en-us https://www.intensedebate.com/users/2401937 Comments by sml5346 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/12/02/voices-from-the-classroom-85/#IDComment231957161 I think the “American Dream” still exists, but it now exists in many shapes and forms. Just as most things from different eras, certain terms have to be updated to fit around the changing face of the American people during modern times. I think today the “American dream” can even be decided on a personal level. Back in “the day”, the “American dream” was to have a wife and two kids and a dog and life in a suburban house. Now, today, some people just don’t want that. So many people come to this country to accomplish what they think is our collective dream, something that may have changed in definition. Some people might think of themselves as living their dream if they live in an apartment and have a high ranking job. Some women may think of their dream as being a stay-at-home mom, others cringe at the thought of having “mother” as their only job. It depends on the person. I do believe, however, that people of color are more concerned with obtaining that “American dream” stereotype than white people are today. Today, living in that suburban household is normal for white people. In today’s society, conforming to the norm isn’t always what’s best for us. I think that’s what makes it harder for some of them to understand why illegal immigrants do what they do. All they have heard that in America, the dream is to start out at a small job and eventually make enough money to live with your family in a suburban household. Now, that isn’t the goal for many wealthy Americans. I think that can be confusing on both ends. I don’t think Affirmative Action takes any of this away, either. If it allows more people of color to live the “American Dream” lifestyle, then so be it. They are more gracious to have it anyway, as it’s what they’ve dreamed of their whole life. Rich white people have grown up in American Dream households and want something different, which is understandable yet also understandably frustrating for people of color. I think soon, the “American Dream” will have been totally redefined to be something else, what I can’t say. But I don’t think that people of color will be completely left out of it. As we learned in class, there will always be less people of color in the upper wealth percentage because of the extra leg up white people have gained, but there will be more people than ever before as the country begins to become more and more diverse. Whether or not that’s a bad thing is yet to be known. Also what will be interesting to see is the change in illegal immigration, because as far as I know the reason they come here now is for the coveted “American Dream.” Sat, 3 Dec 2011 03:27:26 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/12/02/voices-from-the-classroom-85/#IDComment231957161 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/11/15/voices-from-the-classroom-76/#IDComment227409537 I’m not sure what “speaking out” is classified as in this situation. If you mean just coming forward as a victim, anonymous to the public, I don’t think it would be so difficult to do so after this scandal broke. Anonymous hotlines were set up, and police were informed about the situation. I think any victim who was unsure about being hurt themselves or someone they loved being hurt because of them speaking out, it wouldn’t be so difficult now because of the resources. However, I am not a victim of child abuse so it’s hard for me to make an assumption about the level of comfort someone would have speaking out about Sandusky. I am sure that there are many people who will never admit to being abused, and it is understandable because of the trauma that they obviously went through. At this point in the trial, also, so many people have come forward that it would be hard for me to see any other situation other than Sandusky being thrown in jail. But I’m not a law student, so I don’t know too much about that either. The thing that can be so frustrating about this situation is that a lot of it deals with things that the majority population doesn’t know about or is uncomfortable speaking about—the law and child abuse. I think as this situation moves along we will be better educated on the matter, and maybe more victims would step forward, too. The other part of speaking out would be the first victim to reveal themselves, or speak anonymously to the media. I think this will happen after the trial is completed, doing it before that could complicate things. I think this would be a very difficult thing to go through for a victim, especially if they are choosing to reveal their face and name. I think all of the interviews that will happen after the trial will be fascinating. Because of the circumstances, we aren’t really allowed yet to hear from their own mouths what really happened, from the children to the football employees involved. But I think in order for that to happen a person would have to be in a right state of mind to speak out about it. I think out of anyone, we’ll see those who were angered by the situation. Those who are embarrassed and traumatized would obviously still be under bad conditions to release themselves to the public. Those who are angry, have a lot to say I’m sure. Either way, I’m sure someone will have the courage to speak out, because so many of the other victims have also gained the courage to do that. They will help themselves and others by getting the closure of having their attacker put in jail. Sat, 26 Nov 2011 01:07:21 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/11/15/voices-from-the-classroom-76/#IDComment227409537 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/11/10/voices-from-the-classroom-71/#IDComment220664521 I think it’s easy to argue either way. On one hand, many people might not have known about the riots if it wasn’t for social media. They also might not have thought it would be a good idea to riot if not for the opinions of their friends through social media. It’s amazing to think about the impact social media has had on the entire situation. I have been reading my twitter feed constantly all week, getting instant updates on various press conferences and events happening all around the area. I think everything would be a lot different if we didn’t have that tool. There wouldn’t have been as much of an instant reaction to Paterno’s firing, I don’t think. Facebook allowed everyone to post pictures and show friends exactly what was going on. If I wasn’t there, I could have easily followed everything through Facebook. Youtube lets us see what went on during the riot after it happened, something that normally would be reserved for the news channels. This is why the media is so competitive to report things first, because in the world of social media being first is really, really important. Whoever gets their report on twitter, or even just on TV, is the reliable source. I think this is why some reports have been partially misleading, but I can’t say I want to blame them for that. It’s a real risk for reporters…take a longer time to confirm a lead and have your story break last, or be the first to report and be wrong. I think that’s part of the risk of the job though…exciting for me, as a journalism major. I also think that the riot would have been bigger without social media. Word of mouth is still a very popular tool, and without the distractions of cell phone cameras, etc. I think there would have been more violence among students. I think the surge in cell phone photo taking is good for some photojournalists, because they used to have their cameras seized after events like this, because they could have potentially captured something committing a crime. Now all the police have to do is go on the internet. I think people are too busy on updating their status or getting the video of the guy climbing the street lamp to even consider tearing down the street lamp themselves. I think this is a positive effect, because of the decrease in violence, even though of course violence did occur. Either way, social media has revolutionized the way we life, and the way that we viewed this event. Even though what happened wouldn’t have changed regardless of the social media, but the way we consume information definitely has. Time will tell whether or not this is a good thing. Sat, 12 Nov 2011 01:29:31 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/11/10/voices-from-the-classroom-71/#IDComment220664521 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/11/03/voices-from-the-classroom-64/#IDComment217105742 As much as they don’t want to admit it, the Occupy Wall street movements and the Tea Party have striking similarities. Of course, they are different in some ways, if they were completely the same they wouldn’t be two different groups. They both want the same thing—reform in government policies to make it easier for the “working man” to actually work. They protest in the same way, from grassroots movements, against the same greedy government. Besides the obviously physical differences, I don’t see what is so different about their politics concerning the current economic state of America. Of course, the kinds of people that participate in each movement are very different, which is what keeps them separate. They have a real distain for each other, and it’s confusing to me why this happens. I think most of it however has to do with opinions on social movements. I don’t think any of that should even be discussed though, aren’t these strictly economic movements? What does the morality of abortion and gay marriage have to do with the unfair system our government has created economically? I think discussing these things is a real roadblock for the Occupy/Tea Party movements. I was just today reading about how the Young Americans for Freedom—a cleverly disguised name for the student tea party movement, was PROTESTING Occupy Penn State. I personally do not support either movement, and I don’t understand that at all. It seems as though these two groups see each other and think that they’re causing more harm than good, which simply shouldn’t be true in their minds. It’s a shame, because it seems as though this movement would have a greater impact if they were able to bond together and form a large group of all shapes and sizes. This would also be nice to see in our own congress, but that’s another argument. Just even specifically at Penn State, I think if the occupy movement was a larger group, it would create a greater impact, instead of the current situation, which is just being stared at while sitting around playing bongos in the hub. Maybe they could take a hint from the “Young Americans for Freedom” and change their name to something more vague, I think both the Tea Party and Occupy whatever have been so stereotyped to a certain group of people, which is partially the media’s fault and partially their own fault. I don’t even see myself fitting in with either group. I think if they would both take two steps back and look at each other for what they can agree with, they could create a movement that creates a real statement and maybe would make our government think about what they are doing with the economy. Sat, 5 Nov 2011 02:29:48 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/11/03/voices-from-the-classroom-64/#IDComment217105742 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/10/27/voices-from-the-classroom-57/#IDComment213558998 I just don’t see how it would make sense to “give back” the land to the Native Americans. First of all, where are all of us supposed to live? Are we supposed to go back where we “came from”? Because the way it works is that Europe and wherever else the US Population came from repopulated themselves after they left. The Native American population is so small that it wouldn’t make sense to give them back such large areas of land. As harsh as this sounds, I don’t believe the land belongs to them anymore. We were able to overpower them and conquer their land, and in those days that was how you claimed land. Now in order to claim land, you have to purchase it. Obviously the Native Americans are not in the position where they would be able to purchase all of the land that they previously owned, So I don’t think it would be fair to kick people off their land that has been in their family for generations. I don’t think it’s right to blame people today for what their ancestors did so long ago. Of course what happened was cruel and wrong, and the settlers took advantage of the Native Americans being so behind technologically, and they should have treated them better. I have no opposition to helping them as a people through the government, because I just believe that everyone in this country that is poor should receive a little help so they will be able to bring themselves up from poverty. However, and again I know this sounds harsh, it seems as though many Native Americans are unwilling to bring themselves out of poverty because they are too stuck to their beliefs and views of their tribe. I obviously wouldn’t ever say that they should abandon their traditions, but it seems that they are very resistant to modern American culture. I’m not saying this is true for everyone, but I’m sure it is for some. And they have adopted some American culture, because it’s almost impossible not to. I used to live in North Carolina, and would often go to Cherokee, most commonly known now for its casino but also home to a large tribe of Native Americans. When you travel to the reservation, it’s almost like going back in time. These people are expecting to make a great profit off others observing their traditions, and I just don’t think it’s going to work. Even though I lived so close to the reservation, I barely knew anyone that was of Native American decent because they only lived IN the reservation. In this melting pot of America, how are we supposed to learn about Native Americans like we have with so many cultures if they are still so resistant to putting themselves in our modern society? So know, I don’t think we should give the land back, I think they should earn it back. Fri, 28 Oct 2011 19:59:06 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/10/27/voices-from-the-classroom-57/#IDComment213558998 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/10/20/voices-from-the-classroom-51/#IDComment210302336 My short answer to this question is….no. But here’s the long answer: why would someone hanging out with a lot of people of a different race make them a poser? As someone who has a lot of friends that are a different race than me, I can say that I wouldn’t ever want to identify as black or any other race…because I am white. I honestly would be pretty offended if someone accused me of wanting to “be black”. Not because I think being black is bad, but because it insinuates that I’m only friends with my friends in order to appear as being something I’m not. That’s not fair to them, and it’s not fair to myself. For some people, maybe it’s just simply about enjoying the cultural variety of having friends from different backgrounds. Or maybe it just doesn’t matter. I don’t think it’s fair to criticize someone for being friends with a diverse group of people, because it’s not a bad thing! I think it’s better to associate yourself with a lot of different types of people, because you can teach each other a lot of things that you might not have known without having a close relationship with someone of a different culture. I think a lot of it depends on your location, too. Some people just so happen to live in an area where race is uneven and they might be part of a very small minority. Would you ever call a black person that lived in a predominantly white community a “poser” for hanging out with white people? Who else are they supposed to be friends with? I don’t think it would be right for someone to alienate themselves from different races just to avoid looking like someone they’re not. Of course, it’s not healthy to only have friends of different races either. It’s important to at least have a few friends that are in the same culture as you that you can associate with every once in a while. I guess maybe I just personally don’t understand why anyone would ever purposely want to try to be a different race than their own. Maybe that’s because I’m white and I still don’t really understand what it’s like to be in a minority. But I don’t think that would apply for choosing friends. Maybe if someone wanted a certain job they would dress more “white”, because more white people get hired. But in those situations, they don’t ask you about who you are friends with. I just don’t think anyone who would purposely be friends with black people to “look black”, and if they did they wouldn’t be that great of a friend, would they? Fri, 21 Oct 2011 01:01:13 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/10/20/voices-from-the-classroom-51/#IDComment210302336 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/10/12/consider-the-issue-of-freedom-vs-determinism/#IDComment207569654 Being conjoined, it seems as though these twins have a lot predetermined for them in their lives. But according to the video, it seems as though they are developing at an above average rate, evidenced in their ability to drive and clap their hands. It’s interesting to me that when asked about their future careers, they talk about their aspirations as “we” want to do this or that. They are very much aware that if they were to be able to go to some higher education system they would have to study the same thing because it would be impossible for them to not have all of the same classes. Fortunately for them, because they are twins, as I’ve studied in many classes a lot of their interests are statistically probable to be the same. It’s interesting about what each twin talks about being their own and what is theirs together. They didn’t discuss their biological differences in the clip, but they discuss having children and firmly state that BOTH of them will have children. It wasn’t made clear whether or not they had separate reproductive systems or not, and I’m not a doctor, but I am guessing it would be VERY difficult for them to have their own biological children. I do wonder if they would consider dating two different people or one person, if a person would even have to be able to choose between them. They do have two different brains though, so it would be possible for someone to prefer one twin over another. The famous Bunker twins, the basis for the term “Siamese Twins”, were each married to individual women and fathered multiple children each, but because they are male it may be a different situation, and of course the organs and body systems that conjoined twins share are always different. It seems though that these girls and their family are very realistic about what they will be able to do in the future, even with what others would consider being a disability. In terms of being hired, I do wonder where these girls are today and what they have been able to do in terms of employment. One of their teachers brought up the interesting point—would they be hired as two different people? Obviously a company couldn’t hire one without the other being there. Also, would they be paid in two salaries? I could see a company being hesitant in paying them a double salary seeing as, technically, they only have one body to care for. This is something that they would have struggles with their whole life, something that was predetermined for them as conjoined twins. So even though it seems as though there isn’t too much freedom in their lives, and there really isn’t, these girls have managed to cope with it and work together to live the best life they can. Fri, 14 Oct 2011 21:02:15 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/10/12/consider-the-issue-of-freedom-vs-determinism/#IDComment207569654 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/10/06/voices-from-the-classroom-36/#IDComment204568050 This can be a touchy subject, because a lot of people think that when you say that women who dress the way they do to parties here “ask for it”, they think you mean that they are asking to be sexually assaulted. But in reality, no one asks for that. But they do ask for what they do receive—attention. Attention can be both positive and negative, though. And it is the unwanted attention that a lot of people get in trouble with. And some girls at parties don’t know how to get rid of it or aren’t able to because they are so drunk. Unfortunately the way that the Penn State culture has turned, the less clothes you wear out the more attention you receive from the opposite sex. It’s frustrating for me personally, because I feel like I put so much time and effort into what I wear but guys can walk into any party with jeans and a t-shirt and get the equal amount of attention that they give to other girls. But that’s just the way it is. The reality is that a girl dressed in jeans and a t-shirt is going to get less attention than a girl in a short shirt and high heels at a party. It does not even always matter about the physical attractiveness of the girl either, which is strange. There is an established dress code for girls going to parties and anyone who doesn’t follow it isn’t going to get much male attention. But again, no one is “asking for it”, If “it” means being sexually assaulted. But they are asking for “it” meaning potentially unwanted attention. If any girl is uncomfortable with getting attention at a party when they’re dressed in that certain way, then maybe they should reconsider their wardrobe. I think it is important for women to be aware of their surroundings though. As we learned in the lecture the other day, men can take the smallest hint and run with it. This can be potentially dangerous when a girl’s outfit is conveying that they could possibly be willing to partake in some kind of sexual activity. And of course, when alcohol is added to the mix things get even more dangerous. I do not think this means that people need to wear turtlenecks and skirts to their ankles at parties, but if people expect to be treated respectfully as a woman while wearing a skirt where your butt is almost peeking out and they’ve drank so much they can barely stand up, it is just not going to happen. I don’t think anybody in the world would treat someone like that with too much respect. Sat, 8 Oct 2011 00:01:01 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/10/06/voices-from-the-classroom-36/#IDComment204568050 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/09/27/voices-from-the-classroom-23/#IDComment201152520 I don’t believe it is race that absolutely determines drug use- I think it’s socioeconomic status. I think race is almost a coincidence; it just so happens that a lot of people who abuse drugs in poor areas of the country are black. I think where you live has everything to do with illicit drug use. The way that our society has progressed over the years has led to drugs being more popular and available in these poorer areas. Of course, the rich have their own drugs, but for some reason they aren’t seen as “illicit” as other types of drugs used by the poor. I wonder why this is, when someone who is poor and of a minority race is seen doing drugs they are seen as a “crackhead” and a “deadbeat”, but someone who is rich and white is seen as “classy” and “having a good time”. Again, this is not assumed 100% of the time but overall that’s how people see it. I think there is also a difference between WHY these different groups of people use them, because even I personally wonder why someone who is struggling to get by would even use drugs to begin with. That’s not really a question I could answer because I have no experience with it, but I can guarantee it is different from the rich white person’s reason for snorting a line off a $100 bill. Where I grew up, I didn’t have any opportunities to buy or sell drugs because that wasn’t the type of place where it was easily available. Could I have found some if I actively sought it, probably. But the reality of it is that people didn’t openly use drugs in my suburban neighborhood where most of us were white. If I lived in a different neighborhood where there was more poverty, the chance that I would encounter drugs on the street in which I lived would be much higher. I have read countless number of stories, mostly from celebrities, where they claim to have sold drugs when they were younger living in the inner cities, because it was a quick way to get money and it was in demand. I could never imagine with my upbringing resorting to selling drugs at a young age just to get by. But that’s just because of my sheltered upbringing. But again, I don’t think any of this has to do with race. White people can be poor too, and black people can be raised in a wealthy neighborhood. Sure it doesn’t happen as often as the opposite situation, but it still exists. And not everyone who is poor does drugs, either. But it’s just the way the statistics go, and hopefully something can be done about that as our society progresses on. Fri, 30 Sep 2011 03:33:28 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/09/27/voices-from-the-classroom-23/#IDComment201152520 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/09/20/everyone-respond-to-this/#IDComment197240878 I am interested in starting this project mainly because I don’t know what it is about. I think many people, myself included, are aware of the poverty in other countries but do not fully understand the extent of it. We all know about the earthquake and the devastation it caused, but how much do we know about their life before that and the lasting effects that are still seen today? I think this project will really open our eyes and answer that question. It seems as though there is so much more to learn and understand about these people, and I am excited to have the opportunity to do so. I think it will be interesting to look at their situation from a Sociological perspective and the fact that there are specific examples of people make it even more informative and educational. What a great resource to have firsthand experience from our instructor for this project! Hopefully it will go both ways and I will be able to help them while becoming more educated. It was certainly eye opening to see the videos of the Haitian entrepreneurs. What interested me the most when I watched some of the videos was the simplicity of the products being made by the Haitians—none of them were necessities, they were all more crafty products. Every product featured was something the person was very passionate about and put a lot of hard work into. It kind of reminds me of small businesses here in America, where people make and sell products that incorporate something that they know and love, such as the picture frames or the clothing shown in the videos. I think it makes it easier to understand as a sheltered American, to compare and contrast the things that make us different and similar. The people featured in the video had dreams and ambitions just like any American businessperson does when they first start out. However, Haitians do not have access to some of the privileges we get, such as loans or even the resources to manufacture quality products. This is why I understand their need for donations from foreign countries, because these basic necessities are simply not available where they are living. Hopefully we will be able to assist them with this for the project. As I stated before, this is going to be a very informative process. I learned things just from watching the few videos I watched, so I am excited to get more in depth. I am not a business major, but it will be interesting to see the business process in progress in another setting different from America. Overall, I am excited about raising awareness for this cause and I hope I can educate others while I am also educating myself about Haiti. Fri, 23 Sep 2011 05:59:05 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/09/20/everyone-respond-to-this/#IDComment197240878 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/09/13/voices-from-the-classroom-7/#IDComment193974246 First of all, white people can say the n-word if they so choose. The question is, SHOULD they say it, and should other racial groups say it. My answer is no for everyone, but as a white American woman I feel as though that’s a typical answer. I’ve used the n-word once, and it was when I was younger, just to tell a friend what the n-word even was. I felt disgusting and vowed never to say it again. I feel like it is a word loaded with so much hateful history that saying it brings it all back up. I feel extremely uncomfortable when people use the n-word around me, even when they are black. Whether this is because of my own race I cannot say but I’m sure there are people of other races who feel the same way as I do. But it is a word that people obviously have various opinions about. Some have no problem using it every other word, others would have it wiped from the English language. Because of that, I feel as though it is something that could be debated for hours and never come to an exact conclusion. So I feel as though for this blog, all I can give is my opinion and not a definitive answer because there isn’t one. I don’t feel as though it should be used because it is simply an outdated and hateful term. I feel hypocritical saying all of this, however, because I do see why people use it. I feel as though African-American people have transformed the n-word to mean something that distinguishes themselves as a group, almost like a “secret” word that is exclusive to them that no one else can use. I listen to a lot of rap music, and I am honestly not bothered by the language they use. Sometimes it’s because I don’t know what other word they could use instead of the n-word. This doesn’t mean I think I can say it because they do, which I think a lot of people believe. Sometimes an artist makes it blend into the song and you barely notice it at all. I think if the definition of the n-word changes, it might take a while. It seems as though making a word negative doesn’t take as long as it takes to make a word positive. For example, the f-word (not fuck) quickly transformed from being a bundle of sticks or a cigarette into a gay slur over a few hundred years. I think it might take a while for the n-word to not be so offensive in our society, if that is truly what the African-American community would want. But as I said before, that may not be the intention. Fri, 16 Sep 2011 05:21:18 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/09/13/voices-from-the-classroom-7/#IDComment193974246 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/09/08/voices-from-the-classroom-6/#IDComment191615936 I identify Barack Obama as a bi-racial African-American because that is what he is. His father was a black man from Kenya and his mother was a white woman from Kansas. By our common definition he is bi-racial. He is said to be the first African-American president, which I still wouldn’t argue with because he’s more African-American that has ever been elected. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with calling Barack Obama a “full” African-American and I don’t think he would correct you on that either. Even though he was raised by the white side of the family, sometimes I feel as though he identifies more as a black man. It seems as though many people feel that way about him too. I can only wonder how long it will be for our society to be willing to elect a “full” African-American as our president. Technically, Barack Obama’s race does affect my opinion of him, because he wouldn’t be the president if he wasn’t exactly who he is today. His life and experience as a bi-racial African-American shaped him into the candidate that we elected. This doesn’t mean that I am prejudiced to him because of his race; it just means that I respect him and his decisions because of where he came from. The same goes for politicians who are women, gay, or any other minority that has not yet been totally accepted in the world of American politics. In fact, I’m glad that Barack Obama is the race that he is. I think that it shows in a way that not everyone is judging our politicians by what they look like, but instead what they BELIEVE in. I’m sure there were some people that voted against Barack Obama because he is black, but there were also people that voted for him because he was black, too. That’s just the way our society works sometimes, unfortunately. But I think the more we put minorities into popular positions in the public eye, the more we will come to accept them as “one of us”. Personally, I refuse to vote for a candidate that has anything negative to say about a certain group of people, the most popular now being gays or immigrants, because I think that takes us so far back as a society. I think that’s what makes Obama a better candidate. Because he has the background of being a minority, he has more of a chance of being able to relate to other minorities. So far, I have been a little disappointed with his decision making on some fronts, but I realize that there is only so much he can do on his own with the way our political system works. Fri, 9 Sep 2011 20:23:47 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/09/08/voices-from-the-classroom-6/#IDComment191615936 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/09/01/do-you-still-believe-in-evolution-and-superiority/#IDComment189230418 I very much still believe in evolution. It just makes sense to me. I also believe that there is nothing wrong with being a Christian and believing in evolution, too. One of answers on the clicker questions in class explained perfectly what I have been saying for a while- there is nothing wrong with believing that God guided the evolutionary process. I’m no perfect Christian, in fact I don’t even identify myself as one, but from what I learned growing up I think that it’s easy to believe in both. That’s why I think it’s so ridiculous that some schools don’t teach the evolutionary process. When I was in 7th grade, I went to a middle school in North Carolina that didn’t teach evolution (nor creationism). I read the chapter on my own because I thought I deserved to know, but what about the kids that didn’t? Would they grow up to sit in our Soc 119 class and have no clue what anyone was talking about? Or would they sit there and just shut down, believing that only their way is right, which is what many people teach. We have gone years and years as a society not teaching our children an almost proven scientific theory just because we’re afraid of it. The same goes for abstinence only sex education, something I was also taught in North Carolina. It just seems ridiculous that adults think it’s okay to not teach children something that is very popular in our world and have them grow up partially uneducated. On the topic of education, I think getting rid of the term “evolved from monkeys” would help people be not so apprehensive to evolution. Everyone that knows anything about evolution knows that we didn’t just evolve in one step like a Pokémon. We are scared to see ourselves next to the less educated, primitive Chimpanzee. We know we are all smarter than them, so how is it possible that we would ever be related to them? Seeing the genetic similarities is definitely mind blowing, but maybe pulling that all out at once isn’t the best approach. Teaching the survival of the fittest theory should include the explanation that evolution is a very long, drawn out process that takes millions of years. If just one generation were to understand this better, maybe we would change the minds of millions of more humans to come. We should be proud as humans that our race has evolved so much that we are the dominant species on the planet. Maybe that thought would inspire us to take better care of the planet so we can evolve more into an intelligent society instead of going back to chimpanzees!! Sat, 3 Sep 2011 03:58:16 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/09/01/do-you-still-believe-in-evolution-and-superiority/#IDComment189230418 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/19/what-americans-fear/#IDComment145248536 I think it is easy for Americans to be frightened by the sight of things as depicted in the video, who wouldn't? these are images of people saying that they want to kill americans. as an american, we think "what did i do that they would want to kill ME?" which can create a lot of unwarranted hatred towards islamic people. the reason that it is unwarranted is because the people holding these signs and threatening us are a very small number of people-- not EVERY islamic person wants to kill all americans. i think we also lose sight of the fact that a similar feeling can be felt towards Americans by Islamic people. As a white American, I don’t really know this for a fact, but why wouldn’t it? I’ve seen pictures of Americans carrying signs just as threatening about people from Islamic countries. Why wouldn’t they be as frightened as we are? It seems as though these kinds of things create so much unnecessary hate towards different groups of people that really have not committed any crimes. I don’t know if there really is a solution for this. For starters, videos like that should really not be made. Is it really necessary to scare people with things like that? It can create a lot of hate towards people that don’t necessarily deserve it as a whole. Yes, terrorist acts are bad and the people who commit them should be punished. It’s just a shame though that we always assume that EVERY person Is like that because they are from the same country. It’s a double standard, really, because no American would want to be treated like that. If an American saw a video like that, listing all of the bombs and militant acts that the US has been involved with, with a scary song playing in the background, we would be furious. But of course we are allowed to do it. I love the united states and I love living here, but I don’t love intolerance, which is what is inevitably created from videos such as this one. Sat, 23 Apr 2011 00:02:39 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/19/what-americans-fear/#IDComment145248536 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/24/religion-in-the-future/#IDComment137575801 This is something that I've been wondering for a while, although it does seem as though Christianity has built itself up to be such a power, especially in America, that there would have to be an extreme cultural revolution for the religion to be overthrown in anyway. It also seems the same way in older religions, but we as humans have been around for not so long, so maybe there will be another dominating religion in the future. But I don't see that happening any time soon. I don't think religion will die out unless there is somehow a kind of proof that the religion is wrong, because part of being human is wondering what our origin is and religion covers that void. Fri, 25 Mar 2011 21:36:02 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/24/religion-in-the-future/#IDComment137575801 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/09/the-r-word-and-the-oblivious-others/#IDComment135957207 It seems as though the "r-word" really holds a double standard in our society. The "n-word" has been more condemned, even though it has been picked up by the African-American community as a word of brotherhood, it is not accepted at all in other communities. The "r-word" has almost been redefined by most people as meaning something being "stupid," but this definition has not gone over well with the mentally challenged community. The "r-word" is a very juvenile insult, something I picked up on in middle school and haven't really gotten over to this day. As terrible as it seems, it is a word that I used so much when I was younger that I haven't been able to erase from my vocabulary. However, I think the "n-word" is one of the worst words in the English vocabulary and would have no problem with it being erased from the language. It seems that I myself have held a double standard about these words. My only hope is that younger generations do not make the assumption that the "r-word" really means "stupid," and can eliminate the "r-word" from the english language instead of holding a double standard like I do. Sat, 19 Mar 2011 02:01:03 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/09/the-r-word-and-the-oblivious-others/#IDComment135957207 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/28/the-lottery-as-a-blessing-or-a-curse/#IDComment132301233 I remember one time I was eating with my Dad at McDonald's during their Monopoly Lottery season, and before my Dad pulled the sticker off his fries he told me the first thing he would do if he won was quit his job. I've always wondered what he would do after that. My Dad has been working for most of his adult life, if the sticker from his fries were to give him $5 Million and he quits his job, then what? Part of me believes that my family could adjust a little better to an upper class life, as income-wise we are bordering on upper middle class. But my Dad doesn't seem like the kind of person who would want to just sit around in his own money. I think he would have trouble adjusting to that part of it; he might even decide to go back to work just because he can. Does Bill Gates need more money? No, but he stays employed because that's his life. The example of reversing the situation was very interesting to me, it reminds me of when I used to go visit my friends who lived in trailer parks. I remember thinking "how could anyone live like this?", not in a stuck-up way, but I just could not imagine living in a confined space, because I hadn't my whole life. But my friends and their family were perfectly adjusted to it, and were my family to switch places with them, they wouldn't have known what to do with the extra space. This seems to be the problem with poor people who win the lottery, they try to fill up "the extra space" as quickly as possible. It is unfortunate that the lottery is catered to people in the lower class, but the upper class don't NEED to play the lottery like people in lower classes think they do. Transitioning lifestyles can't be easy, and I think some people won't realize that until they get there. Fri, 4 Mar 2011 05:40:30 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/28/the-lottery-as-a-blessing-or-a-curse/#IDComment132301233 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/21/stranger-kidnapping/#IDComment130416471 This incident reminds me of a story with one of my mom's "friends". (She didn't really care for her too much, but she had to pretend because the woman's daughter was friends with my sister.) Her daughter was going into school from recess, and a man said hello to her from a car. She told her mother, who immediately began a media hysteria that the man was an abductor, etc. Apparently she told my sister she could have been the next JonBenet Ramsey. She was far too young to remember this reference, so I will assume that this was an idea planted in her head by her mother. Who did the man turn out to be? The girl's dentist. She just didn't recognize him from afar. He was picking his child up from school early. Obviously this girl's mother was a little out there, but was some of her panic inspired by such cases as JonBenet Ramsey? Probably. If a huge panic wasn't made every time a child was abducted every so often, would this girl have taken the man saying hello as just a man saying hello? Maybe. Of course, child abduction is a serious offense that absolutely should be taken seriously, but is it a "problem" as we discussed in class? No, not really statistically. I think it's important to educate children on how to act in these kind of situations, i.e. don't get in a stranger's car if asked, but to make sure we don't scare them into believing that this is something that will definitely happen to them at some point in their life. It's always important to be prepared for worst case scenarios, but it's equally important to remember that we are all not walking potential JonBenet Ramseys every time we leave our houses. Thu, 24 Feb 2011 21:19:18 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/21/stranger-kidnapping/#IDComment130416471 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/23/how-free-are-these-90-students/#IDComment124418313 I really find it difficult to believe that 90 girls would all choose to be pregnant at the same time. There was that one story a while back of that group of girls who all made a pact to get pregnant, I think they made a movie about it, but that was a small group of girls and I don't think this is something that could be coordinated by a big group. However, it does seem plausible that the pregnancies were the result of some kind of chain reaction: one girl got pregnant, her friends thought "oh, it's not that big of a deal if i get pregnant too.." and before you know it 11% of the school is pregnant. But this is more than just a fashion trend to these girls, what would be the "strings" that led to all of these girls becoming pregnant? Could it have been improper sex education? Reading the list of facts about sex-ed brings up some interesting points. Personally, I see abstinence-only education becoming less and less relevant to our society and culture every day. However, there are many schools that still teach this. As a matter of fact, when I was in middle school in North Carolina getting early sex education, the only time we talked about preventing pregnancies that didn't have to do with abstinence was when our teacher showed us an overhead projector slide that had a drawing of a condom. Other than that, we only were taught phrases like "everyone's NOT doing it," etc. I would find it interesting to listen to someone try and justify that kind of education in schools. Giving children, both boys and girls, an education like that is like a pregnancy bomb waiting to go off. But the blame can't all fall on the school, it really can't fall on a single cause. One could also argue that the economic status of a person could give them a higher probability to get pregnant, for reasons like not being able to afford a prescription birth control pill, etc. There are very many factors that led to this situation in Memphis. It is reasonable to say, though, that if the school were to take charge and not treat sex education like a four letter word as most schools do, ESPECIALLY southern schools in the "bible belt," then maybe they could level off the amount of teenage pregnancies in the school and get away from this controversy. Fri, 28 Jan 2011 21:59:43 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/23/how-free-are-these-90-students/#IDComment124418313 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/15/blog-1-freedom-and-toddlers-in-tiaras/#IDComment122652572 This is a tough subject to tackle, because there really is no real "answer" to it. When I watched this video, I personally was disgusted. I don't know the personal life stories of these people, neither do I know anything about these pageants. The most I know about beauty pageants is from the movie "Little Miss Sunshine." In this movie, Abigail Breslin's character rejoices when she finds out that she has qualified for the Little Miss Sunshine pageant. It did not seem in any way that her character was being forced to be in the pageant, so it didn't seem in anyway unethical. This can also be applied to real life; if the child is TRULY happy in competing in these pageants, then they have the right to do so. However, another concern is for the girls that are, as portrayed in the video, as young as two years old. The concept of when we learn to make decisions was discussed briefly in class, but when you are bringing such a young child into this environment, do they know that anything else exists? I personally feel that if you are starting off a two-year-old's life in beauty pageants, then they will continue to believe that is their only destiny in life. A similar thing could be said, however, for sports teams. If a child begins to play football at an early age, then perhaps if encouraged they could play the sport for their whole life. In the end, however, it is really the child who should decide what they want to do with their life when they become older. I took ballet lessons for a while when I was in kindergarten. One day, I decided I didn't want to do it anymore, and my mom allowed me to give it up. If parents were to act like that, maybe it would give their children a better opportunity to find what they truly love in life. And to end with another "Little Miss Sunshine" reference, towards the end of the movie, the little girls' family shows up at the pageant to find all the other girls dressed up similar to the cone-bra wearing girl in the video. After at first feeling self-conscious, she decides to just give it her best and be herself, even if she couldn't win. And that, in my opinion, is the definition of beauty. Fri, 21 Jan 2011 03:57:01 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/15/blog-1-freedom-and-toddlers-in-tiaras/#IDComment122652572