The videos we watched in the Christian invaders class in sociology 119 on Tuesday were very disturbing. To think that soldiers that we respect and look up to and expect to represent our country are acting in such distasteful, disturbing, and outrageous ways is sickening. Of course this is the first time I have ever seen any videos of United States soldiers in the war on terrorism acting in such a manner. This is very shocking to me because I never would have guessed that soldiers would act like that. On the various news stations and in all of the newspapers, the United States military troops are not depicted in such ways as the ones shown in class. I know that these few videos do not represent the entire military forces and not all of the troops, probably not even a very small amount act like the videos showed. The video with the army trucks running over the taxi driver’s car was really upsetting. My sister in law is in the military, and whenever she is asked about being in Iraq and Afghanistan she says how friendly they were towards her and how they really respected her and vice versa. We are just seeing it from one point of view and I am beginning to think this is the basis for everything. Everything is just shown one sided and the media, or YouTube, or newspapers, or news stations all show one side of things, no matter what they are. So basically, like I said, the news stations and newspapers would never show the videos of United States military troops acting poorly, but only for all the good things they have done. The American soldiers in these videos acted cruelly and were seen joking around and high fiving one another as if what they were doing was something fun, almost like something out of a video game. The one car that belonged to the taxi driver was his livelihood. To outright destroy his vehicle is unheard of and extremely unnecessary considering that is how he makes a living in order to provide for himself and/ or his family. A lot of people aren’t given these views in order to make better judgments about why we are actually there fighting a war. Videos like this that get leaked give Americans a bad name and ensure that the troops lose respect from their supporters because of acting this way towards innocent people who were doing absolutely nothing wrong. Some of the troops there are acting completely reckless and something needs to be done to control the way they are depicting all Americans. Again, we can’t completely rely on the media to depict any picture that is not slanted in one view or another, but this is something that we must think about.

This question is one that I have thought about quite a bit in response to the riots here at Penn State last week. In concern to the riots, I do believe that social networking and media such as Facebook. Twitter, and the news definitely contribute to the “riot” being blown out of proportion. Social networking is a way to put an idea that you have out in the open and to receive feedback on your idea. This can lead to any set of ideas becoming larger than necessary or of greater impact than expected. The riots would not have been nearly as powerful or possibly even happened at all without social networking sites. These sites give us real time, constant information about what is going on around us, especially here at Penn State. It also gives people who we network with who do not live here or attend Penn State University an inside look and an insider’s perspective on what goes on here, especially in response to the riot. Everyone was alerted of the riot by some type of social networking website. Prior to the rioting, people were alerted and informed of the board of trustees meeting late that night and about what they would be discussing. So, everyone tuned in to watch the meeting live on television and after the facts given to us, everyone was very distraught. All of the facts we are getting are swirling around through the social networking web sites and things are being very misconstrued to outsiders looking in on this scandal here. The events of the riot were also due largely in part to social networking sites such as twitter and facebook. I know that people were highly upset and enraged with all of the comments spewing in from people who have no affiliation with the university. All it took was for a few hundred comments from outsiders calling the students “morons” or “idiots” for things at the riot to go from harmless to harmful and malicious. This basically gave students here a way to express themselves and to show how they feel about all of the events taking place here around the Sandusky scandal. This was their way of letting out some of their mixed feelings and making it a point to show the media this also. The media, which can be almost considered a type of social networking or informant basically gave half of the stories, left out important details, and pointed the fingers at everyone and anyone they could that did not include the man who actually committed such terrible acts. The media across the country is not giving the right insight to our nation about what is actually going on here and how difficult this is for so many thousands of people. The media and social networking need to restore our good image to Penn State.

This question is one that many people will not address in the context of Americans pointing fingers at undocumented immigrants. Americans are so quick to judge the illegal workers and are so quick to make up a million and one excuses as to what the illegal workers are doing to the job market here in the United States. Americans argue that illegal immigrants take jobs away from many needy Americans and that there are many undocumented migrant workers that steal the money away from Americans. The truth of the matter is that these undocumented immigrants are the ones responsible for doing all of the hard, strenuous, unappealing jobs that everyday Americans, whether needy or not, still will just simply not do. I believe that immigrants have a hunger for money like Sam had discussed in class. They so badly want to make it in this country that they are willing to slave away doing the worst jobs for the littlest amount of money. They simply just are willing to do anything they can in order to provide for their families, and make a living here in the United States. Immigrants have more of a desire to succeed and this allows them to get up everyday and do the hard manual labor that no one else is willing to do. Americans also are not preferred for the job over undocumented immigrant workers because they will not do the strenuous manual labor for such low wages, along with the fact that American citizens are just not as efficient as the Mexican workers at these jobs. In the Steven Colbert Report video clip that we watched in class the other day, it most accurately depicts what goes on with Mexican workers and how Americans refuse to take those kinds of jobs. In class, we also saw direct quotes from Alabama farm workers after they banned illegal immigrant workers. The farms were losing hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of crops because no Americans in the area would take the job. Those who tried to take the job did not last more than a few hours in the field. If this kept going, the prices of American produce and crops would rise greatly, and they would be much more coveted items when they are not so readily available due to a lack of farm help. Americans in this country need to realize that they are not much different from the immigrants with no money, and must face the facts that they must do these hard labor jobs or quit pointing the fingers at the innocent immigrant workers who are just trying to make a better life for themselves and their families. This issue is one that we still do not have a solution for, but it needs to be talked about in order to destigmatize the Mexicans.

The question of fear that the white race will soon become the minority group does not affect me. Of course I am not scared of a change like this. I think the reason why I am not scared would be because I know this change will not happen over night. This change can be seen happening slowly around us right now, and will continue to gradually change for the next few years. Immigration is adding quite a few hundred thousand people every year to our population. Most of these people are not of the white race. I feel that Sam tried to evoke some type of reaction out of white people in class. It was almost that he wanted at least one person to feel scared. The truth of the matter is that this does not scare me not one bit. It will not affect anything in our country, aside from statistics of course. The fact that whites may become the minority group definitely adds a little bit of feeling and shakes things up in our views. However, I would not say that this could be considered fear. People are going to respond differently to change. The change also, like I said earlier, will not be happening over night but gradually instead and so this should not come as a surprise to any person of the white race. There will still be distributions of races according to region. There will still be some parts of the country, in some states, in some towns that will remain a mainly white race community. If you look at the student population here at Penn State, University Park, the majority of new applicants are foreign students and this rate only continues to rise every year. It is happening gradually all around us but there is no need to be scared. I feel that things will still remain the same in the majority of aspects of our country but being the minority race does not mean white people will be punished or will be “forgotten” as once the largest race. I think if anything, this may be good for the white race to become the minority to pop their big heads about having such a tight grip on the entire country. The elite groups in this country are a majority white. This idea that the white race will become the minority may be extremely frightening for the elite groups, considering they would become the minority and have to step down from being elite if this happens. The concepts of white power, white guilt, and white privilege will still exist. Whites will still be called racist. Things in this country will generally remain the same, even if whites become the minority group.

What would the world be like if it were centered around black supremacy? A black centered world is definitely something I have never ever thought about until being asked to blog about this question. I would imagine it would be quite different from the white centered world we live in now, but at the same time it would still be very similar to the world in which we live currently. The majority of the world would remain the same in aspects such as income, housing, government, world issues, etc. We would still have poor people in low-income housing, and rich people in massive and costly mansions. Government decisions would still remain relatively similar. History would just have happened the same way but with a black man instead. The white men and women would have been slaves, there would not have been a white president until possibly now, switching roles with President Obama. The same events would most likely have taken place, but with an African American character taking the lead. People of color would be able to imagine the idea of a black centered world better than any white person ever could imagine. The world would be more culturally centered around black people as well. Hip hop would replace white’s rock and roll era and clothing would be more urban and not as preppy as some white people dress. All in all, as a white person I feel that my day to day daily living would be the same as it is now, considering race does not play a huge role in my life right now. The world may either have more equality or just the same amount of inequality that we have now if the world were to suddenly become centered around those of color. Black people would become the majority race. Respectively, whites would become the minority race in the world if the world were black centered. The racist jokes would focus more on white people than they do now. The racial inequalities would be experienced by white people and not black people. This may mean that the world could generate a term of black guilt, instead of the white guilt we have today. The incarceration rates would be higher among white people than black people. White people would just try and darken their skin to fit in. We could respectively compare the palest, almost glowing white skin to that of the so black, it’s almost blue skin of black people. Being pale and too white would be socially unacceptable to those of darker or black skin. I do not actually know if this is how the world as we know it would be if it was black centered, however this is only my opinion. I am so curious to see what this would be like to be the minority as a white female.

This video is absolutely amazing to me. I could not even begin to imagine what Abby and Brittany’s lives must be like to be conjoined with one another and to share only one body, with one set of arms and one set of legs. I would probably have to say that in these extenuating circumstances, Abby and Brittany lean more toward determinism but can still be classified in some areas as having free will. When I first saw this, without thinking, I assumed they would have no free will and would only be led by determinism. They did not have any choice when they were born attached to one another. They will never have privacy from one another, and will never be able to lead two separate lives as most siblings do. Abby and Brittany must go everywhere with one another. This was not Abby nor Brittany’s decision to go through life living attached to each other. I could not even envision what it must be like to be them and live every single day of life by each other’s side no matter what. When I first thought about conjoined twins, I thought they could not possibly have any free will in any part of their lives because many things have already been determined for them. The two of them constantly will have to share every single moment, friend, night, day, etc. together for the rest of their lives. There is no intimacy in that.
But then I thought about free will. After watching the video on Abby and Brittany, I came to the conclusion that although they do not have nearly as many choices based on free will that other people may have, there are still certain aspects to which they can be different and make their own decisions. They share one body and one circulatory system, but have two separate brains. The girls can have two different thoughts at the same time. What they have been given is something that was pre-determined for them, that most of us will never be able to experience. However, how the girls deal with what has been pre-determined for them is the free will aspect of it. Whatever they choose to do in life, they must be in some type of agreement with one another but only they have the choice to make their own decisions and make the best of it. When we talk about determinism, we often talk about those who are less fortunate, or are in poverty or those who are born in certain places in the world and do not have all of the opportunities that others have. Abby and Brittany would be considered much less fortunate, but given their situation, I feel as though they will accomplish many things thought to be impossible for them and they will lead a meaningful life-with each other.

This is a tricky question to respond to. I have to say, honestly, that I feel like I could possibly classify myself as being in stages one through four that we discussed in class. I can definitely say I don’t believe that I am at stages five or six yet. When I said I feel like I could be classified being in stages one through four what I meant was that different situations change the stage I am in. Stage one is a stage I feel that I am in the majority of the time. I feel that when I go to class or walk down the street, I don’t ever notice people being a different race. I’m just not conscious of it I guess. Stage two is a stage I also find myself in quite a bit of the time. When I’m in Sam’s class, I am always in stage two. When race is discussed, it brings my attention to it. I am able to notice the physical differences between the different races when it is talked about. I think of how things are so different just because of the color of our skin, and the physical features that are associated with each race, like eye shape or hair type, etc. Stage three is a stage in which I also feel that I am in dependent upon the situation I am facing. When inequality issues are brought to my attention I feel so much guilt, not only for those being discriminated against but also for the white race. We are not all like that and it bothers me that a few people can put such a negative spotlight on an entire race. The last stage I can identify with would be stage four. I can’t help but become confrontational when situations that lead me to this present themselves. I find it so discriminatory to be able to classify white guilt but not for other races. It was so stunning to hear that so many black people “play” white people on a daily basis, and when asked if they felt bad they said no. So basically, white people have coined a term for how bad they feel that there is such inequality but when the tables are turned, black people do not feel guilty. This makes me so angry, especially because some black people have something negative to say about how white people treat them or classify them, but in all reality some black people do the same thing. It just bothers me that things like this are overlooked. Like when Sam asked the white women if they would mind having the black sperm donor, it was racism when they preferred the white sperm donor. No attention was drawn to those who were black who chose the black sperm donor. It’s just not always fair and often overlooked.

I feel that there is absolutely nothing wrong with gay relationships, or interracial relationships at all. Although I am straight and have never been in an interracial relationship, I still can understand why people are afraid to engage in relationships like this. Our society is so harsh and judgmental when it comes to same sex relationships. Our society also looks down on interracial relationships. So why would those who are gay even try to engage in interracial relationships? It is hard enough in society as it is to come out as a homosexual person, let alone also being in an interracial relationship. Our society would just continue to criticize them to no end. I rarely see gay couples as it is, but the number of gay couples who are interracial is an even slimmer number. Not all families are accepting of same sex relationships. I can not even imagine what it would be like for those engaging in same sex relationships to tell their families that their same sex significant other is also bi racial. I had previously answered the blog question about interracial relationships and I feel that not many people in our society are comfortable with that. It really is extremely unfair for those who wish to engage in same sex interracial relationships to feel like they have to hide who they really are because of how society would view them. I can honestly admit that the times I have seen gay and interracial couples I stop and look, but not because I am criticizing them. I often look at other people’s responses when they walk by, just to be astonished by the lack of respect we have in our society. I admit it is rare to see same sex biracial couples “flaunting” it in public, so there is some type of element of shock at first. This element of shock however, does not give anyone the right to point, laugh, or judge the couple. That is something I often see people doing when they see any couple that is out of the norm. If people wish to be in a same sex relationship but also with someone who is of a different race than themselves, then I give them an endless amount of credit. I worry too much about what others think, and people that wish to engage in these types of relationships absolutely can not thrive if they only worry about what others think. They really need to just think of themselves first and to be able to stand up for what they believe in, even if society is against it. They should not have to hide who they are in life. That is something that everyone should have the right to express individually.

I think race absolutely affects our view of criminals in the society we live in today. This goes hand in hand with our discussion on stereotypes that we had in class. People stereotype specific races when it comes to criminals. Black people are always stereotyped as criminals. People focus more on the crimes that black people commit and overlook the more abundant group of crimes committed by people of races other than African American. Also, after the vicious attacks of 9/11, people seem to stereotype those of Muslim race now. I live close to New York City and I’ve seen stores and gas stations and other businesses run by Muslims be protested, and eventually go out of business. It’s really sickening to see that happen to innocent people just because of the color of their skin. This blog topic goes hand in hand with a question Sam brought up in a soc 119 lecture. He asked if the criminal justice system was racist or not. This is a touchy subject considering the data he presented us with and how many more races other than white were arrested more frequently. I honestly think that some criminal justice systems in certain areas may be somewhat racist, but not all. I feel that police officers assume that if you are of a certain race and dress a certain way than you must be a criminal. This is extremely unfair and is the most stereotypical thing a police officer can think. Granted, they may actually be committing the crime. This certainly does not mean that all people of that specific race who look or dress in that way are criminals. People just assume that if one black person or Muslim person, or any race for that matter, is a criminal then every single other person of that race is also a criminal. I definitely feel like race affects our view of criminals. Maybe not so much for me personally, especially after being in this class for a month and a half, but I think a majority of people believe that race affects our view of criminals. I think the media in our society has a lot to do with our view on this subject matter. The media touches base on a lot of racial interactions and crime, such as racial profiling, statistics, crimes put on the news, etc. I feel that there are more criminals that are broadcasted on the news and in newspapers of people of a race other than white. Also, movies and television shows and video games tend to mostly depict criminals as being African American and other races. This is obviously going to twist the view of the population about criminals and who commits the crimes if all they see is criminals who are not white. I think the media definitely has to change this in order to change the fact that race affects peoples’ views of criminals.

It definitely caught me off guard when Sam discussed the topic of gay marriage and how this is not a big issue. Personally, I think it’s a very important issue in the United States but I do believe there are way more issues that we face today. Some meaningless, some less important, but still we focus on the issues that aren’t too bad in order to mask the scarier issues we face in society today. I believe that currently, our economy and poverty that is sweeping the nation are the most important issues. Between stock market crashes and ridiculously high gas prices, these are just a few of the hardships in our economy right now.
Politics is the control of our economy, and while they are worrying about gay marriage issues, our nation is crumbling beneath us, rapidly. Our economy is in serious crisis right now, and if we continue to sit back and act like it is not ruining everything our nation is built., it will be gone before we know it. We are experiencing economic disasters like few nations around the world have. We honestly underestimate the power that politics plays in the economy. People are completely unaware of the financial difficulties that many people face. Poverty, another huge issue in our society today in the United States is often overlooked. While we constantly see those sad, heart-breaking commercials on television about the people in other countries who are living in poverty and who need our help, our own people in this country are living in the same conditions, helpless. Why should we worry about others when there are children living in poverty everyday in the United States? These children need our help! With the economy in such bad condition right now, it is honestly so hard to help those less fortunate because that has become a classification for many people in our society today. We import goods way more than we export goods and we are no longer producing enough things here in the United States to keep on living. Our country is so used to living a specific, extravagant way. We are no longer capable of living with such high standards with all of the debt this country is in. The main focus needs to be on issues such as these before we even begin to have issues on less important things. We are slowly but surely starting to be known as a second-class country in the world; something most Americans are not ready or willingly going to accept. We need to focus on stimulation of our economy in order to get out of debt, create more jobs for those unemployed or laid off, and in order to thrive. Ten percent of Americans are currently without a job, thus creating such serious financial hardships for their families as well as the economy. If we do not start making changes soon, we will no longer have an economy.