really opened my eyes up to a lot of things. I was completely surprised by the baby doll experiment, and how much stress black girls go through just by being different shades darker or lighter than their families and friends.

I like this video a lot because it seems to be made by all black girls and it does not show an opinion from the white girl or the latina girl. It is black girl and black girl talking about their issues with just being black. Not about being compared to white girls or asian girls or latina girls, but to other black girls. I think this concept is much overlooked when other races look at each other because we don't know how races interact within their race. We stereotypically and generally think that all members of one race will get along (it kind of reminds me of when somebody that doesn't know a lot of gay people meets one new gay person and says "oh I'll have to set you up with so-in-so! Because he's gay too- completely disregarding the person's personal standards or 'type' because to them, the straight person, their type is 'gay' ..anyway, just a side note that I found to be similar to the way I'm looking at this video). So anyway, I think this video gives a very good insight into how black girls interact with one another. I don't understand why lighter skin is seen as prettier or more attractive. I guess because I'm white I would not be able to see that, but can it be explained? Is lighter skin seen as more attractive just because it is closer to being white? Which also makes me wonder, do black girls that are 'black and proud' care about how light or dark their skin is? Because if you're proud to be black, and being light isn't (or is, it can go either way) related to being white, do they still think it is prettier/more attractive to have lighter skin?

I think it is awesome that a woman is a football coach. I also think (and what has been slightly overlooked here) it is awesome that she is Black because we all remember Remember the Titans and how much of a big deal was made out of a black football coach and the differences they overcame to adjust to it. Now, it is like race is not even looked at in this situation, which shows that we have come a long way in accepting people of color.
Keeping with the issue of race for a moment, and knowing that many people have considered how seriously she will be taken as a coach by her team members because she is a woman, does anybody think that she will or won't be taken seriously because she is Black as well? Personally I feel like many people look at Black women as being 'tougher' (not necessarily physically but mentally) than women of other races (including, but not limited to White women). I know this is a stereotype to think that all Black women have thicker skin and come off as tougher than women of other races, but stereotypes are what we act upon, and whether we're right or wrong, they're out there. So, that being said, I think that the fact that she is a Black woman, not just ANY woman, helps her in her ability to be viewed as a football coach. I think that people may think she means business and they are not going to try to walk all over her or not listen as well as they normally would because she is Black.
I draw this idea of tough Black women from a few different places. I think that Black women are not shown as overly emotional on tv or in the movies, as well as logically and historically they are less emotional because they have had to face (in general) more hardships and set-backs than women of other races. I feel like Black women are looked to as having to stand up and fight for what they want. I see it in movies all the time (again, this does not mean that I'm saying that this IS how all Black women ARE, I'm saying this is where I think a stereotype is born, and built upon), where a Black woman overcomes several obstacles to get ahead in life, and frequently mentions that she is a 'strong black woman' and basically doesn't take crap from others, especially men. Examples of these movies: Diary of a Mad Black Woman and Daddy's Little Girls.

Aside from that note on race, I am still very pleased to see a woman as a head coach of a football team and despite what others have been saying about it not being that big of a deal, I really think it is a big deal. I really look forward to seeing how well she does with the team.
However, I am also nervous that the team does not play that well and that everyone places blame on her and points to the gender issue. This is similar to what we see people to do President Obama when he does something that is less-than-great, everyone says "well we let a minority be president, and he fails in doing this..". I know that there are plenty of really shitty MALE football coaches who's teams play awful and nothing is ever said against them (in terms of gender, at least).

In response to question four about Native Americans, I think there is a small, simple role that we can play in changing the lives of Native Americans- we can change the way people perceive them. We can do this by simply recognizing that they have been wronged, which sounds obvious, but most of us don’t even do that. Many people are so ignorant to what happened to the Native Americans by the Europeans (whether they are your ancestors or not). In tying in another question posted on this site about Native Americans and how little kids are taught about them in school, I know I learned the truth about Native Americans later in life and while I was in school I learned all the happy aspects of their culture and way of life- not that we completely destroyed it. This simple recognition can go a long way! I think students should be taught about Native Americans as we are taught about the Holocaust. Worldwide, we revere the Holocaust and what happened there and the stories of many are infamous. Do we know any single story of any family or person, like Anne Frank, that survived the genocide against Native Americans? No.
I am a little annoyed at the class members who keep saying “what do you want us to feel guilty about? We didn’t do it- other people did! How are we responsible?” Um did Sam ask you to say sorry? No. He just wants us to RECOGNIZE what happened. I can’t wait until we look back on our academic careers and realize how much ignorance on this subject was taught. It’s like America as a whole is trying to cover up the fact that we were bad guys. We’ll put any other mass-murder or genocide in textbooks and school lectures, but God forbid we talk shit on AMERICA in schools! It DOESN’T MATTER if it was YOUR ancestors or not- it still happened. Were all of our ancestors Nazis and involved with killing enormous amounts of Jewish people in World War 2? No. Do we still feel compassion and recognize it and study it? Absolutely. So why not this genocide? Why is everyone acting like they’re being so attacked?
Although I am completely ashamed to admit this about a member of my own family, I think this information provides a good example of what ignorance versus recognition of this genocide can look like and how simply recognizing it can help: I remember about six months or so ago my mom was telling me a story about a conversation she had with a guy at her work. In whatever issue they were discussing, Native Americans came up and my mom said “oh they’re all uneducated alcoholics”. This makes me cringe because that is just so rude and ignorant. Yes, it is true that many Native Americans are not well educated. It is also true that many Native Americans are on drugs or alcoholics. But, hello? WHY do you think they are like that? Oh I don’t know, because we took everything from them and forced them into small living areas where they became depressed and poverty stricken?! Maybe. Maybe that’s a reason.
So what can we do? We can educate. Tell the people who don’t know. Tell the people, like my mom, who are so rude and ignorant when looking at Native Americans that they are wrong for doing so. RECOGNIZE IT- it’s really easy!

Diane Savino, a New York state senator, gave a fantastic speech about gay marriage not long ago. In her speech, she said that she was in her car at at light in traffic one day and a man on a bike recognized her and stuck his head in her window and said "hey what are you going to vote on the gay marriage issue next week?" and she said she supports it and he asked her why. She explained to him that she and him did not know each other at all, he just came and stuck his head in her window and the two of them could go down to city hall and get married instantly, without anyone questioning them. The man must have had an epiphany because that statement is so true and we don't even think about gay marriage like that. WHY do we constantly question gay people's motives but NEVER and man and woman's motives, just because they are a man and a woman?

Are we actually afraid that if we allow gay people to get married that it will ruin the sanctitiy of marriage? Because think about it- we let drunk asses in Vegas get married and we think THAT's sacred, but not two men or two women literally fighting their asses off to be treated as equals and legalize their committment to each other? If they're fighting this hard, and getting ridiculed this much, just to be together, I THINK that they think it is sacred. It is obviously a huge deal for them.

There are a few reasons why I hate when people say that, the first being just as Sam Richards brought up in class, with the cartoon that had all the OTHER reasons people get married, besides a religious sanctity between a man and woman: shot gun weddings (oh wait, aren't they call shot gun weddings because they are on a whim? and why is that? OH, because the people had sex outside of marriage and got married to fix their problem, i remember now. ALSO, people that have these shot gun weddings are also more likely to get divorced, another sin against religion, as I've brought up earlier. This is a totally logical reason to exercise our right of marriage, NOT), and getting married while drunk in Vegas - which is a hilarious concept, and do whatever your drunk heart desires (which will most likely also end up in divorce), but WHY is it ok for drunk idiots to get married just because they are a man and a woman? Completely illogical.

I think gay marriage should definitely be legalized and gay married people should have all the same exact rights as everyone else. This is guy is right when he says marriage was initiated in this country as a religious institution but come on, it is hardly even religious anymore. What is the percentage of people who get married that are religious? Also, what is the divorce rate? Because as I recall divorce is ALSO against religion andhalf the people who are getting married are also getting divorced! I hate when people use religion as a reason as to why being gay and gay marriage are wrong. It is a complete copout. Like, how religious are the people that are saying this shit anyway? I think people use that excuse because they can't think of a better one.

Do the people in this class agree or disagree? Would the fact from my teacher in social problems class offend you, because it generalizes all Black people as a whole, even if it is not necessarily a stereotype? I realize these questions are hard to answer and conclude a general consensus on, but I am interested to see how some people feel about these things.
I also asked my friend who is Black that is not African American if she was offended that there is not a box for her to check when forms ask her what race she is. She said she just checks off “African American” and is fine with it. Personally, I would be very aggravated if my race was not an option for me to check. I hate that everyone lumps all Black people into the “African American” category (I actually despise all race questions of forms altogether and wish they weren’t ever on any, but that’s another schpeel).