Transgender Complications, who is a man? After reading the article I completely agree with him. I don’t think it is right to an employer or even anyone to tell him or anyone else how they can or can not live their own life. If someone has lived their entire life as a man, seen as a man by everyone around them and treated so then what makes them any less of a man than some other man. I do not think its right that he is discriminated against in the work field when his employers of fellow employees find out he is a so called transgender but in reality if no one had ever said anything to them about it they would have never known. If no one spent the time talking about each other and trying to find out everyone’s dirty little secret then it would never get to the point where the employers or employees were questioning his sexuality or even him as a man. If they focused only on his work performance and tactics then there would never be laws preventing employers from discriminating against people because of their gender or their race or any stupid physical aspect that has absolutely nothing to do with their work habits. What does “normal” or “true” or “real” even mean anyways? What makes a person “normal”? Or what makes someone a “real” man or woman? Everything is defined by the society and culture we live in and that’s not fair because its as though we have reached a point where not everyone’s opinion matters and only some people actually have a say in life and in our society. Why is it that our government gets to basically decide how everyone is meant to or supposed to live their lives. Aren’t we supposed to be a free country able to make our own decisions and live our own lives? To an extent anyone can argue that we are free compared to other countries but I am not trying to compare us to anyone else I am just saying that we should be at a point in our society and with our government that we can live our own lives and not have to deal with everyone telling us what is “real” or “true” for us because the only person who should truly be able to answer that question is each individual person because no one knows them better or knows their feelings better than them. Someone can tell them they aren’t a “real” this or a “true” that but in the end all that matters is what that individual person feels to be “real” or “true” or “normal”. So I don’t really know how to answer the question who is a man because I believe it varies for each and every person.

Transgender Complications, who is a man? After reading the article I completely agree with him. I don’t think it is right to an employer or even anyone to tell him or anyone else how they can or can not live their own life. If someone has lived their entire life as a man, seen as a man by everyone around them and treated so then what makes them any less of a man than some other man. I do not think its right that he is discriminated against in the work field when his employers of fellow employees find out he is a so called transgender but in reality if no one had ever said anything to them about it they would have never known. If no one spent the time talking about each other and trying to find out everyone’s dirty little secret then it would never get to the point where the employers or employees were questioning his sexuality or even him as a man. If they focused only on his work performance and tactics then there would never be laws preventing employers from discriminating against people because of their gender or their race or any stupid physical aspect that has absolutely nothing to do with their work habits. What does “normal” or “true” or “real” even mean anyways? What makes a person “normal”? Or what makes someone a “real” man or woman? Everything is defined by the society and culture we live in and that’s not fair because its as though we have reached a point where not everyone’s opinion matters and only some people actually have a say in life and in our society. Why is it that our government gets to basically decide how everyone is meant to or supposed to live their lives. Aren’t we supposed to be a free country able to make our own decisions and live our own lives? To an extent anyone can argue that we are free compared to other countries but I am not trying to compare us to anyone else I am just saying that we should be at a point in our society and with our government that we can live our own lives and not have to deal with everyone telling us what is “real” or “true” for us because the only person who should truly be able to answer that question is each individual person because no one knows them better or knows their feelings better than them. Someone can tell them they aren’t a “real” this or a “true” that but in the end all that matters is what that individual person feels to be “real” or “true” or “normal”. So I don’t really know how to answer the question who is a man because I believe it varies for each and every person.

What are my thoughts on the fact women have to dress up and men do not when going to the same event? I think that it really is not fair that women are seen to be set at a much higher standard when it comes to appearance than men are. It feels a lot like a double standard. Like how it is ok for a guy to go around hooking up with multiple girls but if a girl goes around hooking up with a lot of guys than she is seen as a whore. One of my guy friends explained to me why it is that way. He compared it to a lock and a key. He said that a master key that can open multiple locks is seen as a good thing because it is able to open many locks or rooms. But a lock that can be opened by a bunch of different keys is not a good lock at all. I feel like in a way its kind of the same when it comes to appearance. It is ok for guys to go somewhere even if it is like a nice restaurant wearing just jeans and a t shirt of something but a girl has to wear a nice top and heels or a dress. It is as if girls are set to a much higher standard than guys because girls appearances are so important to society. Girls are expected to look like the models and the celebrities; were expected to be a size 0 with big boobs and a nice butt but guys can look however they want they can get fat and look like complete bums but we have to always look presentable. I feel that this standard girls are subject to is not fair but it is the way it is because we are in a male ruled world. The “needy” penis lecture did not change my opinion on this matter because I have always felt that it is unfair that girls are set to such a higher standard than guys are. I really do not think that the standard set for women and men will ever reach a point where it is equal or where women and men are set to the same standard because we live in a male dominated world. I also feel like it is up to each and every specific woman has to decide for herself how she wants to present herself and how she wants to be seen. Therefore each and every woman should be happy and content with who she is and not care about how everyone else sees her or thinks she should present herself in public.

What are my thoughts on the fact women have to dress up and men do not when going to the same event? I think that it really is not fair that women are seen to be set at a much higher standard when it comes to appearance than men are. It feels a lot like a double standard. Like how it is ok for a guy to go around hooking up with multiple girls but if a girl goes around hooking up with a lot of guys than she is seen as a whore. One of my guy friends explained to me why it is that way. He compared it to a lock and a key. He said that a master key that can open multiple locks is seen as a good thing because it is able to open many locks or rooms. But a lock that can be opened by a bunch of different keys is not a good lock at all. I feel like in a way its kind of the same when it comes to appearance. It is ok for guys to go somewhere even if it is like a nice restaurant wearing just jeans and a t shirt of something but a girl has to wear a nice top and heels or a dress. It is as if girls are set to a much higher standard than guys because girls appearances are so important to society. Girls are expected to look like the models and the celebrities; were expected to be a size 0 with big boobs and a nice butt but guys can look however they want they can get fat and look like complete bums but we have to always look presentable. I feel that this standard girls are subject to is not fair but it is the way it is because we are in a male ruled world. The “needy” penis lecture did not change my opinion on this matter because I have always felt that it is unfair that girls are set to such a higher standard than guys are. I really do not think that the standard set for women and men will ever reach a point where it is equal or where women and men are set to the same standard because we live in a male dominated world. I also feel like it is up to each and every specific woman has to decide for herself how she wants to present herself and how she wants to be seen. Therefore each and every woman should be happy and content with who she is and not care about how everyone else sees her or thinks she should present herself in public.

The question asked that stuck out to me the most was the three black guys asking the white girls if they would ever date a black guy and why or why not. I know in one of my previous blogs I mentioned about my moms experience dating a black man. She wasn’t able to stay in the relationship because of all the negative responses she was receiving from black women. I feel like even though I know how hard it was for my mom to date a black man I think if I met the right guy and he happened to be black I don’t think that would stop be from dating him. I know how great of a guy the guy my mom dated was and I really liked him and enjoyed spending time with him and his company. I have never met a black guy that really struck my attention or that seemed really interested except for one. I had a friend in high school who was black and he asked me out but I said no. I didn’t say no because he was black I said no because I knew that at that point in his life he was just dating around and wasn’t really taking any relationship seriously. I am still pretty good friends with this guy but he is currently in the Army stationed in Japan and he is about to re enlist. He has been back to Penn State and where we live in Maryland and we have hung out and he has talked about how I was the girl who got away. He is a really great guy and I really enjoy spending time with him but under these circumstances I wouldn’t be able to try dating him because he is so far away and I wouldn’t be able to see or talk to him much. Other than that I haven’t had any other opportunities to date a black guy cause I haven’t met one worth dating. Most the black guys I know I am either just friends with or they are already in a relationship. I’m not the type to say no to someone if they ask me out just because of the color of their skin and if at some point I met a really great guy and he just happened to be black I would have no problem giving him and a relationship a chance. And if the relationship escalated and got really serious and we just happened to get married then we would make some sexy ass kids; cause mixed children are definitely some of the most attractive people in my opinion. So I would have no problem dating a black guy.

The question asked that stuck out to me the most was the three black guys asking the white girls if they would ever date a black guy and why or why not. I know in one of my previous blogs I mentioned about my moms experience dating a black man. She wasn’t able to stay in the relationship because of all the negative responses she was receiving from black women. I feel like even though I know how hard it was for my mom to date a black man I think if I met the right guy and he happened to be black I don’t think that would stop be from dating him. I know how great of a guy the guy my mom dated was and I really liked him and enjoyed spending time with him and his company. I have never met a black guy that really struck my attention or that seemed really interested except for one. I had a friend in high school who was black and he asked me out but I said no. I didn’t say no because he was black I said no because I knew that at that point in his life he was just dating around and wasn’t really taking any relationship seriously. I am still pretty good friends with this guy but he is currently in the Army stationed in Japan and he is about to re enlist. He has been back to Penn State and where we live in Maryland and we have hung out and he has talked about how I was the girl who got away. He is a really great guy and I really enjoy spending time with him but under these circumstances I wouldn’t be able to try dating him because he is so far away and I wouldn’t be able to see or talk to him much. Other than that I haven’t had any other opportunities to date a black guy cause I haven’t met one worth dating. Most the black guys I know I am either just friends with or they are already in a relationship. I’m not the type to say no to someone if they ask me out just because of the color of their skin and if at some point I met a really great guy and he just happened to be black I would have no problem giving him and a relationship a chance. And if the relationship escalated and got really serious and we just happened to get married then we would make some sexy ass kids; cause mixed children are definitely some of the most attractive people in my opinion. So I would have no problem dating a black guy.

What is my view and experience with white privilege? I have never really had any actually experiences in my own life that I can think of where I got something over someone else because I am white; however there was a time when my mom was dating a black man and she told me about how it affected her. She said that it was hard when ever they went some where in public because other people would stare at them or look at them like they had no right to be together. She told me about times when black women would stare at her and give her dirty looks because she was with a black man. There was even an instance where a black women told her she had no right to be with a black man. My mom ended up not continuing to see him because of all those instances. She said it was too hard to be in a relationship with him and deal with all those things. In my moms instance she didn’t really benefit from being a white women, she was more so punished for being white. But when I think about Sam’s lecture where he told us that a white person with a criminal record is more likely to get a job than a person of color with out one. I do not really think that it is fair that some one with a criminal record would get a job over some one with out one just because of the color of their skin. It should not matter what their race is or what the color of their skin is, jobs should be more concerned with who is better qualified for the job and whose credentials better fit the job. I feel like society thinks that just because there is a thing like affirmative action that every one has equal opportunity to get any job they want. How ever that is not the case because people are still discriminated and turned down for jobs they are more than qualified for just because of their race and the color of their skin. So I do not think that white privilege is very fair and it really should not exist. Every one should be able to have equal opportunities to move forward in life and reach their goals and not be held back just because they are not white. Will there ever be a point when we live in a world where there is no such thing as white privilege? Will we ever reach a point where who ever is more qualified for the job and has a better resume gets the job instead of who ever is white and not of color.

What is my view and experience with white privilege? I have never really had any actually experiences in my own life that I can think of where I got something over someone else because I am white; however there was a time when my mom was dating a black man and she told me about how it affected her. She said that it was hard when ever they went some where in public because other people would stare at them or look at them like they had no right to be together. She told me about times when black women would stare at her and give her dirty looks because she was with a black man. There was even an instance where a black women told her she had no right to be with a black man. My mom ended up not continuing to see him because of all those instances. She said it was too hard to be in a relationship with him and deal with all those things. In my moms instance she didn’t really benefit from being a white women, she was more so punished for being white. But when I think about Sam’s lecture where he told us that a white person with a criminal record is more likely to get a job than a person of color with out one. I do not really think that it is fair that some one with a criminal record would get a job over some one with out one just because of the color of their skin. It should not matter what their race is or what the color of their skin is, jobs should be more concerned with who is better qualified for the job and whose credentials better fit the job. I feel like society thinks that just because there is a thing like affirmative action that every one has equal opportunity to get any job they want. How ever that is not the case because people are still discriminated and turned down for jobs they are more than qualified for just because of their race and the color of their skin. So I do not think that white privilege is very fair and it really should not exist. Every one should be able to have equal opportunities to move forward in life and reach their goals and not be held back just because they are not white. Will there ever be a point when we live in a world where there is no such thing as white privilege? Will we ever reach a point where who ever is more qualified for the job and has a better resume gets the job instead of who ever is white and not of color.

People in different countries are different from Americans because they are more exposed to different cultures; where as Americans really only know about their own culture and don’t really know anything about any other culture. People in other countries experience things that most Americans don’t have to deal with. Most people in other countries have experienced a different kind of poverty and violence than most Americans. I feel like people in other countries and more of a longing and want to learn about other cultures and different type of peoples where as Americans don’t really have that longing or want. Most Americans don’t worry about people in other countries because they are so consumed in their own lives. Americans are content and satisfied just living their own lives every day and not worrying about anyone else. Its like we live in a country where we don’t care about people who are not as well off as we are because we don’t have to see them or be around them. The few times we do help people who are less fortunate we only focus on the fact that it makes us look better and make people think were good people because we gave money to a specific cause or gave up an hour of our time or something as simple as that. Its like one of the reasons some people bash THON. I know someone who doesn’t like THON and wants nothing to do with it because of how all some people do is boast about it and try and make themselves feel better about themselves or so that they will look better to others because they helped or went to THON. Its like instead of focusing on how we helped children and families with cancer we only focus on ourselves. We as Americans cant get past our selfishness or our self absorption even when helping out in a great cause like THON; but in other countries people are so hard working and so selfless. They don’t need to see people or be in that culture to feel the need to help another group of people out who maybe isn’t as well off as them. it’s the knowledge that they helped someone or a group of people that makes it worth their while to help in any and every way that they can. If there were more Americans that were less selfish and stopped only thinking about themselves then maybe our country wouldn’t be in the awful state that it is now. We could have more people that are as hard working as that young Haitian guy that Sam is helping to go to college. If we had more people like him I think Americans would be a lot better off.

People in different countries are different from Americans because they are more exposed to different cultures; where as Americans really only know about their own culture and don’t really know anything about any other culture. People in other countries experience things that most Americans don’t have to deal with. Most people in other countries have experienced a different kind of poverty and violence than most Americans. I feel like people in other countries and more of a longing and want to learn about other cultures and different type of peoples where as Americans don’t really have that longing or want. Most Americans don’t worry about people in other countries because they are so consumed in their own lives. Americans are content and satisfied just living their own lives every day and not worrying about anyone else. Its like we live in a country where we don’t care about people who are not as well off as we are because we don’t have to see them or be around them. The few times we do help people who are less fortunate we only focus on the fact that it makes us look better and make people think were good people because we gave money to a specific cause or gave up an hour of our time or something as simple as that. Its like one of the reasons some people bash THON. I know someone who doesn’t like THON and wants nothing to do with it because of how all some people do is boast about it and try and make themselves feel better about themselves or so that they will look better to others because they helped or went to THON. Its like instead of focusing on how we helped children and families with cancer we only focus on ourselves. We as Americans cant get past our selfishness or our self absorption even when helping out in a great cause like THON; but in other countries people are so hard working and so selfless. They don’t need to see people or be in that culture to feel the need to help another group of people out who maybe isn’t as well off as them. it’s the knowledge that they helped someone or a group of people that makes it worth their while to help in any and every way that they can. If there were more Americans that were less selfish and stopped only thinking about themselves then maybe our country wouldn’t be in the awful state that it is now. We could have more people that are as hard working as that young Haitian guy that Sam is helping to go to college. If we had more people like him I think Americans would be a lot better off.