en-us https://www.intensedebate.com/users/1132292 Comments by soitgoes00 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-8-lesson-14-affirmative-action__trashed/#IDComment85182421 July 7, 2010 I too have seen the Oprah video before and can relate to it just like you. I went to the “better” school, which also happened to be about 35-40 minutes away from my home district’s school. It is a shame that some children are subjected to such terrible learning environments. It is worse to think that there could be A LOT of really bright kids that could make a significant impact on this world and we are restricting their education and learning capacities. I think school is one place where opportunities could be made the same for most children, and while everything else seems to be unequal, this is one thing the government could equalize but has not yet done. Tue, 6 Jul 2010 20:10:10 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-8-lesson-14-affirmative-action__trashed/#IDComment85182421 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-8-lesson-14-affirmative-action__trashed/#IDComment85182353 July 7, 2010 I agree that inequalities are a part of life. Of course, if we are on the “winning” side of whatever is unequal, we are okay with inequality. Also, everyone wants different things as you said, and I like how Dr. Richards pointed out that some of us want to work and be successful while others are happy under their coconut tree. I actually babysit too and have gotten most of my babysitting jobs due to nepotism – I did not even think of that! I too would like to think I am qualified for the jobs that have been handed to me, even if they have been handed to me. Is this what Dr. Richards was trying to point out when he said we put ourselves up on a pedestal or are we TRULY capable of doing our jobs efficiently? I think it may be a mixture of both. I too will use nepotism to further benefit me and my family. It just seems like the obvious thing to do… Tue, 6 Jul 2010 20:09:43 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-8-lesson-14-affirmative-action__trashed/#IDComment85182353 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-8-lesson-14-affirmative-action__trashed/#IDComment85181279 July 7, 2010 Inequality will never go away as Dr. Richards said. The ones who are “on top” will never allow other groups to quite reach their level. While I understand this and admit that I would not want a totally equal nation, I must also say that the current gaps of inequality must be bridged together a bit more. Affirmative action is a way to help bridge these gaps, though I think there may be a better solution out there. What this solution is, though, I could not tell you… Tue, 6 Jul 2010 20:01:32 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-8-lesson-14-affirmative-action__trashed/#IDComment85181279 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-8-lesson-14-affirmative-action__trashed/#IDComment85181222 July 7, 2010 I also wanted to say that I agree that something must be done about our education system. It is so obvious that some children have a significant advantage over others. Sometimes, we can do something about these situations, and sometimes we cannot. I certainly think we should try to level the playing field a bit by giving students the same education on a national level. As the one student said in the video, wealthy people will still wind up benefitting a little more than others, but at least the gap will be closed a little. I believe this is the least we can do. It hurts to think that there are bright individuals out there who are not using their full learning potential because they do not have the opportunities to do so. Tue, 6 Jul 2010 20:01:07 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-8-lesson-14-affirmative-action__trashed/#IDComment85181222 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-8-lesson-14-affirmative-action__trashed/#IDComment85181175 July 7, 2010 I do not think affirmative action and nepotism is bad if the people who are “advancing” or “benefitting” can prove that they can handle the job they were given and can prove beneficial to their company, school, etc. I know when I was given my summer job, I worked extra hard to prove that I was capable of doing the jobs handed to me because I did not want to be seen as “the boss’s daughter who got a job handed to her.” I feel like others who are like me may think in the same way and work extra hard to prove their competence. Some, however, may not. Tue, 6 Jul 2010 20:00:44 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-8-lesson-14-affirmative-action__trashed/#IDComment85181175 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-8-lesson-14-affirmative-action__trashed/#IDComment85181150 July 7, 2010 For as long as I can remember my parents have told me that it is not what I know, but who I know. I never wanted to believe this because I thought that I was perfectly capable of getting any job I desired or getting into any school I wanted because I could show that I was a good worker and a good student. However, when put up against someone who has a connection, I often lose out. I see now why affirmative action has been put in place. Dr. Richards asked an important question – is affirmative action really that bad? I can now honestly say it is not. I am also one who says nepotism is not that bad. Why? Because I have benefitted from it directly and will make contacts in life so that myself and my family can use these contacts for our benefit. Why do something the hard way when you can just call up someone you know? Why should I go through the rigorous process of applying for an internship when my aunt works at the place I want to intern at and can get me an interview right away? Tue, 6 Jul 2010 20:00:29 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-8-lesson-14-affirmative-action__trashed/#IDComment85181150 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-8-lesson-14-affirmative-action__trashed/#IDComment85181121 July 7, 2010 Before this lecture I was strongly against affirmative action. I believe that people should be hired for jobs or accepted into schools based on their qualifications. However, as a “victim” of nepotism, I now realize that I have been given opportunities without displaying my abilities first. When I was 15 my father got me a summer job at an office; my dad was the Chairman of the Board of Directors who made the executive decisions of this particular office. I started off being paid $8.50 an hour, and by the end of the summer was being paid $9.50 an hour. This was unheard of for someone my age where I live. Today I still hold this job at $12.50 an hour, which is more money per hour than any of my friends make. How did I get this “great job” as my friends describe it? Because I had connections. Tue, 6 Jul 2010 20:00:17 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-8-lesson-14-affirmative-action__trashed/#IDComment85181121 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-8-lesson-14-affirmative-action__trashed/#IDComment85181098 July 7, 2010 I am very happy that Dr. Richards brought a lot of these truths of affirmative action and nepotism to light. I for one never realized how very similar affirmative action and nepotism were. To backtrack a bit, I was shocked by the realization that most of the ten percent of beneficiaries of affirmative action were white women. I was further surprised when Dr. Richards pointed out that by white women being the beneficiaries, white men receive benefits as well (by being married to these white women). I think it is strange how these programs that are not necessarily made to benefit white males wind up benefitting them in some way. Tue, 6 Jul 2010 20:00:06 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-8-lesson-14-affirmative-action__trashed/#IDComment85181098 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-7-lesson-13-immigration__trashed/#IDComment84817004 July 4, 2010 Finally, this lecture also confused me on my stance of immigration. How are we supposed to solve this issue if we are all confused over it? Furthermore, it does not help that we are being given mixed messages on this. It is hard to change all of our views (especially the negative ones) on immigration quickly. I think this will be a slow progressing issue, but I hope it can be solved. Guess we have to look to the businesses now… Mon, 5 Jul 2010 02:53:42 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-7-lesson-13-immigration__trashed/#IDComment84817004 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-7-lesson-13-immigration__trashed/#IDComment84816906 July 4, 2010 I too never realized how much we do not want poor people in this country unless they can be exploited. It is like we are saying, “Okay, you are poor, but it is alright if you can help me out and help me prosper.” Otherwise, why deal with the trouble of poor people? The whole roommate example was truly helpful. I agree with you – I would want a wealthy roommate and have had a wealthy roommate. This made for a very easy living situation. I was very disturbed by the Congo video. If Congo was a person and not a dog would the situation be different and Congo be prosecuted? It is sad that we are valuing a dog’s life over the life of an immigrant. No matter what, the immigrant is a human being, and he should be treated as such. Mon, 5 Jul 2010 02:53:14 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-7-lesson-13-immigration__trashed/#IDComment84816906 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-7-lesson-13-immigration__trashed/#IDComment84816047 July 4, 2010 The last segment on immigration leading to transformation was very interesting. I personally think it is great that immigrants are so connected to their families, as families are highly responsible for how we are socialized. Furthermore, the innovations that immigrants could bring could be extremely beneficial to our society. Now my stance on immigration is more back-and-forth than ever. While I can see and have seen how immigrants affect our workforce, I do not simply see their presence as negative anymore. It is true that the costs and benefits of illegal immigrants truly balance themselves out. So, what do we do? I honestly could not propose a full-fledged solution yet. However, for now I believe we should make more of an effort to welcome immigrants and should certainly document all immigrants coming in and out of the country. I agree with Dr. Richards that illegal immigration is not good. If we could make these illegal immigrants legal (or at least know who is living in our country) I think the situation would improve. Mon, 5 Jul 2010 02:44:43 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-7-lesson-13-immigration__trashed/#IDComment84816047 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-7-lesson-13-immigration__trashed/#IDComment84816016 July 4, 2010 I was extremely struck by the KKK video. I cannot believe the numbers of Klan members who were recruited. If four million was the high point back then, I could only imagine what that number would have risen to now had the KKK retained the power it once had. In the Hispanics video, I was not surprised by the woman with the sign. I have seen a lot of people vocalize their dislike of immigrants. My uncle actually has a sign on his car that reads “Can’t feed ‘em, don’t breed ‘em,” which he claims refers to immigrants who reproduce and take all of our tax dollars and health services. I think again these are sticky situations… people are righted freedom of speech, yet I believe they should do so in a constructive manner and not in a way that raises anger and hate, like the one video showed of the man who appeared to have too much caffeine. Mon, 5 Jul 2010 02:44:25 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-7-lesson-13-immigration__trashed/#IDComment84816016 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-7-lesson-13-immigration__trashed/#IDComment84815996 July 4, 2010 The background of immigrants slide was very eye-opening. I was shocked to read that over fifty percent of African American immigrants had college degrees. I honestly forgot about the previous lectures when Dr. Richards talked about how many immigrants from Africa and the Middle East are highly educated. If these are the people coming in to our country, should we not welcome them? Those with college degrees would certainly be beneficial to businesses. Then again, are these educated immigrants trying to take the jobs of American citizens? Perhaps this is why the issue of immigration is so difficult to address; it seems like a lose-lose situation in trying to reform immigration policies. I agree with Dr. Richards that whatever we have now in the free market works. Mon, 5 Jul 2010 02:44:07 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-7-lesson-13-immigration__trashed/#IDComment84815996 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-7-lesson-13-immigration__trashed/#IDComment84815976 July 4, 2010 I was completely oblivious to the concept of businesses controlling immigration policies. It is funny because my friend’s uncle picks up Mexican immigrants every day to work for him and his business. It is true that immigrants are willing to work for less; I believe this is the reason as to why so many Americans are frustrated with them. The cost of living in the United States is extremely high. I live in New Jersey in a county with one of the highest tax rates in the entire country. Of course, people in this area expect to be paid more because they need the money to afford their houses. However, immigrants are willing to do our jobs for much less and this takes away OUR opportunities for jobs and OUR abilities to upkeep our households. So while immigrants may help business owners, it hurts us legal citizens who are trying to work for small business owners. At least I understand now why the free market likes immigrants. Mon, 5 Jul 2010 02:43:54 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-7-lesson-13-immigration__trashed/#IDComment84815976 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-7-lesson-13-immigration__trashed/#IDComment84815953 July 4, 2010 Now I can say I have a better understanding of WHY people come here and have a better understanding of immigration’s background. I thought it was very interesting that Dr. Richards pointed out that no matter what, people hold on to some part of their own culture. I think it important to realize that my relatives, who came here from Europe, did not drop their culture immediately after coming to America. How hypocritical is it of me then to complain about immigrants not adapting to our culture? I think if everyone realized this we would be a little more welcoming of immigrants, or at least more willing to help immigrants learn our language and adapt to our culture. Mon, 5 Jul 2010 02:43:38 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-7-lesson-13-immigration__trashed/#IDComment84815953 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-7-lesson-13-immigration__trashed/#IDComment84815942 July 4, 2010 The second I saw the topic of this lecture I was very interested in hearing what Dr. Richards had to say. I admit I am one who until now did not fully understand immigration and thought this was mainly a political issue. After all, this is what the media makes this issue out to be. Until this lecture, I had very strong opinions on immigration, most of which were negative. I felt that if people were coming to this country, they should AT LEAST learn our language. I sometimes find it rude when people do not use our language in our country. Mon, 5 Jul 2010 02:43:28 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-7-lesson-13-immigration__trashed/#IDComment84815942 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-7-lesson-12-multiculturalism-lgbt__trashed/#IDComment83630813 June 30, 2010 I was actually listening to the radio the other day and they play the top song of other countries on their radio show, which is really interesting. I too agree with the double standard comment. I know that if I were moving somewhere I would WANT to learn the language so I fit in and adjusted better. Last, I think it is really great that people are open to somewhat mixed neighborhoods – again, though this may be progressing slowly, it can eventually lead to a bigger change. Thu, 1 Jul 2010 02:45:08 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-7-lesson-12-multiculturalism-lgbt__trashed/#IDComment83630813 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-7-lesson-12-multiculturalism-lgbt__trashed/#IDComment83630682 June 30, 2010 I think you make a good point on the whole “more diverse community” statistics. Though these numbers may seem low they were most likely lower years ago, which does show that we are becoming more accepting of other cultures and of immigrants, even if progress is slow. But some progress is better than no progress at all. Regarding the rap music, I too was really interested in the video. It was interesting to me because a lot of the rappers here are people of color, yet a lot of rappers from other countries were white. Also, when Dr. Richards pointed out that the rappers used the same hand gestures, I rewatched the video and was shocked to see that I had not noticed this before. I have friends who live in Germany and they always say that music from America is the most popular amongst them and their friends, though they release songs later in Germany than they do here. Thu, 1 Jul 2010 02:44:49 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-7-lesson-12-multiculturalism-lgbt__trashed/#IDComment83630682 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-7-lesson-12-multiculturalism-lgbt__trashed/#IDComment83628357 June 30, 2010 I always notice when two men or two women are holding hands or embracing each other in a mall or on the street. I do not know why this catches my attention – perhaps because it is something “different.” Sam really put this and the homosexual lifestyle into perspective in this lecture. My boyfriend and I ALWAYS hold hands, so why shouldn’t homosexuals have this same right? Why can’t these people walk in peace? Why do we judge these individuals so harshly? Do people of color hold homosexuals in such a negative light because this makes them more relatable to whites and white culture? Does this hating of homosexuals put people of color in a majority group? I really wonder about all of this… Thu, 1 Jul 2010 02:36:03 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-7-lesson-12-multiculturalism-lgbt__trashed/#IDComment83628357 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-7-lesson-12-multiculturalism-lgbt__trashed/#IDComment83628330 June 30, 2010 As far as homosexuality is concerned, I can say that I have known homosexuals who “you could just tell” were homosexual from a very young age. I truly believe that homosexuality is biological and not so much sociological. I love how Dr. Richards made the distinction between choosing gay sex and choosing to be gay. Often times we see these two things as the same, but in reality choosing gay sex is more of a choice than choosing to be gay. When I was younger, I was slightly homophobic. In recent years, however, I have gotten past this, because I realize that homosexuals are born gay. I also realized that they should have the same partner rights as heterosexual couples. Why should we discriminate against this group? Why do we choose not to focus on other “sinners” in our religions and just focus on gays? What is the big deal? Thu, 1 Jul 2010 02:35:50 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-7-lesson-12-multiculturalism-lgbt__trashed/#IDComment83628330