en-us https://www.intensedebate.com/users/3575358 Comments by thethieflord http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/12/02/voices-from-the-classroom-87/#IDComment232890095 i think this question is more applicable for white people or people who arent exposed to a lot of different races and ethnicities. but being of pakistani descent, i have to say that this class has definitely put the subject of race in a different light. I have grown up in a community where white people are the more dominant race and there is one minority race per class. soc 119 kinda took everything outside of the box. it helped me to understand why certain people act a certain way around people of colour. or even how people of different ethnicities view white people. i really appreciated the lecture on homosexuality and LGBT. i had a few friends who were gay and lesbian but it's interesting to see how people perceive it. The Christian Invaders was my favourite lecture and i thought that it was an important one because it sums up the whole class. People shouldn't just be judged by what they look like or where they come from. Everyone has different ideaolgies and while people may come from a different race and culture, it doesn't do to lump them all into the same category and to assume that they all think the same way. When we see Asians, we automatically assume that they are smart and probably straight from China. This class taught me that we really should try not to think that way and to realize that we're all humans and while we come from different places and look different, that is what sets us apart and it's something we should appreciate. It was interesting to see the different stages of white and different stages of coloured people because i find that we all do actually fit into one of these stages. Racism is still pretty evident in our society, but i do feel like we try to change that. i know that i grew up thinking that i wasn't brown and that i was the same as everyone else, even though i was aware that i was pakistani. after being ridiculed in school, i grew ashamed of who i am. Growing up though, i learned that i love being brown and i love my culture. and it's nice to see that not everyone in this country is ignorant. there are a lot of people who want to learn about different cultures and don't have preset notions of others. i've found that a lot of people do try and step out of the ideas of racism and prejudice and keep an open mind about people. i myself judged people based on their backgrounds and colour but i've learned that people can usually be wrong most of the time. and if we all just tried to learn about other people instead of assuming, we can always gain more knowledge and generally be happier. Mon, 5 Dec 2011 03:09:19 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/12/02/voices-from-the-classroom-87/#IDComment232890095 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/11/15/voices-from-the-classroom-78/#IDComment227730943 Through all the chaos of the scandal and watching the unfolding of the events, i've learned two things. The first thing that i've taken from these events is the importance of speaking out. Words have powerful impacts and it is so important to communicate with people about anything. The victims who are coming out and talking about what has happened to them are to be praised and respected because it can be really hard to say discuss these subjects with strangers. Not only should more victims of crimes come out and speak, but those who witness such acts of violence should also not be afraid to talk out and tell someone if they see injustice being done. The incident that occurred could have not affected so many children had some of the figures involved taken some more action and gone to the police. This scandal revolved around the lack of communication and the fear to take action. What can be taken from this is how important it is to the victim and to anyone to speak out about matters such as this before it ruins more lives. Another lesson i learned is that no matter what or how hard the trial is, there still is hope for a better future and we should always look ahead. It does not do to dwell on the past. But it is good to learn from it and apply it to the future. The scandal is not PennState and is now very much dying down. We will still feel the sting of it but it should not cloud our upcoming ventures. Instead, we should keep the victims in mind and perhaps take an action to help them but also to focus on our own futures as well. This is just a bump in the road and we must still stand strong as a community and as individuals and not let this scandal define us. The world is full of bad things and sometimes we make bad choices. One should always learn from a mistake and to repent bad actions. We can learn a lot from this scandal. And we can give back to those hurt from it. The victims are courageous for coming out and speaking about what happened. The best thing to do is to listen when someone needs to talk. Always lend a helping hand and an ear for listening because those can be the most powerful things. Always speak up about any injustice or anything that you feel is not right. We are seriously blessed to be living in a country where accounts such as this are not taken lightly. If we were in Pakistan, the abuse on the children would be laughed at and no justice would ever come to them. Infact, their families would probably be silenced and never heard from again. True, there are a lot of people who are powerful in this country too. But we are not punished for speaking out and we should always unite for a good reason and defend our people against such actions. Sat, 26 Nov 2011 18:39:46 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/11/15/voices-from-the-classroom-78/#IDComment227730943 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/11/10/voices-from-the-classroom-73/#IDComment221580684 The incident that has occurred at PennState has rocked the nation to the core. The acts of Sandusky are tragic and sickening. How anyone could do that to a child, or even just another person is inhumane. It's horrific. Sandusky deserves to be punished greatly. Unfortunately, the actions of one man have linked to other officials at PennState. The fact that some of them wouldn't do anything about what they knew of these incidents is really saddening. They may have thought that covering up the scandal would be the best way to handle it, but in the end it came out and more victims were assaulted. It's a shame though, that this scandal is now associated with PennState as a university. It's hard for the students to see their own school's name be tarnished and to be linked with such a terrible crime. Our hearts go out to those kids that were victimized. We also are hurt because we stood proud of our school. It's really hard to go through something like this because you feel betrayed by someone you trusted. This is our second home, and the people involved were people we trusted. They turned their back on the students and showed that they cared more about reputation than for innocent people. The way the students reacted to the incident can be disputed. The riots were very shameful and disrespectful. I understand fully the confusion that has been spreading amongst all of us. but i think that tipping over media vans and throwing rocks isn't the way to react. it's shameful because we didn't react that way when we found out that the kids had been victimized. instead, we had a tantrum because joe paterno was fired. it's disgraceful and in bad taste. The way we were then portrayed in the media was just as bad because those who don't know what we're upset over would think that we're immature and like little kids who can't have what they want. However, on friday we held the candlelight vigil. That was what made me proud to go to this school. That is how we really are. We are caring about the kids, we are a family, we stand united through thick or thin. We showed that we as PennState had not forgotten about those kids and that it came first. The event was inspiring. That is who we are. That is what makes me proud to go to PennState. That's what everyone should know about us. Not that we care solely about football because we don't. We pride ourselves on academics, on Thon, on being a family. Mon, 14 Nov 2011 01:54:45 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/11/10/voices-from-the-classroom-73/#IDComment221580684 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/11/01/voices-from-the-classroom-20/#IDComment216022336 I don't think that everyone should be required to have to learn English as fluently as people expect them to. I think that it's true when people are living in different countries, they should try and learn the language, but i don't think that means that they need to learn it so fluently. But it should be enough so that when there are interactions with people of the native homeland, that you are able to communicate with them in their language. So, in the case of America, I definitely think that some English should be known. But i don't think that everyone should have to learn the entire language and grammar. People get mad when they see or hear people speaking in other languages. It's nothing to get mad about. People are allowed to have different backgrounds and not have English as their first language. I think that some people are too ignorant to realize that immigrants aren't trying not to learn the language. They don't just migrate here and decide that they're just going to interact with everyone in the language they know. A lot of them do try to pick up basic English and what is required for them to get what they want in a social environment. People shouldn't get mad because the immigrants choose to speak their own language in public with their friends or family. Perhaps if people have such a problem with it, they should learn some other language and try speaking that. It's not that simple to learn another language, and i agree that it should at least be learned to a certain extent, but not required. I know that if Americans go to another country that speaks a language besides English, they would try and interact in the native language, but probably not be fluent in it. So why should immigrants be required to do the same? Basic English should be known, but i believe that people have the right to speak whatever language they choose Wed, 2 Nov 2011 23:43:32 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/11/01/voices-from-the-classroom-20/#IDComment216022336 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/10/27/voices-from-the-classroom-57/#IDComment213696945 I don't think that we honestly can even just give the land back. I do think, however, that we did wrong by the people who originally owned this land and we should make it up to them somehow. This land belonged to Native Americans who understood it and had established it as a home long before the settlers. They were forced out of their homes. It was a massive genocide. Unfortunately, there is no way to just give the Native Americans their land back. It's not realistic and I think that they wouldn't even just take it. They were wronged. It was wrong of the original settlers to take what was not theirs. But that guilt should have been on them. Of course, we feel bad and we should do what we can to help the Native Americans and original people to live better. But we should help them in every way possible. We should help to protect the reservations they live, and maybe help better their living conditions. In the one video Sam showed in class, one of the persons said that Bush was too focused on putting troops in Iraq to help those people but wouldn't do anything for the people living in his own country. We should help anyone in need that is in our country, especially when it's our own faults that their living conditions are like that. Also, Native Americans have the least education and make the least amount of income. This is also because of the discrimination and hate that they receive which makes it harder for them to get a job. We should try and help bring education to them and also learn to not hate people who were originally owners of this land anyways. It is nearly impossible to just give back the land to them, but we must do all we can to help them. Sat, 29 Oct 2011 02:26:25 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/10/27/voices-from-the-classroom-57/#IDComment213696945 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/10/13/voices-from-the-classroom-45/#IDComment207554758 My experiences with my race did shape my life. It did not made me hate white people or anything like that. But it did make me realize that a lot of people are ignorant and they grow up in a bubble. Hating them is not the solution to the problem. It is best to try and educate them and to be patient and not get mad. Yes, the looks still bother me occasionally, but I know that it's not worth getting upset over and that hopefully someday those people will realize that my skin colour doesn't make me that different Fri, 14 Oct 2011 20:15:38 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/10/13/voices-from-the-classroom-45/#IDComment207554758 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/10/13/voices-from-the-classroom-45/#IDComment207554649 Growing up, I didn't have people who were my skin colour and my age. so all of my friends were white. By senior high school, I learned not to be ashamed of my skin colour. My mom started to wear a hijab and I was so proud of her. She became the spokeswoman for the Muslims in our community and I realized that if she can endure all the inequality and judgemental looks and still be happy, then obviously i can too. I looked up to her and instead of hiding my culture, i openly showed it. I invited people to my house for desi food and to try on my pakistani outfits. My friends actually love my culture and are very enthusiastic in learning about it. I used to think I was ugly because i was brown and i thought that i had to be white to be beautiful. But i learned that that is not necessarily the case and that i can be pretty even with my skin colour. . Fri, 14 Oct 2011 20:15:21 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/10/13/voices-from-the-classroom-45/#IDComment207554649 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/10/13/voices-from-the-classroom-45/#IDComment207554453 For one instance, when in Georgia, my family and i stopped at a restuarant and we wanted to get some food. The waiter took an hour to even come to our table and when he did, he asked us to leave. My dad of course was angered by this injustice and asked why we were not allowed in the restuarant. The waiter simply said that he did not like serving people of colour. He and my dad then got in a verbal arguement which resulted in my dad asking to see the manager who apologized and gave us complimentary meals. Regardless, being so young and witness this kind of inequality made me feel no anger against white people, but anger at my parents for their origin. Then in junior high, i was even more aware of my skin colour because of 9/11 and people would always be wary when i would be on the phone talking to my parents in Urdu. I used to enjoy wearing my Pakistani outfits to school and I remember that i was asked not to wear them anymore because kids were getting uncomfortable. It was honestly really heartbreaking that I couldnt even be myself or do what made me happy because other kids or parents were afraid. Fri, 14 Oct 2011 20:14:40 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/10/13/voices-from-the-classroom-45/#IDComment207554453 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/10/13/voices-from-the-classroom-45/#IDComment207554280 Race has definitely shaped my life since I was in elementary school. Kids grow up innocent and unaware of skin color and differences in them. But i grew up in a mostly white town and I was the only brown person in the entire school. ever since I was little, it was pointed out that i didnt look like everyone else and sometimes it made me feel left out. of course, i never let it show that it affected me and instead went along with the jokes. I actually would even wish that I was white so that i could fit in with everyone. My family travels a lot so we've been to almost every state in the U.S. When we would travel to different places, we would sometimes experience a lot of racist interactions and being so young and noticing that, made me hate the colour of my skin. Fri, 14 Oct 2011 20:14:10 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/10/13/voices-from-the-classroom-45/#IDComment207554280 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/10/02/voices-from-the-classroom-27/#IDComment203549589 I have absolutely nothing against people who are gay or bisexual. I believe that people are entitled to their own opinions and whatever they choose to do, that's on them and not for me to judge. If my child was gay, I honestly would probably not be supportive. Before anyone starts saying that I'm homophobic or anything, there are reasons why I wouldn't approve of it. I grew up with a religious and a pakistani cultured background. The religious view doesn't allow homosexuality. Now, i'm not a very religious person, but this is something that I don't think i could defy personally. To me, what other people do, that is their own business and i also have a lot of gay friends. But if I had a child, he or she would be raised the way I was. I would teach them the same values I was taught, even if I may not follow it consistently, I still want my child to have the opportunity to have the same teachings that I was given. That's not to say that if my child told me he was gay, that i would disown him or throw him out to the street. I would still love him but i'd tell him that he should not act on those feelings and that he should still try and find a wife and have a family. In Pakistan, a lot of people have these feelings towards the same sex, but because it is looked down upon in the culture, most people have to hide it and not act on it. They grow up to marry people of the other sex and have children and are usually happy. Some may have people of the same sex on the side, but usually that's not the case. This is what i'd tell my child. If he was truly unhappy after trying it my way, I'd probably then give in to it. But in my religion, we are given tests and our choices are what determines our future in the afterlife. So, it is considered that the feelings towards people of the same sex as a test and to overcome those feelings and not act on them is considered the right way. I would never preach this to anyone else. But to my child, this is what I was taught and because I do consider religion important and without exceptions, i would tell him this and hope that he will understand. It would probably be hard because in America, we're all about being open and accepting who you are. We also encourage people to act on their feelings. But that always clashes with religion and so I'm sure that it would be difficult for him to follow the teachings but I would hope that it isn't as difficult for him. Wed, 5 Oct 2011 19:50:11 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/10/02/voices-from-the-classroom-27/#IDComment203549589 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/09/15/voices-from-the-classroom-16/#IDComment194300074 I want to start off this blog by first saying that i really enjoy this question. I'm a "brown" person and i can also proudly say that i played HvZ for the first time last semester. this semester i'm not taking part, but only because my friends and i missed the deadline. but i think that HvZ isn't really a race issue. It's just a game that involves people surviving the zombie virus and trying to make it the whole game as a human. It just depends on people's interests. There are a few black people who do actually play but it is definitely mostly white people. Not to be stereotyping anyone, but i think it can't be avoided so HvZ appeals mostly to nerds. And by nerds, i mean people who enjoy spending most of their time on their computers or xboxes playing videogames. For them, HvZ is a videogame come alive. And i think most people end up associating this game with nerds and think that it's really uncool for them to be running around with headbands and nerf guns. If some people weren't so self conscious, they'd realize that it's a really fun game that tests your abilities. As for why some brown people and black people don't play, i think that that can mostly go with what i said before; that most people think that it's just a silly game that nerdy people play. When i played, my brown friends thought that it seemed fun but they said they would never play because of the looks that they would receive and the judgements that would be passed. Also, it's just not really their style. Some of my friends said that they just wouldn't be as into it as some of the other members are and they feel like it would lead to hostility. Another thing that is noticed is that the members of HvZ take the game very seriously and consider it as practice for when the zombie apocalypse occurs. A lot of people, not just brown or black, think that this a ridiculous notion (which it kinda is...) and choose that as a reason as to not play. It's also a cultural thing. Most brown people aren't into science fiction as hardcore as some people and therefore just don't find the appeal in the game. Mostly, i don't think that it's an issue of race but more of who the game appeals to which happens to be white people who play a lot of videogames. I know that a lot of brown people don't usually spend their time playing as much videogames cause, and this is at least for me, the parents would probably freak out and tell them to go do something more productive with their life. Personally, i find it to be a fun game and i have seen a few brown and black people play but it is definitely predominately a white nerdy person game. Sat, 17 Sep 2011 01:09:36 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/09/15/voices-from-the-classroom-16/#IDComment194300074 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/09/01/how-do-you-feel-about-interracial-dating/#IDComment188890516 I prefer white guys even though I'm of Pakistani descent. I definitely support interracial dating. For two years actually, i had a white boyfriend and he and I came from totally different backgrounds. We did get the occasional looks because I'm brown. Not only did our race set us apart, but so did our religions. But there have been a few times where i've noticed that guys outside of my race don't like me cause i'm not the same colour as them. In high school, i always thought i was ugly cause i wasn't white and no guy would date someone like me. But it's all about preferences and i also think that it has something to do with upbringing. We all take from the outside and our thoughts usually originate from the opinions of others. So if in a household, the parents are saying that their race is the better race, the child would naturally pick up on those thoughts and base their preferences around that. i'm not saying everyone is like that, but that could be the case for some people. I don't understand why people think it's peculiar when people date outside of their race. We're all the same. We all have the same emotions, goals, and social rules that we're expected to follow. Personally, I realized that although my boyfriend and i had different ethnic backgrounds, we shared the same beliefs and morals. The fact that we connected instantly also made me never think about our races. Who people date, whether in their race or outside, isn't of any other person's business. Some families are completely against their sons or daughters dating outside of their race, but as long as the couple is happy, why does it matter? I can understand that there is the idea of tradition and passing on the culture and that some people think that the only way that it can be passed on is through a couple of the same race. This isn't the case. Times are changing and the fact that interracial dating is still looked down upon is outrageous. People are allowed to love who they want. A different race doesn't make a person any less human. It's honestly a little disappointing that even after many years of pushing to accept other races that we still are at this stand still. People should stop looking at the colour of others and instead only seperate people into good and bad. It is human nature to choose mates more similar to your own type. But it shouldn't be such a problem if someone falls in love with someone that may not look like them. What matters is if that person is a good person and someone that can make the other person happy. I know that i prefer white guys, but race is honestly the last thing I even look at. For me, a good heart take precedence over everything. Fri, 2 Sep 2011 03:37:08 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/09/01/how-do-you-feel-about-interracial-dating/#IDComment188890516