en-us https://www.intensedebate.com/users/764176 Comments by snookie10 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/how-am-i-not-a-racist__trashed/#IDComment69061782 I do think it is racist to believe that you are better than another race. However, I do not think it is racist to see how a population of people of a certain race lives, and acknowledge that you and people of your race live higher quality lives in the United States. It is important to just recognize not EVERYONE of that race lives like that. For example, a race that lives in a third world nation, can also exist here in the United States. Knowing and being aware of how other people are living, and believing that you have the power to make a difference—big or small is great and empowering. I really do not see it as being racist. Tue, 20 Apr 2010 20:38:29 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/how-am-i-not-a-racist__trashed/#IDComment69061782 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/this-is-totally-off-the-hook__trashed/#IDComment69059505 Wow. I cannot believe this at all! First of all, rape is a serious crime. Sexually torturing women for entertainment purposes should, under no circumstances whatsoever, be a video game! Of course this video game would be extremely controversial, and of course it would be pulled of the shelves immediately. How did the video game even get to the point of even making it into stores? Another question I have is what made the creators of this game even think for a second that it would sell and make profit? The fact that this concept for a video game was even a thought in someone’s mind is quite disturbing to me. In his post, Sam Richards says that people can use video games to release tendencies that they have in real life. This may be true. However, if someone has tendencies in real life of wanting to rape someone, he should seek immediate help from other sources. Raping women in video games is not the answer. Men who want to rape women have a serious mental disorder, and I do not think that video games are a cure for this illness. I think that men who get pleasure out of virtually raping women, will think that they will get even more pleasure out of raping women in real life. I think men like this would want to then it to another level—real life. Also, this video game caused quite a stir for women activist groups. A main reason for this is because the game is so unbelievably degrading towards women. In addition to raping women, men can also make women’s skirts flail up, along with other things. These “other things” are apparently too graphic for CNN to show on television! This video game, as I see it, really treats women as nothing more than objects. I was very glad to hear that the video games were taken of the shelves at stores. However, people were still able to find the games on the internet. It is just a shame how anyone in our society could easily access them. Sam Richards asks the question, “How many of you men reading this would play this game with your male friends and a couple of beers?” Although I am a woman and cannot answer this question, I instantly thought of all of my male friends. I can honestly say that I do not think any of them would. Yes, they are all interested in sex—of course! However, I really think—and hope—they would not get pleasure out of raping women in video games. They would go to pornographic websites, and watch pornographic videos to get pleasure form sex instead. I really hope that there will not be any more games made that involve raping women. Tue, 20 Apr 2010 20:20:19 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/this-is-totally-off-the-hook__trashed/#IDComment69059505 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/women__trashed/#IDComment68430385 I wish that everyone had the same attitude as the girl in this video clip. Every woman, regardless of outward appearances, should be proud of who they are. Unfortunately, I feel that it is so much easier said than done. As a woman, I try to tell myself to be happy with the way I am. However, I still continue to critique myself daily. I pick up magazines and watch television and cannot help but to compare myself to such “beautiful” women. It is a shame that society makes women, like myself, feel the pressure to be this idea of “perfect”. Everyday I work on trying to just enjoy the body that I have. Fri, 16 Apr 2010 21:29:11 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/women__trashed/#IDComment68430385 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/what-about-the-men__trashed/#IDComment68428313 I think that most men feel the need to conform to society, like women do. However, the ways they feel they need to conform are different than women. Women feel the pressure to be thin, big chested, etc. Men, on the other hand, feel the pressure to be “built” with big muscles, tall, etc. This is evident at the gym. Usually, the cardio room is filled with women and the weight section is pretty much occupied by men. I think this pressure to look a certain way is definitely due to media, for both sexes. While it is true celebrities come in all shapes and sizes, MOST of the women fit into a size two, and MOST of the men have six-packs. Fri, 16 Apr 2010 21:13:16 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/what-about-the-men__trashed/#IDComment68428313 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/what-if-we-got-rid-of-welfare__trashed/#IDComment66520464 This is a very thought provoking question. Personally, I think that taking away welfare completely would cause even more problems in our country than we already have now. I think that welfare should only be thought of as a temporary solution. It should only be assistance to help people get through hard times until they are able to stand on their own two feet. If welfare is taken away, the people who really need the assistance will most probably wind up on the streets. Furthermore, in many circumstances, taking away welfare will affect children as well. How can you take welfare away from a mother who is using the money to feed her child and keep a roof over her head. However, I feel that the system can easily be taken advantage of. If people on welfare are happy or okay with living on welfare, and know that they will keep receiving it, they might not even try to become independent. This raises the question of whether or not taking away welfare will encourage and motivate people more to go out and find a job. However, what happens when a hundred-and-ten percent effort is being made by a person, but that person still cannot land a job. There seems to be no answer! We need to come up with a way to improve the distribution of welfare to weed out those who think of it as “free money”. Getting rid of it completely is not the answer though. I personally know someone on welfare. For years she has been on and off welfare. I know that she would much rather have a job and work for her money. She is ashamed to be on welfare but knows that the alternative is much, much worse. The thought of taking welfare away from this woman completely, scares me. With regard to social status, I think that cutting off welfare will definitely increase the amount of people in the country living in poverty. Welfare eliminates a lot of the degrading differences that can be seen by others in society. Welfare allows people who cannot support themselves to somewhat “blend in”; subsequently they are generally accepted by society on a day to day basis. Without welfare, many people in society would be sleeping on the streets, and digging through trash to get food to eat. Welfare puts people in better situations and allows them to function somewhat normally in society. Despite this, the conditions that people on welfare live in are still not ideal. In order to better the conditions that people on welfare live in, these people need to find jobs. People’s social statuses becomes higher when they are working and receiving higher income. Of course it makes me mad to know that there are people out there who cheat the welfare system. Nonetheless, I feel better thinking about those who desperately need assistance, and are able to get it from the government. Thu, 8 Apr 2010 05:20:16 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/what-if-we-got-rid-of-welfare__trashed/#IDComment66520464 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/is-quality-the-question__trashed/#IDComment66489862 I never thought of it this way. Is it possible for affirmative action to hurt us? Affirmative action for minimum wage jobs is one thing-- but affirmative action in jobs in the medical field is another thing. In order to qualify to work in the medical field, a person has to be well educated with years of experience. I feel that affirmative action in schools is what gives people of all races an equal chance to get to that high level of profession. Affirmative action allows more opportunities for people to learn, study, and possibly work their way up to working such important jobs. I really do not think that doctors are given their jobs based on affirmative action, but on qualifications. Thu, 8 Apr 2010 00:44:08 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/is-quality-the-question__trashed/#IDComment66489862 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/i-really-want-to-know-also__trashed/#IDComment66488534 Sam Richards did changed the way I look at certain issues. He told so many stories, made so many legitimate arguments, and gave us so many facts that really made me stop and think. One lecture of Sam Richard’s that particularly stands out in my mind is the LGBT lecture. I left class that day with a whole new perspective on the LGBT community. I never really knew where I stood on the issue, or how I felt about it. Sam Richards made me understand the LGBT community more. He made it so clear as to why no one should discriminate against the LGBT community. I left class that day with my mind made up that I fully accept and respect the LGBT community. Thu, 8 Apr 2010 00:31:45 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/i-really-want-to-know-also__trashed/#IDComment66488534 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/those-damn-dolls__trashed/#IDComment64778276 When this video was played in class, I could not believe what I was seeing! At such a young age, children are already aware of the racial stereotypes in society. If this video is not a wake up call, then I do not know what is. Black and brown children should not be thinking that their race is inferior. Nonetheless, there are black and brown children who do think this! They truly believe that white people are superior. Why is this? Why is the young black girl in the video not proud of her race? Why does she prefer to have lighter skin? There is definitely not just one factor that contributes to this distorted way of thinking. Nonetheless, I notice that white children are given so many “white characters” to admire while growing up. Black children are not given nearly as many “black characters” to admire. I believe that giving black children characters that resemble not only their race, but beauty as well, is something that can be done to help alleviate this terrible situation. Growing up, I clearly remember how much I loved Barbie. She had the perfect hair, eyes, and body. Of course, I wanted to be everything that she was! She embodied beauty. When I would go to the Barbie aisle to pick out a new Barbie, I remember that there was usually only one or two types of dark skinned Barbie dolls amongst shelves and shelves of white dolls. Therefore, it is not coincidence that when we googled “beauty” in class, all of the results that came up on the first page were women who resembled Barbie. They were all thin, with straight and shiny blonde hair, and of course, white skin. Also, I remember growing up and idolizing the Disney characters Belle, Arielle, Cinderella, Snow White, and Sleeping Beauty. Just like Barbie, all of these characters embodied beauty as well. Not only did I consider them all to be beautiful, but it seemed as if everyone else thought they were beautiful as well. They were also ALL white skinned girls. At this time, there was not one black Disney character for young black children to idolize. However, I have noticed that today, Disney has made an effort to develop characters that represent all of the different races-- not just all white females. For example, Pocahontas is Native American and Mulan is Asian. Very recently, for the first time, Disney created a black Disney princess, Tiana. Tiana starred in the movie “The Princess Frog“. This is wonderful because finally, young black girls can feel proud of their dark skin. They have their own Disney princess to look up. It is just a shame that it took THIS long for Disney to do this. Hopefully this is only the beginning, and there are more Disney characters of different races to come! This will not completely eliminate, but help to solve the serious problem that is clearly affecting children at a very young age. We can overcome this, one step at a time. Tue, 30 Mar 2010 06:53:16 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/those-damn-dolls__trashed/#IDComment64778276 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/in-her-own-words__trashed/#IDComment64772292 I enjoyed listening to this monologue read by Laurie. I look back to the class when Sam Richards talked about Laurie (his wife) “bleeding”. I remember thinking, “Is this guy serious? That is so inappropriate to be saying that in a classroom of 700 students!” I was even a little disgusted. However, after listening to Laurie’s monologue, I now have a new perspective, and that is, “What’s the big deal?” Women should not feel embarrassed or uncomfortable talking about it. Most women do not feel as comfortable as Laurie talking about their menstrual cycles. This is because our culture basically teaches us that periods are something that is personal to women. Men will never have to go through what women go through each month-- mood swings, aches and pains, cramps, etc. Nonetheless, men should be aware of what is going on during a woman’s time of the month, and not feel so weird about it. Tue, 30 Mar 2010 05:51:09 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/in-her-own-words__trashed/#IDComment64772292 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/if-men-could-menstruate__trashed/#IDComment64769552 I think that this is a very odd question. If men got their periods each month like women do, I do not think that tampons would free. Just like Sam Richards said in class, “bleeding” is a natural bodily function just like sweating and getting hungry are. Both men and women sweat and get hungry, but deodorant and food are not free! There are so many things in life that men and women need but must still pay for. I think that it was such a shock for the class when Sam brought up this topic because it is rarely ever talked about outside of the “women’s circle”. Women talk about it with their girlfriends all of the time but never in public with men around. That is why it was strange for everyone. Because men do not get their periods each month, they will never fully understand what it is like. However, I think that mature men acknowledge that it is natural for women and not something that is gross or funny. Tue, 30 Mar 2010 05:24:11 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/if-men-could-menstruate__trashed/#IDComment64769552 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/women-and-sports__trashed/#IDComment63551612 I think this is such a good story. Today, it is common for women to become involved with sports such as basketball, soccer, lacrosse. However, football has always been considered a sport that is only played by men. Therefore, I was very surprised to find out that Natalie Randolph, a woman, is coaching a high school football team. It is obvious that she is very passionate about football. She says that even when she was a young girl she was very interested in the sport. Additionally, she played for a pro-women’s football league, so she has experience on the field. I think that in order for her to become coach, she must have really been qualified—due to the fact that a woman football coach is practically unheard of. After listening to Randolph in the video clip, I must say that she made me feel proud to be a woman. I’m sure there were men who applied for the position, but SHE got it! It just shows that women have really come a long way in society. Again and again women seem to prove that they are capable of doing more and more things that are considered to be male oriented. Although it is so great that Randolph is coaching a high school team, I am worried that there will be even more pressure on her than the other male coaches. Because she is a woman, people will be paying more attention to her and how well she coaches, than they would to male coaches. I think that if the team does not perform well, people will say that it is because a woman is coach. However, whenever she does something great and her team wins, people will say, “Wow, maybe a woman CAN actually coach football!” Randolph is definitely a role model for all women. She was determined to play football and in the end, did not let anyone stop her. When she was younger, she said her father did not allow her to play. Nonetheless, she did not forget about the sport, for when she was older, she played for the Divas. I am sure there are many other women out there who love football just as much as Randolph, but never considered perusing it because of their gender. I hope that Randolph’s story will inspire those women to not give up on something that they love and have passion for. This story makes me think if years from now, a female coaching football will become the norm. Years ago, it was unheard of for women to even PLAY sports. Now, women participating and competing in sports is not unusual at all. I hope that during the football season, everyone—team players and fans, respects Randolph and supports her. Mon, 22 Mar 2010 22:36:25 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/women-and-sports__trashed/#IDComment63551612 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/what-to-do-about-white-guilt__trashed/#IDComment63546158 This student brings up a very interesting point. I do not think that the history books are written from a “white perspective”. I think that the books are just telling it how it is. The books are a record of history. However, I feel that history books do contribute to the white guilt that is felt by so many people today because they are reminders of what did happen. Although I know that I am not a part of the horrible events that are written in history books, I acknowledge that it was the white people—people of my own race—that were. Mon, 22 Mar 2010 21:48:23 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/what-to-do-about-white-guilt__trashed/#IDComment63546158 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/is-this-just-a-few-bad-apples__trashed/#IDComment63544401 As stated in the First Amendment, “Congress shall make no law abridging the freedom of speech.” Public protesting exhibits this right. I personally feel that everyone should be entitled to say what they want and speak what is on their mind. However, there is a right way to get a point across, and a wrong way. This example of protesting is absolutely wrong. The words that were used as well as the images cross the line. Being this outwardly racist is definitely harassment. Comparing the president of the United States to Hitler, to me, is disturbing and makes me sick. Are these people proud of what they are doing? If I were them I would be ashamed and embarrassed. They are making themselves look like neurotic, irrational fools. Mon, 22 Mar 2010 21:33:19 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/is-this-just-a-few-bad-apples__trashed/#IDComment63544401 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/prom-or-no-prom-just-dont-let-the-queer-students-dance-together__trashed/#IDComment63027620 My jaw literally dropped when I was reading this article. First of all, I truly admire Constance McMillen for being comfortable with herself and her sexuality. It was bold of her to come out and actually ask if it was OK for her to bring her girlfriend and wear a tuxedo. Also, I think the school board in Mississippi really needs to wake up and realize that we are living in a different time—people are now open to same sex couples, and embrace them. For example, on television there are now many popular shows that involve gay characters. There is even a gay channel! This just shows that our society has definitely come along way—it is more tolerant and accepting of gay people. Therefore, it is utterly ridiculous to actually cancel the entire prom! It is not like Ms. McMillen is trying to ruin a high school tradition. She just wants to enjoy it and have just as good of a time as anyone else there. Furthermore, I cannot believe that a reason for canceling prom was because McMillen and her girlfriend would cause “distractions to the educational process”. What is educational about a prom? Nothing! Prom is a formal dance where students dress up, dine, and dance. The point of prom is to have fun with classmates and peers. Besides the issue of bringing her girlfriend, why would it matter what McMillen wears? Tuxedo or dress…who cares? It is not like she would be wearing an outfit that would threaten anyone. If anything, the school board should be more concerned about the dresses that most of the girls will be wearing. I remember at my high school prom, some of the dresses that were worn barely covered up anything and were definitely inappropriate. Ms. McMillen claims that cancelling the prom is an act of retaliation. I completely agree with her. I think that the people who make up the school board are stuck in a time warp and are not accepting of the LGBT community. They are not basing their decision off of how the students will react or feel about the issue. They are basing their decision off of how they themselves feel about the LGBT community. I really feel bad for McMillen because of what she has to go through in order to stand up for her own rights. It is unfortunate that there are still people in society who cannot accept people’s differences. Nonetheless, it made me feel better that McMillen’s parents support her and have her back. I also think that students will indeed blame McMillen for the cancellation of prom. But really, it is not her fault. Her intentions were never to have prom canceled. She just wanted to be involved in a way where she can really enjoy herself. Prom is a time to celebrate and have fun, not discriminate. Fri, 19 Mar 2010 20:09:30 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/prom-or-no-prom-just-dont-let-the-queer-students-dance-together__trashed/#IDComment63027620 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/what-happens-to-multiracial-people__trashed/#IDComment62863184 I understand what this person is saying-- if you are half white and half puerto rican you are not “white” nor it is being “black” or “brown”. He is white AND hispanic. Therefore, I feel that if he wanted to respond, he should respond as a white person-- because either his mother or father is white. However, because he is not 100% white, he should not feel that he has to answer for either team. In class I was sitting next to my friend who is Indian. He is not of the black race or white race so I was not sure if he was going to participate. It turned out he responded as a black or brown person, for his skin is very dark. All in all, I think the point of the exercise was not to exclude any races, but just to see how people feel about being the race they are, as well as see the stereotypes that are out there. Fri, 19 Mar 2010 00:37:38 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/what-happens-to-multiracial-people__trashed/#IDComment62863184 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/does-this-rudeness-thing-cut-both-ways__trashed/#IDComment62860973 I was thinking the same thing in class as well. Because the texts that were posted up were completely anonymous, people were not afraid to say rude comments about the “other race”. This made it interesting because it showed what people really think-- or at least the stereotypes that people are aware of and find funny. Racism from both teams were exposed. If the texts were posted up along with the texters’ names, I think that there would not be one single rude comment sent. Texting our ideas really shows that both teams-- black/brown and white-- can come up with rude things to say. It goes both ways. Fri, 19 Mar 2010 00:18:34 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/does-this-rudeness-thing-cut-both-ways__trashed/#IDComment62860973 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/a-long-long-way-indeed__trashed/#IDComment59498113 This is a very interesting question to think about. This is because nowadays, on channels such as MTV, there are black CELEBRITIES performing at concerts, showing off their amazing “cribs” and expensive cars, and even winning awards! On ESPN, you see black athletes scoring the winning touchdowns and baskets, and you also see the crowd-- which includes a lot of white people-- cheering for them. Slave owners would not understand this at all. I think they would be absolutely blown away and astonished. They would also be very confused as to how people who are the same race as their slaves could possibly be so successful. It is really crazy to think about. Wed, 3 Mar 2010 06:07:50 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/a-long-long-way-indeed__trashed/#IDComment59498113 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/lgbt-class-question-one__trashed/#IDComment59495528 This is a very interesting question. Homosexual couples adopting children is a very controversial issue—especially today. I personally feel that it does not matter who brings up a child, as long as the child is loved and properly taken care of. Therefore, I feel that it should not make a difference if two gay men adopt a child, or if two lesbians adopt a child. Either sex is able of bringing up a child. Today in society, I see that more and more people are becoming more comfortable with the idea of non-traditional families raising children. I have many friends who were raised by both a mother and a father. Although this is the “ideal” type of family, they did not have such a happy childhood. For example, many of my friends parents were going through divorces when my friends were younger. Those friends had to experience constant fighting and arguing throughout their childhood. Just because a child is raised by a father and mother does not necessarily mean that they are being raised in a nurturing and healthy environment. Wed, 3 Mar 2010 05:47:51 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/lgbt-class-question-one__trashed/#IDComment59495528 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/lgbt-class-question-one__trashed/#IDComment59495283 This is a very interesting question. Homosexual couples adopting children is a very controversial issue—especially today. I personally feel that it does not matter who brings up a child, as long as the child is loved and properly taken care of. Therefore, I feel that it should not make a difference if two gay men adopt a child, or if two lesbians adopt a child. Either sex is able of bringing up a child. Today in society, I see that more and more people are becoming more comfortable with the idea of non-traditional families raising children. I have many friends who were raised by both a mother and a father. Although this is the “ideal” type of family, they did not have such a happy childhood. For example, many of my friends parents were going through divorces when my friends were younger. Those friends had to experience constant fighting and arguing throughout their childhood. Just because a child is raised by a father and mother does not necessarily mean that they are being raised in a nurturing and healthy environment. Wed, 3 Mar 2010 05:46:07 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/lgbt-class-question-one__trashed/#IDComment59495283 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/whats-with-the-theme-parties__trashed/#IDComment59493358 I would definitely have to disagree that themed parties are racist against black people. My group of friends are mostly white; however, some are black. We throw parties almost every weekend, and each party always has a theme. The main purpose of a themed party is to have a fun way for everyone to get involved in the party. People love being creative and putting together different, unique outfits. When I stopped to think about all the themes we have had this year, I realized that we have more themed parties that make fun of white people, than any other race. For example, recently one of the themes was “White Trash”, where everyone exaggerated the “White Trash” stereo type. Some more themes were “Golf Pros and Tennis Hoes”, and of course, “Jersey Shore”. We all know that whatever the theme is, it is all in good fun and is not meant to insult or criticize anyone or any race in particular. There are SO many themes that have been done at parties, that it is unfair to say they are racist towards black people. What I think this student is referring to is the party theme “Gangsters”, or “Rappers”…something along those lines. While I cannot deny that this type of theme is a popular one, it is certainly not the only one. In order to generalize themed parties as “racist”, one has to consider all of the other themes that are done as well. In other words, if themed parties just meant dress up as a gangster or rapper”, then I can see how it is racist. However, it does not just focus on one particular stereotype. I think most themed parties are degrading towards women, if anything. This is because most themes insinuate that the women wear very little clothing. Even when the theme does not involve “Hoes” in its name, it most often still implies that the women dress “slutty”. Now that I am thinking about it, I think that themed parties-- at least themed parties in college, focus more on girls showing off as much skin as possible, rather than race or anything else. Nonetheless, it seems as if girls enjoy this opportunity to do so. In addition to my white group of friends, I also have friends that are black. Whenever my black group of friends throw parties, they always invite me and I go. Not all of them, but several of their parties that I have been to were themed. One was an “Ugly Christmas Sweater Party”, another was a “Highlighter Party”, and “Athletes and Mathletes”. The majority of the people at these parties were black, and they all seemed to be having a great time. The main purpose of a party is to have a good time. From my own point of view, themes are not meant to turn a party into a “racist party”. Wed, 3 Mar 2010 05:30:21 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/whats-with-the-theme-parties__trashed/#IDComment59493358