I have heard probably over a thousand stories, both true and false. Maybe I couldn’t tell which of them were true or not but I know that time can only tell. I always try first of all to surround myself with legit, truth-telling mofos. But if they decide to tell me a bullshit story, it might be in fun or it might be to show off. I can’t lie, I have told stories and maybe have exaggerated them a bit, but all in fun. Sometimes I have told stories that prove my manhood. People tend to up their own status and deflate that of others. People may not want others to know something about them or may be embarrassed but when pressure is put on you, you sometimes fold. I never asked myself, whom I wanted to believe. Lying can sometimes be confused with being polite, or just people forgetting. On average, people tell one to two lies a day, and these lies range from the trivial to the more serious. Deception lies in communication between friends, family, colleagues and in power and politics. When telling a lie face-to-face, the higher the stakes of your deception, the more cues you may give out that you’re lying. So, what isn’t in a text message may have advantages for a would-be deceiver: text doesn’t transmit non-verbal cues such as vocal properties, physical gestures, and facial expressions. There are a lot of people who exaggerate or simply lie, and then there are people who are simply stupid and don't know what they are talking about. I hear all of these cases all of the time. Many times I will just let the information go in one ear and out the other because it isn't worth deciphering what they actually meant or the full story. I just took those stories as they came. I don’t know what makes us want to exaggerate stories. Maybe it’s the pressure put on from society? Even with the media, you can often tell if a story is true or not. Just because you see it on the news doesn’t make it true. The Media are people like us. The stories they get can be as false as they please. Even with the things that Sam says in class. I respect him very much, but his ideas are HIS IDEAS. People often take what he says and runs with it without even doing their own research or anything. It’s a shame to see that as college students we often don’t make an effort to do so. It all goes back to life in general I believe. If you keep lying about your life, its not going to help you at all.

Ever since birth, I have been involved in church. My family pretty much put in my sibling and I head that we would dedicate our lives to the Christian ministry. At age 6, my mother accepted the Seventh-day Adventist faith. Her father raised her to be an obedient servant to the Lord. My father used to be a protestant and then converted to the Seventh-day Adventist faith. I remember when I was in elementary and we had to dress up for career day. I dressed up as a pastor. I even preached a sermon at my church for “Kids Day”. When I got older I started to see things in a different spectrum of light. Church all of a sudden didn’t matter to me anymore. I have to admit, I learned all my core values from church, and most of the people I know are from my church. I feel like growing up in church is beneficial. Then it comes to a point in your life that you have to choose your own religion for yourself. That is the point that I am at right now. I can’t stand being forced to church that’s why I became a rebel. Often times I always felt that my parents always did things according to church. I feel like your faith should only be between you and your God. When other factors come in between then its gets too sticky. My relationship with god is one that is very weird in a way. I feel like god knows my heart and he knows what my intentions are. I don’t need a church or a pastor to define my relationship with God. Thinking back on it now, I remember when I got baptized. I was 15 years old, about to start high school, and very naive. There was a crusade in my church and it seemed as though all my friends were getting baptized so it became sort of a fad. My friend encouraged me to get baptized with him. I agreed. You would have thought being a young Christian was enough to keep me out of trouble but in fact my behavior showed otherwise. I actually became a rebel, and started to engage in fighting, smoking etc. Chasing girls automatically became a priority and y focus was became blurred by stupid and reckless fun. Now that I am in college, I am exposed to a lot more religions and am trying to figure myself out. I feel like those who keep their religions are more respected. I see church now as more of a gateway. Its funny now that I think about it because when I think about having kids, I often ponder the thought of me raising them in church or not. The more I think about it the more I am actually grateful that my parents raised my siblings and I up in church. Its just one of those things to help guide your life and become a good, and honest citizen.

To me this video displays exactly what it is to be racist. Never in my mind have I thought of this scenario but it tells us a lot about how racism is still well and alive today. Unfortunately that is what we have come to expect out of society. While it is expected it is still very disappointing to see as well. It was at funny to see the stereotype unfold, but after a while it became a little uncomfortable. The reactions to the black male were much more intense, some of the people calling the police and ripping the tools from his possession. It was more evident when the black boy was stealing the bike. People clearly didn't hesitate when they saw him trying to steal the bike because it is engrained in people's minds to be more afraid of black people than of white people and more distrusting as well. Some one said that it may have been a generational thing which i could see it being also, but older people stopped by the white boy as well. If anything, i would think that being older would increase the likelihood of reporting the black boy to the police. If you are going to commit yourself to a situation to that point you should definitely continue to step in and say something. Feeling this way, they probably would have taken some sort of action, whether it be calling the police or finding a park official to intervene. the black and white male had on the same type attire and neither one was wearing "street clothes". One had on a blue shirt and one had on a red shirt. Both were wearing a hat that was turned in a similar manner too! The only difference is the size in the clothes, which should change nothing! just sayin.. Most people in prison are black, but is race the real issue? Poor person steals a car/Rich guy steals employees' pensions. Who goes to jail? Who did more damage? Poor kid sells weed/ CEO sells tobacco? Who goes to jail? Who did more damage? Poor pimp exploits women/Rich pimp exploits third world countries. Who goes to jail? Who did more damage? It's all crime; the issue is money. This also explains how OJ got off the first time; he had money. How do you suppose everyone can get a job when there are 5 people for every job opening? Particularly when black people, with the same experience, have as much difficulty finding work as a white ex-con. Why is it so difficult to understand how discriminatory hiring practices (and police treatment) would put blacks at a disadvantage? Even if this *wasn't* the case, you've convinced yourself that it isn't with literally no evidence aside from "that's just how it is."

First of, I feel like race in general is a very sticky subject. You never want to say anything that might offend someone but at the same time it is difficult to do so because focus usually becomes a little blurry. I actually feel like we do start at 6 because when we are born we have not a clue about what this “race relations: is. Everything to you at that age feels relatively “ok” with you. You have no worries about skin color, (although people might feel a certain way when they see you.), personality, or, race. At this age you pretty much are oblivious to everything around you. So I believe since there should be a point in time when the kid starts watching television. When they start to do that, they start to see an array of different cultures and way of life in the country they live in as well as the people in other countries. (Cartoons such as Dora the Explorer). Stage 6 I think is also where a lot of really vague emotions come into play. You never have a real understanding of what race relations or white supremacy is so you are a bit naïve. Later in life I feel like you bounce around from stages 1 through 5 and then back to 6 because soon you will understand what race is. Although I gain all this new information in class, I still feel like I get stuck in stage 3. I always am excepting of white people but sometimes they make it a little difficult or weird. Sometimes I might be walking down the street and see a pretty white girl and say hello. She will sometimes acknowledge me but most times I am ignored. I feel like most white girls don’t know how to really respond to a black guy approaching them. My friends tell me to be a little more “bubbly” personality, but a black guy growing up in the hood doesn’t know how to really shift that. I think people are just ignorant and need to take the time to realize that I agree with Sam when he says that race is all around us and it can’t be helped. Its just one of those things you really can’t get rid of. Race and culture are grouped so tightly together they’re almost the same. Even in schools a child at stage one might be getting teased because of his/her skin color but doesn’t know it. I don’t think it will hurt the child much thought because the child doesn’t know what the heck race is. I feel like we really need to COME TO OUR SENSES when it comes to race.

First off, I would like t give my respects to the soliders in class Thursday, They to me exemplifies what service is. During this class I found it very easy to step out of my shoes and into the shoes of someone from Iraq. Ever since the war in Iraq started, I have never been a really big follower and I am still not today. Being a soldier can have a ton of effects on you. I just know that things happen, its war, and as bad as it sounds we were both there for the same reason it just so happen that the war was in Iraq and not America or it’d be the same thing only in our homeland. You see things that ordinarily would freak me out. Imagining being a part of the war and having to “forcefully” use the choppa to kill someone. Just because there are people over in Iraq who are trying to defend themselves in a war does not mean that these people are "bad". They're trying to preserve their freedom and save their lives, as are American soldiers. What I took away from these videos, more importantly the car and tank one, is that our actions can have far reaching consequences and effects on the lives of the people we are disrupting. I think that this tension could be removed by helping to educate both groups on their take on the stance. The civilians could help the soldier’s with their missions. Most of the time, the civilians want the soldiers’ help because they do not like the situation unfolding in their country. I’m sure if you asked them if they feel free when they look outside at US tankers and US soldiers in uniform they don’t feel very free. I think that Sam’s speech was very vital and I applaud it. He made some very good points that could be very controversial with the government. A combination of a corrupt Iraqi government and meddling foreign presence seem a little overwhelming and frustrating. Its unfair to the citizens that live there. I cant imagine living in a country where people are getting killed by the hundreds weekly on both sides. They same could be said for us, the Iraqis we saw in the news were Saddam Hussein and his troops, along with Al-Queda and other terrorists. I initially thought that the war was a result of 9-11. Now I still am confused as to why we waited till gas was involved If we had watched those two videos about some other countries army who had invaded us or was planning to, we would automatically assume that everyone from that country were terrible people.

When I think about this topic it also reminds me of how different people’s houses smell different. You can connect these topics because you know that everyone’s house has it’s own specific smell depending on what the person likes to cook or eat, but when it’s your own house you have no idea what it smells like because you are so used to it. This reason can also be due to the perfumes or detergent they use. This relates back to this topic because if you think about it, whites only notice the smells of people not like them which is like going to someone else’s house, but we don’t notice the smell of ourselves or people like us because we are used to it and have been used to it since birth so it is just normal for us and we don’t think of it as a bad smell. We both just have different odors to us. Some good and some bad. I don’t think that the person who said that white people smell like wet dogs would have said what they said if the white guy in our class wouldn’t of said that black people smell different. We all are in the same environments and experience the same encounters. Those who cook and eat a lot of ethnic food generally have some kind of seasoning scent to them. What we eat and drink is often broken down and released through our pores when we sweat, therefore causing us to smell differently. The healthier an individual eats, the more likely they’ll smell fresher than someone who eats fast food and fatty foods regularly. The lack of communication between races leads to a gap that cannot be bridged easily by anyone or any course of action, and is a problem that should be made a priority. I would hope that if someone asked me what a person of another raced smelled like when they get wet they would not get mad at me or upset. We have to read into each others ethnicities and figure out why this is so. I have been in many situations in which someone smells. I find it is the best thing to do to tell them they smell bad. I would hate if I stunk and people didn’t tell me. It would be a little embarrassing. When I keep thinking about this subject I feel as though it doesn’t matter anyway. Why does everything have to be about race? Why cant we just accept everyone for who they are? Black folks I feel always make a bigger deal about things then white people. Just because we are black doesn’t entitle us to do certain things, and also doesn’t keep us in the clear for doing other things.

I totally agree with you

When I think about this topic it also reminds me of how different people’s houses smell different. You can connect these topics because you know that everyone’s house has it’s own specific smell depending on what the person likes to cook or eat, but when it’s your own house you have no idea what it smells like because you are so used to it. This reason can also be due to the perfumes or detergent they use. This relates back to this topic because if you think about it, whites only notice the smells of people not like them which is like going to someone else’s house, but we don’t notice the smell of ourselves or people like us because we are used to it and have been used to it since birth so it is just normal for us and we don’t think of it as a bad smell. We both just have different odors to us. Some good and some bad. I don’t think that the person who said that white people smell like wet dogs would have said what they said if the white guy in our class wouldn’t of said that black people smell different. We all are in the same environments and experience the same encounters. Those who cook and eat a lot of ethnic food generally have some kind of seasoning scent to them. What we eat and drink is often broken down and released through our pores when we sweat, therefore causing us to smell differently. The healthier an individual eats, the more likely they’ll smell fresher than someone who eats fast food and fatty foods regularly. The lack of communication between races leads to a gap that cannot be bridged easily by anyone or any course of action, and is a problem that should be made a priority. I would hope that if someone asked me what a person of another raced smelled like when they get wet they would not get mad at me or upset. We have to read into each others ethnicities and figure out why this is so. I have been in many situations in which someone smells. I find it is the best thing to do to tell them they smell bad. I would hate if I stunk and people didn’t tell me. It would be a little embarrassing. When I keep thinking about this subject I feel as though it doesn’t matter anyway. Why does everything have to be about race? Why cant we just accept everyone for who they are? Black folks I feel always make a bigger deal about things then white people. Just because we are black doesn’t entitle us to do certain things, and also doesn’t keep us in the clear for doing other things.

This is a very sticky subject especially being a black man. I took a women’s study class last spring and I learned that this role reversal is something that is a worldwide issue. It’s even deeper than hair, even down to the skin color as Sam said in class. Woman of color, since they were born feel like they have to keep up with this “standard of beauty”. White women also try to change their appearances. Maybe a white girl wants tanned skin because she looks more beautiful and active, seen as if she has been out in the sun more. Women of every race love to dye their hair a different color from its natural state. It’s sort of a double-edged sword when you compare the black woman trying to become lighter and the white women trying to become darker. I feel like women in general are always never satisfied, and are always competing with one another. When a girl walks in a room looking very beautiful, girls always give each other a “stank” face. In all reality, I believe that there is a stigma that comes with being a black woman, and being a white woman. Black women are often looked down on. For instance, if a black woman and white women both attended the same university and have the same GPA, the white woman is most like to get the job. This example here provides everything needed to see this is white America. Also, “validates” a black woman to want to brighten her skin. I feel like this topic is a little generalized as well. Not all white women want to be darker and not all black women want to be lighter. But with all this pressure put on them by the media portraying the “real beauty”, it might soon be that all genes and future of our world itself might be totally different. This “beauty” that is defined across the globe kind of categorizes women and men. I do believe that this is all part of some weird conspiracy that the government has planned. Everyone has to become conscience of what is going on. With all this trouble of hurting animals in testing beauty products we failed to realize that this will only come back to hurt our earth. Why do black women want straight hair so bad? Why can’t they just embrace their kinks and nappy hair? Nothing is more attractive than a natural woman. To me that is one of the most beautiful things a woman of any race can do is embrace their natural beauty. I really hope women start to reconsider the damage they do to themselves putting on all of that garbage on their faces. I love and embrace all races of women. We all have beautiful qualities about ourselves. I just hope one day we all realize that.

The American Dream definitely does not apply to Americans who already live here. Those of use who were born here already have sucked up and dulled what it truly is to be American. I remember reading an article about a Muslim man from Israel who tried to be American so bad. He constantly ate burgers and French fries. This is an example of living the “American Dream”. I believe that the American Dream is something that foreigners look forward to and when they get here they make the best of it. They don’t have the same rights as they did in some of their countries that is why it seems like the American Dream for them. Immigrants come to the States in search of a better life for them and their children. I believe that Americans do take America for granted. I can be first to admit to it. We grow up here not really valuing what we have here. From the education we receive (even if its from Philadelphia School District), to our freedom of speech. We all must take accountability for sucking this country dry. I believe that anyone can obtain the American Dream if they are not lazy. This is a country of go-getters. You can’t just sit around and wait for things to come to you. I think we get so caught up in the material things this country has to offer and we don’t sit back and see all the resources we have taken in.
To those who were born in the US, we don’t really don’t value the freedom we have here unlike those who moved here from different countries. Immigrants come here and work hard and take advantage of every opportunity offered to them because they know they will benefit from it somehow. The American dream has evolved because of the products the US produces. I believe that the definition varies depending on what you expect to gain from this country. It’s not fair that we have come here and taken this land away from the Native Americans so to us this “American Dream” shouldn’t even be in existence. Who knew my parents would come here all the way from Haiti and try to make a better future for my family. This American Dream is really a dream that immigrants have before they come here. I’m pretty sure on television in China they don’t show crack heads in the middle of the street in Philadelphia begging for change. Or in India they don’t portray gun violence in Compton. In other countries they look at the sunflowers and clean-cut green lawns. Final thought, they see WHITE AMERICA. Which is very unfortunate because when they finally do get here they wont be expecting that poor kid waiting around the corner to rob them.