I know it is stereotyping of certain people but in the past 5 years in my town the mayor has constantly been trying to stop immigration of illegals in our town. A few years back an illegal immigrant shot a man in the head in broad daylight over drugs and there was a drug raid finding more than 5,000 ecstasy pills along with close to 750,000 dollars in cash which brought in five illegal immigrants. The mayor tried to propose an illegal immigration act to congress but was never passed. The mayor is now running for Congress in November. Overall I believe that something has to be down in regards to illegal immigration whether it is becoming stricter on our borders or making everyone legal inside our borders.

I believe that if you intend to cheat or not do these things properly you should not be welcome in our country and should be deported. In respect to the question that the blog asks I do not believe that legal immigrants should be “rewarded” for working hard in America because that is what Americans are known for and every working class person that was born in America must do in order to be successful and help you and your family to live a decent life. I understand the other side of the argument and how people only try and illegally move into the United States because there conditions where they are coming from are far worse then you see in our country and I always hear people say they are just trying to help their family and their children. It is hard for me to have compassion for illegal immigrants as a whole because in my town there are constantly crimes reported in the newspaper and the news dealing with illegal immigrants and violence and drugs. I understand that this is not the case with every person that enters the country illegally but the facts are there and they don’t lie.

When James Truslow Adams wrote up the definition of the American dream in 1931 he defined it as a national ethos of the United States of America in which democratic ideals are perceived as a promise of prosperity for its people. In the American Dream, first expressed by James Truslow Adams in 1931, citizens of every rank feel that they can achieve a "better, richer, and happier life." The idea of the American Dream is rooted in the second sentence of the Declaration of Independence which states that "all men are created equal” and that they are "endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable Rights" including "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” The rights that Adams was talking about in the Constitution are given to citizens of our country as a privilege and are a benefit to being a legal citizen to better yourself as an individual. You receive proper entities that able you to work, drive, have a house, and go to school.

There are so many different views on immigration and there always be two different sides of an argument of that nature that usually there is no actual right response or right view on the issue. I definitely agree with the girl in class that every immigrant coming into the United States should do it legally and become a citizen of the United States. There are borders around are country for a specific reason and that reason is to keep America prosperous and safe and keep the citizens of the United States reassured that they are living in the greatest country in the world.

Finally someone asks about if men feel the need to fit a certain stereotype in order to fit in. We have been discussing about how women have to be a certain shape or size in order to feel good about themselves and I was wondering when someone was going to ask the question. I think that men definitely feel like they need to be a certain way in order for them to be more accepted by society. In my discussion group last week we briefly discussed how gay and Jewish people ordinarily do not fit into the same subject as sports. I never really thought about this until a guy in my group that is Jewish spoke up. He said that when he was in high school and enjoyed sports and wanted to play that his father said to him that his position in a game should be a spectator because he is Jewish. That statement kind of struck me hard. I know that some men do not want to participate in sports when they are gay because they do not want to get picked on in the locker room and do not want to be outcaste as the gay jock, but I never knew that Jewish people felt that they do not fit in sports.
Back to the original question I believe that all men starting during puberty feel the need that if they are big and bulk they will fit in the popular crowd and won’t have any trouble picking up the ladies. Speaking for myself even though I am not a big gym guy, I feel that people will approach me differently if I am clean cut and more muscular than the average Joe Schmoe. I think that society puts this image in our heads that we need to be when we are young through tabloids and celebrities. Television is overly watched in our society and for the most part you see this stuff right there. Saved by the Bell and Family Matters explains it all, Zach and Slater are always competing for the ladies while Screech constantly tries to fall in love with Lisa Turtle. Urcle constantly tries to get Laura, but doesn’t really get her until he transforms himself into a muscular, buff, alter-ego Stefan. We watch these things as kids and feel the need that we cannot be that schrony nerd in school and need to be the star of the team that gets all the cheerleaders. It’s not just on television but it’s all around us. When you walk on campus for the most part you see these different groups among our peers. Usually people of their same status hang together when they are out or on campus. Just trying to extend that effort to be a part of a group can make you get embarrassed and can be a total loss of self-esteem. Don’t get me wrong not everyone is like this but when people are in large groups they tend to stick to the “prototype” of how they classify themselves. To be a man you need to have that Incredible Hulk physique as well as a love for sports and especially be able to pick up the ladies.
My girlfriend’s mother shared a story with me about how she went to her 20 year class reunion and was glad to see that the high school nerd which everyone picked on became most successful and is an aero-technician with NASA. In school he always got picked on and now she said he has a beautiful wife and kids. The person that always picked on him got the award for most DUI’s since graduation. Makes you think about how you should act towards peers while you’re young.

I saw this video a while back and just like everyone is saying it was disturbing for me when I saw it. I just don’t really understand the concept and I don’t think I really ever will. It’s a shame that young kids actually thought this about the dolls simply based on the color and thought they were “the bad doll”. I know when I was younger my cousins would always be playing with Barbies and dolls and from what I can remember very seldom in the mix would be a doll that was not white. I think it would be cool to do some research on the production of dolls during the 1990’s and see the comparison of dolls that were sold. When I was younger being white I never really thought about being a superior race or that my skin color was better because I have light skin. When I showed my friend the video he had some mixed thoughts about it. He said that he believes that no person is born with these beliefs and society probably has something to do with their thought that the white doll is the good and nice doll. He said that through television and movies it brainwashes children to believe some of the thoughts that these children shared in the study. Then again my friend is not a psych major and he is white so I think it goes way deeper than just society alone. When we saw the video in class I wanted to see the reactions from the people around me and then I realized that it was disturbing not only to people of color but everyone. It has to be upsetting when you see people of your own race at such a young age portraying these beliefs and speaking about then without any knowledge of why they are being asked the questions and the purpose of the study. I think that definitely has to strike people in a difficult way and people want to change how these children see people of their own race. I thought maybe it could be just the people in the study and that the children that were chosen to do the study were maybe from tough neighborhoods that only knew to think that white people and dolls were better than dolls and people of color. After I checked out some other responses one stood out to me because she said that when her little sisters or family members would play with dolls they would always play with the white ones and the Asian ones would always be left in the corner and never touched. After taking this class it kind of gives you a better understanding and a broader outlook on issues like this. Instead of watching it and having no learning of race equality you may just think wow this is terrible but when you have some knowledge of actual race relations you can better understand maybe why they said what they said and not just think that it is terrible. Just like the video on c-span where the man said that all white people need to be exterminated. Some people are just raised and always taught from a young age that having lighter skin is better or that all white people are bad people. I think a race relations class should be taught in high school so people don’t grow up thinking that they are superior or inferior to other people of a different race.

I also agree that we do need to change the books that young students read and are taught to learn during the early stages of education. I remember when I was going through elementary school and high school I did not learn about the things that actually happened before our era. I really did not learn in detail of the accounts of our history and why whites “should” feel guilt today. All the years leading up to college we learned the basic accounts of African American history and the troubles they encountered, along with how the Native Americans were moved from their lands from the early settlers. Not until the college level was I introduced to classes that actually unveiled the true accounts that happened and exemplified the terrible things that did happen. In my early education I was taught about civil rights and Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks. Now in college I am taking classes like SOC 119 and Malcolm X where I learn all types of racism that occurred and still occurs today. Rather than learning that Malcolm X was a Black activist that was persistent upon ending racism I learned a whole course about his whole life and this taught me more then I could learn upon simple research. I agree that learning material should definitely incorporate more detail so young people are not stripped of the knowledge that exists of our history in America. Although I think we should reshape how we teach our young students I also believe that white guilt is not going to change from learning about history differently. White guilt is going to exist as long as people of color feel obliged to make white people feel guilty. What is the difference between a person of color who feels that they have been held back from succeeding by white people and poor white people who believe they cannot make it in this world because too many minorities are taking jobs away from whites? I think that white guilt is going to exist in people for a long time. It’s going to take time before people “forget” about the past. We still have family members that were alive when the events occurred that people feel guilty about. I feel like this question is open ended because there are so many ways that you can attack it and so many different views that can be expressed about it. As a white American I do feel like there is a part inside of me that does feel guilty for people of color whom have ancestors that were forced to struggle in life because of my white ancestors. Although that guilt is there I do not think that people should have to suffer because of the guilt. Today every person in America can make it as long as you are given the basic necessities when you are born. Rather than feeling guilty about race issues I think people in America should have guilt for people who are born without a chance to make it in the world. Some citizens in America have the net worth of their own to clear out the poverty issues that too many people in our country have to face.

It is of no question to me that we as Americans have done many things wrong in the past. I think the genocide of Native Americans is at the top of the list in regards to our civilization basically kicking people out of their own land and even murdering them in cold blood. I don't think that people are not necessarily "taking it home" but rather people or our generation is good at blaming other people for their faults. Because the people of our generation were not the actual Americans that killed the Native Americans and made them move to reservations, they basically just shove it in their back pocket and think it's not their fault and shouldn't be blamed for it. I agree with Sam that the most important thing for us to do is to accept the fact that we have done something wrong. When the victims of this genocide see that the people whom have committed the act are simply saying that it is not their fault and they are just being compensated for the blood and tears that they have shed with things like casinos and black gold basically is just not good enough for them. The fact that we as Americans have turned these helpless people into bitter turmoil between drugs, suicide, and poverty is the important subject. I believe that the government should set standards for the people that are going through these hard times and try and help them. With all the money that we just raised for the natural disaster in Haiti it shows that we can help people who are struggling and have no help for them. I don't see what the difference is between helping people in Haiti and raising money and giving government funds to the Native Americans that are in need. Just like I stated earlier, the people of my generation simply believe that they did not do anything wrong. This can be said just as well for the Native Americans that are struggling in poverty and drug abuse today because they and their parents and grandparents were not given the same opportunity that we were given. The fact of the matter is that the numbers do not lie. The statistics that were shown in class of Native Americans simply shows that they are in need of help. I think that it definitely hit home to me when I learned the actual statistics of turmoil that these indigenous people are going through. Although I believe nothing is going to happen until we admit that we made a mistake and take the proper steps to fix it. I will once again go back to my point on helping the people of Haiti. Our country is proud and didn’t think twice about helping Haiti when they were in desperate need for help. Even with our country being in an economic depression we still have the funds available to help people that basically lost EVERYTHING because of something that wasn’t their fault. I hope more people believe the same way that I do that we need to help these people before the genocide wipes them out completely and there is nothing else we can do. I think we need to help them while we still can before it is too late, hopefully it already isn’t.

I think first I should start off by saying that the Lieutenant Governor Bauer should stick to a script from now on when he is running for political positions and speaking in town halls. It’s interesting to see the vast majority of comments that people are posting about this slip of the tongue that Bauer is getting a lot of attention for. I agree with most views and think that is was morally and ethically wrong for him to say such things during a town hall meeting. To compare welfare recipients to animals is kind of crossing the line when you are saying it publically. I agree with some people that it really does not bother me and I also agree with some people that his comments were bluntly uncalled for. To me, if he believes that some less fortunate people can be classified as animals, then that is an opinion of his that people like me, just do not agree with. I can see if he mentioned it privately, but in this instance where he said it in front of an audience, paints a portrait of the qualities he has as a human being. Of course, being politically active, he instantly got addressed publicly by Democratic rivals for the comments he made. I think in apologizing for his statements he could have showed a little more symphony. By telling a story of how his grandmother used to tell him not feed the stray animals because they will reproduce is a little harsh. By just saying that you didn’t mean to offend anyone by saying it, doesn’t help improve your image to potential voters. With the economy being as low as it is many minorities have to resort to welfare and food stamps to survive. Jobs are not available and with poor children that need to receive the welfare to survive, the comments he made do not make sense. Because he is running for Governor of South Carolina I believe he should be trying to help these people that have to result to welfare and food stamps. Instead of making these irrational and nonsensical comments he should be speaking about how he is going to improve their living standards. After visiting Bauer’s website, I understand what he means when he says that there needs to be some improvements in the way people file for welfare. I also believe that there should be some requirements in acquiring welfare. He believes that people that are “riding the system” are depriving people who are truly in need of help receiving what they need. Some of his points are logical and completely rational. He thinks that parents of children receiving free lunches should be required to attend-parent teacher conferences. This would definitely benefit the child because they know that their parent is being involved in their schooling. Also, requiring drug testing for adults receiving tax-funded benefits definitely needs to happen. Some may just spend their check on drugs and deprive their children of what they really need. (http://www.andrebauer.com/)
Overall, I believe calling any human being an animal in a derogatory manner is morally wrong. Doing this in front of an audience is at the utmost unacceptable. I think he was referring to people who take advantage of the welfare system, which by all means is still not proper for someone who is running for Governor. Instead of classifying as animals and ruining his image, he should be speaking about his plans to better the welfare system for people who are in desperate need for it and back to being economically stable.

After seeing and researching about the sovereign amount of racism that occurs in European soccer I am overwhelmed by some of the actions. After reading some other posts I agree with many opinions on the issue and the points that people have made. With Europe being immigrated by many “dark skinned” peoples from Southern countries many white Europeans are not adapting to the transformation well. White Europeans are losing their jobs and the culture that they were used to is changing and from what I have researched they are not happy about it. An article from the USA today goes in to detail about the rioting that occurs and the racial insults that are chanted and screamed to players that are of the minority. These players, which some are the best in the world, are not scared to verbally state their opinion on how it affects them in many different ways. The world cup was playing in Germany in a renovated Olympic stadium that Adolf Hitler was once attending in 1936. The article also states that an anti-racism group in Germany warned non-white world cup visitors to avoid rural towns and villages outside of Berlin. (http://www.usatoday.com/sports/soccer/worldcup/20...
This type of behavior would never be accepted in the United States. Racism is still occurring everywhere in the world but it hasn’t been around sports in our country since 1947 when Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in Major League Baseball. Robinson also dealt with problems when he became the first black baseball player. Drafted by the Dodgers, even some of his teammates said that they would sit out rather then play by his side. Managers took care of the issue and it never came up again. Some opposing teams threatened to strike if Robinson played in the game. Maybe the other teams just knew that he would play in six World Series, win a Championship, go to six all-star games, and be the Rookie of the Year in that first season he played. A majority of our sports are dominated by black athletes, even golf with Tiger Woods. With our country revolving to have our first President of color in office, the type of things that were shown on the clip from Sports Center tolerated let alone possible. I researched that European soccer has been known for their rowdy crowds and behavior they render during soccer matches. I agree with FIFA President, Sepp Blatter, that change needs to come or intervening will have to happen. By making countries and their leagues, like European soccer, enforce laws and make the sport more safe and racial incidents disappear. It is a shame to hear the President of a sport that consists of so many countries and can bring so many ethnicities together say that if these actions continue he will have to abdicate world cup matches. I know racism exists but why must it happen at an event where there are so many different types of people you can learn about? In my opinion I think it would be an awesome time to go and meet people from around the world, not fight and lash out to people in racial slurs.